Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Kate Barker-Froyland
Starring: Anne Hathaway | Ben Rosenfield | Johnny Flynn | Mary Steenburgen | Sharon van Etten
Jason says: “There are times when SONG ONE starts to come across as a simple enough romance that its peculiar start fades into the background, and it’s odd for that to feel like a good thing. The way the two
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Lázló Nemes
Starring: Balázs Farkas | Gergö Farkas | Géza Röhrig | Jerzy Walczak | Levente Molnár | Urs Rechn
Brett says: “Not another holocaust film. SON OF SAUL is a look from within a World War II concentration camp, or perhaps better described as a series of passing glances from within. Director Lázló Nemes provides the insight into militant
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Jinglei Xu
Starring: Gordon Alexander | Jinglei Xu | Likun Wang | Yifan Wu
Jason says: “The movie listings this Valentine’s Day are weird: The big studio release is FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and in that spirit, my local theaters are pulling out prints of SECRETARY, bringing THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY back for a
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Starring: Grace Phipps | Lexi Atkins | Maestro Harrell | Ronen Rubinstein | Sierra McCormick | Spencer Breslin
Jason says: “Is it wrong to kind of hope that a pretty great horror movie perhaps stalls out at cult favorite? SOME KIND OF HATE is a strong, smart, bloody example of what the genre can do when its aims
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Hong Seok-Jae
Starring: Byeon Yo-han | Jeon Sin-hwan | Lee Ju-seung | Park Keun-Rok | Yoo-ram Bae
Jason says: “The inciting incident of SOCIALPHOBIA is never shown on-screen, just the social-media reaction to it, and that sort of feels right. It’s easy to get caught up in something online without having been there at the start, or
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: John MacLean
Starring: Andrew Robertt | Ben Mendelsohn | Caren Pistorius | Kodi Smit-McPhee | Michael Fassbender
Jason says: “I am not sure whether John Maclean narrowly misses the tone he’s going for with SLOW WEST or hits it dead-on; even considering that westerns are relatively rare these days, this one feels a little different. I consider
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Leslye Headland
Starring: Adam Scott | Alison Brie | Andrea Savage | Billy Eichner | Jason Mantzoukas | Jason Sudeikis | Jordan Carlos
Jason says: “The romantic comedy genre has felt a little tapped out lately; the big American studios barely produce them anymore and the independent productions like SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE are oddly self-aware. The trick that a filmmaker is trying
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Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Sion Sono
Starring: Erika Sawajiri | Gou Ayano | Nobuaki Kaneko | Takayuki Yamada | Yusuke Iseya
Jason says: “Like a lot of movies adapted from long-running manga, SHINJUKU SWAN shows a lot of telltale signs of screenwriters Rikiya Mizushima and OsamuSuzuki trying to cram a lot of storylines and fan-favorite characters into a couple hours. It’s
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Adam Wong
Starring: ‘Neo’ Yau Hawk-sau | Ceilia So | Jan Lamb Hoi-fung | Miriam Yeung Chin-wah | Ng Siu-hin | Ranya Lee
Jason says: “The recent influx of Chinese movies directly into American theaters has been an exciting development, although sometimes the variety has been wanting: Not only have almost all of the movies been Mandarin-language selections from Taiwan and the mainland,
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Kenneth Kainz
Starring: Allan Hyde | Jakob Oftebro | Laura Bro | Maria Bonnevie | Rebecca Emily Sattrup | Søren Malling
Jason says: “The concept behind Lene Kaaberbøl’s Shamer Chronicles book series is an interesting one, positing a woman and her daughter with the ability to look into a person’s soul and pull out what they are ashamed of. What kinds
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Benjamin Carland
Jason says: “There’s a vibe to SHADOWS ON THE WALL that suggests filmmaker Benjamin Carland is trying to make a PRIMER not just something with big ideas but a small cast and budget, but a tactile feel. Something where all
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Susanne Bier
Kyle says: “First name SERENA, married name Pemberton. Serena Pemberton: Is there a more perfect name for a character from 1929 played by Jennifer Lawrence? The man who proposes to her within moments of seeing her for the first time,
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Director: John Madden
Thom says: “Almost everyone saw the delightful, life-affirming THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL & this sequel is more of the same; yet, with a disparaging finale. But the abundant treasures of the film just keep streaming along. Personally, I adore
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Ian Cheney
Kyle says: “Anyone who dines on Chinese cuisine with any regularity has sampled General Tso’s Chicken. In fact, writer/director Ian Cheney of THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO suggests it is the single most popular ethnic cuisine item in America aside
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Jason says: “A nifty thing about SCHERZO DIABOLICO: It feels like a black comedy for much of its running time, but you’ll likely struggle to remember any actual jokes afterward. The comedy is almost entirely from the discomfort and absurdity
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.9
Director: Ding Sheng
Jason says: “It’s often said, by those longing for a past golden age, that the movies were better decades ago when filmmakers had to deal with restrictions, whether imposed by the industry or communities – from pressure, the argument goes,
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Eugène Green
Starring: Arianna Nastro | Christelle Prot Landman | Fabrizio Rongione | Ludovico Succio
Kyle says: “LA SAPIENZA opens with an exquisite Italian lake shot accompanied by Claudio Monteverdi’s six-part ‘Magnificat’ from 1610, transitioning into an Italian Baroque vista and a contemplation of architectural, sculptural, and painting details. We are watching the main titles,
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Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Keishi Otomi
Jason says: “RUROUNI KENSHIN: KYOTO INFERNO and RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS were released within a month and a half of each other in Japan, emphasizing how they function more as a two-part sequel to 2012’s first film than as
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 1.5 cats
Director: Jungyi Ceng
Jason says: “This thing was the highest-grossing movie in the world last weekend, and I’m hoping like heck that China turning out for it in large numbers doesn’t give Hollywood any ideas. It’s vaguely worrisome enough that this sort of
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Lee Won-suk
Jason says: “I’ve been looking to make a ‘costume drama’ joke about this film ever since I first heard of it, but it initially didn’t quite seem appropriate – for the first half or so, this is mainly a very
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