Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chris Kriofske
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Gavin Hood
Starring: Jeremy Northam | Katherine Kelly | Keira Knightley | Matt Smith | Matthew Goode | Ralph Fiennes
Chris says: “A fascinating story (based on actual events) told adequately; it wants to be ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN, but Keira Knightley lacks the presence of a Hoffman and the ease of a Redford. It’s even more noticeable in her
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Rating: 2 cats | 3 cats
Director: Scott A. Burns
Starring: Adam Driver | Annette Bening | Corey Stoll | Evander Duck Jr. | Jon Hamm | Michael C. Hall
Diane says: “Scott Burns’ THE REPORT, starring Adam Driver, is decidedly uncinematic, at least for the first 2/3 of the film. It’s the story of Dan Jones, a Senate Intelligence staffer who labors for years (mostly in a small secure room)
Read the review...By Chris Kriofske
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Starring: Bárbara Lennie | Eduard Fernández | Inma Cuestra | Javier Bardem | Penélope Cruz | Ricardo Darín
Chris says: “Asghar Fahardi’s latest is his least essential feature to date, but only when you consider his exceptional track record. If you’ve already seen A SEPARATION, THE PAST and all the rest, you could do much worse than this
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Terry Gilliam
Thom says: “Dear, talented auteur director Terry Gilliam has always in his long career been quite interesting, and yet, that might be damning him with faint praise. I’ve seen all his repertoire: MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL (3 CATS),
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Heather Lenz
Thom says: “This is they type of documentary that rings all my bells. It’s the life story of now hugely successful Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, whose work now pops the million dollar ceiling, but for years she suffered through bouts
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: James Kent
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård | Fionn O'Shea | Flora Thiemann | Jack Laskey | Jason Clarke | Keira Knightley | Monika Foris Kvasnicková
Thom says: “It’s post-WWII Hamburg where a colonel is there with his family to help with Reconstruction and they move into a house still populated by the German owner and his shy daughter. Of course, the British colonel and his
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Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Jeffrey Friedman | Rob Epstein
Chris says: “After a few stabs at making biopics (HOWL, LOVELACE), veteran nonfiction filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman return to form with a slick but affecting documentary about one of the greatest vocalists of her generation. While not held
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Starring: Dome Karukoski | Jörn Donner | Kati Outinen | Sakari Kuosmanen | Sherwan Haji | Tommi Corpela | Tommi Eronen | Ville Virtanen
Thom says: “Aki Kaurismäki has long been one of my TOP 10 Living Directors and this film richly adds to his glamorous acclaim. His top rated films include: CRIME & PUNISHMENT (1983), ARIEL (1988), THE MATCH FACTORY GIRL (1990), La Vie
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Lucrecia Martel
Starring: Daniel Giménez Cacho | Juan Minujín | Lola Dueñas | Mariana Nunes | Matheus Nachtergaele | Nahuel Cano
Chris says: “Apart from her debut feature LA CIENAGA, all of Lucrecia Martel’s films have left me cold and damn if I can pinpoint why. As a big fan of stuff like Tarkovsky’s STALKER, it’s not like I abhor slow
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Rating: 2 cats
Director: Boots Riley
Starring: Armie Hammer | Danny Glover | Forest Whitaker | Jermaine Fowler | Kate Berlant | Lakeith Stanfield | Lily James | Michael X. Sommers | Omari Hardwick | Tessa Thompson
Thom says: “A good friend gave me a choice of 3 current features & I mistakenly chose this one. I think part of the problem was an age difference. Amongst the 70s group I’m afraid I’ve lost a lot of
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