Zinemaldia 025
This has been my third year at Zinemaldia and, although I'd practically finished something else for this month, I thought I'd write a bit about the films I've seen. I feel that I'm often not very good at expressing my thoughts on films, but anyway, little by little I'm encouraging myself to write short reviews every month.
Sentimental Value
Joachim Trier / Norway / 2025
I suppose coming back to Zinemaldia after a year is always exciting, and even more so when the first film on the programme is by one of your favourite directors and one of the ones you were most looking forward to seeing that year. I got really moved by some scenes, whilst in others I couldn't stop laughing. A family drama where, quite often, the characters don't even need to speak for you to know what's going through their minds. What's more, I think seeing Joachim speak at a talk about this and some of his other films made me like it a bit more. It's not my favourite Joachim film. But still, it's Joachim. Tenderness is the new punk.
Blue Heron
Sophy Romvari / Canada / 2025
Even though we've seen films with the same premise and the same plot many times over, there's always room to change something and bring something new to the table. One of the things I liked most about Blue Heron was the way the film was fragmented, blending three different genres; plus, I'll always enjoy a story in which someone delves into their memories of their life and childhood in order to understand something about their past.
Deux Pianos
Arnaud Desplechin / France / 2025
I completely understand how someone can be so deeply in love with another person for years, never forget them, and feel dizzy in a lift after seeing them again for the first time in years. What I will never understand is how some people can be so insufferable. Normally this doesn't bother me, but as the plot was a bit of a mess, it made things worse. What I liked most was seeing François Civil's face again.
The President's Cake
Hasan Hadi / Irak / 2025
If a story is told from the perspective of childhood and through the eyes of children, it will always be more special, especially if most of the audience are adults and we watch it through eyes that are completely different from theirs. It reminded me a lot of Where is the Friend’s House?, which is clearly a compliment. I vividly remember the final minutes of the film, and how the cinema fell completely silent, with everyone holding their breath. I suppose that, given everything we're going through these days, it makes it even more moving and emotional.
Urchin
Harris Dickinson / UK / 2025
If you know me, you'll probably know for how many years I've been following Harris Dickinson's career. I've been waiting for a feature film by Harris ever since he released the short film 2003 in 2021. From that moment on, I knew that this guy had stories to tell, and that's exactly what Urchin has delivered. I walked out of the cinema completely spellbound, surrounded by people laughing all around me, feeling that the guy sitting next to me was experiencing exactly the same thing as me and going through the same emotions. You can really see the influence Harris has drawn from Mike Leigh, capturing in the same way the realism and rawness, the essence of human behaviour and the dynamics of social classes in London. That influence makes me want to say nothing but good things about Urchin, and, just as in Mike Leigh's films, the characters and their behaviour are key. Frank Dillane is incredible and moved me to tears more than once with the sensitivity he always conveys.
I'd listen to Harris Dickison speaking live about anything and everything over and over again.
Lurker
Alex Russell / USA / 2025
Films that focus on obsession and the world of celebrities will always be famous, never has it been said better. We've got the 2025 version of Ingrid Goes West. Nightcrawler. And a bit of Whiplash. As I have said before, i really like films that show us characters where you never know how far they'll go or where their limits lie. Théodore Pellerin is my new client, a star is born. And my Archie is spot on, as always.
P.S.: Alex Russell gave us a telling-off for laughing at certain bits of the film. It's impossible not to laugh. Of course the person who wrote the scripts for The Bear and Beef has directed and written this film.
Couture
Alice Winocour / France / 2025
I don't have much to say about this one; it was the one I liked the least. It struck me as very hollow and flat, both in terms of the characters and the plot. And that script… A doctor telling his sick patient 'we’re all going to die'… That's when I wrote it off. I feel really sorry for Angelina because, to be honest, she's fantastic, but it's just not memorable.
Le Cri des Gardes
Claire Denis / France / 2025
I know I'm going to be going against the general public here, but I liked it. Some people get Claire Denis and some don't (I didn't like Stars at Noon). The moment you realise it's a play (often you just know), I think you have to switch your mindset. You have to bear in mind that it's clearly going to be a slow-paced film. They're clearly going to talk a lot, non-stop. But who's to say that's a bad thing? It's designed to make you focus on the script and the performances, and I think it succeeds in doing that. Shout-out to Tom Blyth, who specially shines.
