by Christopher James The seeds for Big Little Lies were planted nearly 20 years earlier with Practical Magic. Admittedly much goofier than the prestige HBO miniseries, Practical Magic is an unequivocal crowd pleaser stuffed with delightful characters, cozy fall vibes and wicked pleasures. This is thanks to the strange, yet wonderful pairing of Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.  It’s funny to compare and contrast Bullock and Kidman at this time. Both were great talents who were ascending to the A-list at the same time. Yet, Sandra was a relatable rom-com Queen who was quickly becoming Ame ..read more

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 ..read more

by Christopher James The year 1995 is a pivotal moment in the definition of Nicole Kidman. Both of her films released this year paint different paths her career could go. As Dr. Chase Meridian in Batman Forever, Nicole Kidman pursues mainstream success, hoping to align her name with a big franchise full of stars. Though she eventually returns to the superhero genre (hello, Aquaman), we get the first real glimpse at the prestige actress we know and love today with her seismic turn in Gus Van Sant’s To Die For. At that point, Kidman was best known as Mrs. Tom Cruise, having already starred in D ..read more

by Elisa Giudici Sean Baker takes the Palme d'Or for "Anora" © Sameer Al Doumy / AFP “I've been working towards this goal for thirty years.” So says Sean Baker as he leaps from his seat in the Lumière theater upon hearing the announcement of his Palme d’Or victory. He thanks Francis Ford Coppola and David Cronenberg, dedicates his film to sex workers, and champions indie cinema meant to be experienced in theaters -- the best experience, he says, “despite what some tech multinationals want us to believe.” He knows his life as a filmmaker is about to change. The victory of Anora is the culm ..read more

by Elisa Giudici Cannes is over but we continue with a few more reviews! Here are my takes on two disappointing new features from famous auteurs. RUMORS by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson The G7 leaders gather for their annual meeting, but a mysterious fog envelops the garden where they are dining, leaving them alone with strange creatures inhabiting the surrounding forest. They must navigate the forest in search of answers while drafting the resolution of a meeting that never truly began ..read more

by Mark Brinkerhoff The early ‘90s were a peculiar period in the ascendant career of young Nicole Kidman. Hot off her breakthrough in Dead Calm (1989), Hollywood poached her quickly, (mis)casting her in a series of prominent but mostly forgettable, largely thankless roles—from Days of Thunder (1990) and Billy Bathgate (1991) to Far and Away (1992) and My Life (1993). In between, her real claim to fame (for a time) was bagging Hollywood’s biggest star, not necessarily popping on screen. Or at least that’s how I viewed her in the fall of 1993, when the Harold Becker-directed, Aaron Sorkin-penne ..read more

by Nathaniel R Jesse Plemons (center) won Best Actor for Yorgos Lanthimos' KINDS OF KINDNESS © Searchlight It's that time of year again. Cannes has wrapped and we can survey and begin to seek out all sorts of international films that have newfound cache. Some will rise as international hits and awards contenders, others will vanish except perhaps in the memories of those lucky enough to have seen their prize-winning festival bows. After the jump all the prizes and a few tidbits about the movies that took the Queer Palm, Palm Dog, and Camera D'Or ..read more

by Cláudio Alves In 1991, Nicole Kidman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the Golden Globes. Interestingly, though it marks the first time she wever scored a major precursor, the film that did it, Billy Bathgate, is a somewhat forgotten stop in the star's Hollywood journey.  After the splashy box office results from Days of Thunder, the actress was a hot commodity, some beautiful import from Australia whose persona was still malleable for American audiences. Moreover, her true powers remained untapped, perchance untested. In that context, Robert Benton's Doctorow adaptation is ..read more

by Elisa Giudici ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT © Cannes Film Festival Cannes is coming to an end. In fact the closing awards ceremony begins less than four hours after this article's pubication. While we wait to finish reviewing all the films in competition and find out who will win the much-coveted Palme d'Or, it's time for A Jury of One ..read more

by Elisa Giudici How does Jacques Audiard do it? Emilia Pérez would be an extraordinary film if it were directed by a 35-year-old filmmaker who had just matured and created a groundbreaking movie destined to consecrate his career. Yet Audiard is 72 years old, already has a Palme d'Or at home, and a portfolio of excellent films. He doesn't need to reinvent himself or take many risks, having reached an age and fame where some simply coast along, continuing to indulge their existing obsessions. Instead, Audiard delivers a film that, on paper, should be disastrous and unworkable ..read more