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512,842 | 3,223,254 | 448,075 | 9 | Maupin's Novel Depended on Mind Mysteries : The Camera Somehow Interferes | Armistead Maupin's novel THE NIGHT LISTENER is a terrifyingly disturbing examination of a disintegrating mind and the manner in which such a mind deals with needs and reality . It is a stunning work , one in which the reader is never quite sure where reality stops and delusions start . Though Maupin co-wrote the screen... |
512,994 | 3,223,254 | 861,704 | 9 | Time Heals All Things | AUTUMN HEARTS : A NEW BEGINNING is another one of those independent films that lacks an audience until the DVD is released . Granted it is not based on subject matter that titillates the big movie house throngs , but it is a warmly tender film about the emotional effects of historical traumas and how each of our histor... |
513,266 | 3,223,254 | 825,232 | 9 | A Bucket , Brimming Over , of Life | Selecting a category for this very fine film results in the all-encompassing label ' mixed media ' , for lack of a better term . It is smart ( with an excellent script by Justin Zackham ) , addresses some important social issues , and it has moments of touching tenderness and equal moments of very sold comedy . AND it ... |
513,534 | 3,223,254 | 291,003 | 9 | A darkly brooding vision of the timelessness of vengeance | The story in this film is simple : blood for blood feuding between two families in the backlands of Brazil . If left at that , this would be a conceptually boring movie , one done hundreds of times in various locations for varying Hollywood budgets . The glory of BEHIND THE SUN is in the presentation and transformation... |
513,356 | 3,223,254 | 401,711 | 9 | ' We all join the dance ' | Paris , JE T'AIME is a wondrous cinematic homage to the city of light and the city of love , a film so complex that it almost defies summarization and reviewing . Ask a large group of people their impressions of life in Paris and the result would be something akin to this film . Tied together by each of the sectors or ... |
513,363 | 3,223,254 | 332,817 | 9 | Arturo Ripstein and his Essential Loneliness of Souls | LA VIRGEN DE LA LUJURIA ( Virgin of Lust ) is a film that takes patience on the part of the viewer : not only is it two and a half hours in length , it requires a working background in Spanish history of colonization of the Americas and Franco's Spanish rule during WW II , magical realism , and surrealism to fully appr... |
512,992 | 3,223,254 | 846,040 | 9 | Finding Self : A Beautiful Coming of Age Story | MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD ( ' Mio fratello è figlio unico ' ) is a title that may confuse the casual movie viewer , but it is an apt summation of the rigorous story that this excellent Italian film by Danielle Luchetti ( adapted from a novel by Antonio Pennacchi ) represents - the coming of age of two brothers in the... |
512,722 | 3,223,254 | 815,178 | 9 | Time Stops with Trauma : Flashbacks and Flash Forwards | Laura Kasischke's intelligent novel ' The Life Before Her Eyes ' has been brilliantly adapted for the screen by Emil Stern , and with the skills of director Vadim Perelman , this underrated movie in the theaters may find a wider appreciative audience in this DVD format . It is a film that challenges the viewer to think... |
513,553 | 3,223,254 | 446,051 | 9 | A Stylish Film Noir Blending Suspense , Humor , and Insights into Gay Life | Ron Oliver is to be commended for bringing this first story from the Donald Strachey Mysteries by Richard Stevenson ( screenplay by Mark Saltzman ) to the screen . This first story is so well written , directed , acted and filmed that it can only give us hope that the other novels in the Donald Strachey series will be ... |
512,641 | 3,223,254 | 446,059 | 9 | A Fitting Valedictory for Jet Li | Jet Li has been an impressive presence in film as a martial arts practitioner and choreographer both in his native China and in his US films . He has selected FEARLESS as his final film as a martial artist and a better choice of story for a final bow could not be imagined . Based on the life of Chinese Martial Arts Mas... |
513,066 | 3,223,254 | 162,661 | 10 | Tim Burton's Visually Stunning Masterpiece | As far as adaptations of old American novels go , Tim Burton's visually rich , tightly composed , resplendent version of Washington Irving's ' The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ' ranks in the top echelon . The script for the screen is the work of Kevin Yagher and Andrew Kevin Walker and while it takes some liberties from Irv... |
513,459 | 3,223,254 | 462,477 | 10 | A Brilliant Little Film Opens the Window to an Unknown Profession | PIERREPOINT : THE LAST HANGMAN is one of those films that emerges from the cracks in the theater ' failures ' only to find its poignant message when released on DVD . Granted , the idea of a story based on England's most famous executioner doesn't immediately catch the interest of the general audience , but for those f... |
