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512,905 | 3,223,254 | 437,232 | 8 | A Solid Story , A Solid Cast , A Solid Production - but where is the passion ? | CATCH A FIRE is a very entertaining and instructive film about the 1980s South African problem with Apartheid - a time when the minority white population had political control over the far larger populace of blacks . It is based on a true story of one Patrick Chamusso , a fine working man not affiliated with the growin... |
513,263 | 3,223,254 | 796,307 | 8 | A Timely Topic , An Uplifting Film | Sensitive director Patricia Riggen has , in LA MISMA LUNA ( UNDER THE SAME MOON ) , succeeded in creating a story about the travails of the illegal immigrants from Mexico that serves as a reminder to all of us that one of the reasons for the obsession to take the risks of crossing the border is an attempt to find a bet... |
512,868 | 3,223,254 | 375,912 | 8 | Meltdown : The Rise and Fall of a ' Good ' Criminal | LAYER CAKE is a film to be watched with all of your senses alert : it is best viewed after a caffeine jag , or way before bedtime as it demands full attention to follow this circuitous and at times meandering plot . You have to work at this one but in the end the work pays off - sort of . To begin with the main charact... |
512,690 | 3,223,254 | 285,157 | 8 | Filial Love and Adolescent Obsession | ' Grosse bêtise ' or BREAKIN ' OUT is another example of how well French films deal with intimate subjects , taking the time to explore emotional attitudes that so often are ignored by Hollywood films . In this case the extent that true filial love can lead to dangerous consequences is played out in a story that is wel... |
513,352 | 3,223,254 | 443,706 | 8 | Obsession | David Fincher knows how to go straight to the bone , whether that be by grisly effects or wearing down the psyches of his audience . In ZODIAC he traces the very long investigation of the serial killer in the 1960s and 1970s in the San Francisco area who was never found and has managed to mimic that interminably long y... |
513,574 | 3,223,254 | 280,791 | 8 | A Good Script , A Fine Cast , a So-So Production | THE JOURNEY OF JARED PRICE is a small budget Indie that has so much going for it that overlooking the squeaky production values is not a problem . Though it is obvious that the film was made in a short time with a minimal budget ( the quality of the film is washed out to almost variations of gray ) , the direction and ... |
513,067 | 3,223,254 | 157,191 | 8 | ' Dance 5 , Story 3 ' | ONE LAST DANCE appears to be a film for dancers , either active or retired , wannabees or romanticists . There is some terrific Brazilian influenced music from Stacy Widelitz that enhances much of the corps dancing and some beautiful moments of cinematography making the most of a bare ballet studio rehearsal hall - bot... |
512,783 | 3,223,254 | 443,691 | 8 | Poetry as the Healing Force in Time of War - and After | VOICES IN WARTIME is a documentary that has many aspects : it is an important investigation into how poets have responded to war from the Civil War through the two World Wars , Korean and Vietnam Wars and it is an homage to the fallen and to those who have been permanently damaged by war's dissection of the psyche , wh... |
512,993 | 3,223,254 | 855,729 | 8 | Pastoral : Reha Erdem's Soliloquy on the Passage of Time and Youth | BAS VAKIT ( TIME AND WINDS ) is less a narrative film than a suspended contemplation on the cycle of life , the passage of time , and the persistence of family traits . It is a work from Turkey of rare beauty visually , musically , and natural grandeur . Writer / director Reha Erdem is a poet as well as an accomplished... |
512,667 | 3,223,254 | 206,917 | 8 | Revisiting The Man Who Cried at Home | Some films actually play more sensitively on the small screen of home viewing than when they are achingly spread across a large theater screen where all of the flaws show . For this viewer such is the case for THE MAN WHO CRIED : reduced to the intimate state this little film carries much more weight . Sally Potter wro... |
512,810 | 3,223,254 | 387,514 | 8 | Would that more Romantic Comedies be this Honest ! | PRIME is one of those films that perhaps viewing the DVD comments by the cast and crew first before watching the film would enhance the appreciation . This is a solid little work by writer / director Ben Younger who has created a story , somewhat autobiographical , and engaged the interest and devotion of some very fin... |
513,324 | 3,223,254 | 445,935 | 8 | See the Film , Pass the Word : A Call for Involvement in Public Action | BORDERTOWN is more than a suspenseful film about a tragic reality that has been terrifying Juarez , Mexico for years . This film , written and directed by Gregory Nava ( ' Mi Familia ' , ' El Norte ' , ' Selena ' , etc ) , approaches a public service campaign on the part of Nava and the rest of his cast and crew - espe... |
