'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Dissing 'Karate Kid: Legends,' Lamenting 'The Phoenician Scheme'

 

Alison Willmore and I were on KCRW yesterday to talk about this weekend's movie offerings. Check out our reviews of Karate Kid: Legends, The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back and Mountainhead down below.

Queens of the Stone Age - "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire"

In retrospect, this is the song Queens should have titled "Feel Good Hit of the Summer."

'Karate Kid: Legends' Review

For the first time in 15 years, there's a Karate Kid movie on the big screen. Unfortunately, I wasn't too keen on Legends.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Mission: Impossible,' 'Friendship' and My Cannes Recap

I'm back from Cannes, which means it's time to get the podcast back up and running. We reviewed Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (and I told the funny story of why I didn't end up reviewing it for Screen International). Then, we disagreed about the new Tim Robinson comedy Friendship. Last but not least, I offered some takeaways from this year's Cannes. Hope you enjoy.

'People Still Read Books': Talking to Will About 'Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride'

Will's new book, Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride, came out last week while I was in Cannes. Before I left for the festival, we had a long talk about the novel, which included conversations about death, optimism, cops and parenthood. You can hear the entire exchange down below.

The Film Comment Podcast: Talking about 'Resurrection,' 'The Mastermind' and 'Young Mothers'

My last day at Cannes, I was on the Film Comment podcast, hosted by Devika Girish. I was joined by my buddies Justin Chang and Alison Willmore, and we had a blast talking about a bunch of films we'd seen at the festival. Also: We were pretty loopy from exhaustion, so it was a loose and lively conversation. But I made sure I was focused while singing the praises of Kelly Reichardt's The Mastermind. It was the first time I had discussed the film with anyone and, well, I was pretty effusive. Hear the whole thing down below.

Cannes 2025: 'The Six Billion Dollar Man' Review

Such is the weirdness of a film festival that you can go to a premiere of a documentary and then the subject of the film will be there. Like when I saw The Six Billion Dollar Man and Julian Assange was in attendance. The movie traces the history of WikiLeaks and Assange's later imprisonment. You can read my review here.

'Mountainhead' Review

Jesse Armstrong, the man behind Succession, has a new HBO movie about four billionaire tech bros hanging out at one of the dude's swanky Utah pad for a guys' weekend. It's a satire that works best when it's angry, not funny. My review is here.

Cannes 2025: 'Honey Don't!' Review

Honey Don't! is the second solo narrative feature from Ethan Coen, who previously made Drive-Away Dolls. I wasn't a fan of that film, but this one works better. And Margaret Qualley is a big reason why. I reviewed Honey Don't! for Screen International.

Cannes 2025: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

About halfway through this year's Cannes, I received some bad news that I had been expecting: A good friend succumbed to cancer. Within 30 minutes of hearing of her passing that morning, I was off to a movie, which featured a father dying of cancer. The movie after that featured a mother dying of cancer. Death was on my mind anyway, but over the next several days it kept popping up in the films I was watching, almost as if they were channeling my inner monologue, projecting my new reality up there on the screen.

I should not have been surprised. After all, movies tackle dramatic subjects, and few are more dramatic than mortality. I pride myself on being able to block out the world's distractions when I go to review a film. (I consider that a crucial part of my job.) But I felt the occasional jolt of recognition when death came creeping into a film's plot: "Oh, right, that. There it is again." Repeatedly, I was reminded that I existed in a new world, one without that person I just lost.

At the same time, it was extraordinarily surreal to be here at Cannes while processing my friend's passing. The place is just so damn beautiful, and the movies are so rich and rewarding. All festivals are a bubble from the real world -- that's one reason why people love attending them -- but a big part of me was able to shut out my sorrow simply because of my stimulating environment. Death may have followed me from screen to screen, but Cannes is so alive that you can trick yourself into forgetting. Still, I'm smart enough to recognize that my sorrow will be waiting for me when I return to Los Angeles. Bubbles have a nasty habit of bursting.

