Chris AFI Film Festival Diary #1 - Quiz Lady, Terrestrial Verses, The Bikeriders

By Chris James

Jodie Comer and Austin Butler star in Jeff Nichols' "The Bikeriders," which screened at the AFI Film Festival.

The Film Experience is back at the Hollywood and Highland complex for another film festival. The AFI Film Festival is back for another year. Throughout the weekend, the team is going to be sharing their reviews of some of the latest films to hit the festival circuit. The AFI Film Festival is often times the first time many Oscar hopefuls touch down on Los Angeles, in the same building that the Oscars are held no less. The festival also boasts an impressive number of international features, including 18 submissions for Best International Feature.

For this first dispatch, I've reviewed Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders, the LA premiere of Quiz Lady and the Iranian film Terrestrial Verses. Read after the jump to find which films triumphed and which fumbled...

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AFI Fest: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Following Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar nomination for Best Director for Drive My Car two years ago and his win in the Best International Feature category, it’s fair to assume most foreign-language cinephiles will be seeking out his work if they weren’t already. I had the chance to see Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, his other 2021 film, which was very different but just as interesting in its own way. Now, Hamaguchi’s latest, Evil Does Not Exist, is touring the festival circuit, with previous stops at Venice, Toronto, and New York, among others, before the currently running AFI Fest…

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AFI Fest: “The Eternal Daughter,” “Living” and “Bones and All”

By Christopher James

Tilda Swinton confronts the ghosts of her family's past in Joanna Hogg's new film "The Eternal Daughter."

The AFI Film Festival ended this past Sunday on another packed day. There were plenty of interesting films to catch, from the latest auteur projects to remakes of classics. Without further ado, let's dig into the final titles...

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AFI Fest: Guillermo Del Toro dazzles with his take on “Pinocchio”

by Eurocheese

One of the most exciting debuts of the festival was Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. The first thing that stands out about his adaptation, unsurprisingly, is the stunning visuals. Imagine a puppet show with a lush background where frames are so beautiful, singled out shots could easily serve as postcards. Well known characters such as the cricket (given the name Sebastian here) and the Blue Fairy mix deep blues with the monsters that always seem to lurk in Del Toro’s imagination. Think of it this way: If you crossed the animals from Isle of Dogs with the radiance of a stained-glass window, you’d get images like this. 

Del Toro came to present the film and spoke to having total control over the project, not allowing studio notes to mess with his vision (he used stronger language than "mess with")...

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AFI Fest: “The Son,” “Women Talking” and "Alcarràs"

by Christopher James

Sarah Polley assembles a terrific ensemble for her fourth feature, "Women Talking."

Though Saturday was Day Four of the AFI festival, it was merely my second day spent wandering around the halls of the TCL Chinese Theater subsisting on popcorn and soda alone. What a doozy of a day it was. The films all spoke in different ways to parenthood, family, community, and gender dynamics. Between Sarah Polley's Women Talking, Florian Zeller's The Son and Carla Simón's Alcarràs which film soared to be the best of the bunch and which missed the mark entirely? My takes on all three are after the jump...

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