Reviews for August 7th, 2026
The Big Cheese is a mildly engaging and well-edited, but overstuffed documentary about cheesemongers from the US competing against other countries at the Mondial du Fromage in Tours, France. Director Sara Joe Wolansky mainly focuses on one of the cheesemongers, Adam Moskowitz, who owns The Cheesemonger Invitational. His backstory involving how he found a passion for cheese and got into the cheese business adds a little depth to the film. If only Wolansky were to spend more time allowing the audience to get to know the other cheesemongers like Courtney Johnson who are also part of The Cheesemonger Invitational. Not everyone gets to be part of the team that represents the US at the Mondial du Fromage, so there are some cheesemongers who don't make the cut. The Big Cheese isn't as suspenseful nor as insightful as Kings of Pastry which benefited from the fact that it follows sixteen French pastry chefs and gets to know many of them before the edge-of-your-seat Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition. The competition scenes here aren't nearly as gripping. Moreover, as a documentary it's not as transcendent as the crème de la crème of competition docs, Spellbound. The Big Cheese will make you hungry for cheese and help you to appreciate your local cheesemonger a little bit more, but it ultimately bites off more than it could chew. At a running time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, The Big Cheese opens at IFC Center via Obscured Releasing.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
Cookie Queens is a sweet, family-friendly and surprisingly funny documentary about four young girls who sell Girl Scout Cookies. Director Alysa Nahmias follows 5-year-old Ara, 9-year-old Nikki, 8-year-old Shannon Elizabeth, and 12-year-old Olive as they try to reach the sales goal that they set for themselves. The Girl Scouts of the USA gives their scouts $1 for every $6 box that they sell. Although Nahmias doesn't interview the company to show their perspective, she does focus on each girl and her family dynamics which provide some insight about the struggles of being a Girl Scout and also of being the parent of a Girl Scout. Of course, both come with a lot of stress, but it's rewarding and there's plenty of joy and learning to be found in the process.
The humorous and amusing moments, of which are many, invigorate the film while also making it more accessible and less dry. It's light, breezy and often delightful which means that kids will be able to enjoy it and perhaps even find inspiration. At a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes, Cookie Queens opens in select theaters nationwide via Roadside Attractions.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
Just as Ryan (Travis Laughlin) and Julia (Laura Elizabeth Delhauer) are about to get married, Rose (Kelly Russo), his ex-girlfriend from college, crashes their wedding and professes her love of him in Do Us Part. That's just one of the two twists in the screenplay by writer/director Reed Arnold, who also plays Ryan's best man. Arnold has made a mildly engaging, but undercooked, witless and contrived romantic dramedy. It has two systemic issues beyond the lacks of laughs at wit: one, that it begins at the wedding without delving into the relationship of Ryan and Julia before their big wedding day, and, two, that neither they nor Ryan and Rose have any palpable chemistry together. What ensues feels like a film that merely goes through the motions where you can feel the wheels of the screenplay turning nearly every step of the way, especially because none of the characters manage to come to life and none of the actors or actresses manage to rise above the shallow screenplay.
That said, the screenplay does earn a few points, though, for not veering into horror or going bonkers like too many movies tend to do these days. Perhaps, though, it would've been more engaging if it were a little more zany. Arnold knows where to take his ideas from, but doesn't stick the landing when it comes to knowing where to take his ideas too. Unfortunately, Do Us Part manages to be a squandered opportunity to become either a funny, witty and/or profound exploration of love, marriage and relationships. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Do Us Part opens at Cinema Village via Level 33 Entertainment.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
Fleur (Nina Meurisse), a journalist, and Julian (Laurence Roothooft) meet at a concert, fall in love and agree to get married in as many countries as possible where same-sex marriage is legal in Julian. Writer/director
Cato Kusters and her co-writer, Angelo Tijssens have made a tender and engrossing love story based on a true story. What begins as a lighthearted romance turns into something more complex, profound and darker when one of the two women gets diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. Not surprisingly, Fleur and Julian deal with obstacles when they plan to get married in some countries where the venue cancels on them because they don't want any controversy. Fleur goes through her own struggles as she records their journey as part of a project from her work as a journalist. That project doesn't go as smoothly as she hoped it would, but she makes the best out of it.
