By Amy R Handler. Bride Flight (2008) is a haunting masterpiece that combines the strength of Dr. Zhivago with the ambiguity of The End of the Affair. The result is a psychological joyride of epic proportions. Based upon the bestselling, novel of the same name, Bride Flight focuses upon three […]
Warren Beatty: A Hollywood Career
By Gary Bettinson. In 1967, movie actor Warren Beatty assumed the mantle of producer with Bonnie and Clyde. His decision to harness greater production responsibility not only coincided with a pivotal shift in Hollywood’s history; it also contributed to this shift, establishing Beatty as a significant force in Hollywood’s changing […]
The Ides of March (2011)
By Bryan Nixon. The Ides of March functions as a raging soap opera that concerns itself with affairs within the campaign trail for the presidency of the United States of America. The presidential candidate in question is Mike Morris (George Clooney), a moral and suave democrat whose religion is the […]
One Trick Pony: The Spurlock Brand
By Daniel Lindvall. The only truthful ads are those that tell you they’re lying, claims Ralph Nader in Morgan Spurlock’s documentary, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011). As per usual with Spurlock his new film is based on one simple and calculatedly controversial idea: to make a film about branding, […]
On the Endless Road to Nowhere
By Amy R Handler. It’s difficult to know where reality ends and fiction begins in Monte Hellman’s most recent movie, Road to Nowhere(2010). And even when we’re informed that what we’ve just seen is true, we feel less at ease then ever – and wonder what games Hellman, and scriptwriter […]
A Somewhat Gentle Man
By Amy R Handler. Comedy is one of those strange and elusive phenomena that troubles even the most sensitive critical connoisseurs. It is all the more difficult to capture and sustain in a feature length film, and many have tried and failed. Luckily for us, Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland […]
Rogue Tire on Killing Spree
By Amy R Handler. Quentin Dupieux’ (a/k/a musician, Mr. Oizo) newest feature about a rogue tire-turned-serial killer and obsessed stalker, is everything cinema should be, but more often is not. A TIRE? you ask. Yes. You heard correctly, and believe it or not there’s enough in this 82-minute powerhouse to […]
Inner Realism, Danish Style
By Amy R Handler. Many filmmakers have explored the inner world of performers, but few do it as masterfully as Danish director Martin Zandvliet (Angels of Brooklyn). Teamed with actor extraordinaire, Paprika Steen (Okay), their feature Applause (Applaus, 2009) is nothing short of remarkable. Told from the perspective of Thea […]
Take One Action Film Festival (19 September–2 October 2011)
By Yun-hua Chen. The Scotland-based Take One Action Film Festival strikingly distinguishes itself from other film festivals in terms of its clear focus on “people and movies that are changing the world” and its strong emphasis on audience participation. Instead of film aesthetics, the festival foregrounds significant issues such as […]
When We Leave (2010)
By Amy R Handler. When We Leave (Die Fremde, 2010) is a simple art house drama that packs a huge socio-political wallop. It is one of those rare and tricky films where all its component parts seem to work against each other, but really move as fluidly as a well […]