Venice, Telluride
Brazilian documentarian Petra Costa chronicles the dire state of democracy with this eye-opening exposé, delving into the troubling ties linking Christian evangelism and politics. Getting up close and personal with some powerful people amid a wave of social and political unrest, she shifts between the epic and the intimate, history and the present, to shed light on a phenomenon not only in her home nation, but around the world. — JORDAN MINTZER
Venice, Toronto
Dea Kulumbegashvili’s miraculous feature centers on an OB-GYN (a marvelous Ia Sukhitashvili) who performs secret abortions for desperate women in deepest rural Georgia. Like Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, the drama emphasizes the risks of backstreet terminations as well as the shame and expense that prevent access. Offsetting the grimness of it all are bouts of transcendent beauty. — LESLIE FELPERIN
Venice, Toronto
A spectacular Nicole Kidman (winner of Venice’s best actress prize) leads Halina Reijn’s erotic drama about a middle-aged businesswoman finding liberation in a game of seduction with a younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Though the setup recalls the sexual stalker thrillers of the ’90s, Reijn upends expectations with her fearless refusal of judgment and rigid moral codes. It’s perverse, juicy fun. — DAVID ROONEY
Venice, Toronto
Brady Corbet’s fine-grained, novelistic third feature, about a Hungarian Jewish architect who flees to the U.S. after World War II, is massive in every sense. Running three and a half hours and screened in magnificent 70mm, it explores such meaty themes as creativity, the immigrant experience, the insularity of privilege and the long reach of the past. Lead Adrien Brody has seldom been better. — D.R.
Telluride, Toronto
Adapted from the book by Robert Harris, Edward Berger’s drama offers a peek behind the curtains of power as Catholic leaders gather in the Vatican to choose the next pope. Ralph Fiennes is superb as the cardinal overseeing the election who begins to have doubts about his faith as a result of recent Church scandals. Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini are among the expert supporting ensemble in a riveting and timely thriller. — STEPHEN FARBER
Telluride, Toronto
Actress Embeth Davidtz makes her directorial debut with this extraordinary adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s 2001 memoir, which depicts a child’s-eye view of the civil war that created the country of Zimbabwe. As young protagonist Bobo, the daughter of white colonial parents, Lexi Venter serves up an astonishingly nuanced and naturalistic performance reminiscent of Anna Paquin’s Oscar-winning turn in The Piano. — CARYN JAMES
Venice
Sarah Friedland’s feature debut frames older adulthood as its own coming-of-age, following an inquisitive octogenarian (Kathleen Chalfant) as she grapples with dementia and adjusts to a new assisted living facility. With a sensitive eye for the details of bodies, the writer-director anchors us in her protagonist’s perspective, finding humor and tenderness in the most vulnerable moments.— LOVIA GYARKYE
Telluride, Toronto
Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s unsentimental yet touching drama — set in a richly textured New York and adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel — stars a terrific Naomi Watts as a writer who’s not only mourning her best friend (Bill Murray in flashbacks) but dealing with the Great Dane he’s left her. It’s a beautifully light-handed exploration of life, death and friendship. — C.J.
Toronto
A companion piece to his classics Happy-Go-Lucky and Another Year, Mike Leigh’s prickly, piercing new drama continues his career-long investigation into the concept of happiness — who accesses it, who doesn’t, how and why — via a vivid portrait of psychic pain. Marianne Jean-Baptiste is bone-rattlingly ferocious and, at times, bitterly funny as a woman at war with the world, while Michele Austin, playing her sister, brings much-needed warmth and light. — JON FROSCH
Venice, Toronto
While many films have been made about life under military dictatorship in Brazil, it’s rare we get one as intimate as Walter Salles’ latest. In this adaptation of Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir about his mother’s heroism after the disappearance of his father, Fernanda Torres portrays the matriarch with extraordinary grace, while her own mom, Fernanda Montenegro, poignantly plays her in old age. — D.R.
Venice
The second part of a thematic trilogy, following Sex and preceding Dreams, Norwegian writer-director Dag Johan Haugerud’s dramedy is a delight — honest, thoughtful and daringly talky. Observing dating customs in the age of apps through the gently symmetrical arcs of two colleagues, the film makes interesting points about friendship and romance. — L.F.
Telluride
Hale County This Morning, This Evening director RaMell Ross makes his narrative debut with a revelatory adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel about two boys (Brandon Wilson, Ethan Herisse) incarcerated in a Florida reform school. Cinematographer Jomo Fray provides concise bursts of imagery and editor Nicholas Monsour a staccato rhythm as the film moves between past and present with an eye for the details that shape memories. In its intimacy and care, the drama stretches the borders of what it means to represent Black people onscreen. — L.G.
Venice
In one of his finest efforts to date, director Kevin Macdonald traces an eventful year in the life of the ex-Beatle and the artist. Remarkable archival material combined with footage of a 1972 benefit concert yield a documentary that’s both tender and galvanizing. Summoning a you-are-there energy, it delivers a fresh slant on a generation’s countercultural awakening and a reminder of the hopeful future we kids once imagined. — SHERI LINDEN
Venice, Toronto
Working again with Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, Luca Guadagnino meets William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel about American expats in postwar Mexico City on its own slippery terms. A trippy odyssey about a writer (a ballsy Daniel Craig) bewitched by a fresh-faced younger man (Drew Starkey), this is a bold, beguiling film, distinguished by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s dreamy cinematography and a melancholy score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. — D.R.
Venice, Telluride
Tim Fehlbaum’s gripping newsroom thriller chronicles how an ABC Sports crew broadcast the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attacks live to an entire nation. Its tackling of the tough questions the team faced, along with intense turns by Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and Leonie Benesch, are what make it more than a time capsule. Blending archival footage and re-creations, this is a film that speaks to our time and to the lasting importance of reporting real news. — J.M.
This story first appeared in the Sept. 11 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
