Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Rodrigo García
Starring: Annette Benning | Cherry Jones | Jimmy Smitts | Kerry Washington | Naomi Watts | Samuel Jackson | Shareeka Epps
Michael says: “Rodrigo García is so clearly a writer/director who knows how to create dramatic stories about women, and we can always use more filmmakers like that. He also lets some beautiful performances by women and men shine through beautifully
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Neil Marshall
Starring: Andreas Wisniewski | Axelle Carolyni | Dave Legeno | Dominic West | Michael Fassbender
Jason says: “I suspect that Neil Marshall will never break through to doing big Hollywood movies, assuming that holds any interest for him, despite just how good he is at every aspect of the job. The man is just too
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Daniel Monzón
Starring: Alberto Ammann | Antonio Resines | Carlos Bardem | Luis Tosar | Manuel Morón | Marta Etura
Jason says: “Director Daniel Monzón seems to know that the hook to CELL 211, with a rookie guard having to impersonate an inmate when a riot breaks out, is as improbable as it is intriguing. He and co-writer Jorge Guerricaechevarria (adapting
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Airel Schulman | Henry Joost
Thom says: “I saw CATFISH & I finally ended up putting in the positive column. It’s very heartwarming in a way. It’s definitely entirely documentary although I thought it wasn’t for some duration. A young man connects with a family
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Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Eric Zimmerman
Starring: Denny Kirkwood | James Duval | John Cho | Nathan Bexton | Peter Green | Roger Guenveur Smith
Jason says: “The filmmakers did a Q&A after CALLER ID, and it turned out to be sort of informative in learning where all the seemingly random elements came from. It was interesting, but probably not something that the average audience
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Ruba Nadda
Starring: Alexander Siddig | Amina Annabi | Patricia Clarkson | Tom McCamus
Bruce says: “For sure, I’m a huge Patricia Clarkson fan. I’m also known for little loyalty to those I hold in high esteem. So, I am thrilled to report that Ms. Clarkson has never been better than she is in
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Starring: José Luis García Pérez | Robert Paterson | Ryan Reynolds | Samantha Mathis | Stephen Tobolowsky
Jason says: “BURIED is the sort of movie where every step in the process of getting made is a combination between those involved challenging themselves and crafting a movie that can be shot with a tiny budget, cast, and crew.
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Rating: 2.8 cats
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Blanca Portillo | José Luis Gómez | Lluís Homar | Penélope Cruz | Rubén Ochandiano | Tamar Novas
Bruce says: “Pedro Almodóvar is on a creative treadmill and desperately needs to hop off. Nothing about BROKEN EMBRACES seems fresh and engaging. Once again his plot centers on various characters harboring secrets that they withhold from each other and
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Ounie Lecomte
Starring: Ah-Sung Ko | Do Yeon Park | Kyung-gu Seol | Man-seok Oh | Myeong-Shin Park | Sae-ron Kim
Jason says: “Though many cultures approach cinema differently, there are certain things that are constants. One of them is that if you open a film with a montage of a a happy child, something is going to happen to make
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Rachel Perkins
Starring: Deborah Mailman | Ernie Dingo | Geoffrey Rush | Magda Szubanski | Missy Higgins | Rocky McKenzie | Tom Budge
Michael says: “Without a doubt, BRAN NUE DAE, Rachel Perkins’ adaptation of a hugely successful Australian stage musical, is the most fun I’ve had in a theatre this year at TIFF! Willie is doing his mother’s bidding and studying to
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Diane says: “Freddie Wiseman’s latest. Not much fighting–good for the faint of heart–but lots of working out. Wiseman concentrates on the rhythms of the speed bag, the heavy bag, the medicine ball, the jump rope. It’s like another ballet film
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Teddy Chan
Starring: Donnie Yen | Jun Hu | Leon Lai | Nicholas Tse | Tony Leung Ka-fai | Xueqi Wang | Yuchun Li
Jason says: “Before BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS, the festival presented Development Hell, a documentary not about the making of this film, but of the collapse of multiple attempts to shoot it under multiple titles over decades. Unlike many cursed productions, this
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Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Catherine Breillat
Starring: Daphné Baiwir | Dominique Thomas | Lola Créton | Lola Giovannetti | Marilou Lopes-Benites
Jason says: “I don’t think there have been any musical animated adaptations of Bluebeard, and the reason why is pretty obvious: Once you remove the sex and violence to make it family-friendly, there isn’t much left at all. Surprisingly, given
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Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ben Shenkman | John Doman | Michelle Williams | Mike Vogel | Reila Aphrodite | Ryan Gosling
Ibad says: “This is my first review on this board as a new Chlotrudis member, so do forgive me for this. This isn’t the first review I’ve written, but this film was, truly, difficult to write about. I think it’s
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Rating: 4.3 cats
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Barbara Hershey | Benjamin Millepied | Mila Kunis | Natalie Portman | Vincent Cassel | Winona Ryder
Ibad says: “Vincent Cassell informs his group of New York City ballet dancers that he’s going to stage the old staple of ballet, Swan Lake. But it’s going to be different. It’s gonna be stripped down, visceral, real. “He chooses
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Rick Jacobson
Starring: America Olivo | Erin Cummings | Julia Voth | Michael Hurst | Ron Melendez | William Gregory Lee
Thom says: “For all those missing the great Russ Meyer and his over-the-top extravaganzas (FASTER, PUSSYCAT, KILL!! KILL!!, BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, MUD HONEY, etc.) here’s a terrific substitute. Big-breasted action girls in a sexploitation treat get stuck
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Michael Stephenson
Ivy says: “Because of the Brattle’s role in the making of this film I am predisposed to like it. I watched it before having ever seen TROLL 2 (the best worst movie that this doc is referring to) but had
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Jessica Oreck
Jason says: “BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO would be a fine name for a tacky kaiju sci-fi movie (heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been used). It’s not that, not even a little. Instead of being another bizarre and fantastic
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: James Rasin
Thom says: “Undoubtedly Darling was a very special and memorable person but your reaction to this film might well depend on your familiarity with her (him). I met her once at Jackie Curtis’ apartment and while seemingly withdrawn she certainly
Read the review...Backyard (Mexico; 122 min.) directed by: Carlos Carrera starring: Ana de la Reguera; Asur Zagada; Marco Pérez; Ivan Cortes; Joaquín Cosio; Alejandro Calva Ivy says: “I saw this film at TIFF because I have always been curious about this
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