513,341 | 3,223,254 | 787,523 | 8 | Tough Subject , Clumsy Handling , but Fine Acting | TOWELHEAD may have been the successful title of the novel by Alicia Erian on which this daring movie was based , but it seems that the title could have been altered to focus on the real issues writer / director Alan Ball addresses . The audience for a film based on variations of child abuse and racism and prejudice and... |
512,789 | 3,223,254 | 802,948 | 8 | Shocking , Repulsive . . . and Fascinating | AN American CRIME is a problematic little reenactment of a real criminal case of child abuse dating back to 1965 . The story is horrifying and while the film places the facts in our faces , the impact of the film is out of focus . This is due to the script that elects to glaze over the motivational aspects of a brutal ... |
513,222 | 3,223,254 | 417,217 | 8 | For the Actors | TWO FOR THE MONEY takes on the topic of Sports Gambling and makes a serious attempt to turn it into a movie . The story is apparently based on a true one ( as per the opening screen statement ) but it is from the pen of Dan Gilroy that the well-drawn characters are realized . DJ Caruso ( Smallville , The Salton Sea , T... |
513,537 | 3,223,254 | 421,528 | 8 | A Colorful , Zesty Extravaganza with Heart from Ramón Salazar | Writer / actor / director Ramón Salazar ( ' Amnèsia ' , ' Piedras ' ) is becoming a formidable presence on the Spanish cinema scene . He takes risks , he knows he takes them , and he makes them turn out in his favor . ' 20 Centimeters ' is a mix of a story that is part hilarious musical comedy and part sensitive charac... |
512,846 | 3,223,254 | 417,225 | 8 | Nothing New , Perhaps , But It Is So Much Fun To Watch ! | IDLEWILD as conceived , created and directed by Bryan Barber is an all black cast version of the 1930s gangster / prohibition / big crime scene that bubbles over with energy and music and a lot of fun . While the story is not unique by a long shot , the technique of making it comes alive with some of our most talented ... |
513,436 | 3,223,254 | 366,287 | 8 | A Film Filed to Overflowing with Stories and Information | ' Caterina va in citta ' ( ' Caterina in the Big City ' ) is an Italian film that takes as its storyline the coming of age of a young teenager transported by her family from the quiet Tuscany seaside village of Montaldo Di Castro to the challenging realities of Big City Rome , but that is only the means to an end of ex... |
513,657 | 3,223,254 | 395,296 | 8 | ' What is unsaid is undone ' : A Country Story | Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón co-authored with Ángeles González Sinde and directed this little tale of life isolated in the Valle de Paz of the Northern Spanish province of Cantabria . The people who live here , herding cattle , farming , and selling milk , are set apart from the outside world - sort of a modern day throw ba... |
513,601 | 3,223,254 | 402,130 | 8 | The Struggles of a Broken Spirit | Rodolphe Marconi ( ' Love Forbidden ' ) is a director and writer to watch . He has a signature style already ( he is quite young in the industry ) and knows how to use that sensitivity to tell touching stories . LE DERNIER JOUR or THE LAST DAY is a mood piece , spare on dialogue , misty in its depiction of young emotio... |
512,648 | 3,223,254 | 469,062 | 8 | An Impressive Thriller | Relatively new cinematic team of director Ariel Vromen and writer Joshua Leibner pounce onto the scene with a surprisingly fine little film that has basically gone unnoticed . DANIKA is a story that demands the viewer's careful attention and rewards that attention with a finely wrought surprise ending . This is a tough... |
513,318 | 3,223,254 | 344,604 | 8 | Romantic Comedy in the True French Manner | It seems when it comes to romantic comedies the French have the corner on the market and technique . APRES VOUS is a bit of pastiche with a storyline that borders on absurd , but in the hands of director Pierre Salvadori it becomes not only an enjoyable farce , but also a tender little statement about compassion . Anto... |
513,460 | 3,223,254 | 779,722 | 8 | Amnesia and Confusion and Pseudobiopics | AMNESIA : THE JAMES BRIGHTON ENIGMA ( Amnésie : L'énigme James Brighton ) is an independent Canadian film based on fact , but with alterations of names and places to protect / enhance the real people . The title's two operative words are ' amnesia ' and ' enigma ' because watching this film places the viewer in the unc... |
513,268 | 3,223,254 | 783,608 | 8 | A Tour de Force for a Fine Cast of Seasoned Actors | THE WALKER ( defined as a man who escorts rich ladies around town in their leisure ) is both a pungent political comment and a fine mystery from Paul Schrader who both wrote and directed this smart film and had the good fortune to surround his tale with a fine cast of actors . It may not be a film for everyone , but it... |
512,700 | 3,223,254 | 356,680 | 8 | ' Have yourself a merry little Christmas ' . . . with the Stone family ! | Thomas Bezucha ( ' Big Eden ' ) is a writer / director willing to address social issues in a setting where the issues become secondary to his characters . Though he is not polished as yet ( Big Eden was a fine little film but hardly the credentials to be put in front of a cast a famous actors ! ) , his heart is in the ... |
