Aarcflick

 The President's Cake begins with a shocking fact: despite widespread poverty and food shortages caused by UN-backed sanctions, Saddam Hussein demanded that the entire Iraqi people celebrate his birthday. Such narcissism is enough to leave you speechless. Screenwriter and director Hasan Hadi uses it as the foundation for a story brimming with emotion and political relevance. Lamia (Beneen Ahmed Nayyef) is a nine-year-old girl who lives with her elderly grandmother. At school, she is chosen to bake the class cake for Hussein's birthday. This presents a problem, as it requires eggs, flour, and sugar—supplies that are hard to come by, and even harder to come by when you don't have any money. Lamia sneaks into town with her friend, the sticky-finger Saeed, to beg, borrow, or steal the necessary supplies. The process proves more difficult than anticipated. Director: Hasan Hadi Writer: Hasan Hadi Stars: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem What happens...

 The beginning of a new era once again demonstrates Cygames Pictures' excellence in the anime genre. The film is essentially a condensed and refined version of the Cindarella Grey series. The story is relatively self-contained; some characters reappear from other media, but this film could easily be the starting point for the franchise. Director: Ken Yamamoto Writer: Kiyoko Yoshimura Stars: Yuri Fujimoto, Sumire Uesaka, Yui Ogura From bad to worse: The film's biggest weakness was the story arcs of the two supporting characters. One is presented as a bland friend of the protagonist, while the other is introduced as an intriguing figure with her own struggles, but her circumstances are never revealed, and there is no real story arc. While one could argue that the exploration of the protagonist's psychological struggles is drawn out too long, the overall storyboard is well done. The animators made excellent use of thematic transitions between scenes, which keeps the viewer eng...

The series follows celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay as he balances his family life and personal story while racing to launch five ambitious dining concepts in London’s Bishopsgate 22 skyscraper. I started watching Being Gordon Ramsay expecting another polished celebrity documentary, and on the whole, that’s exactly what it is. However, it also offers enough insight into Gordon’s day-to-day life to make the experience worthwhile. Across six episodes, the series follows Ramsay on one of the biggest career gambles: opening multiple restaurants simultaneously in one of London’s most prestigious buildings, all while managing his role as a husband and father of six. It blends the stress of the boardroom, the logistics of the kitchen, and surprisingly intimate family moments, creating a more serene and reflective portrait than the large-scale image viewers often associate with him. Stars: Gordon Ramsay The most compelling thread is the sheer scale of the Bishopsgate project. We see initial planni...

 Animation suits Las Vegas well. From "CSI" to "Hacks," Sin City hasn't skimped on television adaptations. But the Netflix comedy "Strip Law," created by Cullen Crawford, a former member of the satirical website ClickHole and "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," has the advantage of capturing the essence of its setting. Thanks to the magic of animation, "Strip Law" can create a fictional version of Las Vegas almost as absurd as the real place: a city where magicians and animals have an annual cage fight, the beret-wearing comedian George Wallace is the mayor, and a law firm's clients might include an Austin Powers impersonator on trial for vomiting on a baby. That firm is owned by Lincoln Gumb (Adam Scott), a puritanical lawyer who inherited the business from his late mother. Lincoln is a good lawyer, but he lacks the showmanship needed to win over the jaded and fickle local juries: "You're a Vegas lawyer, but you thin...

Anubhav Sinha, in Assi, is not subtle, but he doesn't care to be. What's fascinating is that he finds a cinematic form that matches his frankness. Nothing in Anubhav Sinha's filmography prepares you for Assi. It's inevitable that this courtroom drama will be compared to Mulk, which also starred Taapsee Pannu, but such comparisons would be superficial and shallow. What distinguishes this drama, despite Sinha's usual dose of anger, is its refusal to let fiction eclipse reality. Sinha doesn't "immerse" you, doesn't blur the boundaries of the screen. He keeps you constantly aware of the reality unfolding outside the courtroom. Assi never "transports" you anywhere like most films do.  Director: Anubhav Sinha Writers: Anubhav Sinha, Gaurav Solanki Stars: Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, Jatin Goswami, Ananya Goyal It places you in a position where you remain attentive to both what's happening on screen and what's happening outside. The two feed off...

FX's romantic drama, Love Story, continues to unravel the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. At the end of the previous episode, the two finally spent a night together. Both are now seeking more stability and security in what is a budding relationship, but it will never be easy, considering that one of them is constantly in the public eye. In episode 4, John introduces Carolyn to his friends and family, which doesn't go very well, before they have their first major argument. Episode 4 of Love Story opens with John arriving at a Calvin Klein party, where Carolyn is also present, but they both pretend not to know each other well. There are occasional glances and even physical touches when they manage to escape the prying eyes of others, and even a playful display of passion when John gives Carolyn an olive from his drink, which she then eats.  Creator: Connor Hines Stars: Sarah Pidgeon, Paul Anthony Kelly, Grace Gummer A while later, John leaves the pa...