Critical Week: Smile for the camera

I'm travelling these days, visiting friends and family in Southern California, where I was born. I've certainly been enjoying the sunshine and fish tacos! And of course the Christmas spirit. Work has taken a back seat, with no screenings and refreshingly few deadlines. And I'm working on those pesky year-end best lists. The only film I've watched was revisiting the Knives Out sequel Wake Up Dead Man on Netflix - still one of my favourite movies of the year, this is a smart, funny whodunit with some added insight into compassion and faith. The ensemble is fantastic too, led by the excellent Josh O'Connor and Daniel Craig, plus a fabulous scene-stealing Glenn Close.. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Is This Thing On? • Cover-up
The Voice of Hind Rajab
ALL REVIEWS >

On the plane flight over here, along with various TV episodes, I finally caught up with the guilty pleasure comedy Nonnas, a silly but warmly enjoyable true story starring Vince Vaughn as a guy opening a restaurant in Staten Island with a group of Italian grandmas as chefs. And Mariska Hargitay's documentary My Mom Jayne, is an intimate and involving exploration of her connection with her mother Jayne Mansfield. I also rewatched Frank Capra's classic It's a Wonderful Life somewhere over Greenland. This film never ages - it's just as entertaining and moving as ever. One of the best movies of all time.

Coming up this next week, I still have a few movies I need to watch for awards voting deadlines, but otherwise it's more likely that I'll see a few more holiday classics with friends and family.