ROSEMEAD (2025) opens Friday

 

A woman tries to come to terms with the fact that her son is not taking his schizophrenia medication and is becoming more violent while not letting anyone know about the experimental cancer treatment she is taking may not be working.

This is a sold drama that show cases Lucy Liu’s true acting ability. Disappearing into the role of a mother being broken by life’s turns Liu sheds her flashy big budget persona to become a small woman trying to do right by her son. It’s a heartbreaking role that could put her in the Oscar mix if the film’s campaign can gain traction. She truly is stunning in a far from showy role that needs to be shepherded in front of academy voters.

Beyond her performances this is a solid little drama that’s worth your time.

EAST OF WALL (2025)

In the death of her husband a young woman who runs a horse ranch where she takes care of troubled teens tries to soldier on.

A hit at Sundance and at Tribeca EAST OF WALL is beautiful film with some great performances from a cast of largely nonfactors playing themselves. It’s a moving slice of life.

My question with the film is why this film is essentially docu-fiction when the best things in the film are the documentary sequences. This isn’t to say that the film is bad, it isn’t.  This more to say that their efforts to tack a narrative on to the proceedings makes this feel clunky.  This being a narrative, even one based on real life, makes you assume that there is a narrative thread of sorts. Instead, this is more like an observational documentary like the work of Frederick Wiseman. In reading on people’s reaction to the film I completely understand why some people who saw it were confused by the film not having a conventional story.

On the other hand, if you can take the film on its own terms, it is a moving film with some genuinely great people at its center.

Sovereign (2025)

I fully expect Nick Offerman to get aan Oscar nomination for his role as Jerry Kane, who along with his son Joe (Jacob Trembly) end up in a violent shoot out with police who didn't recognize his claim to being a sovereign citizen.

Told from the point of view of Joe, the film follows the last few weeks in the lives of the pair. They are fighting to hold on to their house, but it isn't working. Jerry's lectures on acting as a sovereign citizen (esentially they feel that the US government has been co-oped and as such does not have authority over them.) are not being attended. Money is non existent. Some run ins with the law put them on the radar of the sheriff (Dennis Quaid) and it all comes to ahead when some state troopers stop them.

It should be stated that the events depicted are not the complete story. Things have been changed. I mention this because people always assume the movie is the gospel truth when it isn't. Having done some reading on the case after the fact I'm not so certain that Joe was moving away from sovereignty as he is in the film.

However the film works on it's own terms. It's so masterfully put together that it works despite making some cliched choices and some ticky box turns.  You will forget that the film opens with a radio call of a witness recounting the shooting that sets the tragedy in motion, an event that happens later in the film with no one around. Serious, you won't care that this film plays out very similarly to similar stories. (Of coure it doesn't hurt that this is a story that feels part of the moment)

The reason this film works so will is the cast. Everyone shines. The real stan out here is Nick Offer man who has put himself in  the running for an Oscar. The point where Offerman earns the Oscar nom is in the moments when the bravado falls away and you see him as a scared little man who doesn't really have a clue. There is a sad heartbreak in the final section as he acts with his whole being. As Michael Caine says the acting is in the eyes and Offerman's confusion and implosion is written in letters ten feet tall in his eyes. Sure his voice and manner is his patented smart ass know it all, but his face and eyes give us a real person instead of what had been a caricature.

I understand why director Bill Lustig hounded me to see the film at Tribeca..

Recommended.

LAST GUEST IN THE HOLLOWAY MOTEL (2025) Tribeca 2025

 Every year at Tribeca you walk blind into a film and come out blown away by a film off everyone’s radar.  It’s a film the audience walks out of and wonders if we really saw the film we just saw or not. This year, on one of the last days of the festival LAST GUEST became that film.

I’m going to be no forth coming about what happens in the film because the film ultimately is an ever changing one with revelation that literally happen all the way through the end credits.  You can’t leave until the screen goes black because things keep happening.

