Director Wendy Lobel poured years of her life into making “Anxiety Club” and the end result is pretty terrific. This funny, truthful, and ultimately hopeful documentary focuses on a group of working standup comedians, all of whom suffer from some form of anxiety. Informed by her own experiences, Lobel tackles the subject through an open and honest lens, not only letting the comics share their struggles, but in some cases showing what they’re doing to get hold on their anxieties.

Full disclosure – I’ve never been a big standup comedy guy. But it’s a testament to the effectiveness of Lobel’s film that I found myself fully connected to the collection of comics who shared their stories. Among them are Tiffany Jenkins, Marc Maron, Joe List, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn, and Eva Victor. All bring their own distinct humor to the film. But it’s when their barriers are down that they get real about their own bouts with anxiety.

Lobel does a good job developing trust and a comfort level with the comics. Many speak to their lack of self-confidence that in some cases leads to an expectation of failure. Others talk about the weight of depression. In the case of one comic, their anxiety stems from persistent worrying. Early on, the comics use jokes to poke fun at their conditions. But later we get a good sense of the near crippling effect these anxieties have on them.

“Anxiety Club” doesn’t just present the struggles these comedians endure. It also shows how they’re trying to overcome them. Some see their comedy as therapeutic with the stage being their outlet. Others went for more formal therapy which Lobel gets incredible access to. During several sessions her camera sits like a fly on the wall, allowing us to see the doctor/patient process firsthand. The exchanges are sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and always enlightening.

Whether in comedy clubs or therapist offices, there is a truth and authenticity in Lobel’s approach that ultimately gives “Anxiety Club” its punch. In can be very funny in ways that sometimes feel like natural defenses. Other times it’s simply due to the inherently comical natures these comics share. But we never lose our grasp on the film’s more serious undertones. Lobel handles that balance incredibly well.

Again, I’ve never been big into stand-up comedy, but that instantly proved to be irrelevant. That’s because “Anxiety Club” is much more concerned with the people themselves. This is a richly human documentary that explores a subject nearly everyone can relate to. Honing in on people who make others laugh for a living poses its own compelling and thoughtful questions. But it’s their shared experiences with anxiety that extends beyond their work that will connect with people and earn our empathy and understanding.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Netflix has kicked off its 2025 movie year with “Ad Vitam”, a French action thriller from director Rodolphe Lauga. As with so many movies of its kind, the pieces are there for a fun early year reprieve from the end of the year awards seasons crunch. If you look at it that way I suppose “Ad Vitam” fits the bill. At the same time it’s easy to see where it could have been so much better.

“Ad Vitam” (translated “for life”) is both perplexing and frustrating. Within its lean 98 minutes is a potentially exciting movie that unfortunately bookends an overly long and energy-zapping extended flashback. The movie’s fast start quickly grinds to a halt as Lauga, along with his co-writer and star Guillaume Canet, attempt to build some kind of backstory. But it falls short both in substance and in execution.

Canet plays Franck, a former gendarme who was recently dismissed from duty following a tragedy under his command. When we first meet him he’s working as a building inspector, scaling the bell tour at the Sacre-Cœur Basilica in Paris. One afternoon he and his very pregnant wife Leo (Stéphane Caillard) return home to find their apartment broken into and ransacked – the second time in two weeks. Franck is hesitant to take any action which raises Leo’s suspicions.

The story takes a dramatic turn when a group of heavily armed assailants bust into their apartment and take Leo hostage. It turns out that Franck has been hiding incriminating evidence that implicates powerful people in a grand conspiracy. After taking a pretty bad beating, Franck is told by the lead henchman (Johan Heldenbergh) that he has four hours to retrieve and deliver the evidence if he ever wants to see his wife again.

But then the movie takes an abrupt turn as Lauga jumps back ten years into a lengthy flashback. It shows Franck’s acceptance into the gendarmerie where he meets and eventually falls for Leo. It also introduces his best friends and partners, Ben (Nassim Lyes) and Nico (Alexis Manenti). All of their relationships feel real enough, but they aren’t that compelling. At least not until we finally see the tragedy that led to Franck’s dismissal.

