4 Little Girls 1997
Format: DVD
Director: Spike Lee
USA
Spike Lee's first full-length documentary recounts in
riveting, first person detail the events of Sunday,
September 15, 1963. On this fateful day, four innocent
children were brutally slain when a bomb ripped through
their Birmingham Alabama, church. It was a day that
galvanized the civil rights movement, and this film
documents, through archival footage and interviews with
those who were there-survivors, witnesses, defenders
and prosecutors-not only the events of that day but
the historical context against which this racially motivated
act of terrorism occurred and the effect it had on the
civil rights movement, on the country's understanding
of race relations and, most significantly, on the people
who knew and loved the slain girls. 4 Little Girls displays
all of the artistry and dramatic savoir- that audiences
have come to expect from this master craftsman. M.
Gould top
Amandla! A Revolution
in Four-Part Harmony 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Lee Hirsch
South Africa/USA
Amandla! is a testament to the power of music and the
transcendence of the human spirit in times of extremity.
Explored through the music that helped shape the liberation
struggle against apartheid in South Africa, Lee Hirsch's
chronicle takes us from the ANC's earliest resistance
to the moment when Nelson Mandela cast the first black
vote in 1994. Music united the oppressed and allowed
stifled voices to be heard; songs consoled prisoners
and gave them hope, while simultaneously operating as
an underground form of communication. Overflowing with
harmony and history, Amandla! intersperses poignant
performances, such as the spontaneous duets by singers
Sophie Mgcina and Dolly Rathebe (Dolly & the Inkspots,
MVFF 2000) and the music of the ground-shaking Community
Choir, Soweto 2000, with accounts like those of the
inspirational Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masakela, who lived
in exile while their music reached across boundaries.
Hirsch's film is a wonderful achievement. Z. Elton
top
Autumn
Spring (Babí Léto) 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Vladimir Michalek
Czech Republic
With the charm of Waking Ned Devine, the sublime Autumn
Spring showcases outstanding performances by a trio
of the Czech Republic's cinematic treasures. The late
Vlastimil Brodský takes center stage as Fanda, an eccentric
and wild-hearted pensioner who never misses an opportunity
to taste the good life. Aided and abetted by his old
friend, Eda, he poses as a wealthy socialite to hoodwink
realtors into private mansion tours and fine meals,
and he charges pretty girls kisses as a phony subway
ticket inspector. It's all in fun, until Fanda is caught
at his game, and his long-suffering wife finally reaches
her limit. Faced with divorce and staring into the abyss
of his "golden years," Fanda's spirit falters, taking
a terrible toll on everyone he had enlivened with his
mischievous spark. This is a comic, tender-hearted gem
that reminds us that the game of life should be played
at full tilt each and every day. D. Quinones
top
Babar:
King of the Elephants 1999
Format: DVD
Director: Raymond Jafelice
Canada/France/Germany
After a decade-long hiatus, everyone's favorite elephant
returns to the big screen, complete with green suit,
bowler hat and a trunk full of tales. It all begins
with our pachyderm pal's youthful days of mud puddles
and merriment with his friends Celeste and Arthur. But
when his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar finds himself
alone in the forest. Eventually stumbling upon a big
city, he quickly makes himself at home-much to the surprise
of passersby and haberdashers alike-and soon becomes
the best dressed and most well mannered elephant in
town. Delightful escapades ensue in this radiantly animated
feature from the production company that brought us
Pippi Longstocking (MVFF 1997). Staying true to the
content, illustration and spirit of the original books
by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff, Babar brings all the
charm and simplicity of this special character who has
beguiled generations of children worldwide for much
of the twentieth century. J. Parsont top
The Bank
2001
Format: DVD
Director: Robert Connolly
Australia
This dynamic first feature film by writer-directory
Robert Connolly is a tense, savvy thriller. Jim is a
reclusive math genius. Simon is the sleazy CEO of a
major bank. Together they might pull off the ultimate
inside job. Hired by Centabank to help mathematically
forecast financial patterns, Jim finds himself thrust
into a twisted world of greed, power, and corporate
domination. Leading the charge of corruption is the
morally challenged Simon, played with a sickly sleaziness
by Anthony LaPaglia. Soon an intricate big-business
chess match is in full swing as the multi-layered story
methodically unfolds into a paranoid mystery of mistrust,
forcing Jim to explore his own moral fortitude. The
script is sharp, the acting excellent, and director
Connolly frames the simmering action through cool colors
and sharp angles that enhance this dark, wicked tale
of complex math theory and fuzzy business ethics. B.
Peterson top
Bellyfruit
1999
Format: DVD
Director: Kerri Lee Green
USA
Bellyfruit makes a novel leap forward for the youth
film genre. A sharply etched, refreshingly unsentimental
look at teenage sexuality and unexpected motherhood,
the film takes its story line from an acclaimed writing
workshop for at-risk teenage mothers in East Los Angeles.
Debut director and co-writer Kerri Green pieces together
the stories of three girls, each from different racial
and family backgrounds, into a representative vision.
As they struggle to overcome desperation, economic dependence
and their painful journey from childhood to motherhood,
the girls make some adult choices. Drawing buoyant,
honest performances from her three young actresses,
Green concocts a vision of urban youth culture far more
honest and refreshing than anything on MTV or in Hollywood.
Bellyfruit is a rare and astonishing youth film that
succeeds in collaborating with, rather than preaching
to, its teenage constituents. J. Sanders top
Beyond Silence
(Jenseits der Stille) 1996
Director: Caroline Link
Germany
Lara is a pretty, precocious nine-year old who has always
skated between two worlds: the silent one of her loving
parents, Martin and Kai, who are deaf, and the hearing
world of Martin's family, school and music. As her parents'
interpreter, Lara must sacrifice time from her own schooling
and endure the taunts of classmates. The close-knit
family is rent apart when Aunt Clarissa, Martin's wealthy,
self-centered sister, takes an interest in Lara's future.
The rift comes in the form of a clarinet passed from
Clarissa to Lara-following her passion for music leads
to an inexorable separation between Lara and her father.
Through striking out on her own, Lara must find a way
to bridge silence and sound. Director Caroline Link
gives us a warm but realistic portrayal of family relationships
and the capacity within us to understand another world
that we can never fully inhabit. T. Hanna top
Bloody Sunday
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Paul Greengrass
UK/Ireland
Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday, this year's Golden Bear
Award Winner at the Berlin Film Festival, adds a controversial
and compelling vision of the events that haunt politics
in Northern Ireland. With remarkable verité-like camera
and editing work, the film reconstructs the 24 hours
leading up to and after the violence, and makes palpable
the details of competing political interests and emotions
careening out of control as they head towards an inevitable
collision of forces. Throughout the day, characters
(such as a civil rights leader, a British paramilitary
man with doubts, and an Irish teen full of humor and
anger) perform their roles, while viewers are privy
to every misstep, each wrong move that will result in
rage and sorrow. Featuring gritty performances by stalwarts
such as James Nesbitt, Bloody Sunday gives immediacy
to the 30-year-old flash-point that continues to reverberate
through the long history of English-Irish conflict.
top
Blue
1994
Format: VHS
Director: Krzyzstof Kieslowski
France
Julie de Caurcey, (Juliette Binoche), is free-falling.
Her husband Patrice, (Hugues Quester), a famous composer,
and her five-year-old daughter, Anna, are killed in
an accident. Julie survives, but her seemingly idyllic
life is shattered. She grows deeply depressed, breaking
all links with the past. She orders her lawyer to sell
all her possessions, everything except a blue crystal
lamp. At the music publisher, she finds a copy of Patrice's
last work, a much anticipated concerto dedicated to
the unification of Europe, and tosses it into a passing
garbage truck. But soon the past begins to rush back
to her, revealing the secrets she and Patrice harbored.
Filmmaker Kieslowski has created a dark, haunting love
story, rent with mystery and exquisite sorrow. The film
is ultimately uplifting and empowering as Julie and
the people she touches in her grief learn hard lessons
about the true meaning of life, love and relationships.
