Honorable Mention: Sentimental Value

Sentimental Value was an interesting exploration of loneliness, trauma, and the complicated ways people carry emotional baggage through family and relationships, alongside solid performances across the board. There’s definitely a lot to appreciate in how restrained and subtle the film chooses to be, and some of its quieter character moments work really well,but ultimately it also felt like a movie that leaned so heavily into subtlety and restraint that it occasionally came at the expense of actual narrative substance. Subtle filmmaking can be great, but there still needs to be some balance and momentum, and for me the movie was just too slow in its presentation to fully connect with. There are strong ideas here and enough quality in the performances and direction to make it an honorable mention from the NYFF63 showcases, but compared to the films that really grabbed emotionally or stayed engaging from beginning to end, it couldn’t quite break into that top 5.

3.25/5

#5: Anemone

Anemone was a unique experience, blending surrealist abstraction with heavily illustrative dialogue carried by an incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis in a captivating performance. In a lot of ways, it shares some similarities with Sentimental Value, especially in how restrained and slow it can be, but the visual direction, subtle surreal elements, and stronger emotional core gave this one the edge for me. Ronan Day-Lewis delivers a really strong directorial debut with some beautiful imagery and a moving score that helps give the film a dreamlike atmosphere without completely losing the humanity underneath it. It is very much a slow burn, but that was not necessarily a negative here because the film gives Daniel Day-Lewis the space to completely take over certain scenes, especially through these long monologues delivered with so much emotion and fervor that they almost create the visuals in your mind themselves. The relationship between the brothers was probably what connected the most personally, giving all of the abstraction something much more grounded underneath it and making the emotional payoff land stronger. Overall a strong film and one of the more unique experiences from NYFF63, though definitely not something that is going to work for everyone.

3.5/5

#4: Late Fame

Late Fame was a sharply written, well-shot, and surprisingly humorous film that never lost its heart. Willem Dafoe is obviously the biggest highlight and gives a really earnest performance that makes it easy to sympathize with his character, especially as he gets pulled back into this superficial and somewhat dismissive artistic world that suddenly decides he matters again. There is almost this constant sense of pity for him because you want to root for the idea that his work finally means something and that he might actually get the recognition he was denied, but at the same time there is this underlying feeling that he is looking at everything through rose-colored glasses. His desire to create something memorable, to be remembered and to leave some kind of influence behind is very genuine, but the film does a good job showing how easily that desire can make someone overlook the people and motives around them. Dafoe really carries the movie on his back and gives the character enough warmth and vulnerability that even when the situation starts feeling a little sad or uncomfortable, you still want things to work out for him. The runtime is concise, keeps the pacing strong and the movie engaging throughout, while also capturing that urban New York City charm really well. This film was one that I was personally engaged with from start to finish and carried through at its core thanks to Dafoe’s gravitating performance at the center.

4/5

#3: Is This Thing On?

Is This Thing On? was another great film by Bradley Cooper, striking a terrific balance between comedy and sincerity without ever letting one overpower the other. Will Arnett gives the standout performance and is incredibly easy to root for, playing someone who feels genuinely relatable as he’s trying to navigate a difficult point in his life while slowly finding some sense of purpose and confidence again through comedy. There is a really sincere quality to his performance where even the funnier moments never feel like they are taking away from what he is going through, instead the comedy almost becomes the thing that helps him see some light at the end of the tunnel. Laura Dern was great as well, and Bradley Cooper brings another funny performance while also directing the film with a lot of warmth and restraint. In some ways the film is almost similar to Late Fame, especially with a character trying to find meaning and something new for themselves later in life, but this has a much more hopeful spin to it. Rather than becoming consumed by the idea of what could have been, the film is more about finding humor, reconciliation, and something worth holding onto through the trials of life, with the sense that sometimes things not working out the way we wanted can eventually lead to something better. Funny, heartfelt and engaging throughout, with a really satisfying sense of optimism by the end. A strong conclusion to the 63rd New York Film Festival.

4/5

#2: No Other Choice

No Other Choice was one of the strongest films of NYFF63, a genuinely funny dark comedy that also had a lot to say about job security, corporate indifference, and how quickly a comfortable life can fall apart once a company decides you are expendable. Lee Byung-hun is terrific as Man-su and gives the character enough sincerity that even as his plan becomes more ridiculous and extreme, there is still something understandable about the fear driving him. The supporting cast is strong across the board too, especially Lee Sung Min, Cha Seung Won and Park Hee Soon, whose characters feel like reflections of the same struggle rather than simple competition, all people trying to hold onto some version of stability in a shrinking job market. Son Yejin also adds a lot through the family side of the story, which makes the irony of Man-su’s choices hit even harder as he risks destroying the exact life he is trying to preserve. Park Chan-wook keeps the satire sharp without making it feel preachy, taking the idea of the current cutthroat employment market and postmodern capitalism, and pushing it to its breaking point while still keeping the movie entertaining, stylish, and surprisingly accessible. Great performances, terrific direction and a really strong balance of humor and social commentary.

4.5/5

#1: Marty Supreme

A surprise premiere at NYFF 63, Marty Supreme was an absolute ride from beginning to end and ended up stealing the show. Josh Safdie takes this story of ambition and obsession and turns it into something constantly energetic, funny, and thrilling. Timothée Chalamet gives an electrifying performance as Marty, a character who is easy to root for even when his confidence starts crossing into arrogance, because underneath all of that bravado is someone who genuinely believes he is meant for something bigger and refuses to let anyone convince him otherwise. Odessa A’zion, Koto Kawaguchi and Kevin O’Leary all bring something different to the film and help keep the world around Marty interesting, while the table tennis matches are shot with so much movement and intensity that they somehow feel as exciting as any major sports sequence. The older New York setting is captured beautifully too, with a grimy and lived-in look that gives the movie a lot of personality. There are definitely shades of Uncut Gems in the way Marty keeps creating new problems while trying to solve the last one, but this feels more hopeful at its core, especially with how much the film is ultimately about chasing something bigger than yourself. Great score, terrific visuals, strong performances, and a surprisingly heartfelt ending that lands really well.

5/5