513,147 | 3,223,254 | 473,444 | 8 | The Kernel of Decay Beneath the Façade of Opulence | Yimou Zhang once again produces a work that retains his position as one of the master builders of contemporary cinema . His ability to capture an intricate story historically based in a setting of splendor is up there with the great filmmakers . CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER is no exception . The time of the story is the ... |
513,289 | 3,223,254 | 768,183 | 8 | What if the Draft were Reinstated ? | The Draft as a means for supplying the armed forces with manpower ended with the Vietnam War . DAY ZERO is a thought provoking film that raises the question of how today's youth would respond were the Draft reinstated as a result of the ever-growing Iraq War . Writer Robert Malkani and director Bryan Gunnar Cole respon... |
513,528 | 3,223,254 | 115,536 | 8 | Surprisingly Entertaining Romantic Comedy | El Amor perjudica seriamente la salud ( Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health ) is a smartly written and produced Spanish Romantic Comedy dating back to 1996 when two of the ' stars ' ( Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem ) were barely known : of course now , their names add enormous credibility to the DVD issue on today's... |
513,559 | 3,223,254 | 331,701 | 8 | War And Other Inequalities As Seen Through A Child's Eyes | Some unsuspecting films carry a message that resonates in the hours and days after viewing . Such is the case for CAROL'S JOURNEY ( EL VIAJE DE CAROL ) , a beautifully crafted 2002 film from Spain based on the novel ' A boca de noche ' by Ángel García Roldán who also adapted the book as a screenplay . War and its conse... |
513,152 | 3,223,254 | 114,089 | 8 | A Powerful Little Film That Examines Prejudice , Bigotry , and Color-blind Love | PARALLEL SONS is a very fine piece of work , a film ahead of its time , a film that may yet surface in the theaters since the success of ' Brokeback Mountain ' . It deserves that kind of attention . Writer Director John G . Young ( The Reception ) takes on razor-sharp issues , molds them in a natural , non-exploitation... |
513,026 | 3,223,254 | 377,569 | 8 | A Remarkable Depiction of a Perplexing Coups | Marco Bellocchio takes a lot of chances in his films , examining human behavior in the face of dissension whether political , moral , or emotional . In ' Buongiorno , notte ' ( ' Good Morning , Night ' ) he studies the infamous 1978 kidnapping of Aldo Moro in what would be a situation that would raise as many questions... |
513,061 | 3,223,254 | 269,461 | 8 | Triumph of the Human Spirit : Artists in a Time of War | ' Laissez-passer ' ( Safe Conduct ) is an epic film not of the giant battlefield scenes type , but of the inner humanity placed in jeopardy during war times . Director Bernard Tavernier has been making important films since the 1960s and here directs a story by Jean Cosmos and Jean-Devaivre that explores the survival o... |
513,439 | 3,223,254 | 368,571 | 8 | Crossroads : Enter the Corporate World Versus Enter the World of Living | Kevin Noland makes a fine debut in both writing and directing this colorful , insightful , low-key exploration of the age old Apollonian Dionysian conflict . For a first film , despite some minor technical glitches ( overexposed photography at key moments , a soundtrack that eats the dialogue before it is audible ) , N... |
512,829 | 3,223,254 | 937,347 | 8 | The Horror of an Avenging Mind | While the current trend in scary movies seems to be becoming the property of the Computer Generated Graphics industry , real terror comes from studying the possibilities of a human mind scarred by trauma . Such is the material that makes ALREADY DEAD a frightening film - a revenge story by Robert Lynn Archer transforme... |
513,513 | 3,223,254 | 465,602 | 8 | If you've got it , Flaunt it ! | SHOOT ' EM UP is well named : this is a whompingly good action movie that is as much parody of its genre as it is a good story . It never for a moment takes itself seriously and it is played by a strong cast of top-drawer actors having a terrific time . Writer / director Michael Davis has found his niche and let's hope... |
512,902 | 3,223,254 | 379,463 | 8 | From Both Sides of the River : A Comedy / Drama about Friendship | PUNTO Y RAYA ( ' A Dot and a Line ' ) is a touching little film from Venezuela , a movie with low budget and high aspirations that manages to explore friendship and bonding between two warring factions in a most sensitive way . Director Elia Schneider and writer Henry Herrera deserve their 2005 Oscar consideration for ... |
513,675 | 3,223,254 | 404,390 | 8 | A Suspense Thriller That Keeps Us Running - for the Secrets | On the surface RUNNING SCARED is just another action flick with lots of expletives , violence , bloodshed , trauma , and car chases . But attempt to put the movie on ' slow forward ' and this hundred miles an hour paced film has a fine sense of pacing and excellent experimental photography , AND a cast that is up to it... |
