By 
By Roger Costa
AFTER EVERYTHING
Writers-Directors Hannah Marks and Joey Power’s impressive debut follows the troubles of a promiscuous young man living in modern days NYC and caught up by the unexpected news of a penis-related cancer. Jeremy Allen White gives a breakthrough performance as the protagonist, building up a playful, wise guy with coherent levels of humor and dramatic skills. Award-winning actress Maika Monroe (who gained fame with the horror-hit “It Follows”) plays his love interest, a determined girl who decides partnering with him as he goes on a journey of suffering and treatment, but also, time to rebuild himself and plan strategies for the uncertain future. Lively, witty and timely, it’s a heartfelt and moving dramedy about finding true love and dealing with sickness. Through insightful dialogue and affective performances, the film presents its material with urgency and compassion, lighting up some hope with uplifting humor. (Good Deed Entertainment. 10/12. IFC Center.)
BARBARA
Apparently exhausted and anxiously lonely, a famous singer sits at a bar, and tosses a script to a random guy sitting on the other end, with whom she rehearses parts of it. A simple yet complete take that precisely defines the artist, the iconic figure, the strong person, the fragility and mystery of the famous singer. Born Monique Serf in 1930, Barbara experienced a glamorous, diva-style career in the 60’s obsessed with finding perfection through rhythms and tones, a devoted and compulsive composer. Jeanne Balibar shines in the title-role, creating a complex, mysteriously melancholic persona. She won this year’s César Award for Best Actress while writer-director Mathieu Amalric nabbed the Un Certain Regard Award in Cannes. Shot in a dreamlike atmosphere, this film-within-a-film blends satirical elements, Avant-garde, metaphorical language for identity crisis and a poetic homage to the process of creating art (music, film, images), resulting in a deeply contemplative work displaying Amalric’s maturity as a filmmaker. (Gaumont. 10/12. Anthology Film Archives.)
OVER THE LIMIT
An intimate portrait of an athlete defying her own limits in order to conquer a respectful place among the finalists for the Olympics, documentarian Marta Prus’s sophomore feature is a brilliant examination on human resistance and eagerness. It follows the excitement and anxiety of Russian rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun as she prepares for a decisive tournament leading to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The director’s inclusive aesthetic brings us into the girl’s emotions, an unstoppable and fearless young woman determined to achieve (deservedly) the title of best in the world. Triumphant! (Film Movement. 10/12. Quad Cinemas.)
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