Tribeca Review: Probing Motivations in “McVeigh”

By Abe Friedtanzer

It’s an unfortunate societal reality that the perpetrators of terrible crimes inevitably become famous. Rather than focus on immortalizing the names of the victims, it’s the person who took their lives who is often best remembered by the public. That may well be because it’s hard to understand what could push someone to do such a thing, and even with confessions, a motive may still remain unknown long after a criminal’s death. Mike Ott’s McVeigh looks at one of the most infamous domestic terrorists in United States history and constructs a narrative around why he did what he did...

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Tribeca Review: Sleepless Nights in "Restless"

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Not getting enough sleep can really ruin a person’s mood. Inconsiderate neighbors with no concept of how loud they are the subject of another Tribeca entry this year (The French Italian), but those antics take an immediate comedic turn. That’s not at all the case in Restless, an isolating tale of one woman who can’t take it anymore when deafening music blasts into her home at all hours of the night, pushing her to the brink of insanity...

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Tribeca Review: Interpersonal Dynamics in "Family Therapy"

by Abe Friedtanzer

Movies give us a window into a particular moment in time, opening on characters at a certain point in relationships with or without added context. It’s possible to form judgments based on how they act and react in given situations without knowing much – or anything – more about them. Slovenian director Sonja Prosenc offers a bizarre but deeply inviting portrait of a family still trying to figure out how it operates in Family Therapy, an off-kilter comedy that often says much more without words than it does with them…

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Tribeca Review: Terrible Neighbors in "The French Italian"

by Abe Friedtanzer

Everyone has had an inconsiderate neighbor at some point in their lives, someone who can’t understand, or doesn’t seem to care, that their actions – and likely the noises emanating from their place of residence – affect those around them. In part because people can be crazy, most don’t confront these nuisances and instead find workarounds that may lead to a drastic decrease in their own comfort.

The comedy The French Italian takes that idea to a new level, as its protagonists hatch a revenge plan that’s half-baked at best and better described as entirely aimless and lackluster...

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Cannes Diary: "Limonov: The Ballad"

by Elisa Giudici

LIMONOV - THE BALLAD © Cannes Film Festival

A final surprise, though not a good one. With the exception of a fully committed star turn by Ben Whishaw, I would never have thought I'd use the adjectives "timid" and "indecisive" to describe Liminov: The Ballad on my Cannes festival bingo card. Not when the film is  helmed by someone as bold in his views and choices as Kirill Serebrennikov. Yet here we are...

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