Fackham Hall (2025) ***

 

Everyone who watches TV or has read Jane Austen knows that British landed estates can only pass to a legitimate male heir. Thus, a lord without a son faces the prospect of his wife and daughters being kicked out of the family mansion upon his death, so that a brother or nephew can take over the lordship. The only solution, apparently, is to marry one of those daughters off to the inheriting nephew, thus keeping everything in the family, so to speak. This is why those old paintings of British royalty feature such, ahem, distinctive jawlines.

Variations on this theme have formed the backbone of many a British, period drama, with “Downton Abbey” being a recent example. “Fackham Hall” is a broad sendup of these dramas. This silly farce features all the archetypes: the slutty daughter, the smart daughter, the haughty cousin/heir, the poor orphan with a mysterious past. These characters ham it up, delivering rapid fire jokes reminiscent of “The Naked Gun.”

What “Fackham Hall” lacks in comedic refinement, it makes up in quantity. The jokes are fired at us non-stop out of a machine-gun of broad, British wit. The theory is that if you aren't laughing at the last joke, you'll laugh at the next, which comes right on top of it, or maybe at the next one. It mostly works. The film isn't a comedy classic, but if you have ever watched a British period drama, you'll get the satire and at least a few chuckles out of it.

3 stars out of 5

The Housemaid (2025) ***

 

OK, first a little housekeeping. There was the dystopian TV show starring Elizabeth Moss called “The Handmaid's Tale.” There was the 2016 Korean erotic thriller "The Handmaiden." And now there's this domestic thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, called “The Housemaid.” That's the one we are talking about here.

This type of movie is all about plot twists and turns, and I don't want to give them away. Sydney Sweeney plays Millie, a girl down on her luck and desperate for a job. Nina (Seyfried) hires her for a live-in maid position. It doesn't take long before we learn that both of them have some secrets, and the job isn't what Millie thought it would be.

Any more details would ruin the trashy fun of watching this erotic, scary, sometimes funny movie. The film is based on the novel by Freida McFadden, directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids” “Freaks and Geeks”). It's not a movie that is going to change your life, and honestly, it's not going to make you like men very much. What it is, is solid entertainment. When it shows up streaming free on one of your services, I suggest you check it out.

3 stars out of 5

Honey Don't (2025) ****

It still feels strange to me to see the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, pursuing separate projects. For most of my movie-watching life, they were a legendary team: writing, directing, and producing films like "Raising Arizona," "Miller's Crossing," and “The Big Lebowski” together. The reality is that since 2021, they have been doing their own separate things. What Ethan Coen has been up to is working with his wife, Tricia Cooke, on a trio of lesbian-themed films. You can't really call it a trilogy, as the characters and stories are not linked. The first film in the trio was 2024's “Drive-Away Dolls,” which I found reasonably entertaining, but not nearly as good as the Coen brothers' best work. Now, with their second film, Coen and Cooke seem to be finding their footing.

Margaret Qualley starred in “Drive-Away Dolls,” and she returns for “Honey Don't” as a completely different character. She plays Honey O'Donahue, a private eye with a weakness for booze and the ladies. When a prospective client dies in a car crash, Honey wonders what are the odds that someone would call her office in trouble, then die the next day in an “accident.” She starts poking around, and the trail leads to a shady, cult-like church. The pastor, Reverend Drew (Chris Evans) regularly has “congress” with his female parishioners, and he runs a drug dealing operation out of the church. Meanwhile, Honey may have found her soul-mate in a lady cop (Aubrey Plaza).

“Honey Don't” does not break any new ground, nor is it trying to. Honey is a textbook noir detective from the school of Chandler and Hammett, who just happens to be female and gay. All the traditional plot elements are in place: the murdered client, dark secrets, the tension between the private detective and the established police force. Coen and Cooke do here what many noir directors have done before them, and they do it well. The dialogue is snappy, the twists are surprising, and the lesbian angle adds just enough spice to make it all feel fresh. (And by spice, I mean graphic, lesbian sex.)

