Becoming Led Zeppelin is a captivating, exhilarating and slickly edited, but somewhat shallow documentary about how Led Zeppelin formed their rock band and rose to fame through the 1960s before their legendary concert on January 9th, 1970 in London. Director Bernard MacMahon combines contemporary interviews with the surviving band members, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, along with archival photos, audio recordings and concert footage. What follows is an invigorating albeit hagiographic introduction to how the iconic British rock band came together despite initial reviews from critics who called their music redundant. Fans thought otherwise, as history shows. To be fair, Becoming Led Zeppelin plays it pretty safely in terms of its content which isn't very surprising, revealing or moving while also following a conventional linear structure. When one of the band members says that It's lucky to have such talented and charismatic subjects because the film comes alive the most during the interviews with the band members. They're somewhat funny and witty at times, so kudos to MacMahon for not only letting their personalities shine, but also their sense of humor. Fans of Led Zeppelin will appreciate the concert footage, especially on the big screen which makes it feel more immersive. At just over 2 hours, Becoming Led Zeppelin opens in select IMAX theaters nationwide before opening in regalar theatrical formats on February 14th, 2025.

      Michael (Christopher Abbott), a sheep farmer, lives near another sheep farmer Gary (Paul Ready), who's married to his ex-girlfriend, Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone). When he learns from Caroline's son, Jack (Barry Keoghan), that two of his sheep have been found dead on his farm, tensions escalate between him and Gary in Bring Them Down. Writer/director Christopher Andrews has made a consistently grim and foreboding thriller that explores the dark side of human nature. From the very first scene that shows how Michael's mother, Peggy (Susan Lynch), died when Michael crashed the car years earlier after learning that she'd divorcing his dad. Caroline (Grace Daily) had been in the car back then, too. Years later, she and Michael have split up and he runs his family's farm while taking care of his ailing dad, Ray (Colm Meaney). Bring Them Down piles on the dark themes one on top of the other. There's a lot going on with each character, but the screenplay doesn't spend enough time getting inside anyone's heart, mind and soul, so the characters seem more like plot devices. Why dehumanize Michael by skipping through his grieving period in the aftermath of the accident? A little bit more exposition would've been helpful including some backstory about how Caroline met Gary. Moreover, it's hard to sense if she still has feelings for Michael or what she thinks of him, but it's clear that she's stuck in an abusive relationship with her current husband.

      The slow-burning suspense comes from the anticipation of even more tragic events. Just when you think that nothing can get worse for Michael, you're proven wrong. The film's poignancy comes from the performances rather than from the screenplay. Barry Keoghan, once again, gives a raw and charismatic performance as do Christopher Abbott and Colm Meaney. Is it too much to ask for some comic relief or some kind of levity? If you like thrillers served black, no cream or sugar, Bring Them Down might be right up your alley. Just be sure to follow it up with something funny and lighter like Companion. At 1 hour and 45 minutes, Bring Them Down opens in select theaters nationwide via MUBI.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

         Anna (Ellen Dorrit Petersen), a housekeeper, arrives at a small Norwegian town after the Nazis free her from imprisonment. Aksel (Frode Winther), a Nazi officer, orders her to spy on a town's priest, Adam (Andreas Lust), suspected of engaging in resistance activities in The Fishing Place. After the brilliant and poetic Gavagai,  writer/director Rob Tregenza, has made another unconventional film that's hard to adequately describe. The threadbare plot doesn't provide much palpable tension while exposition is kept to a bare minimum. Tregenza focuses more on the atmosphere and, like in Gavagai, conveys a lot of meaning through cinematography alone. He understands the concept that "less is more." However, all of the characters, including Anna, remain at a cold distance from the audience. While Gavagai brimmed with warmth, The Fishing Place sorely lacks it which makes it hard to connect with on an emotional level. Moreover, the pace moves sluggishly at times, so Tregenza trusts the audience's patience a little too much. After the hour mark, there's a major twist that won't be revealed here, but it leads to a third act that's bold, subversive and experimental, yet concurrently frustrating and repetitive. At 1 hour and 34 minutes, The Fishing Place opens at MoMA via Cinema Parallel.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       On Valentine's Day, the notorious Heart Eyes Killer mistakes Ally (Olivia Holt) and her co-worker, Jay (Mason Gooding), for a couple and hunts them down in Heart Eyes. The screenplay by co-writers Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy is witty, smart and wickedly funny. The plot doesn't score any points for originality, but that's not an issue because it's more important how a film goes about its plot and where it takes its ideas to. Director Josh Ruben knows how to maintain the darkly comedic tone from the hilarious prologue to the very end while offering some surprises along the way. Everyone gets a chance to shine, even those in supporting roles like Devon Sawa as Detective Hobbs, Jordana Brewster as Detective Shaw and Michael Watkins as Ally and Jay's boss. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding are very well-cast and have palpable chemistry together.

