Tag: TIFF 2012
Dormant Beauty | Review
Sleepytime Drama: Bellocchio Messy Message Movie
After yet another career peak with his 2009 film Vincere, Italian auteur Marco Bellocchio continues his examination of Italian...
Here Comes the Devil | Review
Lock Your Souls Up: Bogliano’s Latest a Decent But Frayed Exercise
Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s tenth feature film, Here Comes the Devil finally shows the Argentinean...
Twice Born | Review
Emulating Almodóvar: Castellitto Employs Cruz To Pull Heartstrings
The renowned Italian actor turned middling director Sergio Castellitto returns to his place on both sides of...
Hellbenders | Review
Hath No Fury: Petty’s Latest a 3D Misfire
Serving as a glaringly obvious example of the degradation of the horror genre via raunchy slapstick is...
Out in the Dark | Review
Nobody Knows: Mayer’s Debut Explores Personal is Political with Tragic Gay Love Story
For his screen debut, Israeli born director Michael Mayer’s Out in the...
Zaytoun | Review
Pitted Olive: Riklis’ Period Piece Adventure a Sappy Fantasy
Israeli director Eran Riklis returns to familiar territory with Zaytoun, using another unlikely friendship scenario between...
Jayne Mansfield’s Car | Review
Brains of a Blonde: Thornton’s Unnecessary Return to the Director’s Chair
After his astonishingly strong 1996 directorial debut, Sling Blade, you’d be hard pressed to...
Passion | Review
Passion Fruit: De Palma’s Return to Genre a Flimsy Revamp
Arguably one of the greatest American directors from the mid 70s to late 80s, Brian...
Wasteland | Review
Waste of Time: Glossy Heist Fantasy a Missed Hit for Athale’s Debut
Producer Rowan Athale’s directorial debut, Wasteland, which he also penned, gets out of...
Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp | Review
Bad Influence: Godfather Of Modern Hustle Still Leaving Back Handed Impressions
Leaving a legacy of pimp ideology behind, the legendary pimp and author Iceberg Slim...
Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story | Review
Not Just For Children: Berstein Elegantly Draws An Illustration Legend
Documentaries on the eccentric or tortured artist are a dime a dozen, but it seems...
Frances Ha | Review
Baumbach Stops Wallowing In Cynicism To Lens His Best Yet
Noah Baumbach has built an oeuvre on characters frozen in time, refusing to let go...
The Company You Keep | Review
Return for Redford as Actor/Director in Heated Political Thriller
Robert Redford, the actor, has been a staple of American pop culture for half a century,...
Hyde Park on Hudson | Review
Michell Manages FDR's Affairs, Charmingly
Roger Michell's ravishing Hyde Park on Hudson gives us a glimpse into the private life of one of our most...
Love, Marilyn | Review
Intimate Side of an Iconic Life: Garbus Digs Through Monroe's Personal Writings
Liz Garbus is well aware that the life and times of Marilyn Monroe...
The Central Park Five | Review
Burns Dissects Why Pride & Prejudice Put Innocent Youths Behind Bars
After years of acclaimed documentary mini-series, Ken Burns returns to the feature film with...
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God | Review
Gibney Exposes Suppression Of Truth Behind Ministerial Molestation
After taking a breather from feature hardline journalism with a series of lighter docs in Catching Hell,...
A Liar’s Autobiography | Review
A Gay Old Time: Documentary/Animation Hybrid a Loving, Original Tribute
Co-directors Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson, and Ben Timlett (two of which were involved with a...
The Bay | Review
Bay Day: Levinson Mines Horror Genre to Surprising Effect
In what may be one of the year’s most curious entries in the horror genre, The...
My Worst Nightmare | Review
A charming, Gallic comedy featuring one of France’s greatest actresses.
Anne Fontaine’s latest confection, My Worst Nightmare, is a delightful vehicle for the awesome talent...
Seven Psychopaths | Review
Usual Suspects: McDonagh Gives Us a Light Killer Comedy With Latest
Written before his hit film In Bruges (2008), Martin McDonagh has landed with another...
Janeane from Des Moines | Review
Looking the Part: Faux Docu Addresses Tea Party Politics with Everyday Issues
When it comes to the world of U.S politics, more specifically Republican Party...
To the Wonder | TIFF 2012 Review
Wonder Dunder: Malick’s Visual Poem Prayer a Taxing Free Verse
If you’ve happened to read anything about Terrence Malick’s latest film, To the Wonder, chances...
Thy Womb | TIFF 2012 Review
Womb Doom: Mendoza Gives Us Another Poverty Stricken Filipino Narrative
Quickly assuming the stature of one of the most important directors from the Philippines, Brillante Mendoza...
God Loves Caviar | TIFF 2012 Review
And Hates the Proletariat: Greek Costume Drama Stinks to High Heaven
Greek director Yannis Smaragdis began his career in the mid 1970’s as a writer/director,...
The Fifth Season | TIFF 2012 Review
If Spring Never Comes: Woodworth and Brosens Expertly Conclude Their Trilogy
Directors Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens didn't set out to conclude their trilogy of...