513,644 | 3,223,254 | 436,095 | 10 | A Superlative Insight and History of the Ballet Russes | Once in a while a documentary sheds such inner light on the subject matter and the characters that it becomes an art film , a story , a novel , a memento . Such is the case with BALLET RUSSES . This tender , touching , humorous , and exactingly real look at the history of ballet in the hands of the expatriated Russians... |
513,077 | 3,223,254 | 814,795 | 10 | A Study of Filial Devotion and Survival | Micha Wald has created a strong masculine drama as writer and director of ' VOLEURS DE CHEVAUX ' ( IN THE ARMS OF MY ENEMY ) , a film with a grand sweeping view of nineteenth century life in the region of Russia and has accomplished this with a very small budget , a cast a both unknown and new actors , and a production... |
513,005 | 3,223,254 | 108,956 | 10 | A Docudrama that Entertains and Informs | It is good to see this 1994 television miniseries finally come out on DVD . Be prepared for a long evening ( the running time for the two discs is three hours 23 minutes ) but it is time well invested . WORLD WAR II : WHEN LIONS ROARED is a creative montage of actual film clips from the newsreels shown in theaters at t... |
513,006 | 3,223,254 | 334,725 | 10 | A Wonderfully Heartwarming Story : An Excellent Film ! | WONDROUS OBLIVION may seem a puzzling title for this film about racism , coming of age , and understanding and acceptance , but if it is meant to tag the feelings with which the viewer is left after the film , the phrase describes it well . Some critics have labeled this a cross between BILLY ELLIOTT and FAR FROM HEAVE... |
512,968 | 3,223,254 | 372,824 | 10 | ' Music that soothes the savage beast . . . ' | LES CHORISTES ( THE CHORUS ) is director Christophe Berratier's first foray into the realm of full-length films and his adaptation of the 1945 film LA CAGE AUX ROSSINGNOLS written by Georges Chaperot and René Wheeler serves to introduce his talents as a master storyteller well . This tale of how music can alter the liv... |
512,767 | 3,223,254 | 400,868 | 10 | A Beautiful , Intelligent , and Sensitive Contemporary Love Story | Arnaud Viard has written and directed a quintessentially French love story that simply has everything going for it . The dialogue is richly imbued with both light hearted comedic elements as well as radiant moments of verismo that make this little story one that , once seen , will be indelible in the memory of the view... |
513,332 | 3,223,254 | 273,108 | 10 | The Pity of War : Another View | While we are engaged in yet another intrusive ill-advised war , the time is right for the release of a story that reminds us of the lingering malignant consequences of the equally intrusive war in Vietnam . For those who falsely believe that a war is over with the signing of a declaration and the evacuation of troops t... |
513,613 | 3,223,254 | 350,193 | 10 | Spousal Abuse : A Horrifyingly Real Story of the Consequences | TE DOY MIS OJOS ( Take My Eyes ) is a blisteringly real examination of spousal abuse - the etiology , the mechanisms , the concept of co-dependency , and the high rate of recidivism - all bound together in a brilliant screenplay by Alicia Luna and director Icíar Bollaín . It won many Goyas ( read Oscars ) in Spain and ... |
512,975 | 3,223,254 | 438,205 | 10 | What's Not to Love about Mad Hot Ballroom ! | MAD HOT BALLROOM is an example of how fine documentary film-making can create more drama , comedy , insight , and sensitivity than regular films . The reason seems to be one of honesty : honesty in approaching the subject matter , honesty in allowing the lives of the individuals involved in the story to speak clearly w... |
512,649 | 3,223,254 | 382,691 | 10 | The Title , Sadly , Says It All | ' La Femme de Gilles ' ( ' Gilles ' Wife ' ) began as a novel by Madeleine Bourdouxhe and was transformed for the screen by Philippe Blasband , Marion Hänsel and Frédéric Fonteyne who also directs this stunning and controversial art piece . Certainly one of the most visually magnificent films of recent years ( cinemato... |
512,831 | 3,223,254 | 405,163 | 10 | Honest , Genuinely Funny , and Very Touching Little Film | THE AMATEURS is about as close to the quality of British film comedies ( a high compliment indeed ! ) as we have seen , thanks to writer / director Michael Traeger . It is everything a small town community aura represents without the stumbling blocks of cruelty that so often provide the turning point in ' rural stories... |
513,401 | 3,223,254 | 388,395 | 10 | A Heartwarming Journey Into Retired Living ! | SCHULTZE GETS THE BLUES is one of the more poetic films about aging and the choices people make at points of life-change as any to date . The utter simplicity of technique that writer / director Michael Schorr uses to tell this quiet tale of the glory of the human spirit is magical . This is one of those films that des... |
512,972 | 3,223,254 | 242,795 | 10 | The Search for Self Made Visual | ' Presque Rien ' ( ' Come Undone ' ) is an earlier work by the inordinately gifted writer / director Sébastien Lifshitz ( with the collaboration of writer Stéphane Bouquet - the team that gave us the later ' Wild Side ' ) . As we come to understand Lifshitz's manner of storytelling each of his works becomes more treasu... |
