FILM REVIEWS:
BEING EDDIE (USA 2025) ***
Directed by Angus Wall
BEING EDDIE is the Eddie Murphy everyone loves to laugh with. Murphy is indeed one funny man whom everyone can agree on. Looking at him will just make you laugh, often without him having to utter any words. BEING EDDIE is a frank look at the man and his personal life, with lots of cameos by celebrities who are also his friends.
Edward Regan Murphy, now in his 50s, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a stand-up comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognised as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He has received several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He was honoured with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour in 2015 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.
Murphy shot to fame on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984 and broke out as a movie star in the 1980s films 48 Hrs., TRADING PLACES and BEVERLY HILLS COP.
The doc has Murphy talking to the screen a majority of the time, talking about his acts and his life. This adds to the authenticity of the doc as well as the humour, as Murphy is a very funny guy. An easy-going doc with clips from the comedian’s funny moments that should keep audiences entertained.
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Quite a bit of his life is also mentioned on screen. His life with his brother, Charles, who was in the Service and later hired by Eddie as chief security.
Murphy is depicted as a good guy, staying away from drugs and smoking, etc. He mentions how he turned down an after-party that Jim Belushi and Robin Williams invited him to. He also turned down one by Yul Brynner and his pretty young wife.
BEING EDDIE opens for streaming this week on Netflix.
JAY KELLY (USA 2025) ****
Directed by Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach’s movies are solid filmmaking material, and his new film is something definitely to look forward to. And JAY KELLY does not disappoint. Baumbach is known for making light comedies set in New York City, and his works are inspired by filmmakers such as Woody Allen and Whit Stillman. His recent films have exceeded expectations. (He has received award nominations for four Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards._ Baumbach directs and co-writes the film with Emily Mortimer, who also plays a role ninth film.
Baumbach’s last best movie is A MARRIAGE STORY, about a crumbling marriage, more drama than comedy, which starred Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. JAY KELLY, his new film, takes the name of its lead character and protagonist, Jay Kelly, portrayed by George Clooney. It is a story of how Jay comes to terms with his two daughters and the people close to him, like his manager and publicist. His elder daughter, Jessica (Riley Keough), resents him for not being with her and she now works in a city far away and seldom sees her dad. The younger, Daisy (Grace Edwards), is taking a European holiday with friends while the father wants to spend his week break after completing his last movie with her. She takes off with friends to Europe, and her father hijacks her holiday by meeting her on the train. An alternative title to the film could be A FAMILY STORY, as it is a story about Jay Kell and his relationship with his family. The wife is noticeably absent in the film, and the wife is never mentioned at all in the story.
The story centres on the character, Jay Kelly (played by George Clooney), a world-famous actor whose polished celebrity persona masks deeper questions of identity, purpose, and relationships. As the words inform at the start of the film, words that are repeated later on in the movie. Jay Kelly has more problems playing himself than playing other personalities on the screen.
After the death of a director (Jim Broadbent) who once took a chance on him, Jay finds himself disconnected from his girls (his daughters). He grows increasingly estranged from the realness of his own life, despite being surrounded by red carpets and adoration. He embarks on a journey through Europe along with his longtime manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), in which both men examine their decisions, sacrifices, and what legacy they'll leave behind.
There are also other interesting stories that go hand-in-hand with the main plot. One is the marriage of the manager Ron with his wife, played by the director’s wife, Greta Gerwig. These other stories are less distracting as they are all connected to Jay Kelly’s story.
There is an impressive ensemble cast, the best of whom includes Stacy Keach playing Jay’s father, Patrick Wilson as Ben Alcock and Laura Dern as Liz, Jay’s publicist. George Clooney could be playing his real self on screen or a similar personality. Clooney blends humour and drama very well.
Another hit from Baumbach, JAY KELLY demonstrates how one can be lost with not only family but with oneself.
JAY KELLY opens in theatres this week before streaming on Netflix.
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LEFT-HANDED GIRL (Taiwan/US/UK/France 2025) ****
Directed by Shih-Ching Tsou
A single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei after several years of living in the countryside to open a stand at a buzzing night market. Each in their own way will have to adapt to this new environment to make ends meet and maintain the family unity. But when their traditional grandfather forbids his youngest left-handed granddaughter from using her "devil hand," generations of family secrets begin to unravel.
