Berlinale 2025: Second Dispatch

A few more thoughts on films seen at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.

A second batch of capsule reviews from the 2025 Berlinale, grouped by section and covering the days of February 15-16. Unless otherwise stated, all films were viewed in cinemas during the festival.

Dreams (Competition)

After four films in Cannes and three in Venice, Mexican director Michel Franco makes his Berlin debut with his eighth solo effort, reteaming with Jessica Chastain after 2023’s Memory. This time, she plays a socialite with an interest in the Mexican culture scene, which she supports via her family’s foundation. In doing so, she ends up embarking on a torrid love affair with a Mexican ballet dancer (Isaac Hernández), who crosses the border illegally to be with her in the US. A master of casual cruelty, Franco deftly peels away the layers of hypocrisy at the center of the relationship in this takedown of the immigrant dream, although it loses its footing a bit in the third act.

***1/2