Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Gary Winick
Starring: Aaron Stanford | Bebe Neuwirth | John Ritter | Sigourney Weaver
Clinton says: “There certainly was a lot of buzz at Sundance on this feature, helped of course by the newsmaking 4 million dollar purchase by Miramax, but this comedy left me terribly dry and even a little ticked off. Oscar
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Robert J. Siegel
Starring: Jamie Harrold | Jennifer Dundas | Joelle Carter | Lauren Ambrose
Diane says: “SWIMMING brought back childhood memories of a week at Myrtle Beach on a family vacation–in the rain. My strongest memory is of being hit in the head by a beach ball thrown by a drunken man. But back
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.3
Director: John Sayles
Starring: Angela Bassett | Edie Falco | Jane Alexander | Mary Alice | Ralph Waite | Timothy Hutton
Bob says: “Ok, the film was decidedly more dialog-driven than visual, but that’s pretty much Sayles’ style. He’s very political and preachy, and he makes little or no effort to disguise that in his work. Because of that, his characters
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.25
Director: Todd Solondz
Starring: John Goodman | Mark Webber | Paul Giamatti | Selma Blair
Diane says: “For me, STORYTELLING was unfortunately upstaged by the trailer for HAPPINESS that preceded it. What a great movie! At each scene in the trailer, I thought, ‘That’s my favorite scene!’ And Philip Seymour Hoffman–fantastic! “It was wonderful and
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Paul Justman
Laura says: “This documentary about the legendary Funk Brothers, who were the studio musicians for all of Motown’s Detroit era hits, was the one I expected to topple GIGANTIC off the top of my doc list, but it didn’t quite
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Daveigh Chase | Lauren Holly | Suzanne Pleshette
Howard says: “SPIRITED AWAY is the latest in a string of incredible animated films by Hayao Miyazaki, the most renowned animator in Japanese history and most say in the best in world. He takes a couple steps close to the
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Nanni Moretti
Starring: Giuseppe Sanfelice | Jasmine Trinca | Laura Morante | Nanni Moretti
Ellen says: “It is tempting to compare THE SON’S ROOM to IN THE BEDROOM since the theme is a family dealing with the death of their teenage son, however, the way that this film elicits your emotions is very different.
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Roy Andersson
Starring: Lars Nordh | Stefan Larsson | Sten Andersson | Torbjörn Fahlström
Michael says: “This bizarrely entrancing Swedish film is director Roy Andersson’s 8th, and his 1st since 1991! Working with a largely amateur cast, SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR is a visually stunning, with strangely humorous moments… but what does it
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Christopher Munch
Starring: Amy Madigan | Jacqueline Bisset | Martha Plimpton | Nick Stahl
Scot says: “I was blown away by this quiet little ‘family piece.’ “Middle-aged Frances (Jacqueline Bisset) is an out-of-work writer/reporter who once consoled lonely men in 1950s Florida both with her overnight radio show and her company. When she learns
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Sarah Polley
Starring: Julian Richings | Kristen Thomson | Matthew Ferguson
Michael says: “I wanted to just say a few words about Sarah’s short film, I SHOUT LOVE. I felt it was quite an accomplished, entertaining, and effective effort from a novice director. Sarah did a terrific job merging the very
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Steven Shainberg
Starring: James Spader | Jeremy Davies | Maggie Gyllenhaal
Clinton says: “A charming and quirky comedy about dominant/submissive relationships, and how they can lead to profound emotional connections. Gyllenhaal completely steals the film as Lee Holloway, a young woman just released from a mental institution, where she was hospitalized
Read the review...By Michael Colford
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Babak Payami
Starring: Cyrus Abidi | Nassim Abdi
Michael says: “Babak Payami’s SECRET BALLOT is an interesting Iranian film dealing with a nation’s population and its ability to change the way things work. A box is dropped from a helicopter to an army guard post where two soldiers
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Rosanna Arquette
Michael says: “Rosanna Arquette interviews international actresses about growing older in the business and trying to have it all: career, love, family. At first I thought there would be too much about Arquette, and although the film is as much
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Billy Morissette
Starring: Christopher Walken | James LeGros | Kevin Corrigan | Maura Tierney
Hilary says: “I commented a bit about this film a couple of weeks ago. I agree that it never quite comes together, despite some decent performances. I particularly enjoyed Maura Tierney as the bitter ‘Lady’ to James LeGros’ Macbeth. Her
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Jessie Nelson
Starring: Dakota Fanning | Dianne Weist | Michelle Pfeiffer | Sean Penn
Robin says: “Acting ranges from dependable to first-class, especially Penn and the adorable Dakota Fanning. There is bound to be comparison made to Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of the mentally challenged Raymond in RAIN MAN and there is, sometimes during I
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.3 cats
Director: Benoît Jacquot
Starring: Daniel Auteuil; Isild de Besco | Grégoire Colin | Jeanne Balibar | Marianne Denicourt
Bob says: “SADE didn’t do much for me, and I’m not sure why. Maybe I was putting too much energy into comparing it with QUILLS and MARAT/SADE (which is one of my faves). It seemed to be more about the
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Roger Avary
Starring: Ian Somerhalder | James Van Der Beek | Jessica Biel | Shannyn Sossamon
Laura says: “The story is stuffed with sidetracks, such as Sean’s attempt to get paid back by a hilariously out-of-it Marc, and segues like his visit to the coke-addled townie (Clifton Collins, Jr., TRAFFIC) he owes and unwisely provokes. Paul’s
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Dylan Kidd
Starring: Campbell Scott | Elizabeth Berkley | Isabella Rossellini | Jesse Eisenberg
Laura says: “Ad exec Roger (Campbell Scott) delights his coworkers and boss and secret lover Joyce (Isabella Rossellini) with his witty rationale on why women will take over the world during a boozy bistro session, but a later visit to
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Eric Mabius | James Purefoy | Michelle Rodriquez | Milla Jovovich
Laura says: “Jovovich shows a lot of presence as the tough zombie warrior with a humanistic streak that may be a cover for prior crimes. GIRLFIGHT’S Michelle Rodriguez is typecasting herself into a corner with her pugilistic pout. The rest
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Patricia Cardoso
Starring: America Ferrera | George Lopez | Ingrid Oliu | Lupe Ontiveros
Laura says: “Winning both the Audience and Special Jury Awards at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival encouraged HBO Films to release Patricia Cardoso’s crowd pleaser theatrically. While REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES suffers from an obvious and simplistic screenplay (Josefina Lopez
Read the review...