Year: 2024

“Problemista” (2023 production, 2024 release). Cast: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Catalina Saavedra, Laith Nakli, James Scully, Greta Lee, Larry Owens, Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel, Kelly McCormack, Greta Titelman, Theo Maltz, James Seol, Miles G. Jackson, Jason Furlani, River L. Ramirez, Ronald Peet, Carlos E. Navedo, Isabella Rossellini (narrator). Director: Julio Torres. Screenplay: Julio Torres. Web site. Trailer. Isn’t it amazing how failures can often lead to unexpected successes? Those missteps frequently have a way of opening meaningful doors, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time they occur. An allegedly wrong turn, for instance, may lead us to a fortuitous synchronicity that pays off handsomely at some point – an outcome that may not have occurred were it not for that supposed error. But how readily aware are we that such developments can occur? That’s one of the uplifting insights to come out of the new absurdist comedy, “Problemista.” While growing up in El Salvador, young Alejandro Martinez (Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel) lived a special life. Under the watchful care of his attentive and loving mother, Dolores (Catalina Saavedra), the imaginative youngster was nurtured in the development of his innate creativity, particularly his ability to devise ideas for inventive ...

“The Eternal Memory” (“La memoria infinita”) (2023). Cast: Augusto Góngora, Paulina Urrutia, Javiera Góngora. Archive Footage: Raúl Ruiz, Cristobal Góngora. Director: Maite Alberdi. Screenplay: Maite Alberdi. Web site. Trailer. It’s been said that one of the most cherished hopes for a loving relationship is that its partners inevitably have someone with whom they can grow old together, a time when they can warmly look back on their time as a couple with fondness and treasured memories. Invariably, it’s an earnest, heartfelt exercise in diligently seeking to preserve as much as possible for as long as possible. But what happens when something occurs that threatens the viability of such a meaningful personal endeavor? How are the parties to such a profoundly momentous venture supposed to react when faced with the prospect of losing that connection, particularly the precious recollections of so many loving years together? Those are among the issues raised in the moving documentary/love story, “The Eternal Memory” (“La memoria infinita”). Renowned Chilean author/journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife, Paulina Urrutia, spent many happy years together. In that time, they built a solid, adoring relationship with one another, a tender, affectionate bond that almost took on storybook proportions. They were ...

In case you missed the March movie edition of the Frankiesense & More video podcast with yours truly and show host Frankie Picasso, you can now find it on Facebook by clicking here and YouTube by clicking here. Tune in for looks at four new films, one of 2024’s first film festivals and our Oscar predictions, which you can read more about here (and my post-Oscar scorecard here). Join us for all the fun and lively discussion! ...

So how did I do? I had a perfect six-for-six on this year’s predicted winners (and was happy with the results in each case). Here are the details: Best Picture The Field: “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall” (“Anatomie d’une chute”), “Barbie,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Past Lives,” “Poor Things,” “The Zone of Interest” Projected Winner:  “Oppenheimer” Actual Winner:  “Oppenheimer” Result: Correct call “Oppenheimer” was handily the best film of 2023, and it won virtually everything in the competitions in the run-up to the Oscars. Consequently, its victory on awards night came as no surprise – a deserving win for a deserving film whose juggernaut momentum simply could not be stopped. In all, the picture took home seven statues – best picture, actor (see below), supporting actor (see below), director (see below), cinematography, film editing and original score – on 13 total nominations, the most of any film in the running this year. The other nine nominees didn’t stand much of a chance. Best Actor The Field:  Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”; Colman Domingo, “Rustin”; Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”; Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”; Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction” Projected Winner:  Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” Actual Winner:  Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” Result: ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday March 12, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Podchaser, Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict and Jiosaavn ...

If it’s March, it wouldn’t be complete without the Gene Siskel Film Center Chicago European Union Film Festival. After several years of adjustments, the festival has gone through yet another transformation for its 27th annual edition. Rather than featuring films from throughout the Union, this year’s format focused exclusively on movies from one country, Belgium. The intent behind this change is to honor releases from the nation that currently serves in the role of the EU presidency, a function that rotates among member countries from year to year. The Center plans to retain this format in subsequent years, with the focus on Poland in 2025, Cyprus in 2026 and Lithuania in 2027. I’m not entirely sure what I think about this new format just yet. It’s resulted in a significant shortening of the event, from almost a month to 10 days. Consequently, it’s also resulted in a significant reduction in the number of offerings, dropping from approximately 25-30 to a mere 15. And, because the focus has shifted to just one country, the diversity has diminished, too. What’s more, the connection to the European Union as whole seems significantly diminished with this new focus, which might lead one to believe ...