* * * * *   

With that acknowledged, let me now add that I found this to be a deeply great edition of the festival. Some of the movies I was most anticipating let me down -- the Spike Lee, the Wes Anderson, most certainly the Ari Aster -- but there was ample compensation from the expected heavy-hitters who did deliver the goods. And, of course, there were the revelatory discoveries, like Oliver Laxe's Sirat and Mascha Schilinski's Sound of Falling, easily the best movie I saw in Cannes. God bless Mubi, who took a chance on her ambitious, kaleidoscopic drama that spans roughly 100 years and four generations of different families living in the same home. The esteemed distributor is actually behind my Top Two from the festival, which also includes Kelly Reichardt's The Mastermind, one of the finest films this very fine filmmaker has ever produced. From the dazzling execution of Bi Gan's Resurrection to the formal rigor of Sergei Loznitsa's merciless Two Prosecutors, the major auteurs came out swinging. And that's not even mentioning two movies beloved by many here and merely really, really liked by me: Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident and Kleber Mendonca Filho's The Secret Agent. 

Before I reveal my rankings, let's now take a moment to mention the films I wasn't able to get to, like Adam's Interest, The Love That Remains, Mirrors No. 3, My Father's Shadow, Urchin, A Useful Ghost and Yes!, to name just a few. (Some may notice that I didn't review Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. I was set to do so, but my L.A. screening got canceled midway through because of a fire. It's a long story, but everyone's fine, so don't worry.)

From worst to best, here's a list of everything I saw, with links leading to individual reviews: 

37. Eddington
36. Eleanor the Great
35. The Wave
34. Fuori
33. The Richest Woman in the World
32. Leave One Day
31. Splitsville
30. The Chronology of Water
29. Alpha
28. The Phoenician Scheme
27. Romeria
26. Highest 2 Lowest
25. Honey Don't!
24. The Little Sister
23. The History of Sound
22. The Six Billion Dollar Man
21. The Plague
20. Woman and Child
19. Case 137
18. Pillion
17. Eagles of the Republic
16. Arco
15. Young Mothers
14. Enzo
13. Nouvelle Vague
12. The Secret Agent
11. It Was Just an Accident
10. Renoir
9. Die, My Love
8. Orwell: 2+2=5
7. Sentimental Value
6. Resurrection
5. Sirat
4. Sorry, Baby
3. Two Prosecutors
2. The Mastermind
1. Sound of Falling

For the first time since I started going to Cannes in 2013, I saw every film in Competition, all 22 of them. What that means is that when the jury, headed by Juliette Binoche, announces its awards, I won't have the usual FOMO feeling of "Oh shoot, I didn't see the Best Screenplay winner" or whatever. 

However, that doesn't mean I'm any more confident about what will take home the Palme d'Or than I was in previous years. Remember: I have never correctly guessed the winner, and I'm just as uncertain this year. Part of the problem is that the jury is made up of new people every year, and unless you're hanging out with them, you're just speculating on where their head is at. That said, here's my thinking. I could see It Was Just an Accident, Resurrection, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value or Sound of Falling winning. Forced to narrow down the field further, I'll go with the movies that are perceived as the front-runners: It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent and Sentimental Value. (Why are they "perceived" to be the front-runners? Oh, because the people who like to make predictions about this stuff have said they are.)

My gut tells me it's either going to be It Was Just an Accident or Sentimental Value. In one corner, you have Jafar Panahi, one of cinema's giants, who has recently been freed from prison, enjoying a hero's welcome here at the festival when his film premiered. In the other, you have Joachim Trier, whose last Cannes film, The Worst Person in the World, took home Best Actress for Renate Reinsve. Sentimental Value seems to be the most beloved film, but while it's dangerous to make predictions based on the temperament of the jury president, I just feel like Binoche would be more inclined to go with a more challenging, politically incisive film for the Palme. So I'm picking It Was Just an Accident. If Sound of Falling or The Mastermind win, I would be ecstatic. 

Regardless how the awards shape up, readers should be excited about a bunch of great movies coming their way soon. Now, off to sleep for me, and an exit from the bubble into whatever awaits me on the other side.

Cannes 2025: 'The Mastermind' Review

Kelly Reichardt's phenomenal hit streak continues. For Screen International, I reviewed The Mastermind.

Eels - "Last Stop: This Town"

Are you missing the dearly bereft?

Cannes 2025: 'Eagles of the Republic' Review

Eagles of the Republic concludes filmmaker Tarik Saleh's Cairo trilogy, three movies that (in their own ways) examine the corruption and tyranny of the Egyptian government. This final installment is the funniest, looking at a fading movie star recruited by the regime to make a propaganda film. But it eventually becomes a despairing thriller. My review is up at Screen International.

Cannes 2025: 'Sentimental Value' Review

Renate Reinsve reunites with Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value. It's not quite to the level of The Worst Person in the World, but it's a very touching family drama. My review is here.

