Cine Shorts
Conclave: A gripping drama in the unlikely setting of the Vatican, as cardinals vye to become the new Pope amid sabotage and suspicions. Bursting with intrigue, plot twists and deception and a starstudded cast led by Ralph Fiennes. Sumptuous, audacious stuff. *****
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy: Renee Zellweger returns as a widowed Bridget with two young kids to raise, guided and misguided by contradictory ideas on how widowhood should look. She forges her own messy path, giving us laughs and teary moments along the way. Predictable, perhaps, but sweet and funny. ***
A Real Pain: Mismatched cousins take a tour to pay tribute to their grandmother who survived the holocaust, but the real sadness lies inside Benji (Kieran Caulkin). Culkin makes him infuriating and grating, so the movie is an odd blend of partly intolerable, partly fascinating. ***
Anora: Mikey Madison is fabulously fiesty as a young sex worker who meets and impulsively marries the wayward son of a Russian Mafia-style couple. The Russian goons sent to get the marriage annulled are hilarious. Part comedy, part soft porn, wholly entertaining. A triumph for writer-director Sean Baker. *****
September 5: Based on the true story of the 1992 Olympics when Israeli athletes were held hostage by terrorists. This tense tale follows the American sports crew suddenly covering the hottest news in the world. Look out for the moral questions it poses, and the 'what would I have done?' moments. ****
