Film Festival News | Little White Lies

Festivals

Two adults, a man with a beard and glasses and a woman, face each other in close proximity, lit by warm evening sunlight.
Festivals

Dream Scenario – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Nico­las Cage plays an oth­er­wise unre­mark­able col­lege pro­fes­sor who unex­pect­ed­ly finds him­self appear­ing in peo­ples’ dreams in Kristof­fer Bor­gli’s lat­est satire.
A bearded man wearing a straw hat and striped top, with a woman in sunglasses behind him.
Festivals

Poolman – first-look review

by Charles Bramesco

There’s a whole lot of Chi­na­town in Chris Pine’s direc­to­r­i­al debut Pool­man, an Ange­leno neo-noir with a script that gives Robert Towne more than fair grounds to sue for damages.
A diverse group of young football players in green shirts gathered around a white male coach who is yelling excitedly, with the coach surrounded by the smiling players.
Festivals

Next Goal Wins – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Tai­ka Wait­i­ti is way-too eager to please with this aggres­sive­ly feel-good com­ic fic­tion­al­i­sa­tion of the love­ly 2014 doc­u­men­tary of the same name.
Three men sitting at a table, engaged in conversation, with glasses of wine or other drinks on the table.
Festivals

Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros – first-look review

by Rafa Sales Ross

In his lat­est doc­u­men­tary, the Amer­i­can mas­ter Fred­er­ick Wise­man observes the rou­tines of the Trois­gros fam­i­ly and their three fine din­ing restau­rants in France.
Floral patterned set with retro style lamps, text "The Dating Game" in bold orange and yellow colours, several people seated on stage.
Festivals

Woman of the Hour – first-look review

by Charles Bramesco

Anna Kendrick’s direc­to­r­i­al debut, about a abused upstart actress and a ser­i­al killer in her midst, says all the right things, but too loud and too often.
Two women in a bathroom, one reaching up to a hand dryer on the wall.
Festivals

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World – first-look review

by Mark Asch

The new film from one of Roma­ni­a’s fore­most cine-iro­nists, Radu Jude, is a glo­ri­ous, poi­so­nous, every­thing-in-the-pot trea­tise on the state of the world today.
Crowd of protesters amid smoke and chaos, police officers stand on an elevated platform.
Festivals

Les Indésirables – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Ladj Ly’s fol­low-up to his Cesar award-win­ning Les Mis­érables is a hyper­bol­ic state-of-the-nation address that lacks the log­ic and fire of that first feature.
Two characters embracing in a rural outdoor setting with trees and a lake in the background.
Festivals

The Boy and the Heron – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Less a swan­song and more a heron­song from the Japan­ese mae­stro Hayao Miyaza­ki, a mys­ti­cal and ambi­tious mes­sage of hope for the future.
A woman with long red hair wearing a green jacket, standing in a forested area.
Festivals

Memory – first-look review

by Yasmine Kandil

Michel Fran­co’s dra­ma about the choke­hold of the past boasts star pow­er in Jes­si­ca Chas­tain and Peter Sars­gaard, but nev­er quite deliv­ers on its emo­tion­al premise.
Two people, a woman and a man, walking through a field with a telephone pole in the background.
Festivals

The Royal Hotel – first-look review

by Mark Asch

More cin­e­ma of omi­nous dis­com­fort from Kit­ty Green as she takes us to an out-of-the-way Aus­tralian booz­er for some low-boil­ing violence.