Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Tom Gilroy
Starring: Campbell Scott | Liev Schreiber | Ned Beatty | Peri Gilpin
Laura says: “Gilroy’s playwright background is stamped all over his film debut to its detriment, however. Gilroy’s decision to film over the course of a year was a plus for the actors, allowing them to form their bond gradually. Yet,
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Éva Gárdos
Starring: Nastassja Kinski | Scarlett Johansson | Tony Goldwyn
Hilary says: “I am continually impressed by Scarlett Johansson’s performances. GHOST WORLD is definitely on my Top Ten for the year and MANNY & LO is still a favorite, many years later. “Here, however, I just felt sorry for her.
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Henry Bromell
Starring: Donald Sutherland | John Ritter | Neve Campbell | William H. Macy
Diane says: “PANIC stars William H. Macy as a hit-man who wants to get out of that line of work. (Hey, I’m reminded that ‘Those the River Keeps’ [prequel to ‘Hurlyburly,’ stage version only] did a grand job with that
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Stephen Soderbergh
Starring: Andy Garcia | Brad Pitt | Carl Reiner | Elliot Gould | George Clooney | Julia Roberts | Matt Damon
Hilary says: “OCEAN’S ELEVEN is a fun diversion. Clearly, Stephen Soderburgh can make great films in his sleep — this one looks great, and the cast includes several actors who’ve appeared in his films previously and had a hell of
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Starring: Alexander Beyer | Bibiana Beglau | Harald Schrott | Martin Wuttke | Nadja Uhl | Richard Kropf
Diane says: “A terrorist trying to destroy the capitalism of West Germany in the 1970s has her identity changed three times over ten years by the East German government and has to come to terms with living under communism. Great
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: James Ivory
Starring: Anjelica Huston | Jeremy Northam | Kate Beckinsale | Nick Nolte | Uma Thurman
Diane says: “I liked THE GOLDEN BOWL much better than I expected. The main character in this Henry James’ novel had no redeeming qualities as far as I could see, and her love interest, (Jeremy Northam, who leaves me cold
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Cate Blanchett | Giovanni Ribisi | Greg Kinnear | Hilary Swank | Katie Holmes | Keanu Reaves
Kevin says: “Cate Blanchett is incredibly good. The film is really spine-tingling and very emotionally involving. The ensemble cast–Greg Kinnear, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank, Kim Dickens, Katie Holmes–is flawless as well. Not QUITE as good as Raimi’s A
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: 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: 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
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