When 85-year-old André Bernheim (André Dusollier), suffers a stroke and remains bedridden at a hospital, he expresses his desire to end his life through assisted suicide. His daughter, Emmanuèle (Sophie Marceau), finds a clinic for assisted suicide in Switzerland and arranges to secretly transport him there because it's is illegal in France.

      Based on the novel by Emmanuèle Bernheim, the screenplay by writer/director François Ozon is an unflinching, tender and provocative drama about life, death, and family. Ozon deserves to be commended for shedding light on the sensitive, provocative issue of assisted suicide without any sugar-coating or contrivance. There's also very little filler, so the film remains focused and avoids going off into tangents with unnecessary subplots that would've made it feel overstuffed. Within the first five minutes, André already has a stroke and Emmanuèle rushes to his hospital bedside. Ozon displays his skills and experience as a filmmaker because he avoids turning the film into a maudlin, Lifetime movie-of-the-week or a heavy-handed, preachy drama. He also has a great handle on exposition which he peppers throughout the film without relying on flashbacks. Gradually, you learn more about his relationship with his family, i.e. the toxic relationship between him and his wife (Charlotte Rampling). He also has a former lover, Gérard (Grégory Gadebois), whom Emmanuèle and her sister, Pascale (Géraldine Pailhas), nickname "Shithead." There's some moral ambiguity regarding André's wish to die, but Everything Went Fine doesn't delve into that nor does it judge any of the characters' decisions. It does compel you to ask yourself, "What would I do in Emmanuèle's situation? Is she doing the right thing? What is the right thing?" Those are difficult questions, as are most of life's important questions. A little suspense arrives when Emmanuèle's plan to transport her father to Switzerland has a few setbacks that gets her into trouble with the law. For the most part, though, the film stays focused on Emmanuèle and André's emotional journey as the day of the assisted suicide approaches.

      André Dusollier gives one of the best performances of his career as André. It's a tough, complex role with some scenes that aren't easy to watch, but Dusollier brings a lot of emotional truth to those scenes which makes it hard to look away. Sophie Marceau brings poignancy and charisma to her role while doing an effective job of portraying Emmanuèle's strength and vulnerability concurrently. Charlotte Rampling makes the most out of her few scenes and conveys a lot of emotion, especially anger, through a few words. Although Everything Went Fine isn't as powerful and haunting as The Sea Inside or Amour, it comes close.
  

      Hilma af Klint (Lena Olin), an abstract artist, recalls her younger years as a teenager (now played by Tora Hallström) in art school in Sweden where she joined a community of artists, Mathilda Nilsson (Lily Cole), Cornelia Cederberg (Rebecca Calder), Anna Cassel (Catherine Chalk) and Sigrid Hedman (Maeve Demody), known as "The Five." Meanwhile, as she rebelled against the sexism in the art world, she developed a romance with Anna.

      The screenplay by writer/director Lasse Hallström is a mildly engaging introduction to Hilma af Klint, A Swedish woman who became the first abstract painter, but it barely scratches the surface of Hilma's heart, mind and soul. Hilma never truly comes to life because Lasse Hallström focuses too much on her struggles with her artwork and not with her relationships with "The Five", especially when it comes to the romance between her and Anna. This is the kind of movie where you can hear the wheels of the screenplay turning every step of the way. The dialogue isn't stilted per se, but it's occasionally on-the-nose, lacks depth and dry without much wit. Moreover, Hilma's personality seems bland and she remains at an emotional distance from the audience. What makes Hilma laugh? What's her sense of humor like? What's going on inside her after she get rejected and invalidated as an artist? There aren't nearly enough scenes with her when she's much older---those scenes bookend the film, but the feel tacked-on.

      Tora Hallström gives a fine performance that provides the film with much-needed warmth and tenderness. It's too bad that she's undermined by the shallow, pedestrian screenplay. No one else really gets a chance to shine, not even Lena Olin who deserves more scenes than the few that she has. The cinematography is decent without exceptional stylistically like in Julie Taymor's far superior Frida. There are also pacing issues with too many scenes dragging as the pace slows down to a crawl without much that's engaging. At a running time of 2 hours, Hilma's stystemic flaws are that it doesn't take enough risks, it lacks emotional depth and, above all, it fails to illuminate Hilma's inner life.
  