After a good 30-40 minutes the movie finally switches back to the present day as Franck races against the clock before ending with a fun yet admittedly absurd action set piece. It’s not the most satisfying ending and it does little to punctuate what unfortunately is a threadbare story. There are glimmers of chemistry and Canet, Caillard, and Lyes certainly have the needed physicality. If only they had more interesting material to work with.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Michael Polish directs “Alarum”, a modestly budgeted action thriller that borrows so much from other movies that it has a tough time finding its own identity. But it’s helped out by Alexander Vesha’s script which features more pieces than a chess set. Not all of them fit together as they should or move the story forward as intended. But they keep things interesting and diverts our attention away from the film’s flaws.

Joe (Scott Eastwood) and Laura (Willa Fitzgerald) were high-value spies for their respected countries who met after she was assigned to kill him. But rather than carry out her mission, she fell in love with him. The two went off the grid, got married, and started a new secret life together. But as anyone who has watched a spy movie knows, you can’t just walk away from such a profession.

While vacationing at a mountain resort in Gdansk, Poland, Joe learns that Laura is working again. To make things even more complicated, a small plane crashes in the forest. While examining the wreckage, Joe discovers that the two pilots were both shot in the head. He also discovers a well hidden flash-drive which he secures before being interrupted by a mercenary named Orlin (Mike Colter). Orlin and his well-armed army are after the drive and immediately show they’ll do anything to retrieve it.

Elsewhere at a makeshift secret headquarters, the United States’ National Clandestine Service led by Director Robert Burbridge (D.W. Moffett) are alerted of the plane crash and surmise that the flash-drive is onboard. They also discover that Joe is in the area potentially working for a mysterious anti-intelligence organization called Alarum. It leads Burbridge to call on Chester (Sylvester Stallone), the agency’s lethal but messy assassin, to retrieve the drive and take out Joe.

Those are a lot of moving parts and Vesha’s script keeps the gears of his story turning at a fairly breakneck pace. Of course all of the players are destined to come together at some point. But before we do, Vesha treats us to some surprising alliances, just as many double-crosses, and a few reveals that are somewhat fun but not overall unexpected. It all culminates in a predictably violent climax topped with a tease for a sequel I’m not sure anyone will be in a hurry for.

While its story has enough kick to keep us moderately entertained, “Alarum” isn’t without its shortcomings, the biggest being with the action. There’s plenty of it, but too many of the scenes look cheap and inauthentic. And they aren’t helped by some hard-to-miss silliness along with a score that feels plucked from a 20-year-old video game (which admittedly has its charms but not for a movie like this). Meanwhile some of the dialogue will have you laughing for all the wrong reasons.

“Alarum” sports a notable cast, most of whom do their best to flesh out their fairly thin characters. The story leans on a number of familiar spy and action movie tropes, yet it twists and turns enough to keep us interested. But it hardly makes for anything memorable, especially when put alongside its room-temperature action which should be the backbone of a movie like this. Sadly it isn’t which is a key reason “Alarum” doesn’t quite hit its mark.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Upon first hearing that Timothée Chalamet was set the play Bob Dylan in an upcoming biopic, I admit to thinking they could have found someone better. But after seeing him in the role of the legendary American singer-songwriter, I wondered who could have played Dylan better. Chalamet delivers a knock-out performance in James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown”, a beguiling biography based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties.”

Chalamet tirelessly prepared for the role, learning how to play guitar and the harmonica while immersing himself into Dylan’s iconic lyrics and singing style. Mangold certainly put the actor’s training to good use. It’s said that Chalamet performed an astonishing 40 songs for the film. But here’s the best part – he surprisingly nails them which not only enhances his performance but strips away any hint of artifice. For 141 minutes Timothée Chalamet is Bob Dylan and we never doubt it for a second.

Among the many good choices that make “A Complete Unknown” work is Mangold’s decision to hone in on one segment of Dylan’s fascinating life. This is no cradle-to-grave biopic. Rather it’s an ensemble movie that traces Dylan’s musical journey from his arrival in New York City to his unforgettable 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival which sparked controversy after he took the stage with an electric guitar much to the dismay of his devoted folk music fans. 

The film opens in 1961 with a 19-year-old Bob arriving in New York City after hitching a ride from Minnesota. He has made the trek in order to visit his idol, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) who was committed to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. While visiting Woody, Bob meets the beloved folk singer Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) who immediately takes a liking to the young aspiring singer. Pete is even more smitten with Bob’s songwriting and begins introducing him around the New York City folk scene.

