“Poor Things” and “The Favourite” director Yorgos Lanthimos is known for being one of the most unique and creative filmmakers in Hollywood. His directing career, which began in his home country of Greece in 2001, has garnered attention as well as criticism and praise… but mostly praise. Over the years, his reputation of cleverly combining a quirky sensibility with equally strong themes and unusual content and characters has endeared him some of the best acting talent in Europe and America. And since 2018 between the release of “The Favourite” and “Poor Things,” Lanthimos’ films have racked up quite a few Oscar nominations and awards, confirming his unique talent and appeal.

Given that “Poor Things” was the darling of this latest award season (2024), including star Emma Stone winning for Best Actress in a Leading Role, one might expect Lanthimos to rest on his laurels… or at least rest. Instead he is riding on the heels of the acclaim and awards and has released “Kinds of Kindness.” The single movie is made up of a collection of three short-ish films (about an hour each) and done in the tone of fables and using the same ensemble of actors, headed up by the seamlessly talented Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone who also is the film’s producer. Initially the three stories seem disparate, but the more you get immersed in each one, the more themes and commonalities merge.

The first follows Robert who tries to take back control of his own life after his boss and sometimes lover dictated every aspect of it. As such, the boss, played by Willem Dafoe, has gone as far as selecting Robert’s wife, house and determined that he should not have children. After ten years of such control, the boss insists on an especially odd and dangerous task of Robert. When he declines, the boss rejects Robert, leaving him to second guess himself and spiral. In the next story, Robert is a policeman who is devastated by the loss of his wife who is missing at sea while on a work excursion. When she returns, Robert is convinced it is actually not his wife. Soon the accusations and paranoia ensue. For the last installment, a couple/colleagues (Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons) are on a mission to find a specific candidate with special abilities to raise the dead and destined to become a spiritual leader for a cult-like following.

While “Kinds of Kindness” is in keeping with Lanthimos’ quirky characters and creativity, it is not, however, in the same ilk has his latter works. “Kindness” is more so harkening to the filmmakers earlier projects, like “Dogtooth” or “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” where sophistication in style and presentation takes a backseat to darker sensibilities, and downright weird story lines and themes. This is not necessarily a bad thing, more of a warning to viewers more accustomed to and inclined towards the Lanthimos films of recent years. For some, it may be less delightful and more daunting, but conversely,  “Kindness” might serve well to entreat fans who are unfamiliar with the first half of is repertoire to go back and experience the director’s entire cannon. I’m sure that is the hope, but the reality is that the majority of latter film fans probably will not crossover to his very dark comedy form.

“Kindness” is definitely an acquired taste, with it more likely that many will find it outright weird and maybe even offensive or problematic regarding the portrayal of abuse and kink. What could have made it more palatable and engaging would have been if the characters spoke in normal patterns. Instead, the dialogue is delivered in stilted affectations throughout. What is the standout for the triptych is the talent, especially Plemons. True to form as a chameleon, he is a consummate character actor and “Kindness” solidifies him as the Phillip Seymour Hoffman of his time and one of the best around (I sense early Oscar buzz). Likewise, Dafoe and Stone are strong second leads to Plemons’ as the principal actor throughout. Other supporting actors and  welcome new additions to the Lanthimos lineup are Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie and Margaret Qualley.

Love it or hate it; engaged or disdained, there are plenty aspects to appreciate about “Kinds of Kindness”- the mysterious elements of how the stories are conjoined, and the use of the same actors for varying roles, and each performances. “Kinds of Kindness” is the messy, but not necessarily tragic accident on the highway. You are the passenger-turned-gawker who can’t not look away.

Director Tran Anh Hung and his latest film are a match made in culinary and cinematic heaven. The opening scene, of "The Taste of Things," which doesn’t seem as long as it actually is - nearly 40 minutes long - is a luminously attractive parade of culinary delights. It is a period piece showing a couple/man and woman and two young females assisting with the gathering of vegetables, preparing various dishes, and carefully crafting and cooking each of several courses one at a time. Think of the opening of Ang Lee’s 1994 “Eat Drink Man Woman” but 25 minutes longer, more items and infinitely more tantalizing close up shots. Then it all gets served, lovingly consumed and painstakingly described.
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All is set in an equally beautiful setting of a French countryside house and garden in 1889, with most of the movie taking place in a rustic, yet grand and charming kitchen brimming with copper pots and pans, a large wood-burning fireplace, a chunky wood table sitting on a stone floor and flanked by generous stoves, baskets with food and fresh cut flowers, and utensils on every surface. The tones throughout are dark and cozy. Director Ahn Hung has created a world of culinary delights. A feast for the eyes.