Cannes 2025: 'The Richest Woman in the World' Review

In The Richest Woman in the World, Isabelle Huppert plays the head of an influential French cosmetics company who becomes charmed by a younger gay artist. If that sounds like it might be inspired by the Bettencourt affair, you're on the right path. My review is up at Screen International.

Cannes 2025: 'Splitsville' Review

I had extremely mixed feelings about The Climb, the debut feature film from director Michael Angelo Covino. Now he's back with Splitsville, which like its predecessor is about male friendships and romantic commitment. I remain pretty indifferent to Covino's approach, which I wrote about for Screen International. 

Cannes 2025: 'Highest 2 Lowest' Review

Man, it is no fun to pan Spike Lee movies. Alas, I was pretty torn on Highest 2 Lowest, his ambitious, thought-provoking crime thriller that re-imagines Akira Kurosawa's High and Low. My review is here.

Mousterpiece Melodies: Randy Newman and 'Toy Story'

Basically, I will take any opportunity afforded me to talk about Randy Newman. So I was delighted that the guys behind Mousterpiece Cinema brought the podcast back to do a deep dive into the original music featured in Disney movies ... and then asked me to be on for an in-depth conversation about Newman's Toy Story songs. Yup, we got into all four films, and the many covers you can find out there on the web. A total blast, and you can check it out down below.

Cannes 2025: 'The Phoenician Scheme' Review

While watching Wes Anderson's latest, something occurred to me: I've never disliked any of his movies. Until now. For Screen International, I get into what I think doesn't work in The Phoenician Scheme.

Cannes 2025: 'Die, My Love' Review

It has been eight years since Lynne Ramsay's last film, You Were Never Really Here, premiered at Cannes. At long last she's back. For Screen International, I reviewed Die, My Love.

Cannes 2025: 'The Chronology of Water' Review

It's not a surprise that Kristen Stewart would start directing. And it's also not a surprise that her feature directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, is as intense and unguarded as her performances as an actor. You can read my review here.

Cannes 2025: 'Eddington' Review

Ari Aster was three-for-three before Eddington. But I think this new film is a misfire. I explain why over at Screen International.

'Bring Her Back' Review

The Philippou brothers previously made Talk to Me. They're back with a new horror movie that features a terrific performance from Sally Hawkins as a foster mother with something to hide. You can read my review of Bring Her Back here.

Cannes 2025: 'The Plague' Review

The Plague tells the story of an all-boys water polo club. A new teammate comes to town and quickly realizes there's one kid who's being picked on viciously, and he wants to make sure that doesn't happen to him. (Also, the ostracized kid may have a mysterious, contagious rash.) I reviewed this tale of peer pressure and toxic masculinity for Screen International.

Anna von Hausswolff - “Stranger”

Every Cannes, I help put together a colleague's playlist of the memorable songs used in the festival's films. It's still early days, but so far this is the standout track, mostly because of how well it's used in the movie Sound of Falling.

Cannes 2025: 'Case 137' Review

The great Lea Drucker is the best thing about Case 137, a solid procedural about an officer in French internal affairs investigating wrongdoing within the Paris police department. My review is up at Screen International.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': The Most-Anticipated Movies at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

This year's Cannes is now underway. Before the storm, I jumped on a call with Madeleine Brand to preview four films to keep an eye out for, including Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love. You can hear our conversation down below.

'Deaf President Now!' Review

I missed Deaf President Now! at Sundance, but I'd heard good things about this documentary that looks back at a 1988 student protest at the only all-Deaf university. (The gist: The students wanted a Deaf president. The board of trustees had other ideas.) My review is here.

OK Go - "Upside Down & Inside Out"

Off to Cannes I go. I hope my flights are smoother than this.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The New Avengers, 'Pavements' and My Preview of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Long episode this week, for obvious reasons. For one thing, we had a lot to say about both Thunderbolts* and Pavements. Also, I went long offering a list of the films I'm most excited to see at Cannes, including Mirrors No. 3 (pictured above). And then, hey, we're gonna be on a bit of a break while I'm in France, which tends to make it hard for us to wrap up a show in a succinct manner. Enjoy all of it down below.

'April' Review

When April premiered at Venice, I was feeling pretty tired and didn't want to risk being too sleepy for the film. I'm glad I waited to be fully alert for this fascinatingly opaque film. My review is up at the Los Angeles Times.

Fatboy Slim - "The Rockafeller Skank"

Ladies and gentlemen, the song that topped The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll in 1998.