Mandel Maven's Nest Reel Life: Flick Pix - INDEX
- in Little Falls, NJ, where I fell in love with the movies at Saturday afternoon matinees – just like Joni Mitchell sang: “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
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Nora Lee Mandel is a member of New York Film Critics Online. Her reviews are counted in the Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter:
Complete Index to Nora Lee Mandel’s REVIEWS and COMMENTARIES
My reviews have appeared on: Film-Forward; FF2 Media; Lilith, FilmFestivalTraveler; and, Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Shorter versions of my older reviews are at IMDb's comments, where non-English-language films are listed by their native titles.
For credits go to Internet Movie Database.
TV Recommendations
indicates movies currently in theaters or first-run VOD that I don't think are yet out on video/DVD or uncut on cable or streaming.
Nora Lee Mandel's ANNUAL BEST OF EACH YEAR and Recommendations
CHICK FLICKS
IF YOU’RE JONESING TO WATCH SOMETHING LIKE THE WIRE
IMAGES OF DENTISTS AND PREVENTIVE TOOTH CARE IN MOVIES
IMPACT OF 9/11 ON NYC THROUGH MOVIES
LILITH WATCH: CRITICAL GUIDE TO JEWISH WOMEN IN (and missing from) THE MOVIES
MASTERPIECE THEATER: MOVIES AS MEDICINE
For the MIDDLE-AGED AT HEART: HURRAH FOR GROWN-UPS!
For the MUSIC (and/or the dancing)
NEW YORK NEW YORK: IT'S A HELLUVA TOWN
NOIR NIGHT OUT
OGLING TEENS AND '20SOMETHINGS
POPCORN EATERS
ROMEO AND JULIET (and friends) ACROSS THE ETHNIC DIVIDE
SCI-FI and FANTASY from A DISTAFF POV
And then there's RUSSELL CROWE (with commentary on the actor)
LILITH WATCH: CRITICAL GUIDE TO JEWISH WOMEN IN (and missing from) THE MOVIES
MY REVIEWS and COMMENTARY ON JEWISH WOMEN IN FILMS:
24 Days (24 Jours)
36 Righteous Ones (Los 36 Justos) (briefly reviewed at 2011 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
50/50
50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus
51 Birch Street
77 Steps (previewed at 2011 Other Israel Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
100Up (preview at 2021 DOC NYC)
100 Voices: A Journey Home (briefly reviewed at 2012 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
200 Meters
306 Hollywood (seen courtesy of El Tigre Productions)
400 Miles to Freedom (previewed at 2012 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
999: The Forgotten Girls (at 2024 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
1341 Frames Of Love And War (preview at 2022 Other Israel Film Festival)
2009 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum
Above and Beyond (previewed at 2014 DOC NYC)
AA (short) (preview at 2022 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Abe (seen at 2019 Other Israel Film Festival)
Abe and Phil’s Last Poker Game
Abigail’s Child
Acts & Intermissions (seen at MoMA’s 2017 Documentary Fortnight)
Adam
Adam Resurrected
Adrienne (at 2021 DOC NYC/ HBO)
Adventureland
Adventures of a Mathematician (preview at 2021 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
The Adventures of Saul Bellow
Advocate (Lea Tsemel, Orehet Din) (seen at 2019 Human Rights Watch Film Festival at Film at Lincoln Center/IFC Center, and Q & A at 2019 Other Israel Film Festival)
Africa
After Auschwitz (preview courtesy)
Afternoon Delight
Aftermath (Pokłosie) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Afterward (preview at 2018 DOC NYC) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Ahead of the Curve (streamed at 2021 ReelAbilities Film Festival New York)
Ahead of Time (briefly reviewed at 2010 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on Ruth Gruber.)
Ahed's Knee (Ha'berech) (at 2021 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ seen at 2021 Other Israel Film Festival courtesy of KinoLorber Films)
Aida’s Secrets (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Alegría (seen at 2023 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum/ shown at 2022 New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival)
Aliyah (also briefly reviewed at 2013 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
All Eyes Off Me (Mishehu Yohav Mishehu)
All Good Things
All The Beauty And The Bloodshed (at 2022 DOC NYC)
Alone Together (preview at 2022 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
America (at 2023 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum)
American Muslim (at 2019 DOC NYC and seen at 2020 Cinematters: Social Justice Film Festival)
American Promise (previewed at 2013 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women’s issues.)
Amy
Ana Arabia (previewed at 2014 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
The Anne Frank Gift Shop (short)
#Anne Frank - Parallel Stories
Anyuka (Mother) (short) (at 2024 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Apples From the Desert (Tapoukhim min ha'midbar) (seen at 2015 Israel Film Center Festival)
Arabani (previewed at 2013 Other Israel Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman)
Arabic Friday (short) (seen at 2019 Other Israel Film Festival)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret>
The Armor of Light (previewed at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival)
The Arrest (Hama’Atzar) (previewed at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival)
The Art of Silence (L’art du silence)
The Art of Spiegelman (Art Spiegelman, Traits de mémoire) (briefly in Reviewed: New York Jewish Film Festival 2013 of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Arthur Miller: Writer (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (previewed at 2017 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Asia (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (preview at 2020 Tribeca Film Festival)
As I Am: The Life and Times of DJ AM (previewed at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival)
Ask Dr. Ruth (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (preview at 2019 Tribeca Film Festival)
As Lilith (previewed at 2011 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
As Seen Through These Eyes
Attachment (Natten Har Øjne) (at 2022 Tribeca Film Festival)
At the Heart of Gold (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (preview at 2019 Tribeca Film Festival)
Autism In Love (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (previewed at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
Autism: The Musical
A Woman, A Part
Aya
Bachelor Days Are Over (Pourquoi tu pleures?)
Band Aid (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Bang! The Bert Berns Story (previewed at 2016 DOC NYC)
Back to the Fatherland (So, nu: more commentary on the Jewish woman) (preview courtesy First Run Features)
Bag of Marbles (Un sac de billes) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Barbara Rubin and the Exploding New York Underground (Nu - Note on this Jewish woman) (at 2018 DOC NYC) (preview courtesy of Juno Films)
Barbie
Barren (at 2023 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum)
Battle of the Sexes (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Before the Revolution (previewed at 2014 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
Beginners
Being Jewish in France (Comme un Juif en France)
Bella (at 2023 Dance on Camera Festival of Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center)
Bella!
Belle Épine (briefly reviewed at 2011 New Directors/New Films of Film at Lincoln Center/MoMA) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Belly of the Beast (Commentary on director)
Be/longing (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (preview at 2018 Other Israel Film Festival)
Ben-Gurion: Epilogue (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Beregovsky #136 (short) (preview at 2022 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Berlin '36
Berlin I Love You (”Transitions” featured a Jewish woman)
Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (previewed at 2016 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Bethlehem (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Betrayed (Den største forbrytelsen) (courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Between Earth & Sky (short)
Between The Temples
Big Sonia (at 2016 DOC NYC)
Black Book (Zwartboek) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Black Bus (briefly reviewed at 2011 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Black On White: The Idan Raichel Project
Blessed Is The Match: The Life And Death Of Hannah Senesh (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Blue Box (previewed at 2021 Other Israel Film Festival/ DOC NYC)
Blues By The Beach
Bobbi Jean (commentary) previewed at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival)
Boogie Woogie
The Booksellers (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (seen at 2019 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
The Books He Didn’t Burn (Die Bücher, Die Hitler Nicht Verbrannte) (at 2024 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (So, nu: my comments on the Jewish woman)
Born To Be (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish participants.) (preview at 2019 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
A Borrowed Identity (Dancing Arabs Aka Second Son) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (Une bouteille à la mer (previewed at 2012 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (commentary on the Jewish women) (previewed at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival)
Border of Pain (at 2019 Other Israel Film Festival)
Born in Deir Yassin (Nolad Be’Deir Yassin) (at 2017 Other Israel Film Festival)
The Boy Downstairs (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (previewed at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Breaking Bread (My commentary on the Jewish woman participant) (seen at 2019 Other Israel Film Festival)
Breaking Home Ties (new print previewed at 2012 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
Breaking Upwards
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.) (preview at 2018 DOC NYC)
Brussels Transit (Bruxelles-transit)
Brave Miss World (reviewed at 2013 Women's Docs at DOC NYC)
Bride Flight (Bruidsvlucht) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman) (My additional note.)
Brillo Box (3¢ off) (short) (previewed at 2016 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center) (Nu - Note on: putative Jewish women)
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (My commentary on her as a Jewish woman) (previewed at 2016 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Buddy (So, nu: inspired by a Jewish woman.) (seen at MoMA’s 2019 Documentary Fortnight)
Budrus (also briefly reviewed in Recommended Documentaries at 2010 Tribeca Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Bully. Coward. Victim: The Roy Cohn Story (brief review at FF2 Media) (So, nu: My commentary on the Jewish women) (seen at 2019 Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival and shown at 2019 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Burning Land (Adama Boeret)
Bye Bye Germany (Es war einmal in Deutschland...) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (preview courtesy of Film Movement)
Bye Bye Tiberias/ Tibériade (at 2023 DOC NYC)
Café Society)
The Cakemaker (Der Kuchenmacher) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (at 2018 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
Call Her Applebroog (seen at MoMA’s 2016 Documentary Fortnight)
Call Me By Your Name (previewed at 2017 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Call Me Dancer (at 2023 Dance on Camera Festival of Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center)
Call Your Mother
Carmel
Casino Jack (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Castles in the Sky (short) (at 2023 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum)
Charlotte
CBGB (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Chagall and Malevich (So, nu: my commentary on Bella as a Jewish woman.)
Chasing Portraits (at 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (preview courtesy of First Run Features)
Citizen Jane: Battle For The City (Commentary on the Jewish women) (short (Review) (previewed at 2016 DOC NYC)
Charlotte Salomon: Life and the Maiden (Le Jeune Fille et La Vie) (at 2023 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum)
Charm Circle (preview at 2021 DOC NYC)
Children Must Laugh (Mir Kumen On) (seen at 2016 To Save and Project: MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation of Museum of Modern Art)
Children of the Sun
A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noël)
Christ Stopped At Eboli (Cristo si è fermato a Eboli) (Parts 1 – 4) (1979) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman)
Circus of Books (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (preview at 2019 Tribeca Film Festival)
The City and the City (at 2022 New Directors/New Films of Film at Lincoln Center/ MoMA)
City Dreamers (Rêveuses de villes) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women) (U.S. Premiere at 2019 ADFF NY/ seen streaming at 2020 Architecture & Design Film Festival)
City of Joel (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (preview at 2018 DOC NYC)
City of Joy (Note on the Jewish woman leader) (previewed at 2016 DOC NYC)
Closed Circuit (Bema’agal Sagoor) (at 2022 DOC NYC)
Closeness (Tesnota) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (preview at 2018 New Directors/New Films of Film at Lincoln Center/MoMA
Close To Home (Karov La Bayit
Cloudy Sunday (Ouzeri Tsitsanis/Ουζερί Τσιτσάνης) (seen at 2017 New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival)
Code: Debugging The Gender Gap (previewed at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
A Coffee In Berlin (Oh Boy) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Coco
Colette (seen at 2014 at Czech That Film Tour)
Colliding Dreams
Come Closer (at 2024 Tribeca Film Festival)
The Comedian
Comme ton père
A Compassionate Spy
Comrade Dov (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (seen at 2019 Other Israel Film Festival)
Concerned Citizen (Ezrah Mudag) (at 2023 Israel Film Center Festival)
Concussion
The Conductor (preview at 2021 Tribeca Film Festival)
The Conspiracy (preview at 2022 DOC NYC)
Convoys of Shame (Les Convois de la honte) (briefly reviewed at 2011 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum
The Cousin (Ha Ben Dod) (preview at 2018 Other Israel Film Festival/also shown at 2018 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Crazy Love
Creating A Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.) (preview at 2018 DOC NYC)
The Crossing (Flukten over grensens) (preview at 2021 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Crossing the River (short) (at 2024 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Cupcakes (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
The Cut (Notes)
Dancing in Jaffa (briefly reviewed in 2013 Documentaries at Tribeca Film Festival and at Part 2 Truth & Friction of the 2013 Other Israel Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
