Movies Update: When David Beckham did the dishes

Plus, what's your favorite holiday movie?

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 17, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, movie fans! It seems like every week brings a new documentary about a celebrity — like "Sly," "Arnold" or "Beckham," all focused on subjects so well known that full names aren't necessary. In many, but not all, cases, the star is among the producers, and my colleague Calum Marsh wondered whether it was possible to produce a portrait that could ever hope to be balanced or objective. He spoke to the directors of those films and learned that what went on behind the scenes involves a delicate mix of negotiation and persuasion. Consider a moment in which the soccer star is washing dishes. The "Beckham" director Fisher Stevens said it took more than a year to convince the athlete to include the footage in the final cut. "I was like, 'David, please, this is who you are, this is what you do,'" Stevens told us, adding, "Nothing was like, 'OK, let's go.' It takes time." The filmmaker Lesley Chilcott said she urged her subject, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to discuss his mistakes and controversies. "Did he want to talk about those issues? No, he didn't. Did he want to keep putting it off once he agreed to it? Yes," she said, adding, "He had the wisdom to know that this can't just be black and white and just be about his successes." Elsewhere in the movie world, it's a busy time for new releases, and our critics have thoughts. There are much-anticipated films like the lurid drama "Saltburn" and the admiring biopic "Rustin." And then there's the Finnish deadpan comedy "Fallen Leaves," which Manohla Dargis has made a Critic's Pick. She writes that it's about a man and a woman "leading lives of quiet desperation, though because this is an Aki Kaurismaki movie, their despair comes with great comic timing." Speaking of great timing, is there a movie that you've watched every year, alone or with loved ones, as part of a holiday tradition? What movie experiences during the holidays stick in your mind? We'd like to hear from you for a possible story. Go here to share your memories. In the meantime, enjoy the movies! Netflix 'Rustin' Review: A Crucial Civil Rights Activist Gets His Due Colman Domingo carries this biopic of a March on Washington organizer, the first narrative feature from Michelle and Barack Obama's production company. By Manohla Dargis Amazon Studios 'Saltburn' Review: A Promising Young Man Takes a Seedy Turn In the new film from Emerald Fennell, Barry Keoghan plays an Oxford student drawn into a world of lust and envy at a classmate's estate. By Wesley Morris Murray Close/Lionsgate 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' Review: Fallen Snow This slow-burning prequel tells the origin story of Coriolanus Snow, the future president of Panem. By Amy Nicholson Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Malla Hukkanen/Sputnik Critic's pick 'Fallen Leaves' Review: Love (and Laughs) Among the Ruins In the latest from the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki, two lonely people find each other with tenderness, karaoke and deadpan comedy. By Manohla Dargis Altered Innocence Critic's Pick 'The Strangler' Review: All the Pretty, Pitied Corpses This strange, seductive film from 1970, directed by Paul Vecchiali, borrows the conventions of the serial-killer thriller and turns them inside out. By Beatrice Loayza Associated Press Critic's Pick 'The Lady Bird Diaries' Review: A 1960s First Lady Speaks Lady Bird Johnson proves an engrossing narrator to her own story and that of a roiling nation. By Lisa Kennedy Showtime Documentary Films Critic's Pick 'Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later' Review: Trailblazers Revisited This documentary from Daniel Peddle offers an update on the transmasculine people of color who participated in ballroom culture in the 1990s. By Teo Bugbee MOVIE REVIEWS DreamWorks/Universal 'Trolls Band Together' Review: This Must Be Pop The third installment of the "Trolls" franchise reunites 'N Sync in this entertaining boy band fever dream. By Brandon Yu Pief Weyman/TriStar Pictures, via Spyglass Media Group, LLC 'Thanksgiving' Review: Gobble, Gobble, Gasp From a fake genre trailer comes a full horror meal, courtesy of Eli Roth. By Glenn Kenny Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Searchlight Pictures 'Next Goal Wins' Review: Offside Michael Fassbender plays a bitter soccer coach in this sloppy underdog comedy from Taika Waititi. By Jeannette Catsoulis Michael Ochs Archives/Magnolia Pictures 'The Stones and Brian Jones' Review: Sympathy for a Founding Rocker A new documentary looks back at Jones's rise and fall, but also underlines his crucial strand in the Rolling Stones' DNA. By Nicolas Rapold Anne Marie Fox/Peacock, via Associated Press 'Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain' Review: Fools' Gold The "S.N.L." troupe, known for digital shorts, makes its feature debut with this goofy, episodic adventure farce. By Calum Marsh Scott Everett White/Netflix 'Best. Christmas. Ever!' Review: Frenemies Rejoice Heather Graham and Brandy play old friends who have a surprise reunion. By Claire Shaffer Mike Wilson/IFC Films 'The Disappearance of Shere Hite' Review: The Feminist Mystique Nicole Newnham's documentary charts the life and times of the feminist Shere Hite, whose pioneering research on women's sexuality earned her both fame and notoriety. By Devika Girish Jacque Lueth/Paramount+ 'JFK: What the Doctors Saw' Review: A Clinical Take Barbara Shearer's documentary unpacks the medical opinions of physicians who treated John F. Kennedy in Dallas. By Natalia Winkelman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES MGM What's Your Favorite Movie to Watch at the Holidays? We Want to Know. We're asking readers to share the movies they turn to every year as part of a holiday tradition. By Barbara Chai Jon Pack/Netflix Remembering Bayard Rustin in Life and Onscreen The civil rights leader and organizer of the March on Washington is the focus of a new biopic. Here's how it stacks up against archival images. By Tiffany Martinbrough Lionsgate 'The Hunger Games' Is Back. Here's What You Need to Know. With the prequel, "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," now in theaters, here are answers to questions you may have about the franchise. By Brandon Yu Netflix Every Star Wants a Documentary Now. But Is It Just PR? "The Last Dance" — the Michael Jordan-backed documentary about, well, him — has inspired several celebrities to commission their own biographical films. By Calum Marsh Adali Schell for The New York Times Eli Roth Takes a Stab at Thanksgiving Horror Ever since he was a boy, the director has wanted to make a gory movie about the holiday. "Thanksgiving" is adapted from his 2007 faux trailer. By Erik Piepenburg HBO Stuntman Paralyzed While Making 'Harry Potter' Tells His Story In a new documentary, David Holmes, a stunt performer in the 'Harry Potter' films, recalls his life before and after a harrowing accident on set that left him paralyzed. By Rebecca Carballo STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS The Criterion Channel Five International Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include an intimate documentary about Latin American immigrants in Canada, a Turkish psychological thriller, a Chilean ghost story and more. By Devika Girish Disney/Pixar The 50 Best TV Shows and Movies to Watch on Disney+ Right Now The Disney streaming platform has hundreds of movie and TV titles, drawing from its own deep reservoir classics and from Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic and more. These are our favorites. By Scott Tobias Miramax The 50 Best Movies on Max Right Now In addition to new Warner and HBO films, the streamer has a treasure trove of Golden Age classics, indie flicks and foreign films. Start with these. By Scott Tobias Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Movies Update from The New York Times. 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