The film is the story of Tony Powell who was the last person at The Holloway Motel. The property has been sold and it is going to be turned into homeless housing.  Powell is waiting for word as to when he needs to be gone by.  As he waits and makes his plans he talks about his life as life begins throwing curve balls at him.

While I am not going to say much I will say that Powell is a former soccer player from England who came to the US and stayed, essentially disappearing from the lives of everyone in England.  What happened and happens is not what you expect, an it makes for a compelling viewing.  It also results in multiple moments that left me crying.

This film is just great storytelling. I can’t recommend this film enough.

A SECOND LIFE (2025) Tribeca 2025

 Second Life is a great film. I was told by William Lustig, director of Maniac and Maniac Cop that it was one of the best films at Tribeca and I had to see it. That may sound weird having a horror director recommend a lovely drama but Lustig is a film fan first and he wants to see anything other than horror. I have  almost never discussed actual horror films with him.

The film is the story of a young woman in Paris during the recent Olympics. Her job is to get customers to their Air BNBs and make sure they are happy. She is largely miserable inside and trying to decide if she is going to stay or go. Along the way she meets a bouncy American and as they walk through the streets she comes back alive.

This film is pure magic. This is the reason I love the movies. It’s a wonderfully told story about real people. It’s a portrait of a few days in time. There are some revelations, much to chew on, and just great time with great characters. 

I was moved.

I was moved so much that I tried to get to an in person screening just so I could see it and have the world disappear.

Pretty much perfect from start to finish A SECOND LIFE is q film you need to see and to give yourself over to.

Highly recommended it will make you smile for days.

SHAM (2025) Tribeca 2025

 Takashi Miike  goes into seemingly unexpected direction, or unexpected if you haven’t see the wide depth of the hundreds of  films he’s made. The film is not a violent action film  but a measured exploration of he said she said where a teacher is accused of bullying one of his students. He never truly says he is guilty even as his school buckles under the hint of scandal.

Essentially a three part film , the mother’s version, the teacher’s version and then the court room case. It’s a film you have to stay with until it catches it footing, about a half an hour in, and then it is gangbusters. This is an incredibly well done drama about the cost of giving in to a falsehood. (that isn’t a spoiler since the film is supposedly based on an actual court case).

While the film doesn’t have a great deal of bells and whistles, it does have a rock solid hand steering things. Miike truly is one of the best directors working today. He is a man who can do anything and make it look easy. Why he isn’t better known  and why people don’t watch more of his films (all his films are not AUDITION or --- or ---) I will see anything Miike does simply because it truly will not be like anything else out there, even if it is a remake or version of a familiar tale.

Shame is a great film and highly recommended.

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a look at artist Jens Haaning who scammed the Kunsten Museum out of $84,000 by giving them two empty frames instead of the cash in the frames. This caused a fire storm as the museum tried to get the money back, Hanning tried to stay out of trouble and leverage the controversy to his advantage.

Say what you will, Haaning is a scammer. He is the sort of artist that I have known for years who take advantage of rich stupid people and institutions by telling something cheap is worth a fortune. While I have a deep love of art I don’t like many artists and I’d like to pop them in the face.

Haaning is one I want to hit. He is clearly running scams and some times he makes money and more often he doesn’t has the vast  number of unsold works he still has. That he spent the money as soon as he got it isn’t surprising.  That he freaks out when he realizes things are not going to go his way is even less surprising.  

I was amused and horrified that we let con men like Haaning get away with his nonsense.

Worth a look.

STATE OF FIRSTS (2025) Tribeca 2025

Portrait of Congress Woman Sarah McBride who is the first openly Trans woman in Congress.

This is a super portrait of McBride from her birth to the present. It’s the story of a woman who was always interested in politics and who has stepped on the stage at an important moment, 

While I have seen other tellings of  McBride‘s tale before this is the best. It gives us lots of time to get to know her and what she stands for. While the film could be accused of being a bit too loving, she does not appear to have a dark side, I have no issue with it, simply because in a time of hate, a purely positive film is welcomed.

