Before This Oscar Season Ends, One Film Already Deserves Consideration for the Next: Meet ‘Josephine’

Key Highlights

• Related Stories Box Office: ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Scares 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Off Top Spot Friday With $5.6 Million Timothée Chalamet Makes Oscars History With 'Marty Supreme' as Youngest Man With Three Acting Noms Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge called the film a “standout” of the festival, writing in his review, “‘Josephine’ dares to confront the life-shattering intersection of sex and violence in our culture, facing the toughest of ‘adult situations’ with clear eyes.” He went on to praise the storytelling choices of writer-director Beth de Araújo, noting, “Instead of forcing an interpretation upon her audience, de Araújo trusts us to make sense of her characters’ contradictory, if not downright counterproductive, mindsets.” Popular on Variety That trust and restraint pays off.
• The film’s next stop will be the Berlin International Film Festival on Feb.
• 20, where it will compete for the Golden Bear, further solidifying its global relevance.
• “Josephine” marks the sophomore feature from Chinese Brazilian filmmaker de Araújo, following her Gotham Award-nominated debut “Soft and Quiet.” With “Josephine,” she levels up her ambition and emotional depth.
• The story centers on 8-year-old Josephine (Mason Reeves), who witnesses a violent crime in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park while spending the day with her father, played by Channing Tatum.