NYFF 64: “Clarissa” is the best “Mrs. Dalloway” adaptation you’ll ever see

by Cláudio Alves

Between Wuthering Heights and The Odyssey, much has been said this year about the merits and demerits of film adaptations straying from their source material. Most of the time, I’m a defender of unfaithfulness in the transformation of a text between mediums. Indeed, some of the most interesting aspects of both those box office success stories are precisely the dialogues established between them and their literary origins, deviation as conversation. Moreover, the general public’s idea of fidelity to a text can be superficial, to say the least, and believe me, I’m trying to be diplomatic in my choice of words here. Some would say Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Clarissa is a wild re-imagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, unfaithful as can be in its transposition of a narrative set in post-WWI England to contemporary Nigeria.

They would be wrong. Not because the Esiri brothers don’t do what I’ve just described, but because, in this gesture, they have managed to capture the essence of Mrs. Dalloway in ways no other cineaste has to this day. Step aside, Gorris and Daldry, for there are new masters of putting Woolf on screen to join Sally Potter in her tiny pantheon. And it’s precisely through their changes to the classic novel that they manage to make Clarissa the best Mrs. Dalloway we’re likely to see in the annals of film history, yesteryear’s and those to come, purists be damned…

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TIFF 51: “Tangles” packs a personal punch, wrestling with Alzheimer’s through animation

by Eurocheese

One of the top reasons to attend festivals is to find surprises, films that far exceed expectations and become unforeseen favorites. I had no plans to write up Leah Nelson's Tangles, though I knew it was getting good reviews. When I stumbled out of the theater, unable to keep tears from streaming down my face, I knew it deserved a reaction here at The Film Experience. This animated gem is not only for those who have been impacted by Alzheimer's directly, but for anyone who has loved ones aging into their final years, when we begin the difficult process of learning how to say goodbye...

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Review: "Supergirl" is Perfectly Fine, Which is a Little Disappointing

By Ben Miller

You can blame Superman for plenty of the failures with Craig Gillespie's Supergirl. The critical and audience success of that entry reignited the DC Universe. Now, the expectations are too great and the middle-of-the-road film that follows is sure to be considered a disappointment.

It's not like the film does anything wrong, it's just slight. I love not having a plot hinge on universe-changing implications, but this film just establishes the Supergirl character enough to lead to other stories. Table-setting is always a part of the deal with these connected universe stories, but it's surrounded by such low stakes and forgettable characters, it's hard to care...

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First Predictions: Adapted & Original Screenplays

by Nathaniel R

Four inspirations for 2026 movies: Mrs Dalloway becomes CLARRISA, The Unfaithful Wife becomes MINOTAUR, Rocky (1976) gets a making of bio with I PLAY ROCKY, and of course the bestseller turned blockbuster PROJECT HAIL MARY

As someone who never used to have writers block but who has it frequently now, I have a newly reinvigorated respect for fellow writers who perservere. That said, the screenwriters life can't be easy given the amount of script doctoring, star and director and studio "notes", multiple drafts, and anything else that can change an original concept or even an adapted one -- and what is the difference really in some cases? Cheers to anyone who sees anything they wrote up on screen, even if it's only partially their vision in the end. Let's look at some Oscar possibilities after the jump...

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Split Decision: “Train Dreams”

In the Split Decision series, two of our writers face off on an Oscar-nominated movie one loves and the other doesn't. Today, JUAN CARLOS OJANO and CLÁUDIO ALVES discuss Train Dreams...

JUAN CARLOS: So why don't you like Train Dreams?

CLÁUDIO: Seriously, that's how you start our convo?

I guess it's an appropriately blunt opening to argue over a blunt movie that wears the costume of subtlety and gentleness without quite pulling it off. Well, in my opinion, of course, since being the one organizing this series has made me well aware that everyone on the team likes Train Dreams. And, to be fair, the picture's grown on me to the point I'm actually rooting for it in the Best Cinematography race and wouldn't even be mad if it pulled off an unprecedented victory in Best Original Song. It's a picture full of great elements that ultimately falters under the weight of one or two major failures, some misbegotten choices that collapse the potential it might have had in different circumstances…

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