Highly Recommended.

MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE (2025) Tribeca 2025

 This is a look at the birth of House music. It’s a Chicago centric look at the creation of the musical genre by the people who lived it.

This is a wonderful film. One of the first films I saw at Tribeca at the festival, it was a film I have been talking up ever since.  The film has a great beat and you can dance to it.

What makes the film so good are the stories told. The film explains the why and how and where it all went down. It reveals to us how the elements came together and most importantly how House influenced everything that came after it.

Is it the gospel truth, I say that having seen other films claiming to tell the story, I have no idea, but quite honestly it is the best telling I’ve seen and the most enjoyable.

The last two films I saw for Tribeca 2025: REBECCA and EMPIRE SKATE

While I will have a a couple more reviews coming from the festival I wanted to get my thoughts on the final two films I saw for the fest because I only had short reviews in me:

REBBECA
This is a Live Nation produced portrait of singer and actress Becky G (Rebbeca Marie Gomez) as she puts her new album together.

This is a slick, by the number and over polished film that feels like so many prepackaged film. This film is so slick that even the live music sounds prerecorded.  This isn't to say that the film is bad, just so by the numbers that odds are unless you are a fan you aren't going to be maddly in love with the film.

For fans.

EMPIRE SKATE
This is a 30 for 30 look at the NYC skate culture that grew up around the Supreme brand.

This is one of the rare 30 for 30 films that didn't fully resonate with me. This feels like there is an assumption that we are aware of the subject. I was not fully and I kind of felt lost. The real problem was that I never fully connected with it and as a result I just kind of let it wash over me.

Worth a look, because it isn't bad, but this is best for people familiar with the subject.

ON A STRING (2025) Tribeca 2025

A violist still living with her parents tries to sort out her life and the ex-boyfriend who informs her that philharmonic has an opening for a viola opening.

Isabel Hagen writes, directs and stars in this charming little film. Hagen has created a film with some really wonderful moments and some great characters. I laughed repeatedly at some of the things that happen (the opening wedding proposal is destined to be considered a classic).  I was delighted.

My only complaint about the film is there are a couple of quirky turns that don't really need to be there (I'm looking at you obnoxious brother). It makes me think that the next time out, assuming Hagen doesn't use the quirks she'll make a perfect film.

This is a film that's worth your time.

Recommended.

 

JUST KIDS (2025) TRIBECA 2025

This is the story of several trans kids who are trying to just live their lives in an age when the far right is trying to control them.

This is a lovely portrait of some people who are just trying to live their own lives but are in danger of circumstance and politics preventing that from happening.

This film will move you. The reason is that this film is simply a portrait of a bunch of kids who just are. They are not remotely what the right would have you believe, but they are instead just kids.  And their families are just regular people struggling to do what is best for their kids, including moving from one state to another just so they can get life affirming care.(And the film makes clear that the care isn't always meds, but simply be able to get support and advice). There is no flash, just life. This film makes clear that the fear mongering is pure BS.

This is an important film that corrects the hysteria.

Recommended.

It's Dorothy (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a life and times of Dorothy Gale, the lead character in The Wizard of Oz, the book, the movies and the place of all of them in the hearts of millions.

One of the best films of 2025, IT'S DOROTHY is a glorious celebration of The Wizard of Oz. This film gloriously lays out why the story, in all it's forms, means something. This is a film that explains why the story is important. 

What I love about the film is that in addition to telling us why the story means something, it makes us feel the importance. We connect to the love people feel for the film and we emotionally understand why people connect. I make this point because earlier in Tribeca there was a film about the love people feel for Jack Keroauc's On The Road. It makes the case intellectually but not emotionally. We don't feel any connection to the beat classic. However we do feel the connection to Oz.

I was moved to tears. I found myself connecting to the people on screen, which connected me to the people in my life. I could feel why the books, or the the film, ot THE WIZ or WICKED means the world to them.

This film is magnificent.

Highly recommended.

