Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Liv Ullman
Starring: Erland Josephson | Krister Henriksson | Lena Endre | Thomas Hanzon
Diane says: “FAITHLESS was written by Ingmar Bergman and directed by Liv Ullman. An aging director (we’ll call him ‘Bergman’) is writing the story of a disastrous affair. The woman involved, ‘Marianne,’ appears to him as a muse. It becomes
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Rating: 3.8 cats
Director: Ousmane Sembene
Starring: Mame Ndoumbe | Mariama Balde | Ndiagne Dia | Venus Seye
Michael says: “I enjoyed FAAT KINE quite a bit. Veteran African director Ousmane Sembene has been making films since the ’60’s. With FAAT KINE he draws a lively portrait of an independent, single woman with two grown children, and their
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Alan Ruck | Catherine Lloyd Burns | Justin Louis | Louis Ferreira | Mark Boone Junior | Mat Malloy | Megan Mulally | Michele Hicks | Radha Mitchell
Michael says: “EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER is the feature directorial debut from Marc Forster, whose MONSTER’S BALL starring Billy Bob Thornton is due out soon. TOGETHER stars HIGH ART‘S Radha Mitchell as a young suburban woman, pregnant and about to give
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Rating: 3.4
Director: Shinji Aoyama
Starring: Aoi Miyazaki | Koji Yakusho | Mazaru Miyazaki
Diane says: “I saw Shinji Aoyama’s 3-3/4 hour EUREKA last night, and recommend it. A study of three people set adrift by a horrible act of violence, the film certainly lets you get to know its characters in a leisurely
Read the review...Enemy at the Gates (Germany/USA/UK/Ireland; 131min.) directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaudstarring: Jude Law; Joseph Fiennes; Rachel Weisz; Bob Hoskins; Ed Harris Howard says: “Superb cast. It was great to see Bob Hoskins on the screen again as well as Joseph
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Rating: 4.125 cats
Director: George Butler
Laura says: “Butler’s first rate documentary is only hurt by Liam Neeson’s narration. His soft, lilting voice often lacks the drama the events he’s recounting demand. Music by Michael Small ranges from a deep, foreboding orchestral piece which recalls whale
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Starring: Ayre Gross | Eric Schweig | George Coe | Louise Fletcher | Tim DeKay
Trent says: “Ayre Gross, looking like a cross between SNL veteran and THREE KINGS actress Nora Dunn and a strangely attractive aardvark, stars as a gay artist who must return to his roots in the gentle movie BIG EDEN. This
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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