Beautifully filmed in Paris, Blue boasts an equally
upbeat classical score. G. Cahill top
Bread and Roses
2000
Format: DVD
Director: Ken Loach
UK/Germany/Spain
Brilliant British film maker Ken Loach offers an inspired
exposé of oppression melded with a sincere snapshot
of family drama and individual strength. In contemporary
Los Angeles, Maya (Pilar Padilla) has just arrived from
Mexico to stay with her sister. Maya secures a janitorial
job at a downtown high rise and is primed for the American
dream. But in this image-making capital, Maya's opportunity
is someone else's opportunism. Then she meets Sam (Adrien
Brody), a young, idealistic lawyer with a passion for
workers' rights who enlightens Maya and her co-workers
about their exploitation. Soon, passionate discussions
of unions and wages lead to violent demonstrations as
Maya, Sam and a disgruntled crew of janitors put up
the fight of their lives. Loach's skillful touch with
dramatic realism and political commentary comes alive
as the cast give breathtaking performances (notably
Elpidia Carrillo's Oscar-caliber climactic scene as
Maya's sister) and Bread and Roses puts a distinctly
human face on a profoundly serious problem. B. Peterson
top
Brother
from Another Planet 1984
Format: DVD
Director: John Sayles
USA
A black intergalactic slaves escapes from his miserable
planet through an elaborate interplanetary underground
railroad. His destination is a better world. When he's
spit out at the end of the line it's Harlem 1984. The
Brother From Another Planet, John Sayles's fourth film,
is an inventive, thought-provoking, often hilarious,
science fiction comedy about race discrimination and
Harlem. Not the Harlem most people think of as "another
planet," but the place where people live. Possessed
with the ability to re-grow missing limbs almost instantaneously,
and to heal things with the mere passing of a hand,
the dazed and mute alien has no trouble fitting into
the potpourri of day to day existence in Harlem. He
serves as a pair of eyes, and his role is the perennial
outsider. Befriended by residents, rehabilitated by
social workers, he's mugged, offered drugs, and given
a job "healing" video games. His passive silence magnetizes
people. They see in him whatever they wish. Absurd,
comic vignettes topple one over the other: a fast-dealing
card shark on the subway, two white professionals in
a Harlem bar having inadvertently overshot the Columbia
University subway exit, and the "bounty hunters"-two
clone-like clods trying to track down the alien. Made
on a limited budget and financed almost entirely by
Sayles, Brother From Another Planet is preoccupied with
the misfit, the person who by non-conforming presents
new ways of seeing. Intermixed with snatches of despair
and fantasies of escape Brother From Another Planet
is a lively adventure through the eyes of one who will
never belong. Lindi King top
Butterfly
2000
Format: VHS
Director/Producer/Cinematographer: Doug Wolens
USA
In December of 1997, 21-year-old Julia Butterfly Hill
climbed into Luna, an ancient Humboldt County redwood
tree, to protest Pacific Lumber's clear-cutting practices.
Capturing worldwide attention, a few days' civil action
turned into two years as Julia and her cause remained
firmly nested on a platform 180 feet above the ground.
Local film maker Doug Wolens experiences both highs
and lows with Julia as she is bombarded by life-threatening
storms, foreign journalists, a constantly ringing cell
phone, and friends and enemies in other high places.
Wolens also captures the action down below, including
the dissension within Julia's voice, commitment and
beliefs strongly resonate from her tree-top perch in
this stunning, clear-sighted portrait of a wise young
woman whose head, held high, is in no way up in the
clouds. top
Cadillac Desert: An American
Nile 1996
Format: VHS
Director: Jon Else
USA
An American Nile is the second in noted documentary
film maker Jon Else's three-film series Cadillac Desert,
which is loosely based on local author Marc Reisner's
book of the same name. The series chronicles the epic
struggle for the world's most precious resource-water.
An American Nile charts the Colorado's 100 year transformation
from a wild desert river with a mind of its own into
the most controlled, litigated, domesticated, regulated
and over-allocated river in the history of the world.
No body of water has been asked to do so much for so
many people with so little. The Colorado is-depending
on your point of view-an obscene symbol of economic
folly and ecological disaster or the perfection of a
technological ideal; its dams represent either American
hubris and denial gone mad or life-blood made good for
the lives of millions of American taxpayers in the Southwest.
M.R. Daniel top
Charcoal People
(Os Carvoeiros) 2000
Format: DVD
Director: Nigel Noble
Brazil
Most people are aware that clear-cutting in the Amazon
rain forest takes an immeasurable toll on the environment,
but what is its toll on human life? In this visually
powerful portrait, award-winning filmmaker Nigel Noble
gives voice to the fragile lives that exist on the flip
side of rampant consumer culture. Slaving under a blazing
sun on the outskirts of modern society, migrant workers
decimate the natural forests of central Brazil to produce
charcoal, a main component of the pig iron that supplies
the worldwide auto industry. Families in tow, these
"charcoal people" constantly relocate from one horrendous
living situation to another in pursuit of even a small
increase in their subsistence-level wages. Their remorse
over destroying these ancient trees is compounded by
the anguish of poverty, making The Charcoal People a
highly effective indictment of global economic oppression.
C. Bruno top
Children of Heaven
1998
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter: Majid Majidi
Iran
With incredible sweetness and poignancy, The Children
of Heaven revolves around a seemingly simplistic problem.
Ali, a third-grade boy living in a poor Tehran neighborhood,
has lost his younger sister Zahra's only pair of shoes.
Afraid to tell their struggling parents, the two resolve
to endure the burden on their own. Ali convinces Zahra
to share his ill-fitting, dirty sneakers in a quick
switch scheme that is both touching in its tenacity
and remarkable in its execution. Here's how it goes:
Zahra wears the shoes to girls' school in the morning,
races to meet Ali in an alley, passes the shoes off
to him and sends him running to boys' school for the
afternoon. When his late arrival nearly results in expulsion,
Ali enters a race where third prize is a new pair of
shoes. Winner of the Montreal World Film Festival's
Grand Prix of the Americas award, this Iranian gem is
a striking testament to human ingenuity and faith. Ages
10 and up. Nominated for an Academy Award. M. Gould
top
Close
to Eden (Urga) 1992
Format: VHS
Director: Nikita Mikhalkov
Russia/France/Mongolia
A descendant of Genghis Khan raises sheep and children
in the high plains of Mongolia and dreams of ancient
glory in this sweepingly photographed and decidedly
quirky modern fable. The main contact with the outside
world Gombo, the shepherd, has is through a friend whose
famous American "brother" is featured on a Rambo poster.
When a Russian truck driver falls asleep at the wheel
and drives into a nearby river, their lives are forever
altered. Gombo's city-born wife Pagma, thinking that
three children are quite enough, sees her chance and
packs her husband off to the nearest town with the driver
to learn about birth control. Think of The Gods Must
be Crazy with condoms instead of a coke bottle. Director
Nikita Mikhalkov uses Gombo's big city adventures to
take some satiric swipes at the decaying Soviet empire
and modern life in general. P. Moore top
Color of Paradise
1999
Format: DVD
Director: Majid Majidi
Iran
A haunting, poignant and beautifully paced film from
the writer/director of Children of Heaven (also one
of Zoë's Picks), Mohammed is a young boy who yearns
to be like everybody else. Blind and rejected by his
widower father who sends him away, Mohammed searches
for God in his surroundings. While he cannot see the
world that he inhabits, he experiences its splendor
just as vividly as if he had sight. Majidi masterfully
showcases the physical beauty of the Iranian countryside,
and Mohammed's sensory experiences of it, while never
allowing us to underestimate the boy's intense emotional
turmoil. Winner of the audience prize at the '99 Iranian
International Fajr Film Festival, The Color of Paradise
is a remarkable testament to the transformations that
can occur when the very foundations of one's faith are
challenged. M. Gould top
The Crime
of Father Amaro 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Carlos Carrera
Mexico
Starring heartthrob Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien,
MVFF 2001; Amores Perros), The Crime of Father Amaro
is Mexico's biggest box office hit since last year's
Y Tu Mama Tambien. A modern adaptation of a 19th-century
Portuguese satire, the film tells the story of a newly
ordained priest who arrives in a provincial parish.
There he falls in love with a 16-year-old girl and discovers
that one of his fellow priests is protecting a guerilla
fighter while another is using money from drug traffickers
to build hospitals. At its recent opening in Mexico,
people picketed theatres and petitioned President Vicente
Fox to ban the film; the controversy ultimately fueled
interest in director Carlos Carrera's exploration of
the inherent conflict that arises all too often between
humanity and morality. Carrera handles the material
with thoughtfulness and humor, capturing colorful characters
and beautiful Mexican landscapes, and providing a refreshing
rendition of age-old moral struggles. C. Shamberg
top
Dreaming
of Joseph Lees 1999
Format: VHS
Director: Eric Styles
Ireland/UK
Set in mid-century England, Dreaming of Joseph Lees
is the gripping story of a young woman trapped in a
time of restrictive social codes that prevent her from
attaining true happiness. Eva longs to lead a life similar
to her worldly and charismatic geologist cousin, Joseph
Lees, brilliantly played by Rupert Graves (A Room with
a View). She longs for news of Joseph, who manages to
escape the confines of their staid rural town, but despairs
of ever seeing him again. When local farmer Harry Flyte
(Lee Ross) begins courting Eva, she makes a scandalous
choice by moving in with him-although she knows in her
heart that she will never love him. Consequently, her
life becomes overcome by forces of human nature that
takes her along paths reminiscent of a Thomas Hardy
heroine. With beautifully played characters by an incredible
cast of actors, Dreaming of Joseph Lees is an insightful
look at the pressures and choices-or lack of them-brought
to bear on mid-century English girls. MVFF staff
top
East
Is East 1998
Format: DVD
Director: Damien O'Donnell
UK
It's 1971, but the spirit of the Swinging Sixties still
lingers in the Manchester suburb that provides a rich
backdrop for this extremely funny ensemble comedy. East
Is East reveals the trials and tribulations of a traditional
Pakistani father struggling to regain control over his
cross-cultural kids who sneak bacon and sausages, speak
English with northern accents and avoid the local mosque
like the plague. Based on a short play by Ayub Khan-Din,
first-time feature director Damien O'Donnell fills the
film with sympathetic characters throughout. With a
refreshingly politically incorrect bent O'Donnell manages
to leaven the action with plenty of warm humanity without
ignoring the social and political realities of the times.