513,213 | 3,223,254 | 354,595 | 8 | The Way We Were : Sportsmanship in the 1950s | THE MIRACLE MATCH ( released rather unsuccessfully in the theaters as THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES ) is yet another one of those feel good movies that dwells on the concept that the problems of humanity can be resolved on the playing field . And that is not a bad metaphor : wouldn't it be great if current world problems cou... |
513,615 | 3,223,254 | 119,743 | 8 | A Fine Little Film That Is Particularly Important Today ! | MY SON THE FANATIC is a small scale film made in 1998 about the problems of cross culture assimilation between Pakistanis and the British - or rather between Muslim and Christian - that packs a powerful punch in the understanding of current clashes similar to the film's story that are so keenly in focus today . Based o... |
513,707 | 3,223,254 | 783,695 | 8 | A Song Without Words | ' El Cielo dividido ' ( BROKEN SKY ) is a daring , experimental film from Mexican writer / director Julián Hernández and as such it is bound to polarize audiences . Some will fault the film for self-indulgence while others will praise the bravery of a film of this topic to come from a country not exactly known for its ... |
513,550 | 3,223,254 | 397,313 | 8 | Credit Where Credit is Due : The Real Stars of a Fine Movie | EIGHT BELOW is a satisfying film on every level : the story is excellent ( based on fact ) , the script is good , the direction by Frank Marshall is tight and fast paced for a two hour film , the scenery is spectacular and the cast is committed and well chosen . But the real stars of this film are the eight wondrous do... |
513,700 | 3,223,254 | 469,494 | 8 | A Long , Dark Journey in the Soul of Greed and Power | Upton Sinclair's epic novel OIL ! has been successfully transformed to a film by screen writer / director Paul Thomas Anderson ( ' Magnolia ' , ' Boogie Nights ' , etc ) . The film is a long song ( 158 minutes ) , covering a fascinating span of time in turn of the century California when oil gained the lure of gold and... |
513,466 | 3,223,254 | 473,308 | 8 | ' Tis the gift to be simple . . . | On the surface WAITRESS is a simple , honest , unpretentious , funny , tender , and sensitive film about simple people in a small Southern town : it is the core of the film , the examination of individual's choices , consequences , rights , and fraternity that makes the little Indie so special . And another feature tha... |
513,433 | 3,223,254 | 419,722 | 8 | Turning Points | EIGHTEEN as written and directed by Richard Bell may have a few too many stories to tell simultaneously for a 102 minute movie to completely succeed , but there is such a fine sense of commitment on the part of all the cast and crew that the viewer ends up wanting the movie to work - and so it does . Yes , aspects coul... |
513,732 | 3,223,254 | 419,749 | 8 | ' Cuz , don't shoot me . I love ya ' | Duplicitous values and ethics pepper this fine little courtroom comedy drama , a Sidney Lumet special that has a carefully chosen cast of fine actors and a story based on fact ( much of the script being lifted from actual courtroom transcriptions ) that is both informative and entertaining and offers Vin Diesel the opp... |
513,014 | 3,223,254 | 114,117 | 8 | A Suitable Persuasion | PERSUASION together with NORTHANGER ABBEY were posthumous novels by Jane Austin ( published 1817 ) and reflect the position of a novelist whose latter days mirror a younger , wonderful bright spirit and yet soften the social and feminist darts she so successfully hurled at society in her famous earlier works . This par... |
513,523 | 3,223,254 | 458,522 | 8 | A Tour de Force for Jennifer Lopez | EL CANTANTE missed in the theater run , perhaps because the public is growing weary of ' little person makes good , becomes a celebrity , and aborts a successful life in favor of drugs ' stories . But now that the film is available for DVD viewing in the home , the public can appreciate the very fine qualities of this ... |
512,864 | 3,223,254 | 362,174 | 8 | Growing Up Is Very Hard To Do | SPIN takes a road much traveled - the coming of age tale of a child whose parents are suddenly absent - but the result is much stronger a story than most in this genre . Based on the novel by Donald Everett Axinn and adapted for the screen by writer / director James Redford ( yes , son of Robert Redford , but strong en... |
513,562 | 3,223,254 | 133,412 | 8 | A Seemingly Simple Story That Unravels Its Twists Surprisingly Well | Screenwriter Ted Griffin ( ' Ocean's Eleven ' , ' Matchstick Men ' , ' Rumor Has It ' , etc ) has provided a story for this little film that is successful on many levels : it is a suspenseful mystery , an intelligent look at the Now Generation's unstable approach to life as hopefully handed to them on their parents ' g... |
513,417 | 3,223,254 | 376,181 | 8 | A Predictable Plot - But a Beautiful Little Film | Tuscany is like a magnet for sentimental Americans : the landscape , the people , the appreciation of life emanates from the sunscapes and offers a paradise to world-weary viewers . And so it is that Tuscany is the true star of this little romantic film . Yet writer / director Brad Mirman clearly knows how to script an... |
