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Film reviews

The Moment Review

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This is one of the most dazzling mockumentary films I have seen–one with purpose, realism, and politics. Directed by Aidan Zamiri, this is The Moment. A film that works to capture every moment in the life of Charli XCX. It is a legit story around the real Charli, portraying the artist in the center of encountering pressures prior to her new arena tour. The film starts off wonky and feels a bit surreal, but it does captures the essence of pressure.

Charli is on the road navigating new directions and trying to figure out how to manage marketing and her public presence. Rachel Sennott is one of her assistants and stars as herself. Charli finds herself in a complicated scenario with taking on her new stage tour, especially with the direction of a new stage director named Johannes, played by Alexander Skarsgard. On top of that, there is the media constantly surrounding her. Another one of her assistants, Tammy, is played by Rosanna Arquette. The film is a rollercoaster of stage and fame pressure that takes the audience on a ride that captures the essence of its reality.

The focus on the stress of the tour, is where The Moment speaks for its title. Charli consistently talks about how she feels pressured, used, or pushed. It all comes down to her winning an audience and a following, but also maintaining relationships with clients and co-workers. There is no easy way to define the tension presented in The Moment. From my point-of-view though, I found it spellbinding. The tour is back-and-forth, the narrative is superb, and the film is funny in its character moments of trial and error.

With the performance of Charli, audiences really get a sense of the mindset that is driven to be famous. The film captures her stress continuously. There is no easy way to explain the levels of it, however I can say that the outcomes are mind-blowing. The film presents footage to look archived or old-school adding layers that make one feel part of the film itself. The world is not easy in The Moment. 

The Moment creates a pattern where much of the pressure is felt through the performances Charli XCX and Alexander Skarsgardbecause it is dynamic, like a boxing match. Charli finds herself  looking like a mixed bag based on how Johannes puts together the stage and she’s not happy about it. She feels the symbols and logos do not match her attitude or meaning. On the other hand, Johannes is a drill sergeant about that and feels like his vision is the only way to success, but should that be his choice alone? Ultimately, it is about how Charli wants to move forward, and how she wants to shine.

This film is not necessarily mesmerizing, but it achieves its goal. The captivating tale of a life on tour holds true on a fair level. The Moment stays authentic in its writing and narrative track. The pacing just tends to be a little glitchy, but the pressures of fame are all thoroughly conveyed. Three out of four stars for The Moment.

 

Film reviews

Pillion Review

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With quite a bit of buzz from the Cannes Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, Pillion is a film where love and connection are hidden, but it also contains a deeper meaning below the surface. I was visiting London, United Kingdom in late December of 2025. I knew of the title Pillion and knew that it has a release date to be wide in February of 2026. However, after my many adventures on the tube trains, and seeing the ads all over the tunnels, I had the opportunity to see this during my travels. The term “pillion” refers to the passenger sitting behind a motorcyclist. Harry Melling is “the passenger” and Alexander Skarsgard is “the motorcyclist.” Pillion is a journey of two men trying to find what their hearts wants, but their expectations are the complete opposite—a power of love narrative combating to find what love truly is.

The film takes place in Bromley and other regions around London and the United Kingdom. Harry Melling plays Colin—he is introverted, shy, good-hearted, and hopes to meet someone that gives him the loving attention he longs for. His parents are very supporting of his sexuality. They are Peggy (Lesley Sharp) and Pete (Douglas Hodge). Peggy has some health issues, and she prays that her Colin finds a man that fulfills his happiness. That may come along for Colin, as one night he meets a man in a bar who rides a motorcycle. Alexander Skarsgard plays Ray—he is high strung, mellow, and starts to bring Colin in his life. Once Colin and Ray begin to spend time together though, Ray begins to show different behaviors outside of what Colin expects.

