TIFF09 REVIEW: Antichrist [2009]

“Can’t I just be afraid, without a definite object?” How can Lars von Trier have a film at the Toronto International Film Festival without me making sure my butt is in a seat? The Danish maestro may not fly, so an in-person Q&A is impossible, (he did hold one via Skype the day after our screening), but talent seems to not care, flocking to work with the man. Willem Dafoe, getting to know the director during Manderlay, just happened to ask his agent what von Trier was up to, and…

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REVIEW: Летят журавли [The Cranes are Flying] [1957]

“I am always waiting” Director Mikhail Kalatozov’s film Летят журавли [The Cranes are Flying] is a glorious piece of cinema. From the screenplay by Viktor Rozov, based on his own play, Kalatozov shows us a vision of the heroism of war and the suffering by those left at home. Granted, the film was made in 1957, but having just seen it myself, I must say how much of a breath of fresh air it is. Inundated with countless war movies showing us the front lines and the carnage, the topic…

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REVIEW: Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick [Everlasting Moments] [2008]

“No one ever died of a bit of the belt” What a gorgeous poster, and frankly a gorgeous film despite its hard look at love conquering abuse, alcoholism, and the shattering of dreams. Sometimes two people find themselves forgiving each other, not out of weakness, but out of the underlying powerful love bonding them. Academy Award nominee Jan Troell’s new film Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick, or Everlasting Moments here in the states, is a slow unveiling of what it was like to live in Sweden as a below Middle Class…

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REVIEW: Gomorra [2008]

“This is open war” The new, highly touted, yet Oscar foreign film shortlist snubbed, Italian gangster epic Gomorra has a laundry list of credited screenwriters. When one of them is the author of the novel it’s based on, you have to enter with a little trepidation, because if rewrites and collaboration are needed to fix “problems” from the originator, Roberto Saviano, the only thing that can result are more problems. Now, this is a speculation on my part, I don’t know the reasoning for all the writers; what I do…

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REVIEW: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [2008]

“It was nice to have met you” It’s an unlikely source, but an effective one—David Fincher giving us a heartbreaking tale of love discovered, lost, found, and forever enduring. The man responsible for bringing to screen the ultra-sick mind of a serial killer in Seven, the warped sensibilities of Chuck Palahniuk with Fight Club, and the dark streets of a city in fear with Zodiac has crafted a beautifully lyrical film of love and its always-difficult journey. Based on a short story from F. Scott Fitzgerald, screenwriter Eric Roth has…

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REVIEW: M [1931]

“The man in black will soon be here” Can a film that was made in 1931 be seen in 2008 and feel not only relevant, but also like it could have been made yesterday? I’m not sure if I would have really believed it until finally watching Fritz Lang’s masterpiece M. One could say that cinema has been copying it throughout the decades, helping to give an illusion of innovation and contemporary feel, and that would not be wrong. With impeccable cinematography—save one very odd and disturbing shot of Inspector…

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TIFF08 REVIEW: Che: Part Two – Guerrilla [2008]

“Maybe our failure will wake them up” After the mild disappointment from Che: Part One – The Argentine, I began to anticipate something better with Che: Part Two – Guerrilla. I probably should have taken the subtitle more literally than I did as I thought maybe this would show us the political conversations and aftermath of the Cuban fight for freedom from Batista. The black and white flash forwards of The Argentine showing the UN speeches and fervor surrounding Che Guevara showed what I hoped would comprise a big chunk…

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TIFF08 REVIEW: Che: Part One – The Argentine [2008]

“Homeland or death” You walk around college campuses and visit concerts or any other place young people may congregate and probably see someone in a t-shirt with some famous Latin American’s mug proudly displayed. Who is that guy and why is he so important? Director Steven Soderbergh has taken it upon himself to open the world’s eyes to the legend that is Ernesto “Che” Guevara, an Argentine revolutionary who helped bring freedom to the Cuban people under the leadership of Fidel Castro. It all sounds so wonderful, until you remember…

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REVIEW: The Darjeeling Limited [2007]

“We haven’t located us yet” The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is not my favorite Wes Anderson movie by any means. I had such high hopes for it after viewing his previous three films as a crescendo of precision and quality. Zissou ended up being more pretension and aimless drivel then something worth writing home about. Now, I didn’t hate the film, there is a lot to applaud him for, however, it slightly tarnished his do-no-wrong clout with me. In the years between then and now, though, we were given…

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REVIEW: How to Get Ahead in Advertising [1989]

“If it hasn’t got a price tag, it isn’t worth having” It is fascinating that after viewing How to Get Ahead in Advertising I began to think of similarities to Terry Gilliam’s adaptation to Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Both are very much comedies, yet in a more cerebral, dialogue driven way than just a vehicle for cheap laughs. These movies are funny in a way that makes the audience think and see the satire that is laid out before them. The world we live in…

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REVIEW: Heaven Can Wait [1943]

“I can safely say that my whole life was one continuous misdemeanor” Possibly my first true screwball comedy, definitely my first Ernst Lubitsch film, Heaven Can Wait lived up to the reputation of being a well made, laughter filled time. Sure it is a bit dated at times, but overall I believe the message and events occurring transcend age, probably due in small part to the fact that the film spans eighty or so years. Henry Van Cleve has passed away and knowing that he would probably have too much…

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