Tag: Foreign Films
Norte, the End of History | Review
Crime & Punishment: Diaz’s Latest Epic Examines the Banality of Evil
For those accustomed to the cinema of Lav Diaz, the four hour running time...
Siddharth | Review
In a Child’s Name: Mehta’s Sophomore Film a Gripping Ordeal
Following up on his 2007 debut, Amal, Toronto based filmmaker Richie Mehta returns to Delhi...
The Last Sentence | Review
Scenes From a Marriage: Troell’s Latest an Engrossing Character Study
Swedish auteur Jan Troell, at 81, is thankfully still making films, and his latest, The...
Policeman | Review
Israeli vs. Israeli terrorist drama is a timely, thrilling provocation
The opening scene of Israeli writer-director Nadav Lapid’s subversive, original terrorist drama Policeman is a...
A Summer’s Tale (1996) | Review
Summer Shanty: Rohmer’s Breezy Contemplation a Welcome Resurrection
Never before released in the US, Eric Rohmer’s 1996 title, A Summer’s Tale, which is part of...
The Two Faces of January | Review
Winter of Our Discontent: Amini’s Problem with Narrative Pabulum
Few crime writers can boast such a weighty lineage of cinematic adaptation as that of Patricia...
Third Person | Review
World Crash: Haggis Overextends His Usual Formula
Two’s company, three’s a crowd. Or so the saying goes. Further beating the interrelated/intersecting characters and multiple storyline...
Borgman | Review
White Child Above the Clouds: Warmerdam’s Dark Classist Comedy a Winner
Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman has to be the steadily working director’s most accomplished work...
Gebo and the Shadow | Review
The Shadow Knows: Oliveira’s latest a Stringent Meditation on Sacrifice
Inevitably, any discussion pertaining to recent work from Portuguese director Manoel de Oliviera will make...
Burning Bush | Review
Time to Burn: Holland’s Magnificent Mini-Series Event Well Worthy of Big Screen Treatment
Realized as a three part mini-series for television, Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s...
The Love Punch | Review
Love Paunch: Hopkins’ Latest a Predictable Bore
Though its cast members seem to game for a good, silly romp, Joel Hopkins’ latest film, The Love...
Wolf Creek 2 | Review
Huffin & Puffin: McLean Continues Flaccid Exploration of the Menacing Aussie Outback
Tourists are again reminded that the Australian Outback is a statistically menacing place...
Chinese Puzzle | Review
Tuft of Fluff: Klapisch Bids Adieu to Globetrotting Crew
Diehard fans of Cedric Klapisch’s L’Auberge espagnole (2002) and its sequel, Russian Dolls (2005) should be...
Horses of God | Review
Paradise Then: Ayouch’s Drama Imagines the Making of a Terrorist
Examining a fictional decade in the life of a group of young Moroccan men that...
Darker Than Midnight | 2014 Cannes Review
Midnight Toil: Riso’s Debut Ambient Yet Ultimately Remote Tale of Teenage Woe
You might forget the ‘based on a true story’ warning during the opening...
The Man Who Lies | Blu-ray Review
Redemption Films revives several more titles in its continuing resurgence of Alain Robbe-Grillet with his 1968 film, The Man Who Lies. Starring the director’s...
Gang War in Milan | Blu-ray Review
Remembered primarily for several giallo titles (and some more exploitative sub-genre cannibal thrillers), illustrious director Umberto Lenzi also helmed several Euro-crime police thrillers (polizieschi)....
Winter Sleep | 2014 Cannes Review
Ceylan's Talky Theatrical Epic unlikely to have Many Nodding Off
Since it was first announced to go into production more than a year ago, Nuri...
Filth | Review
Bad Detective: Baird Adapts Welsh for (Sometimes) Outrageous Effect
Danny Boyle’s 1996 classic Trainspotting set the bar for Irvine Welsh adaptations (Boyle is apparently at...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Predictions: Palme d’Or Toss Up Between “Deux Jours, Une Nuit” & “Mommy”
Last year our Cannes Critics' Panel accurately predicted how the Steven Spielberg jury would vote. Will we repeat it this year with the...
The Search | 2014 Cannes Review
Good Intentions Cobbled: Hazanavicius Chokes on War Story Update
It’s clear to see that there were good intentions behind the making of Michael Hazanavicius latest...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 9: Assayas Doubles Down with “Sils Maria” & Zvyagintsev Drinks to Sweet Tragic Notes with “Leviathan”
Cannes - May 23rd Sunny Day 9
And just like that, the Cannes Film Festival is coming to an end. Tomorrow is when the awards...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 8: Loach Breaks out in Dance for “Jimmy’s Hall” & Dolan’s “Mommy” Receives Excellent Ratio Among Critics
May 22nd - Rainy Thursday in Cannes.
It appears that both the oldest, and the youngest filmmakers in the Main Comp happen to be those...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 5: Miller’s Foxcatcher is Gold Medal Greek Tragedy & Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars Charts Familiar/Familial Grounds
Cannes Monday 19th -
Despite its rather grim subject matter and ultimate denounement, the reception was warm and positive for this morning's 8:30 a.m. Grand...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 4 | “Homesman” is Strong Marriage Material & Rohrwacher Farms a Solid Sophomore Pic with “The Wonders”
Due to some unfortunate circumstances (laptop's hard drive went kaput), I wasn't able to update our grid for Day 3, but we're finally back...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 2: No Sweet Hereafter Found in Egoyan’s “The Captive” & Ceylan Shines with Gender Role Malaise in “Winter Sleep”
Cannes - Friday May 16th
The first title out of the gate at this morning's 8:30 a.m. showing was the first of three Canadian films...
