As if Tony Gilroy rejuvenating the Star Wars Universe with Andor wasn’t enough, it would appear that he’s doing the same for the contemporary adult drama film with Behemoth!. The Centerpiece film of the 64th New York Film Festival, Behemoth! is a brilliant deconstruction of a man’s life, told through moments of reflection rather than […]
Tag: New York Film Festival
NYFF64 – LA GRADIVA & The Rich Collage of Youth
Marine Atlan’s La Gradiva begins in a way that evokes the potential for a grand, fantastical journey that’s about to play out. The music begins to swell as a camera mounted to a train bursts forth from a dark tunnel, moving ever so fast through the countryside. The rich landscape looks incredible, but despite the […]
NYFF64 – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JO: CHAPTER PHAEDRA Is A Rich Exploration of Identity
Jacqueline Lentzou’s A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra begins with an ephemeral moment of the titular 15-year-old napping amidst the beauty of nature. She is conducting breathing exercises while laying in the grass, only to have found herself dozing off. Who could blame her? Lentzou’s breathtaking 16mm photography captures Greece at its […]
NYFF64 – PAPER TIGER: An Operatic New York City Tale
James Gray’s Paper Tiger comes home to New York City as the Opening Night film of the 64th New York Film Festival, and is kicking off the festival like a shot from a cannon. Representing New York through and through, this film takes a small-scale crime tale and channels it through a familial drama that […]
NYFF63 – IS THIS THING ON? Explores The Human Condition Through Stand-Up Comedy
2023’s Maestro is an incredibly well-made film. A grand and often fascinating biopic, it confirmed that Bradley Cooper was as formidable a presence behind the camera as he was in front of it. Yet many villainized Cooper for “wanting an Oscar too badly.” It received seven nominations, going home with none, and thus felt as […]
NYFF63 – JAY KELLY Wistfully Reflects on Life Through Cinema
Jay Kelly (George Clooney) finds himself in an old haunt he used to frequent with one-time roommate and old acting classmate Timothy (Billy Crudup). Already in a wistful mindset after the death of the man who gave him everything, Jay isn’t really feeling like one of the all-time great movie stars. It’s in Timothy that […]