513,476 | 3,223,254 | 443,431 | 8 | Superb Cast in a Wonderfully Over the Top Parody | Todd Stephens offers his second fine film about gay life ( Edge of Seventeen was his first ) and aptly titles it ANOTHER GAY MOVIE . It is a colorful , fast-paced , wonderfully silly , knock ' em dead parody of gay stereotypes boasting a fine cast of actors who know how to pull this caper off and seem to have a terrifi... |
513,375 | 3,223,254 | 445,620 | 8 | Boundaries , Checkpoints , and Martyrdom | PARADISE NOW opens windows of information to those of us who do not live in the Middle East and who toil over understanding the strife that daily bitterly continues , bruising the lives of both ends of the polarity that separates the peoples of the region . Are there ever to be answers or solutions to the crises ? For ... |
512,681 | 3,223,254 | 397,535 | 8 | A Visually and Musically Stunning Film | Why there is so much polarity with the audiences of Rob Marshall's cinematic adaptation of Arthur Golden's exquisite novel MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA is puzzling . Even in the theater there were those who left halfway through - reason unknown . Despite disagreements on the casting techniques and on the emphasis changes betwee... |
513,507 | 3,223,254 | 117,438 | 8 | Calling a Bluff : A Timely Look at Citizen / Police Interaction in Kidnapping | RANSOM is yet another Hollywood extravaganza movie about the terrors of the crime of kidnapping - with a twist . Ron Howard directs this , for the most part , gripping story with propulsion and the ability to gain nuanced performances from a disparate cast . The result is a tightly wound spring that coils tensely until... |
512,944 | 3,223,254 | 406,158 | 8 | Another Role for which Julianne Moore Deserved an Oscar | THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE , OHIO probably went unnoticed in the theaters because of the title and because of the sappy posters that accompanied its release . Sounds like a silly little flick , but in reality it contains a fine re-creation of the 1950s , of the way women were viewed in that era , of the indomitable s... |
513,592 | 3,223,254 | 282,701 | 8 | Loneliness , Alienation , Desire and Need : A Quasi Romance | LIGHT OF MY EYES ( ' Luce dei miei occhi ' ) is more a fantasia on theme of loneliness and need for love than it is a straightforward narrative story . Under the direction of Giuseppe Piccioni , who co-wrote the screenplay with Umberto Contarello , it shimmers like and extended poem , a theme so delicate and so suffuse... |
513,242 | 3,223,254 | 127,296 | 8 | Araki Examines Contemporary Relationships | SPLENDOR is a quick little film that once again demonstrates writer / director Gregg Araki's talent in making big social comments out of just a little idea . Though this may not be one of his most successful films , it certainly has enough going for it to give it a look . Narrated by flippant , kooky , slightly irritat... |
513,003 | 3,223,254 | 479,143 | 8 | It Ain't Over ' Til It's Over | Who would have expected Sylvester Stallone to be able to squeeze yet another movie out of his internationally successful Rocky series ? Well , friends , the guy may have aged with the rest of us but Stallone's ability to go to the heart of the character he has made an icon still is strong . As a result ROCKY BALBOA , t... |
513,135 | 3,223,254 | 399,465 | 8 | A Dysfunctional Family in the Manner of Greek Tragedy | Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Reppas serve the double capacities as writers and directors of this Greek film that places a contemporary Greek family on the stage of ancient Greek tragedies , even to the point of parallels between the characters and Greek tragedy roles ! Though the story is complex and meanders a ... |
513,350 | 3,223,254 | 469,263 | 8 | A Tender Little Family Film About the Importance of Dreams | THE ASTRONAUT FARMER is a sound little film with a warm message about living for your dreams . The best part about this film is its honesty in not pushing the limits to make a point . It does require the audience to release a bit of credibility , but stories that are fables are pretty rare in film these days and that i... |
512,644 | 3,223,254 | 494,192 | 8 | The Disparities and Dichotomies Between Classes : Consequences | Alan Hollinghurst's brilliant novel THE LINE OF BEAUTY has been well adapted for film by Andrew Davies and brought to BBC television by director Saul Dibb and an outstanding cast . That television miniseries is now available on one DVD with each of the three parts intact as seen in the UK ( not the parceled version sho... |
513,425 | 3,223,254 | 291,392 | 8 | To love you have to have a history | Jean Pierre Limosin has taken on a story interlacing memory , love , history , and passion that not only has pertinence in our galloping society of hasty encounters and transient relationships but also pleads a case for people with cognitive dysfunction . Unfortunately the film is marketed as a comedy and while there a... |
512,657 | 3,223,254 | 443,496 | 8 | Descending into Darkness : Mamet's Words of Nihilism | EDMOND is a dark , dank , mercilessly downer of a film - that just happens to be one of the best pieces of work the very talented William H . Macy has ever done . In a bravura performance he embodies the strange creature created by David Mamet , triumphs in the extended monologues that include hate , racism , homophobi... |
513,050 | 3,223,254 | 426,155 | 8 | A Tasty Little Film About Tradition - and Other Challenges ! | A very strong cast and an excellent production crew brings USHPIZIN into the realm of classics that will endure . The story may be simple but to non-orthodox Jews it is one at times confusing but always fascinating in introducing cultural traditions that are unknown to many of us . In the case of USHPIZIN that traditio... |
512,940 | 3,223,254 | 347,048 | 8 | Harsh , Gritty , Tough . . . Very Moving Film ! | ' Gegen die Wand ' in German , ' Duvara karsi ' in Turkish , or ' HEAD-ON ' in English is an explosive drama written and directed by Faith Akin , a movie that may be tough to watch , but a movie that has enormous impact . While other films have successfully addressed the particular problems that the immigrant Turkish c... |
513,281 | 3,223,254 | 465,461 | 8 | A Bittersweet , Gentle Comedy and Love Story | FOUR LAST SONGS is one of those little films that quietly turns a little comedy about seemingly incongruous situations into a finely spun series of love stories : father and daughter , man and woman , disparate brothers , lonely widows , and a village that loves its heritage . Writer / Director Francesca Joseph underst... |
512,934 | 3,223,254 | 486,822 | 8 | High Tech Voyeurism Enhances a Good Thriller | DISTURBIA is a fine little thriller of a movie . Though some viewers are commenting that it is merely a takeoff on REAR WINDOW and finding it not up to that caliber - and if that bothers potential viewers then be advised , for this viewer it is more a film that addresses our progressive invasion of privacy by high tech... |
512,935 | 3,223,254 | 459,666 | 8 | Three Times : A Century of Reponses to Love | THREE TIMES ( Zui hao de shi guang ) is so frank a film that the viewer may get lost looking for the hidden meanings in this century traversal of lovers ' interactions in China . Not one for simple linear film-making , director Hsiao-hsien Hou instead opts for mood and suggestion and leaves the paucity of dialog to mak... |
513,697 | 3,223,254 | 467,406 | 8 | A Complex Tale Told with Humor , Tenderness , and Simplicity | Teenage pregnancy is frequently a starting point for myriad philosophical arguments : some see it as a major problem , some see it as an argument for the need of early teaching of contraceptive technique and sex education , some see it as a reason for championing abortion , and some see it as a piece of life that confr... |
513,408 | 3,223,254 | 356,443 | 8 | Love is the Bridge Between This Life and the Next | Thorton Wilder's novel of ruminations about the quality of love and the extremes to which it can be played out is more of a philosophical meditation than a story and this is probably the reason many people feel upended by Mary McGuckian's film , a project she both adapted for the screen and directed . If this film seem... |
513,506 | 3,223,254 | 410,953 | 8 | More than meets the eye | PROM QUEEN succeeds not only because it is a controversial subject based on a true incident , but because of the light touch director John L'Ecuyer adds to the dimension of storytelling . Writers Michael MacLennan and Kent Staines have pieced together the facts from a now famous ' hearing ' in Quebec concerning one tee... |
513,370 | 3,223,254 | 304,790 | 8 | A Little Film That Packs a Wallop ! | ROAD TO LOVE is an obviously very low budget independent French film that introduces the audience to the theme of homosexuality as it is manifested among Islamic / Arab men . Writers Rémi Lange and Antoine Parlebas have created a script so natural , so sensitively real that at moments the film feels like a documentary ... |
513,576 | 3,223,254 | 461,613 | 8 | Finding Self | WHOLE NEW THING is another fine little film from Canada , utilizing an excellent cast of Canadian actors to present a modern day conundrum about identity in a manner more sensitive than most other films addressing the subject . Director / writer ( with actor Daniel MacIvor ) Amnon Buchbinder has created a series of cha... |
512,685 | 3,223,254 | 482,579 | 8 | A Quiet , Tender Love Story Celebrates Family | Jeff London ( The Last Year , And Then Came Summer ) is a writer and director who takes on some tough subject matter about the ordinary men in gay life and fashions simple stories that , while not earth shattering , are delicate reminders of the non-sensational aspects of coming to grips with sexuality . In REGARDING B... |
513,271 | 3,223,254 | 448,166 | 8 | Death as an Exodus and an Epiphany | TWO WEEKS may put a lot of viewers off as it deals confrontationally with the issues of death and dying and yet finds the very human humor that always serves as a relief sidebar in stories ( and life incidents ) such as this . Steve Stockman wrote , directed and produced this little film and his inspiration and efforts... |