       Sometimes, horror comedies tend to run out of steam and get repetitive, but that doesn't happen in Heart Eyes because the dialogue brims with tongue-in-cheek humor and quips, and there are enough surprises to keep the plot feeling fresh and exciting. The film references His Girl Friday, Notting Hill and other romcoms that it unashamedly pokes a lot of fun at. Moreover, it's refreshing that Ally and Jay are each given lively personalities and backstories that humanizes them, i.e. that Ally dropped out of Med School because of her fear of blood. Speaking of which, Heart Eyes doesn't hold back on the gory violence with some hilarious and over-the-top kills, so it definitely earns its R-rating. The tone remains consistently off-kilter, though, so it's the violence that will keep audiences entertained without making them feel disgusted. At 1 hour and 37 minutes, Heart Eyes opens nationwide via Screen Gems. It deserves to become a new horror comedy classic.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

        Marvin (Ke Huy Quan), a former hitman, a real estate agent, must defeat ruthless gangsters led by his brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu), who's searching for Rose (Ariana DeBose), a woman he was supposed to kill, but set free instead in  Love Hurts. The screenplay by Matthew Murray Josh Stoddard and Luke Passmore is lazy, asinine and painfully unfunny with annoying characters, witless dialogue and a plot that gets increasingly preposterous. It's loud, ultraviolent and mean-spirited, but, worst of all, it runs out of steam early on and then repeats itself while trying to pigback on Everything Everywhere All at Once by adding a tacked-on message to all of the action. Ke Huy Quan, who's reminiscent of Jackie Chan here, deserves better material. The only highlight is Marshawn Lynch who gives a tongue-in-cheek performance in a supporting role as one of Knuckles' henchmen who happens to also be a poet. At 1 hour and 23 minutes, Love Hurts is a whole lotta nothing everywhere all at once. opens nationwide via Universal Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

        Set in 1759 on the island of Mauritius, No Chains, No Masters is about Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye), a slave on a sugar cane who desperately searches for his teenage daughter, Mati (Anna Diakhere Thiandoum), after she escapes into the jungle. The plantation's owner, Eugène (Benoìt Magimel), hires Madame La Victoire (Camille Cottin), a slave owner, to track Mati down. Writer/director Simon Moutairou and co-writer Hassam Ghancy have woven an exhilarating, gripping and genuinely heartfelt thriller that's both physically and emotionally gritty. The first act introduces the audience to the slaves, how they suffer on the plantation, and how Mati yearns for freedom. Admittedly, the scenes of them getting physically abused are hard to watch and unflinching. In a powerful scene, Eugène's son, Baptiste (Vassili Schneider), dares to question his family's mistreatment of the slaves and to stand up for them at the dinner table, but Eugène suppresses him and threatens him which shows how cruel and tyrannical he is as well as being a bad father and a terrible role model. The stakes are high when Mati escapes because if she's caught by other slave hunters besides Madame La Victoire, she'd be killed---or at least that's what Eugène warns Massamba.

      You'll be at the edge of your seat during the search for Mati in the jungle. The film changes perspectives from Mati's to Massamba's to Eugène's and Madame La Victoire's perspectives, but it never feels choppy or unfocused. At times, the audience knows more than Massamba and Madame La Victoire about Mati's whereabouts, though, so they're not always on the same page as they are. Nonetheless, there's never a dull moment as you wonder whether or not Mati will attain her much-deserved freedom and whether or not her father will attain it as well. The ending, which won't be revealed here, is equally haunting, poetic and powerful.  At 1 hour and 37 minutes, No Chains, No Masters opens at Quad Cinema via Distrib Films US.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

         Paint Me a Road Out of Here is a documentary biopic on two artists, Faith Ringgold and Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter. Baxter, who's also a prison reform advocate, helps Ringgold to locate her painting "For the Women's House" and to remove it from Rikers Island where it had been at since 1971. The painting had been mistreated throughout the years and placed in a facility on Rikers where it had barely been noticed. Director Catherine Gund begins by introducing the audience to Ringgold and Baxter separately before their stories converge. Baxter has overcome a lot of trauma and served time at Riverside Correctional Facility. Ringgold painted "For the Women's House" to provide powerful messages of hope and resilience for black incarcerated women. Fortunately, Paint Me a Road Out of Here doesn't dwell on either of the artists' suffering; instead it focuses on their resilience and perseverance, much like Ringgold's painting. To be fair, their stories are so compelling that they deserve separate documentary biopics. Whenever the film cuts from one story to the other and then back again, it slightly takes away from the momentum and feels abrupt because you're so immersed in both stories. The most moving scenes are when Ringgold and Baxter finally meet and bond with each other as they go on a challenging quest to rescue the painting that deserves to be in a gallery.

