Fresh Fork

  A LL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT An extremely sensitive look at the lives of two different women living in Mumbai in a changing society: the daring spirit of Anu faces the challenges of a world made of rules that supress women, while Prabha tries to free herself from the social chains she grew up with. It's beautiful and Payal Kapadia makes exquisite visual choices that somehow remind me what I felt when I first watched  The Virgin Suicides . It's a tale of womanhood carried by Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha's powerful internal performances and it's also a tremendous directing debut! Movies like this one are very rare and I had the sense I saw something truly special. A contemplative cinematic beauty and a look at a changing world. Nothing much to add: subtle, sensitive and visually beautiful.  RATING: 9,5/10 NOSFERATU A riveting gothic tale of obsession and greed, Eggers delivers another cinematic epic film! Anchored by a magnetic (and raw) performance from Lily-Rose Depp ...

  Let's start... 1 - Ryan Gosling He may not have a huge list of movies in his body of work, but the few times he makes something, all the time he almost carries the movie. In fact, Gosling is a proof that talent does exist and that you don't need excentrical characters to receive raves. He rose to fame after the big screen adaptation of  The Notebook  (2004) and then received lots of critical praise for his performances in movies like  Half Nelson  (that gave him an Oscar, a SAG Award and other major awards nominations),  Lars and the Real Girl  (that gave him a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and other major awards nominations) and  Fracture  (in which he shres the screen with Anthony Hopkins). This year he starred Blue Valentine alongside Michelle Williams, a very well-received indie movie that got raves in both Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, specially the two lead's performances, starting a early Oscar buzz for Ryan Gosling an...

  enre:  Horror/Mystery Director:  Oz Perkins Writer:  Oz Perkins Starring:  Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt  and  Nicolas Cage Longlegs  was a pleasant time at the movies. A solid crime-investigation film that surprises with a somewhat sloppy supernatural element that goes full force during the 3rd act, it might be defined as some kind of  Silence of the Lambs  meets  Hereditary , but  Longlegs  distinguishes itself thanks to Oz Perkins' direction: always tense, with a dark atmosphere of constant danger, even if the writing can't quite match the boldness of the execution. It's a very good cinematic ride, but it disappoints in its conclusion when its orchestration promised a grand finale. The movie's first scene is a great one, maybe one of the most creepy first scenes in recent years, and what unfolds after that makes you wonder about its connection with the narrative. The first act is brilliantly written, with...

  The almost annual TOP 35 Actors and Actresses Under 35 Working Today is out, with me considering the performers' performances of 2016 also. We have a few changes since last year's list, with   Greta Gerwig   toping the list thanks to her last 3 great performances in   Mistress America ,   Maggie's Plan   and the Oscar buzzy acting turn in   20th Century Women .   Scarlett Johansson   comes second with her latest distinguished performance being in 2014 ( Under the Skin ), but she managed to be at the spotligh this year thanks to her fine turns in critically acclaimed movies:   Hail, Caesar! ,   Captain America: Civil War ,   The Jungle Book   (voice) and   Sing  (voice).   Emily Blunt   adds another great performance to her resume in The Girl on the Train and she comes third, while   Elle Fanning 's turning into one of the finest actresses and she's getting to play more adult and complex parts lik...

W ICKED While some odd cinematography choices and some caricature approach to supporting characters might prevent  Wicked  to achieve true cinematic greatness, there's no way to deny it has the heart in the right place and everything works thanks to that crucial detail. Sustained by a great Cynthia Erivo as the ostracized Elphaba and a splendid Ariana Grande (whose comedic timing and bright charisma earn her the title of "best in show") and fabulous musical numbers done flawlessly, Wicked is way more than just an eye-popping musical. "Defying Gravity" or the party dance scene will tear your heart apart, while "Popular" and Glinda's "toss toss" moments will put a smile on your face - in fact,  Wicked  is a complete cinematic experience that deftly balances the respect for the source stage material with the cinematic liberties - thanks to the assured directing vision of John M. Chu, who clearly loves the story he's telling on-screen. Na...

The Academy Awards nominations were announced January 22, 2025 - with some films to stand-out in terms of number of nominations!  Emilia Pérez  is the most nominated film (13 nods), followed by The Brutalist and Wicked (10 nominations each). Some unexpected snubs include Denis Villeneuve ( Dune: Part II ) and Edward Berger ( Conclave ) for Best Director, Marianne Jean-Baptiste ( Hard Truths ) in Best Actress, Clarence Maclin ( Sing Sing ) in Best Supporting Actor or  Challengers  in Best Original Score, but there are some pleasant surprises like  I'm Still Here  ( Ainda Estou Aqui ) in Best Picture and  A Complete Unknown  in Best Director (James Mangold). Here's the full list: BEST PICTURE “Anora” “The Brutalist” “A Complete Unknown” “Conclave” “Dune: Part Two” “Emilia Pérez” “I’m Still Here” “Nickel Boys” “The Substance” “Wicked” BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist” Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown” Colman Domingo, “S...

  wards season is ready to start and distributors are already lining their contenders. After the indie Winter & Spring and a lackluster Summer seasonl, it seems there aren't many contenders that had their releases outside of a film festival this year. Sure Thanksgiving and Christmas season always have a word to say concerning the Oscar potential of more commercial cinematic ventures, but I consider the biggest players have already screened in Cannes, Venice, Telluride and TIFF.  To understand the Oscar game, we have to have some points in mind: #1 - it kinda plays like a presidential election in the way your party (AKA distributor) needs to champion the movie and land a FYC campaign; #2 - Best Picture nominees are chosen through a preferential balloting system, which means the love towards a movie plays a big part in the game while not liking the movie does not (you can't "unvote" a movie or block the AMPAS members of picking it);  #3 - the first critics' awar...