512,763 | 3,223,254 | 166,793 | 8 | Multiple Views of Why Francois Ozon is a Fine Director | X2000 ( ' Scenes de lit ' ) is a pastiche of the short films made by Francois Ozon before and during the year 1998 . The excellent collection offers tangible proof that Ozon's gifts were well established in short stories before he tackled the important films he has produced to date : ' Swimming Pool ' , ' Under the San... |
512,895 | 3,223,254 | 97,095 | 8 | A Testament of a Time Capsule - that hasn't totally dissolved ! | COMING OUT is a seventeen-year-old movie , created in East Germany while under Communist rule , about the dangerous milieu in which gay men closeted their identity . It is a stunning achievement in that it presents the agony of coming to grips with sexual identity in a suppressive atmosphere , opening to public viewing... |
512,754 | 3,223,254 | 482,571 | 8 | The Pledge , The Turn , The Prestige : We see what we want to see | Jonathan and Christopher Nolan have collaborated on previous projects ( namely the brilliant MEMENTO ) and here take on Christopher Priest's dazzling novel THE PRESTIGE . Where MEMENTO kept the audience tense and on the edge of the seat and of quizzical mind , THE PRESTIGE attempts to use the same techniques but ends u... |
513,457 | 3,223,254 | 168,501 | 8 | Another Wedding Movie - with a Zing ! | THE BEST MAN doesn't try to invent a new concept in comedy , it doesn't attempt to be a ' great movie ' , it simply entertains on every level as another look at the interpersonal challenges that happen in the heightened atmosphere of a wedding . This time around the cast is African American and for once this is not a B... |
513,638 | 3,223,254 | 395,972 | 8 | A Retrospective Look at a Landmark Ruling | NORTH COUNTRY is a tough movie to watch - and that is why it is so fine and important . The story exudes out of the characters surrounding the first class action suit for sexual harassment in the workplace and it would be difficult to imagine a more dour and gritty depiction of what women iron miners faced in Northern ... |
513,619 | 3,223,254 | 896,866 | 8 | Important Exposure , Necessary Information | As is obvious in the complex responses to both the book and the film by Errol Morris and Philip Gourevitch , STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE places in our faces some facts we would rather shield than discuss . The story of the period of between September 2003 and February 2004 at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq is so well k... |
513,483 | 3,223,254 | 417,550 | 8 | Within the Sanctity of the Confessional Murder can be Secret | Jonathan Myers makes an impressive film debut as writer / director of CONFESSION , a very well done film that unfortunately went direct to DVD . Though the script is at times a bit clumsy and the control over the arch of emotion from the actors could be tighter , the film succeeds as a thriller , beautifully capturing ... |
513,051 | 3,223,254 | 423,409 | 8 | A Strange Admixture of Story and Method | Steve Coogan is irresistibly entertaining in this offbeat film - a movie within a movie that crosses portions of a fine novel with the machinations if turning that novel into a film . Yes , this has been done successfully before , but rarely with the loonieness and candor that suffuses this entertaining insider look at... |
512,877 | 3,223,254 | 357,290 | 8 | Period of Adjustment : Coping with Sudden Loss | La vie quand même ( LIFE AFTER ALL ) is another film in a series collectively called ' Tales from the Orphanage ' . The story is simple on the surface ( children coping with the sudden loss of parents ) , but in the hands of writer Sophie Tasma and director Olivier Péray this storyline unfolds a tale of brotherly love ... |
513,598 | 3,223,254 | 401,420 | 8 | ' You think you are changing a tribe , until the tribe changes you ' | From the opening scenes of FIERCE PEOPLE ( an interplay of tribal customs as photographed by the anthropologist father of the young narrator Finn Earl , demonstrating why this South American tribe of Ishkanani is so fierce ) the direction of the film is nebulous : are we watching a dark comedy about comparing life in t... |
512,995 | 3,223,254 | 817,544 | 8 | Acts of Love | NEVER FOREVER is a well-developed , well-written and well-directed film by Gina Kim , and with an actress with the stature of Vera Farmiga in the difficult lead role , it is frustrating to see that this fine film didn't last on theater screens . But as with many of the other treasurable small independent films , this o... |
513,620 | 3,223,254 | 482,606 | 8 | Noises Within , Noises Without | There are a few flaws in this otherwise successful film that is in fact as frightening as the trailer makes it out to be . Not being one for the constant barrage of thriller films ( the ' Saw ' Series , the endless vampire variations , ' I know what you did . . . ' , etc ) this viewer hesitantly watched what could have... |
513,243 | 3,223,254 | 314,197 | 8 | The Tragedy of Argentina's " Desaparecidos " | Argentina's Dirty War and the regime of the Generals from 1976 to 1983 is one of the dark secrets of history and has been examined by poets , writers such as Colm Toibin ( and here , Lawrence Thornton in his novel from which the film was adapted ) , and journalists . And yet the silence about this period of time is dea... |