Initially, the relationship between this gastronomic couple, Eugénie  (Juliette Binoche) and Dodin (Benoît Magimel) is not known. Are they in a romantic relationship or just a professional one executing exemplary meals? Not too far into the story, it is realized that their’s is a special relationship that balances both- a passion for the culinary arts as well as a personal affection resulting from two decades of working together. It is their shared love of food and cooking that led to a deep romance usually only subtly portrayed. Eugenie is a humble, yet esteemed cook, and Dodin, a revered gourmand.

Although Binoche and Magimel are the stars, and wonderfully so, the themes of gastronomy and love is at the center of this romantic drama. In true Ann Hung minimal style (“Scent of Green Papaya,” “Vertical Ray of the Sun”), aesthetics and ambiance are more prominent than words and dialogue. “The Taste of Things,” based on the French novel “The Passionate Epicure” (1920 by Marcel Rouff), is a unique love story about love itself and the love of food.

I recently had a chance to interview the director about his latest film. Here is our discussion:

Q: Your films display a strong visual sensibility where aesthetics and overall tone are seemingly more important than traditional scripts heavy with dialogue. Would you agree with that observation and if so, was that something you learned or did it come naturally?


A: It did come naturally to me, probably because I’m attracted to visual arts. In movies I don’t try to get something that looks real, something in everyday life. I prefer to give an expression of it. By doing so, the beauty came naturally. I always want audiences to come out of the theater with a feeling of beauty.

Q: You’ve always been okay with using dialogue sparingly?

A: In talking about words, I think it’s good to balance dialogue with a lot of silence. That way when you hear words, it’s more precious. This combined with the visual aspect, make it more vivid.

Q: How did food and cooking come to be one of the main aspects of the film, along with a longterm relationship? Was part of it inspired by your wife, actor, Tran Nu Yen Khe’s (“Vertical Ray of the Sun”) love of food and overall design?

A: In one way or another, my wife and I have worked together with my film projects for almost 30 years, so we know each other and how to collaborate very well. She has done the costumes for some films, the production design for others as well as the art direction for everything, including Taste of Things. The look and beauty of it is in large part thanks to her.

When I wanted to make a movie about food, I found a particular book, but the story wasn’t good. Given that, I decided to tell a different story. This story is inspired by my relationship with my wife. Because of my age I wanted to make a movie about marital, that kind of love that lasts a long time. The challenge was how to make a movie about love, with a sense of harmony that would not be boring,

Q: How exactly is gastronomy central to the story and the featured relationship?

A: Food in general is one source of centrality in our lives, along with love, so it was important to have a film that combined that to find a balance. I knew the audience needed to actually see people making the craft of gastronomy with real vegetables and real meat, etc.

Anh Hung relayed that because of the complexity of the cooking scenes he had hoped to have adequate training time for the actors with a chef. He specifically planned for one week of training, but due to both Binoche’s and Magimel’s work schedules, they were only available for  half a day of training. That could have been daunting, but it actually ended up being enough because the perform at such high levels no matter what the roles or tasks.

Q: With the art and craft of gastronomy being so central to the film, with the actors actually prepping, creating and plating, was it particularly challenging to cast and direct actors who had no prior culinary experience, per se, and then end up with little time to train?

A: Well, firstly, although they have no professional experience with food, like all of us they do still cook in their everyday lives. This is especially true for Benoit because he has a particular passion for cooking. The other thing is that they are great professionals with a lot of experience in varying roles. Case in point, Benoît had played a surgeon once and realized he could draw upon his skills he learned from that role to this one.

Anh Hung explained that the incredibly gorgeous and historically accurate food created was born of a collaboration with a food historian during the script writing process. Once they settled on items and tested them out, everything was run by the production’s food advisor who made minor adjustments to the menu. Afterwards and throughout the entirety of the shoot, Binoche executed the menu to perfection. Tran confirmed that there were no cut aways to someone else slicing and dicing or cooking.

Q: You are no stranger to working with talented actors, food and lush aesthetics, but I’m especially impressed how you write and direct projects of different countries and languages, including Vietnamese, Japanese and French. Given your background, does Vietnamese come most naturally and easily as far as language and culture? Is French more of a challenge?

