Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Don Roos
Starring: Bobby Cannavale | David Sutcliffe | Jason Ritter | Jesse Bradford | Laura Dern | Lisa Kudrow | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Steve Coogan | Tom Arnold
Hilary says: “I laughed all the way through this darkly funny ensemble piece. The cast is a shoo-in for Best Cast: Lisa Kudrow reminds us that she’s much more than Phoebe Buffay, Tom Arnold manages not to be completely annoying,
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Yvan Attal
Starring: Alain Chabat | Charlotte Gainsbourg | Yvan Attal
Hilary says: “Writer/director/actor Yvan Attal and real-life wife Charlotte Gainsbourg (stars of 2002 Chlotrudis-eligible MY WIFE IS AN ACTRESS) team up again as Vincent and Gabrielle, a couple struggling with marriage, family life, fidelity, and identity. Vincent spends much time
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Michael Tucker | Petra Epperlein
Michael says: “There are some films that are powerful and fascinating to see even if they’re not really films I would say were impressively made. CASUISTRY: THE ART OF KILLING A CAT, which I saw at last year’s Toronto International
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Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Werner Herzog
Diane says: “A fine docu, about which I have lots to say. Those who have seen MARCH OF THE PENGUINS can say how well they work together. Good old Werner Herzog, last seen in INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS, uses that
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
Starring: Line Kruse | Mads Mikkelsen | Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Michael says: “This disappointing film had so much going for it. It was written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, whose writing credits include Susanne Beir’s wonderful films BROTHERS and OPEN HEARTS, as well as Lone Scherfig’s Chlotrudis Awards nominee,
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: George Cloioney
Starring: David Straithairn | Frank Langella | George Clooney | Patricia Clarkson | Robert Downey Jr
Chris says: “This historical recreation of Edward R. Murrow’s televised expose of Joseph McCarthy is a strong second directorial effort from George Clooney. The impressive ensemble is headed by David Strathairn, who delivers a career-best performance as Murrow; also good
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Tom says: “at times…. there’s quite a few verybad decisions in this movie (as with just about every Godzilla movie). I have several reactions to this movie. ‘The cheesy bits are AWFUL. There’s one scene early on set in New
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Rating: 3.8 cats
Director: Hal Hartley
Starring: Bill Sage | Sabrina Lloyd | Tatiana Abracos
Michael says: “I attended Hal Hartley’s THE GIRL FROM MONDAY with much anticipation, being such a fan of the director’s deadpan wit, and wry observations on relationships. Hartley goes the science fiction route in MONDAY to tell the story of
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Mohsen Abdolvahab | Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
Starring: Bahram Radan | Fatemeh Motamed Arya
Bruce says: “GILANEH is a grim, unsettling portrait of an Iranian mother who sees her family torn asunder by war. The war is the eight year Iranian-Iraqi war. The first half of the film takes place during the last days
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Rating: 2 cats
Director: Deborah Koons Garcia
Michael says: “This documentary falls into the recent flood of films teaching the viewer about the evils of the corporate culture that is so pervasive in our society today. The filmmakers start with the fascinating and somewhat frightening chain of
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Andrew Bujalski
Starring: Andrew Bujalski | Christian Rudder | Kate Dollenmayer
Michael says: “I really enjoyed FUNNY HA HA, and would recommend a trip to the theatre to see it. The performances, especially the lead actress are really great… very natural. There is an element of Woody Allen to the story,
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Ira Sachs
Starring: Darren E. Burrows | Dina Korzun | Rip Torn
Chris says: “A surprise Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, this film from director Ira Sachs (THE DELTA) is also firmly entrenched in the music industry, specifically Memphis’. Alan (Rip Torn) is a veteran white jazz/blues musician. His estranged son, Michael
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Vimukthi Jayasundara
Starring: Hemasiri Liyanage | Kaushalaya Fernando | Nilupili Jayawardena
Bruce says: “THE FORSAKEN LAND is testimony of the long term effects of civil war on a small village in Sri Lanka. A soldier and his wife live with his sister in a remote house which is nothing more than
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Starring: Fernando Tejero | Guillermo Toldeo | Luis Varela | Mónica Cervera
Bruce says: “This silly farce is successful because of the brilliant comedic performances of the two leads, Guillermo Toledo and Mónica Cervera. Toledo plays Rafael Gonzalez, ambitious manager of the women’s department of a leading Madrid department store; retail is
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Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Bradley Beersley
Chadd says: “To begin our spate of ‘Rockumentaries’ in 2005, we have this film centered around the Flaming Lips. Though the film presents many good stories about the band, its members, and its members’ exploits, it ultimately is not a
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Alain Corneau
Starring: Kaori Tsuji | Sylvie Testud | Taro Suwa
Bruce says: “Social satire is tricky business and I, more often than not, find it distasteful. Not so in the case of FEAR AND TREMBLING a wonderful satire of the clash between Japanese corporate culture and the shocking ‘western’ behavior
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Tim Story
Starring: Chris Evans | Ioan Gruffudd | Jessica Alba | Julian McMahon | Kerry Washington | Michael Chiklis
Michael says: “As a longtime Fantastic Four fan I enjoyed the film quite a bit. It wasn’t what it could have been, but for me, it was much better than most of the critics make it out to be. I
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Louise Archambault
Starring: Juliette Gosselin | Macha Grenon | Sylvie Moreau
Bruce says: “The human body contains 50 million cells and each one of those cells contains the genetic code of our heritage. It is certain that DNA determines things like hair color and the size of the foot. FAMILIA wonders
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Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Liev Schreiber
Starring: Eugene Hutz; Elijah Wood; Boris Leskin | Jonathan Safran Foer | Zuzana Hodkova
Chris says: “First-time director Liev Schreiber probably couldn’t picked a more difficult book to adapt than Jonathan Safran Foer’s eccentric first novel. Cutting out most of the book’s flashbacks and folk tales, Schreiber sticks to the main, linear narrative where
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Alex Gibney
Michael says: “This one was billed as possibly the next big doc to crossover, with a lively trailer that promised laughs, shocks and excitement. ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM certainly shocked me and got me angry, but it
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