Tonight at NYFF, the premiere of the final concert film of legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed at the age of 71 earlier this year. The reviews out of Venice were raves, and I can’t wait to see this and probably cry a little bit.
Maybe you caught the very good jazz anime Blue Giant in theaters this weekend? The composer of its soundtrack, Japanese pianist Hiromi, actually released a new album Sonicwonderland last Friday. But like any artist, the most fun way in is to watch their NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Here’s Hiromi’s from last month.
I quite liked (but had some issues with) Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest. But critic (and very good Letterboxd follow) Kristen Yoonsoo Kim is a hater. Her take:
Why must I watch the inner lives of Nazis? I was hoping Glazer would answer that question but this film does not go into any enlightening or thought-provoking territory beyond, like, “here it is, the banality of evil! Also here are some random ‘experimental’ shots in between.”
(Also, does embedding Letterboxd posts work in our CMS? Let’s find out!)
Update: It does!
[letterboxd]
Janet Planet, the film directorial debut from the widely celebrated playwright Annie Baker, premiered at NYFF yesterday. Set in Western Massachusetts in the early ‘90s, we see Janet (Julianne Nicholson) through the eyes of her 11-year-old daughter Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) watching her mother navigate several relationships. It’s funny, richly layered, and avoidant of tropes. (I also relish any movie where a child actor does not come across as too precocious!)
Baker’s stage experience shows in the dialogue and the precision of its rhythms; everywhere else, though, Janet Planet feels very well versed in the language of the screen.
I wish there was a trailer I could share! A24 has picked it up, and though tonally it’s different from Lady Bird, Aftersun, or Past Lives, there’s a shared quiet intimacy in all these films. Which is to say: if you liked any of those, you will probably love Janet Planet.
For the New York Times, Beatrice Loayza admires that NYFF’s slate features so many movies that are light on story and instead heavy on sense, mood, and image. A good read!
[The New York Times]