It's no wonder that Cannes Film Festival audiences gave
East Is East such an enthusiastic reception. G. Cahill
top
The
Emperor's Club 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Michael Hoffman
USA
Kevin Kline's graceful, intelligent performance is the
heart and soul of The Emperor's Club. Kline is Mr. Arthur
Hundert, a beloved teacher of Western Civilization at
a brick-and-ivy New England prep school. Hundert's passion
for the great thinkers of classical Greece and Rome
is exceeded only by his desire to inspire their ideals
in his privileged students, who are destined to become
society's leaders. When the troublemaking son of an
influential senator joins his classroom, Hundert tries
to mentor him; while the boy's acntics loosen up both
his teacher and fellow students, the disturbing fallout
from his presence haunts Hundert in unexpected and unshakeable
ways. This adaptation of Ethan Canin's short story "The
Palace Thief" tenderly and humorously considers the
difficulties of a son's patrimony while it explores
the ancient tensions between ethics and realpolitik,
taking surprisingly dead aim at the failings of today's
corporate America. J. Campbell top
Everyone's Child
1996
Format: VHS
Director: Tsitsi Dangarembga
Zimbabwe
This emotionally powerful first film by prize-winning
author Tsitsi Dangarembga is a story of love and of
the triumph of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.
When their parents die, Itai and Tamari are left behind
to care for their younger brother and sister. Sadly,
neither family nor community comes to the aid of the
four orphaned children. It is up to the two eldest to
keep the family going. Itai tries his luck in the city,
leaving his three siblings behind. In desperation, his
sister, Tamari, trades sexual favors for food and is
ostracized by the community. The children must make
a hasty transition to adulthood while those around them
are forced to question their capacity for compassion.
In the end, it takes a tragedy to bridge the gulf of
denial between these two worlds, as the film poignantly
calls for the care of "everyone's child." The appealing
original soundtrack, featuring many of Zimbabwe's top
artists, is itself a celebration of contemporary Zimbabwean
music and pays tribute to the African tradition of caring.
L. Buchanan top
Farewell My Concubine
1993
Format: DVD
Director: Chen Kaige
China
Hailed for its emotional power and visual brilliance,
film maker Chen Kaige's ambitious Farewell by Concubine
tells the story of two desperately poor boys in a harshly
run opera training school. One is the ethereally beautiful
Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung), the son of a prostitute,
who specializes in female roles. The other is the gruff
but good-hearted Fuan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi). Together
they become famous for "Farewell to My Concubine", a
classic opera about a king who loses his kingdom to
a rival leaving the king with only his loyal concubine
who, in the end, kills herself with his sword. Kaige
explores the shifting boundaries between male and female,
illusion and reality, love and betrayal with a sensitive,
lyrical touch. Based on Lilian Lee's novel, the film,
including its chilling closing sequence, is set against
the backdrop of modern China's volatile political history.
Kaige has created a beautifully photographed film with
a stunning period look and lavishly staged opera scenes-a
triumph of art and the human spirit. G. Cahill
(Co-winner Palme D'or Best Feature, Cannes Film Festival,
1993) top
Genghis Blues 1998
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter/Editor: Roko Belic
USA
What a journey! Paul Pena, a blind bluesman living in
San Francisco, turned a chance encounter with an obscure
vocal technique into the journey of a lifetime. A one-time
sideman for Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King (appearing in cameo
on screen) and others, Pena is one of the first foreign
masters of Tuvan harmonic throat singing, an esoteric
art from Siberia that allows the singer to produce multiple
octaves simultaneously. In 1995, Pena flew to the Central
Asian Republic of Tuva, where he participated in a rigorous
throat-singing competition. Film makers Adrian and Roko
Belic documented this voyage, capturing the warm friendship
that grew between Pena and Tuvan throat-singing master
Kongar-ol Ondar-the ultimate odd couple. This inspiring
tale by these first-time film makers reflects the story
of a man whose struggle in life is defined not by conformity
and rules but by an unquenchable curiosity. G. Cahill
top
George
Washington 2000
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: David Gordon Green
USA
"Beautiful rust and decomposing ruins of
industry" provide the backdrop of this unique portrait
of adolescence, which escapes the confines of average
coming-of-age films. A group of rural North Carolina
teens witnesses a tragedy during a leisurely day together.
Prompted by the fateful event, the kids are riddled
with guilt and begin to scrutinize themselves and their
surroundings, which subtly pushes them over the edge.
George appoints himself the local hero, going so far
as to wear a red cape, and Nasia starts to make some
very adult decisions. Through the outstanding introspective
performances of its young actors, the film lyrically
glimpses into the kids' lives and completely draws you
in. Visually compelling as well, the gorgeous contrasting
textures of melancholy decay and unchecked nature paint
an unusual picture of the American South. With an air
of truth, George Washington blurs the lines between
pathos and humor and depicts adolescence with incredible
dignity. T. Lopez top
Gods and Monsters
1998
Format: DVD
Director: Bill Condon
USA
Director Bill Condon artfully blends both fact and fiction
in the story of legendary Hollywood director James Whale,
creator of the classic horror films Frankenstein and
Bride of Frankenstein. Based on Christopher Bram's acclaimed
novel Father of Frankenstein, Condon's provocative fictionalized
account speculates on the events leading up to the scandalous
director's tragic demise. With dreamlike sequences and
psychological intrigue, the film focuses on the friendship
that develops between the unabashedly gay Whale and
his macho gardener. As the plot twists, Gods and Monsters
reveals a melancholy and haunting tale about the plight
of a creative genius who ultimately cannot distinguish
the fictional monsters he has created from the monsters
within himself. G. Cahill top
Grateful Dawg
2000
Format: DVD
Director/Producer: Gillian Grisman
USA
They were "beards of a feather," kindred spirits with
a passion for music. During the course of a friendship
that spanned four decades, two of America's musical
powerhouses-Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia and
mandolinist David Grisman-shared 44 recording sessions
that produced an acclaimed body of work. Garcia was
a lifelong bluegrass fan, while Grisman innovated the
bluegrass-jazz hybrid "Dawg" music; together, they created
the epitome of stringed synchronicity. Fans will enjoy
interviews, rare concert footage, unreleased audio tracks
and living room jam sessions, as director Gillian Grisman
(David Grisman's daughter) captures the creative chemistry
that marked this dynamic duo's musical magic. Grateful
Dawg offers an insider's look at one of acoustic music's
most endearing-and enduring-musical kinships. G.
Cahill top
Heavenly Creatures
1994
Format: VHS
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Peter Jackson
New Zealand
Heavenly Creatures is based on the extraordinary true
story of a joyous and exhilarating friendship between
two very imaginative teenagers residing in Christchurch,
New Zealand, and their unusual and boundless friendship.
It is 1954 and, after meeting in high school, the two
girls quickly become inseparable. Pauline Rieper (Melanie
Lynskey) and Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet) suddenly find
themselves on dangerous ground. What begins as a typical
friendship soon turns into a mutual admiration society
that excludes their parents, the other girls at school,
and ultimately the entire human race. Their lives become
overtaken by fantasy and magic as they discover a metaphysical
paradise that includes a made-up religion and a mythical
kingdom. When Pauline's mother becomes concerned about
the intensity of the friendship, the girls can imagine
only one solution. In a scene that remains etched in
the memory, a terrifying climax is triggered. G.
Cahill top
Hyenas 1998
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter: Djibril Diop Mambety
Senegal (adapted from the Swiss play The Visit, by Friedrich
Dürrenmatt)
This film was shown again in 1998 in memory of one of
the most exceptional poets of the 20th Century, Djibril
Diop Mambety (1945-1998). Numbed by poverty, a dusty
village in the Sahel called Colobene, this once charming
town is a ghost of its former self. The Griots have
announced the incredible news that Linguere Ramatou,
who left decades ago, is returning with fabulous wealth
and a promise to save her people. But attached to her
promise is a deadly bargain-Draman Drameh, the once-ardent
lover who betrayed a 16-year-old pregnant Linguere,
must die. The villagers are horrified, astonished, and
indignant. At first, good moral conscience prevails.
But wealth is difficult to resist when one is poor.
Mambety forges his cautionary tale with compassion,
humor and sumptuous color. His landscape is a golden
desert inhabited with memorable and all-too-human souls
struggling with conflicts of mythic proportion-avarice
and dignity, justice and death. Hyenas is a magnificent
achievement and a classic of contemporary cinema. Z.
Elton top
The Ice Storm 1997
Format: DVD
Director: Ang Lee
USA
It's 1973 in New Canaan, Connecticut, and Ben (Kevin
Kline) and Elena (Joan Allen) are feeling the destabilizing
winds of change and moral quandary blow through their
wealthy suburb. As Ben carries on a discreet affair
with neighbor Janey (Sigourney Weaver), his teenage
kids explore their own sexual boundaries-all against
the cultural backdrop of Watergate, mind-altering substances
and Brady Bunch fashions. The night an ice storm sweeps
into town, the delicate web of emotions and honor that
binds these people is tested to its breaking point.
The performances in this stellar ensemble are riveting,
moving and sometimes achingly funny-witness Allen's
beautifully rendered wife-on-the-verge, exquisitely
countered by Sigourney Weaver's seductively confident
ice queen. Collaborating again with writer James Schamus,
director Ang Lee once more proves his extraordinary
ability to extract a richness and depth from essentially
ordinary characters embroiled in family and generational
strains. Le captures all the growing pains of the seventies-the
poignant absurdity of that strange mixture of brash,
fashionable confidence alongside real naivete and barely
concealed pain. Z. Elton top
The Inheritors
1998
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Stefan Ruzowitsky
Austria
When a tyrannical farmer dies under mysterious circumstances
and leaves his farm to the seven peasants who have toiled
for him all their lives, things are destined to go drastically
awry. The greedy local farmers, with all the presumption
of their birthright, assume that the peasants will not
accept their inheritance. But they do. What unfolds
is an intriguingly textured tale of class struggle and
oppression told with all the humor, compassion and insight
of a cinematic Chekov. With the scope of an epic and
the intimacy of a short story, film maker Ruzowitsky
masterfully blends together action, image and even gossip
to tell a story rich with insights. Employing a keen
eye for the whimsical, his characters are delightfully
portrayed by an exceptional ensemble of actors and his
deeply compelling visual sense results in a beautifully
crafted piece of cinema. Z. Elton top
Innocence
(2000)
Format: DVD
Director: Paul Cox
Australia/Belgium This is the film that answers the
question "what if?" Writer-director Paul Cox has won
widespread acclaim for him emotional tale of a man and
a woman who reunite in their late 60s after finding
that the passion they had for each other as teens has
survived 50 years of separation and their marriages
to others. Full of vitality and consistent with many
of Cox's previous themes, the film is an intimate reflection
on sexual and emotional rebirth. Film critic Roger Ebert
praises Innocence as "a warm and evocative story…notable
for its fearless honesty and truth." And hailed it as
the best film of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. Julia
Blake and Charles Tingwell deliver exceptionally strong
performances as aging lovers who rekindle the flame
of their youthful affair in this profound meditation
on love, desire and mortality. G. Cahill top
top
Ishi,
The Last Yahi 1992
Format: VHS
Directors/Producers: Jed Riffe, Pamela Roberts
USA
On an August morning in 1911, the "last wild Indian
in North America" walked out of the California wilderness
into the maw of civilization. Called Ishi (the word
for man in the Yahi language), he was the last survivor
of his tribe, decimated by white settlers in the 1860's
and 70's. Alfred Kroeber, an ambitious young anthropologist
at UC Berkeley , arranged for Ishi to come to the Museum
of Anthropology in San Francisco, where he lived for
the rest of his life. Although Ishi lived only four
more years before his death from pneumonia, he transformed
the lives of people with whom he came in contact. This
new documentary uses never-before-seen recordings and
photographs of Ishi'' life in San Francisco to examine
how Native Americans have adapted and survived. Ishi''
life and legacy offers unique and poignant testimony
to the strength and intelligence of the Native American.
P. Moore top
It All Starts
Today (Ca Commence Aujourd'hui) (1999)
Format: DVD
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
France
Acclaimed director Bertrand Tavernier's latest film
is a vigorous and emotionally engaging ensemble tale
about a community struggling against impossible odds.
Daniel Lefebvre (a tour-de-force performance by Phillippe
Torreton) is the director of a kindergarten in a region
plagued by unemployment. A committed and inspiring teacher,
Daniel works with the children to awaken their curiosity
and self-expression-despite constant struggles against
bureaucracy and inadequate resources. One family in
particular catches his attention: a young mother fighting
despair through a hard winter as she tries to raise
her two children without electricity and on a diet of
milk and cookies. Played out against the backdrop of
the landscapes of northern France with its vast horizons
and embracing mists, Tavernier's story is one of stubbornness
and courage, pain and tenderness. Most important are
the faces of the children, because for them, at all
times and in all places, it all starts today. Critically
acclaimed at the Berlin Film Festival. MVFF staff
top
Julio
and His Angel (Julio y su Angel) 1998
Format: VHS
Director/Producer/Editor: Jorge Cervera, Jr.
Mexico
Jorge Cervera, Jr. directs, produces, and stars in this
delightful Mexican import that is clearly a labor of
love. On her deathbed, Julio's mother promises her eight-year-old
son that she will send an angel to watch out for him.
While at an orphanage worthy of Dickens and even after
his escape, Julio never stops praying for his guardian
angel. When he meets a shadowy figure in the churchyard,
Julio believes that his prayers have been answered.
The figure, however, turns out to be a cranky widower,
who is quite certain that he is not Julio's angel. Julio's
persistence prevails, however, and eventually they develop
a touching friendship. The film illustrates that with
a faith as strong as Julio's, anything is possible.
M. Gould top
Kin 2000
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter, Elaine Proctor
UK/South Africa
The compelling beauty of the Namibian desert provides
the backdrop for this film. Anna (beautifully played
by Miranda Otto) witnesses the shooting of one of the
herd of desert elephants she cares deeply about, unleashing
a series of events that shift the sands of her life
entirely. Devastated, she sets out to discover the source
of the ivory poaching, accompanied by a new intrigue
in her life, the charismatic American lawyer Stone (Isaiah
Washington). But as the truth reveals itself, the facades
that have characterized Anna's life are shattered. She
is forced to face her own realities and passions-her
blossoming love for Stone, her friendships, her bond
with her brother-in ways that change the roots of her
being. Sometimes the truth you find is not the truth
you thought you were seeking. Exquisitely shot and acted,
Kin is an incredible and rewarding journey. Z. Elton
top
Land
and Freedom 1995
Format: VHS
Director: Ken Loach
UK/Spain/Germany
Ken Koach's extraordinary talent is once again confirmed
in what will surely prove to be one of 1995's most important
films. Set in the Spanish Civil War, the story follows
Dave Carr (Ian Hart), a young, idealistic, working class
Liverpudlian who sets off to find fascism. Like many
young men, Carr finds action and ideals a much stronger
force than the bleak reality of life on the dole. In
Spain, he finds comradeship, romance-and confounding
factionalism. The sheer, simple humanity of Carr and
his fellows elevates Land and Freedom beyond even the
idealism of the conflict. The performances by Hart,
Rosana Pastor (as Blanca, a militia woman from his unit
with whom he enters into a relationship) and their fellows
are brave, beautifully modulated and absolutely moving:
a testament to the richness of the work of both director
and actors in this gripping film. Z. Elton top
Legend of Love
(Afsaneh-e eshgh) 2001
Director: Farhad Mehranfar
Iran
A woman's search for her lost love becomes a search
for the self and the greater meanings of life in this
hauntingly allegoric tale by director Farhad Mehranfar
(Paper Airplanes MVFF 1999). Khazar sets out in search
of her beloved Horam, a doctor who has returned to work
in a clinic in his war-torn homeland. Though communication
from Horam has ceased, his presence is always felt,
as Khazar is guided by his voice on a cassette he has
sent her. Traveling through the ruggedly beautiful mountains
of Kurdistan, she encounters a series of nomadic communicates
and discovers the music and rituals of dervish traditions.
These experiences begin, subtly to direct Khazar on
a much more profound inner journey, and her life is
further influenced by a story she is told about two
lovers who must confront death in order to be reunited.
Mehranfar's film is a deeply moving, masterful piece
of work. Z. Elton top
Life on Earth
1998
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Abderrahmane Sissako
France/Mali
"Dear Father . . . An important change
bring(s) me back-the desire to film life in Sokolo,
life on earth . . . knowing that soon it will be the
year 2000 and that nothing will have changed for the
better." Thus begins Abderrahmane Sissako's Life on
Earth, a part autobiographical, part fictional, and
largely improvised film about everyday life in Mali.
