Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Chris Hegedus | D.A. Pennebaker | Nick Doob
Diane says: “So much material (i.e., people) that the docu-makers had access to here, and I felt they wasted it by giving so much time to the concert performances. We could have learned more about the history of bluegrass from
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.375
Director: Jan Hrebejk
Starring: Anna Siskova | Bolek Polivka | Csongor Kassai | Jaroslav Dusek
Diane says: “Expected this one to be lighter than it actually is. Ditto on the acting, cinematography, direction…. I liked the “doubling-up” effect, even though it was used many times, in scenes of drunkenness, anger, confusion. This movie was just
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.125 cats
Director: Rob Sitch
Starring: Kevin Harrington | Patrick Warburton | Sam Neill | Tom Long
Ellen says: “I loved this little Australian film about the broadcast of the moonwalk from satellite dish in a sheep paddock in Australia. The movie had a certain BABE quality to it which, for those of you who know me,
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Anne Hathaway | Heather Matarazzo | Hector Elizondo | Julie Andrews
Bruce says: “Should you suddenly find yourself having to entertain pre-teen girls, I recommend renting this film. It really isn’t a horrible film; nor is it a good one. With the exception of PRETTY WOMAN, director Garry Marshall has a
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Dan Cohen
Starring: Bess Armstrong | Donnie Wahlberg | Robert Forster
Diane says: “DIAMOND MEN features Chlotrudis’ new best friend, Robert Forster (whose role in LAKEBOAT I very highly recommend) as a traveling diamond salesman on his way out. (His daughter, Kate Forster, is co-producer and has a bit role.) Both
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Eduardo Noriega | Federico Luppi | Marisa Paredes
Howard says: “A great film taking place near the end of the Spanish Civil war. Its being billed as a ghost story, but its really about how peoples pasts can completely control their present. The cast is great especially the
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: David Siegel | Scott McGehee
Starring: Goran Visnjic | Jonathan Tucker | TildaSwinton
Bob says: “Tilda Swinton’s performance in THE DEEP END pretty much carries the movie. The only other films I’ve seen her in were ARIA (which doesn’t really count) and ORLANDO, in which she was just terrific. She seems to have
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Starring: Dominique Sanda | Jean Reno | Nadia Fares | Vincent Cassell
Laura says: “A disappointment – I liked LA HAINE and enjoy Jean Reno, but THE CRIMSON RIVERS, while offering some rewards, overall just sank.” 2 cats For Laura’s complete review: “http://www.reelingreviews.com/thecrimsonrivers.htm” Robin says: “The script, by Kassovitz and Jean-Christopher
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Francis Veber
Starring: DanielAuteuil | Gerard Depardieu | Thierry Lhermitte
Diane says: “Typical light French comedy–I laugh a lot in the first half, then get bored. I do have to say that Gerard is a great comic actor. 3 cats” Esme says: “I only watched this because I was
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Milla Jovovich | Nastassja Kinski | Peter Mullan | Sarah Polley | Wes Bentley
Kevin says: “Michael Winterbottom’s THE CLAIM was moderately successful, I felt. First of all, Wes Bentley was WRETCHED; I HATED him in this. I know it’s some sort of blasphemy but I just can’t really get into Sarah Polley; I
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Jafar Panahi
Starring: Fereshteh Sadr Orfani | Maryiam Palvin Almani | Nargess Mamizadeh
Diane says: “I finally saw THE CIRCLE, and think it’s excellent. The way the story slides from one woman to another is great, and I loved the constant close-ups, and the cinematography in general. I had to laugh to myself:
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Im Kwon-Taek
Starring: Cho Seung-Woo | Kim Sung-Nyu | Lee Hyo-Jeong
Diane says: CHUNHYANG is a version of an ancient Korean love story (and eight-hour opera). I loved it! The film moves very nicely between the contemporary opera performance and the past-time events. Rich colors, fascinating singing, good acting. I’ll be
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Andrew Dominik
Starring: Daniel Wyllie | David Field | Eric Bana | Simon Lyndon
Bruce says: “When Chopper (Eric Bana) received his 15 minutes of fame someone made a colossal decimal error. No one so repugnant should be so famous. This gruesome biopic tells the story of Mark Brandon ‘Chopper’ Read a notorious thug
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Wayne Wang
Starring: Carla Gugino | Molly Parker | Peter Sarsgaard
Emily says: “I thought this movie was the shallowest thing I’ve seen in years! I thought neither of the characters were realized in any form whatsoever and the trajectory of the relationship fizzled, was there really a relationship here at
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Patrick Stettner
Starring: Frederick Weller | Julia Stiles | Stockard Channing
Michael says: “While it’s true that the most disappointing thing about THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS is its screenplay, I found the disappointing aspect was just that it didn’t really take any chances. It was pretty predictable, where I was hoping
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 0.5 cats
Director: Larry Clark
Starring: Bijou Phillips | Brad Renfro | Michael Pitt | Nick Stahl | Rachel Miner
Robin says: “BULLY depicts a microcosm, of our society of under-educated, under-motivated, under-employed and over-sexed teenagers with too much free time and, if Clark’s assessment is correct, under-supervised by their parents. Neither side comes across well in this tome of
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Kuroudo Maki | Masaya Kato | Omar Epps | Takeshi Kitano
Laura says: “Fans of Takeshi’s stylish violence will delight in the gunplay, Yubitsumes (the removal of a finger joint as apology), hari kiri and death-by-chopstick scenes peppered throughout his film, although newcomers may be left scratching their heads. Takeshi’s characters
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Sharon Maguire
Starring: Colin Firth | Gemma Jones | Hugh Grant | Jim Broadbent | Renée Zellweger | Sally Phillips | Shirley Henderson
Michael says: “Caught a sneak preview of BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY on Thursday night and have to say it was sweet. While it does qualify as a Chlotrudis film, it really resembled something geared more toward a mainstream audience. I get
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Bruce Beresford
Starring: Jonathan Pryce | Sarah Wynter | Simon Verhoeven | Vincent Perez
Howard says: “This film is a biopic about Alma Mahler and takes us through her life. We begin to see her right before she meets Gustav Mahler. We see in a brief glance that she is somewhat rebellious and that
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.8 cats
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Starring: Flora Montgomery | Peter McDonald
Howard says: “Very cute & enjoyable film. A bit fluffy, but who cares? Peter McDonald is so charming and wonderful as Brendan. A great, feel-good movie that people who love film should see. Brendan is a film buff and a
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