Apple made the biggest deal out of Sundance 2022 by buying Cooper Raiff’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth” for a whopping $15 million. I somewhat fell for Raiff’s sweetly romantic film when I saw it at the fest this past January. If you remember, Apple also had the biggest deal of Sundance 2021 with the $25 million spent on eventual Best Picture winner “CODA.”

Published by Cahiers du Cinema on 05.11.22:

I’m in the very early stages of completing our annual mid-year critics poll. Again, more than 100 lists have been compiled. Participants were asked to submit their picks for the five best of 2022 thus far.

Production on Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” had started in late January and just wrapped this week in California. 

Maybe IndieWire spoke to the same festival director I conversed with last week

At this point, I’m just going to act as though Terrence Malick’s “The Way of the Wind” will never be released. It’s been almost three years since production wrapped and the “will he or won’t he” debate is getting ridiculous.

Anyone doubting Top Gun: Maverick’s chances at a Best Picture nod need to follow its incredible current run in US theatres. This is an infectious narrative for the film to have.

Despite the need for a good VFX polishing, advanced tickets for Jordan Peele’s “Nope” are starting to go on-sale.

I’m all for auteur filmmakers bankrupting Netflix, but Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise,” which is an adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel, seems to have had a troubling production.

Production on Aziz Ansari’s “Being Mortal” began on March 28th in Los Angeles.

Paramount has a major decision to make at the moment, will they or won’t they premiere Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” at the fall festivals.

“Crimes of the Future” is being released tomorrow. It’s David Cronenberg’s best movie since 2005’s “A History of Violence”; Meditative, horrific, unique and visionary.

After Wes Anderson, and Jonathan Glazer, it’s now Yorgos Lanthimos’ turn to skip the fall festivals. His “Poor Things” is said to not be ready on time for Venice, Telluride and Toronto in September.

The algorithm has spoken. All heed the algorithm.

Heartfelt congratulations to Johnny Depp for surviving the Heard-storm that came very close to destroying his career. It was very wise of him to sue for defamation. Now, maybe, or maybe not, he can reclaim his acting career, take back his good name etc. Amber Heard now owes Depp a cool $15 million.

Two of the most anticipated films of the fall will finally not be released in 2022.

There’s a Mike Leigh career retrospective going on at the Lincoln Center right now. Every movie from his illustrious career is being screened.