Just presented at the Venice Film Festival, actress-director Olivia Wilde’s new film (Book Smart) is a psychological thriller with a touch of the 1950s but also modern elements. The main characters here are Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles), a young couple who move to an idyllic gated community somewhere in sunny California. The husbands there work on a top-secret government project, while their wives spend the day between chores and refreshing cocktails.

In general, alcohol flows in abundance in Wilde’s film, which begins with the imagining of the dreamy everyday life of a seemingly perfect couple. All this, of course, only makes us more suspicious that something is wrong, and Alice finally finds the edge of the myth that will lead us to revelations. The film’s cinematography is dazzling, as are some very well-done scenes, but its script remains somewhat predictable and rather superficial, placing more emphasis on its contemporary social commentary – mostly about patriarchy – and less on its essence as a thriller.

Christos Massalas (Copa Loca) will make his feature film debut by organizing an Almodovar-style extravaganza on the streets of modern Athens. This is not the tourist side of the city, of course, but the decadent center, at the heart of which is an old Broadway theater turned into a stronghold by an eccentric group of pickpocket performers. However, when a new person enters their lives, the balance will be upset and everyone will be in danger. Massalas clearly pays homage to Nikolaidis’ “Sweet Gang” while at the same time putting the queer element in the spotlight. His characters are thoroughly contemporary, although his social commentary is not very deep; on the contrary, the iconic gold dust brought with it by the presence of the legendary “Iagos Drakos”, Christos Politis or the unexpected role of Lakis Gavalas is welcomed. .

From Denmark, the traditional center of crime thrillers, a very remarkable film is coming out this week. Detective Carl returns to action after a traumatic experience, taking on a seemingly simple case: A young boy is spotted trying to enter the country illegally, carrying in his pocket the passport of a man who has been missing for years and accused of paedophilia. The little boy refuses to cooperate, but the mechanism of events soon kicks in, revealing a dark plan orchestrated by much larger interests. Director Martin Zandvliet creates an atmospheric thriller that requires a fairly long viewing, but at the same time rewards the viewer with its twists and intrigues. Much of the success goes to protagonist Ulrich Thomsen, who plays a police officer with minimal social skills but a high sense of duty that also guides his actions.

Feathers and feathers ★★½
SATIRE (2021)
Directed by: Omar El Zohairi
Interpretations: Sami Bassouni, Mohammed Abd El Hadi

From Egypt comes a film full of black humor, ridiculing the patriarchal structure of an Arab country. A popular family lives in difficult conditions in a poor apartment. However, things get even worse when, during the celebration, after an unsuccessful “magic” trick, the father disappears, leaving a living … chicken in his place. The mother will now be forced to take this action in the face of societal conventions and prejudices.