O Agente Secreto
Kleber Mendonça Filho / Brazil / 2025
This is undoubtedly one of the films of the year and, for now, I'm firmly backing wagner moura for his oscar nomination. I'm going to keep championing him until I can't take it any more. Whenever I see him in anything, I'm reminded of what an incredibly good actor he is, and it really annoys me how little recognition he gets; he should be in more projects. Anyway, I didn't expect it to be so funny or that I'd laugh so much, but once you're drawn into it, it all just clicks… Now for my geekiest comment ever: there are several split diopter shots, and I'm glad this technique is gradually making a comeback (we were losing one of the best shots ever created).
Nuremberg
James Vanderbilt / USA / 2025
I didn't understand the need for so much comedy and so many jokes in a film that, in my view, had a rather serious tone (at least in terms of the subject matter and at the start). Then I realised that this guy had written a Spider-Man film, two Scream films and the Murder Mystery films. And, Zodiac? maybe now i understand it all a bit better. To his credit, he skilfully cooked with those references to contemporary fascism. Russell Crowe brings the accent, and Rami Malek brings the facial expressions and poses (I really like Rami, I'm very fond of him).
Die my Love
Lynne Ramsay / USA / 2025
Leaving aside the fact that I watched it in the worst possible spot (the front row of a huge cinema) (I had to wear earplugs), I loved it. I think I've said this before, but I'm fascinated by stories about post-pregnancy (and about pregnancy in general). Although I feel I'm someone without a maternal instinct, for some reason I'm always drawn to them. Jennifer Lawrence is perfect (as always!). She’s so electrifying… I don't know how she does it, but she always nails roles that involve trauma. Lynne Ramsay, you're so special.
Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro / USA / 2025
I'm not a huge fan of Frankenstein (the novel). I'm a fan of Mary Shelley, though. And of Guillermo del Toro. I really liked the structure and the way he chose to divide it into chapters. From the moment Jacob Elordi appeared on screen, I couldn't keep my eyes off the screen. Who would have thought that Jacob Elordi would have me on the verge of tears in that second half of the film? What he does physically struck me as incredible, whilst at the same time I felt my heart breaking into a thousand pieces. His movements are so delicate, fragile and violent… and to this day, I still find myself thinking about his performance. The soundtrack also reminded me so much of Ghibli's that it gave me goosebumps more than once. Thank you, Guillermo, for opening my eyes to the realisation that, at the end of the day, it turns out I do like Frankenstein after all.
Jay Kelly
Noah Baumbach / USA / 2025
Your mum, who's a huge George Clooney fan, is going to love it and will tell you 50 times over how handsome he is after watching this film! (and she's right.) I reckon that for those of us who've seen loads of his films, it's impossible not to get a bit emotional watching it. As someone who's watched and re-watched the Ocean films countless times, I can confirm this. It's clear that it could easily serve as a real-life comparison to Clooney's own life, as if the film were a reflection of his legacy. I'm so easy to please – just put Alba Rohrwacher on screen and I'm happy. And I know I keep saying this over and over again, but I love Adam Sandler in 'dramatic' and 'serious' roles. HOWEVER, Noah Baumbach, please start making films centred on women again, I miss you so much.
La Misteriosa Mirada del Flamenco
Diego Céspedes / Chile / 2025
I'd been looking forward to seeing this film ever since I read the synopsis when Zinemaldia released the programme. It's a queer ‘found family’ story, you know it's going to really stir things up inside you. It's sad, emotional and moving, yet at the same time it has those touches of humour and moments that make you feel happy and full of life. All this mixed with a touch of fantasy. And I don't care that there are plenty of films about AIDS with similar stories, there can never be enough of them.
Vie Privée
Rebecca Zlotowski / France / 2025
A film you'd sit down to watch with your mum after lunch. Literally. It's entertaining and funny; you'll have a few laughs watching Jodie Foster question her credentials as a psychiatrist and resort to hypnosis. And that's about it. Vincent Lacoste's five minutes on screen weren't enough; that loser-like face was completely wasted. And Virginie Efira is absolutely gorgeous. Like I'm sorry but at times I wasn't even following the plot, my mind was elsewhere. I also experienced one of the most surreal things that's ever happened to me in a cinema: several people started singing Psycho Killer when the song came on in the film. Like out loud. Where's the cinema etiquette gone?
Bugonia
Yorgos Lanthimos / Ireland / 2025
To be honest, I still haven't made up my mind about the film, so I haven't got much to say. Except that I reckon Lanthimos just does whatever he fancies. Whatever he wants. He couldn't care less. I was thinking about Luigi Mangione throughout the whole film. And about Marmalade from 2024 (if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!). And I also kept getting distracted by Jesse Plemons after having a glass of white wine before going into the cinema. I really like Jesse Plemons. Like a lot.