By Michael Nordine According To The Daily)  “All happy families are alike,” claims the immortal first sentence of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”; “each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” And while jaded viewers may opine that all indie dramedies about dysfunctional families in the “Little Miss Sunshine” or “The Squid and the Whale” mold are alike, writer-director Haroula Rose’s “All Happy Families” suggests the genre has moved in a more grounded direction. Whether that’s ultimately a better direction remains to be seen. The focal point of this particular family is Graham (Josh Radnor), an aspiring screenwriter/actor whose older brother Will (Rob Huebel) stars on a hugely popular (and seemingly terrible) TV series. As Will surprises Graham by flying from Los Ange...

By Guy Lodge According To The Daily) A lot of great cinema is made by happy accidents: certain intangible chemistries and tricks of timing that can’t be calculated even by the most exacting auteur. In the considerably rarer case of “Real,” the whole film is an accident, and one more vital than happy. Shot inadvertently while director Oleh Sentsov — not working as a filmmaker, but as a lieutenant in the Ukrainian Defense Forces — was holed up with his unit during a perilous battle in the early days of the war against Russia, the film captures the horror and claustrophobia of trench warfare with an immediacy that no big-budget fictional combat movie could hope to match, all courtesy of a GoPro camera on Sentsov’s helmet that he accidentally turned on while checking his equi...

By Clayton Davis According To The Daily) The buzz on potential Oscar contenders from the first half of 2024 seems quieter than usual. Nonetheless, stars such as Zendaya, Cannes winner Jesse Plemons and Hollywood’s new “hit man,” Glen Powell, will be among those hoping to stay afloat in the awards conversation until the end of the season. Significant financial successes from the top of the box office charts are worth celebrating. Warner Bros.’ sci-fi epic sequel, “Dune: Part Two,” could become the seventh movie nominated in all seven technical categories, following its 2022 predecessor. Pixar’s big comeback, “Inside Out 2,” might vie for more than just a spot in the best animated feature category. This year also features several one-offs — films hoping for one or two mentions ...