Composed in long, lingering shots, the film speaks of
brief moments and encounters, but also of waiting and
missed connections. Working with a small crew and no
script, Sissako lovingly invites the viewer to gaze
into Africa's mercurial present and unpredictable future.
K. Geritz top
Like Water for Chocolate
(Como Agua Para Chocolat) 1991
Format: DVD
Director: Alfonso Arau
Mexico
Like Water for Chocolate, a big winner at this year's
Mexican film academy awards, adapted from Laura Esquivel's
shamanistic novel, is a warm, poignant, often sensuous
and sometimes funny tale of personal liberation set
against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution. The
charming Tita (Lum Caazos) is the eldest daughter who's
required by family tradition to care for her cruel mother
(Regina Torne) with no hope of wedlock. When the handsome
Pedro (Marco Leonardi) asks for Tita's hand in marriage,
mama refuses. Instead she offers Tita's younger sister,
Rosaura (Yareli Arzmendi), to the suitor. Determined
to remain near his precious Tita, Pedro accepts the
proposal. The resulting love triangle aggravates Tita's
frustrations and provides a chance for her to use her
considerable wits, charm and magical alchemical culinary
skills to influence the family, especially the handsome
Pedro. Often beautifully photographed in darkened candle-lit
sepia tones that underscore the story's Old World mystical
charm, it's a remarkably poetic film which sets a high
standard in its intelligent portrayal of women. Not
to be missed. G. Cahill top
Little Voice
1998
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Mark Herman
UK
Featuring breakout performances and a slam-bang British
cast, Little Voice is a pure winner. Jane Horrocks stars
as the pathologically shy "Little Voice," a girl who
harbors a secret talent for belting out the songs of
her obsessively beloved favorites like Judy Garland
and Marilyn Monroe. When Little Voice's mother, played
by Brenda Blethyn, takes up with a two-bit talent agent
Ray Say (Michael Caine at his low-rent best), Little
Voice is quickly discovered and forced into the spotlight-with
cataclysmic results. Ewan McGregor does a wonderfully
understated turn as Little Voice's love interest, but
this is Horrocks show all the way as she transmogrifies
from a near-catatonic daddy's girl to vamping songstress
and back again, performing all the songs and stunning
impersonations in her own voice. This is a marvelous
black comedy of gotta-see-it-to-believe-it proportions.
D. Quinones top
Mansfield Park
1999
Format: DVD
Director: Patricia Rozema
USA/UK
A tale of true love set in the beautiful gardens of
Georgian England, Mansfield Park sings with the insightful
and singular vision of director Patricia Rozema. Sent
for as a servant, young Fanny Price starts a new life
under the tutelage of her wealthy aunt and uncle, Sir
Thomas and Lady Bertrand at Mansfield Park. Drawn from
the personal and published writings of Jane Austen,
our quintessential literary heroine grows up to become
a woman of resounding character and exceptional wit.
Just when life seems no more than a quick succession
of busy nothings, newly arrived Mary Crawford and her
dashing brother Henry set about bringing the Bertrams
up to date. "This is 1806 for heaven's sake!" Out maneuvered
in the ruthless game of marriage, Fanny is punitively
sent back to her impoverished home in Portsmouth after
declining an offer that her social standing couldn't
refuse. Awash with the kind of unspeakable scandal only
possible in a time of apparent decorum, Mansfield Park
delicately celebrates clarity of conscience and the
rewards of patience. M. Fris top
Medea
(1997)
Format: DVD
Director: Lars von Trier
Denmark
No greater pain than love's betrayal; no blacker rage
than that of a woman scorned. Breaking the Waves director
Lars von Trier's Medea is a masterful artist's rendering
of the mother of all Greek tragedies. Based on an unproduced
script by the dark master of Danish cinema, Carl Theodor
Dreyer, and filmed in the windswept marshlands of western
Denmark, the spare dialogue and haunted landscapes reflect
the sorceress Medea's torment and despair as she faces
her expulsion from Creon's kingdom. Beautiful and chilling
from the first frame to the last, von Trier builds each
moment to an operatic crescendo in Medea's last act
of vengeance. Dreyer had originally written the script
for diva Maria Callas in the title role, but his film
was never made. Dedicating the film to Dreyer, von Trier
claims to have been in "telepathic contact" with the
late director's spirit throughout his production of
Medea. In typically dour Nordic style, von Trier writes,
"He gave the project his approval, though without much
enthusiasm." K. Davis top
Microcosmos
1996
Format: VHS
Directors: Claude Nuridsany, Marie Perennou
France/Switzerland/Italy
Enter into a minute environment and experience a day
in the life of a very unusual set of characters. They
interact but never speak and are presented from angles
you never knew were possible. They are insects-yes,
creepy crawly bugs-but this is no snore inducing nature
program. A Cannes sensation, Microcosmos is the result
of Nuridsany and Perennou's 20 years of research and
documenting of the insect kingdom-a masterpiece of entomological
and cinematic proportions. It took two years just to
design the camera and lighting equipment, and three
to shoot, but it was well worth the effort. These insects
become real characters rather than scientific experiments.
J. Parsont top
The Mirror
1997
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter/Editor: Jafar Panahi
Iran
After impatiently waiting for her mother to take her
home after school, young Mina decides to strike out
on her own. Becoming lost amid the clamor of the adult
world and its confusing bus transfers, Mina turns to
the camera and cries, "I don't want to play this part
anymore," and stomps off the set for home, leaving a
surprised film crew behind. Filming quickly resumes,
however, thanks to a remote-controlled microphone and
a determined director who allows reality to intrude
upon his cinematic fiction. Winner of the Gold Leopard
at this year's Locarno International Film Festival,
Mirror reunites the acclaimed director and the remarkable
young actress of The White Balloon for a visually stunning
journey through contemporary Iran. Mirror probes the
distinction between reality and fiction, yet ultimately
embraces both. By slyly thwarting our expectations,
Panahi sends us on a journey as wondrous and thrilling
as young Mina's. D. Jones top
More Time
1993
Format: VHS
Director: Isaac Meli Mabhikwa
Zimbabwe
As a top winner the first Southern Africa Film Festival
in Zimbabwe last fall and also prized at Milan's African
Film Festival, More Time depicts teens growing up under
the devastating specter of AIDS. Prudence Katomeni plays
Thandiwe, a fifteen-year-old bobby-soxer who stands
at the threshold of adulthood, discovering perfume,
liquor, boys, and her parents' wrath all in one compressed
and confused time period known as adolescence. The object
of her attention is David, an attractive young man with
a difficult past. His old girlfriend became pregnant
through a clandestine relationship with her uncle, and
now her infant is dying of AIDS. The uncle has died
already, and David fears that he also may be carrying
the virus. What starts out as a light and politically
correct statement soon turns into a plea for AIDS safely
amongst youth. Director Mabhikwa deals perceptively
with this sensitive and pressing issue while allowing
the entertainment quotient to thrive. A snappy soundtrack
comprised of local music lends an engaging background
to a profound topic. C. Fabio-Bradford top
My Life in Pink
(Ma Vie en Rose) 1997
Format: DVD
Director: Alain Berliner
Belgium/France
My Life in Pink is the
story of Ludovic, a little girl born in a little boy's
body. For him, nothing is more natural than to change
his gender. As a hopeful and sensitive child, he truly
believes that a miracle is going to happen. He will
be a girl, no doubt about it, and he's in love with
Jerome, his school mate, and son of his father's colleague.
Initially a source of amusement, an outrage begins in
their suburb when the two boys are discovered pretending
to get married. The family begins to realize with horror
that his desire to be a girl isn't just a little boy's
fantasy. They try to make him change his mind, to no
avail. The situation turns into a real-life drama of
intense reactions from neighbors, friends and teachers,
resulting in a profoundly optimistic ending. MVFF
staff top
My Son the Fanatic
1998
Format: DVD
Director: Udayan Prasad
UK
Director Udayan Prasad offers a contemporary love story
set against an often moving, sometimes comic clash of
cultures and generations. Pervez (portrayed in a strikingly
deep performance by Om Puri) is a Pakistani taxi driver
living in the UK who loves all things English-especially
a local prostitute named Bettina. One the home front,
Pervez has grown distant from his long-suffering wife
and Faired, his teenage son, who has given up plans
to marry an Anglo woman and become consumed by fundamentalist
religion. Screenwriter Handoff Kurita has created a
complicated mix of sexuality and religion, freedom and
constraint and love and transgression built around the
internal struggle of a man who comes to realize that
he is a stranger in a strange land. My Son the Fanatic
is a masterful piece of storytelling-a tender tale that
lays bare the complexities of the heart and the soul.
G. Cahill top
The Other Side of
Sunday (Sondagsengler) 1997
Format: DVD
Director: Berit Nesheim
Norway
Nominated for an Oscar as best foreign language film
in 1997, Norway's The Other Side of Sunday is a "late
50's coming-of-age picture with a blackly comic edge
and filigree emotions" (Variety). Maria, the eldest
daughter of a conservative village priest, chafes against
the oppressive beliefs and restrictions imposed by her
distant father and his congregation. Calculating hours
spent in church, Maria seeks solace and strength in
quiet acts of rebellion. Mrs. Tunheim, the church verger,
emerges as a kindred spirit who encourages Maria to
be "proud and stubborn in the name of honesty". Turning
on delicate moments infused with emotion, The Other
Side of Sunday is a vividly tender and original. Marie
Theisen, in her first film role, gives a wonderfully
expressive and riveting performance as a young woman
in search of her place in the world. Filmmaker Berit
Nesheim has created a brave film in which the simplest
acts become transformative events. M. Howden
top
The
Piano 1993
Format: DVD
Director: Jane Campion
Australia
New Zealand-born director Jane Campion explores her
native territories in this long-awaited tour-de-force,
joint winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Festival.
In the remote bush of 19th century New Zealand, Ada
(Holly Hunter), her nine-year-old daughter, and her
piano arrive from Scotland to an arranged marriage.
Of all her belongings, her husband refuses to transport
the piano: it is left behind, voiceless on the beach.
When her tattooed neighbor George Baines (Harvey Keitel)
gains ownership of the piano from her husband, Ada strikes
an unusual and erotically charged bargain by which she
earns back her piano. Keitel, Hunter and Sam Neill as
Stewart, the husband, create a trio of superb performances
which complement the power and cadences of Campion's
vision beautifully. There is simplicity, a naiveté,
in these three characters which masks a tangle of feelings
and passions as dense and primal as the jungle landscape
that surrounds them. The Piano is an extraordinary achievement,
and a milestone in the far from ordinary career of Jane
Campion. Z. Elton top
Pleasantville
1998
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Gary Ross
USA
Nothing ever happens in Pleasantville. In the fantastical
black-and-white town of this modern fairy tale, citizens
have never seen a red rose, felt the rain on their face
or experienced the joy of a kiss. Until now. In the
directorial debut of acclaimed screenwriter Gary Ross
(Big, Dave), twin siblings David and Jennifer find themselves
transported to the fictional town through a mysterious
chain of events. Bringing with them all the wonder and
mystery of the outside world-new ideas, sensual delights
and the prospect of love-the teenagers accidentally
set off a major revolution that transforms and divides
Pleasantville's inhabitants. Suddenly, there can be
no turning back for the town's residents who must grapple
with the changes, both good and bad, that result. Combining
cutting-edge computer technology, comedy and fabulous
story-telling, Pleasantville is a wildly imaginative
and wonderfully original tale that poses probing questions
about the foundation of contemporary life. N. Isaacs
top
The
Quiet Room 1996
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter: Rolf de Heer
Australia/Italy
A beautiful and deeply moving film that won audience
raves at Cannes, The Quiet Room takes a rare look at
the way parents treat, and often underestimate, their
children. Newcomer Chloe Ferguson gives a riveting performance
as the seven-year-old who refuses to speak, withdrawing
into a world of silence as the tension between her parents
escalates. Creating a taut, uncompromising atmosphere,
director Rolf de Heer sets most of the action in two
rooms-the girl's brightly painted bedroom and the bedroom
of her parents next door-and tells the story entirely
from the child's perspective. Flashbacks and narratives
illuminate the girl's frustrated attempts to communicate
her hopes and fears. De Heer has created an audacious
and touching tale of the complexities of marriage and
family. G. Cahill top
Rachel's Daughters:
Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer 1997
Format: VHS
Directors/Editors: Allie Light, Irving Saraf
USA
From the makers of the Oscar-winning In the Shadow of
the Stars, this fascinating documentary film follows
a group of women completely new to the camera who are
on a mission to personally unearth the causes of breast
cancer. An education and a revelation, the film captures
the investigators-all breast cancer activists who are
currently fighting the disease or have survived it-conducting
hard-hitting interviews with scientists and other authorities
on the known possible causes, including pesticides,
hormones, radiation and electromagnetic fields. They
ask the difficult questions and the answers are equally
gripping. Light and Saraf's dramatic and unwavering
approach is wildly effective, engaging us in the women's
stories while conveying complex technical information,
clearly with ease. Rachel's Daughters is a comprehensive
examination not only of the scientific causes of this
disease but also of its human face, its personal and
political ramifications, and the socioeconomic, racial
and gender-based issues that make it so politically
important and so inflammatory. M. Gould top
Raising the Ashes
1997
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter: Michael O'Keefe
USA
Imagine reclaiming the land of a notorious death camp
by spiritual transformation: In November 1996, 150 people
from seven countries gathered for an unusual meditation
retreat at Auschwitz, Poland, where over one million
victims of Nazi terror lost their lives. The purpose
of the five-day pilgrimage was to convert this site
into a place of healing. Jews, Muslims, Christians and
Buddhists joined together in prayer, meditation, personal
reflection and discussion, illustrating that the commemoration
of the Holocaust is not solely a Jewish onus but rather
a collective spiritual journey toward understanding,
acceptance and tolerance. O'Keefe, who is best known
as a film and television actor (Roseanne), had already
committed to attending the retreat when he was asked
to direct the film. Raising the Ashes, his impressive
directorial debut, deftly captures this deeply inspiring
effort to make sense of a tragic part of our history
and is a moving testimonial to the true power of healing.
L. Buchanan top
Ram Dass Fierce
Grace 2001
Format: DVD
Director: Mickey Lemle
USA
Ram Dass is a rare being whose heart has beat in perfect
synchronicity with the spiritual pulse of his time.
From his '70s classis, Be Here Now, to his current explorations
of aging and change, his life and work have been profoundly
inspiring and influential. Director Mickey Lemle's compelling
portrait captures both the now and then of a remarkable
life: the vibrant child at play, the brilliant young
Harvard professor, the trip to India, and beyond. It's
an extraordinary journey, heartwarmingly told. Now,
at 70, and ever the committed wordplay-smith, Ram Dass
describes the moment "when I got stroked." The occasion
of his stroke began a chapter perhaps as life altering
as his early LSD experiments with Timothy Leary. That
he would embrace this debilitating and challenging condition
as the revelatory experience it has become is pure Ram
Dass. He calls it "fierce grace." "And," he says with
that smile, "I think grace is perfect." Z. Elton
top
The
Red Squirrel (La Ardilla Roja) 1993
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter: Julio Medem
Spain
Jota (Nancho Novo) is about to leap to his death from
a roadway when Lisa's (Emma Suarez) motorcycle hurtles
through the guardrail and plummets to the beach below.
Jota comes to her rescue and discovers that the girl
apparently is suffering from amnesia. Infatuated by
her beauty, he accompanies her to the hospital, manufacturing
a false identity for her. After convincing Lisa that
she is his girlfriend, the two embark on a camping trip,
ostensibly to help Lisa recover her memories. However,
Jota gets more than he bargains for when his plan backfires.
In the passionate The Red Squirrel, director Julio Medem
in his second feature film, establishes himself as Spain's
most provocative film maker since Pedro Almodovar. This
sinewy tale of love and relationships dishes up sophisticated
mind-games and takes a serious poke at machismo while
creating a turbulent undercurrent of tense emotions
and raw sexuality. Suarez is magnificent in her portrayal
of the woman who overcomes the possessive men in her
life. G. Cahill top
Return with Honor
1998
Format: DVD
Directors: Freida Lee Mock, Terry Sanders
USA
After being shot down over North Vietnam, 462 American
fighter pilots instantly turned from cocky young soldiers
to prisoners of war. Freida Lee Mock and Terry Sanders-the
Oscar-winning team that brought us Maya Lin: A Strong
Clear Vision-document the story of these brave pilots,
some of whom remained in captivity for more than eight
years. Through compelling first-person accounts from
the pilots and their families, American news footage
and footage never seen before from the archives of North
Vietnam, the film makers reveal a life behind prison
walls and touch on the universal themes of duty, honor
and suffering. With amazing candor and calm, the former
pilots relate the horrors of captivity, their various
methods for physical, emotional and spiritual survival,
and finally the journey of their emotional and miraculous
return home. M. Gould top
Ride With the Devil
1999
Format: DVD
Director: Ang Lee
USA
Dust will fly, buildings will burn and blood will spill
when the rough riders of the Wild West go to war. In
this epic adaptation of Daniel Woodrell's novel "Woe
to Live On," director Ang Lee (The Ice Storm MVFF 1997)
takes another stylistic turn with his brilliant portrayal
of a little known chapter of Civil War history. Along
the Kansas/Missouri border in 1861, ragtag gangs of
Southern mercenaries known as bushwhackers waged a grisly
guerrilla war against their Union aggressors. Far from
the front lines in the East, these young rebels formed
their own rough-and-ready army and fought to the death
to defend their tradition-bound lifestyle. The galloping,
gun-slinging action is matched by a compelling narrative
tinged with wry humor as it follows the trail of a small
group of these men-including one black man remarkably
wedded to the Confederate cause-who get a fast and furious
education in the truths of loyalty, family, friendship,
responsibility and even love. With a stellar young cast
that includes the acting debut of pop musician Jewel,
Ride With the Devil will take you on the ride of your
life. J. Parsont top
Riff-Raff
1992
Format: VHS
Director: Ken Loach
UK
Director Ken Loach brings us a real slice of life in
this gritty, often funny story set against the realities
of Margaret Thatcher's Britain. The film (parts of which
have been subtitled for American audiences) won Europe's
equivalent of Best Picture Oscar. Stevie, (Robert Carlyle)
just out of prison, comes down from Glasgow to London
and gets a job on a building site, where the pay is
low and the workers come from all over the country.
Here he contends with Mick, his boss; a trio of Liverpudlian
lads who never let the work interfere with their main
chance and all the other characters and scam-artists
who work there. Things change one day when he finds
a purse and returns it to its owner, Susan. Susan, desperate
to make a name for herself as a singer, drifts through
her life, never quite getting it under control. As Stevie
and Susan learn to live with the ups and downs of life
in London, Riff-Raff builds a portrait of life as it
is lived on the edge. MVFF staff top
Rumi: Poet of the Heart
1998
Format: VHS
Director: Haydn Reiss
USA
A few years ago, Sufis were a mystery to most folks.
Today, these Islamic mystics have slipped into the mainstream.
Indeed, the best-selling poet in America these days
is Jelaluddin Rumi, a thirteenth-century Sufi mystic
whose work has tapped the modern western psyche with
words that transcend the boundaries of culture, religion
and language. Filmmaker Haydn Reiss reveals the essence
of the poet by combining interviews with translator
Coleman Barks, poet Robert Bly and others. Reiss masterfully
incorporates these interviews with hypnotic oud music
and readings of Rumi's resplendent poetry. G. Cahill
top
A
Rumor of Angels 2000
Format: DVD
Director: Peter O'Fallon
Canada
This remarkably assured and beautiful feature debut
is a stunning reflection on the universal themes of
love, loss, acceptance, and grace. The venerable Vanessa
Redgrave anchors the story with a luminous performance
as the eccentric, much-mythologized town recluse, Matty
Bennett. A chance encounter brings Matty face-to-face
with 12-year-old James (Trevor Morgan) who is spending
the summer with his Uncle Charlie (Ron Livingston),
his new stepmother (Catherine McCormack) and his rarely
present father (Ray Liotta). Against the panoramic backdrop
of the coast of Maine, Matty and James find common ground
in their loss of loved ones. In an oddly memorable and
moving scene, they forge an unlikely bond while painting
a white picket fence (with Mozart blaring from the house).
Embarking on a poignant journey of remembrance and reconciliation
with the past, which proves to be a transforming experience
for everyone around them, they show that love is found
where least expected, and dispel the "rumor" of angels.
M. Howden top
Secrets and Lies
1996
Format: VHS
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Leigh
UK/France
Winner of both Palme d'or and Best Actress (Brenda Blethyn)
awards at Cannes, Secrets and Lies is Mike Leigh at
his best, as his eye alights on characters whose fortunes
are framed by the vagaries of the British class system.
Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is a young professional
who sets out to find her birth mother after her adoptive
mother's death. Maurice is a family photographer whose
childless, upwardly mobile wife won't have much to do
with his sister Cynthia. Factory worker Cynthia (exquisitely
played by Brenda Blethyn)-is an isolated, lost spirit
who has single-handedly brought up her daughter, whose
upcoming 21st birthday will be the catalyst to destroying
the family's fragile structure. Leigh's observations
are impeccable, sometimes hilarious: Maurice's photo-sittings
create whimsical portraits and a rich subtext. And as
the family secrets are revealed, each character is challenged
in ways they'd never imagined. Secrets and Lies is deeply
moving and deeply human. Z. Elton top
Shiloh 1996
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Dale Rosenbloom
USA
Set in sleepy small-town America, Shiloh is a love story
of the boy-meets-dog variety. When the mean-spirited
Jud Travers (Scott Wilson) brutalizes his newest hunting
dog one too many times, the beaten beagle goes missing.
He reappears only to "adopt" local boy Marty Preston
(Blake Heron). The dog immediately wins Marty's affection
but it takes longer to win over his father (Michael
Moriarty), who returns the dog to its rightful owner.
When it becomes clear that Travers' training technique
is nothing short of brutal, Marty hides the dog and
hatches a plan. Stellar performances from both novice
and seasoned cast members alike, sensitive direction,
and gorgeous cinematography combine to make Shiloh a
seamless success. Look for Rod Steiger's remarkable
performance, playing against type, in a supporting role
as the town doctor. Based on Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's
novel, Shiloh is an uplifting film that will appeal
to the entire family. M. Gould top
Shine 1996
Format: DVD
Director: Scott Hicks
Australia
Inspired by the life of brilliant Australian pianist
David Helfgott, who was driven to the edge of madness
by his domineering father, Shine is an emotionally transcendent
drama about one man's extraordinary victory over adversity.
The film was received with a rare two standing ovations
at the Sundance Film Festival. As a child, David shows
unusual musical promise and wins a scholarship to study
piano in America, but his father (Armin Mueller-Stahl)
can't bear the thought of losing his only son and forbids
him to go. Against his wishes, David eventually leaves
to study under the renowned Cecil Parkes (Sir John Gielgud)
at the London College of Music. As his brilliance flourishes,
David finds himself unable to deal with his family's
rejection and his increasing isolation. He spends the
next 15 years in a psychiatric hospital enduring shock
therapy and unable to play his beloved piano. As an
adult he meets Gillian (Lynn Redgrave), an astrologer
who gives him the support and encouragement he needs
to resume his musical art. With impressive performances
by all and a truly inspirational performance by Geoffrey
Rush as the adult David, director Scott Hicks has succeeded
in crafting a truly remarkable film. B. MacDonald
top
Short
Cuts 1993
Format: VHS
Director, Robert Altman
USA
Based on the writings of Raymond Carver and set in a
blue-collar-meets-young-urban-professional southern
California milieu of trailer parks, TV studios, and
diners, Short Cuts weaves the lives of 22 characters
into a Nashville-like tapestry. The multi-character,
multi-plotted format envelopes nine stories, with Tim
Robbins as a philandering cop, Anne Archer as a clown,
Jennifer Jason Leigh (who wrote her own scene) as a
mom who pays the bills with phone sex, Huey Lewis as
a fisherman, and a stand-out nine-minute confessional
monologue from Jack Lemmon. Linking the intertwining
stories are fateful collisions. "The idea is that as
we learn about each character, we think, okay, if only
this person knew that person it would solve all their
problems," says Altman. This is Altman at his classic
best. W. Schneider top
The Snapper
1993
Format: DVD
Director: Stephen Frears
UK
Writer/schoolteacher Roddy Doyle mines the Dublin working
class neighborhood which inspired his first film (and
book) The Commitments. This time around the Curley family
is in an uproar over their daughter's announcement that
she is pregnant. Likable head of the rowdy household
Colm Meaney can't even down a brew in peace at the pub,
but daughter Sharon, played by Tina Kellegher, takes
the break in spunky stride. When a neighbor decides
he has the guilts and should assume responsibility,
every member of the blue-collar community spouts forth
with an opinion, but dad and daughter's relationship
remain securely anchored at the center of this drama.
Director Frears' emphasis on character, irony and off-the-wall
humor in an authentically rough-hewn Irish milieu more
resembles his earlier films The Hit and My Beautiful
Launderette than later efforts such as Dangerous Liaisons
and The Grifters. W. Schneider top
Snow Falling on Cedars
1999
Format: DVD
Director: Scott Hicks
USA
The year is 1950, and on a small island in the Pacific
Northwest, something tragic has happened. Suddenly,
a tranquil community of fishermen and berry farmers
must confront its thinly veiled prejudices and come
to terms with the legacy of a war that never touched
their soil but profoundly affected their roots. A local
fisherman is found dead on his boat, and another is
charged with his murder. Covering the story, the reporter
for the town's paper reveals much more than the mystery
behind the crime, as memories of childhood love become
entangled with the harsh realities of combat and the
deep impact of the Japanese internment. Through the
dense fog and silent snow emerges a stunning cinematic
interpretation of David Guterson's best-selling novel
by the acclaimed director of Shine. This powerful and
hypnotic film is no traditional courtroom drama, but
a penetrating exploration of the torment of love, the
consequence of history and the intricacy of justice.
