Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Ye Lou
Starring: Hua Zhongkai | Jia Hongshen | Zhou Xun
Laura says: “SUZHOU RIVER questions identity and reality within the confines of a harsh environment. It’s tough, edgy, jaded and romantic. Lou Ye’s accomplished a lot with very little.” 3 1/2 cats For Laura’s complete review: “http://www.reelingreviews.com/suzhouriver.htm” Michael says:
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Chris Hegedus | Jehane Noujaim
Ellen says: “I enjoyed this documentary and thought the filmmakers did a great job of showing the story of two high school friends who start an internet company. The filmmakers probably had to film a lot of events over a
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 1.75
Director: Allison Anders
Starring: Don Cheadle | Gabriel Mann | Kim Dickens | Rosanna Arquette
Michael says: “I’m going to have to file this latest film by Allison Anders (SUGARTOWN; GAS, FOOD, LODGING) under intriguing disappointment. I’m a big fan of Anders’ films, but this one just didn’t work. Sherry (Kim Dickens) is a burgeoning
Read the review...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: 2.8 cats
Director: Maggie Greenwald
Starring: Aidan Quinn | Emmy Rossum | Jane Adams | Janet McTeer | Pat Carroll
Diane says: “This story of an early twentieth-century musicologist (Janet McTeer) experiencing music that speaks to her heart instead of her mind–in the North Carolina mountains–was just as hackneyed as the trailer threatened. Sets and blocking (and how often do
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Ann Hu
Starring: Jared Harris | Liu Peiqui | Xia Yu | Xing Yufei
Jeffrey says: “I was a little distracted at the beginning of the movie by the transition from what appeared to be historical footage to what appeared to be artificially aged contemporary footage. I thought it should have been either one
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Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Amanda Redman | Ben Kingsley | Cavan Kendall | Ian McShane | Julianne White | Ray Winstone
Michael says: “I found this film to be lots of fun, with some really terrific performances and visuals. Basically a caper film with Gal (a terrific Ray Winstone) retired from the business and enjoying the life of leisure in Spain
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.75
Director: Brad Anderson
Starring: Brendan Sexton III | David Caruso | Peter Mullan | Stephen Gevedon
Diane says: “What has happened to Brad Anderson? NEXT STOP, WONDERLAND was such a lovely and original film. Now we get his hackneyed attempt at horror in SESSION 9, and Stephen B. (sorry to steal your lines) reports that his
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Rating: 3.25
Director: Dan Minahan
Starring: Brooke Smith | Glenn Fitzgerald | Maylouise Burke | Merrit Wever | Tom Gilroy
Michael says: “Director Dan Minahan creates a wonderfully accurate movie version of a reality TV show taken to extremes. In ‘The Contenders,’ contestants picked at random play against each other… kill or be killed. Dawn (Brooke Smith from VANYA ON
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats | 4.6
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Sun Honglei | Zhang Ziyi | Zhao Yeulin | Zheng Hao
Diane says: “I really didn’t like this movie. I thought I had a good handle on the Chinese way of seeing things, but I found this meaningless. Maybe what wasn’t there was meant to be more meaningful than what was:
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