Category: NON-HOLLYWOOD
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Taxi Ballad [2012] ★★★
Do you want to see a movie about a taxi driver who learns valuable lessons in life? Probably not. Which means you’re in luck. Because director Joseph Daniel (in his film debut) doesn’t do things by the numbers. Instead, he builds his movie from the inside out. Character comes first. Talal Jurdi, who plays our…
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Albert Nobbs [2011] ★★★
Glenn Close’s performance in Albert Nobbs” seems almost too good to be true, but that’s what makes it so effective. She first played the role of Albert Nobbs on stage some thirty years ago. Since then, she has dreamed of bringing the story to the screen, and has worked continuously to make it happen. Now…
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Beirut Hotel [2011]
This ain’t the old days anymore when Lebanese films used to be sex free. This is a Lebanese movie for the 21st Century that sadly emerges as a dull piece of cheese. If one were scoring good intentions, “Beirut Hotel” would get an A for effort, simply for trying to be different. But the screenplay resembles…
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My Week With Marilyn [2011]
Imagine spending a week with Marilyn Monroe in London during the 50’s. That’s precisely what we do in this delicious film, based on the published diary of Colin Clark. Clark, played with just the right touch by Eddie Redmayne, had the chance to work with Sir Laurence Olivier as a third assistant director on his film “The…
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The Skin I Live In [2011] ★★★½
Pedro Almodovar’s “The Skin I Live In” is a twisted take on “Frankenstein” with a sexual angle. There’s the mad doctor, played by Antonio Banderas in one of his most chilling roles. Then there’s the victim, a suicidal patient whom we only see at first in a head bandage and a body stocking. Banderas is…
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [2011]
Sorry haters. I don’t care how much you think director Tomas Alfredson (“Let The Right One In”) is working you over with this Cold War tale about a double agent inside MI6 selling out to the Russians. In adapting John Le Carré spy novel, Alfredson stays respectful but not beholden to the source. This should definitely…
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Intouchables [2011] ★★★½
How often does a seemingly simple film capture the imagination of the world? “Intouchables” does, with originality and charm. It’s so vividly real and touching, that it holds you spellbound for two hours, with no letup. The movie was a smash hit in France, with a staggering 5 million cinema-goers flocking to catch the film in…
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The Artist [2011] ★★★★
My favorite movie of the year is not a blockbuster or a superhero movie or even Harry Potter. It’s a movie called “The Artist”, a black and white silent film with subtitles and all. In many ways-hell in all ways-“The Artist” is a stunningly beautiful film. There were times when I forgot I was watching…
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Submarine [2011]
I’ve seen so many coming of age films and enjoyed most of them. “Submarine”, written and directed by Richard Ayoade from Joe Dunthorne’s novel, is three-quarters of a very good indie movie. It’s a sharply written black comedy with an incredible eye for detail. The setting is Wales in the 1980’s, where we follow the…
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The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest [2009]
Stieg Larsson’s ‘Millennium Trilogy’ comes to a conclusion with “The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”, and while the third installment is not as engaging as its predecessors, it still manages to tie up all the loose ends, as it should. I think it’s safe to say that in order to enjoy this final chapter,…
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Sleeping Beauty [2011]
Maybe you thought since Emily Browning (“Sucker Punch”) is naked most of the time in “Sleeping Beauty” that the movie would be double the fun. No way Jose. On a scale of 1 to 10, “Sleeping Beauty” is a negative 10. A total bust, a stupefyingly unattractive erotic movie that tries to be clever and…
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Senna [2011]
Fantastic documentary chronicles the life and death of Formula one legend Ayrton Senna, from his days as a go-kart racer, to his debut as a professional driver, his rivalry with Alain Prost (that includes him winning the title three times), and ultimately his tragic death on May 1st 1994. But that’s not all. Beneath the…
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Johnny English Reborn [2011]
Bless me father of all critic gods for I have sinned: I liked “Johnny English Reborn”. I watched Rowan Atkinson make a damn fool out of himself for 90 minutes and I laughed my ass off. Why am I surprised? 1- Judging from the so so trailer, I expected the worst. 2- Sequels tend to…
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Heartbreaker [2010]
As someone who, swimming against the tide, doesn’t care much for french comedies, imagine my surprise to find “Heartbreaker” so damn entertaining. Here’s a movie that starts in your face, and surprisingly, keeps coming at you. That’s a good thing. It stars talented actor Romain Duris as a guy who gets paid to break up couples…
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Melancholia [2011]
Part of me doesn’t want to tell you that “Melancholia” is a movie about the end of the world. Chances are you’ll groan and stop reading. Maybe you’re right, because “Melancholia”, directed by controversial director Lars Von Trier, wouldn’t appeal to an audience seeking something fast paced or even action packed. Von Trier followers on…
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Sarah’s Key [2011]
A deeply touching human story filled with emotions and heartbreak is rare in any movie season, especially summer. That’s what makes “Sarah’s Key” an exhilarating gift. It’s one of the year’s nicest surprises, and I hope moviegoers will find a reason to watch it, despite the fact that multiplexes are filled with blockbusters, superheroes, and…
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Jane Eyre [2011]
I know what you’re thinking: you’re probably up to there with Jane Eyre. Afterall, this 1847 novel about a young governess and her brooding master has been shoved down our throats since school. Not to mention the countless film versions that have been carved out the book, plus nine TV movies. Can anything feel fresh anymore?…
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Incendies [2010] ★★★★
Sometimes, death is only the beginning of a story. Such is the case with Jeanne and Simon, a twin brother and sister who go to a notary’s office to hear the reading of their mother’s will. Speaking to them from beyond, as it were, she says she will not rest in peace until they locate their father…
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Man On Wire [2008]
Fantastic documentary film chronicles Philippe Petit’s 1974 high wire walk between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center. The film, based on Petit’s book “To Reach The Clouds” is literally breathtaking. To be honest, I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. It could have been easy for director James Marsh to focus…
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Made In Dagenham [2010]
One of the things you should know prior to watching this movie is that women in industry in the late 60’s were still taken far less serious than their male counterparts. They were labeled as “unskilled”, “untrained” and were paid for that. In 1968, a major strike took place at Ford car factory plant and this…
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