New from Gia Margaret is the album Singing, produced by Guy Sigsworth.
Per Secretly Store,
"Led by soft piano lines and a voice that feels newly trusted, Singing is intimate without being fragile. It's an album about reconnecting with old parts of yourself, without pretending the years in between didn't matter."
Pre-order here from Secretly Store.
New promo character posters from NEON of key cast members from Sentimental Value.
Sentimental Value was #2 on my top 10 2025 film list and won Supporting Actor, Ensemble, Original Screenplay, and International Film at the jdb awards.
Again, just for fun, here are my personal awards for 2025 films!
Picture
MARTY SUPREME
nominees:
HAMNET
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
THE MASTERMIND
MESSY
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
THE SECRET AGENT
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
WEAPONS
Director
Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT
nominees:
Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Julia Loktev, MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME
Joachim Trier, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Actor
Timothee Chalamet, MARTY SUPREME
nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Ethan Hawke, BLUE MOON
Wagner Moura, THE SECRET AGENT
Dylan O'Brien, TWINLESS
Actress
Tessa Thompson, HEDDA
nominees:
Jessie Buckley, HAMNET
Jennifer Lawrence, DIE MY LOVE
Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Alexi Wasser, MESSY
Supporting Actor
Stellan Skarsgård, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
nominees:
Benicio Del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Jacobi Jupe, HAMNET
Dylan O'Brien, PONYBOI
Alexander Skarsgård, PILLION
Supporting Actress
Kirsten Dunst, ROOFMAN
nominees:
Nina Hoss, HEDDA
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Amy Madigan, WEAPONS
Tânia Maria, THE SECRET AGENT
Ensemble
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
nominees:
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
THE SECRET AGENT
SINNERS
International Film
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
nominees:
ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU
BELEN
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
MISERICORDIA
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
THE SECRET AGENT
SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH
THE TALE OF SILYAN
2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA
Documentary
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
nominees:
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
FOLKTALES
LANDMARKS
MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH
STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR
THE TALE OF SILYAN
2000 METERS TO ADRIIVKA
Adapted Screenplay
Chloé Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell, HAMNET
nominees:
Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Nia DaCosta, HEDDA
Dolores Fonzi, Laura Paredes, Agustina San Martín, & Nicolás Britos, BELEN
Harry Lighton, PILLION
Original Screenplay
Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
nominees:
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME
Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT
Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Alexi Wasser, MESSY
Cinematography
Dong Jingsong, RESURRECTION
nominees:
Evgenia Alexandrova, THE SECRET AGENT
Steven Breckon, THE PLAGUE
Mark Jenkin, ROSE OF NEVADA
Manuel Dacosse, REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND
Editing
Andy Jurgensen, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
nominees:
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME
Viridiana Lieberman, THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
Joe Murphy, WEAPONS
Michael P. Shawver, SINNERS
Score
Daniel Lopatin, MARTY SUPREME
nominees:
Nicholas Britell, JAY KELLY
Jonny Greenwood, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Johan Lenox, THE PLAGUE
Kangding Ray, SIRĀT
Song
“Love and Obsession,” LURKER
nominees:
"Clothed By the Sun," THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE
"I Lied to You," SINNERS
"Last Time (I Seen the Sun)," SINNERS
"My Baby (Got Nothing At All)," MATERIALISTS
Art Direction / Set Decoration
MARTY SUPREME
nominees:
NO OTHER CHOICE
RESURRECTION
THE SECRET AGENT
SINNERS
Costume Design
Lindsay Pugh, HEDDA
nominees:
Rita Azevedo, THE SECRET AGENT
Miyako Bellizz, MARTY SUPREME
Ruth E. Carter, SINNERS
Jeriana San Juan, ON SWIFT HORSES
Make-Up & Hair
WEAPONS
other nominees:
BRING HER BACK
NO OTHER CHOICE
REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND
SINNERS
Sound
SIRĀT
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
ROSE OF NEVADA
SINNERS
Visual Effects
RESURRECTION
nominees:
MICKEY 17
NO OTHER CHOICE
SINNERS
WEAPONS
A look back at the 2024 awards where Mike Leigh's Hard Truths snagged Picture and Actress.
Amid industry shifts of looming mergers and ever-shrinking theatrical-to-streaming windows, a number of vibrant, original pictures broke through. At this midpoint of the decade, it feels as though cinema is approaching yet another inflection point.
Here goes my Top Films of 2025!
10.
THE MASTERMIND
Kelly Reichardt's film is part shaggy vintage heist movie and a character study of an opaque, drifty character.
9.
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Another dryly humorous and powerful piece from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, this one taking elements of old Hollywood screwball comedies to illustrate the brutal realities of a ragtag group confronting past ghosts.
8.
