Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

In today’s Oscar-themed episode, movie maven Hoffman begins with a rant against the cynical social media uproar over a misstepped statement made at the Berlin Festival.

WATCH the full episode here:

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We then hear about the 2025 hit “Blue Moon,” which portrays a pivotal night in the life of master lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film is up for two Academy Awards, but one of our team would not give it the time of day again.

Next, we turn to a 14-minute animated film called “Papillion,” which captivated the pair. It is a painterly immersive dive into the life of Alfred Nakache, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, only to end up in Auschwitz, and is one of five films competing for best short animation.

Check out the “oy,” the “meh” and the “not bad” marks given to these films in this week’s The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

Check out last week’s The Reel Schmooze here:

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