By GLENN KENNY This movie begins, as so many contemporary espionage pictures do, with men at laptops being interrupted by men with guns: In Dubai, a covert intelligence outpost is infiltrated by a small posse of men with high-caliber fast-shooting weapons. Their stolid, silver-haired commander has given only one instruction: “No hesitation.” The carnage is considerable. And so, Wendell Pierce as an intelligence leader, James Greer, heads to New York’s Greenwich Village to tra

In “Fjord,” once child protection services opens an inquiry, an ostensible family matter becomes headline news and, in turn, a proxy war between religious conservatism and social liberalism. By MANOHLA DARGIS The 79th Cannes Film Festival came to a close Saturday when the Palme d’Or was awarded to “Fjord,” Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu’s multilingual drama starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a devout Christian couple accused of physically abusing their children

Ian Hobson (will.illinois.edu) A week’s worth of performances continues today at The Gallery Inn By PEGGY ANN BLISS Special to The STAR When you own a small hotel filled with grand pianos and a museum full of treasures, what do you do with it? If you are sculptor Jan D’Esopo, you fill your beds with music-loving travelers and your grands with pianists of all sizes, ages and nationalities, playing anything from Liszt to Nicodé, from Mozart to Astor Piazzolla. This week, the 12

A scene from “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” (Lucasfilm Ltd./Fairview Entertainment/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) By NATALIA WINKELMAN “The human face is the great subject of the cinema.” That’s Ingmar Bergman, in a widely cited quote. If he’s right, then what could possibly be the thinking behind the Mandalorian, a franchise-carrying hero permanently covered by a helmet? I’m aware that opening a “Star Wars” spinoff review with a Bergman line may come off as sni

PRSO assistant principal bassoonist Ion Serbanescu (1957-2026) was remembered by a close colleague as having “a great effect on the morale of the whole orchestra” and as an “outstanding musician for over two decades.” (Courtesy of Elena Sherbanesco) By PEGGY ANN BLISS Special to The STAR The opening of the 70th annual Casals Festival on Saturday at 7 p.m. coupled with the death of a musician from the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (PRSO), brings back an eerie echo of the fina

Mallori Johnson and Kara Young in a scene from “Is God Is” (2026). (Amazon MGM Studios) By LISA KENNEDY A little girl sits still on a playground bench. Another one, smaller but dressed similarly, sidles next to her and places a head on her shoulder. At the start of “Is God Is,” fraternal twins Anaia and Racine have their backs to us, but their physical intimacy and even their nascent dynamics radiate from the get-go in playwright Aleshea Harris’ powerhouse film directorial de

“The Beloved” (A Contracorriente Films/Le Pacte) By KYLE BUCHANAN At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, beach clubs have become battlegrounds. Every after-party I attend has been the site of a heated debate, as journalists and industry insiders fight about the polarizing films vying for the Palme d’Or. During the soiree for “Paper Tiger,” a New York thriller starring Miles Teller and Adam Driver, I predicted that their co-star Scarlett Johansson would become a major Oscar cont

An undated photo provided by Mel Brooks shows him with Gene Wilder, who starred in “The Producers,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles.” (Mel Brooks via The New York Times) By JASON ZINOMAN As the 2,000-Year-Old Man prepares to turn 100, he’s looking to history. Mel Brooks — who will hit the century mark in June and whose titanic career includes playing an ancient man with a thick Jewish accent answering questions about subjects like the invention of fire (credit goes

By ALEX MARSHALL Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna this past weekend after a nail-biting finish in which it triumphed at the last second over Israel, whose participation in the contest has been a source of strife for the competition’s organizers and many fans. The victory was a shock, given that Bulgaria’s entry, “Bangaranga,” performed by the singer Dara, did not feature among the pre-show favorites. But when the results of a public vote were added to scores

Because Martín is a big draw, concerts are free and venues are small, getting a seat may take some doing. Here’s how to avoid disappointment: San Germán: First come, first served. Arrive 45 minutes early. Reaching the museum is like climbing a pyramid. Anyone with mobility issues should pass. Mayagüez: Easy access, small capacity. The early bird gets the clarinet. Preregistration is a must. Use Jotform or telephone (787) 986-7850 to commit to a seat. San Juan: Arrive a half-h