A Dangerous Method (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.) (previewed at 2011 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Dare
Dark Inclusion (Diamant noir) (previewed at 2016 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema at Film at Lincoln Center)
David & Fatima
David and Layla
David Golder
David and Kamal (previewed at 2011 Other Israel Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Death of a Poetess (Mot HaMeshoreret) (So, nu: commentary on the Jewish woman.) (preview at 2018 Other Israel Film Festival)
The Debt (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Defiant Requiem (previewed at 2012 DocuWeeks) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Defying The Nazis: The Sharps War
Delegation (Ha’Mishlahat) (at 2024 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Deli Man (previewed at 2015 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Demon (Commentary on the Jewish women) (previewed at 2016 New Directors/New Films of Film at Lincoln Center/MoMA)
Denial (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
Destination Unknown
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (at 2024 Tribeca Film Festival)
Dimona Twist (at 2017 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
The Disappeared (Hane’elam) (So, nu: my identification of the Israeli women.) (seen at 2019 First Look Festival at Museum of the Moving Image)
Disengagement (Désengagement)
Disobedience (previewed at 2018 Tribeca Film Festival)
Disturbing The Peace (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
The Dive (Ha Tzlila) (at 2019 Israel Film Center Festival)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le papillon)
Dogs: The Rise and Fall of an All-Girl Bookie Joint
Dolphin Boy (previewed at 2011 Other Israel Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Don’t Blink – Robert Frank (previewed at 2015 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
Dove’s Cry (previewed at 2013 Other Israel Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Dressing America: Tales From The Garment Center (briefly reviewed at 2012 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Driving Men
Echo (Hed) (at 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum)
Eichmann’s End: Love, Betrayal, Death (Eichmanns Ende) (briefly reviewed at 2011 New York Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.)
ElDorado: Everything The Nazis Hate (Eldorado - Alles, was die Nazis hassen)
Elik and Jimmy aka The Fat Guy (HaShamen) (at 2023 Israel Film Center Festival)
Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals
Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie (briefly reviewed at 2012 Award-Winning Docs at 2012 Tribeca Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
The Exception (previewed at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival)
Emotional Arithmetic (Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning)
Endless Poetry (Poesía Sin Fin)
Entourage
Entre Nous
Etgar Keret: Based On A True Story (at 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/ The Jewish Museum)
Every Mother Should Know (Teda Kol Em Ivriya)
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Everything Is Copy (previewed at 2015 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
The Everything Pot (at 2024 Tribeca Film Festival)
Everything Went Fine (Tout s'est bien passé)
Exodus 91 (at 2023 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum)
Experimenter (previewed at 2015 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
The Extra Man
The Fabelmans
Fading Gigolo (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women.) (streamed at 2021 Camden International Film Festival)
Falsch
Family Affair (seen at DocuWeeks) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Family in Transition (at 2018 DOC NYC)
Famous Nathan (previewed at 2014 Tribeca Film Festival) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn (at 2023 DOC NYC)
Fanny’s Journey (Le voyage de Fanny)
Feast Of Love (On the Jewish women)
The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed
Felix and Meira (previewed at 2015 New York Jewish Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
#FemalePleasure (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish woman.)
Fiddler: A Miracle Of Miracles
Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen
The Field (at 2017 Other Israel Film Festival)
Field Diary (Yoman Sadeh) (seen at 2012 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center)
The Fifth Heaven (Ba-rakia ha-hamishi) (briefly in Reviewed: New York Jewish Film Festival 2013 of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)
Fig Tree (Etz Teena) (seen at 2019 NY Jewish Film Festival of Lincoln Center/The Jewish Museum/ also at 2019 Israel Film Center Festival)
Fill the Void (Lemale et ha'halal) (previewed at 2012 New York Film Festival of Film at Lincoln Center) (So, nu: my commentary on the Jewish women)