This article first appeared on Reeltime with RIchard AdesThe past year has been a scary one for Americans who believe in freedom of the press. Faced with an autocratic president who works to stifle his critics with a combination of favors, threats, lawsuits and every other means at his disposal,…

This article first appeared online at Reel TIme with Richard Ades.There was a time when Americans could watch political dramas like Two Prosecutors—set during the Stalinist purges of 1930s Russia—without feeling like we’re foreseeing our own future.Since the film was written and directed by Ukraine…

Of the five films up for an international Oscar, Sirat is by far the most unsettling.I say that without fear of contradiction, even though I have yet to see most of its competitors. Watching Spain’s nominee is simply the kind of nerve-wracking experience that few films can match.French-born…

Five films have received Oscar noms in the international category, including the French-sponsored Iranian drama It Was Just an Accident and the apparent front-runner, Brazil’s The Secret Agent.Not on the final list is Iraq’s nominee for the honor—though it’s hard to say why, because the film is a…