In Great Absence, Takashi (Mirai Moriyama), a theater actor, visits his estranged father, Yohji (Tatsuya Fuji), with his wife, Yuki (Yoko Maki), at a care home to reconnect with him. Upon learning that Yohji's second wife, Naomi (Hideko Hara), Takasi embarks on a journey to find her even though Yohji's dementia makes his goal difficult. Some films hook the audience right away and then have a tough time maintaining that hook. The screenplay by writer/director Kei Chika-ura and co-writer Keita Kumano unfolds with a non-linear plot that takes its time to hook the audience. It doesn't reveal important details right away, like, for instance, what caused Takashi to become estranged from his father in the first place. So, you're not quite on the same page as Takashi from the very beginning, but that changes once you learn about his traumatic past and how abusive Yohji was as a father and as a husband. There are many flashbacks and, to be fair, the plot sometimes feels disjointed with a sudden cut to either the present day or another part of Yohji's past that takes away from the narrative momentum. The filmmakers trust the audience's emotions with little to no use of music.

      Fortunately, nothing feels heavy-handed, maudlin or overwrought throughout Great Absence. In other words, it's refreshingly un-Hollywood. The cinematography makes the most out of the natural landscape and even incorporates some visual poetry, i.e. the falling leaves of a cherry blossom. The pace moves slowly and even languidly at times, so the filmmakers trust the audience's patience which, in this case, is rewarding to those of you who have patience. Tatsuya Fuji, best known for In the Realm of the Senses, gives a terrific performance that anchors the film with his gravitas. Mirai Moriyama is also superb in a very moving performance. At a running time of 2 hours and 13 minutes, Great Absence is haunting, engrossing and poetic. It opens at Angelika Film Center via GAGA and Picturehouse. It would be an interesting double feature with Crossing and Touch.

 