MESSY
Alexi Wasser's neurotic, ribald comedy harkening back to flicks like An Unmarried Woman, is completely refreshing. I caught this at the Provincetown Film Festival and was practically levitating afterwards.
7.
WEAPONS
As a fan of Zach Cregger's inventive chiller Barbarian, I was surprised he was able to follow with an even better, bonkers, consistently surprising movie.
6.
HAMNET
It was a brief balm to watch the communal bonding in this film's powerful final sequence. Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's imaginative novel.
5.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Definitely the year's most-discussed in movie nerd world, Paul Thomas Anderson's opus is a slick, technically impressive achievement. The rolling hills car chase sequence was one of the few moments I can think of where I actually felt a movie in a physical way (especially in theatrical VistaVision).
4.
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
My heart was in my throat (cliché to say, I guess) in the final moments when the walls begin to close in on the subjects in Julia Loktev's sprawling, vital documentary.
3.
THE SECRET AGENT
A perfect companion to his mesmerizing documentary on Brazilian cinema-going in Pictures of Ghosts, I love Kleber Mendonça Filho's attention to details and use of genre film references in this compelling story of a man trying to outrun his fate.
2.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Joachim Trier's aching, drum-tight family drama, with a wonderful cast within a very memorable, lived-in house. Noticed some of its layered, symbolic visual motifs on subsequent viewings (his films often reward even more deeply on repeat watches).
1.
MARTY SUPREME
I was smitten and surprised by the energy of Josh Safdie's picture: its eclectic ensemble, nostalgic, sweeping synth score (a reminder of big budget adult dramas of the 80s and early 90s), Darius Khondji's cinematography capturing the beautifully grimy look of Marty's perspective.
Other notable films of the year (in approximate order):
Sinners, Hedda, Misericordia, The Perfect Neighbor, Songs of Slow Burning Earth, Twinless, Companion, Blue Moon, Plainclothes, Lurker, Roofman, The Plague, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Belen, Pillion, The Tale of Silyan, Nouvelle Vague, Sorry, Baby, Familiar Touch, Presence, Train Dreams, All That’s Left of You, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Ponyboi, Christy, Materialists, On Swift Horses, Black Bag, Windless, Caught By the Tides, The Testament of Ann Lee, Throuple, Eephus, Folktales, Rose of Nevada, After the Hunt, Viet and Nam, The Wedding Banquet, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, Resurrection, Jay Kelly, Kontinental ‘25, Bugonia, Homebound, Come See Me in teh Good Light, Highest 2 Lowest, No Other Choice, When the Phone Rang, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, Landmarks, Rebuilding, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Die My Love, East of Wall, The President’s Cake, A Private Life, Urchin, Secret Mall Apartment, The Love That Remains, Griffin in Summer, Jimpa, Bonjour Tristesse, 100,000,000,000,000, Everything Moves, Zodiac Killer Project, Miroirs No. 3, Romeria, Opus, Is This Thing On?, Elementary, Garland Jeffreys: The King of in Between, Best Wishes to All, Gavagai, Sirāt, Sound of Falling, Anemone, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, Come Closer
A look back at my 2024 favorites!
-Jeffery Berg
I saw Christian Petzold's delicate music box puzzle of a film at the New York Film Festival.
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It's coming to theaters this year, opening at Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center in New York, and Laemmle Royal in LA on March 20.
Here goes my Top 10 singles of 2025!
10.
Voodoo / Micah Dailey-White
A grand, mischievous neo-soul doozy.
9.
Night to Night / The Magician
The Magician dizzy dance song reworks Baltimora's "Tarazan Boy" with a murderous bass lick.
8.
Ends Meet / Panda Bear
A dreamy, swirling confection.
7.
Crème Brûlée / David Archuleta
Criminally overlooked sticky, slinky pop number.
6.
Relationships / Haim
The harmonies are gorgeous on Haim's topsy turvy, mixed emotion relationship drama.
5.
Orlando in Love / Japanese Breakfast
Referencing the poetry of Matteo Maria Boiardo, this song is a wonderful mesh of Michelle Zauner's vulnerable vocals with a longing, guitar strummed melody.
4.
Dracula / Tame Impala
The party goes on into the AM, with Tame Impala's infectious clubber. A refreshing ditty to hit the pop charts this year.
3.
Sweet Danger / Obongjayar
Obongjayar's bumping banger delivers simmering seduction.
2.
Before You Break My Heart / Jade
Effectively sampling The Supremes with a rubbery pop beat, Jade's notched another sublime tune in her young discography.
1.
Puddle of (Me) / Saya Gray
With its echoing beats and layered guitars and catchy chord changes, this unique tune from the talented Canadian artist goes on a surprising journey.
All the best of 2025 is available below on my Spotify list!