Wendy Feinberg's Photos from the Tribeca 2025 Premiere of DEPECHE MODE: M

 

THE PRICE OF MILK (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a look at milk in America... and the dairy industry in country as well. It's a complex story that is going to piss you off...in a good way.

Starting with the Got Milk Campaign  the film spins off into some unexpected directions revealing that the dairy industry is messed up with the Federal government taking money from small farmers for campaign that won't help them and how companies like Fair Life scam the system to make millions which they use to further scam the system to make more money.

I got pissed off. I got pissed off because this film revealed all sorts of bad and good things that I never knew.  Walking out of the press screening I knew I wanted to see this again, when I wasn't at the end of a long day of seeing movies.

Whether or not you like milk this film is a must since it says a great deal about how we live our lives.

Star Trek Strange New World Season 3 Episode 1- Tribeca 2025

I went to see the first episode of the new season of Star Trek Strange New World with John and Bully at Tribeca. They screened the episode and then did a Q&A.

The episode is the second part of a story involving an invasion by the Gorn. Seeing it without seeing the first part I was enthralled. I picked everything up easily. It was awesome and now I have to go back and see what went before.

The Q&A was a lot of fun. It was a delight listening to the moderator try to trip up Akiva Goldsman on the seeming "mistakes" in Trek.  Goldsman had answers for everything. I also loved seeing Carol Kane talking about how she never watched Trek and had no idea what she was getting into. It was wonderfully refreshing.

I had a blast and as someone old enough to have been watching the series since the original run it was old home week despite my never having seen an episode.

MY MOM JAYNE: A FILM BY MARISKA HARGITAY (2025) Tribeca 2025

Mariska Hargitay assembles her family and the friends who knew her mother, Jayne Mansfield. Hargitay is trying to connect with the mother who she barely remembers (Hargitay was three years old when her mom was killed in a car accident)

This film is not really about Mansfield the movie star, but about Mom. This is a film that looks to help Hargitay sort out who her mom was and why she did the things that she did.  It's an incredibly personal film that is not going to play well for anyone who is looking for the life of a star, it is instead the life of a woman behind the Hollywood persona. Hargitay wants us to feel the woman who spoke as she did at home and not the one on the movie screen.

This is an intriguing film. It's a film that holds our attention because the film simply doesn't go and do as we expect it to. There are some interesting twists here and little facts that most people who are not Mansfield superfans would know. For example, while I knew Mariska was in the car during the crash, I didn't realize that they authorities didn't know she was in the crashed car and only found her when one of her brothers asked if she was okay. They then went back and found her wedged under the front seat.

Ultimately this is a lovely film about finding oneself and refinding a deeper connection to our families.\

Recommended.

Wendy Feinberg Photos from the Tribeca 2025 Premiere of THE ROSE : COME BACK TO ME

 

A Matter of Time (2025) Tribeca 2025

 Eddie Vedder gives a performance to raise money to help cure epidermolysis bullosa, a painful genetic disease that makes the skin seperate from the body. The skin ends up as fragile as a butterfy's wings. As we watch Vedder perform we get to know several of the people suffering from the disease.

This was one of the best films at Tribeca and maybe 2025. It was an absolute sin that this film played late in the festival because it greatly reduced the audience for the film and it prevented it from having a chance of winning many awards. I was the only member of the press in the screening and it was a fraking shame.

This film will moved you - bring tissues. The young people struggling to live their lives will break your heart with what they have to suffer and make your spirit soar because you will understand that we humans can overcome anything.

What I loved was that Eddie Vedder comes off a genuine wonderful person. His comments to and about the people we have met makes you realize that he loves each and everyone and that he considers the as friends. Too often you see celebrities phone in the love, but not here. When he introduces Better Man and dedicates it to one of his friends who passed you feel his loss.

This film is a great film.  You need to see this, for all sorts of reasons, but mostly to see some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. 

Highly recommended.

Wendy Feinberg's Photos from the Tribeca 2025 Premiere of ANDY KAUFMAN IS ME