2014 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 1: Leigh Paints Strong Canvas with “Mr. Turner” & Sissako’s Mixes Humor & Sorrow in “Timbuktu”
According to our Cannes Critics' Panel, it may not top Topsy Turvy, but Mike Leigh's 2 plus hour portrait starring Timothy Stall paints a strong...
Grace of Monaco | 2014 Cannes Review
Coup de Grace: Embellishment Can’t Save Dahan’s Fairy Tale
Try as it might, Grace of Monaco can’t seem to wring any significant interest out of...
Stranger By the Lake | Blu-Ray Review
Taking home the Queer Palm and the Un Certain Regard Directing Award after its 2013 Cannes premiere, (not to mention a Cesar for Pierre...
Ship of Theseus | Review
Ghost Ship: Gandhi’s Debut an Enjoyably Philosophical Triptych
Finally seeing a release after its 2012 premiere, Anand Gandhi’s directorial debut, Ship of Theseus is an...
App | Review
App of My Eye: Second Screen Technology Gets Double Dutch in Gimmicky Thriller
A film that will indubitably be remembered as a quaint first-wave exercise...
Death Occurred Last Night | Blu-ray Review
Raro Video continues remastering rare and obscure Italian titles with the long unavailable 1970 curio from Duccio Tessari, Death Occurred Last Night. A rare...
Stage Fright | Review
The Hamming of the Opera: Sable’s Debut Musical/Horror Hybrid Light Fun
What promises on paper to be a delirious mess or instant camp classic ends...
Hallucination Strip | Blu-Ray Review
Raro Video restores an odd obscurity with Hallucination Strip, the one and only film to be directed by Lucio Marcaccini. As one easily can...
Criterion Collection: Il Sorpasso | Blu-ray Review
In the spirit of spring, Dino Rici’s tragicomedy Il Sorpasso from 1962 has been given a vibrant rebirth courtesy of Criterion. Rarely seen and...
Not My Type | 2014 COLCOA Review
A Game of Give and Take: Belvaux Examines Le Pompatus de L ’amour
Known for a number of genre tinged thrillers that tend to examine...
For a Woman | 2014 COLCOA Review
Mother Load: Kurys Revisits Plight of Parents in Post WWII France
For those familiar with the work of director Diane Kurys, the material that inspired...
We Love You, You Bastard (Salaud, on t’aime) | 2014 COLCOA Review
A Man and His Women: Lelouch’s Latest a Lumbering, Bloated Ensemble
Nearing his 80’s and with over fifty credits to his name, Oscar and Palme...
Last Passenger | Review
Runaway Train: Nooshin’s Banal Debut Goes Wrong Way on a One Way Track
What promises to be a nimble, low budget whodunit aboard a high...
Young and Beautiful | Review
Airy & banal, Ozon's Latest is as Indistinct as its Title
Moving right along the trajectory we’re all well familiar with by now, François Ozon...
Criterion Collection: Master of the House | Blu-ray Review
While he’ll always be best known for his 1928 silent masterpiece, The Passion of Joan Arc (or for his atmospheric 1932 horror film, Vampyr),...
The Five Obstructions | DVD Review
Now over a decade since its 2003 release, Kino Lorber is releasing the Lars Von Trier and Jorgen Leth experiment/documentary The Five Obstructions in...
The German Doctor | Review
A Nazi At My Table: Puenzo’s Latest an Eerie Reimagining
Argentinian director Lucia Puenzo once again adapts one of her own novels for her latest...
Tasting Menu | Review
Finger Food: Gaul’s Latest Effort Staunchly Unappetizing
Spanish filmmaker Roger Gaul (known for his 2002 debut, the co-directed Smoking Room) returns with this Irish co-produced...
Perfect Sisters | Review
Sister, My Sister: Brooks’ Uneven Debut Fumbles
Producer Stanley M. Brooks makes his directorial debut with Perfect Sisters, one of those tawdry sounding stories about...
Cuban Fury | Review
1, 2 Step: Griffiths’ Debut Features Solo Frost in Winning Performance
Though it may not command a notable shelf life in your memory, and even...
A Touch of Sin | Blu-ray Review
Upon premiering at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it was eventually awarded Best Screenplay, auteur Jia Zhang-ke’s latest masterpiece, A Touch of Sin...
Charlotte’s Web: Philippe Garrel’s “Jealousy” Finds Family in France-centric Distrib Films
Distrib Films announced that it has picked up the U.S. rights to Philippe Garrel's black and white, meta-like dramedy. A true family affair, Jealousy sees...
Ilo Ilo | Review
Singapore Slump: Economics Brushed Aside in Chen's Gem Debut
In his autobiographical debut Ilo Ilo, young Singaporean helmer Anthony Chen delivers a beautifully simple story...
Under the Skin | Review
Female Perversion: Glazer’s Latest a Strange, Hypnotic Exploration of the Body Feminine
It’s been over a decade now since Jonathan Glazer’s exciting and strange sophomore...