From there Mangold and his co-writer Jay Cocks chronicle Bob’s rise to fame mostly through the relationships that helped pave his path. One of his earliest is with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), a character based on Suze Rotolo. Sylvie is more than just a love interest. She’s key in opening Bob’s eyes up to the troubled real world which would inspire so many of his hit songs. And more than anyone else, she encouraged him to sing his own songs after his manager Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler) gets him a record deal with Capitol Records.

The film also explores Dylan’s connection with fellow folk singer Joan Baez who is wonderfully played by rising star Monica Barbaro. Baez was already established when she first met Bob Dylan and she was one of the first to record some of his original songs which helped to put him on the map. Barbaro and Chalamet are terrific together, capturing the creative magic conjured whenever Baez and Dylan sang together while touching on the pair’s more tumultuous personal relationship.

The most fun of the supporting cast is Boyd Holbrook playing the great Johnny Cash. He doesn’t get many scenes but he steals every one he’s in through a performance that’s bursting with charisma. Holbrook gloriously channels Cash’s energy and swagger while adding a little flavor of his own to the character. Now I want another Johnny Cash movie with Boyd Holbrook playing ‘The Man in Black’.

While Mangold spends plenty of time delving into the personal life of Bob Dylan, he also takes us on a tour of American music history. Not only does “A Complete Unknown” honor traditional folk music and its impact on American culture, but it also shows how music was changing alongside that very same culture. That culminates in the film’s kinetic recreation of the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan shocked fans and angered festival heads by playing electric rather than acoustic. His brief set has been called a watershed moment for both folk and rock music.

While “A Complete Unknown” sweeps you away with its focused storytelling, timeless music, and phenomenal performances, it’s also strengthened by its period-perfect production design and costumes as well as rich cinematography from Phedon Papamichael. But it’s James Mangold’s clear passion that brings it all together. It seeps from every pore of his movie. And while fans of the music may find more to enjoy, there’s so much else to love that transcends mere musical tastes. It’s a transporting musical journey and one of the year’s best movies.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Writer, director, producer, and star Jesse Eisenberg has made a splash with “A Real Pain”, an emotionally rich and organically funny dramedy that follows two Jewish cousins on a trip to better understand their late grandmother’s past. In the process, the two end up learning more about themselves and each other. It may sound like a fairly conventional premise. But Eisenberg infuses his film with such humanity that he has no trouble earning our empathy.

The film opens with the two cousins meeting at the airport in New York City. Within seconds its easy to see that they couldn’t be more different. First is David (Eisenberg), an buttoned-up and tightly wound digital advertising specialist who lives in a comfy Manhattan brownstone with his wife and young son. And then there is Benji (Kieran Culkin), a crass but naturally charming free spirit who flies by the seat of his pants and has no problem sharing whatever is on his mind.

Like many cousins, David and Benji grew up close but drifted apart as their lives took different paths. But they’re brought back together by the recent passing of their grandmother. Both loved her very much, but we learn she had an especially close relationship with Benji. Now they are coming together to fulfill their grandmother’s dying wish – to take money she left them and travel to Poland to learn about where she came from.

After the pair reunite in New York, they fly to Warsaw where they join a small but intimate tour group led by a knowledgeable British guide named James (Will Sharpe). Filling out the group is a recently divorced middle-aged New Yorker named Marcia (Jennifer Grey) who is there to honor her mother, an African-born Jewish convert named Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan) who survived the Ruwandan genocide and now seeks to better connect to his faith, and a somewhat stuffy retired couple, Mark (Daniel Oreskes) and Diane (Liza Sadovy).

One of the film’s biggest strengths lies in Eisenberg’s impressive ability to balance the heaviness of his movie’s themes with moments of levity. Culkin’s Benji brings an irreverent and rambunctious energy to the Holocaust tour group. And while that may sound incredibly insensitive, Eisenberg’s humanizing touch ensures sensitivity and pathos. The humor is organic to the characters and it compliments their arcs while helping to better define them.

“A Real Pain” has received a lot of buzz since premiering earlier this year at Sundance. In that time Culkin has garnered most of the attention and he certainly earns it. But his character (and by extension his performance) wouldn’t have the impact without the sturdy and on-point Eisenberg as his foil. Together they get to the heart of the movie which turns out to have more on its mind than just remembrance. It’s also a movie about reconnection, understanding, and finding your way forward. It asks several questions that have no easy answers. But it leaves us thinking about them which testifies to Eisenberg’s prowess.

VERDICT – 4 STARS