Everybody Has a Plan | TIFF 2012 Review
Best Laid Plans: Piterbarg Gets Double the Mortensen in Debut
Argentinean director Ana Piterbarg nabs Viggo Mortensen for dual roles in her debut, a slow...
Byzantium | TIFF 2012 Review
My Favorite Sister Daughter: Jordan Hits Up the Lady Vamps
Boy it’s hard to add anything new to the vampire genre, once a horror staple...
Dredd 3D | Review
Judge Not: Travis Magnificently Revamps Dystopic Comic
The mid 90’s was a time when comic book adaptations were neither highly regarded nor definitive blockbusters, and...
In the House | TIFF 2012 Review
Write On: Ozon’s Latest an Exercise in Authorial Manipulation
The steadily working Francois Ozon continues with his playful dark comic streak in his latest, In...
The Land of Hope | TIFF 2012 Review
The Japan Syndrome: Sono Puts Human Face to Tsunami Tragedy
The prolific and insanely busy Sion Sono returns with another tale centered on the aftermath...
Inside TIFF 2012 Day 9: Know Your ABCs
7:40 pm - Started today off with the film that took home the Golden Lion last week in Venice, Ki-duk Kim's Pieta. Splitting opinions...
All That Matters Is Past | TIFF 2012 Review
Weirdness In the Woods: Johnsen’s Latest an Intriguing, Complicated Love Triangle
Norwegian filmmaker Sara Johnsen’s latest film, All That Matters Is Past is a curiously...
Motorway | TIFF 2012 Review
Need for Speed: Professor Teaches Student New Tricks in Cheang’s Goofy Chase Actioner
Utilizing the both tried, and tired formula of the hours away from...
Dead Europe | TIFF 2012 Review
Sins of the Father: Krawitz’s Adaptation Promises More Than It Delivers
You can’t escape the past, and if your family has demons haunting it from...
Secret Disco Revolution | TIFF 2012 Review
The Liberation Army: Disco Still Sucks with this Commentary Track
Proposed as more than just a dance and lifestyle craze, but as a coming out...
Inside TIFF 2012 Day 8: Don’t Move Reunion
8:00 am - Not many world premieres left at TIFF, but the Don't Move pairing Sergio Castellitto and Penélope Cruz have teamed with Emile...
Peddlers | TIFF 2012 Review
Pedal to the Medal: Death and Drugs Intermingle on the Street of Mumbai in Bala’s Impressive Debut
Vasan Bala, previously casting director and protégé of...
Leviathan | TIFF 2012 Review
Crustaceans & Coruscations: Castaing-Taylor and Paravel Pairing Offer Hyper-Stimulated Sound and Mounted Moving Camera Experience
The antithesis of a Jacques Cluzaud nature doc, Lucien Castaing-Taylor...
Crimes of Mike Recket | TIFF 2012 Review
I’m Gonna Wreck It: Sweeney’s Latest a Meek Exercise In Neo Noir
Canadian filmmaker Bruce Sweeney returns with his latest, Crimes of Mike Recket, a...
Tower | TIFF 2012 Review
Tour d’ivoire: Radwanski’s Debut a Character Study Of Discontent and Disconnection
Canadian filmmaker Kazik Radwanski has created a conflicted character study with Tower, a film...
Camp 14: Total Control Zone | TIFF 2012 Review
Daring Us To Complain: Wiese Shows Us North Korea From The Inside
Behind the heavily barricaded borders of North Korea lay a slew of labor...
Krivina | TIFF 2012 Review
Ghosts Of Bosnian Past: Drljaca's Tenuous Homecoming
First time full length helmer Igor Drljaca returns to the sparse aesthetics found in his previous shorts On...
iLL Manors | TIFF 2012 Review
Urbane Safari: Ben Drew’s Debut an Exercise in Abject Miserabilism
British musical artist Ben Drew, aka Plan B, makes his directorial debut with a story...
When I Saw You | TIFF 2012 Review
Seeing is Believing: Jacir Revisits Historical Period of Palestinian Refugees in Sophomore Feature
Director Annemarie Jacir’s much celebrated 2008 film, Salt of This Sea, was...
Inside TIFF 2012 Day 4: Heartland of America
11:30 - On today's much anticipated menu we have the already well-traveled fourth film (Venice, Telluride and now TIFF) from Ramin Bahrani (Man Push...
Shores of Hope | TIFF 2012 Review
Back in the GDR: Hebbeln’s Debut Feature Revisits Political Turmoil of East Germany
Writer/director Toke Constantin Hebbeln follows up his 2006 short film Nevermore with...
Inside TIFF 2012 Day 3: A Connection is Made
9:00 pm - Before round two of avant-garde shorts as my nightcap, I hit up two Wavelengths features, differently, Molussia and The Lebanese Rocket Society. The former is...
Jackie | TIFF 2012 Review
The Surrogate: Beumer's Road-Trip Drama Breaks Down All Along the Way
Wince-worthingly announcing itself as the bonding roadtrip type where strength is in the numbers,...
Inside TIFF 2012 Day 2: Fathers & Sons with Motorcycles & Guns
11:30 pm - The disappointments of Ernest & Celestine and Something in the Air didn't do much to spoil today's first film, Harmony Korine's unexpectedly rapturous Spring Breakers. It's...
