Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Bill Plympton
Jason says: “IDIOTS AND ANGELS is Bill Plympton’s new film. For fans of the artist and many animation enthusiasts, this bit of information is all that really needs to be said when it comes down to deciding whether or not
Read the review...Hunger (UK/Ireland; 96 min.) directed by: Steve McQueenstarring: Michael Fassbender, Stuart Graham, Liam Cunningham, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon Bruce says: “Award winning video artist Steve McQueen makes a stunning directorial debut with his evocative film documenting the conditions leading
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Anders Rønnow Klarlund
Starring: Lene Poulsen | Lene Tiemroth | Louise Mieritz | Poul Glargaard | Søren Fauli | Søren Pilmark
Jason says: “The fantasy the the center of HOW TO GET RID OF THE OTHERS – permanently eliminating the freeloaders who take far more from society than they give – is likely more universal than most people would care to
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Kevin Rafferty
Diane says: “Yes, it is a last-year’s movie…. I see that there were no Chlotrudis reviews posted. Folks, you gotta see it. I avoided it until now because it’s about, you know, football. Luckily I was urged to see it
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Mike Leigh
Starring: Alexis Zegerman | Eddie Marsdan | Sally Hawkins | Samuel Roukin | Sinead Matthews
Michael says: “I’m a fan of Mike Leigh’s films, so the opportunity to see a new Mike Leigh film with Mr. Leigh in attendance was one I was thrilled to be able to attend (Thanks, IFFB). And I’ve gotta say,
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
Starring: Kiatkamol Lata | Supakson Chaimongkol
Jason says: “When you’re born with a third arm, losing your tailor is far more traumatic than losing your girlfriend. “At least, that’s the impression one gets from Kwan Traithep (Kiatkamol Latha) at the start of HANDLE ME WITH CARE.
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Zak Penn
Starring: Cheryl Hines | Chris Parnell | David Cross | Dennis Farina | Richard Kind | Werner Herzog | Woody Harrelson
Michael says: “After mining the mock-documentary genre for some laughs, Zak Penn, known for writing blockbuster, superhero flicks, tackles the improvisational comedy genre a la Christopher Guest with fairly amusing results. THE GRAND gives us a comedic look into the
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Abdel Kechiche
Starring: Abdelhamid Aktouche | Bouraouïa Marzouk | Farida Benkhetache | Habib Boufares | Hafsia Herzi
Bruce says: “THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN won top awards (Best Film, Best Director, Best Writing) at the Césars, the French equivalent of the Academy Awards. Writer/Director Abdel Kechiche was born in Tunisia but was raised in the south of
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Starring: Ayami Kakiuchi | Mitsuki Tanimora | Mitsutaka Itakura | Riisa Naka | Takuya Ishida
Jason says: “Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel The Girl Who Leapt Through Time has been made into a movie twice before, and I must admit that I’m curious to see at least one of them – there are apparently connections with the
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Courtney Hunt
Starring: Charlie McDermott | Melissa Leo | Michael O’Keefe | Missy Upham
Bruce says: “Well known character actress Melissa Leo has 37 film credits since 2005; that comprises just half of her resume compiled over a twenty four year period. She must be one of the busiest actors in the business as
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Rating: 1.5 cats
Director: Ronald Bronstein
Starring: Carmine Marino | David Sandholm | Dore Mann | Paul Grimstad
Toni says: “At 106 minutes, Ronnie Bronstein’s semi-autobiographical FROWNLAND is a real crowd splitter. He has admitted that he wants his audience to fee much pain during the screening. Therefore, he certainly has accomplished twhat we set out to do
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 1.5 cats
Director: Caroline Suh
Bruce says: “FRONTRUNNERS is slightly more interesting than watching paint dry, a bit like reading about someone eating sushi while typing their latest entry on Facebook, a more up-to-date version for wasting time. This film follows four couples who are
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Virginia Anita Williams | Virginia Williams
Jason says: “The ending of FRONTRUNNER is a matter of the public record, so I don’t feel like I’m spoiling much of anything by saying that it does not have a triumphant fairy-tale ending: In Afghanistan’s first democratic ever, after
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Brillante Mendoza
Starring: Cherry Pie Picache | Eugene Domingo | Jiro Manio | Kier Segundo
Bruce says: “Brillante Mendoza completed six feature films within a three year period, 2005-2007. He is working at a speed not seen since the salad days of Fassbinder although, age-wise, Mendoza (age 48) is about two decades behind Fassbinder (who
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Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Jacques Nolot
Starring: Bastien d’Asnières | Bernard Herlem | Bruno Moneglia | Jacques Nolot | Lionel Goldstein | Marc Riofoul
Bruce says: “What becomes of the many hustlers and gigolos who are objects of desire in their youth, then fade out of sight? Some miraculously survive but many die along the way, succumbing to AIDS, murder or substance abuse. BEFORE
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: David Mackenzie
Starring: Ciarán Hinds | Claire Forlani | Jamie Bell | John Paul Lawler | Lucy Holt | Sophia Myles
Bruce says: “David Mackenzie is succeeding in bringing unconventional stories to the screen such as THE LAST GREAT WILDERNESS and YOUNG ADAM. MISTER FOE is a perfect companion piece for those earlier films. MISTER FOE is a coming-of-age tale which
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Starring: Fang Song | Hippolyte Girardot | Juliette Binoche | Simon Iteanu
Chris says: “A few years back, Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien traveled to Japan to make CAFÉ LUMIÈRE, a charming, languid tribute to one of that country’s greatest filmmakers, Yasujiro Ozu. In this, his first non-Asian effort, he has crafted the
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Rating: 2 cats
Director: Madonna
Starring: Eugene Hutz | Holly Weston | Richard E. Grant | Vicky McClure
Michael says: “I’m not sure what I expected from Madonna’s directorial debut, but I know the main reason why I came was because of a fairly positive review I read from the Berlin Film Festival. Had I dug a little
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Kristian Levring
Starring: Lars Brygmann | Paprika Steen | Ulrich Thomsen
Bruce says: “Mikael (Ulrich Thomsen) is on six week leave from his job. Is he fighting boredom or depression? The answer seems apparent when his bother-in-law Frederik (Lars Brygmann) mentions that his hospital is involved in trials for a new
Read the review...Eye in the Sky (Hong Kong; 90 min.) directed by:Nai-Hoi Yaustarring: Simon Yam; Tony Leung Ka Fai; Kate Tsui; Suet Lam; Maggie Siu Jason says: “It would not take a whole lot of tinkering to transform EYE IN THE
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