M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’ is a nightmarish meditation on death and aging

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If the subconscious draw of the horror genre is that it forces us to face our mortality, perhaps few films have taken that concept to more literal effect than Old. M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller, about a beach that mysteriously makes its inhabitants age in rapid fashion, goes from campy and comical to terrifying and […]

‘Promising Young Woman’ is an explosive debut that mixes fun with fury

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How best to describe Promising Young Woman? I could call it a revenge film. A black comedy. A feminist fantasy. A social commentary born out of the #MeToo movement. There’s even a Paris Hilton sing-along that pushes this into oddly cute romcom territory at one point. But no, none of those labels quite fit. Filled […]

‘Military Wives’ is a feel-good dramedy about music and friendship

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In the time of coronavirus and social distancing, we could all use a little pick-me-up. Military Wives, directed by The Full Monty’s Peter Cattaneo, is a film that’ll do just that. Charming and emotional, it’s a movie that just hits the spot. All you need to do is let it wrap you up in its […]

“You Are The Boss”: ‘Alice’ is a thought-provoking look into the world of high-end escorts

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Alice is now playing at MDC’s Tower Theater Miami Virtual Theater. Watch on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. For tickets, click here. The prostitution genre has long held a certain allure for filmmakers. Belle de Jour (1967), The Girlfriend Experience (2009), and Young & Beautiful (Miami Film Festival 2013) all deal with beautiful women […]

‘Saint Frances’ is an honest look at the clumsy road to womanhood

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From the very beginning of Saint Frances, it’s clear we’re in for something special. Inclusive, blunt and unapologetically feminist, this is a film that explores millennial milieu in all its chaotic glory. And if it has one thing to say, it’s this: let’s stop trying to avoid talking about what life is really like. Period […]

‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ Is a Passionate Romance That Embraces the Female Gaze

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In “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” a single look holds so much power and intensity that it might as well be an explosion. A film about looking – and being seen — this achingly romantic drama is such a constant burst of fireworks that it feels like the 4th of July. Set on an […]

South Florida-Set ‘Waves’ Is a Stunning Emotional Powerhouse

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The thing about waves is that they sometimes surprise you with their strength. What starts off as something calming and full of beauty can turn into a tsunami, leaving devastation in its wake.

Waves, writer-director Trey Edward Shults’ third feature, is about just that. It’s about how life as we know it can change in an instant; it’s about the reverberating nature of familial pain, and how despite all the bad in the world, love will always be the ultimate healing force.

This is the type of film where it’s best to go in with just a faint mental sketch of the plot. Don’t dig for information beforehand; just go to the theater and let the story wash over you. With what is quite possibly the best ensemble cast of the year, just trust that you’re in good hands.

‘Marriage Story’ Is Perfect from Start to Finish

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In his musical Company, Sondheim offered the world a musical about the highs and lows of marriage and singledom. As the cavalcade of couples featured in “The Little Things You Do Together” sing, “It’s the little ways you try together, cry together, lie together, that make perfect relationships,” so it’s only appropriate that Noah Baumbach’s […]

‘Monos’ Opens This Week at Tower Theater Miami

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“I wanted to shape the film like a fever dream, that Buñuelian idea of dreaming while you’re awake,” director Alejandro Landes said about his latest feature, Monos, opening at Tower Theater Miami on September 26th. And a fever dream of epic proportions is what he delivers, taking inspiration not simply from Luis Buñuel, but from […]

New Screening Series

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Miami Film Festival announces the NEON Screening Series for the second half of 2019! Ever since its first release just about 2 ½ years ago, the new US Distributor NEON has made a distinct name for itself as a hip, edgy, quality brand that supports exceptional new arthouse and independent cinema for theatrical release. From […]

Miamian Lulu Wang: Indie Film’s Next Big Star Filmmaker

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Another filmmaker with Miami roots is at a tipping point – this time, it’s Lulu Wang who is on the verge of becoming the indie film world’s Next Big Thing! Wang’s second feature film, The Farewell, stars rapper and actress Awkwafina, the breakout star of 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians. The Farewell premiered at the 2019 […]

Happy Mother’s Day: The Time of Lola Dueñas

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One of my favorite Spanish actresses is Lola Dueñas. She may not be as famous as Penelope Cruz or Carmen Maura, but for more than 20 years she has been delighting me in both leading and supporting parts that I love to recall. You may remember her from such terrific character turns in Pedro Almodóvar […]

Shorts for the Win

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What is the hottest trend in cinema so far in 2019? Surprise – short film programs! This year, the annual theatrical touring program of Oscar Nominated Shorts set a series-high box office record in 2019 ($3.53 million), and at the recent 36th edition of Miami Film Festival, four separate shorts programs were among the fast […]

Joint Custody Blows

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First, the laughter. In 2005, American indie filmmaker Noah Baumbach released his third major film and received his only Oscar nomination to date with The Squid and The Whale (one night only at the Tower – Tuesday, July 17th), a semi-autobiographical remembrance of his teenage perceptions of the divorce of his Brooklyn parents. The title […]

Miami, You’re so Blessed!

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You may have heard about the latest epic battle for the future of cinema that erupted last month: Cannes Film Festival vs. Netflix. In one corner…the Festival, passionately defending the originist notion that cinema is at its purest in a theatrical setting.  In the other…Netflix, the world’s newest megastudio, with $8 billion to fund the […]

Special Screening: Opuntia

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Argentina’s Shocking Drama ‘Paulina’ Returns to Miami

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[fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text][/fusion_text][fusion_text]I still […]

Review: 2016 Festival Selection ‘Weiner’ Opens at MDC’s Tower Theater

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“The name of a man is a numbing blow from which he never recovers.” – Marshall McLuhan So begins Weiner, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg’s energetic, powerhouse documentary about Anthony Weiner. It’s a fitting quote; the former democratic congressman was caught in the middle of a sexting scandal when it came to light that he […]

GEMS Winner ‘The Clan’ Now Playing at MDC’s Tower Theater

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They say truth is stranger than fiction. After seeing The Clan, you’ll be inclined to agree. On the surface the Puccios look like most other families. But something sinister is lurking behind the closed doors of the Puccios’ home. Family patriarch Arquimedes (Guillermo Francella), along with the help of his eldest son (Peter Lanzani) have […]

Foreign Language Oscar Nominees Make Their Way to MDC’s Tower Theater

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The Oscars are exactly one month away, and with Hollywood’s biggest night just around the corner, it’s time for film aficionados to get caught up on the buzziest of the nominated titles. The Best Foreign Language Film category is often the trickiest to tackle — but not in Miami. We have a booming Festival and art […]

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