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Ben Wheatley returns to genre cinema, after his questionable “Rebecca” remake, with “In the Earth.” What this latest film actually constitutes is the writer-director’s attempt to go back to his cinematic roots (“KIll List” and “A Field in England”), a time when he was a younger filmmaker, excited by the notion of creating art and enamored by his power to cast a horrific and unpredictable spell on audience. Sadly, it feels like the spark is missing here....

Talbot is a guy that was celebrated to no ends at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and for good reason. He is a major talent to watch. You can just tell there is something special in the way he constructs his shots, using pans, twirls, music and slo-mo to tell his story. His visual eye is an absurd abundance of riches, recalling, and influenced, by Spike Lee. But for all of the camera wizardry, his film is thin and uninvolving....

At least, he is out of a medically-induced coma in Germany after undergoing treatment for a severe case of COVID-19. If you remember, last summer, reports had emerged that Zvyagintsev had been transferred to Germany for treatment after contracting COVID-19. The filmmaker was in very serious condition, having suffered damage to 92 percent of his lungs. He was put in a medically-induced coma and on extracorporeal life support (ECLS). The Russian director was in the middle of production for his movie, “What Happens,” which was going to be his English-language debut....

It’ll most probably not be the Cannes cut, which was close to 3 and a half hours in length. A French source had told me in 2020 that Kechiche was editing a new version of “Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo,” a version that completely erased actress Ophélie Bau from the movie. The decision to release this latest cut would be a mind-boggling thing to do, especially considering that Bau has the most screen time of any of the actors in ‘Intermezzo’ and is the highlight of the movie....

It’s obvious, just by the title alone, that Garland tackles some form of “toxic masculinity” in “Men” (the writer-director’s films have never really been known for their subtleties). Its main protagonist (Jessie Buckley), after the suicide of her abusive partner, decides to retreat alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to find a place to heal. Instead of peace and tranquility, what she finds instead is a barrage of inconsiderate men, some of whom, she believes may be stalking her....

I wrote this in my Sundance rave of “Midnight Family” on 02.06.19: “Despite a population of close to 9 million, Mexico City’s government operates only 45 emergency ambulances. This shortage crisis has resulted in private paramedics becoming first responders to the critically injured. One of them is the Ochoas family, zigzagging through high-speed ambulance rides to care for the critically injured. Despite being unregistered, they are the underground lifeline for many....

It doesn’t help that any filmmaker that shows any hint of promise quickly gets sucked into the Marvel/Disney/Sequel vacuum. The likes of Barry Jenkins, Chloe Zhao, Ryan Coogler, Michael Sarnoski, Destin Daniel Cretton, and many more, have all recently sold their creative souls for corporate product. The list has been growing these last few years. We can now add “Minari” helmer Lee Isaac Chung to that list. He’s close to signing on to direct a sequel to the 1996 action movie “Twister....

Robert Davi’s “My Son, Hunter,” released on VOD September 7th, is said to be “an inside look into the Biden Family home.” It all looks very slick, which means an actual decent budget was churned out for this one, with Breitbart tagged as the producer. This is the story of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. One look at the trailer and we can expect lots of crack pipes and hookers in the film....

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The Boston Society of Film Critics started what will likely be a familiar refrain this awards season by selecting Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” as the Best Film of the year. Zhao also nabbed Best Director honors and Best Cinematography went to Joshua James Richards‘ Malick-Esque imagery in the film. Zhao’s film is expected to take top honors at the aforementioned L.A. and NYC critics awards. Last week, “Nomadland” was named best movie of 2020 via a World of Reel poll of over 100 critics....

Peele’s film has not built that much enthusiasm, even with its expensive Super Bowl and NBA finals ads. I did put the film as our #1 most anticipated movie of the summer, but that was before we knew much about it. Box Office Pro just released the projected numbers for “Nope,” which is set to be released on July 22nd. The film is currently tracking at a $45-65 million opening weekend, which I find hard to believe....

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Bless Ken Loach’s heart. The man is relentless in his refusal to stop depicting working-class stories. After all, even his closest competitor, Mike Leigh, has dabbled outside his comfort zone in the past; not Loach, though, who was once retired but is back to tell the tales. Good on him. I will freely admit that his latest, “Sorry We Missed You,” got to me for its first hour or so, but it eventually got tiresome in its attempts to hammer on its anti-capitalist message....

“Tar” has shot up on my must-see list. I don’t think there’s a film I’m more looking forward to catching right now than this one. The stuff I’ve been hearing makes it seem as though it will be the critical darling of the fall festival season. There is no other movie I can think of that will be getting better reviews. “White Noise” seems too polarizing. I’ve heard mixed things about “Bones & All” (love/hate)....

“The Nightingale,” director Jennifer Kent’s sophomore effort, following “The Babadook,” desperately wants to be delve into the white man’s history of violence, particularly towards women. Set in 18th Century Tasmania, where the Brits are colonizing the Aussies, the film’s main protagonist is an Irish convict by the name of Clare (Aisling Franciosi) who is not just a house prisoner but a slave to an English lieutenant named Hawkins (Sam Claflin)....

A stellar ensemble cast brings Tracy Letts’ screenplay to the screen with a deluge of overstylized shots as our heavily medicated, and isolated, protagonist tries to navigate a self-inflicted haze of reality and fiction. Always with a glass of wine in hand, Adams navigates through the mumbo jumbo plotting like a true champ, this is, after all, an 8-time Oscar nominee. Immaculately invested in her role, you almost feel bad for the actress’ deep dive into the role, it feels like wasted energy given the convoluted plot she’s thrust in....

Did we really need a sequel to “Top Gun”? Of course not. Cruise is desperately trying to build as many franchises to his name as possible, he knows full well that the “star vehicle” is all but a dying breed in Hollywood. Smart guy. Of course, “Top Gun” captured the zeitgeist of an era that’s long, long gone. If anything, Cruise should take some cues from his predecessors like Hackman, De Niro, Pacino who all tackled challenging roles once they hit their fifties....

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His latest, titled “Vortex,” is a 142 minute examination on old age and death. Not as much of a provocation as it is a slow-burn, this meditation on twilight love will surely isolate some of Noe’s fans who are looking more to be provoked. A film about an elderly couple; She (Francoise Lebrun) suffers of dementia and He (Dario Argento) is a retired film critic who reluctantly has to take care of her....

“No, I haven’t. Surely, it’ll be screened before the Spielberg, which I’m hearing has 20th century biting its nails in fear of backlash.” The conversation went on, but I fear this seasoned trade critic is right. What is 20th Century going to do with Spielberg’s “West Side Story”? The film has been in the can for well over a year now and there was no reason for it to skip any of the fall festivals....