      Kaho (Aoba Kawai) gathers with his friends, Takeshi (Kiyohiko Shibukawa), Kenichiro (Nao Okabe), and fiancée, Tomoya (Ryuta Okamoto), at a restaurant to celebrate his 29th birthday. They drink and converse before the women split up and go home and the men go to visit another one of their friends, Takako (Fusako Urabe).

      Passion marks the directorial debut of writer/director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, best known for Drive My Car and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. It's a promising first film that showcases his knack for writing dialogue that sounds natural while avoiding melodrama and schmaltz. His films are like a slice-of-life and the thin plot unfolds very gradually. He has a good ear for the way that people converse and how a conversation can end up revealing a lot about someone. That's precisely what happens in Passion. What starts out as a seemingly simple birthday party at a restaurant turns into something far more profound, complex and deeply human as the night goes on. Why? Because Hamagchi sees and treats the characters as human beings, warts and all. They might not be relatable to you at first, but eventually you'll find something that you'll be able to relate to about their issues. François Truffaut once observed that a truly great film has just the right balance of Truth and Spectacle. On the surface of Passion, there's not much Spectacle at first glance---no one kills anyone, there are no car chases or anything else that's overly dramatic. Instead, the Spectacle can be found within the Truth---in the dialogue, in the nuances and quiet moments. Hamaguchi has sensibilities similar to those of French filmmaker Eric Rohmer: his films are character-driven, subtle, cerebral and don't try too hard to please the audience.

      The acting feels just as organic as the screenplay with no one giving a hammy performance. That helps to further ground the film in authenticity and to make it easier to care about the characters as human beings. Their friendship feels palpable. The cinematography isn't very showy, but there are some interesting shots like when the characters talk outdoors, the camera doesn't show them talking, but points higher up to show smoke billowing from a factory's chimney. It's an odd, unconventionally-shot scene that's somewhat poetic, although it's hard to pinpoint what precisely Hamaguchi is trying to say by filming the scene in that way. Also, some scenes do drag and slightly overstay their welcome. At a running time of just under 2 hours, Passion is a tender, nuanced and profoundly human slice-of-life.
  

      Julia (Alex Essoe) moves with her two kids, Amy (Laurel Marsden) and Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney), into an abbey in Spain that she inhereted from her late husband. Soon enough, Henry becomes demonically possessed. Father Amorth (Russell Crowe), the Vatican' Chief Exorcist, travels there to investigate the possession with the help of Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto).

      Ever since The Exorcist opened back in 1973, there hasn't been a single horror film that has managed to even match its quality. Some films have come close while others, like The Pope's Exorcist pale by comparison. Co-screenwriters Michael Petroni and Evan Spilliotopoulos fail to generate any scares, suspense or intrigue. There are no surprises because everything is telegraphed, even the ending which can be seen from a mile away.  The plot quickly becomes repetitive and dull. =Father Amorth, though, has a surprisingly funny personality. His odd sense of humor that makes The Pope's Exorcist feel like it's a spoof of demonic possession film and clashes with the dark tones which leads to unevenness. It's too bad that he's stuck in such a bland horror film. William Friedkin, the director of The Exorcist, once told me in an interview that what makes dark themes so compelling is the tug of war between good and evil. Unfortunately, that tug of war in The Pope's Exorcist isn't compelling enough. Nothing is left to the imagination which would've been fine if there were some palpable thrills or terrifying scenes, so there isn't even psychological horror to be found here. The on-the-nose dialogue doesn't help matters either nor does some of the unintentionally funny lines that the demon says through Henry in a particularly cringe-inducing scene. A last-minute revelation about the Catholic Church's dark past is underdeveloped and clunky. Exposition isn't one of this film's strengths, sadly. This is the kind of movie that you can leave to go to the bathroom, come back and easily predict what you missed while away. Moreover, the third act feels rushed, toothless and unimaginative. The only major surprise comes from the fact that Father Amorth is actually a real priest who died in 2016.  

      Does Russell Crowe want some cheese to go with all of that ham? His over-the-top performance gets exhausting after an hour. Also, his Italian accent is not very convincing which would've been forgivable if this were a parody. The CGI effects are average at best--obviously, the third act uses CGI the most because it has more action. As for blood and guts, there is indeed some to earn the film its R-rating, but it's not shocking or excessive. Some scenes are somewhat creepy and atmospheric. It's too bad, though, that the film doesn't use its lighting and settings enough to escalate the creepiness. At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, The Pope's Exorcist is bland, dumb and tedious while low on scares and thrills. 

