Film-Forward

About Rania Richardson

Rania Richardson is the communications manager for a philanthropic nonprofit in New York City and a freelance writer specializing in film, culture, and business. She came of age in Cambridge, MA, and began her career at Time magazine. Her favorite film is Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast, and her mission is to champion the best in world cinema. She is a contributing editor to this site.

    When Fall Is Coming

    With an all-around excellent cast, prolific French director François Ozon has crafted an intriguing puzzler.

    By |April 3rd, 2025|French, Top Picks|0 Comments

      Three Friends | Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2025

      Emmanuel Mouret's, sharply written, breezy, and engaging chamber piece opened the annual festival.

      By |March 7th, 2025|Festivals, French, Top Picks|0 Comments

        All We Imagine as Light

        An entrancing depiction of life in contemporary Mumbai.

        By |November 12th, 2024|Festivals, Top Picks|0 Comments

          Kinds of Kindness

          A macabre triptych in the style of director Yorgos Lanthimos's earlier work.

          By |June 21st, 2024|Top Picks|0 Comments

            Poor Things

            A Frankenstein fable that becomes a coming-of-age saga exploding societal conventions, particularly the physical kind. Nudity, explicit sex, and grotesqueries abound.

            By |December 7th, 2023|Fantasy, Sci-fi, Top Picks|0 Comments

              Menus-Plaisirs—Les Troisgros

              Frederick Wiseman’s captivating documentary set at a three-star Michelin restaurant is a full meal of a film.

              By |November 29th, 2023|Documentary|0 Comments

                Fallen Leaves | NYFF 2023

                At a fleet 81 minutes, Aki Kaurismäki's latest film exemplifies a slim version of the director’s perfected brand of tragicomedy.

                By |October 26th, 2023|Festivals, Scandanavia|0 Comments

                  You Hurt My Feelings

                  Nicole Holofcener’s latest film showcases her trademark low-key take on the minor struggles of middle-class New Yorkers.

                  By |August 25th, 2023|Comedy, DVD/Streaming/On Demand|0 Comments

                    BlackBerry

                    The humorous tale of the men behind the world’s first smartphone and its trajectory from breathtaking to cataclysmic.

                    By |May 11th, 2023|Book adaptation, Dark comedy|0 Comments