A: Actually, my French is better than my Vietnamese. Switching languages for a script and directing comes very natural to me, and when I come to France to direct, I have no problem getting a sense of the culture and conveying it. I like French culture. Also France, unlike some other European languages and cultures has a subtlety to it that coincides with my Vietnamese nature.

The downplayed expressions of love between Eugénie  and Dodin is something I can relate to and is very French. There is great love there, but they often do keep their distance to focus on the tasks at hand. And sometimes I mix cultures in my mind and writing. When the two characters in this film discuss the seasons as it connects to their personal preferences and their relationship, that is actually very Japanese, but put in this context, it sounds very French and it works.

Q: Speaking of very French, how did you come to the casting? Not that Binoche wouldn’t be the top of any director’s wish list.

A: Although Juliette and I have never worked together until now, we have known one another for a long time, over 20 years. We’ve always wanted to collaborate and when I started writing this script, I knew this would be a great opportunity. She was there from the beginning and she stayed event when we hit some difficulties. Everything with her was quite amazing because when you frame her, everything becomes strong. Likewise, Benoit is amazing too and I’m grateful to have both of them for this project.

When you see the movie, it’s obvious that there was a special connection between not only Binoche and Magimel, who in the late 90s were a couple in real life and share a daughter, but also between the lead actors and their writer/director. If ever there was a passion project, this is it. “Taste of Things” was born out of love, made from love and dedicated to the love between Tran and his wife. While some couples are scrambling for last minute tokens of their affection for their loved ones this Valentine’s Day, for director Ann Hung can lovingly point his wife to this  deliciously gorgeous film now and forever. For the rest of us, we can watch “The Taste of Things” together and experience the food and feel the love.

Born in Vietnam and living in France for many years since 1975, Tran Anh Hung studied filmmaking in Paris at l’École Nationale Louis Lumière. His directorial debut, “The Scent of Green Papaya” (1992) won him a reputation internationally by winning Camera d’Or and the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 46th Cannes Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

Director/Writer: Tran Anh Hung
Stars: Juliette Binoche, Benoit Magimel, Emmanuel Salinger
Country: France
Language: French
Run Time: 2 hours 15 min
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Production Company: IFC Films
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKKCGtoIOVY

“The Teachers’ Lounge” is Germany’s submission for Best International Feature Film to the 2024 Academy Awards, and just a few minutes into it, it’s easy to understand why. The film uses a public school as a microcosm for society, with grade school teacher Carla Novak (Leonie Benesche) at the center. Although she is new-ish to teaching, she is confident and idealistic and seemingly well-liked by her middle grade students as well as her colleagues. That all changes when students in her classroom are suspected of theft by other teachers, and she suspects a colleague of stealing money from her coat pocket.
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During the initial scene of her students being unofficially investigated for a theft, Carla is clearly uncomfortable with the accusations, probing and profiling taking place. She questions the ethical and legal nature of the investigation. She sympathizes with the students’ feelings of being violated and a couple of them maybe even unfairly profiled. Despite her unease, she is instructed by the principal and teacher involved to accept their decision to investigate and their methods. Not long afterwards, she realizes she has been the victim of a theft in the teachers’ lounge. In an attempt to catch them in action, Carla purposefully puts money in her jacket pocket, leaves it at her seat, then sets up her computer camera. The thief takes the bait, but only his or hers torso is captured on camera wearing a distinctive and colorful blouse.

With evidence in hand, she approaches who she believes is the culprit, one of the support staff in the school office. The secretary vehemently denies the accusation. Soon after, a series of heated debates and unfortunate events are unleashed, with the secretary’s son, a student at the school who is often the subject of bullying, is swept up in the drama. He lashes out at the teacher in defense of himself and his mother. Others question if the mother and son are not being singled out because of their ethnicity and economic status. This is the very thing that Carla questioned when certain students were targeted in her classroom. Now she herself is accused of what she had earlier suspected. Carla, once appreciated and admired; cool and calm, is getting it from all sides. There is no place in the school- her classroom, the teachers’ lounge, common areas- where she is not either the victim of accusations or brought into decisive matters between others. Not surprisingly, she begins to second guess herself, the choices she made and the allegations she made.