       Hollywoodgate is a spellbinding, unflinching and brave documentary about how the Taliban took over Hollywood Gate complex, allegedly a secret CIA base in Kabul, after the US army pulled out of Afghanistan on August 30, 2021. Director Ibrahim Nash'at deserves to be commended for risking his life and gaining access to the Taliban to film them raiding the abandoned complex that still contains weapons and fighter jets left behind. Nash'at opts for a fly-on-the-wall approach without talking-head interviews or getting to know any of the Taliban's backstory. Bravo to him for not making this documentary about him and for keeping his voice-over narration at a minimum. He's a great journalist and, in a way, a warrior for the truth no matter how harsh it is. The footage of the Taliban along with their hatred, cruelty and misogyny are horrifying and disturbing beyond words. To be fair, Hollywoodgate feels often uncomfortable to watch, but that's part of the point because, fundamentally, this is a horror film, so audiences shouldn't be at ease. Prepare for your blood to boil from the moment that Nash'at lands to the moment that his plane leaves Afghanistan a year later. At a running time of 1 hour and 32 minutes, Hollywoodgate opens at IFC Center via Fourth Act Film. It's one of the most powerful documentaries of the year.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Fresh off the heels of America's Burning comes Join or Die, a lively, timely and fascinating documentary about political scientist and author Robert Putnam's theory that joining communities and clubs are an essential part of democracy and that club memberships have been in decline in recent years. Co-directors Pete and Rebecca Davis interview Putnam as well as politicians like Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg. Pete Davis shows journalistic integrity by making it clear from the beginning that Putnam used to be his professor in college instead of omitting that fact or burying the lede. Join or Die doesn't stray far beyond Putnam's theories nor does it thoroughly analyze it in depth. It does, though, present his theories in a way that's palatable with strong evidence from Putnam's research that prove that waning club memberships pose a threat to democracy. Like America's Burning, Join or Die doesn't step back to define what a democracy or functional democracy is or how it's accurately measured. This documentary would've also benefited from more background information about Robert Putnam and to help the audience understand and get to know the man behind the theories. At a running time of 1 hour and 39 minutes, Join or Die opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema via Abramorama.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       In Losing Faith, Flippa (Selma Schulte-Frohlinde) travels from Germany to Sardinia to reunite with her estranged older sister, Furia (Ann Göbel). On her way there, she joins a feminist commune led by Rumpel (Inga Busch). The screenplay by writer/director Martha von Mechow eschews conventionality and, instead, opts for an experience that's concurrently breezy, cerebral, bizarre and elliptical. She keeps exposition to a bare minimum which, together with the meandering plot, feels frustrating at times. There are some surprisingly thought-provoking scenes like a conversation that the women in the commune have. Very little happens, yet there's a lot going on beneath the surface. The film's greatest strengths are its unpredictability and its brief use of surrealism. There's also some breathtaking scenery and a slow-burning pace that reflects how Mechow trusts the audience's patience. At a running time of 1 hours and 40 minutes, Losing Faith opens at Anthology Film Archives.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      Modernism, Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story is an illuminating and captivating documentary biopic on the life and work of Eliot Noyes, a lesser known architect and industrial designer who deserves to be better known. Director Jason Cohn combines archival footage and interviews with Noyes' family members who contribute plenty of insight. Cohn wisely doesn't assume that the audience has heard of Eliot Noyes. He provides enough information through the footage and interviews to help the audience grasp what makes Noyes so significant in the world of industrial design. Noyes worked as IBM's consultant design director in the 1950s and 60s. He designed IBM's Selectric typewriter and, later, redesigned Mobil's gas stations and played an important role in hiring the design firm responsible for redesigning Mobil's iconic logo. Noyes was ahead of his time and wasn't afraid to incorporate innovation in his designs such as his house in New Canaan. Fortunately, Modernism, Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story avoids becoming too dry or academic. It's also well-edited and moves along at a brisk enough pace. At a running time of 1 hour and 19 minutes, Modernism, Inc. opens at IFC Center via First Run Features.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Soon after his wife, Dani (Carolyn Bracken), gets murdered, Ted (Gwilym Lee), a doctor at a psychiatric hospital, meets Dani's blind identical twin sister, Darcy (also played by Carolyn Bracken). At a dinner with him and his new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menton), Darcy brings him a mysterious gift: a wooden mannequin. Oddity is an uninspired, but suspenseful and chilling slice of horror. The screenplay by writer/director Damian McCarthy doesn't take any major risks or chart new territory in terms of its premise, but it delivers the goods when it comes to genuine scares and keeping the audience engaged by the mystery. McCarthy wastes no time by diving right into the film's horror elements within the first ten minutes. Does the mannequin have anything to do with Dani's death? Who killed her and why? Could a patient at the psychiatric hospital where Ted works at be responsible for her murder? Oddity maintains the plot's tension and keeps the audience guessing until the third act which has a twist that isn't particularly shocking or surprising in hindsight. Despite the conventional and safe ending, Oddity nonetheless has enough genuinely scary moments, especially involving the mannequin. The set design, use of lighting and visual effects combine to create a very creepy and foreboding atmosphere that plays around with the audience's imagination at times. It's not "elevated" horror per se, but it's roughly on par with Talk to Me as an effectively terrifying "cursed object" horror film. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, Oddity opens nationwide via IFC Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       In Twisters, Kate Carter (Daisy-Edgar-Jones), used to chase storms with her friends back in Oklahoma, but, after a tornado had killed some of them, she now works as a meteorologist in New York City. Javi (Anthony Ramos), a friend who survived the tornado, persuades her to chase tornadoes with him at a special event in Oklahoma. There, she meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a storm chaser, and his crew, Lily (Sasha Lane), Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe), Dani (Katy O’Brian), Boone (Brandon Perea) and Ben (Harry Hadden-Paton), a journalist. She also stops by her hometown to visit her mother, Cathy (Maura Tierney). The screenplay by Mark L. Smith begins with an exciting prologue that provides what audiences came for: tornado chasing. After that scene, the plot flashes forward five years where it fleshes out the main characters, namely, Kate, Javi and Tyler. As a thriller, Twister delivers the goods without taking any risks or surpassing the awe of the classic original from 1996. Everything else, including the initial rivalry between Kate and Tyler and their inevitable blossoming romance, just feel like extra padding. While it's great to humanize them so that the audience can be emotionally invested in their lives, the film's romantic elements are somewhat cheesy. There's also a subplot involving Javi's connection to a shady businessman that causes a rift between him and Kate. Isn't there enough tension between man and nature? The scenes with Kate and her mother are well-written, though, and even add some comic relief without any clunkiness. Twisters is lucky to have a well-chosen cast of charismatic actors, especially Glen Powell, because they breathe life into their roles and into the film itself, too. The CGI effects are dazzling, but most of them are saved for the big, intense finale. At a running time of 2 hours and 2 minutes, Twisters, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, is an exciting, heartfelt and thrilling ride with a fine ensemble cast. It opens nationwide via Universal Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       In Widow Clicquot, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (Haley Bennett) inherits her the vineyard of her husband, François (Tom Sturridge), after he suddenly passes away. Despite setbacks, misogyny opposition, and discouragement from others like her father-in-law Philippe (Ben Miles), who prefers to sell the land, Barbe-Nicole takes control of the business with her vision and unique ideas to make it a successful wine company. Today, it's known as the champagne house Veuve Clicquot. Set in the 1800s, the screenplay by co-writers Erin Dignam and Christopher Monger occasionally flashes back to show how she and François fell in love and what their marriage was like. Their romance is by no means like a fairy tale; François turns out to have had mental issues and lashed out at his wife. She still loves him, though, and wants to keep his legacy, the wine company, well after his death. Kudos to the screenwriters and to director Thomas Q. Napper for providing a window into Barbe-Nicole's heart, mind and soul which helps the audience to care about her and want her to overcome her struggles, to succeed and to be happy. Barbe-Nicole comes across as a steadfast, determined woman who, like everyone, is vulnerable. There are no villains here. Widow Clicquot doesn't shy away from showing unflinching scenes like when Barbe-Nicole grieves her husband's death. Haley Bennett gives a tender and convincingly moving performance that's one of the best performances of her career. Most of the film's emotional depth comes more from her performance than it does from the screenplay.  At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, Widow Clicquot is a heartfelt, captivating and inspirational biopic of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot. It opens at Angelika Film Center via Vertical.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1