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May el-Toukhy’s ‘Woman Unknown’ Wins the Golden Lion at Venice — Surprise!

The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.

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Cory Finley's 'Reasonable People,' Starring Paul Rudd and Sam Rockwell, Shoots This Fall

Cory Finley, a talented filmmaker, has directed three films so far: "Thoroughbreds" (2017), "Bad Education” (2020), and "Landscape with Invisible Hand.”

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Bassam Tariq Says Making ‘Blade' at Marvel Was ‘“a Different Thing”: “Somebody Else Is Running This”

Bassim Tariq was the first one in the chair. The "Mogul Mowgli" director spent two years building out the Mahershala Ali vehicle before exiting in 2022, and he's now letting the air out on this one.

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‘The Family Stone’ Sequel Greenlit at Searchlight, Fall Shoot, Reunites the Entire Cast — Except Diane Keaton

Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider, and Brian White will all be back.

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Critics Are Fighting About ‘Fjord’ at TIFF; Sebastian Stan: “Not A MAGA Movie”

I was curious how Cristian Mungiu's "Fjord" would be received this fall. The Palme d'Or winner has become a culture-war flashpoint, and critics are more split on it than you might expect.

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August 19, 2019
3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC
August 19, 2019

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

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August 19, 2019

World of Reel

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‘Little Women' Reactions are Mixed: Pugh and Ronan are Fantastic, Too Many Flashbacks, Saved by Last Hour

October 24, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Another chess piece has been moved when it comes to the Oscar race.

Greta Gerwig’s much-anticipated “Little Women” just screened in L.A. and NYC. A social media embargo has lifted on Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel and it appears that there are fans, but also many people with reservations, which is quite odd as many film critics tend to not want to express too many negative things in their Twitter reactions so as to appease the studio bigwigs that watch their every move. Suffice to say, this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a “Lady Bird” triumph for Gerwig.

Yes, there seems to be generally positive buzz from many folks who have seen “Little Women,” but I’ve spoken to a few key film critics that didn’t chime in on Twitter and they are telling me not to mark this one as a contender just yet. If anything, Florence Pugh and Saoirse Ronan are being singled out as the stand-outs in a cast that is notably stacked and that could lead to some kind of Oscar traction in the acting races, but, as we speak, I cannot have Gerwig’s film enter the best picture frontrunners list in my predictions.

“Little Women” arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.

Also for such a pretty score it’s overscored? There are moments you just want to hear the girls banter but...nope. #LittleWomen

— Gregory Ellwood - The Playlist 🎬 (@TheGregoryE) October 24, 2019

For my money, the MVP in LITTLE WOMEN is Florence Pugh. Hot off of MIDSOMMAR, Pugh is having a great year, and she’s hilarious and winning as Amy, the character best served by Gerwig’s structural gambits.

— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) October 24, 2019

Little Women has a very strong last third, great cinematography and a modern interpretation of the novel that shines brightly. I liked her take on it even when it is hard to follow re: flashbacks. Acting good but Flo Pugh and Streep are standouts.

— Sasha Stone (@AwardsDaily) October 24, 2019

LITTLE WOMEN is charming just like the novel/prior versions. Each role perfectly cast. Rousing score. Timely as ever. Hard not to cheer. Greta says at q&a, “As a girl who wanted to be a writer, Jo March was my north star.” We’ll see as far as Oscars—nice to have an upbeat option. pic.twitter.com/WUDmtJwjd8

— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) October 24, 2019

In short, “Little Women” is a highly respectable, heartfelt, technically well composed effort. But I have to say that it didn’t quite grab me as I’d hoped. Flashbacks, curious dream sequences, confusing here & there. Handsome and lusciously authentic, but feels in-and-outish.

— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) October 24, 2019

Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but LITTLE WOMEN is going to win a grand total of Zero Oscars. Take it to the bank.

— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) October 24, 2019

#LittleWomen: Gerwig makes this material her own in delightful ways you’d expect and some adult-meditation-on-childhood ways I didn’t. So rewarding to see the ease with which she paints on this canvas and that she (or any director these days) was given it.

— Chris O'Falt (@cofalt) October 24, 2019

The ensemble is dynamite, with Streep, Dern, and Chalamet devouring their characters whole.

Film is structurally different than you will remember. Takes a bit to get off the ground, but comes alive in the second half. #LittleWomenMovie #FilmTwitter #LittleWomen #Oscars

— Clayton Davis (@AwardsCircuit) October 24, 2019
Tags Little Women, Reactions, social media, reviews, Ronan, Pugh, Chalamet
← ‘Antlers’ Trailer: Director Scott Cooper's Horror Film Starring Keri Russell & Jesse Plemons‘Western Stars’: Bruce Springsteen’s Indisputably Great Concert Doc [Review] →

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Joaquin Phoenix Reuniting with Mike Mills for Next Film, Shooting in January 2027

Phoenix is set to reunite with Mills on this next film, which is being distributed by A24 and starts shooting January 2027. This will be Phoenix’s first film since “Eddington.”

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Paul Thomas Anderson Has Already Chosen His Next Film, Jonny Greenwood Says

“Paul is getting close to pressing the button on the next film, I believe, and I’m already trying to learn a new instrument that would be central to it,” Greenwood tells Screen Daily. 

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Ridley Scott Says “I Didn’t Say That” After Calling ‘The Dog Stars’ His Best Movie Since ‘The Martian’

In June 2026, Scott told The Buyer that “The Dog Stars” is “probably the best movie I’ve done since The Martian.” He’s now denying he ever said that.

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Todd Field-Written ‘The Girls’ Sets Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic to Direct, November Shoot

Cinephiles another Todd Field movie, and although we might have to wait for his next directorial effort, “The Girls” will have to suffice for now.

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Critics Polls

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Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

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Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

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Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll

We’ve already covered the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Now we have the results for the Best Films of the 1960s.

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