512,946 | 3,223,254 | 433,383 | 10 | A Powerful Film That Pleads for a Return to Meaningful Journalism | GOOD NIGHT , AND GOOD LUCK is a brilliant piece of film making , a film that recreates a period in our history when gossip mongers and fear exploiters took the lead for a terrifying few years that threatened to extinguish civil rights forever . Not unlike now ! And that is one reason this film carries so much resonance... |
513,637 | 3,223,254 | 369,053 | 10 | The Ensemble Effect | Nigel Balchin's maze-like novel ' A Way Through the Wood ' has been adapted by Julian Fellowes who also directs this ' terribly British ' drawing room suspense piece . It is a film whose effect relies on the cast portraying the varyingly benign / malignant characters and it is here that Fellowes ' directorial choices a... |
513,296 | 3,223,254 | 808,357 | 10 | Lust , Caution : Acting , Becoming | Ang Lee has the ability to transform simple stories about human relationships into epic films that somehow maintain the quality of intimacy and tenderness despite the grand sweep of his productions . In LUST , CAUTION ( ' SE , JIE ' ) he has once again created a symphony of a film with a script by James Schamus based o... |
512,662 | 3,223,254 | 240,913 | 10 | Life , Death , Grieving , Loss and Coping | François Ozon is a rare director , one who takes a simple story , places it in the eyes and bodies of his cast , and simply lets the tale tell itself . SOUS LE SABLE ( UNDER THE SAND ) is an unforgettable film experience that probes deeply into our psyches , hearts , and reason : how do we cope with sudden death ? Open... |
513,614 | 3,223,254 | 808,348 | 10 | A Genuinely Fine and Fresh Look at an Ongoing Problem | Once again HBO has produced a film for television that will doubtless be a success not only in its televised version but on theater release and / or DVD . LIFE SUPPORT as written by Nelson George , Hannah Weyer and Jim McKay and directed with power and restraint by Nelson George has the courage to delve deeply into the... |
512,865 | 3,223,254 | 124,207 | 10 | A Film Well Worth Re-Visiting | Pavel Chukhraj's award winning film THE THIEF is one of those special films that should be owned and revisited - like a favorite novel or poem or symphony . Chukhraj both wrote and directed this tale / fable set in Stalinist Russia , a story which encompasses the impact on a child of loss of a father in the war , the a... |
513,309 | 3,223,254 | 365,285 | 10 | Memories before Dying : Reflections on Friendship and Survival | Zhivko Chingo wrote a children's book in the 1970s , a Yugoslavian best seller , ' Golemata voda ' ( ' The Great Water ' ) about the way the children of Macedonia responded to the critical changes Communism created in the country in 1945 . It is stunningly brought to the screen by Ivo Trajkov as a labor of love and ded... |
513,247 | 3,223,254 | 370,986 | 10 | The Impact of a Childhood Incident on Two Lads : The Spectrum of Extremes | MYSTERIOUS SKIN is a brilliant film made with tremendous courage and skill by the justly venerated Gregg Araki . His screen adaptation of Scott Heim's fine book is tough , insightful , balanced , challenging , and wholly successful . Few other directors , except possibly Gus van Sant and the Stephen M . Ryder / Michael... |
513,687 | 3,223,254 | 403,198 | 10 | An Homage to an Island of Understanding | KEY WEST : CITY OF COLORS is a fine little documentary meant by its creator Talmadge to focus on the unraveling of a 1 and mile long Rainbow Flag down Dylan Street connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico . The beauty of the film is not just the documentation of this 2003 event marking the 25th anniversary... |
512,774 | 3,223,254 | 405,094 | 10 | The Survival of the Individual Under the Cloud of Totalitarianism | Das Leben der Anderen ( The Live of Others ) is a powerful film that opens a window to the West of what life was like in East Germany during the time of the Berlin Wall . It is a tense yet balanced work by newcomer writer and director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck who manages to present a tense story of espionage , ... |
513,591 | 3,223,254 | 765,429 | 10 | A Superb Film That Exceeds Expectations | This viewer rented the DVD form of American GANGSTER , having passed it by in the theatrical run , thinking that it was yet another ' crime and corruption in New York ' genre film . It was surprising to discover that this very long film ( just under three hours in the Unrated version ) is completely riveting and in a w... |
513,099 | 3,223,254 | 441,909 | 10 | Almodóvar's Women : The Powerful Mystique , the Grounded Source of Humanity | Pedro Almodóvar is this viewer's favorite film creator . His ability to wrangle humor , pathos , core feelings , endlessly fascinating characters , color , design , musical montage - all the elements of one who is in charge of every aspect of the final product - is matchless . He has evolved from the wonderfully madcap... |
