TIFF Review: Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ masterfully captures the joys and agony of what truly makes a home [Grade: A-]
Undoubtedly his most personal film to date, Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is a quietly moving and universally resonating film about the roots that connect us, the... Read More
Mina Takla
Mina Takla is a foreign correspondent for AwardsWatch and the co-founder of The Syndicate, an online news agency that offers original content services to several film brands including Empire Magazine’s Middle East edition and the Dubai Film Festival. Takla has attended, covered and written for multiple film festivals online including the Dubai International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Annecy Film Festivals. He has been following the Oscar race since 2000 with accurate, office-pool winning predictions year after year. He writes monthly in Empire Arabia, the Arabic version of the world’s top cinema magazine and conducts press junkets with Hollywood stars in the UK and the US. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing from Australia’s Wollongong University and is currently based in Dubai, UAE.
TIFF Review: Michael Showalter’s ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ is a fascinating character study led by a career-best performance from Jessica Chastain [Grade: A-]
A wonderful showcase for the incredible talent of Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye looks at opportunism and exploitation in the flashy, and often... Read More
TIFF Review: Nadav Lapid’s bold ‘Ahed’s Knee’ delivers scathing political critique and a piercing look at decaying humanity [Grade: A-]
One of the year’s most striking films, marked by daring originality and a singular directorial vision, Ahed’s Knee is unlike any other film you’ll see... Read More
TIFF Review: Antoine Fuqua’s ‘The Guilty’ remake delivers a superb performance from Jake Gyllenhaal but the film remains in the shadow of the original [Grade: B]
A remake of the Oscar-shortlisted Danish film of the same name, The Guilty attempts to recreate the original’s sense of suspense and dread and partly... Read More
TIFF Review: Juho Kuosmanen’s ‘Compartment No. 6’ is a touching film on the essentialness of human connection [Grade: B+]
Quietly ruminating on what brings us together as humans, especially our need to connect as we navigate the harshness, and likely loneliness, of being alive.... Read More
TIFF Review: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s abortion drama ‘Lingui, the Sacred Bonds’ is a celebration of the resilience of Chadian women [Grade: B]
An interesting exploration of what it’s like to be a woman in modern-day Chad, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s latest and much anticipated film, Lingui, The Sacred Bond,... Read More
TIFF Review: Edgar Wright’s ‘Last Night in Soho’ is a clever blend of nostalgia and thrills with a dazzling performance by Anya Taylor-Joy [Grade: B+]
A commercial horror flick rather than an attempt to address deeper issues, Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho is an enjoyable, immersive experience with bits... Read More
TIFF Review: Joachim Trier’s ‘The Worst Person in the World’ is a rich character study and one of the year’s best films [Grade: A]
In The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier delivers one of the year’s most introspective films that works both as a character study and... Read More
TIFF Review: Julia Ducournau’s ‘Titane’ is challenging cinema and taking it to the very edge [Grade: A-]
Julia Ducournau’s sophomore feature Titane is certainly one of the year’s most original movies and a compelling look at the transformational power of love and... Read More
TIFF Review: Céline Sciamma’s ‘Petite Maman’ gloriously captures childhood emotions and perspectives [Grade: A-]
Céline Sciamma’s follow-up to her acclaimed Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a small film with a big heart, a much quieter and restrained... Read More
Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Leads with Record-Tying 14 
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 318 – The First Week of Awards Season with Critics Choice, Spirit Awards Nominations; NYFF, NBR, Gotham Winners 
Critics Choice Awards TV Nominations: ‘Adolescence’ Leads, Followed by ‘Nobody Wants This’ 
Michigan Movie Critics Guild Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Leads with 12