Mary Poppins (1964): Coming back once more to one my classics, it struck me as unlikely that the movie is as long as it is – closing in on 140 minutes. This makes it feel a tad stretched out, but it’s not that surprising, given that another one of my childhood classics, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) is even longer. Must have been something in the standard. There is always a touching beauty and warmth to MP though, as we experience the reconnecting between father and children in a very roundabout way indeed. Julie Andrews’s nuanced performance, Dick Van Dyke’s charm (who is about to turn 100 this year!) and the many memorable moments of song are the cherries on top of the unusually magical visuals of this Disney A-lister. 9
Anomalisa (2015): One of those movies that have been on my watchlist for a good, long while, Charlie Kaufman “is back”. I thought his first directorial duty in Synecdoche, New York (2008) was a failure, though there’s no way I could back that up now, it’s only the memory of disappointment that lingers. In Anomalisa, which distinctly feels like a writer’s movie, in the same way that Kaufman’s more successful ventures had, he creates a devastating portrayal of loneliness. I’m not even sure how to classify it, because between it’s unusual pacing, idiosyncratic visuals and intertwining themes and motifs, I’m left with the distinct sensation that I need to rewatch it to define exactly where I stand. At the same time however, the dismay it left left me with means that’s not bound to happen very soon. So I’ll leave it in a kind of limbo, where movies that are hard to define, but impossible to ignore live their own lives. 8
Sing Sing (2023): Prison movies have kind of gone of out fashion lately, with the macho-isms too familiar and the stories similarly so. What Sing Sing does to stand out is embed a few professional actors alongside real-life ex-convicts who have come through the “Rehabilitation Through Arts” program, which confers a special kind of authenticity to movie. Perhaps the mechanics of it are also familiar, but the execution is top-notch, doubled by a life-affirming story about redemption. Coleman Domingo is magnetic and instantly likeable, taking the edge off even the more uncomfortable moments, which makes him easy to root for. All in all, a great time. 8
Piccolo corpo (2021): Laura Samani’s debut feature is a well fleshed out movie, which plays very closely to the tradition of stories that sway between realism and fantasy. Agata, a biblical name that we don’t happen upon randomly in an adventure rooted in faith and dogma, gives birth to a stillborn girl. This means she can’t be named and baptized, damned to spend eternity in limbo. To avoid this, she hears of a monastery deep in the mountains, where supposedly infants can be brought to life for one breath, enough to ensure its baptism and liberation. She sets forth through the challenging set-pieces of the early 1900s and is joined by a guide-like figure, who just happens to be a striking resemblance to Ellen DeGeneres. The movie is grim and unforgiving, while sticking too closely to worn and treaded paths. But it has a quiet ethereal beauty to it, anchored by Celeste Cescutti’s stoic performance. 7
It Feeds (2025): I think this possession horror story is neatly put together, but asks the viewer to tolerate some annoying character choices. Starring Ashley Greene, Shawn Ashmore and Ellie O’Brien, a psychiatrist with extra powers has to face her own fears in order to save her daughter. In terms of what it’s like, you will probably think of, obviously, It Follows, but also, interestingly enough, Inception. Ultimately though, this is really a story about parents assuming responsibility and thereby protecting their children and IF mostly sticks the landing. It’s not standout, but solid enough for genre fans. 6
tributary stu 