By Roger Costa
WHO BY FIRE
A master in the exploration of adolescence and their incendiary desires, Canadian director Philippe Lesage’s latest sophisticated work flirts with influences on Bunuel, Assayas and Fellini. Set during a vacation at a remote wilderness lodge and told through the beats of the untamed desires of a teenage boy for his friend’s sister, Lesage crafts a good-spirited homage to cinema, long-lasting friendships, the cult of art, the mystery of erotic fantasies and the heartaches of first love.
As the youngsters fall in love and learn of past cinematic experiences, the adults set their issues straight while reflecting on the rules of the industry. Filled with wise dialog and elegant humor, it is a very perceptive, deeply humane and superbly acted dramedy. (KimStim. 3/14. Film at Lincoln Center)
THROUPLE
A vibrant Brooklyn-set Queer rom-com examining the dynamics of polyamory, Greyson Horst’s personal indie, humbly efficient and charming feature-length debut finds a lonely singer bumping into a married couple and becoming entangled in an unconventional relationship.
An audience favorite at last year’s NewFest and other major LGBTQ Festivals, Horst scores a promising debut, a captivating, provocative and very hot look at both the vulnerability and the pleasures of modern romance. (Dekkoo. 3/14. Quad Cinema)
AN UNFINISHED FILM
Just as we ring in the 5th anniversary of the COVID Pandemic, director Lou Ye reminds us of that moment in history where everything became upended. This precise and fascinating docufiction kicks off as a beautiful, mysterious homage to cinema as the director reunites his crew to finish a film they left uncompleted a decade before.
As they watch shots and discuss the creative process, COVID strikes changing the core and pace of the film, from meditation on art to a suspenseful, unexpectedly violent thriller reflecting on the early days of the pandemic and its social impact. An urgent and poignant study on the fragility of humanity and the strength of survival. (Film Movement. 3/14. Film Forum)
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