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Reviews – Paris-LA
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What do we see when we look into Franz Rogowski’s eyes, when we watch him watching? A desired presence, a short fuse of insolence, a shortcut to transgression—the double-edged trap of audience expectations are high whenever he appears on the

WAR PONY—directed by Gina Gammell and Riley Keough—narrates its themes of generational trauma and the dementia of modern life through the electrifying lens of a crime saga. Set in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation among members of the Oglala Lakota tribe,

In the beguiling 17-minute short EL PAISA, Carmelo (David Ty Reza) is a vaquero mágico, proudly walking the daytime streets of East Los Angeles in full cowboy adornment. Dismissed by some as a paisa—politely translated as “country bumpkin”—he is comfortable

Meet Jamie Diaz—if you haven’t already made her acquaintance. Convicted in 1996 of aggravated robbery, Diaz is serving a life sentence in a Texas penitentiary for men. Diaz—a trans woman—has used these past decades for personal and artistic growth, developing

A prismatic look at Zürich’s 1970s–80s avant-garde, GLOW brings the Swiss underground to new light. Centered on the enigmatic muse and model Irene Staub, the documentary—directed by Gabriel Baur—draws a fascinating line between the worlds of cinema, fashion, and music

Los Angeles has seen the world premieres of two notable musicals this spring, shows powered by exceptionally strong composition and queer fortitude. Zoe Sarnak’s The Lonely Few (book by Rachel Bonds) recently closed a sold-out engagement at the Geffen Playhouse.

Directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS provokes perhaps an unusual amount of introspection in the viewer, during and after the film. Such is our investment in this portrayal of the lives of two dedicated friends

In 1988, living beyond her means in London and still in recovery from a stroke two years prior, Ava Gardner hired Peter Evans to ghostwrite her memoirs, to be based on a series of conversations between the star and the

In SHOWING UP, Kelly Reichardt’s immersive, enchanting consideration of life among a circle of Portland artists, Lizzy (Michelle Williams) and Jo (Hong Chau) sustain a very casual sense of everyday competitiveness. Lizzy is working on a show with a deadline

On the strength of her first two features—Ava (2017) and now The Five Devils—Mysius has established herself as a filmmaker of vivid intoxications, uncanny scenes of mystery, discovery, and beauty. Her latest work centers around a young girl named Vicky