Exclusive reviews of upcoming and unreleased U.S. and Foreign films. The films presented here have been chosen for their value in being seen and discussed. Please note these are complete reviews and not gossip about films in production.
East of Havana
I expected a lot more from East of Havana, a documentary about a group of underground rappers in Cuba.
Every Stewardess Goes To Heaven
Stewardesses have always exerted a certain fascination, close to fantasy, a premise on which Argentine director Daniel Burman has built his second film, trying to demystify a myth through a metaphorical romantic comedy.
Fábio Fabuloso
Fábio Fabuloso is the nickname of Brazilian surfing sensation Fábio Gouveia who gained recognition around the world for his gracious and perfect moves on the waves.
Fanfan la Tulipe
A remake of a Christian-Jaque film shot in 1952, this Fanfan la Tulipe, from the Luc Besson stable, has neither the epic dimension, nor the panache of the original version.
Fassbinder in Hollywood Fassbinder in Hollywood focuses on the relationship between Hollywood—and the US to an extent—and German filmmaker Werner Fassbinder.
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons In Filmmakers vs. Tycoons, Spanish director Carlos Benpar drafts a documentarial manifesto aiming at defending the rights of artists against any alteration of their work.
Flandres
Bruno Dumont's film mirrors two spaces with climates that are worlds apart: the cinegenic region of Flanders and an Eastern country suffocating from the heat.
Frozen Frozen is a surreal and evocative tale set in a depressing fishing town on England's coast. Though at times the pace is uneven, director Juliet McKoen knows when to reel the audience in for a finale that is as tragic as it is shocking.
The Good Voice
Had I listened to the little voice in my head I would have left the theater in the middle of this muddy melodrama from Spain.
How Harry Became a Tree
After a few years in the city (an immigrants' New York in Someone Else's America and a Belgrade on the verge of exploding in Cabaret Balkan), Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic journeys to the Irish countryside to explore themes prevalent everywhere: hatred and revenge.
Hypnotized and Hysterical (Hair Dresser Wanted)
Yet another portrayal of three confused young women is the first full-length film from director Claude Duty. Not exactly a film to linger on the spectators' mind, it still is great entertainment.
If I Were You
What would happen if for a short period of time you could switch lives with your significant other and the opposite sex?
The Immortal
Fueled with metaphors and a strong dose of mise-en-scene, El Inmortal brings light to the ravages of the Nicaraguan war between the Contras and the Sandinistas, most particularly aiming at exploring its consequences on the family core.
Joy of Madness
Hana Makhmalbaf, the daughter of renowned Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Kandahar) and sister of Samira Makhmalbaf (11'09''01 September 11), followed Samira and her crew as they were scouting Afghanistan, looking for actors to be featured in her latest film, At Five in the Afternoon. The result is a candid look at a country still haunted by the menacing ghost of the Taliban.
Kamchatka Kamchatka is a heartrending drama set during Argentina's dirty war in 1976.
Ken Park
We all know that the white-bread cookie-cutter suburban lifestyle has its own dirty secrets, but when his camera explores the limits of this seemingly serene and ubiquitous American lifestyle, Larry Clark gives us a horrifying yet touching glimpse of what happens behind finely paved driveways and cute lawns.
Kiki & Tiger
Set in Germany, Kiki & Tiger follows the friendship between a Serbian and an Albanian in the late 1990's as violence in Kosovo reaches a boiling point.
The Last Mistress
In a filmography which mostly focuses on a full-frontal approach to the sexuality of modern women, this rather classic adaptation of a novel set in 19th century France might at first somewhat shock Catherine Breillat's followers.
Life is a Miracle
What's miraculous about Emir Kusturica's cinema is his immense savoir-faire; what's disastrous are his doubtful ideological intentions.
Madrigal
On paper, Madrigal looked like a promising work that would bring a Cuban tonality to the world of surreal cinema.
Maid In America
There are over 100,000 domestic workers in Los Angeles, women who leave their families behind in Central America and Mexico in order to take care of other people's children and homes here in southern California.
Matta: The Eye of the Surrealist
There is a dimension to this documentary which, despite its flaws, makes it a unique piece: Matta: the Eye of the Surrealist is a historic work—at least in the field of art.
Monumental Monumental chronicles the uncompromising journey of David Brower, an environmentalist who for most of his life fought for the preservation of America's natural treasures.
Mothers
In Mothers, we learn the story of the "Madres de la Plaza de Mayo Línea Fundadora", a group of Argentinean mothers who've been sticking together for years to find out what happened to their children, who were kidnapped by the military government during Argentina's Dirty War in the 1970's.
Nearing Grace
While I must admit being very skeptic watching the opening scene of Nearing Grace, the film then unfolds nicely, with good acting, an acute sense of humor, light tones of poetry, and most of all a great sense of cuteness.
Next: A Primer on Urban Painting
In Next: A Primer on Urban Painting, filmmaker Pablo Aravena documents graffiti art around the world, from the gritty streets of New York to the dark catacombs of Paris.
Nina
Set in the hip underground world of Sao Paulo, Nina follows a young girl as she struggles to make ends meet, under the pressure of her roommate & landlord, a sinister old lady who locked the fridge before ultimately threatening to kick her out in the streets without any remorse.
Nobody Knows
Four seasons in the life of an orphaned family: such is the topic of Nobody Knows, the new film by Kore-eda Hirokazu, who was already noticed in 2001 with Distance.
Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
In Old, New, Borrowed and Blue director Natasha Arthy begins the film with a signed certificate of authenticity from the Dogma school.
Pelé Forever
For soccer fans and especially those who hold Pelé dear to their heart, Pelé Forever is a whirlwind of his most glorious moments on the field, goal after goal after goal.
The Pharmacist
Described by its author, first-time director Jean Veber, as a mix of thriller, horror and humor, The
Pharmacist is the tale of an environmentalist whose crusade cuts a bloody path as he murders
high-profile symbols of ecological nuisance.
Poison Friends
The story of a micro-society formed by Parisian literature students and dominated by the most brilliant and charismatic of them all.
Princess
Though the project of treating this dark story of revenge is ambitious, the result, unfortunately, does not go the distance.
Promised Land Promised Land by Amos Gitaï is the second Israeli film of the year to take on the subject of prostitution in modern day Israel.
Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terrordome
Robert Patton-Spruill's documentary takes a look at the influence Public Enemy has had in the music world and deconstructs their legacy.
Punto Y Raya
Part buddy movie, part political satire, Punto Y Raya follows the adventures of an unlikely duo, a crook enrolled by force in the Venezuelian army and a honest and naive Columbian serving his country.
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