Berlinale #2: "Cuckoo", "La Cocina," and "All The Long Nights"

by Elisa Giudici

There are days when every film starts off more than promisingly. Your heart races because you think you're about to watch a great movie, but movies don't always live up to their promise.

CUCKOO © NEON

CUCKOO by Tilman Singer
This year's Berlinale promises a wealth of intriguing horror films. Unfortunately, the first one to be presented, one of the most anticipated this year, turns out to be a classic case of a film with a phenomenal start that derails just as spectacularly while seeking its development and conclusion. Despite the film being far from successful, there's a clear impression that, with a bit more experience, writer/director Tilman Singer is destined for a very bright future...

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Berlinale #1: Cillian Murphy in "Small Things Like These"

Elisa Giudici, TFE's frequent festival friend is in Berlin for the 74th annual Berlinale...

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE © Shane O'Connor

by Elisa Giudici

"If you want to get on with life, sometimes you have to ignore things" Billy Furlong's wife remarks to him. It's 1985, and life in the Irish town of New Ross is modest yet dignified, for the most part. It's in the subtleties and the fine line between two worlds that the agony and suffering of Berlinale's opening film unfolds.  

Adapted from Claire Keegan's novel, Tim Mielants' Small Things Like These portrays the story of a "soft-hearted man" named Billy (Cillian Murphy, teased by his wife for his unwavering tendency to aid those in need...

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Review: "The Taste of Things" is a Delicious Indulgence

by Eurocheese

The advice I received going into a screening of Anh Hung Tran’s The Taste of Things was don’t go in hungry. With its wide release coming up on Valentine’s Day, I have to assume it will send couples scrambling to their late-night dinner reservations, prepared to order the entire menu. I heard audible groans of longing from the audience as we watched images of what can best be described as food porn – glowing sequences of fresh ingredients simmering in their juices, guided by chefs obsessed with their craft. If only we could jump through the screen and experience those meals with all of our senses. This is the immersive experience Chocolat wished it could have achieved...

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Review: Mexico's Oscar Submission "Tótem" Is Finally In Theaters - See It As Soon as Possible

by Nick Taylor

You may have noticed the Oscar nominations were announced last week. I’m not super enthused about this year’s lineups, which has some predictable excellence without giving me any surprises to be psyched about. I’ve spent this week catching up on the International Film category, and for the second year in a row, I’m mostly underwhelmed by Oscar’s choices. But rather than solely ragging on the Academy’s choices, I’m here for celebration and advocacy. Tótem, the second film by writer/director Lila Avilés and Mexico’s Oscar-shortlisted submission, has been slowly rolling out in the US and other countries for the past week, and thank God for that. It’s one of the very best films of 2023 and deserves as big of an audience as it can get. Go watch it...

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Review: ‘Argylle’ is a Lot

By Abe Friedtanzer

I find that going into movies knowing as little as possible is always an advantage, though it can be difficult when something has a big budget and has been relentlessly advertised. Fortunately and perhaps miraculously, all I knew of Argylle before sitting down to watch was the tagline from the billboards I’ve seen plastered all over Los Angeles:

“The greater the spy, the bigger the lie.”

With those expectations, I imagined excess and entertainment, which this film sort of delivers…

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