4 stars out of 5

Roofman (2025) **1/2

 

In the late 1990's, Jeffrey Manchester robbed about 50 McDonald's restaurants. His modus operandi was to hack through the roof of the store in the middle of the night, then wait inside to rob the store at gunpoint when the employees showed up the next morning. His unique mode of entry made him famous as “Roofman”. Of course, he eventually got caught, but he managed to escape from prison to the town of Charlotte, NC, where he hid out in a Toy's R Us store. He made himself a hidden nest where he slept during the day, coming out at night for food and exercise. He wound up living there secretly for 6 months, dating a local woman and joining her church.

It's no surprise someone would make a movie out of this story. What does surprise me is that writer/director Derek Cianfrance made such a hackneyed, predictable film out of this wild tale, and assembled an all-star cast to do it. Channing Tatum plays Manchester, Kirsten Dunst plays the love interest, and they get support from LaKeith Stanfield, Peter Dinklage, and Juno Temple. While the cast is talented and game, the script is no great accomplishment. The only surprising story elements are the ones that come from Manchester's real-life antics. The narrative glue that Cianfrance inserts to turn the story into a 2 hour movie is treacly and predictable. You can see every plot point coming a mile away.

“Roofman” does offer something we don't see a lot in film, namely people attending church regularly. It's also a very family-friendly movie, despite its R rating (presumably because we witness a couple of armed robberies and Channing Tatum's naked butt.) For these reasons, I suspect the film will find an audience, and good for 'em! Not everybody wants to watch art movies about gay cowboys eating pudding (If you know, you know.)

2.5 stars out of 5

The Phantom of the Paradise (1974) ***

 

If you thought “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was too conventional and predictable, this is the movie for you! Writer/Director Brian De Palma is known for pushing boundaries in movies like “Carrie” and “Scarface”, but this black-comedy rock opera is outre even for him. The film borrows themes from “Faust”, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and of course The Phantom of the Opera.

William Finley plays Winslow Leach, a singer-songwriter whose music is stolen by an unscrupulous producer named Swan (Paul Williams, who wrote the music for the film). When Winslow tries to assert his rights, his face gets horribly disfigured, so he dons a mask and takes to haunting the music hall owned by Swan. Lurking in the shadows, Winslow promotes a singer with whom he is obsessed (Jessica Harper), and he learns Swan's secret to youth.

There's no way I could describe just how strange this musical film is; you just have to see it for yourself. This bizarre flick is not good in any traditional sense, but it is eye-and-ear candy for lovers of cult classic films. Paul Williams really lets himself go wild with the music, and Jessica Harper is as charming here as she would later be in 1977's “Suspiria.” Whether you are a Brian De Palma completist or just love a cult classic, this is one to check out when you are in the mood for something weird.

3 stars out of 5

Gentlemen Broncos (2009) **1/2

 

This one slipped by me back in 2009. It's by Jared and Jerusha Hess, the creators of "Napoleon Dynamite." As classic as that film is, I was disappointed by their follow-up, "Nacho Libre," and I guess I stopped looking out for offerings from the Hesses.

In “Gentlemen Broncos”, Michael Angarano plays Benjamin, an awkward, home-schooled high-schooler who writes sci-fi/fantasy stories. When he submits one of his stories at a writing camp, an established author (Jemaine Clement) steals his ideas. Initially oblivious to the plagiarism, Benjamin and a couple of new friends (Halley Feiffer and Hector Jimenez) turn Ben's book into an amateur movie. Competing versions of Ben's vision eventually collide.

With “Napoleon Dynamite”, the Hesses were working with mostly unknown actors, but that film cast a long shadow, and they were able to get some recognizable names in this one. Jennifer Coolidge is charming as Benjamin's mom. Mike White, who also produced the film, is characteristically weird as a Big-Brother-type mentor from Ben's church. Sam Rockwell is unrecognizable as the movie version of Ben's novel protagonist. I would say Jemaine Clement steals the movie as the villainous sci-fi writer Chevalier. He plays it straight as a self-important has-been with ridiculous advice for young authors.

