Greetings again from the darkness. Relationships require communication, diligence, and a bit of luck. Director Chloe Robichaud (SARAH PREFERS TO RUN, 2016) is working from a script from playwright Catherine Leger to deliver a remake of the 1970 French sex comedy, DEUX FEMMES EN OR from Claude Fournier. Finding humor in strained or crumbling relationships is never easy – especially when medication or a newborn is involved.
Florence (Karine Gonthier-Hyndman) and Violette (Laurence Leboeuf) are neighbors in the same condominium complex in Montreal. Robichaud first shoots them from a distance – staring out their respective windows (separated only by the shared wall of their flats) at a world from which they each feel detached. Florence is not working and is on anti-depressants, while Violette has a new baby and feels a bit trapped and limited. One morning Violette invites Florence for a coffee, but mostly to confront her about the “crow” sounds seeping through that shared wall. Florence assures her that she and her partner David (Mani Soleymanlou) haven’t had sex in years. This confession finds common ground with the women as Violette’s husband Benoit (Felix Moati) is too-often on business trips that end up with a shared hotel room with Eli (Juliette Gariepy).
This sets off sex romps for both ladies. Florence stops taking her meds and Violette finds a daycare for her kid. Service providers reap the benefits as the two women re-awaken their sexual appetites. The cable guy, plumber, pest control provider, delivery guy, and window cleaner all expand their services so that the women can bust out of their respective ruts. In between these escapades, some awkward condo association meetings are held over minutiae – acting as a bit of contrast to the bouts of pleasure the women experience during the days.
Of course, there are no free lunches, and relationships tend to suffer when commitments falter. Although, humor is written in to the excellent escript, it’s really never funny to watch couples destroy their bond. There really is no way to “have it all.” One interesting note is that at least two actors, Louise Turcot and Donald Pilon appear in this film as well as the 1970 original. The final shot is a good one, and it’s quite likely the unconventional ending won’t please all viewers.
Opening in NYC on April 24, 2026 and additional theaters in May.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Perhaps we can all agree that hiking is not best served as a spectator sport. Sure, there have been other hiking movies, including WILD (2014) as Cheryl Strayed (portrayed by Reese Witherspoon) takes on a solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Yet almost by definition, a hike is meant, at a minimum, to help clear one’s head and, at its best, allow a connection with nature as one tries to center themselves from the stress of life. Writer-director Bart Schrivjer w-d (not his first hiking movie) has seemingly captured these elements of hiking better than others.
Greetings again from the darkness. As we are unfortunately learning yet again … there are no upsides to war. There are the deaths and injuries that occur to soldiers and citizens. There is destruction of property and cityscapes. And there is the cost to those who are neither soldiers or government officials – the ‘quiet cost’ of war. Writer-director Silvio Soldini (BREAD AND TULIPS, 2000) and co-writer Doriana Leondeff have adapted the 2018 award-winning novel, “At the Wolf’s Table”, by Rosella Postorino, which itself was based on the remarkable story WWII survivor Margot Wolk told a German journalist about her time spent as a food taster for Hitler.
Greetings again from the darkness. We don’t see a lot of films from Iraq, but if this one from writer-director Hasan Hadi is any indication, the industry there is in fine form with storytelling. While not preachy or heavily politicized, the movie does offer some insight into authoritarianism in the 1990’s under dictator Saddam Hussein. Some would argue that the situation from thirty years ago acts as a modern-day cautionary tale.
Greetings again from the darkness. William Shakespeare has inspired so many writers and stories over the years that he often goes unacknowledged rather than credited. Such is the case with this latest from writer/director/animator Mamoru Hosoda with character names such as Amulet, Claudius, and Gertrude. Of course, since this is Japanese anime, the story’s path varies and features unusual and colorful characters.
Greetings again from the darkness. The concept is interesting and relatable. A woman undertakes the solving of a mystery, and in the process, learns a great deal about herself. Writer-director Rebecca Zlotowski w-d (OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN, 2022) and co-writers Anne Berest and Gaelle Mace have delivered a film that works on a couple of levels: as a whodunit and self-discovery.
Greetings again from the darkness. If not for a few bizarre (and interesting) visual metaphors tossed in, one might mistake this film from Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Palmason (GODLAND, 2022) as a documentary. After all, we are mostly watching one family’s life over the course of a year. There are no car chases or criminal masterminds – just a few people living their lives.
Greetings again from the darkness. ‘Arco, phone home’. OK, that’s not actually a line of dialogue in this Oscar nominated animated feature film from w-d Ugo Bienvenu, co-director Gilles Cazaux, and co-writer and Felix de Givry … but the line sure fits. Taking place in the future, the film’s strong themes are family, friends, and coming-of-age.
Greetings again from the darkness. The Sundance Film Festival does a terrific job each year of selecting captivating short films. One of the films in the lineup of this year’s shorts program on January 24, 2026 is from Swedish filmmaker Lovisa Siren, and it’s a gem.
Greetings again from the darkness. We can pick our friends, but not our family or neighbors. However, we can (and do) speculate on and judge our neighbors – and that’s what occurs in this smart little film from writer-director Leon Prudovsky and co-writer Dmitri Malinsky. The premise of the film may initially seem absurd to some, but the final version is touching and quite entertaining.
