EUyeshima

Maggie Cheung would have been the perfect Marnie or Eve Kendall in "North by Northwest" if she had an opportunity to work with Alfred Hitchcock in his prime. In a succession of gorgeous printed cheongsam dresses, she exudes the glamorous mystique that makes Tony Leung's character's inchoate attraction completely understandable. The irony is that she isn't playing a seductress but quite the opposite in director/screenwriter Wong Kai-Wai's acclaimed 2000 romantic drama, which is being re-released into arthouse theaters this month. Set in Hong Kong in 1962, the story focuses on a central couple, Su Li-zhen and Chow Mo-wan, with a straightforward narrative that exposes a multitude of emotional complexities. Both married but not to each other, they're unexpected neighbors who develop a codependency through their mutual loneliness and gradually discover their spouses are having an affair. Determined to remain chaste despite the constant temptation, their deepening friendship still can't prevent them from falling in love. With their movie star looks, Cheung and Leung convey their characters' inner turmoil with subtle conviction and quite often in sensually silent gazes. All the technical elements enhance the power of the film immeasurably - Christopher Doyle's evocative cinematography, Williams Chang's rich production design and striking costumes, even the repeated use of Osvaldo Farrés' "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" on the soundtrack. While I can see how some people may get bored by it, the film's seductive pull is unmistakable.

Despite a multitude of plot contrivances, the 2025 reboot is ultimately a success thanks primarily to a pervasive sense of humor and an unapologetic return to the open-hearted earnestness of the Christopher Reeve years including John Williams' heroic theme music. Director, screenwriter and DC Studios co-head James Gunn has thrown out not only the darkness of Zach Snyder's last two Superman entries but also gratefully the more-than-familiar origin story. The plot instead picks up Superman three years after gaining prominence saving the world from disaster. Still maintaining his alter ego as bumbling intrepid reporter Clark Kent, he's in a burgeoning but prickly relationship with fellow Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane. This time, Superman is a more flawed being as he grapples between his alien and human identities, a point capitalized by arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, who while quite brilliant, is still psychotically jealous of the superhero. All of that is familiar ground, so there are new players introduced like the metahumans with superpowers equal to Superman's, the "Justice Gang" of fellow heroes each with unique powers, and not least of all, Krypto the Superdog. Add a third-world revolution, a meta-prison called a "pocket universe", and a not-so-subtle political consciousness that crosses over to current events, and you'll find enough material for three sequels. In response, the cast is terrific starting with David Corenswet who manages to add a credible naïveté and vulnerability to a heroic portrayal of Superman rife with expectations. He comes closest to replicating Reeve's humanistic approach. Rachel Brosnahan brings the right level of stubborn spunk to Lois, evoking classic smart women from an earlier era like Rosalind Russell (though I still missed Margot Kidder's quirkiness). As a baby-faced Luthor, Nicholas Hoult is believably malevolent even if his character is clearly modeled after Elon Musk. There are also standout turns from Edi Gathegi as the poker-faced Mr. Terrific and Nathan Fillion in an ugly bowl haircut as Guy Gardner. Fans of the Richard Donner/Richard Lester films should rejoice.

It really shouldn't have worked, and this 2025 cross-genre film doesn't quite make it to its intended finish line. However, director/screenwriter Ryan Coogler has made a boldly audacious film that combines a vivid look at life in the Jim Crow South with the elusive power of freedom represented by the Depression-era blues music played in a Mississippi juke joint created overnight by identical twins Smoke and Stack Moore. Coogler gets away with the drastic genre switch into vampire horror in the film's second half by hinting at the transition early in the story and reinforcing the narrative parallels with the real-life violent persecution experienced at the time including a surreptitious twist with the involvement of the local KKK. The introduction of Irish-immigrant vampire Remmick quickly dials up the horror elements with a visceral racial dynamic, and this leads to a not unexpected climax that ultimately felt excessive and somewhat hurried relative to the film's heretofore methodical pacing despite the obvious adrenaline rush Coogler tried to achieve. Starting with Michael B. Jordan's charismatic "Dead Ringers"-like (albeit sometimes indistinguishable) turn as the twins, the cast delivers quite well within the conventional expectations of the genre. Standouts include Miles Caton as the film's true protagonist Sammie, Wunmi Mosaki as Smoke's estranged wife Annie, Jack O'Connell as the venal Remmick, and Delroy Lindo as mercenary harmonica player Delta Slim. The technical elements evoking the period and location are aces, in particular, Autumn Durald Arkapaw's rich cinematography, Hannah Beachler's highly specific production design, and Ludwig Goransson's hybrid musical score. The clever post-credits scene provides a fitting coda.