Cinema News

March 3, 2023

By Mekado Murphy

Movies Editor

Hey, movie fans!

Ready to hop back into the ring? The franchise that started with the "Rocky" saga has a new installment in "Creed III." This time, Michael B. Jordan makes some fierce moves in front of the camera with Jonathan Majors, while also taking some big swings behind the camera as director. In her review, the critic Manohla Dargis wrote that the film "does exactly what you expect, delivering nicely balanced helpings of intimacy and spectacle, grit and glamour." And Kyle Buchanan spoke with both Jordan and Majors about how they built trust along with muscle on this project.

The Oscars are almost here. This week in awards coverage, we focused on the banner year for Asian and Asian American nominees. We also looked at just how underrepresented Asian actors have been at the Oscars for decades.

More on the Oscar front: Buchanan spoke with the actor Brendan Fraser about his nominated performance in "The Whale," a season of accolades and his big-screen comeback. If you're still looking to catch up on nominees, here's a look at where you can stream them, then here's a ballot to make your predictions.

Enjoy the movies!

Ser Baffo/Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

'Creed III' Review: A Franchise Finds New Fertile Ground

In his tender and gruff directorial debut, Michael B. Jordan again takes the lead, this time alongside Jonathan Majors as a childhood friend who has reappeared.

By Manohla Dargis

Justin J Wee for The New York Times

'I Don't Take a Single Second for Granted': Asian and Asian American Nominees on the Oscars

It was a record year for actors, but directors, musicians and other artists of Asian descent are also up for statuettes. We asked many of the contenders to reflect on their work.

By Robert Ito and Justin J Wee

Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times

How Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Fought Harmoniously

One's a big name, and one's about to be. But to get along on 'Creed III,' they had to let go of ego and trust each other to pull no punches.

By Kyle Buchanan

Clockwise from top left: Columbia Pictures; David Bornfriend/A24; David James/Warner Bros.; A24

Asian Actors Have Been Underrepresented at the Oscars For Decades. Here's the History.

A record number of actors of Asian ancestry were recognized with Oscar nominations this year, led by Michelle Yeoh of "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Historically, Asian stars have rarely been part of the Academy Awards.

By K.K. Rebecca Lai

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CRITICS' PICKS

Array Releasing

CRITIC'S PICK

'Split at the Root' Review: A Powerful Lens on Immigrant Families Split Apart

This documentary shows the plight of one woman as she tries to reunite with her sons and make a permanent home in the United States.

By Concepción de León

MOVIE REVIEWS

Agustin Paredes/Zeitgeist Films

'La Civil' Review: A Mother's Desperation

The violence of Mexico's drug cartels is the backdrop for Teodora Ana Mihai's first dramatic feature.

By A.O. Scott

Momentum Pictures

'Palm Trees and Power Lines' Review: A Teen's Cautionary Tale

Lily McInerny stars as a 17-year-old girl who is groomed by a predator in Jamie Dack's feature debut.

By Manohla Dargis

Lionsgate

'Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre' Review: The Getaway Car Is Stuck on Cruise

Guy Ritchie's latest action-comedy puts Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza in the middle of a rote heist story.

By Brandon Yu

Garrette Rose/Small Batch Studio Entertainment

'What We Do Next' Review: A Political Morality Play

In this three-person chamber drama, an ex-convict, a politician and a white-collar defense engage in tense conversations while pursuing their individual goals.

By Beatrice Loayza

Cinema Guild

'Sansón and Me' Review: Retracing a Path to Prison

The filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes examines immigration and incarceration through the story of a young undocumented man caught up in gang violence.

By Glenn Kenny

David Dare Parker/Quiver

'Blueback' Review: A Heart for the Ocean

Mia Wasikowska stars in this mournful, stodgy drama about the emotional cost of protecting the planet from its most rapacious predator: the land developer.

By Amy Nicholson

Saban Films

'A Little White Lie' Review: The Not-So-Great Pretender

Michael Shannon plays a handyman who impersonates a famous writer in this grievously unfunny comedy.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Kino Lorber

'Film, the Living Record of Our Memory' Review: How to Save the Movies

This documentary walks through the delicate task of saving the history of movies with the help of enchanting clips and eagle-eyed preservationists

By Nicolas Rapold

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ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Michael Gibson/Orion Pictures/United Artists Releasing, via Associated Press

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

How an Apology Creates a Turning Point in 'Women Talking'

The screenwriter and director Sarah Polley narrates a sequence from her film, which is nominated for best picture and adapted screenplay.

By Mekado Murphy

Reiner Bajo/Netflix, via Associated Press

'All Quiet on the Western Front' | Anatomy of a Scene

The director Edward Berger narrates a sequence from his Oscar-nominated film.

By Mekado Murphy

NEWS & FEATURES

Music Box Films

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

France's Fault Lines Are Exposed in an American Film Showcase

The selections in Rendez-Vous With French Cinema at Lincoln Center explore hard truths about the nation in the years since the 2015 terrorist attacks.

By Beatrice Loayza

Chantal Anderson for The New York Times

THE PROJECTIONIST

Brendan Fraser Wants to Be Worthy of His Comeback

"I'm aware of where I was, where I went and where I am now," says the actor, who is nominated for an Oscar for his remarkable comeback in "The Whale."

By Kyle Buchanan

Mike Coppola/Getty Images For Hallmark Media

MY TEN

Andie MacDowell Is Still Scaling New Heights

The star of the movie "My Happy Ending" gets a boost from Sam Harris and bell hooks audiobooks, the music of the 1970s and the quiet intelligence of "EO."

By Kathryn Shattuck

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS