May 14, 2025 6:11 am

Roger Ebert Reviews

Cannes 2024: The Seed of the Sacred Fig, All We Imagine as Light, The Most Precious of Cargoes

Sometimes screenings at Cannes are showstoppers for reasons that exist apart from the films themselves. The Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof received a standing ovation when he went to take his seat in the Grand Theatre Lumière for yesterday’s premiere of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Surely most if not all of the audience members

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Kidnapped

Set in 1900s Italy, and based on a true story from Italian history, the story of “Kidnapped” is so primally upsetting that you would think that it would be unbearable to watch. But it proves intoxicating, at times nearly overwhelming, thanks to perfect casting, an economical and impassioned screenplay, and filmmaking overseen by 84-year old

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Cannes 2024: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, The Village Next to Paradise, Viet and Nam

In the three films for this Cannes dispatch, each selection is not only competing in Un Certain Regard. They’re also works where death begets truth. In one film, the truth concerns family secrets. In another, it brings a family together. It also shapes love. These films traverse stories—bleak comedy, family drama, and a queer romance—that

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Reclamation Through Restoration: Thelma Schoonmaker Talks Michael Powell, Martin Scorsese and Peeping Tom

“Peeping Tom,” Michael Powell’s ill-fated film maudit, may have led to the director’s premature career downturn, but today, the movie seems more celebrated than scorned. The new vivid restoration of the film brings its lurid color palette back to life and sharpens the intensity of Carl Boehm’s chilling performance. Now, the movie’s cautionary take on

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Cannes 2024 Video #5: The Apprentice, Rumours, The Shrouds, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and Chaz Ebert is on the ground to report on every development. In this video, Associate Editor Robert Daniels discusses “The Apprentice,” “Rumours,” “The Shrouds,” and “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.” Watch the video below. The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and Chaz Ebert is on the ground to report on every development. In

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The Beach Boys

There’s something so appropriately disheartening about a movie about The Beach Boys being too superficial. For generations, people accused the band behind hits like “God Only Knows” and “California Girls” of being too disposable, a pop candy confection compared to the denser work of bands like The Beatles or the many artists that followed them

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Sight

In Andrew Hyatt’s “Sight,” what you see is what you get. The movie is a straightforward inspirational narrative based on a true story. There are very few surprises in store or moments that stand out beyond the predictable plot points and emotional scenes that play their hand a little too heavily. Without looking up its

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