This has to be are – Todd Haynes new masterpiece. This is the gift of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in one movie. Heaven.

The plot: A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy. But who cares. This is Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe together in one movie – enough said.
The trailer:

Freshly decorated with a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for best movie Tangerine is on fire.

It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.

Director Sean Baker’s prior films brought rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. Tangerine follows suit, bursting off the screen with energy and style. Exhibiting fierce chemistry with his actors to fashion a dazzlingly distinctive film filled with humor and heart, Baker’s talent is on full display. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the real streets of L.A., Tangerine defies expectation—a veritable cinematic jolt.

James White (Christopher Abbott) is a troubled twentysomething trying to stay afloat in a frenzied New York City. As he retreats further into a hedonistic lifestyle, his mother’s battle with a serious illness faces a series of setbacks that force him to assume more responsibility. With the pressure on him mounting, James must find new reserves of strength or risk imploding completely.

James White is a confident and closely observed directorial debut that explores loss and the deep relationship between a mother and son. It marks Martha Marcy May Marlene producer Josh Mond’s first appearance at the Festival as a writer/director. Abbott’s strong central performance is aided by a stellar supporting cast featuring Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, and Ron Livingston (Drinking Buddies). Shot on location in New York City with an intimate visual style and a driving contemporary soundtrack, James White follows its lead into deep, affecting places while still maintaining its fragile humanity. Winning the Next Audience Award in Sundance was only the beginning.

Nick Hornby is one of the coolest writers of this century and whenever he writes a screenplay TrendEngel is in.  The premise of Brooklyn is simple: In 1950s Ireland and New York, young Eilis Lacey has to choose between two men and two countries. Saoirse Ronan is brilliant in it and the movie rocks -totally different to other Hornby features such as Fever Pitch and High Fidelity.
The trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szRFS4NO6f8

What percentage of a film has to be great for it to be worth watching? The Walk, Robert Zemeckis’ dramatised account of Philippe Petit’s lunatic mission to tightrope walk between New York’s Twin Towers, is perhaps 25 per cent terrific, tops. Yet those 30-odd minutes are so good, they just nullify all the other meandering, irritating minutes around them.
If you’ve already seen Man On Wire, 2008’s Oscar-winning documentary about Petit, then there’s little here to demand another two hours of your time. Petit was an exceedingly self-confident street performer, who in 1974 read about the construction of two 415-metre towers in Manhattan. He decided he had to walk between them, even if it might land him in jail, because this is the sort  of thing Petit thinks.
But an – those last 30 minutes in 3D on the tight rope. Just breathtaking:

I had to work with Kate Blanchett again…says Haynes at the Zurich Film Festival and smiles. He knows why. There is certain Oscar buzz and more to come. “Carol” is as lusciously made as you come to expect from any Haynes film. Sexy, sultry, and vibrantly crafted, Haynes pours his heart and soul into each frame he directs with generous and respectful admiration. He transports us to a time we can only see in our dreams, with stunning cloths of the 1950’s, thanks to outstanding Sandy Powell, and gorgeous set design, thanks to Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler. The revelation in the movie: Rooney Mara. The girl with the dragon tattoo is an amazing actress showing her soft side in this role. Go and see Carol – now:

This is a love story. Superbly nuanced performances from Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay and exquisite direction by Andrew Haigh, who also co-wrote the film, turn an apparently everyday story of a marriage in quiet crisis into something rather extraordinary. A subtle examination of the persistence of the past and the fragile (in)stability of the present, this is a portrait of a rock-solid relationship facing a fissure that cuts to its very core in the runup to the titular wedding anniversary.