      Benita (Julia Mayorga), a young woman, leaves a psychiatric hospital after receiving treatment for a traumatic event from her past. She struggles to rebuild her life while working at an antique shop and befriending Diana (Katie Holmes), a patient she met at the hospital.

      Based on the novel by Kathleen Tessaro, the screenplay by writer/director Katie Holmes and co-writer Phaedon A. Papadopoulos is an engrossing story about healing from trauma. Both Benita and Diana have experienced traumatic events and suffer from emotional pain, but the film doesn't reveal those events nor does it dwell on their emotional pain. Instead, it focuses on the recovery process from their trauma and on their blossoming friendship which helps them to heal. The screenwriters jump back and forth between the perspectives of Benita and Diana while flashing back to show how they met at the hospital. The non-linear structure makes the film feel less pedestrian. Fortunately, the flashbacks aren't clunky or distracting. The supporting characters, like the co-owners of the antique shop, Peter Kessler (Alan Cumming) and Ben Winshaw (Derek Luke), remain underdeveloped and not as interesting as Benita and Diana. Rare Objects isn't hard-hitting on an emotional level, and it shies away from exploring its darker, complex themes unflinchingly. However, at least it avoids turning into a maudlin, heavy-handed, preachy melodrama. It's engrossing, though, to observe how Benita bonds with Diana as they both struggle to heal from their traumatic past. They're in the process of learning the important life message behind Pablo Neruda's wise poem: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." Benita and Diana deserve to find true joy once again in the garden of their soul, so-to-speak. Through their friendship, they know that they're not alone in their journey to cultivating a garden that's fully blooming.

      Julia Mayorga and Katie Holmes give raw and moving performances which helps to make Benita and Diana's friendship feel palpable and organic. Most of the film's emotional depth doesn't come from the screenplay; it comes from their performances. Alan Cumming is very well-cast as Peter and adds plenty of charisma to the film. He always enlivens any scene he's in. The cinematography is fine, but nothing exceptional. The editing is terrific, though, especially how smoothly the film incorporates the flashbacks. At a running time of just over 2 hours, Rare Objects is genuinely heartfelt, wise and empowering.
  

      Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been the loyal servant of Dracula (Nicolas Cage) for centuries. He attends support group meetings for people stuck in codependent relationships, and hopes to escape the clutches of his narcissistic boss, Dracula. Meanwhile, Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), police officer, wants to put the members of a crime family, the Lobos, lead by Ella Lobo (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her son, Teddy (Ben Schwartz), behind bars because she holds them responsible for killing her father. Renfield and Rebecca team up to defeat the Lobos.

      Renfield is a failed The screenplay by Ryan Ridley tries too hard to push the envelope with over-the-top violence and outrageous sight gags, but the dialogue is often witless and unfunny. There's also too much going on in the plot that makes it feel bloated and overstuffed: Renfield wants to escape his relationship with the narcissistic Dracula, Rebecca wants to avenge her father's death, the Lobos want to kidnap Renfield and form an alliance with Dracula, and, finally, Dracula seeks world domination. The dark humor quickly becomes repetitive as jokes are recycled and resort to the lowest common denominator. Everything feels telegraphed and there are no big revelations, not even about anyone's backstory. The exposition feels clunky and poorly integrated in the plot while Renfield remains an underdeveloped character who's increasingly unlikable, but the film actually wants you to root for him. It also wants you to believe that there's some hope for a romance between him and Rebecca, but that unnecessary subplot also falls flat. Renfield's voice-over narration adds nothing essential; it's just distracting and breaks the fourth wall in a very lazy way. Laziness is the least of the film's problems, though. If Renfield were to succeed at being campy, funny and witty, it would've been a guilty pleasure like What We Do in the Shadows or the classic zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.

      Despite Nicolas Cage having fun sinking his teeth into the role of Dracula, Renfield runs of steam around the 30 minute mark. Cage's over-the-top performance will please his fans who like him in the cult classic Vampire's Kiss, but his performance here comes with diminishing returns. It's amusing without being campy, and it eventually becomes one-note and tedious much like the film itself. Shohreh Aghdashloo is well-cast as the head of the Lobos crime family. Unfortunately, Awkwafina gives a very grating performance as Rebecca whose character is the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. That said, there are a few minor strengths that help the film to avoid being a total disaster: the make-up effects of Dracula are effectively creepy and grotesque, and some of the action scenes push the envelope and add shock value with lots of blood and guts that leave nothing to the imagination. Shock value alone is not enough, though, to entertain the audience, and it, too, becomes tiresome and dull. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Renfield is a repetitive, exhausting and lazy misfire that sorely lacks wit, campiness and imagination.
  