Because the movie is done entirely from Carla’s point of view and she is well-meaning and likable, the audience is sympathetic to her and what becomes her plight of digging a deeper hole as she tries to navigate what’s right and wrong. She is the teacher you would want for your children or would have wanted for yourself. You feel the chaos swirling around and want to defend and protect her. Benesch is magnificent as the protagonist. She morphs into the role, believable and captivating. She makes us believe that Carla is us in our everyday battles no matter how small or large; it’s individuals grappling with when to engage in political or community issues, and when to retreat. Through it all, filmmaker İlker Çatak (“White Ribbon”) impressively navigates themes of power, racism, social justice and  student’s rights. There is something both very reflective of German society while also intensely universal.


Director: İlker Çatak
Writers: İlker Çatak and Johannes Duncker
Stars: Leonie Benesche, Eva Lobau, Leonard Stettnisch
Language: German
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes

After nearly two years of a global pandemic that deeply impacted our lives, we have collectively dug ourselves out, for the most part while also knowing on some level we will never be the same. The signs of the time, pre and post-pandemic were reflected in the movies and throughout the movie industry. All that to say, movies are back, baby! And some movies in 2023 actually got audience off of the couch and into theaters- thank you- Barbenheimer- although on some level it's clear that sooner-than-normal or straight-to -treaming may for a very long time, if not forever, be embedded in the system... especially for smaller films.

2023 will also be synonymous with the WGA and SAG strikes going well over 100 days. While it was debilitating for the industry, especially the members, a few significant releases got out just before the strikes, and even more once an agreement was reached.  The fierce union negotiators managed to strike a deal with the studios, just in time release and promote the end-of-the-year Oscar contending movies. 

Here is my annual "Top Ten" Movies of 2023. These are in order of and a loving blending of my fav/best from #1 to  #10. Hooray for Hollywood and go support in-theater movies when you can.

'Past Lives'- This is a great example of a pitch perfect film and of a debut filmmaker not over-reaching. This film is a wonderful blend of drama and little bit of romance while navigating themes of identity and culture. Go here for my full review - https://www.paulafarmer.com/film-blog/past-lives-film-review

'Monster'- This movie about perspective and context will have you pondering the themes and question  for quite awhile after experiencing it. For my full review, go here - https://www.paulafarmer.com/film-blog/monster-movie-review

'Poor Things'- This is as quirky, creative and wild, yet substantive as any of the director Yorgos Lanthimos' earlier works ('The Favourite,' 'The Lobster'), if not more so. 

'The Holdovers'- Although this is not necessarily one of Alexander Payne's masterpieces, like 'Sideways' and 'About Schmidt,' it is a quintessential Payne movie hitting all the hallmarks he is known for, like attention to detail, subtlety, perfect balance of drama and humor. It is both moving and delightful, and a must see for any fan of the filmmaker. The three main actors, Paul Giamatti, D'avine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa, give outstanding and believable performances.

'American Fiction' - Go to my full review here - https://www.paulafarmer.com/film-blog/american-fiction-review

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Who is the monster in any highly-charged random scenario? In the case of Kore-eda Hirokazu's latest film, 'Monster,' it could be any one of us or none of us. Is it the bully at school or the new teacher who disciplines him? Maybe it’s the stoic school principal or an abusive single parent. Who can judge and who gets to exact revenge? 'Monster' ask these questions and more after tempers flare in a grade school class setting and an irrevocable series of events are unleashed. He explores how one incident can impact so many people’s lives, the power of perspective and the importance of context.
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When a common classroom clash between two students- Yori and Minato- breaks out at a school in a small lakeside town, Minato is physically and emotionally impacted. By whom, why and how is not necessarily clear. Minato’s mother is convinced her son was hit by the disciplining teacher and vehemently takes the matter up with the principal, the teacher and other officials. She is dissatisfied with their initial offer of an official apology, and accuses the principal of being cold hearted and inhumane. To her, more must be done despite the revelation that the students, along with the teacher have differing claims about what exactly happened. Similar situations of classroom eruptions is probably replicated throughout schools everywhere everyday. This particular seemingly benign incident gradually mushrooms into so much more. Soon, the school board, the community and the media are involved, armed with opinions, criticisms and judgements.

So sets the film’s premise which launches into a cascade of brilliantly executed points of view. As a viewer, you are guided into each character’s world outside of the specific incident, as well as getting a glimpse inside their personal trauma, drama and sometimes closely held beliefs and secrets. As such, you too make assumptions and think you’ve worked things out as far as who’s right and wrong; who is the victim and who are the perpetrators. But then a twist, a turn presenting an ever so slightly shift in  perspective… although the characters remain the same.

