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Set in 1800s Italy and based on a true story, “Kidnapped” is so primally upsetting that you would think it would be unbearable to watch. But it proves intoxicating, at times nearly overwhelming, thanks to perfect casting, an economical and impassioned screenplay, and filmmaking overseen by 84-year old cowriter-director Marco Bellocchio, who might be one of…

I can’t think of three films more tonally disparate than these. There’s a coming-of-age drama with queer elements, a raucous apocalyptic satire, and a feminist ghost film. The first, “My Sunshine,” competes in Un Certain Regard. The other two, however, are genre films playing out of competition. The latter two are particularly fascinating because this…

In the three films for this Cannes dispatch, each selection is not only competing in Un Certain Regard. They’re also works where death begets truth. In one film, the truth concerns family secrets. In another, it brings a family together. It also shapes love. These films traverse stories—bleak comedy, family drama, and a queer romance—that…

“Peeping Tom,” Michael Powell’s ill-fated film maudit, may have led to the director’s premature career downturn, but today, the movie seems more celebrated than scorned. The new vivid restoration of the film brings its lurid color palette back to life and sharpens the intensity of Carl Boehm’s chilling performance. Now, the movie’s cautionary take on…

When it comes to the handful of names who are defiantly keeping the idea of super-stardom alive, Jennifer Lopez is near the top of the list as a multi-hyphenate entertainment royalty. Just take a look at some of the projects she’s steered in the last few years as a producer, actor, and singer, and the…