513,203 | 3,223,254 | 887,732 | 10 | A Depressing Theme in Depressing Times : A Brilliant Film | Times are tough right now , mirroring the era of The Great Depression . Financial security is a ghost , friendships and relationships are tested by walking the razor edge of insolvency , and according to the ' popular movie ' polls the escape for many is in the darkened movie houses with comic hero or animal animated m... |
513,547 | 3,223,254 | 103,110 | 10 | A Complat Artistic Triumph | ' Tous les matins du monde ' is more an experience than a movie . The brainchild of director Alain Corneau , writer Pascal Quignard , and musician Jordi Savall this film integrates the visual with the historicodramatic and the music that created the idea and bathes it in the most sensuously beautiful cinematography of ... |
513,519 | 3,223,254 | 792,966 | 10 | Political Upheavals from a Child's Vantage | BLAME IT ON FIDEL ! ( ' La Faute à Fidel ! ) is an enlightening film from France's fine director Julie Gavras , a story based on the novel ' Tutta colpa di Fidel ' by Domitilla Calamai that addresses the effect of major political , philosophical , and activist effects on children . What makes this fine film unique is t... |
513,146 | 3,223,254 | 386,342 | 10 | Fragility and Strength : A Study of Family | ' Brødre ' ( ' Brothers ' ) is a remarkable film from Denmark written by Anders Thomas Jensen and Susanne Bier who also directs this microscopic examination of the intricacies of family bonding , the significance of the blood ties between brothers , and the effects of one of the brutal realities of war on every individ... |
513,450 | 3,223,254 | 122,541 | 10 | The Wit , the Charm , the Convoluted Machinations of the Inimitable Wilde | Oliver Parker has done a fine job in adapting Oscar Wilde's play THE IDEAL HUSBAND for this 1999 screen version . The transition is seamless with all the jabs and foibles of high society and political shenanigans mixed together to a fare-thee-well by a superb cast of fine actors . Dress this all in the sumptuous sets b... |
513,718 | 3,223,254 | 870,111 | 10 | The Rise and Fall of Showmen | FROST / NIXON is one of the most successful screen adaptations of a play yet made . Perhaps that is due in part to the fact that the popular stage play by Peter Morgan was revised for the screen by the playwright , but it is also to the credit of director Ron Howard who managed to suffuse the ' play as movie ' with suc... |
513,038 | 3,223,254 | 457,430 | 10 | The Blurring Line Between Reality and Fantasy | PAN'S LABYRINTH is a mystery cloaked in the garb of a fairy tale for adults . It is an examination of the cruelty of the Civil War in Spain as Franco assumed prominence and the extent to which some people would resist or escape : one of those means of escape just happens to be fantasy . Writer / Director Guillermo del ... |
512,973 | 3,223,254 | 352,248 | 10 | Brother can you spare a dime . . . | Not being a fan of boxing I usually avoid movies about the sport unless there is some other reason for watching ( as in Million Dollar Baby , the initial Rocky film ) : the idea of watching two people beat each other bloody while crazy crowds cheer just doesn't register as entertainment ( the American gladiator syndrom... |
513,303 | 3,223,254 | 352,230 | 10 | The Original ' Carmen ' Realized | Even for the non-opera loving public the name CARMEN is immediately recognized as an opera by Bizet about a gypsy girl whose capricious loves destroy men . But as much as the opera is now considered a staple in every opera house repertoire , the real story of the wild gypsy lass as created by Prosper Mérimée in 1845 ha... |
512,671 | 3,223,254 | 914,798 | 10 | The Wisdom of Children | THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is a ' compleat ' motion picture : even the title states the vision of the film in a subtly powerful way . Based on the excellent novel by John Boyne and adapted for the screen by director Mark Herman , this film has the courage to re-visit the Holocaust from the child's perspective . Not... |
513,056 | 3,223,254 | 120,780 | 10 | The Resurrection and Gradual Appreciation of a Classic Film | Steven Soderbergh knows his way around the bizarre , nearly impossible story lines and can translate them to film as few others can . OUT OF SIGHT is a little masterpiece of film-making despite the fact that when it initially screened in 1998 it seemed to slip by theatergoers ' attention . Based on the inimitable Elmor... |
513,177 | 3,223,254 | 373,024 | 10 | Family Implosion and the Fascinating Afterburn | IMAGINARY HEROES is one fine little film ! Written and directed by Dan Harris this story is classic theater , weaving comedy and tragedy together so tightly that the climax of the film takes your breath away . The Travis family is an odd bunch : no member is who each appears to be . Beginning with a suicide of the relu... |
513,160 | 3,223,254 | 455,590 | 10 | How Dictators Rise . . . and Fall | THE LAST KING OF Scotland delves into the history of Ugandan leadership in the 1970s with gusto . One of the characters ( Sarah , the doctor's wife ) wisely observes that the crowds that fill the streets cheering as Idi Amin takes control from Milton Obote had the same reaction for the previous dictator and will have t... |
