Solid, stately and — like the collapsing Papal States of the Italian Peninsula in the late 1800s — just a little too tradition-bound for its own good, Marco Bellocchio’s “Kidnapped,” based on a 19th-century case of religious abduction, opens with an eavesdrop. Anna (Aurora Camatti), the Catholic servant to the…
Production Design
At the Cannes Film Festival, Italy’s 102 Distribution is selling thriller “Light Falls,” directed by Phedon Papamichael, the cinematographer on James Mangold’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Papamichael, who was Oscar nominated for handling the cinematography on Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago…
When you think of Rupert Friend, chances are you remember his five seasons as CIA operative Peter Quinn on “Homeland” or his turn as the Grand Inquisitor on “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” But recently he’s become the latest member of Wes Anderson’s acting troupe, following up his role in 2021’s “The French…
The TV Academy has denied the petition for Apple’s “Schmigadoon!” to move from submitting for outstanding comedy series to the scripted variety category, Variety has learned exclusively. It had been reported that the streamer had filed an official petition to move the show into the newly titled scripted variety category…
When last we saw the title character of Mani Ratnam’s epic “Ponniyin Selvan” saga, the real-life prince who would expand the Chola empire from South India all the way to the Ganges in the north was drowning as he crossed from Lanka to India. Instead of picking up at that…
Steve Martin casually dropped the release date for the third season of “Only Murders in the Building” during his “You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today!” touring show alongside Martin Short. At Saturday’s 8 p.m. show at the Walt Disney Theater. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in…
“Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” and medical comedy-drama “This Is Going to Hurt” walked away with three awards each at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards on Sunday. This year’s ceremony, which salutes behind-the-scenes talent, was hosted by former “Bake Off” judge Mel Giedroyc. HBO’s “House of the…
The hot-button issue of abortion is approached in a humane, meaningful way in “Cherry,” an intimate dramedy about a young woman forced to make the toughest decision of her life in a very short timeframe. Making immediate her emotional and physical struggles as she explores whether or not to keep…
The Oscars love a sprawling biopic, an underdog character and a triumphant tale marred by obstacles and resulting in success. Those themes have marked the sports genre since the creation of cinema. In the Academy Awards’ history, 591 movies have been nominated for best picture, with 95 winners named among…
The various elements of writer-director-star Louis Garrel’s low-key comic crime caper don’t sound that original at first glance. The audience-friendly plot involves a troubled thirtysomething, Abel (Garrel), lured by family connections into assisting with a heist in order to protect those he loves. In addition to this conscience-plagued hero, the…
Brooke Shields came pretty close to starring in Stephen Frears’ 1988 period drama “Dangerous Liaisons” alongside John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer and Keanu Reeves. “They told me it came down to me and someone else,” Shields tells me. “They said the other person was this girl not many people…
Making a rom-com that cuts through the clutter these days can be a tall order. Once a regular date-night megaplex staple, most seem to wind up buried on streaming platforms, easily lost soon after their release. So it’s welcome when a filmmaker comes at the genre with admiration, reverence and…