The film emphasizes the use of the right hand vs. the left hand. Why are people mostly right-handed? Are they born that way? The film proposes, rightly so, I believe, that children are often corrected to use their right instead of the left to promote conformity and more easy in life easier. Most gadgets are designed for right-handed use. For example, the hot empty cartridges fired from a rifle come out on the side away from the face of a right-handed firer. So, a left-handed soldier firing a rifle would often have his cheek burned by a hot cartridge. In the film, it is for this reason that the grandfather is appalled by the fact that his granddaughter, I-Jing, is suing her left instead of her right, scaring the girl into believing it is the devil’s hand.
LEFT-HANDED GIRL has a fair portion of the story told from the girl’s point of view. As such, director Tsou often has her camera fixed at a girl’s eye level or even below. The film also projects an innocence of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, where the film is set. The camera often follows I-Jing through the busy street among the night hawkers as the action takes place. Taipei is seen as an exotic as well as a dangerous place, with its own share of shady businesses. Sean Baker, who wrote the script with director Tsou, is an expert on stories of marginal people working in the sex industry. His films include THE FLORIDA PROJECT and ANORA.
The family's noodle stall is located in the Tonghua (Linjiang) night market in Da'an district, Taipei City. Like Sean Baker's Tangerine (2015), the movie was entirely filmed on an iPhone, during the 2022 summer in Taipei, Taiwan.
One of the stars of the film is the muskrat pet that I-Jing keeps as a pet, which absolutely steals the show with its cuteness and agility. The animal also plays a large part in the story.
The story also contains the disturbing fact that the elder daughter works in a partly sex industry that causes he to be impregnated by her boss. There is also the possibility of child abuse in the story. It is never revealed who the real father of I-Jing is, though there is a hint of child abuse due to this fact.
Director Shih moves her film at a solid pace, which results in what one might deem as near a dull moment, aided by colourful characters in a colourful setting of Taipei, aided by fine performances all around.
LEFT-HANDED GIRL from Netflix is the Official submission of Taiwan for the 'Best International Feature Film' category of the 98th Academy Awards in 2026. The film opens in select theatres on November 14th and on Netflix for streaming on November 28th.
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SALLYWOOD (USA 2025) ***½
Directed by Xaque Gruber
The film is about Sally Kirkland. Kirkland garnered widespread critical acclaim for her eponymous performance as a former popular actress in the independent comedy-drama Anna (1987), which earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.
She is not to be confused with MASH's hot lips, Sally Kellerman. In this movie, the mix-up is joked about.
Sally Kirkland, who plays herself in the movie after being shunned at the Academy Awards red carpet by a reporter: “I don’t remember, (referring to perfume), it must have been far off then.” Sally then says on camera, “I was famous then. I am not sure, now. I could get men from all over.” This film is about Ally Kirkland and the fan who hero-worships her, ever since he saw her in her Golden Globe Award-winning and Oscar-nominated Best Actress performance in the film ANNA. Well, it was way back when in 1987. Kirkland has the starring role and her lead name in this movie.
Movies are often about chasing one’s dreams and dreams coming true. The film SALLYWOOD ( a word coined from Sayy Kirkland and Hollywood) is all about that.
Based on the true story of a 20-something writer from rural Maine. Inspired by actress SALLY KIRKLAND’s performance in the sleeper hit, ANNA (Oscar nominee, Independent Spirit Award, and 1988 Golden Globe winner), Zack leaps to pursue his ambitions of a Hollywood Career. “You will never meet her, Zach’s mother tells him, while his father tells him otherwise, to follow his dreams. After driving cross-country, in a chance encounter, he meets his lifelong idol, the week he arrived. Sally hires him on the spot to be her assistant, where he quickly learns her career is a shambles. He dedicates himself to finding a way to land her back on the red carpet where she belongs.
You gotta love it when a film captures a magic moment. This occurs early in the film when Zach sees his idol, Sally Kirkland, in person for the first time in a parking lot. He runs after her to the song “It Had to be You”, by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn, sung no less than by Frank Sinatra.
