Middleburg 2023: Mainstream Oscar Bait is back, baby!

by Lynn Lee

Previously in part one of the Middleburg recap we discussed Cannes triumphs The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall (now in theaters!), and Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. Now the jam-packed Oscar promise second half of the festival.

Day Three
If you’ve been wondering whether American Fiction – the audience favorite at Toronto – really has Oscar potential, I’m here to tell you yes, it absolutely does.  Cord Jefferson’s debut feature took home the audience award at Middleburg, too, and both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It’s a rollicking satire of the literary establishment and the politics of racial representation, based on a novel that was written over 20 years ago but is, if anything, even more current today.  Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a bougie buttoned-up middle-aged black writer who, appalled at the success of novels and entertainment he sees as pandering to white stereotypes of black life, writes his own gangsta/ghetto porn novel as a bitter drunken joke... only to see it meet with an effusive response far beyond his wildest imagination... 

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Review: "Killers of the Flower Moon" is a Monument of Sorrow

by Cláudio Alves

Killers of the Flower Moon starts in death, but not of flesh or person. The Frontier is no more, the West has been won, and the Track of Tears travailed when the Osage tribe gathers to mourn a way of life. Their traditions, their beliefs, their language are moving into the twilight, so they bury a sacred pipe and give themselves a symbol to weep over and express unsurmountable grief. As if listening to the lament, the earth responds. Black oil bursts from the ground, a geyser of wealth for the People from the Middle Waters brought to this Oklahoma barrenness after settlers pushed them asunder and away from the Great Plains. A pittance place once thought worthless reveals itself a treasure, and, overnight, the Osage Nation becomes the richest per capita population in the world.

So starts Martin Scorsese's latest opus, a title that, even within the context of his hallowed filmography, feels like a monumental achievement…

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Best International Film: Argentina's "The Delinquents" and Mexico's "Tótem"

by Cláudio Alves

In its long history, the Academy has awarded the Best International Film Oscar to a Latin-American country four times. The first two were from Argentina, 1985's The Official Story and 2009's The Secret in Their Eyes, followed by Chile with 2017's A Fantastic Woman, and Mexico with 2019's Roma. Looking at those dates, it's fair to say AMPAS has become more open to Latin cinema in the 21st century, even though Europe remains the category's continental champion. Hope remains eternal that voters will broaden their horizons. 

I've already reviewed Chile's submission, The Settlers, when at TIFF. So, it's time to consider the films of the other two Latin victors of yesteryear. There's Argentina's newly released The Delinquents, and Mexico's Berlinale prize-winner Tótem…

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Review: "Saltburn" is an Epic Party

By Christopher James

How does one follow up a first feature after it breaks out and earns an Oscar? 

After her vivid breakthrough Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell smartly refuses to play it safe. At first glance, the tale of class warfare and homoeroticism feels familiar. But her singular eye adds an indelible slant to the material, which feels like a spiritual sister to The Talented Mr. Ripley. Like that film, Saltburn expertly dramatizes the intoxication of lust and the limits we all blow past while under its influence. Fennell’s live-wire pacing is perfectly complemented by the committed cast, particularly Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike...

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Queer Lisboa '23: Sweden's "Opponent" and other festival highlights

by Cláudio Alves

Soon after completing my Toronto Film Festival Coverage, it was time to dive into another fest experience. This turn, it was closer to home, Queer Lisboa being the oldest running film festival in the Portuguese capital, now on its 27th edition. This year, it offered a program rich in stories of marginalized identities and desires, with a particular emphasis on art intent on decolonizing our collective thought and promoting a more progressive view on the labor and lives of sex workers. There was even something for the awards nuts among us – Sweden's official Oscar submission for the 96th Academy Awards, Opponent.

To mark the occasion, let's dive into a selection of titles, starting with that Scandinavian drama, winner of a Jury Special Mention and the Audience Award…

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