Every actor, every performance is utterly moving and effective, especially the two young leads, but the film’s stars are the editing by director, Kore-eda and the writing by Yuki Sakamoto. To take the viewers almost seamlessly from one point of view to the next without announcing the change and without confusing or losing us, is no small feat, and in the hands of a lesser talent, could have been a mind boggling disaster. Instead, “Monster,” which is drawing comparisons to Kurwosawa's "Rashomon," is tender and complex; smart and nuanced without being pretentious. As it unfolds, it gently nudges audience active participation by mentally putting together the cinematic puzzle laid out before them and navigate social constructs. “Monster” is not only one of the best movies of this year, but one of the best movies period. Director Kore-eda Hirokazu, known for previously critically acclaimed films “Shoplifters” and “The Brokers,” has just delivered his masterpiece.

“American Fiction” is a hilarious must-see movie that delivers as many laughs as it does moments of poignancy. Jeffery Wright, most known as a prolific actor usually in supporting roles, is refreshingly the lead here. He stars as Monk, a California-based frustrated novelists-turned even more frustrated English professor. His books are good, not popular or profitable. While attending a writing conference in his hometown of Boston, he is painfully reminded of what he sees as the marginalized position of Black authors within literary circles. He is equal parts fed up with the publishing industry’s promotion of and its profits from books that perpetrate negative stereotypes. Monk is plagued with the nagging feeling that in order for him to achieve any financial success or professional notoriety, he must submit to the pervasive expectations- Black authors can only write Black stories full of trauma and drama.

All this angst leads to what he thought would be exacting revenge on the publishing industry. As such, he submits to Arthur, his agent (John Ortiz) a bogus, quickly thrown together mediocre novel brimming with what he considers blood curdling tropes- deadbeat dads, rappers and crack. Initially, Arthur was mortified and quick to discourage Monk from trying to make a social statement in the form of what could only be a failed experiment that could hurt his already lackluster writing career. But Monk is determined to go all in at rubbing their noses in their unfair system. He and Arthur agree to disagree and compromise by creating a pseudonym and fugitive, bad ass persona. To both their surprise and his agents delight, the manuscript illicit swift responses from the publishing world: Instead of outrage, a bidding war ensues.

The white establishment not only does not register Monk’s intended point, but the winning publisher loves the book, fast tracks it to print and secures a movie deal. For better or worse, Monk and his alter ego- Stagg R. Leigh- is finally poised for success. All the while, Monk must maintain his new found literary persona and keep the publishing windfall a secret from everyone. Normally, Monk is known to maintain physical and emotional distance from his family, but while in town and his secret professional windfall is quickly unfolding, he is thrust into major family issues he cannot avoid. He finds himself in the caregiving role to his mother ( Leslie Uggams) that in times past was undertaken by his sister (Tracee Ellis Ross). Complicated by is mother’s declining health is the lack of support from his brother (Sterling K. Brown) in the matter, and a seemingly false start to a new romance. The family aspect of the movie wonderfully offer additional humor to the already hilarious take on the book world and society’s obsessions with stereotypes. Refreshingly and commendably Monk’s family and romance woes usher in a layer of complexity and humanity that is unexpected.
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Jeffrey Wright, long known for heavy-hitting dramatic roles like “Basquiat,” “Angels in America,” “The Ides of March,” just to name a very few, has of late been showcasing his comedic chops in movies such as “Game Night” and Wes Anderson films, like “French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City,” and we’re all better off for it. With “American Fiction” he wonderfully heads up this ensemble cast that includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz and Erika Alexander. Wright does multiple one-on-one scenes with each of these actors, and you would be hard pressed to pick a favorite with each landing pitch perfect comedic and sometimes tender exchanges.

“American Fiction” would work as a solidly good comedy, If there were only the one story/plot of Monk’s reluctant turn of events in his career and the circumstances leading up to it. The script-writing and cast are strong enough to deliver on the comedy front alone. This includes Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) as Monk’s author nemesis who is seemingly pandering to or victim of the narrow-minded establishment. The fact that debut writer-director Cord Jefferson, along with co-writer Percival Everett layered in a tender subplot of familial relations, love, loss and identity, is a bonus that takes the movie from just entertaining to exceptional.