Wow.
Okay, this is going straight to my Favorite First-Time Watches of 2025 list. The righteous anger and the Cuban people's fight against oppression combine with the unmatched skills of cinematography master Sergey Urusevsky to create not only the best political film but, along with "Z" and "The Battle of Algiers", truly one of the best films of the entire 1960s.
I knew Urusevsky was a genius after seeing his work on 1957's "The Cranes Are Flying" but here, he's…
“Mensch Opa, das sind echte Levi′s!”
East Germany may never have had its own equivalent of a Fassbinder or Von Trotta, but it still produced some wonderful movies, and "Für die Liebe noch zu mager?" is one of the best. The strength of the performances, particularly from the two leads, Simone von Zglinicki (in her debut role) and Christian Steyer, help paper over some of the more rough edges.
The music by the Klaus Renft Combo, Illés Ensemble, and Zsuzsa…
"Why do men chase women?"
Every movie I've seen about Italian families always has the most delicious-looking food, and "Moonstruck" was no exception. My completely coincidental decision to make myself some spaghetti and meatballs for dinner before watching this proved especially fortuitous.
The acting was great all around here. Cher and Nicolas Cage were two actors I never suspected would work well together but they have great chemistry here. Danny Aiello, thankfully not playing a racist pizzeria owner this time…
Watched at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow give powerful performances in a tense drama that portrays the papal conclave as a "House of Cards"-style power struggle. The strength of the performances papers over some of the campiness of the proceedings, but I'd be surprised if the film doesn't get at least a few Oscar nods for Supporting Actor, especially Tucci or Lithgow. One performance that will stick with viewers is that of newcomer Carlos Diehz…
