Justin Chang

In Tbilisi, Georgia, two male dancers in the national dance ensemble embark on a secret love affair. It's a fairly straightforward drama of first love — enhanced by the vitality of the setting.

Set in Leningrad shortly after World War II, Beanpole centers on two women who find themselves deeply scarred by their wartime experiences with the Red Army.

I emerged from an early screening of The Assistant a few weeks ago to the news that a jury had been selected in Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault and rape trial. Coming more than two years after The New York Times and The New Yorker first published their reports of sexual harassment and assault against the famed film producer, the headlines were a stark reminder of how long it can take for a wealthy and well-connected man to face the accusations against him in court — even after a stunning public downfall that helped give rise to the #MeToo movement.