“Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes” screened at the Brooklyn Film Festival several times over the past few days, and with it comes more rave reviews.

Not since “The Illusionist” has a Jesse film and performance received such wide praise, and I am so happy / proud of her for getting this role. As most of you know I was lucky enough to see the film already and it was no doubt her best performance to date. The film itself is something else, there is no doubt you haven’t seen a film like this. It’s laugh out loud funny and devastating all in one — I cannot sing enough praise for this film, and neither can Keith Higgons from The WG News.

Here are some of my favorite quotes for the long review:

Jessica Biel is in the throes of a Hollywood trajectory that, unless she manages it well, could very easily erase the talent she has. Earning her wings (pardon the pun), and tabloid star, on the extremely under appreciated WB series “7th Heaven” she has gone on to star in a number of big Hollywood movies; the types of which punch lines and car explosions are more important than dialog. Like Ulee’s Gold and Elizabethtown before, Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes is the type of character driven movie where Jessica Biel shines. Her performance here as Linda, the neighbor with the secret, shows exactly why she is in that Hollywood trajectory.

When Linda first shows up, before she even utters a line, you notice her wardrobe. Biel is attractive to begin with but here the loose, flowing, beautiful and bohemian (apparently, the one product placement is Free People clothing…that’s a joke) clothes add to her natural beauty and add an element of ethereal quality to the character of Linda. Biel plays Linda like she wears the clothes, loose, earthy, real and beautifully.

Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes is one of those films that no major studio would make. And that is sad. It’s one of those movies that movie buffs and saps, like me, tend to enjoy. It’s also one of those movies the re-charges me and makes me realize that there are really talented film makers like Francesca Gregorini out there creating. It’s one of those movies that force you to forget the dreck that some of these performers have been in and reminds you that they are where they are because they are talented (and not necessarily who they are married to). It’s one of those movies that, if you can, you should see.

“Emanuel” was picked up by Myriad Pictures for an international release, while TriBeCa Film and Well Go USA are going to release it theatrically in America late 2013.