Film review

Spanish film, 'My Friend Eva' - an unromantic comedy, defined by covert cynicism

It’s usually the men in movies who have this kind of sudden-onset midlife crisis, but here it’s Eva who impulsively decides to move out of her apartment and start dating.

MAY 6, 2026|ByHANNAH BROWN

Nora Navas and Rodrigo de la Serna in 'My Friend Ava.'

Luc Besson's ‘June and John’ bogged down by clichés - review

The new film is a throwback to the days when eccentric female protagonists were called “kooky.”

MAY 5, 2026|ByHANNAH BROWN

MATTHEW SHEAR and Amanda Peet in ‘Fantasy Life.’

'Fantasy Life,' rife with Jewish-American comedy, turns anxiety into an offbeat love story

Fantasy Life is anything but pat, and although I enjoyed the movie when I saw it in Haifa, I found it even funnier and more interesting when I re-watched it on a computer link.

MARCH 31, 2026|ByHANNAH BROWN

DENIS PODALYDÈS plays author Georges Simenon’s distinguished inspector Maigret in ‘Maigret and the Dead Lover’

‘Maigret and the Dead Lover’: Bringing French detective back to big screen - review

For those who enjoyed the books, the movie will bring them back to the atmosphere of the police headquarters on the Quai des Orfevres.

MARCH 31, 2026|ByHANNAH BROWN

The French Festival in Israel comes of age with diverse mix of films - review

This year's festival features a wide variety of films, mixing classics with contemporary films and star-studded casts.

MARCH 19, 2024ByHANNAH BROWN

‘The Other Widow’: A complex story of two women

It’s appropriate that the movie opened just in time for International Women’s Day, although of course Rypp never imagined it would be released during wartime.

MARCH 11, 2024ByHANNAH BROWN

A SCENE from ‘The Other Widow’ with Ania Bukstein (left) and Dana Ivgy.

Hipsters will love 'Robot Dreams' - review

Recreating the East Village of decades ago will be fun for adult viewers, but not for the vast majority of children, so ignore how appealing this movie looks on the poster and don’t bring your kids.

FEBRUARY 28, 2024ByHANNAH BROWN

New film 'Shoshana' tells a love story in the shadow of history - review

The movie uses a newsreel format to give the story historical context and to lay out the many different factions who fought each other during the pre-state years.

JANUARY 31, 2024ByHANNAH BROWN

MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM’S ‘Shoshana.’ might have worked better as a mini-series than a movie, the writer opines.

'A Difficult Year': An easy-to-enjoy film hits Israel - review

Since we are now experiencing a truly difficult year, it’s nice to have a movie like this to help us get through it.

JANUARY 27, 2024ByHANNAH BROWN

The worst of times, the best of movies

Here are my 10 best international films this year (with one exception, these all played in movie theaters in Israel), followed by the 10 best Israeli movies.

DECEMBER 30, 2023ByHANNAH BROWN

‘Ferrari’ feels as if it’s stuck in second gear at times - film review

The movie reinvents no wheels. But it sure knows how to film ’em.

DECEMBER 26, 2023ByMICHAEL PHILLIPS

‘Rebel Moon’ fails to land its own mythology - film review

Netflix’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire,” attempts to create a ready-made Star Wars-like series with its own internal mythology and iconography.

DECEMBER 19, 2023ByMARK OLSEN