Roma

After being defined by complex sets and technical details, Academy Award winning writer-director Alfonso Cuaròn returns to a more intimate, personal approach, crafting his most powerful film to date.

The feature draws inspiration from Cuaròn's childhood memories in the Roma district of Mexico City against the backdrop of the politically turbolent 1970's. Roma is a vivid tribute to the women who nurtured him, with an emphasis on the young live-in maid and nanny Cleo (Yaliza Aparicio).

Shot entirely in crisp, black and white, the subtle, but abundant, high budget stylistic and technical audio-visual details elevate ordinary scenes into a mosaic of compelling poetic portraits with effective emotional depth.

In what may be the best cinematography of the year, Cuaròn's meticulous artistry culminates in a rich, immersive and moving masterpiece best appreciated on a wide screen and the best surround system possible.

Cold War

Impeccable luminous black and white photography by Łukasz Żal marks the latest Polish entry for the 91st Academy Awards. Cold War comes three years after writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski won the Best Foreign Film Academy Award in 2015 for Ida (2013).

Inspired by the story of Pawlikowski's parents, Cold War is about the impossible romance of lovers destined not to be together, the pianist Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), and his pupil, singer Zula (Joanna Kulig), during the cold war between Poland and France, spanning the years 1949 to 1964.

Music is a key element in setting the feature's mood, articulating the feelings that carries Wiktor and Zula through their tempestuous relationship across Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris. Included are traditional folkloric choral songs, against melancholic jazz or rock and roll.

Cold War is steared by riveting renditions by Kulig and Kot, a stunning soundtrack, exceptional attention to period details, and is beautiful to watch.

Shoplifters

In what may be his masterpiece, Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda, resumes the social commentary theme that made him famous, familial relationships. In Shoplifters he focuses on a seemingly happy multigenerational family of grifters who shelters a 5 year old girl they find on the street on a cold night.

Characteristically introspective and profound, Kore-eda tests the bonds that unite the family while gracefully unfolding their secrets and seamlessly escalating the drama with unpredictable plot twists and detonative force.

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 71^st Cannes Film Festival and Japan's submission for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar category, Shoplifters captures the viewer's mind and heart, evoking strong sentiments despite its deceptively modest sequences.

Burning

After winning Cannes' FIPRESCI International Critics’ Prize for best film in the section, writer-director Chang-dong’s Burning, was selected as South Korea’s Best Foreign Language Film entry for the 91st Academy Awards. The film marks Chang-dong's first feature in 8 years following his Cannes Best Screenwriting Award winning drama Poetry (2010).
Burning's unique multi-genre and multifaceted plot masterpiece encompasses a visually and emotionally riveting drama, with the right degree of intensity and tension between a haunting psychological mystery-thriller and comedy.

Based on an adaptation of Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's short story Barn Burning (1992), the narrative can be understood on many different levels, yet nothing is what it appears. On a superficial level, Burning is an unconventional love triangle between three lonely, intertwined lives, the shy Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in), his childhood friend Haemi (Jun Jong-seo), and her new wealthy friend Ben (The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun). On a deeper level, the script offers a commentary on society's inequalities within the sexes and social class differences.

First rate screenwriting by Oh Jung-mi and Lee Chang-dong, performances by Yoo Ah-in, Yeun Steven, and Jun Jong-seo, cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo and score by Mowg increase the immersive quality of the film.

Maria by Callas

41 years after her premature passing at the age of 53, the most influential soprano of the 20^th century, the Greek-American opera legend Maria Callas (1923-1977), continues to inspire and stimulate interest.

Deviating from the conventional biographical documentary narrative, director Tom Volf's Maria by Callas, diffuses the complexities surrounding Calla's tumultuous life by providing an intimate, although sympathetic, insight into her character through never before seen archival footage from 1947-1977.

Through the memoirs, performances, interviews and news reels, we are treated to hear Callas' personal account of her artistic and personal struggles, as well as about her relationship with Aristotle Onassis.

A real treat for opera aficionados.

First Man

What sets First Man aside from other space travel films is its emphasis on human experience rather than cinematic adventure. Intimately portrayed, the feature relates how personal and familial pain and sacrifices shaped astronaut Neal Armstrong's (Ryan Gosling) persona, his participation in one of history's most dangerous mission, Apollo 11, and the impossible accomplishment as the first man to walk on the moon. Gosling's reflective and subdued performance may be one of his best.

Adapted from First Man: The Life of Neal A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen (2005), the feature represents a different style of execution for Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) however, with his expert direction, the historical biography seamlessly transitions between action-suspense to the most moving close-up scenes while excelling in technical details, cinematography by Linus Sandgreen and musical score by Justin Hurwitz.