Between The Temples- What a pleasant surprise. Truthfully, I had heard nothing about this film after its initial theatrical release, and it only really landed on my radar through some early selections for Carol Kane in Supporting Actress. While I was working my way through my FYC materials, this landed on Netflix, allowing me to experience it with audio description. Loosely, the story revolves around an older woman (Kane) who seeks the guidance of a young Rabbi in doing what she needs to convert to Judaism. Of course, her family thinks she’s lost her mind, or that the Rabbi is somehow taking advantage of their mom, but it is clear that this is something she wants to do that is just for herself. It’s a feel good comedy, that really isn’t raunchy, or pushing the envelope. it takes Schwartzman, who had an excellent 2024, and gives him the maturity his character in Rushmore exuded years ago, without the experience to back it up, and pairs him with Carol Kane, a criminally underrecognized character actress, and the two knock this script out of the park. One of the warmest experiences I had in film last year, and Sony made a really strong audio description track to support it. The movie was on my Top 28 films of 2024 list, and both Schwartzman and Kane were on my Actor and Supporting Actress lists, with Kane specifically being in my Top 5 for her category (meaning, I think she deserved an Oscar nomination). I wholeheartedly recommend this title.
Fresh: Final Grade: A, Audio Description: A
Inside The Yellow Cocoon- Just a reminder that I really did sit through some of these International entries. i do want International cinema to have audio description, but most titles, like this one, don’t. It takes place in Vietnam, and while the movie is really about one man’s journey, there wasn’t anything for me to grasp onto.
Unwatchable Due To Lack Of Audio Description
She Taught Love- This Hulu original did manage some nominations from the African American film Critics Society, but due likely to it being a debut film. i wasn’t a fan. You’ve seen this story done before. Nicholas Sparks entire catalog are stories like this. Two people fall in love, one of them gets sick. For some reason, the film was divided literally into three chapters called “She”, “Taught”, and “Love”. This new thing we are doing with chapters has now officially jumped the shark. Both of the lead actors were OK, but it just felt like Hulu’s equivalent of the “Netflix Movie of The Week”. I challenge anyone who did vote for this to remember it five years from now.
Barely Rotten: Final Grade: C, Audio Description: B
Eurotrip- I actually reviewed this film for its 20th Anniversary, which it celebrated in 2004. I got some irate comments as I mentioned that some of the comedy didn’t age well. I mean, we were already moving away from the American Pie brand of raunchy teen comedies in 2004, considering this is the same year that brought us Mean Girls, which far outperformed Eurotrip. Even of the films from this period, Eurotrip never felt to me like it was a top tier comedy like American Pie, but rather just a by product of it, like Road Trip. I think the film is most well known for Scotty Doesn’t Know, and that surprising Matt Damon cameo. But there’s a way we look at Europeans, the way that our white teen cast fails upward, that just doesn’t fit anymore. What I did mention, long before I knew what we knew now, is that Michelle Trachtenberg is excellent in this. She plays more than a typical dumb cheerleader archetype, or some romantic love interest. She’s balanced, and ready for a party as much as anyone else, but not more than them. She’s not overdoing it, but rather just landing the perfect balance. It’s tragic that we lost her so soon.
Fresh: Final Grade: C+, Audio Description: A-
Lee- I’ve seen this twice. Once for awards consideration, and the second because I knew someone else would like it. both times were totally different formats and services, and neither had audio description. i have no idea if this film has audio description, but I’ve sat through it twice, and I still don’t feel comfortable giving it a firm grade. My thought was that it definitely didn’t feel like Kate Winslet needed to break into the Oscar race, as she’s amassed many excellent performances over her career, but I still hope to catch the audio description for this someday. For now, it has no official grade.
No Grade Given Due To Lack Of Audio Description
