Cairo Conspiracy
Dir. Tarik Saleh
When he’s accepted into the prestigious Islamic university Al-Azhar, fisherman’s son Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) gets an eye-opening education — but…
First Cow
Dir. Kelly Reichardt
Two misfits, an immigrant and a traveling cook, team up to start an unlikely enterprise in this slow but captivating…
Perfect Days
Dir. Wim Wenders
For public toilet cleaner Hirayama, “enjoy the little things in life” is more than just an adage: it’s a philosophy.…
Howards End
Is a TV adaptation necessary when we already have a novel and film version of Howards End? Probably not, but…
The Mission
Dir. Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss
In this documentary about John Allen Chau — the American Christian missionary reportedly killed when he tried to preach the…
Blancanieves
Dir. Pablo Berger
As a popular fairytale, Snow White has been depicted many, many times, but never quite like the 2012 Spanish film…
Heartbeats
Dir. Xavier Dolan
If there’s one thing to say about this Canadian comedy-drama, it’s that your mileage will definitely vary depending on its…
Raining Stones
Dir. Ken Loach
Light-hearted and compassionate, Raining Stones is one of Ken Loach’s lesser-known films. It’s also one of his funniest, telling the…
Aquarius
Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
If you’ve never heard of Sonia Braga, you’re in for a ride with this movie. She is, in my opinion,…
The Son's Room
Dir. Nanni Moretti
The Son’s Room is about grief, but there’s something refreshing about the way it depicts how the family navigates it,…
Two Days, One Night
Dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
This movie originally caught my eye for all the attention it got at the Cannes festival, but I assure you,…
The Brand New Testament
Dir. Jaco Van Dormael
Before anything else, your mileage of The Brand New Testament will likely depend on your beliefs. We would say, however,…
Two Lovers
Dir. James Gray
This is the most practical romantic movie I have seen though many would disagree with its ending. It’s a triangular love…
A Royal Affair
Dir. Nikolaj Arcel
If you’ve been paying close attention to Royal Families in general, then get a snack and settle in, because A…
Bright Star
Dir. Jane Campion
Jane Campion’s biographical drama about the poet John Keats derives its name from one of the latter’s greatest love sonnets:…
The Edge of Heaven
Dir. Fatih Akin
This is a hard movie to describe, but I’ll do my best without giving too much away. The movie takes…
sex, lies, and videotape
Dir. Steven Soderbergh
Remarkably, Steven Soderbergh was only 26 years old when he directed this coolly assured debut, the searingly candid script of…