513,726 | 3,223,254 | 295,004 | 10 | Isabelle Huppert : An Amazingly Fine Actress in a Glowing Role | LA VIE PROMISE is one of those films that begs multiple viewings : the cinematography is truly an art form here , the story though incredibly well told ( written by director / co-author Olivier Dahan with Agnès Fustier-Dahan ) requires integration of the viewer's thinking to capture the interstices of understated depth... |
513,365 | 3,223,254 | 363,249 | 10 | Once in a While a Great Master Appears : Aleksandr Sokurov | Aleksandr Sokurov is as artist of the highest order . Not only does he understand his medium of film as his chosen avenue of creating art , he has the gifts of ingenuity , fresh creativity , and daring that make his works unique and stunning without any of the hoopla of ' experimental ' filmmakers : Sokurov honors his ... |
513,039 | 3,223,254 | 444,518 | 10 | An Extraordinary , Poignant Love Story : Love in a Time of War | ' Un amour à taire ' ( A LOVE TO HIDE ) is one of the more satisfying films to be released in a long time . From the writing by Pascal Fontanille and Samantha Mazeras , the direction by Christian Faure and a cast of gifted actors immersed in their roles , this story of love's survival in Nazi occupied Paris in World Wa... |
513,388 | 3,223,254 | 138,487 | 10 | Blazingly Bleak Tale of Desire Vs Self Loathing | Heads up to HEADS ON : this is a story of the agonies of isolation self-induced by a tragically sexually confused young man . Few directors have the courage to write and present the truly dark side of sexuality and Ana Kokkinos deserves a tremendous amount of respect for daring to go where this film takes us . Ari ( Al... |
512,949 | 3,223,254 | 74,084 | 10 | Returning to 1900 | Though this epic drama by Bernardo Bertolucci was originally released thirty years ago , revisiting the film , now available in its entirety of 315 minutes , is like reading a favorite old classical history novel . Bertolucci obviously loved this story of two disparate boys , one from wealth and privilege and the other... |
512,849 | 3,223,254 | 479,965 | 10 | Fugitive Souls Connecting | James Ponsoldt is an impressive new talent whose gifts are well displayed in this very excellent small film , OFF THE BLACK . Ponsoldt is that rare combination of writer / director who has something unusual and significant to say and has the skills to tell his story with genuine sensitivity and with amazingly polished ... |
513,216 | 3,223,254 | 330,702 | 10 | An Epic Tale of Obsession and Possession and the Conflicts of Passion | ' Non ti muovere ' ( ' Don't Move ' ) requires a lot from its audience - concentration , understanding about the extremes of control versus passion , and a willingness to stay with the nonlinear method of storytelling that novelist Margaret Mazzantini and screenwriter / director / star Sergio Castellitto have elected t... |
513,722 | 3,223,254 | 918,927 | 10 | A Message of Profound Importance Delivered by a Brilliant Ensemble | DOUBT succeeds on every level - from the fine transference of Patrick Shanley's play to the screen ( Shanley wrote the play , the screenplay , and directs ) to the atmospheric cinematography excursion through the Bronx of the mid 1960s to the detailed delineation of the characters by Meryl Streep , Viola Davis , Amy Ad... |
513,211 | 3,223,254 | 396,688 | 10 | An Obsession with Belonging | THE KING is a film that is bound to polarize audiences : it is a disturbing , brilliantly written and executed film that viewers will love or hate . This viewer found the work mesmerizingly addictive , one of the more exciting works of cinematic art to come out this year . Writer Milo Addica ( ' Monster's Ball ' , ' Bi... |
512,711 | 3,223,254 | 351,817 | 10 | Finding the True Dignity of the Samurai Legends | Tasogare Seibei ( ' Twilight Samurai ' ) is one of the most tender love stories committed to film . The past decade or so has found the beauty of Japanese martial arts gracing our screens in gorgeous epics of color , startling sword fighting , and wondrously beautiful costumes and recreations of Edo period stories and ... |
513,563 | 3,223,254 | 483,812 | 10 | Parallel Women's Secrets | Writer / Director Hilary Brougher has created a deeply involving and moving masterwork of film with her little independent low budget STEPHANIE DALEY . Brougher has courage to address an issue most people wish to submerge - that of unwanted teenage pregnancies and their consequences - and she does it in the form of a s... |
513,181 | 3,223,254 | 113,083 | 10 | Another Aspect of Almodóvar's Talent , Deeply Impressive on its Own | Some viewers have placed this exciting film ' La Flor de mi secreto ' into the ' not up to standard ' Pedro Almodóvar films , a classification this viewer finds difficult to understand . Filmed in the luxuriously colorful palette ( especially the repeated use of the color red in every scene ) that has become his tradem... |
513,456 | 3,223,254 | 418,773 | 10 | An Overlooked Jewel of a Film : Among the Finest of 2005 | With astonishing grace and insight first time director Phil Morrison brings newcomer writer Angus MacLachlan's script JUNEBUG to quiet realization and the result is one of the more subtle and fine cinematic accomplishments of the past year . The study of a fractured family unit and the manner in which each disparate me... |
