Film-Forward

Foreign

Mr. Turner/Saint Laurent | Cannes Biopics

In the awards competition at the Cannes Film Festival, two films rejuvenated the often clunky genre of the biopic. Mike Leigh, whose films have won many honors here, offered something of a departure from his previous output. Mr. Turner, appropriately his most picturesque film yet, explores the later years of pre-Impressionistic, pre-rebel chic painter J.M.W. […]

The Almost Man

Directed by Martin Lund Released by Big World Pictures Norwegian, with English subtitles Norway. 75 min. Not rated If Alexander Payne ever decided to make a Judd Apatow film, it would look somewhat like The Almost Man. Henrik, played by Henrik Rafaelson, is a 35-year-old man-child (with an uncanny resemblance to Jason Segel) who starts […]

The Amazing Catfish

Written and Directed by Claudia Sainte-Luce Produced by Geminiano Pineda Released by Strand Releasing Spanish with English subtitles Mexico. 95 min. Not Rated With Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Sonia Franco, Wendy Guillén, Andrea Baeza and Alejandro Ramírez Mu?oz The Amazing Catfish is the semi-autobiographical debut feature of Mexican director Claudia Sainte-Luce. In her early thirties, […]

Cannibal

Directed by Manuel Martin Cuenca Produced by Fernando Bovaira, Simon de Santiago, Manuel Martin Cuenca, Alejandro Hernandez Written by Cuenca, Alejandro Hernandez, based on a novel by Humberto Arenal Released by Film Movement/RAM Releasing Spain/Romania/Russia/France. 116 min. Not rated With Antonio de la Torre, Olimpia Melinte, and Alfonsa Rosso The Spanish film Cannibal is a […]

Gabrielle

Written and Directed by Louise Archambault Produced by Luc Déry and Kim McCraw Released by Entertainment One Canada. 104 min. Rated R With Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Alexandre Landry, Vincent-Guillaume Otis, Benoit Gouin, Sébastian Ricard, Marie Gignac and Robert Charlebois Though there are many themes brought to the forefront in Gabrielle, the unique power of […]

Mood Indigo

Directed by Michel Gondry Produced by Luc Bossi Written by Gondry and Bossi, based on the novel by Boris Vian Released by Drafthouse Films France. 94 min. Not rated With Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Omar Sy, Aïssa Maïga, and Charlotte Le Bon Watching Mood Indigo is a curious experience—not an unusual description for […]

Exhibition

Written and Directed by Joanna Hogg Produced by Gayle Griffiths Released by Kino Lorber UK. 104 min. Not rated With Viv Albertine, Liam Gillick, Tom Hiddleston, Chris McWatters and Mary Roscoe Domestic architecture takes on a new and exquisite dimension in Exhibition. For British filmmaker Joanna Hogg, a house is not only a living and […]

Violette

Directed by Martin Provost Produced by Miléna Poylo & Gilles Sacuto Written by Provost, Marc Abedelnour and René de Ceccatty Released by Adopt Films French with English subtitles France/Belgium. 138 min. Not rated With Emmanuelle Devos, Sandrine Kiberlain, Olivier Gourmet, Catherine Hiegel, Jacques Bonaffé, and Olivier Py Director Martin Provost calls Violette a diptych with […]

Le Chef

Directed by Daniel Cohen French with English subtitles Released by Cohen Media Group France. 85 min. Rated PG-13 Aspiring chef Jacky (Michaël Youn) is the stereotypical figure that strikes fear into the hearts of the less gastronomically adventurous. He’ll materialize from the kitchen if diners prefer red wine with white meat, and woe betide the […]