When the Hesses premiered “Napoleon Dynamite” at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, it was something new and fresh. With a cringy sense of humor and pacing that demanded patience, the film introduced unforgettable characters like Pedro, Uncle Rico, and Napoleon himself, a shoe-gazing super-nerd with a big inner life. Since then, the Hesses have struggled to recapture that lightning in a bottle. 2006's “Nacho Libre” fell flat in my book, cringy without much humor. “Gentlemen Broncos” gets back to their “Dynamite” roots – a nerd who conceals a creative soul under his awkwardness makes some weird new friends. The story is not as fresh this time around, and they rely more on potty humor than on originality, but the story occasionally displays some heart. If you are a big “Napoleon Dynamite” fan, this is one to watch when you can't find anything else.

2.5 stars out of 5

Caught Stealing (2025) ***

 

Movies that blend genres have to walk a thin line to get the tone right and maintain it. Guy Ritchie's “Snatch” is an example of one that gets it right, blending violence and humor in just the right proportions. Darren Aronofsky's latest, “Caught Stealing,” is one that struggles a bit to walk that line.

Austin Butler plays Hank, a washed up baseball player whiling away his life tending bar, drinking heavily, and hooking up with his impossibly-cute girlfriend, Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz). His shady neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks Hank to cat-sit while Russ is out of town, and things take a left turn when a parade of Russian, Colombian, and Orthodox Jewish mobsters come looking for Russ.

“Caught Stealing” has its share of laughs, thrills, and shocks, but they don't fit well together. The zany, heavily-accented characters are entertaining, but they are a bit too madcap for the number of shocking deaths in the film. Fortunately, excellent cinematography and an outstanding cast (including Butler, Kravitz, and Regina King) make up somewhat for the plot issues. Aronofsky doesn't hit a home run here, but he manages to make it around the bases eventually.

3 stars out of 5

Blue Moon (2025) ****

 

 

Richard Linklater is having a good year, film-wise. "Nouvelle Vague" was outstanding, and now there is this, “Blue Moon,” about a night in the life of songwriter Lorentz Hart.

In an Oscar-nominated performance, Ethan Hawke plays Hart, famous for writing musicals with composer Richard Rodgers in the 1920's and 30's. The Rodgers name, of course, is a bit more famous when paired with that of Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers and Hammerstein achieved great success with “Oklahoma!” and went on to become a household name, while Hart's career faded, in part due to his alcoholism, although he and Rodgers did collaborate again before Hart's death.

“Blue Moon” depicts Hart on opening night of “Oklahoma!”, a triumphant night for Rodgers and Hammerstein, and a bittersweet one for Hart. Hanging out at the bar of the restaurant where the “Oklahoma!” after-party will later take place, Hart holds court with the bartender (Bobby Cannavale) and the piano player (Jonah Lees). He regales them with his scathing opinions on “Oklahoma!”, but he mostly talks about a young college student with whom he is infatuated. Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley) is coming to the party later, and Hart intends to do two things: 1) overcome his bitterness to be gracious to Rodgers and Hammerstein, and 2) seduce Elizabeth.

Hawke deserves his Oscar nomination for this role, although I think the movie is probably too obscure for him to hope to win. He appears in every second of the film, and his depiction of a talented artist struggling with sour grapes, puppy love, and addiction is just devastating. He benefits from a strong supporting cast, especially Cannavale, whose world-weary bartender does his best to steer his friend Hart clear of the whiskey and bitterness. This is ultimately Hawke's movie, though, and he is brilliant in it.

This is one of those Oscar-nominated films that even most Oscars viewers will probably not have seen, and in truth it is not for everyone. It's an artsy, talky movie about a night in the life of a songwriter most people now, 100 years later, haven't heard of. It's really worth watching, though, if you like the kind of talky movies that Richard Linklater makes. You don't need to be familiar with the music. The piano player regales us with a few of Hart's classics to get us oriented. (It probably does help to know that E.B. White, who is quietly hanging out in the bar, is the famous author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.) You don't need to know about Hart's career, as he fills us in as we go. Ethan Hawke's heartbreaking performance is spellbinding as his Hart dances the line between delusion and despair, bravery and resignation.

