Maven's Nest

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Oct 7, 2026 8/10 Assisted through his daughter’s archives, work, and her coming to terms over years, documentary sensitively balances unusual biography of "Singing Rabbi" Shlomo Carlebach for him and his religious music’s very complicated legacy with abuse victims. Go to Full Review The Darkest Light (2026) - - - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Oct 2, 2026 9/10 Director debuts as a Next Gen Breillat Down Under for frank treatment of social tensions and pressures on female adolescent sexuality. Intensely set within the place and time of her own adolescence in 2006 with early internet. You will feel uneasy. Go to Full Review Big Girls Don't Cry (2026) 100% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Sep 30, 2026 7/10 Suffused in love for frank, intimate caregiving story with lessons for all to face their and family members’ futures. Filming was structured around director’s charismatic sister’s cognitive abilities. Magic realism epilogue imagines ideal solution. Go to Full Review Take Me Home (2026) 93% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Sep 25, 2026 7/10 Debut director Padraic McKinley turns a forest into a dangerous obstacle course. Russell Crowe is a wily labor camp warden, while Ethan Hawke imparts grim realism amidst plot twists and Depression-era characters. Electronic music score ups the ante. Go to Full Review The Weight (2026) 94% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Sep 9, 2026 6/10 Juilliard grad wr/dir/star Isabel Hagen embodies gig economy musician travails, rushing from amusing to frustrating gigs. Classical music-obsessed family is comic relief -Dylan Baker as dad. But stopping for Central Park beauty isn’t revelation. Go to Full Review On a String (2025) 91% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Sep 8, 2026 6/10 After attack footage and witnesses, heart of documentary covers the citizen participation in the rebuilding planning process, with interviews. A useful historical footnote, but not the claimed model to restore faith in democracy today. Go to Full Review 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero (2026) - - - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Aug 28, 2026 9/10 With an international cast and crew, Agnieszka Holland brilliantly interprets the life, context, inspirations, writings, and impact of Franz Kafka as "Kafkaesque", with flashbacks, flashforwards, and resonant imagery. Go to Full Review Franz (2025) 75% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Aug 15, 2026 7/10 Worthy nostalgia for a time in 1986 when direct talks between adversarial world leaders could lead to a legacy of arms reduction Go to Full Review The Brink of War (2026) 71% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Aug 12, 2026 8/10 Most of us Baby Boomers didn’t have motion picture cameras in hand to document our freewheeling youth, then growing into middle age, until now when we are in our silver years – but Robb Moss did for his friends. Go to Full Review The Bend in the River (2025) 100% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Jul 23, 2026 7/10 Sensitively showcases woman rarely seen as central, a widow who only expresses herself with green thumb - quietly expressive Yudkevitch. Going off grid, she runs as far away as she can go to leave behind her troubles. Can her alternate life last? Go to Full Review What Is to Come (2026) - - - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Jul 23, 2026 7/10 The writers/producers did attend Jewish summer camp like one fondly, enjoyably portrayed. Alumni bring their kids. Despite flashy bits/cameos by familiar Jewish males, focus is on two alumna, still BFFs. Refreshingly, schmaltz & nostalgia are mocked. Go to Full Review The Floaters (2025) 67% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Jul 22, 2026 8/10 Debut writer/director Meyering creates a sensitive story. Casting makes it feel consistently authentic beyond sentiment. Autistic actress Lillian Carrier is central to the film’s success, plus her mutual warmth with Gretchen Mol’s tender performance. Go to Full Review Horsegirls (2025) 96% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Jul 4, 2026 5/10 Epic but nuance-free, one-dimensional story of the key developments in the early life and career that shaped the man before he became the monument. Few famous actors are ponderous anchors. Franklyn-Miller is appealing. Go to Full Review Young Washington (2026) 59% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest May 23, 2026 7/10 Montages of bio background are helpful context to her encounter and winning lawsuits vs Trump. Key are her friends she told about it back in pre-#MeToo 1996 and testified for her in court. At 80, her wit and flair are intact. Go to Full Review Ask E. Jean (2025) 97% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Apr 28, 2026 9/10 Through one murder trial, expansively examines centuries of colonialism, racism, greed, development, Indigenous identity and assimilation in Argentina with archives, photos, memories and fulsome drone views Go to Full Review Our Land (2025) 98% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Apr 10, 2026 9/10 As outrageous as YES looks and sounds, it is the most accessible of Israeli expat Lapid’s films. He leaves nothing to the imagination about his feelings against the conduct of the post-10/7/23 war and any society that supports anything like it. Go to Full Review Yes! (2025) 92% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Apr 7, 2026 7/10 Artist Jimmy Gramshaw is an entertaining raconteur about his oeuvre, past and family (with his wife/partner Guzzie) while he carves his final masterpiece. Radiant positivity of a constant stream of new ideas gushes from him. Go to Full Review Jimmy & The Demons (2025) - - - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Apr 3, 2026 9/10 Worthy re-release since film disappeared from 1991 U.S. theaters. This sterling portrayal of the rise of fascism in 1932 Germany, based on autobiographical novel, has additional resonance for today. Go to Full Review Reunion (1989) - - 64%

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Mar 28, 2026 7/10 Visual emphasis on land and striking landscape cinematically communicates homeland theme. This historical epic is action, but returns to multi-generation ensemble of family. Go to Full Review Palestine '36 (2025) 98% - -

Nora Lee Mandel Maven's Nest Mar 26, 2026 7/10 Amanda Peet centers the film and raises it beyond a rom-com wannabe or Woody Allen on the Upper West Side stereotypes. She is fantastically good here! Talented ensemble of familiar character actors create 3D people in brief moments on screen. Go to Full Review Fantasy Life (2025) 82% - -