Review: "Snow White" exceeds expectations, but that's not saying much

by Cláudio Alves

When was the last time the live-action remake of one of Disney's animated properties presented something worth watching? One supposes Cruella had those Jenny Beavan-designed Oscar-winning costumes to recommend it for, and Winnie the Pooh was alright in its melancholic tone. By my account, the last wholly successful of these enterprises was Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella, released a whole decade ago this year. Part of it stemmed from a willingness to deviate from the original, an understanding of the tale's inherent qualities beyond its value as nostalgia fodder, and the lavish production values courtesy of Dante Ferretti and Sandy Powell. 

The latter is back to Disney's mercenary recycling scheme with Snow White, a project that harkens back to Cinderella without reaching the same modest heights. Sandy Powell innocent, though. Well, mostly…

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Berlinale 75: "Blue Moon" isn't your traditional biopic

by Elisa Giudici

Watching Blue Moon, I couldn’t help but think of Inside Llewyn Davis, one of the Coen brothers’ most accomplished yet underappreciated films. That movie introduced Oscar Isaac in what remains his most astonishing performance, portraying a talented but ill-fated musician who arrived just a bit too soon to achieve success. A similar fate awaited Blue Moon’s protagonist, though his story unfolds decades earlier, in 1943 New York, amid the turmoil of World War II...

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Berlinale 75: On the Golden Bear-winning "Dreams"

by Elisa Giudici

First love is by definition all-consuming, reshaping one’s world with overwhelming intensity. In Dreams (Sex Love), a multi-generational reflection on first love from Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud, captures this transformative experience, The movie tells the story of Johanne, a high school student who falls deeply for her French teacher. While the premise may seem familiar, the film’s execution is anything but. With remarkable authenticity, Dreams conveys the raw, feverish energy of youthful desire—both in mind and body—while weaving in a broader meditation on love across different stages of life...

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Berlinale 75: Bong's back with "Mickey 17"

by Elisa Giudici

Bong Joon-ho rarely misses the mark—or at least, he approaches his projects with such precision that his return to the big screen after Parasite feels both carefully crafted and self-assured. Following a film that not only reshaped his career but also changed Oscar history by opening the doors to international cinema, Mickey 17 carries the weight of great expectations. It may not reach the towering heights of Parasite, but it reaffirms Bong's status as one of the most inventive and influential Korean directors on the global stage.

Interestingly, Bong Joon-ho was already a successful Hollywood filmmaker long before Parasite became a global phenomenon. Films like Snowpiercer and Okja demonstrated his ability to blend spectacle with social commentary, and Mickey 17 feels like a return to that style—for better and for worse. This time, he tackles the sci-fi genre again, weaving a narrative that is both thought-provoking and undeniably entertaining...

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Berlinale 75: "Dreams" is sure to be controversial

by Elia Giudici 

After the Emilia Pérez affair, Dreams by the Mexican director Michel Franco presents a portrait of the Mexican population that is sure to spark intense debate. Even as the audience left the theater, groups of journalists were already engaged in animated discussions among themselves. This is because, at the film's conclusion, Franco makes a bold choice that inevitably compels one to take a firm stance. His hand, clearly visible, is that of the director of Nuevo Orden, a filmmaker who, when confronted with violence and cruelty reaching almost unbearable heights, approaches them with the cold detachment of a surgeon...

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