lwlies.com
Latvian breakthrough
Neon Spring
/ Youth drama about first relationships /
“Neon Spring” is an honest and authentic film that explores the complexity of first relationships and sexual discoveries, loneliness and escapism. The drama unfolds at the rave parties of Riga’s nightlife. The film attracts a touching performance by a young generation of Latvian actors and a story that’s entirely rooted in emotional problems and trauma.
woodstockfilmfestival.org
My Love Affair With Marriage
/ Signe Baumane’s most ambitious work on the nature of love /
“My Love Affair with Marriage” is a musical that celebrates the cycle of love: falling in love, getting married and getting divorced. The ironic, creative and therapeutic film is based on the director’s personal experiences. Screened at the Tribeca and Annecy film festivals and winning the top prize at 9th Riga International Festival, it deals with how pop culture, upbringing and social pressure perpetuates the myth of eternal love and soul mates.
imdb.com
January
/ A story of growing up against the backdrop of Latvia’s independence /
An autobiographical story of an up-and-coming filmmaker trying to find himself in cinematography in the chaos of 1991 in Riga. January is not just the first month of the year: the film shows it as a point of reference, the beginning of the nation’s journey to finally enter a new future after 50 years of occupation. In the film, director Viesturs Kairišs was able to convey the mood and atmosphere of the difficulties during country’s struggle for independence.
izklaide.tv3.lv
Milulis
/ A reflection on the new generation and difficult moral choices /
The film tells the story of a young and ambitious careerist and future bankruptcy trustee, who after the death of his beloved, finds himself faced with a difficult moral choice. “Milulis” asks important questions about an entire generation that was born and grown up together with the new Latvia. This is the first generation to live in a different economic system, where career, money, and power are at the top layer on pyramid of values.
forumcinemas.lv
Keep Smiling, Mom!
/ Road Movie with a touch of black comedy /
The black comedy “Keep Smiling, Mom! – is director Elza Gauja’s feature film debut. Three sisters embark on a hazardous journey across Europe to deliver a deceased loved one to the family cemetery in Latvia. The filmmakers managed bringing an anecdotal and paradoxical story closer to real life.
imdb.com
Sisters
/ Social drama about orphanages /
“Masas” is a socially poignant drama about three sisters growing up in an orphanage. Director Linda Olte created this story based on real events, trying to change society’s view on fate of children who live in orphanages. The film won the jury prize at the Warsaw International Film Festival as the best Eastern European debut.
forumcinemas.lv
Shoal
/ Painting of the different sides of love /
Photographer Toms Harjo’s cinematic debut is about the different stages of love. In just a couple of months the young and talented director managed to create a low budget yet striking picture on what love feels like. The screenwriters of film (who are also the actors) describe their creation as “an atmospherically intense love story where three unknown couples are romantically linked at different stages of a relationship.”
International box office
edition.cnn.com
Death on the Nile
/ Adaptation of the legendary novel by Agatha Christie /
The long-awaited sequel to the adventures of detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) in Egypt. The star-studded film finally premiered in 2022 after numerous scandals and postponements of the picture. Audience received the film with mixed reviews. However, it is impossible not to appreciate the beauty of Death on the Nile: the images, scenery and passion unfolding, and of course the stunning Gal Gadot and Emma Maki.
salon.com
RRR: Rise Roar Revolt
/ Indian action film about revolutionaries /
Fictious story about two real-life revolutionaries who fought the arbitrary rule of the British in India in the 1920s. Keeping the best traditions of Indian films, “RRR” broke all the laws of physics, however, hypertrophied action and special effects doesn’t look vulgar on the big screen. Action film is filled with colorful images, mythology and historical events of the country. This large-scale three-hour epic is a great way to start your introduction to cinema and dancing culture of India.
mirf.ru
Everything Everywhere All at Once
/ Multiverse Madness /
This unique movie from Studio A24 is about the fate of multiverse, which now must be saved by Evelyn, a migrant laundry owner. A witty and thrilling sci-fi action film, All at Once is a mix of different styles, plots and ideas. This film is a kaleidoscope of images, an absurd and at times even ridiculous mosaic that adds up to a picture filled with deep meaning.
newsler.ru
Bullet train
/ Comedy action movie with Brad Pitt /
An action comedy starring an older, but still very charming and charismatic Brad Pitt in the lead role. “Faster Than a Bullet” doesn’t claim to be unique, but stands out against the background of other similar films of the genre. Interesting camerawork, dynamic editing and acting has ensured the success of this film.
irishtimes.com
Triangle of Sadness
/ Art satire that mocks the ills of society while turning social hierarchy upside down /
Ruben Estlund has made a comedy drama in three parts to show his vision of the possibility of equality. The constrasts of “royals” and “beggars,” men and women, is a caricature of modern life that can evoke both hysterical giggles and hopeless despair.
theoakleafnews.com
Three Thousand Years of Longing
/ Multilayered fantasy about the search for most cherished desire /
This touching fantasy starring Tilda Swinton is a true modern fairytale about magic and love. A deceptively simple and naive story about a genie ready to grant any three wishes. Colorful and rich shots that frame and embellish the dialogues of characters throughout the film, reflecting on the meaning of life, what one really wants to experience and get out of it.
ew.com
Decision to Leave
/ Noir Korean thriller /
A measured Korean thriller about a detective who becomes obsessed with a widow – the main suspect of a murder case. “Decision to Leave” combines the best features of classic noir: an atmosphere of pessimism, hopelessness and despair, cynical characters, femme fatale and a deceived detective. Director Park Chan-Wook successfully combines slow action and dreadful suspense without boring the viewer, immersing them into the tragic story.
lenta.ru
Batman
/ Depressing blockbuster with Robert Pattinson /
Matt Reeves’ depressing Batman is an amazing comic book-based masterpiece that, unlike other blockbusters, hooks the viewer with its dark atmosphere. The melancholiac Robert Pattinson, unhurried editing and camerawork hypnotizes viewer and draws them into a world of criminal Gotham. Film leaves an aftertaste of doom and depression that was preceded by absolute aesthetic pleasure.
