‘Queer:’ A Slow Burn, Trippy Mindf*ck Starring Daniel Craig
For the plethora of journos and critics who worship at the Luca Guadagnino deeply indulgent cinema shrine, there is great...
‘The Brutalist’ Is a Sprawling, Ambitious Epic From Director Brady Corbet
When I arrived at our B&B after the 3 ½ hours-plus press screening of Brady Corbet’s enormously ambitious film The...
Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘The Room Next Door’ Offers Swinton, Moore In Transcendent Cinema
Midway through Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film The Room Next Door, I was struck by what I felt was a...
Venice Film Festival: Capsule Reviews of ‘Familia,’ ‘Cloud,’ and More
Refreshing storytelling abounds from Italy (although my people are still fearful of guy/guy love)! The Venice Film Festival offered a...
‘Wolfs’ Is a Whirlwind Ride Featuring the Magic Pairing of Clooney, Pitt
The last time George Clooney and Brad Pitt paired together onscreen was for the Coen Brothers underrated gem Burn After...
‘The Order:’ Jude Law Stars In Justin Kurzel’s Taut Neo-Nazi Thriller
Set in the 1980s, Aussie filmmaker Justin Kurzel’s dark and gripping film The Order feels like it could be easily...
‘Babygirl:’ Kidman Unveils Fearless, Commanding Performance In A24’s Erotic Thriller
Babygirl opens with an intense sex scene between married couple Romy (Nicole Kidman) and Jakob (Antonio Banderas). Once Jakob finishes,...
Pablo Larraín’s ‘Maria’ Dominated By Angelina Jolie’s Committed, Rapturous Performance
Terrence McNally’s Tony-winning 1995 play Master Class is a fictional look at the tumultuous life of Maria Callas as she...
‘Disclaimer:’ Cuarón, Blanchett Deliver Provocative Thriller for Apple TV+
Five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también, Gravity, Roma) has written and directed one provocative and wildly melodramatic...
Venice Film Festival Kicks off with ‘A Gem’ in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’
On location at the Venice Film Festival, The Contending's Frank J. Avella reviews opening night's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The Biennale excitement...
© 2024 The Contending