      Bravo to both artists for grasping the concept art is a very effective way of protesting against injustice, hatred and any form of dehumanization. As Dr. Martin Luther King once stated, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Thank you, Faith Ringgold and Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, for not being silent and for grasping the life wisdom behind Pablo Neruda's poem: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming."  At 1 hour and 30 minutes, Paint Me a Road Out of Here is captivating, poignant and empowering. It opens at Film Forum via Aubin Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      In Parthenope, Parthenope (Celeste Della Porta), a beautiful young woman, grows up in Naples where she searches for love and happiness. The screenplay by writer/director Paolo Sorrentino is overstuffed and clunky with a meandering plot that bites off more than it could chew. It follows Parthenope from her birth in the sea of Naples through her childhood years, young adult years, older adult years and, too briefly, her elderly years. So, the film clearly covers a lot of ground. Parthenope deals with the suicide of her brother, Raimondo (Daniel Rienzo), and infatuation from other men like Sandri (Dario Aita) who objectify her. She yearns to be appreciated for her intelligence and even pursues a degree in anthropology with her thesis advisor, Professor Marotta (Silvio Orlando). Parthenope remains an enigma to both the audience and to the characters around her. How well does she know herself? That's also a mystery, even when she looks back at her life during her elderly years where she's played by the legendary Stefania Sandrelli from Divorce, Italian Style. If only more time were spent during those later years, the audience would've been able to get a better sense of Parthenope's introspection and to connect with her on a more emotional level.

      Celeste Della Porta sizzles in the lead role while exuding palpable charisma. Moreover, the breathtaking scenery provides plenty of eye candy and visual poetry. There are even shades of Fellini, Antonioni and Godard. That said, there are pacing issues. Some scenes overstay their welcome and drag on and on with very little dramatic momentum. At 2 hours and 16 minutes, Parthenope opens at Angelika Film Center and AMC Lincoln Square via A24.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

        Renner (Frankie Muniz) lives alone with an AI life coach named Salenus (voice of Marcia Gay Harden) that he invented. Selenus gets in the way of his new relationship with Jamie (Violett Beane), his neighbor, who introduces him to her half-brother, Chad (Taylor Gray) in Renner. The screenplay by Luke and Martin Medina takes an intriguing, timely premise and turns int into an undercooked, tonally uneven and dull amalgam of sci-fi, drama and thrills. Renner has a lot of unresolved issues with his mother, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and not much success in his love life. He's lonely, insecure and lacks emotional maturity. It's beyond obvious that Selenus has become his surrogate mother. It's also beyond obvious that she'll try to sabotage his relationship with Jamie. Renner doesn't have enough "world-building" and fails to explore its provocative themes with much-need intellectual and emotional depth. The third act escalates the tension in a way that feels like a cop-out as if the filmmakers were too afraid that the concept alone were not cinematic enough, so they take the plot into B-movie territory with some action scenes. It's great to see Frankie Muniz back on the big screen again, but he's undermined by a shallow screenplay that doesn't design enough of a window into Renner's heart, mind and soul.  At 1 hour and 30 minutes, Renner, directed by Robert Rippberger, opens in select theaters nationwide via Seismic Releasing.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Rose (June Schreiner) and Michael (Andrew Ortenberg) spends their last days on Earth traveling across the country to visit Rose's grandmother in When I'm Ready. The screenplay by Andrew Ortenberg keeps exposition to a minimum while eschewing a first act. All that the audience knows is that an asteroid is headed for the Earth imminently and that Rose and Michael had fled their college together. They barely know each other, but now's the chance for them to connect and maybe fall in love while taking in the sights along their road trip. Oddly, they both remain calm throughout the trip. Also, a scene toward the end when Rose nonchalantly mentions the possibility of her parents being dead suffers from an awkwardly upbeat music score. Is the music supposed to be ironic? Either way, it doesn't work. When I'm Ready doesn't do much with its sci-fi elements nor does it have much to say about romance or friendship. There's too much on-the-nose dialogue where Rose and Michael over explain their feelings, thereby leaving little to no room for interpretation. The moving performances by une Schreiner and Andrew Ortenberg help to keep the film afloat. At 1 hour and 48 minutes, When I'm Ready, directed by Andrew Johnson, is breezy and sweet, but sugar-coated and clunky. It opens at Regal Union Square via Quiver Distribution and Briarcliff Entr.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2


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