Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Ann Hui
Starring: Andy Lau | Deannie Ip | Fuli Wang | Hailu Qin
Jason says: “A SIMPLE LIFE opens with a screen of text explaining how these characters got to this point in their lives, but is intriguingly silent on why its two main characters are mostly alone except for each other. That’s
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper | Jacki Weaver | Jennifer Lawrence | John Ortiz | Julia Stiles | Robert De Niro
Bruce says: “The buzz was great. The director is a favorite. It has heavy backing from The Weinstein Company. Will SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK live up to the hype? Happily the answer is yes. But to get the most out of
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Hansal Mehta
Starring: Kay Kay Menon | Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub | Pawan Kumar | Prabhleen Sandhu | Raj Kumar Yadav | Shalini Vatsa | Vinod Rawat | Vipin Sharma | Vivek Ghamande
Bruce says: “The ticket for this film arrived in my Toronto Film Festival packet by mistake. Initially I planned to exchange it then decided to treat it as an omen. SHAHID, one of many films in a special City-to-City series
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Abbie Cornish | Christopher Walken | Colin Farrell | Gabourey Sidibe | Michael Pitt | Michael Stuhlberg | Sam Rockwell | Woody Harrelson
Diane says: “Acting Nom for Christopher Walken, as a gentle psychopath caring for his wife hospitalized with breast cancer. I’ve seen most of director Martin McDonagh’s plays, and his IN BRUGES, and I love his over-the-top combo of sweetness and
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Ben Lewin
Starring: Annika Marks | Helen Hunt | John Hawkes | Moon Bloodgood | Robin Weigart | William H. Macy
Bruce says: “So many things could have gone wrong with bringing THE SESSIONS to the screen. The script could have made the story cheap and tawdry. The direction could have taken the story to a sensationalistic plateau. The actors could
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Thom says: “Yes, I’d read all the raves but somehow I had my doubts but 10 minutes into this charmer I was hooked. Rodriguez was an early-70s rock/folk singer from Detroit who released two albums that were monumental bombs and
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: John Cairns
Starring: Higarino | Mai Tsujimoto | Max MacKenzie
Jason says: “Believe it or not, SCHOOLGIRL APOCALYPSE is not the third Nobboru Iguchi film on the festival’s program, or a similarly cheery exploitation picture from a filmmaker of like sensibilities. No, it’s an often-impressive bit of stripped-down sci-fi/horror that
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Gianni Di Grigorio
Starring: Alfonso Santagata | Elisabetta Piccolomini | Gianni De Grigorio | Valeria Cavalli | Valeria De Franciscis
Jason says: “THE SALT OF LIFE is the title given to this movie for it’s American release; the actual title translates to GIANNI AND THE WOMEN, which is kind of literal but less pretentious, which might have been preferable. THE
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Ron Fricke
Jason says: “Especially early on, SAMSARA certainly looks like a movie that instills the same reaction as its trailer – ‘ooooohhh, pretty!’ – only for longer. And, yes, it’s certainly the kind of pretty that justifies the cost of a
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Lasse Hallström
Starring: Amr Waked | Catherine Steadman | Emily Blunt | Ewan MacGregor | Kristin Scott Thomas
Chris says: “Even with a novel premise (the title is all you need to know), a sturdy (if unexceptional) anchor in Ewan McGregor and sound support from Emily Blunt and a tart Kristin Scott Thomas, it all sinks under the
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