Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Xiaogang Feng
Starring: Daniel Wu | Xun Zhou | You Ge | Ziyi Zhang
Jason says: “Even in an age where period martial-arts epics have been made by the likes of Ang Lee, Kaige Chen, and Zhang Yimou, THE BANQUET stands out as high-gloss. Much of the behind-the-scenes crew worked on CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN
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Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
Starring: Alexandr Baluyev | Konstantin Lavronenko | Maria Bonnevie | Maxim Shibaev
Bruce says: “Using William Saroyan’s The Laughing Matter as a basis for THE BANISHMENT, Andrei Zvyagintsev follows up his sensational directorial debut, THE RETURN. Konstantin Lavronenko, who played the father in THE RETURN, won the Best Actor at the Cannes
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Abderrahmane Sissiko
Starring: Aissa Maiga | Balla Habib Dembélé | Maimouna Hélène Diarra
Bruce says: “Occasionally a film comes along that defies one’s imagination. BAMAKO is such a film. Residents of a Mali village, disgruntled with the pauperization of their country imposed by outside forces, decide that they will stage a mock trial
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Danièle Thompson
Starring: Albert Dupontel | Cécile de France | Valérie Lemercier
Bruce says: “The Hôtel Plaza Athénée , the Théâtre des Champs Élysées next door and a small bistro en face named Café aux Théâtres are all nestled together on the Avenue Montaigne. Three main stories involving upheaval in the arts
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.8 cats
Director: Sarah Polley
Starring: Gordon Pinsent | Julie Christie | Kristen Thomson | Olympia Dukakis
Beth says: “Sarah Polley’s directorial debut, an Alice Munro story, and a glorious Julie Christie – how could I miss it? And it didn’t disappoint – Christie and Gordon Pinsent play husband and wife grappling with how to handle her
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Tricia Regan
Chris says: “I’ve seen a number of films that copy the formula set in motion by the spelling bee documentary SPELLBOUND, profiling individual participants and charting their progress as theycompete or work towards a unified goal. Produced for HBO but
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Rating: 5 cats
Director: Mark Jacobs
Bruce says: “Pentecostals are also known as ‘holy rollers’ because of all the moving and shaking going on during the services. The Voice of Pentecost Church was founded in San Francisco in 1966 by Marilynn Gazowsky. It was linked to
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Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Peter Schønau Fog
Starring: Hanne Hedelund | Jannik Lorenzen | Jesper Asholt | Julie Kolbech | Rita Angela
Bruce says: “Sexual abuse is not the first topic that comes to mind when black comedy is mentioned. Although THE ART OF CRYING is technically comedic in nature, its aim is dead serious. The story takes place in 1971, a
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Rating: 3 cats
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: James McAvoy | Keira Knightley | Romola Garai | Saoirse Ronan | Vanessa Redgrave
Sarah says: “Let me begin by saying I have not read the book the film was based upon (although it’s on my to be read list now) and I knew nothing about the film when I sat down in the
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Tommy O'Haver
Starring: Catherine Keener | EllenPage | Hayley McFarland
Chris says: “Tommy O’Haver’s film raises a question I rarely ask of cinema (unless I’m screening shorts, of course): ‘Did this really need to be made?’ It’s based on a true story: in 1965, single mother Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener)
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