513,362 | 3,223,254 | 380,485 | 10 | A Beautifully Written Story Brought to Sparling Life | BONJOUR , MONSIEUR SHLOMI is simply a wonderful film ! Writer / Director Shemi Zarhin has created a story unlike any other and cast it with such consistently fine actors that it remains a puzzle to me that this film has not become an audience favorite throughout the world . It is intelligent , emotional , edifying , an... |
512,878 | 3,223,254 | 363,163 | 10 | An Unstintingly Realistic Examination of the Final Days of Adolf Hitler | DER UNTERGANG ( DOWNFALL ) is not only a brilliant film in its close-up dissection of the mind of a lunatic , it is an important historical document that at last gives us as realistic view as possible of the last days of the Third Reich . Written by Bernd Eichinger who based his screenplay on memoirs by Traudl Junge an... |
513,180 | 3,223,254 | 120,643 | 10 | Revisiting ' Dancing at Lughnasa ' | Given the luxury of owning films via DVD collections offers the opportunity to revisit at will the works the viewer found worthy of purchase . Such is the case with the luminous ' Dancing at Lughnasa ' , a 1998 release by director Pat O'Connor to the tunes of a lilting screenplay by Frank McGuinness based on Brian Frie... |
513,448 | 3,223,254 | 407,265 | 10 | A Quietly Brilliant Little Film About Learning How To Be Loved | By now everyone knows the story of this superb little film , a road film unlike any other that dares to approach the distances we create from each other in an attempt to find ourselves , learn to love ourselves , and thus be able to love others . It is a powerful film balanced with comedy and drama in just the right pr... |
512,791 | 3,223,254 | 368,794 | 10 | A Successful Exploration and Cinematic Investigation of an Artist | I'M NOT THERE is clearly not a movie for everyone . The concept of the film is experimental , the execution of the ' documentary ' is actually an amalgam of the aura and influence of one man in the music world instead of a linear history of a famous singer / poet , and the goal seems more to find the effect of Bob Dyla... |
513,351 | 3,223,254 | 457,655 | 10 | Finding Self | AFTER THE WEDDING ( ' Efter brylluppet ' ) is a brilliant work , a two hour synthesis of life that demands our full attention and rewards that attention with some of the finest ensemble acting , directing , dialog and message that we have come to expect from Danish writer / director Susanne Bier ( Anders Thomas Jensen ... |
512,664 | 3,223,254 | 340,137 | 10 | Desire and the Spectrum of Human Attraction | Grande école seems to be one of those films that viewers either love passionately or dismiss as a mess . Robert Salis ( ' À la recherché du paradis perdu ' ) has not only adapted the play by Jean-Marie Besset for the screen , he is also the thoughtful , intelligent , and challenging director of this little masterwork .... |
513,482 | 3,223,254 | 299,478 | 10 | Bergman and the Joys of his Film Concerts | For many years the films of Ingmar Bergman have haunted us , films that dare to enter territories untouched by others , peopled by actors of consummate skill , extended monologues both spoken and silent , and secret doors into the souls of some of the most fascinating characters created for the screen . SARABAND is no ... |
512,955 | 3,223,254 | 382,765 | 10 | A Murder and Its Implications on a Town and Families | JINDABYNE is a disturbing , somber little film from Australia - a film with profound observations about ethics , racism , the fragility of marriage , the vulnerability of children's minds , and the desperate need for respect for beliefs and peoples outside the mainstream . Beatrix Christian adapted the screenplay from ... |
512,889 | 3,223,254 | 415,978 | 10 | Connecting : Life through a child's eyes , longingly | In a year of a true mixed bag of films and now that the year has officially passed , ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW remains one of the most refreshing features of 2005 . Written , directed , and starring one Miranda July ( a performance artist ) , this truly unique film has many firsts in its message , its manner of s... |
513,378 | 3,223,254 | 384,929 | 10 | Accountability and the Need for Passion in an Alienating World | THE DYING GAUL , written and directed by Craig Lucas ( writing credits include ' Longtime Companion ' , ' Prelude to a Kiss ' , ' Reckless ' ) is a brilliant little film that stirred comment and appreciation during its unfortunately very brief run in the theaters ( as one of the film's characters comments " Most Americ... |
512,728 | 3,223,254 | 1,032,856 | 10 | ' My Funny Valentine ' : A Little Film with a Tender Message | ' It's the wrong time and the wrong place . . . ' - there are so many excerpts of songs quoted in this movie and ones that stimulate memories of old songs that are very much in keeping with the title and the story , THE BAND'S VISIT ( BIKUR HA-TIZMORET ) . A timely piece , this little film is about humanity and the pos... |
