What the critics say
In Competition
Dossier 137
The tremendous Léa Drucker gives vitality to every move and counter-move in this police procedural of serious purpose and sober delivery. It is purposeful filmmaking, firm in its convictions. — SB
Eddington
Dressed up as a neo-noir western, this pandemic saga drips with biting, dark political humor. But though all its parts don’t quite knit together, Eddington is what you might call a big swing — a film that’s more serious than it first seems, seeing Covid as the Big Bang that landed us right where we are now.
Sirât
Óliver Laxe doesn’t quite land the ending, effectively a switch-and-bait that promises big beats and action then delivers some quiet time for introspection and meditation. Along the way, though, Sirât is certainly a trip, a new way of framing family and loss, with a killer soundtrack for the hardcore. — DW
Left-handed Girl
Co-writer/producer Sean Baker’s first film since his Oscar triumphs focuses on three generations of females, their quest to make it in Taipei after living in the countryside and the well-hidden secrets and lies permeating this clan. Strong performances all around hold it all together. — PH
The Plague
Set at an all-boys water polo summer camp, The Plague is on the precipice of horror, since bullying and targeting are their own brand of horror. The film looks like it inevitably is going to fall down the rabbit hole of standard genre tropes at any moment, but it’s smarter than that and always keeps it credible. — PH
The President’s Cake
The first major film from Iraq ever to play in Cannes also might earn the country’s first Oscar nomination. Yes, it is that good. Young Banin Ahmad Nayef is the beating heart of this debut feature from Hasan Hadi, which is quite accomplished across the board — PH