      17-year-old Suzume (voice of Nanoka Hara) meets a mysterious young man, Souta (voice of Hokuto Matsumura), who's tasked with closing doors that serve as a portal for an alien creature called the "worm" which causes destruction. They need to find a keystone to close the doors, but the keystone shapeshifts into a cat, Daijin (voice of Yamane Ann). It's up to her and Souta to find Daijin and to save Japan by closing the doors.

      From Makoto Shinkai, the writer/director of Your Name. and Weathering with You, comes a new animated adventure that blends fantasy elements with romance, action and thrills. Shinkai keeps the plot simple and easy-to-follow. The plot is conventional, dull and by-the-numbers, though, without any big surprises and with less heartfelt moments than Shinkai's last two films. There are some moving scenes between Suzume and Souta, but they're far and few between. Shinkai spends too little time humanizing Suzume as a character and exploring her relationship with her aunt, Tamaki (Fukatsu Eri), before the main plot kicks into gear. There's a MacGuffin: a keystone transformed into a cat. Of course, the villains (the alien "worms") want to cause destruction in Japan, but why? That's never explained, so they're rather boring, cookie-cutter villains. That said, Suzume does offer some suspense and exhilaration action scenes. As a pure Spectacle, it's fun and exciting, but it's not grounded in reality enough to transcend beyond that like Your Name. and Weathering with You manage to accomplish so effectively.

      Suzume major strength is its dazzling 2D animation. Hand-drawn animation tends to look and feel a lot more warm than CGI. The colors are vibrant and provide some eye candy. Some of the scenes feel simply breathtaking to behold and will probably benefit from the big-screen experience. The visuals will lose their impact on the small screen. To be fair, there are some pacing issues. The first 30 minutes or so move pretty quickly with minimal exposition before the pace slows down a little. At a running time of 2 hours and 2 minutes, Suzume is an exhilarating action adventure with stunning animation, but the conventional and dull plot fails to pack an emotional punch.
  

      In 1950, Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton (Everett Osborne), became the first African American to sign an NBA contract after playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. Joe Lapchick (Jeremy Piven), the New York Knicks' coach, persuaded Ned Irish (Cary Elwes), the owner of the Knicks, to add more diversity to the Knicks by drafting a Black basketball player.

       Writer/director Martin Guigui should be commended for shedding some light on a lesser known part of basketball history, but the screenplay isn't provocative nor engaging enough as it explores the efforts to draft Nat Clifton into the NBA.  Sweetwater suffers from the same ailment that the recent biopic Hilma suffers from: it fails to breathe life into its subject and to dig deeper to allow the audience to get to know him as a human being. There's no doubt that Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton deserves to be more widely recognized as an icon in the NBA. Joe Lapchick worked hard to get him drafted into the New York Knicks. Not surprisingly, he had some obstacles along the way, but he didn't give up. Sweetwater lacks the entertainment factor, poignancy and suspense that makes Air such a crowd-pleasing sports drama that transcends its genre. Air uses humor as a tool to hook the audience while Sweetwater has little to no comic relief or wit. It's just a bland, conventional and by-the-numbers sports drama that aims to also be a biopic, but also falls flat in that regard. Nat Clifton begins as a stranger to the audience and ends as a stranger to them as well. The same can be said about Whitney Houston in I Want to Dance With Somebody. There are simply too many characters all of whom are underdeveloped. Is it too much to ask to humanize at least one of them? There are also unnecessary scenes that bookend the film with Clifton in 1990, shortly before his death, when he worked as a cab driver. Trumbo is a better example of a biopic that succeeds in humanizing its subject.  

      Unfortunately, Sweetwater doesn't have enough visual style to compensate for its lack of substance. Air at least feels cinematic and invigorating with slick editing and a lively soundtrack. This film, on the other hand, becomes lethargic at times as it just goes through the motions. Even the basketball scenes aren't very compelling, rousing or exciting to watch. At a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes, Sweetwater is a bland, anemic and shallow biopic. It pales compared to the much more entertaining, moving and gripping Air.