Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”), one of the brightest representatives of modern Hollywood, returns with his most ambitious project, which takes us back to the “heroic” era of the film industry. There, in the early 1920s, several characters meet at an orgy. A famous actor and a great charmer (Brad Pitt), a blonde beauty convinced that she will be the next bright star (Margot Robbie), a young Mexican who runs errands as a child (Diego Calva) and dozens of other people carve their own course in Hollywood reeling from the transition from silent to talkies.

Sazel clearly has a huge budget at his disposal, but also a rare freedom of expression by today’s standards to realize his vision. It culminates in an epic that is merciless but grandiose, with some true cinematic anthology scenes and others that feel rushed or even completely unnecessary. The two main characters are making their… contributions, and Margot Robbie in particular is simply irresistible at her best performance of her career. From there, what we’re addressing is a seemingly messy, but slightly stylized, extravaganza where drugs, alcohol, and lots of nudity seem more like “props” than proof of authenticity. On the other hand, there is a strange charm to this whole huge undertaking, like those big films of the 1920s that could bankrupt entire studios or forever fit in golden letters in the history of cinema. Moreover, the transition period for cinema that he describes bears a resemblance to the modern reality of streaming and what it is upending.

One of the best Greek films of the season is Azimina Proedru’s feature-length debut. Her story takes place in 2015 in a small village near Lake Doirani, on the border of Greece and North Macedonia. There, a fisherman and farmer (Statis Stamulakatos) tries to cope with his burdensome debts by participating in the smuggling of immigrants on his boat. At the same time, his young wife sees the true word of God in caring for refugees, and his young daughter struggles to escape the narrow confines of a closed society.

The president tackles and tackles not one but three major issues at the same time (family, refugees, countryside) and largely succeeds in satisfying the demands. And he does this thanks to a well-thought-out scheme that divides the narrative into three parts, as well as the corresponding views of the main characters. His cinematography is also interesting, atmospheric in the foggy landscapes around the lake and “irresistible” when the characters’ tense faces are magnified. The latter, bearers of tragedy, but also of hope, struggle somewhere between their conscience and the harsh reality of the world, where (and) human pain has its price.

Holy Spider ★★★
THRILLER (2022)
Directed by: Ali Abbasi
Interpretations: Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, Mehdi Bajestani

Iranian Ali Abbasi uses Danish production and shoots in Jordan, but only refers to his homeland, where his film would be impossible to shoot. In the holy city of Mahsad, Iran, a serial killer roams the streets at night, executing prostitutes. The rest of the peaceful family man believes that this is how he cleanses the world of sin. Until an intrepid reporter arrives in town to cover the story, who ends up taking the bait to expose him.

Abbasi tackles the problem of misogyny in Iranian society in a harrowing thriller that features both a heroine journalist and a hardened killer. In fact, the attitude towards the latter on the part of the rest of society hides an even more irritating activator of the truth.

In the English countryside of 1924, a young maid takes Mother’s Day off from her wealthy bosses. She will take the opportunity to meet her secret lover – also a nobleman – who, however, is connected with another woman of his class. Years later, the writer, now a girl, recalls that significant day that played an important role in her later life. Eva Husson handles the atmosphere well, having at her disposal two very dedicated main characters (Odessa Young, Josh O’Connor) and the greats Colin Firth and Olivia Colman in supporting roles. However, the pace of her storytelling betrays her, and some things are left unfinished and inexplicable until the somewhat hasty ending.

The directorial debut of Mary Nye (Bill Nye’s daughter) stars Alice (Anna Kendrick), a young woman who is severely psychologically abused by her boyfriend Simon. During the holidays with her two friends, she will manage to find the courage she needs to break free, but Simon will not give up so easily, and now Alice will need to use all her strength to save herself.