Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Based on Amélie Nothomb’s bestselling autobiographical short novel The Character of Rain (2000), by debuting co-directors Liane-Cho Han and Maïlys Vallade, follows Amélie (voiced by Loïse Charpentier), a toddler born in Japan of Belgian descent, as she becomes aware of her physical and cultural surroundings in1960s Japan. 

Accompanied by Mari Fukuhara’s beautiful score, this immersive, vibrant, 2D impressionistic-like animation is reminiscent of Han and Vallade's earlier works, Long Way North (2015) and Calamity (2020) under the direction of French animator Rémi Chayé.

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain's heartwarming and humorous, yet thematically complex story, is relatable to all ages.

HAMNET

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's novel by the same title (2020), director and co-writer Chloe Zhang presents a mostly fictionalized, historical drama about the impact the 1596 death of Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), the 11 years old son of Anne (referred to as Agnes in the film) Hathaway (Jessie Buckley) and William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), had on their marriage. 

The feature speculates that Hamnet was the inspiration of the masterpiece Hamlet and that the famous "To be or not to be" speech was written while Shakespeare, driven by grief, was contemplating suicide.

Striking performances are highlighted by Buckley's and Mescal's increasingly powerful emotional depth leading to a stirring finale.

Marked by beautiful aesthetics are Lukasz Zal's cinematography, Malgosia Turzansca's costume design, Fiona Crombie's lush production design, and Max Richter's original score.

Zootopia 2

Disney Animation Studios' Zootopia 2's action packed 3D adventure comedy reunites rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to solve a new crime involving Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan). 

 

Compared to Zootopia (2016), Oscar®-winning directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard as well as producer Yvett Merino's sequel features a heartwarming, thematically richer and slightly darker plot. 

New interesting characters and numerous star cameos, such as Robert Irwin and Dwayne Johnson are included. Further enhancing the viewing enjoyment is the expanded metropolis' stunning animation detail, the vivid colors and the sound mixes variety.

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

Critically acclaimed for its vibrant 3D CGI animation, catchy soundtrack and original blend of Korean mythology and KPOP, is the latest anime by co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans.

Well integrated with the emotionally tense narrative and soundtrack are the aesthetically flashy dances and powerful taekwondo fight choreography as well as the interspersed comedic relief. 

Adding a touch of realism are Korean cultural landmarks and details from daily life, such as the magpie and tigers, weaved throughout the scenes.

KPOP Demon Hunters is a spectacular and entertaining edge of the seat musical for the entire family.

One Battle After Another

 

Inspired by of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland (1990), is this propulsive, hilarious, and dark satire, about a former revolutionary forced back into battle to protect his daughter while struggling against his past and substance abuse. 

 

Enhancing the emotional depth of this action-thriller are the masterful performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro and Sean Pen.

Setting the authentic visual tone is Michael Bauman's raw 1970s natural cinematography against the backdrop of Jonny Greenwood's original score.

 

Writer-director and co-producer Paul Thomas Anderson excels in the delivery of this timeless, and thematically rich film.

 

ARCO

French illustrator Ugo Bienvenu's and producer Natalie Portman's Arco, is a sci-fi fairy-tale like, comedy, about a 10 years old boy Arco (voiced by Juliano Krue Valdi in the English-language version) who, empowered by a colorful cape that emits rainbow arcs, embarks on a time travel adventure from the year 2932.

During the flight Arco gets lost, and crash lands in the year 2075 where he meets Iris (voiced by Romy Fay in the English-language version).

Additional featured voice talents included in this coming of age and climate change story are Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, Flea, Roeg Sutherland, America Ferrera, Zoya Bogomolova, and Wyatt Danieluk.

Reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's and Osamu Tezukas' style, Bienvenu delivers a colorful, detailed animation reflecting a message of optimism and hope about the future.

Bitz

Based on historical events surrounding London's 1940's blitz, writer director Steve McQueen focuses on the human experience as told through the eyes of George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan) a 9 years old biracial boy, rather than the war itself.

George is sent by his single mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) on a train taking children to safety in the countryside. While in transit, George leaps off the train to return back home to his mother by foot, in the midst of heavy aerial bombardments. 

During his journey he encounters prejudices and injustices.

Blitz is an artfully done, well staged, moving film with a call for tolerance and unity. It features strong performances, immersive cinematography as well as Hans Zimmer's haunting and at times loud sounds of planes and sirens.