Which of the two women ends up with cancer won't be spoiled here, but Kusters and Tijssens do a great job of not turning the film into a Lifetime Disease-of-the-Week movie by avoiding anything schmaltzy and maudlin. There are no villains in the film unless you count the cancer which is a silent villain. Nina Meurisse and Laurence Roothooft emotionally honest and raw performance help to ground the film in humanism, a truly special effect. Be prepared for a powerful, bittersweet and even somewhat poetic ending that will pull at your heartstrings without trying too hard. At a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes, Julian opens at IFC Center via Strand Releasing.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
The Last Picture Shows is a melancholic and vital, but tedious and undercooked elegy for the dwindling small-town movie theaters of America. Director Rustin Thompson travels across 10 states in the American West and visits 123 abandoned or struggling theaters. He includes interviews with the owners and employees as well as Ross Melnick who serves as Professor of Film and Media Studies at University of California and also as the co-founder of the website Cinema Treasures. The images of the theaters speak louder than words, and Thompson manages to capture many stunning images, many of which look haunting. Unfortunately, The Last Picture Shows doesn't have enough insights and revelations that would've made it profound, thorough and illuminating.
It's obvious that small-town theaters would only want to play movies that sell a lot of ticket and that attendance has decreased during the pandemic. One of the theater owners even admits that they've been operating at a loss. It's also no surprise that out of all the studios, Disney charges them a pretty high flat fee that they must pay even if they sell 0 tickets. Another theater owner admits that they play the big films so that they can afford to play smaller, arthouse movies. What about interviewing members of the public? What about interviewing executives from the Hollywood studios or a distributor like A24 to get their input? Without that, this doc feels incomplete and leaves audiences hungry for more insights into a systemic issue that's only getting worse. If you want to go down memory lane to view photos of old theaters, both closed, demolished or still open, check out CinemaTreasures.org. At a running time of 1 hour and 18 minutes, The Last Picture Shows opens at Village East by Angelika.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
Andie (Leah Fay Goldstein), an unhappily married woman who works as a wedding planner, begins a relationship with Ryan (Peter Dreimanis), a plumber, after she rescues him from a car accident in Middle Life. Luke Lalonde plays Andie's husband. Writer/director Pavan Moondi has made an outrageously funny, witty and tender romantic comedy. Sure, the plot feels formulaic and has some clichés without any major surprises, but so what? There's nothing inherently wrong with clichés or formula--it could even be argued that it's a cliché to complain about clichés. What matters is that Moondi creates two well-written characters namely Andie and Ryan, who are likable enough to want them to end up together. They're imperfect and eccentric with discernable personalities which makes them all the more relatable. Ryan suffers from a urinary tract condition that makes him have difficulty peeing. That's something serious that's also used in a humorous, yet poetic way. <
Middle Life manages to be funny and a little bit sad without going over-the-top or resulting in clunkiness, schmaltz, melodrama or tonal unevenness. Writer/director Pavan Moondi grasps that comedy often derives from tragedy. Kudos to him for embracing zaniness which makes this a refreshingly unconventional romcom with two leads, Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreeimanis who have as much chemistry as Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel do in their equally offbeat romantic comedies. At a running time of 1 hour and 24 minutes, Middle Life opens at Cinema Village.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
In Splash City, Juju (Reed Shannon) gets caught up in the dangerous lifestyle of bipping, a.k.a. smash and grab robberies, while his brother, Slim (Zach Sowers), a talented basketball player, gets into trouble when he takes matters into his own hands after Dolo (Quincy “Galaxy” Brooks), the leader of a local gang of bippers, steals the engagement ring he plans to give to his girlfriend, Destiny (Destiny Hernandez). Co-writer/director Berner, co-director Alex Ferrufino and co-writer David Mansanalez have made a suspenseful, gritty and heartfelt crime drama set in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the plot sticks to a conventional formula and doesn't add anything new to the genre, it manages to have its heart in the right place because it effectively develops the bond between Juju and his brother, Slim, which helps you to care about their relationship and what happens to them when their life is at stake. The filmmakers could've easily turned this into an action-packed thriller, but they opt for a more character-driven film that doesn't bombard or exhaust the audience with too many action sequences.
