Greetings again from the darkness. With a population of more than 20 million people, Mumbai is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. It would seem impossible to feel alone or isolated in such a place. In this follow-up to her feature film debut, A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING (2021), Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia begins with a documentary style overview of the city with multi-dialect voiceovers recapping personal experiences with life in the city. “In Mumbai, there is work and money.”
Writer-director Kapadia then proceeds to highlight the very different challenges of three women who work at a busy local hospital. Pradha (a superb Kani Kasrudi) is a senior nurse. Her younger roommate Anu (Divya Pradha) has an administrative position, while Pradha’s best friend Parvaty (Chhya Kadam) is a cook in the cafeteria. Each has their own story. Pradha’s husband took off for Germany not long after their arranged marriage, and they have had little contact in over a year. Anu has a bit of a rebellious streak and has fallen for a Muslim boy named Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), a cross-religion taboo. In the path of development, the widow Parvaty is being threatened with eviction from her apartment of 22 years, as her husband failed to leave the necessary ownership papers.
Pradha is not a cold woman, yet she’s certainly not prone to expressing emotions in front of others. So, when she cuddles on the floor with the fancy rice maker she assumes was sent by her husband, we understand this is a dramatic moment for her. Pradha tries to counsel Anu on the danger of spoiling her reputation, but Anu is strong enough to pursue her own desires – despite “helpful” date recommendations from her own mother. The generational differences are stark. Dr. Manoj (Azees Nedumangad) has a quiet crush on Pradha and offers his personally crafted poem to her as proof. When Parvaty decides to return to the seaside village of her childhood, Anu and Pradha assist with the move.
The intricacies of the delicate relationships among the three women is most evident and impactful during this final segment. The sadness and resignation inferred by “You can’t escape your fate” is contested in this third act. Pradha’s reserved nature and gentleness mask her inner-strength, and a terrific sequence occurs where she performs CPR on a man on the beach, and what follows is a touching, surreal vision.
The contrast between the hustle and constant movement of big city Mumbai (even in the time before sunrise) and the beach village is noteworthy as the three women are actually able to enjoy a moment. In fact, finding joy in a life lacking in joy is a key lesson here … in other words, making the best of one’s situation. A sometimes playful piano score from Dhritiman Das Topshe helps with the tone set by cinematographer Ranabir Das and the heavy dose of blue tint. The film financing was dependent on multi-country (mostly European) participation, and having the film overlooked as India’s submission for this year’s Oscar consideration was a clear slight to the talented Payal Kapadia. It’s such a shame, as this is without a doubt one of the best films of the year.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. As a nineteen-year-old college dropout, Robert Zimmerman traveled from his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota to New York City so that he could play music and visit his folk hero, Woody Guthrie, who was hospitalized with Huntington’s Disease. Of course, Zimmerman became known as Bob Dylan, and his musical genius continues to this day – more than 60 years and counting. Those early formative years are recounted here by writer-director James Mangold (WALK THE LINE, 2005; 3:10 TO YUMA, 2007; FORD V FERRARI, 2019) and co-writer Jay Cocks (GANGS OF NEW YORK, 2002), who used Elijah Wald’s 2015 book, “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the Night that Split the Sixties” as inspiration.
Greetings again from the darkness. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman long ago entrenched herself as one of the best and most daring actors working today. Not one to shy away from risky material, she’s appeared in such films as EYES WIDE SHUT (1999), DOGVILLE (2003), BIRTH (2004), and THE NORTHMAN (2022) to name just a few. It’s her talent and willingness to put herself out there that has earned such respect among peers and fans. However, despite that admiration, this latest is one of my least favorite films of the year, and one that I found almost no positives to discuss. I will readily admit this opinion puts me in the extreme minority.
Greetings again from the darkness. Claressa Shields’ story is inspirational, and yet it’s so much more than that. She’s an extraordinary person with a remarkable story. She doesn’t just inspire young girls to pursue sports, she motivates us all to pursue our dreams with passion and tenacity. It’s only fitting that the first feature film directed by renowned cinematographer Rachel Morrison centers on a barrier-breaking woman. Ms. Morrison was the first woman to receive a Best Cinematography Oscar nomination for her work on MUDBOUND (2017). The screenplay was written by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT, 2016), and he’s also a producer on the film.
Greetings again from the darkness. I’ve said it many times, and it still holds true, Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar is the most accomplished male filmmaker when it comes to creating interesting female characters and spinning female-centric stories. Almodovar’s first English-language feature-length film is one he’s adapted from the 2020 novel, “What Are You Going Through”, by Sigrid Nunez. It features two Oscar winners, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, both extraordinarily talented.
Greetings again from the darkness. Too many view WWII as just another page in history books, when in fact, so much changed around the globe because of that war. Almost 80 years later, the war continues to provide stories for filmmakers, and when it comes to storytelling, few do it better than this latest from writer-director (actor-turned-filmmaker) Brady Corbet and his co-writer (and romantic partner) Mona Fastvold. The two had previously collaborated on THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER (2015) and VOX LUX (2018).
Greetings again from the darkness. Some filmmakers have earned the benefit of the doubt to the point where each film they release is worthy of consideration. Luca Guadagnino is one such filmmaker. He first captured my attention with I AM LOVE (2009) and has since followed that with such interesting films as A BIGGER SPLASH (2015), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017), SUSPIRIA (2018), BONES AND ALL (2022), and CHALLENGERS, his first film released in 2024. This time he and his CHALLENGERS screenwriter, Justin Kuritzkes, take on the 1985 William S Burroughs novella, “Queer”, which was linked to his 1953 novel, “Junkie”. Taking on the writing of William S Burroughs is challenging enough as a reader, much less as a filmmaker.
Greetings again from the darkness. J.D. Salinger once wrote, “Mothers are all slightly insane.” Rachel Yoder’s critically acclaimed 2021 novel has been adapted for the big screen by writer-director Marielle Heller, and it seems to confirm the Salinger theory. Ms. Heller has previously directed A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019), CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? (2018), THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (2015). She excels in projects that focus on human nature.
Greetings again from the darkness. I’ll give you the set-up and you tell me how it ends. A workaholic real estate developer drives his yellow Porsche from Chicago to a middle-of-nowhere Ohio farm after his sister and brother-in-law die in a car crash. He’s there to sign paperwork for a foster family to take the four brothers left behind. However, there’s a glitch, and the stressed-out uncle is forced to extend his time with the four boys. Since, we can all guess how this story ends, the determining factor on whether it’s worth watching is what happens in-between.
Greetings again from the darkness. Playwright August Wilson has a nice string of his stage work being adapted for the big screen. First, there was FENCES (2018), then MA RANEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (2022), and now this latest is the first feature film from writer-director Malcolm Washington (son of Denzel), with a screenplay co-written with Virgil Williams (MUDBOUND, 2017). This thoughtful allegory asks the question, when is a piano more than just a piano?
Movie Reviews from the Dark 