Resuscitating reviews I wrote at festivals that Patreon’s crap search engine wouldn't previously have delivered because the titles weren't in the subject line. The film(s) in question will generally have just opened theatrically in New York City when these posts appear.
Rose of Nevada (Mark Jenkin): 60/100 [TIFF '25]
Another thing I almost never do is ask Qs during Q&As (or even stay for them, frankly)…but I was so curious about whether Jenkin deliberately cross-pollinated Bait and Enys Men to create Rose of Nevada, which is almost a precise 50-50 blend of those two films, that I eventually stuck my hand in the air and risked sounding like a big ol’ dork. His very good answer (slightly paraphrased): “That wasn’t my intention, but a lot of critics have pointed it out since we premiered last week, and so now it absolutely was my intention.” In any case, can’t imagine that this wouldn’t have slain me had it been my introduction to his work, as all of his strengths are represented and expertly braided; the film’s milieu and aesthetic (excepting the addition of color) are so Bait-y, though, and its unmoored-in-time narrative (plus the addition of color) so Enys-y, that déjà vu’s getting in the way a bit. Happy to report that George MacKay and Callum Turner fit quite nicely into Jenkins’ stable of non-gorgeous non-pros. The TIFF audience seemed really into it, so a breakthrough (beyond England, where Bait was a big deal) wouldn’t surprise me. Should that happen, though, I hope Jenkin stretches out of his comfort zone next time around. He’s too distinct to Hong/Rohmer it up.