Christopher Reed

1 week ago | filmfestivaltoday.com | Christopher Reed

“The President’s Wife” Mostly ShinesThe President’s Wife (Léa Domenach, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Born in 1932, Jacques Chirac was elected to the French presidency in 1995, serving two terms, the second one ending in 2007. A conservative lawmaker, he followed the socialist François Mitterand, whose prime minister he had been under a divided “cohabitation” government between from 1986 to 1988, after his center-right party had won legislative elections.

1 week ago | hammertonail.com | Christopher Reed

(Check out Chris Reed’s We Were Dangerousmovie review, It starts April 18 in L.A. before a nationwide rollout. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)In director Josephine Stewart Te-Whiu’s debut feature, We Were Dangerous, the time is 1954 and the place New Zealand. The subject is the subjugation—and forced Christianization—of young women and girls, many of them indigenous Māori, in the name of education and ostensible rehabilitation.

2 weeks ago | filmfestivaltoday.com | Christopher Reed

“Freaky Tales” Is a Fun Bay Area Cult FilmFreaky Tales (Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Full disclosure: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s new feature Freaky Tales feels made for me, as someone who grew up watching 1980s movies. Narrated by Bay Area rapper Too $hort, Freaky Tales is an anthology film set in Oakland, California, during the summer of 1987.

3 weeks ago | hammertonail.com | Christopher Reed

(Check out Chris Reed’s When Fall Is Comingmovie review, It starts April 4 at Film Forum before a nationwide rollout. Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)When Fall Is Coming, the new film from French director François Ozon (The Crime Is Mine), continues the cineaste’s long tradition of crafting complicated onscreen women and hiring excellent actresses to play them.

3 weeks ago | hammertonail.com | Christopher Reed

(Check out Chris Reed’s The Ballad of Wallis Island movie review, it’s in theaters now via Focus Features. Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)An adaptation of a 2007 short film from the same creative team (director, writers/co-stars), James Griffiths’ The Ballad of Wallis Island is a disarmingly sweet meditation on loss, grief, and healing.