513,526 | 3,223,254 | 434,541 | 8 | ' All the world's a stage , and all the men and women merely players ' | It is refreshing to rest assured that Shakespeare remains a viable writer and no matter how his plays are manipulated or ' updated ' or altered or interpreted , his majesty of the English language remains intact and the impact of his ideas and words sustain even the most bizarre reconsiderations . Such , for this viewe... |
512,941 | 3,223,254 | 374,277 | 8 | A Touch of Pink and Touch of Class ! | Ian Iqbal Rashid is a sensitive director who is bringing the two poles of Indian Bollywood and Indie ' Hollywood ' closer together . In TOUCH OF PINK he has taken the best of both and created a tender , charming , warmly funny tale of the struggle of a Pakistani young cameraman Alim ( Jimi Mistry ) in coming to grips w... |
513,399 | 3,223,254 | 325,733 | 8 | The Exhilaration and Devastation of First Love | ' Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken ' ( ' Love in Thoughts ' ) , while based on a true incident in Berlin in 1927 , is a story about the confusion of adolescent hormonally driven needs and desires brought to the screen by director Achim von Borries based on a dramatization by Hendrik Handloegten , Annette Hess and Alexan... |
512,676 | 3,223,254 | 455,824 | 8 | After a Slow Start , Australia is Excellent | Baz Luhrmann needed to re-think his overly long epic of life in Australia during WW II : The first hour of this 165 minute film comes across as caricature with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman being introduced as rather overblown , preposterous characters about whom the audience could care less . But then suddenly the mo... |
512,821 | 3,223,254 | 482,629 | 8 | Don't Pass This Little Film By | Jim ' You Don't Have to be Blind to See ' Stovall is an inspirational writer who in 2001 published a little book by the name of THE ULTIMATE GIFT in which he transposed many of his motivational teachings into a novel form , a story of how a tape of a dying man can alter the life of a crassly money-centric young grandso... |
513,285 | 3,223,254 | 823,158 | 8 | A Well Done , Professional Comedy with an Understated Powerful Message | The added features on this very entertaining DVD of the brisk and light comedy WEDDING WARS bear watching : the producers , director and actors make the case for the approach of this quality film in tackling the issue of rights for gay marriage in a manner that could not offend anyone and at the same time create a more... |
513,727 | 3,223,254 | 423,310 | 8 | An Insight to the Conflicting Problems in the Middle East | THE SYRIAN BRIDE would probably best be appreciated by those who understand the intricacies of border rules and inter-country regulations that dominate the plot of this well made but a bit obtuse film . The story takes place on the wedding day of a beautiful bride , a Druze woman in Majd Alshams , a pro-Syrian village ... |
513,028 | 3,223,254 | 343,996 | 8 | Havana , The City Lost , As Recalled Through Song | THE LOST CITY represents a 16-year dream come true for Director Andy Garcia . As he conversationally explains in a very fine addendum to the DVD of his film , this film is an obsession , a work of love that allowed him to revisit the country of his birth through understanding the changes through the sounds of intoxicat... |
513,473 | 3,223,254 | 325,713 | 8 | A Dark , Tense , Atmospheric German Thriller | LAUTLOS ( Soundless ) is yet another film by Director / writer Mennan Yapo ( with writing assists form Lars-Olaf Beier ) that takes on a story of a hit man on his last job and makes it into a fine psychological thriller . The cinematography , lighting , music and pacing of this strangely dark film provide an excellent ... |
513,114 | 3,223,254 | 393,775 | 8 | Tables Turning | SIMON is a little jewel of a film . In a manner more typically Dutch than most it is an exploration of the interaction of two men , opposites in almost every way except in their potential power of friendship . Camiel is a gay , tender , polite , dental student while Simon is straight , seemingly critical of gay aspects... |
513,311 | 3,223,254 | 108,366 | 8 | The Seeds of Gregg Araki's Genius | Tracing the progress of innovative filmmakers is a pleasure for movie buffs . Gregg Araki developed a unique voice in film in the early 1990s ( this film dates back to 1993 ) , a voice that maintained a sense of immediacy with his actors who he directed with his hand held camera in a manner that gave the illusion that ... |
513,016 | 3,223,254 | 149,171 | 8 | Relationshipe and how to form and keep them | STRAYS ( or DOORMEN as his script was initially titled ) marks the entry of Vin Diesel ( AKA Mark Sinclair Vincent ) into the film world in a very small budget ( under $50 , 000 . ) , independent 1997 movie he wrote , directed and acted the major role . To appreciate this very realistic , modest , slice of New York lif... |
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