4 stars out of 5

Nouvelle Vague (2025) ****

 

The elevator pitch for this film is enchanting and audacious: To tell the story of the making of one of the iconic French New Wave films using the style of the French New Wave. It makes sense that something like this would come from Richard Linklater, a quirky, independent director who owes so much to the avant garde directors of the New Wave.

It would be boorish of me to try to expound on the history of New Wave cinema. Much has been written on the subject, by people much more knowledgeable than myself. One thing I do notice, the more I read on it, is that, much like Punk music (or Grunge, for that matter), New Wave did not spring up out of nothing. New Wave directors were inspired by Italian and American directors; they inspired many followers; and it is hard to define exactly what counts as New Wave and what does not. There is no question, however, that Jean Luc Godard's film "A Bout de Souffle" (“Breathless” in the English-speaking world) falls smack in the middle of the New Wave movement. Shot guerilla-style, on a minimal budget, the film is black-and-white, full of jump cuts and surreal scenes of the characters just doing things like hanging out in a hotel room, making faces. To the extent there is a narrative, it's about a girl (Jean Seaberg) and a criminal (Jean-Paul Belmondo). It is brilliant in many ways, and also confounding. Like many art films, the movie can feel more like a sketch than a fully realized work. Despite its challenges, it is must-see viewing for any cinephile, and there is absolutely no point in watching Linklater's “Nouvelle Vague” without first seeing “Breathless.”

“Nouvelle Vague” is shot, like its inspiration, in black-and-white, in French, and with a playful style that still manages (better than”Breathless”) to get across a cohesive narrative. That narrative depicts Jean Luc Godard hanging with his fellow film critics at the magazine Cahiers du Cinema, determined to graduate from film critic to film-maker. He secures limited funding and then secures a star in American actress Jean Seaberg (portrayed here by Zoey Deutch). Saving money everywhere he can, Godard shoots his scenes in friends' apartments and sans permit on the streets of Paris.

I got it in my head that “Nouvelle Vague” had an Oscar nomination, but it does not, although it did garner a Golden Globe nomination. I guess the movie is a bit too obscure for the Academy. It's in French, but it is an American film by an American director, so it wouldn't qualify for a Best Foreign Film slot. Really, this is an obscure little film about the making of a foreign film from 65 years ago. It's hard to imagine this finding a large audience, which is why it essentially went straight from the Cannes Film Festival to Netflix (after only a 2 week theatrical release),where people who like this sort of thing can enjoy it at our leisure. I hope that cinephiles will find the film. This kind of thing is what we need more of – experimentation, playfulness, and a willingness to take chances.

4 stars out of 5

One Battle After Another (2025) ****

 

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is firmly established as a director who makes long movies. They tend to be good, but they are invariably well over two hours long, which serves as a barrier to watching them. It took me a while to get motivated to watch his latest, despite an Oscar nomination, but I'm glad I finally did.

Loosely based on the novel Vineland, by Thomas Pynchon, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Pat Calhoun, a washed-up, former revolutionary. Back in the day, Pat and his lover Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) did explosives work for an anti-fa-type group. When Perfidia gets caught, she sells out her comrades and abandons Pat with their baby girl. Years later, Pat is raising their now-teenager, smoking weed, and being paranoid that the government is coming for them. Turns out, he is right.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a master at 2 things: recruiting great talent and blending the dark with the humorous. Both skills are fully on display here. DiCaprio is in top form, and he has great chemistry with Teyana Taylor. Benicio del Toro is excellent in a small but critical role. Sean Penn, however, steals the movie as rogue ICE commander Steven J. Lockjaw. His obsessive border cop is a mix of Captain Ahab and General Jack D. Ripper, from “Dr. Strangelove.”

Anderson manages to maintain a perfect mix of drama and comedy through this 2 hour 41 minute film. “One Battle After Another” deals with domestic terrorism, murderous government agents, brutal immigration crackdowns, and racist secret societies. He leavens the film with just enough absurdity to lighten the mood while keeping us in the narrative. Of course, the film contains some completely fantastical elements. ICE agents would never just execute people in the streets, and the U.S. government would never turn American cities into war zones just to arrest a few illegal aliens. Would they?

4 stars out of 5