512,716 | 3,223,254 | 407,205 | 10 | A Reminder of How Powerful Theater Can Be | THE SISTERS is adapted by Richard Alfieri from his play ' The Sisters ' which in turn was adapted from Anton Chekov's ' The Three Sisters ' : the theatrical aspects of the play remain intact in this film version - and that is most definitely a plus ! All of the action takes place on an obvious set ( an enormously beaut... |
512,704 | 3,223,254 | 375,154 | 10 | Rays of Light from Legends of the Dark Ages | Period pieces can be a tough sell , especially if they cannot rely on big budgets , extravagant sets and fight scenes , and the opulence of big name movie stars to carry them ( think Troy , Alexander the Great , etc ) . TRISTAN AND ISOLDE unfortunately had none of the above to propel it through the important theater ru... |
513,361 | 3,223,254 | 361,127 | 10 | A Profoundly Disturbing Theme , A Wholly Successful Film ! | THE WOODSMAN is the kind of film that took maximum courage to create on behalf of the entire crew - writer Steven Fechter ( who wrote the screenplay from his stage play ) , director Nicole Kassell , the producers , and of course the actors . So committed to this project that they also produced this wondrous film , Kevi... |
512,873 | 3,223,254 | 338,249 | 10 | A Delightful French Farce | Though promoted as a ' Merchant Ivory Film ' , MERCI DOCTEUR REY is related to the team in production only . The film is written and directed by Andrew Litvack and is a well-made bit of fluff in the tried and true tradition of French Farce - mistaken identities , misconceptions that backfire then produce good things , ... |
513,671 | 3,223,254 | 412,080 | 10 | A Beautiful , Touching , Entertaining Tale of Dreams and Aging | It seems many viewers avoided this film when it was in the theaters because the title was confusing and not representative of the story . The fact that Sir Anthony Hopkins was the lead actor should have been a signal of sorts , but it took the release of the DVD for this viewer to reluctantly rent the film when other p... |
512,839 | 3,223,254 | 451,176 | 10 | Surely One of the Finest Films of the Year | ' Quinceañera ' is a little miracle of a film . Written and directed by the sensitive team of Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland ( ' The Fluffer ' , ' Grief ' ) this independent film garnered many awards at the Sundance Festival and rightly so . For the first time a film about the Latino community in Los Angeles is ... |
513,298 | 3,223,254 | 478,134 | 10 | A Terrifyingly Honest Examination of the Effects of War | As this country continues to struggle with the tragedies inflicted upon all who are being singed and scorched by the Iraq War ( and that includes every citizen of this country , whether directly or indirectly ) , films addressing this war are wither avoided by the theatrical audiences or cause flare reactions of judgme... |
513,429 | 3,223,254 | 365,485 | 10 | A Tight , Taut Script and Impeccable Cast Create a Winner for Richard Shepard | THE MATADOR is one of those surprising films whose title seems to suggest something entirely different from the story it tells - until the viewer has the pleasure of viewing this fast paced , immensely entertaining comedy and ' Matador ' takes on a whole new meaning ! Richard Shepard wrote and directed this story of a ... |
513,724 | 3,223,254 | 460,791 | 10 | Seeds of Scheherazade | THE FALL is one of the more stunningly beautiful cinematic works to be created in recent years . Vibrant young director Tarsem Singh , born in India and trained at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena , CA , produced , directed and wrote ( with Dan Gilroy , Nico Soultanakis , and Valery Petrov ) this magical ta... |
513,149 | 3,223,254 | 105,323 | 10 | Performances to Remember and Treasure | Now and then it is refreshing to turn back time and elect to watch older films of substance , a reminder that there are certain cinematic characters that have become indelible . SCENT OF A WOMAN provided Al Pacino a stage on which to perform a true character , unlike any he had played before , and make it one of those ... |
513,570 | 3,223,254 | 810,049 | 10 | A Miracle The Worl Shoul Heed ! | Something has been happening in Venezuela for the past thirty years , something that should sound a reveille around the world . This excellent film written and directed by Alberto Arvelo Mendoza with Carlos Díaz may at first seem like a propaganda film from Venezuela , but within moments of the opening aqueous credits ... |
513,556 | 3,223,254 | 437,800 | 10 | A Really Fine Film That Shines Through the Melodrama | AKEELAH AND THE BEE is yet another take on the spelling bee theme ( Bee Season , Spellbound ) and on the concept of a gifted kid rising out of the difficulties of tough environs ( Finding Forrester , Good Will Hunting , Poetic Justice , Coach Carter , etc ) to find self-respect and the attendant happiness of achievemen... |
513,015 | 3,223,254 | 475,380 | 10 | ' Scenes of a Sexual Nature ' : not a disclaimer but a joy | The British have done it again - successfully shown how talent , ensemble attitude , prudent production values , and esprit de corps can result in a first class thoughtful comedy of life . A first outing for writer Aschlin Ditta and director Ed Blum , this entertaining , intelligent and beautifully wrought film is a ve... |