Besides Kirkland, the film stars many of the famous stars of the past, including Kay Lenz, Eric Roberts, Michael Lerner, Jennifer Tilly, and Keith Carradine.
The film is not without cheesy, though funny lines. Example? Quote: Alan Watts: “Defining yourself is like biting your own teeth.”
The film features songs by Rufus Wainwright, Toni Basil & Smokey Miles.
Sally Kirkland plays herself, a once-famous actress nominated for the Best Actress Oscar that year, together with stars Glenn Close and Faye Dunaway. But now, largely forgotten, perhaps SALLYWOOD would regain her fame. If not, SALLYWOOD still proves to be a very endearing and solid film and would be a solid boost to Sally Kirkland’s career.
SALLYWOOD opens on digital platforms November 14th, 2026
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TATSUMI (Japan 2023) ***
Directed by Yoishio Shoji
A return to the 70s Japanese gangster mode, TATSUMI is a nitty-gritty, violent Yakuza film that reminds one of the 70s. Tatsumi, an unassuming fisherman, makes his real livelihood by cleaning up dead bodies for local yakuza gangs. A job is just a job, and the yakuza gangs treat him that way, too, as a low-class lowlife. When criminal intrigue leads to the vicious murder of his ex-girlfriend by one of the gangsters, it thrusts her hot-headed teenage sister Aoi (a tour de force by ingénue Kokoro Morita) onto an unbridled path of vengeance. Tatsumi cannot stand her initially, but eventually softens his feelings for her - the kind of love-hate relationship commonly found in buddy films. With his own personal motives in tow, Tatsumi vows to mentor and protect Aoi to the bitter end of her blood-soaked crusade.
Aoi is a hot-headed young car mechanic, and one can tell that this skill will help them fight the gangsters later on in the film. A good change is that the female is a fighter and not the typical damsel in distress.
The film is impressive in using the backdrop to reflect the seizable and bleak lives of the two protagonists. The coastal town is isolated and drab, and there seems to be no way out of the rut.
Director Shoji keeps his film in focus, keeping the atmosphere constantly tense with some violent (arguably more violent than necessary) action scenes, though there are a few slow spots in the film. It is basically a tough and uncompromising revenge gangster film.
TATSUMI has won accolades at international film festivals:
Bucheon Int’l Fantastic Film Festival (2024) | Nominated, Best Feature Film
Fantasia International Film Festival (2024)
Tokyo International Film Festival (2023) | Nominated, Best Film
TATSUMI opens on VOD & Digital Platforms on November 14th, 2026.
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TEE YAI: BORN TO BE BAD (Thailand 2025) ***
Directed by Nonzee Nimibutr
Apparently, the outlaw Tee Yai is a famous Thai outlaw. The film offers a warm look at Tee Yai.
Two outlaws (Tee Yai and his best buddy from young) whose relationship is put to the test by a detective (named Jakarat, depicted as a no-nonsense Clint Eastwood-styled cop) while tracking down an infamous gang of robbers in 1980s Bangkok.
Tee Yai is known for his magical powers of disappearance, which are attributed to an amulet. The police are baffled when he escaped from a train after one captured. Tee Yai’s name appears in the newspapers every day and is a household name, and the audience told, more famous than the Prime Minister of Thailand. This is when the cop Jakarta is given 30 days to capture Tee Yai and help the police save face.
The film is a pleasing enough action vehicle, with lots of sights of Thailand from the countryside and mountains to the busy streets of the city (like Bangkok). Director Nimibutr sits cop vs robber with the cop being cast as the villain and Tee as the hero.
This is a drama/crime action film, with heists, outlaw lifestyle, loyalty, and betrayal. At best, the creation of the Bangkok of the 70s/80s, the underworld, street scenes, and retro style. is impressive. Director Nimibutr dispenses with the myths and concentrates more on the realistic aspects of the story, such as the emotional conflict between friendship, ambition, love, and moral lines. The story also reflects a social context: poverty, corruption, the margins of society, and how someone becomes an outlaw in such an environment.
Running a long at almost 2 hours, TEE YAI: BORN TO BE BAD is okay as an escapism action flick with sufficient action set pieces and high jinks. The film opens for streaming on Netflix this week.
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