Reviews

Synopsis: Story of the first Polish citizen to undergo a face transplant. Malgorzata Szumowska’s MUG is a fascinating, unflinching and dark look at Polish society today. Never exploitative, melodramatic or weepy, Szumowska delivers what is one of the best films of the Berlinale this year, a film that’s as brutal as LOVELESS in its harsh critique of Polish society and …

Synopsis: In Rome, two teenage friends descend into a life of crime hoping for a better future. It’s hard to believe that BOYS CRY is the debut feature of Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo. One of the best directed and most engaging films of the Berlinale, albeit not being selected for competition and relegated to the Panorama section, BOYS CRY is …

Synopsis: Two young men decide to carry out a daring museum heist in Mexico. But things are never straightforward as they seem – neither before or even after the heist. One of the biggest surprises of the Berlinale official competition, Alonso Ruizpalacios’s MUSEUM is a knockout. Offering much more than a traditional heist film, this is smart and effective storytelling …

Synopsis: After being a victim of stalking, a woman gets admitted by force into a mental health facility. Little does she know that a major surprise is waiting for her there. UNSANE is a breath of fresh air at the Berlinale this year. In the middle of grim, serious and important films from all over the world, Steven Soderbergh’s latest …

Synopsis: Robert and Elena are two siblings living in a remote rural area. Elena is about to take her final exam when the two decide to make a dangerous bet. Few films in the Berlinale official competition have managed to be this pretentious, tedious and dull. Clocking in at almost 3 hours, Philip Gröning’s latest feature is a lifeless, empty …

Synopsis: A blacklisted Iranian director is alarmed when several filmmakers are murdered around the country. He’s alarmed not only because of the murders – but also because he is not being targeted at a time when many of his colleagues were beheaded by the same murderer. If there is one thing in which KHOOK (PIG) stands out among all other …

Synopsis: The story of American cartoonist John Callahan whose alcoholism led him to a permeant physical impairment and a career in satirical cartoons. Gus Van Sant follows up his critically-panned SEA OF TREES with DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT, a return to form for the director if not on the level of his other works. Emotional, superbly …

Synopsis: Over the course of 3 days, late German actress Romy Schneider is interviewed in a hotel in France. Surrounding her are a journalist, her best friend and her trusted photographer. ‘Do we keep on living or keep on going crazy?’. Romy Schneider asks herself and those around her, whether she will ever be able to go with either choice. …

Synopsis: On July 22, 2011, a right-wing extremist murdered over 77 young men and woman on Utoya island in Norway. This is a re-telling of this deadly attack. Few films immerse audiences into such a singular, haunting experience as U- July 22. While several films can engage audiences and hold their attention throughout, Eric Poppe goes beyond the captivating and …

Synopsis: A Swedish woman returns to her home country after living 25 years abroad. She inherits a large building with an entire floor that’s occupied by residents without contracts. Angry cinema can sometimes be good cinema. That is, when the director channels a snarky, sour and urgent social commentary into a coherent, engaging story that stirs the pot, raises questions …