Movies Update: ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ and More

Plus, a preview of fall movies.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 17, 2021 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! All those movies you've been hearing about at fall festivals? They're about to come spilling onto screens in the next few months. You'll have more than 125 to choose from. And we've previewed some of them and interviewed the people who made them. Here are a few stories you should check out: The "Sopranos" movie prequel "The Many Saints of Newark" arrives Oct. 1 in theaters and on HBO Max. Pore over a family tree explaining how the many mobsters are related. Andrew Garfield is playing the creator of the musical "Rent" in "Tick, Tick … Boom!" (Nov. 19 on Netflix). When Kyle Buchanan interviewed the actor, it got unexpectedly deep. With Ben Platt reprising the adolescent character he played on Broadway in "Dear Evan Hansen" (Sept. 24), we looked at other movies where adults play teens. Halle Berry is both in front of and behind the camera for "Bruised" (Nov. 24 on Netflix). Salamishah Tillet spoke to her about her fight to be seen as a director. Wes Anderson's latest film "The French Dispatch" hits theaters Oct. 22. I looked at how he shot the film in one French city and made it look distinctly his own. And what's the future of movies? Our critics discuss. Those are a handful of the many stories about this new movie season. And one high-profile fall movie can be seen right now: "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." The film, about the trials of the televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker is currently in theaters. We looked at how Jessica Chastain's makeup came together for it, as well as dissected a scene. Enjoy the movies! Searchlight Pictures 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' Review: Fall From Grace Tammy Faye Bakker gets the celebrity biopic treatment in a new movie starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. By A.O. Scott Claire Folger/Warner Bros Critic's Pick 'Cry Macho' Review: The Good, the Bad and the Poultry In his latest film, Clint Eastwood drives across Mexico with a troubled young man and a combative rooster. By A.O. Scott CRITICS' PICKS Zeitgeist Films/Kino Lorber Critic's Pick 'In Balanchine's Classroom' Review: Teaching the Ineffable Former ballet dancers grasp at words to describe the genius of George Balanchine in this charming documentary. By Teo Bugbee Music Box Films Critic's Pick 'Little Girl' Review: Growing Up and Seeking Peace This sensitive documentary by the French filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz naturalistically explores the struggles of a 7-year-old transgender girl. By Beatrice Loayza Kino Lorber Critic's Pick 'Wife of a Spy' Review: Trust or Fear in Love and War? In this latest work by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, a Japanese couple's relationship is shaped by the forces of churning nationalism that surround it. By Glenn Kenny Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Searchlight Pictures Anatomy of a Scene Watch Jessica Chastain Take a Stand in 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' The director Michael Showalter narrates a sequence featuring the actress as Tammy Faye Bakker and Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS Amazon Studios 'My Name Is Pauli Murray' Review: Ahead of the Times The pioneering legal thinker influenced Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But this documentary by the filmmakers behind "RBG" misses the mark. By Beatrice Loayza Toshio Watanabe/RLJE Films 'Prisoners of the Ghostland' Review: Going Nuclear If the combination of Nicolas Cage and the director Sion Sono suggests a special kind of lunacy, this sunbaked samurai western more than delivers. By Jeannette Catsoulis Focus Features 'Blue Bayou' Review: No Direction Home Justin Chon's immigration melodrama counters its soggy storytelling with deeply felt performances. By Jeannette Catsoulis John Rogers/Amazon 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' Review: Drag Queen Dreams Despite its clichés, this musical about an aspiring teenage drag queen is a charmer. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Christine Tawalet/Amazon Original 'The Mad Women's Ball' Review: A Shock Within the System The French actor-director Mélanie Laurent delivers a feminist melodrama about the abuses of a Paris hospital in the 19th century. By Lisa Kennedy Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix 'Nightbooks' Review: A Fairy Tale Horror Fit for Kids Genuine scares elevate this modern take on Hansel and Gretel, which follows a bright boy who is held captive in an evil witch's apartment. By Natalia Winkelman Film Movement 'Saint-Narcisse' Review: A Classic Romance Between Twin Flames In this Bruce LaBruce melodrama, two twins, both alike in indecency, fall in love. By Teo Bugbee Topic 'Los Últimos Frikis' Review: Keep On Rocking in Cuba The hook of this documentary is the spectacle of a revolutionary government that can't abide the rebellion of rock without bureaucratic oversight. By Nicolas Rapold Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES David Lee/Netflix Fall Preview The Rich History of Black Westerns Enters a New Era The genre dates back decades, when the films were made for segregated audiences. "The Harder They Fall" nods to the past but takes a new attitude altogether. By Chris Vognar Amy Harrity for The New York Times Fall Preview How Lauren Ridloff's Deafness Became a Superpower in Marvel's 'Eternals' In her first major role in a feature film, she wasn't fazed by things that might unnerve others, but she had to show filmmakers how to work with deafness. By Sarah Bahr Justin J Wee for The New York Times A Young Actor Steps Out of School and Into the High Heels of 'Jamie' Max Harwood, making his professional debut with the movie musical "Everybody's Talking About Jamie," has "this kind of magic about him." By Alexis Soloski Amazon Studios Pauli Murray Should Be a Household Name. A New Film Shows Why. The lawyer, activist and minister made prescient arguments on gender, race and equality that influenced Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. By Melena Ryzik STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Shudder Five Horror Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a home-sharing horror comedy, a slow-burn study of a nightmarish friendship and a love letter to scary drag queens. By Erik Piepenburg Mickael Mongin/Netflix Stream These Five Action Films Now This month's picks include a character prone to violent outbursts, a heist thriller and more. By Robert Daniels How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. 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