In the last few weeks:
Official Competition
If you avoid “movies about the movies”, then you’ll miss a real treat. A black comedy that skewers everything that goes into an art film, it forgoes the easy gags for carefully aimed daggers. You can also spend some of your viewing time trying to figure out which directors Penelope Cruz is drawing on for “inspiration” in her performance as the eccentric, award-winning director. As a side note, except for two minutes in a single film, this is the first time Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas have shared the screen.
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song
Since his death, it seems like there have been about a hundred documentaries on Leonard Cohen. This is another one. However, I found it to be an interesting dive into the creation and subsequent canonization of a song that, when it was first recorded was not deemed worthy of release in the US. It goes without saying, that while a number of artists are featured, if you aren’t a fan of Cohen’s music, don’t watch.
Both Sides of the Blade
A french love triangle describing the chaotic results of the reintroduction of a past lover on the lives of an older couple. While there is no new ground plowed by the plot, the two lead performances keep you invested in the outcome. Besides, Juliette Binoche at 58!
(still from Both Sides of the Blade)