513,258 | 3,223,254 | 468,565 | 10 | The Gradual Ascension to Manhood and Decency | TSOTSI is a jewel of a film , well deserving the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film of 2005 . Though set in Johannesburg , South Africa , the story is unfortunately so universal that the film could have been made in any country in the world : the lost children of abusive parents who survive life by relying on crime fi... |
513,605 | 3,223,254 | 424,205 | 10 | The Power of Song as a Gateway of Understanding | Writer / director Christian Carion ( ' Une hirondelle a fait le printemps ' aka ' The Girl from Paris ' ) is unafraid to write and create cinematic tales that touch the heart as well as the mind . ' Joyeux Noël ' is a story of war and its effects on soldiers that goes far beyond sentimentality ( or the opposite emphasi... |
513,471 | 3,223,254 | 154,420 | 10 | The Disintegration of a Dysfunctional Family | FESTEN ( The Celebration ) as a title for this dark but brilliant film from Denmark ' assembled ' by Thomas Vinterberg is more than the oxymoron that applies to the story at story's conclusion . It is a powerful , immaculately acted and performed and photographed study on the level of the great Greek dramas , but place... |
512,784 | 3,223,254 | 424,227 | 10 | Children as the Microcosm of the War on Iraq : An Astonishing Film ! | ' Lakposhtha hâm parvaz mikonand ' ( TURTLES CAN FLY ) takes your breath away . Not only is the story by writer / director Bahman Ghobadi timely , it is one of the most devastatingly real examinations of the people of Iraq in the days before the American preemptive attack : it is more real because the entire story is t... |
512,823 | 3,223,254 | 450,972 | 10 | ' All the world's a stage ' | Kenneth Branagh , aside from being a gifted actor with an enormous range of creative character abilities , has once again brought Shakespeare to life on the screen . His previous excursions into the bard's repertoire have included ' Much Ado About Nothing ' , ' Henry V ' , ' Love's Labours Lost ' , ' Hamlet ' , and ' O... |
513,097 | 3,223,254 | 387,037 | 10 | Fine Ensemble Acting in a Quiet , Powerful Little Film | AURORA BOREALIS is a superb film by James Burke ( ' In Dark Places ' and ' Tis a Gift to Be Simple ' ) from a story by Brent Boyd ( ' The Green Room ' and ' Crazy ' ) and if this film is a sample of how these two fine talents collaborate , we can only hope for more . The cast assembled for this movie gives evidence tha... |
513,169 | 3,223,254 | 373,283 | 10 | On the Battlefield , Personal Survival and Bonding are Essential | So many films about war , and especially about WW II , focus on the ' good guys ' ( read Allied troops ) versus ' bad guys ' ( read Germans ) and the monumental confrontations that have gained heroic monikers like D-Day , Normandy , Battle of the Bulge , etc . The film crews spend millions to re-enact these epic battle... |
513,382 | 3,223,254 | 111,205 | 10 | A Claustrophobic French Household Contains Dark Deeds | There is a major player in this extremely fine film who goes all but unmentioned : the work of cinematographer Ashley Rowe is some of the finest on film , creating an atmosphere solely within the confines of a home made dark by lack of light and by brooding madness and murder . The effect achieved is nothing short of m... |
512,794 | 3,223,254 | 401,383 | 10 | Looking Out form a Locked-In Mind | Julian Schnabel , well accepted as one of the important visual artists of our time , continues to impress with his small but elite group of films , proving that paintings and cinema are closely related as a means to reach the psyche . In ' Le Scaphandre et le papillon ' ( ' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ' ) he has ... |
513,121 | 3,223,254 | 468,489 | 10 | When Less is More | HALF NELSON is one of those rare breed of films that takes a unique idea , wraps it in an intelligent script , finds the perfect actors to bring the story to life , and does it all on a minimal budget that goes for the jugular rather than the glitz of promotion . It is a little miracle of a movie . Dan Dunne ( Ryan Gos... |
513,463 | 3,223,254 | 459,880 | 10 | Sense and Sensuality : DH Lawrence's Masterpiece Glows in the Hands of the French ! | DH Lawrence's novels may be tough to translate to the screen , so much of his writing is dependent on the words on the page as they form images of extraordinary beauty and sensuality . His novels are quintessentially British and reflect on the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialization , confronting issues... |
513,530 | 3,223,254 | 449,059 | 10 | ' Being a Winner is only a state of mind ' | and being a winner of a film based on so many potentially disastrous bits of black comedy works exceedingly well ! As opposed to some of the movies of the recent past ( Borat , American Pie , Waiting , the National Lampoon endless series , etc ) LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE starts with a smart script by Michael Arndt that addr... |
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