Monthly Archives: December 2025

12.16.25
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The Testament of Ann Lee

Mona Fastvold’s latest endeavor is almost impossible to describe, but will certainly cast its bizarre spell on many viewers. Amanda Seyfried gives her most potent performance yet, portraying a woman whose faith and guidance becomes relentless in the face of tragedy and hardship. The film brings to light the story of the Shakers, a religious group whose form of worship and communion were rather unique, and compliments the musical element of the film, as their worship is practically in very visceral song and dance. Lewis Pullman and Thomasin McKenzie also greatly stand out here.

The cinematography and the editing make the film almost dream-like, to evoke the state of divinity the worshippers must’ve felt, but also touches on intense and difficult imagery that tests the characters and their surroundings to the brink. Though it’s a slow burn that may lose some for various reasons, it’s also captivating and singular. It works not just as a biopic but as a fascinating experiment that boasts a tremendous leading performance from Seyfried. The film is darkly beautiful and visionary, and it’s impossible to resist its hallucinatory trance.

12.14.25
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Is This Thing On?

There’s something pure in seeing the healing nature of art and how it helps people through tough times — but watching a character embrace stand-up comedy means both the audience within the movie and the audience of the film, as in us, gets to laugh, if the movie’s well-written enough. Is This Thing On? hits all the right notes thanks to its funny and vulnerable script and pitch-perfect casting of its two leads.

Will Arnett gives far and away the most wonderful performance of his career, never letting his signature goofiness get in the way of something raw and delicate. The way he finds joy through a new hobby, and many who find that comedy puts just a little beneath his wings, feels so cinematic. Laura Dern is terrific and gives so much to the character’s complexity, and at times the story is very much her own.

Cooper’s direction knows when to be showy and when to close in very intimately, while the script does a great job portraying the complexities of love, even as its practicality and patience fades, and sometimes even reignites. What thankfully subverts expectations is that neither character going through this divorce is “unlikable” or acting in a way that feels to irrational or hard to sympathize with. They can be flawed and distant, but very much easy to care for and understand. Arnett and Dern are splendid together and feel so perfectly matched every second we see them both on the screen. The film has just the right amount of silly yet smart laughs, which never compromise the film’s truthful humanity and intelligence.

12.06.25
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Jay Kelly

Noah Baumbach’s largest film in cast and scale isn’t his best work or even close, but certainly one of his most ambitious. George Clooney stars as the titular Hollywood actor seeking to reconcile with his daughters as he is about to be given a lifetime achievement honor in Europe. Jay’s relationship with his manager Ron is the film’s real heart here, with Adam Sandler not only stealing the entire film but giving one of the best performances of his entire career. Ron is torn between his devotion to his client and dear friend, and the heartache of missing out on time with his wife and kids. Sandler gives the character a dimensional charm, conflict, and vulnerability. Laura Dern is also outstanding as Jay’s publicist, also frustrated as she’s desperately trying to fulfill the impossible role of chasing Jay around and covering for him.

Many other familiar faces give very strong performances here, although Baumbach’s directing here stands out even more than his writing this time around. The film’s approach to memory and distance is very interesting, as is the idea of this “king” finally spending time with ordinary people who perceive him as a legend of sorts. However, the main storyline between Jay and his daughters doesn’t quite have the emotional weight that’s needed, with the themes being a bit too obvious and the film just lacking enough screen time with his youngest daughter to feel the way the movie wants us to about the main father-daughter relationship here. A performance moment and line delivery from Clooney in the film’s final moments, however, elevates the entire film and brings the themes full circle, even if it takes that long for them to really hit hard. Jay Kelly doesn’t live up to the excellence of Baumbach’s best storytelling like Marriage Story, but is still big yet introspective, with Clooney and Sandler standing out together, and the latter’s performance resonating in particular.