The film is one that keeps its audiences thinking. Especially because of how it is focused on a relationship between two men. The fact that Colin wants to love someone and feels Ray might love him back creates a mixed message.  Ray has Colin pick up groceries for him, do chores for him, and makes him sleep in the opposite bed—Colin may just be Ray’s submissive. Is that what Colin wants? He is blinded by being with Ray making him feel that he has a community and a purpose. 

The LGBT side of Pillion creates a portrait of timing. There may be some good times for Colin and Ray, but is Colin truly happy with Ray? Does Ray have feelings for Colin? When Peggy begins to see her son is taken advantage of, she starts to question his happiness. Pillion is a film where love requires more than just loving someone for who they are, it also creates a claritythat sees that common ground is important as well. For Colin, the physical side of feeling warmth is seen as he is the passenger riding on Ray’s motorcycle. Beyond that, any form of connection is how Ray is feeling. There is no clear context to why Ray acts like this, but also at the same time, it does not mean he is a bad person. The display of his sense of shame or guilt is written in a context that creates melancholy that craves release.

The film is written as a dramedy where the chemistry is foundbetween the lines. Melling and Skarsgard are two forces that tango with surreal emotions. In a tale where romance of the same gender struggles to see eye-to-eye, the guide to life does not lie. Pillion brings fuel to the fire with the emotions of Colin as he continuously wishes that Ray would treat him differently. Ray can, but does he want to? The film continues to build a landscape of questions throughout this unique dynamic that it creates among these two men. Is it love or is it just a servant-type relationship? Overall, though the tension steams on and off the motorcycle. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Pillion.

 

 

Film reviews

Marty Supreme Review

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One-of-a-kind and authentic. Marty Supreme is one of Timothee Chalamet’s most mesmerizing performances. The film is like a ping pong match that you can’t take your eyes off. Writer and director Josh Safdie creates a film that is a few notches down from the stress of Uncut Gems and not aimed as much at gambling. This time the story is focused on earning money through competition and building a reputation.

The film gears on Marty Mauser (Chalamet), a young New Yorker taking on all kinds of jobs and doing what he can to make his way to high-end tournaments and ping-pong championships. He works at a shoe store, but also continuously hustles at various jobs to make money. However, his ego is what is always in front of him. He has the mindset that he can never lose which leads to turmoil for him that builds as many other problems crop up. He gets a girl named Rachel Mizler (Odessa A’zion) pregnant and falls in love with a stage actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow). The problems continue to accumulate. For Marty, playing ping-pong is all that matters to him, so his hustling leads to consequences. Marty Supreme makes the audience feel that ping-pong balls are flying in their direction. Sometimes they fall like rain and at other times they dazzle.

There is an aspect of Marty that is successful, but once he achieves fame his entire focus is on himself. Once he has a failed tournament, he goes on a journey hustling to make ends meet to compete in the next tournament. The movie is like Uncut Gems meets the world of ping-pong. The writing about sportsmanship is top-notch. My mind became blurred as Chalamet burned up the screen with stress as he continues to put all things on the line in his role as Marty. There is no stopping the film’s beat which leaves audiences breathless, Marty Supreme is full of ping-pong tournaments which feel like wars for fame that Marty created for himself.

The dynamics between Chalamet and Paltrow are unique. In addition to their age difference, one is working his way to fame, and the other already has experienced it. Their twisted sense of love is written in a mode of desperation. Safdie has a way of creating stressful scenarios with his characters. This happens frequently in Marty Supreme and adds a form of humanistic value. The main character is putting everything on the line and so many things go wrong along the way. Trust, family and friends are lost, but ultimately the one he connects with has his heart. That is the strange but the surreal dynamic plays out in the performances of Chalamet and Paltrow in Marty Supreme.

Chalamet’s performance is ferocious. Even when he is told not to do something, he persists. He is a machine of an unstoppable force. No matter the debts, the trouble, the ping-pong championship is all that matters to him. The amount of sacrifice put forth makes this movie a winning cinematic portrait of non-stop efforts. Four out of four stars.