Splash City's emotional depth doesn't come from the screenplay, but rather from the solid performances by Reed Shannon and Zach Sowers each of whom breathes life into his role. To be fair, the film could have used some comic relief or another form of levity to counterbalance the serious tone. Fortunately, though, it avoids becoming tedious, clunky, unfocused or lethargic. It's also worth mentioning the effective use of music and stylish cinematography that provides some substance to the film without being overbearing or intrusive. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Splash City opens in select theaters via Lionsgate. It would be an interesting double feature with the cult classic Cooley High.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
Kris (Hannah Einbinder), a queer filmmaker, visits the home of a reclusive actress, Billy (Gillian Anderson), who played the final girl in horror franchise called Camp Miasma in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. She hopes to convince her to star in a new installment of the franchise, but ends up getting more than she bargained for. Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun has made a surreal, bonkers and outrageously funny mindfuck that blends comedy, mystery, horror, satire and eroticism. The screenplay has some tongue-in-cheek and self-referential humor that makes it very meta. Logic gets thrown out of the window early on, but, as Hitchcock once keenly observed, "logic is dull." Try not to read too much about the plot beforehand or even to try to make sense of it while you're watching it.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma compensates for that lack of logic, though, with an abundance of imagination and a plot that remains refreshingly unpredictable while taking audiences on a wild and trippy ride down the rabbit hole. Sure, Schoenbrun seems like she's repeating herself in a way, but that's fine because other great filmmakers like Lynch, Kubrick and Cronenberg also repeat themselves. You know when you're watching a Kubrick film much like you know when you're watching a Schoenbrun film. Gillian Anderson sizzles in a raw performance as the equally sexy, charismatic and enigmatic Billy. Even the introduction of her character the first time that Kris meets her inside her home is quite memorable. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma visually stylish, experimental and unconventional as I Saw the TV Glow, so if you like that film, you'll probably like this one just as much. At a running time of 1 hour and 52 minutes, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma opens in select theaters via Mubi.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa), an aspiring writer, spends his summer in Provincetown chasing after Nancy (Emilia Jones), a classmate from his college, and ends up getting hired as a dishwasher by a restaurant owner (Antonio Banderas) in Tony. At the restaurant, he befriends his co-workers, Tyrone (Michael Jibrin), Sal (Leo Woodall), and Dimitri (Stavros Halkias). Writer/director Matt Johnson and his co-writers, Matthew Miller, Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, have made a captivating, heartfelt and funny coming-of-age drama based on Bourdain's memoir, Kitchen Confidential. This isn't a warts-and-all, thorough biopic; it's just a snapshot of a pivotal summer in his young adulthood that shapes his future career as a world-renowned chef. The first fifteen minutes or so introduce Tony and his relationship with his mother, Gladys (Dagmara Domińczyk) and father, Pierre (Rich Sommer). He flirts with his love interest, Nancy, at a bar before she tells him that she'll be in Provincetown for summer break. Before you know it, he's on his way by bus to Provincetown and, before you know it, he bumps into her and learns that she works at a pizzeria. He chooses to lie to her about the real reason that he's in Provincetown and about the fact that he works as a restaurant dishwasher.
Kudos to the screenwriters for designing enough of a window into the heart, mind and soul of Tony who comes across as intelligent, determined and talented, but insecure, arrogant and an emotionally immature mess. Does he really think it's not creepy behavior to travel to a new town to stalk a girl? What about the fact that she already has a boyfriend? To be fair, some of the scenes toward the end with him and Nancy feel a bit cheesy, and there are more than a few oversimplified and somewhat sugar-coated resolutions, especially in the third act that feels rushed. The screenplay, though, excels at balancing the drama with just the right amount of comic relief without resulting in an uneven tone or clunkiness. Not all of the jokes work, i.e. there's a repeated visual gag of the restaurant owner waking Tony up each morning with a splash of water while he sleeps on a hammock before a scene that's played for laughs again where Tony wakes up before he arrives with the water.
That said, the dynamics between both of them throughout the film provide it with the most amount of poignancy---much more than the relationship between him and Nancy. Tony also benefits from a terrific ensemble cast that oozes charisma. Even the supporting actors like Leo Woodall are superb and get the chance to shine. Dominic Sessa gives a warm, tender and Oscar-worthy performance while sinking his teeth into Tony's innate vulnerability and, most importantly, finding the emotional truth of his role. He's just as impressive as he is in The Holdovers. Antonio Banderas should also be commended for giving one of the best performances of his career here. Please be sure not to watch Tony while you're hungry because there are some scenes, e.g. a succulent lobster dish, that will make your mouth water. At a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, Tony opens in select theaters via A24 before expanding nationwide on August 21st, 2026.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