J. Parsont top
Solomon and Gaenor
1999
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Morrison
UK
Shot against a breathtaking blue-gray backdrop of the
Welsh countryside, Paul Morrison's passionate and powerful
tale of cross-cultural love is a soulful period drama
fueled by sensual big screen chemistry, from two young
and talented lead actors. Although they live in the
same small town, Solomon (Ioan Gruffud) and Gaenor (Nia
Roberts come from different worlds. He is a Jewish peddler.
She is a Welsh chapelgoer from a traditional mining
family. When the two start an illicit love affair, complete
with a series of secret and torrid encounters, their
differences only seem to ignite their immense passion.
As scandal erupts around them, and the young lovers
attempt to flee from a world of racial unrest and strict
religious codes. Director Morrison's moody visual style
captures the dark emotional center of this story, weaving
an absorbing fable of unbridled devotion and moral soul
searching that ends with a dramatic crescendo. B.
Peterson top
Some Mother's Son
1996
Format: VHS
Director: Terry George
Ireland/UK/USA
A tense and riveting political drama, Some Mother's
Son is one of the most intensely moving films to
come along in years. Set squarely in the era of Margaret
Thatcher's iron-fisted campaign against the IRA, this
family-centered take on the Northern Ireland troubles
is remarkable for its perfect pitch storytelling and
stunningly flesh-and-blood characters. Helen Mirren
stars as Kathleen Quigley, a teacher whose steadfastly
nonviolent politics keep her from realizing that her
son is a member of the IRA-until he is shot and captured
by the British Army. As she fights for just treatment
for Gerard, Kathleen is thrown together with Annie Higgins
(Fionnula Flanagan), the staunchly anti-British mother
of another prisoner. When their sons join a hunger strike,
Kathleen and Annie must make a terrible decision: should
they intervene and save their sons' lives-which would
undermine the strike and destroy morale-or should they
allow their sons to die for a political cause? Brilliant
performances and a tight script by the makers of In
the Name of the Father and My Left Foot,
make this a uniquely powerful film that is not to be
missed. W. Salazar top
Songcatcher
2000
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Maggie Greenwald
USA
It is 1907 and musicologist Dr. Lily Penleric (Janet
McTeer) has just been denied a promotion in her university's
male-dominated world. Determined to gain academic recognition,
she heads to Appalachia where she makes a startling
discovery-the folksongs of Scotland and Ireland have
been preserved and passed down through generations of
the secluded mountain people. She sets out to record
the songs, but her task is not easy: the locals are
wary of her and protective of their ways. As coal companies
vie for land and swallow up whole communities, Lily
cannot help but become involved in the Appalachians'
struggles, while falling in love with rough local musician
(Aidan Quinn). Director Greenwald guides Lily's earthy,
unstoppable drive toward self-realization, and the simple
songs-raw and moving-complement the glorious landscape.
Songcatcher is a powerful portrait of the age-old struggle
between preservation and progress, set in the visceral
world of unsung mountaineers. Sundance Film Festival
top
Strictly
Ballroom 1992
Format: DVD
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Australia
The sleeper hit of the '92 Cannes Film Festival, Strictly
Ballroom won the prestigious "Prix De La Jeunesse" and
charmed even the most jaded audiences with its campy
humor, tongue-in-cheek visuals, and sizzling celebration
of dance and romance. The film marks Luhrmann's directorial
debut and stars Paul Mercurio, a principal dancer of
the Sydney Dance Company, as Scott Hastings, a rebel
dance champion who is stifled by the "strictly ballroom"
rules he is being forced to follow. Tara Morice co-stars
as the woman who helps Scott break free and wins his
heart in the process. This knowing behind-the-scenes
look at Australia's brassy world of ballroom dancing
deserves first-hand appreciation. Lots of toe-tapping
fun. G. Cahill top
The Sweet Hereafter
1997
Format: DVD
Director: Atom Egoyan
Canada
Winner of the Grand Prix at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival,
Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter charts the human journey
towards acceptance and grace. A cataclysmic event changes
life forever in a small town. A big city lawyer, driven
by his own demons, comes to the community with promises
of retribution and compensation. Amidst the ensuing
atmosphere of suspicion and doubt, disturbing truths
emerge from the shadows of the town's placid facad,
and its inhabitants are revealed in all their human
complexity. Ultimately, one teenager manages to regain
her dignity and reunite the community. Through her courage,
the townspeople come to live in the "sweet hereafter",
a realm reserved for those who are at peace with their
fate. MVFF staff top
Tumbleweeds
1999
Format: DVD
Director: Gavin O'Connor
USA
Love conquers all in this nineties version of Alice
Doesn't Live Here Anymore. An interpretation of co-writer
Angela Shelton's own childhood, Tumbleweeds tells the
spellbinding story of a mother and daughter held together
by an unconventional yet undeniable love. In a fresh
twist of the well-worn road flick, Tony Award-winner
Janet McTeer (A Doll's House) portrays the brassy yet
outwardly optimistic Mary Jo who, after another in a
long series of abusive boyfriends, hits the highway
with her feisty and outspoken daughter Ava (Kimberly
J. Brown). Mary Jo's independence is short-lived, however,
when she hooks up with a troublesome trucker, portrayed
by director Gavin O'Conner (The Bet). During their shared
search for a new way of living, the roles they once
played as mother and daugher fall away and they are
suddenly faced with the starling strength of a true
love that both binds and sets them free. G. Cahill
top
Twelfth
Night 1996
Format: VHS
Director: Trevor Nunn
UK
Romance thrives in this turn-of-the-century interpretation
of one of Shakespeare's most-loved comedies. Director
Trevor Nunn creates a rich, stylish Twelfth Night full
of flirtations, foibles and vanities of a wonderful
array of characters who fall in (and out) of love at
the doff of a cap. Viola (Imogene Stubbs) is shipwrecked
and believes her twin brother has drowned. To survive,
she dresses as a man and serves Count Orsino. Orsino
is in love with the beautiful Olivia (Helen Bonham-Carter),
who constantly rejects both his advances and the very
notion of love . . . until Orsino sends Viola-the-man
as his emissary. Olivia is smitten. Then Viola falls
for Orsino. The ensuing gender-bending comedy of errors
is complemented by the pratfalls of Olivia's household-a
stellar cast including Nigel Hawthorne as the hapless
Malvolio and Ben Kingsley, whose renditions of Shakespeare's
songs are quite mellifluous, as Feste. From start to
finish, this is pure delight. Z. Elton top
Twilight Los Angeles
2000
Format: VHS
Director: Marc Levin
USA
In 1993, Anna Devere Smith, an award-winning playwright,
performer, professor and MacArthur Awad recipient, won
national acclaim for Twilight Los Angeles, her one-woman
show that vividly brought the 1992 Los Angeles riots
and the various people involved to life on the theater
stage. For that extraordinary project, the multi-talented
Smith conducted hundreds of interviews-with police officers,
angry protesters, affected Korean storeowners and even
Charlton Heston-and gave voice to their stories, dressing
in costume and using their exact words. The details
and emotions she conveyed through speech and mannerisms
alone were the work of someone truly moved by her material.
Here director Marc Levin enhances Smith's on-stage performance
by blending her characterizations with raw news footage
(beatings, lootings, the burning aftermath) and contemporary
interviews, giving the piece an even greater depth and
resulting in a compelling and truly dynamic film. K.
Wolff top
Two Women (Do
Zan) (1999)
Format: DVD
Director: Tahmineh Milani
Iran Filmmaker Tahmineh Milani skillfully embarks on
a journey into a world unimaginable to most Westerners,
a world where smart women keep absolutely quiet, spend
their time devising elaborate plans for escape and hide
their intelligence. Two women from distinctly different
backgrounds meet at the University of Tehran at a time
when civil unrest returns to the Islamic fundamentalist
country of Iran. The friends depart when the university
closes, taking off on two very different paths that
twist and turn through marriage beds, corporate offices,
construction sites, country roads, courtrooms and city
parks. In a society where a woman's freedom is invariably
attached to her father, brother or husband, Two Women
beautifully speaks to the liberating role that education
plays in the lives of oppressed women. W. Sabir
top
The
Unbelievable Truth 1989
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter/Editor: Hal Hartley
USA
Filled with deadpan humor, Hal Hartley's stylized feature
film debut offers a fresh look at contemporary life
and rapidly fluctuating relationships. "Hartley's pic
takes us back to his native Long Island where the lovely
17-year-old Audry, a nuclearphobic, pacifist and high
school senior falls madly in love with a perfectly chiseled
auto mechanic, Josh, who works for her maniacal father,
Victor. The fact that Josh is a convicted murderer doesn't
rest well with Victor, but his mechanical genius makes
$$$ for Victor. Victor's other main concerns are sending
Audrey to college and raking in the $$$ she earns as
a New York fashion model. Audry focuses upon skipping
college, keeping her ex-boyfriend off her body and deflowering
the virgin Josh. Josh just wants to fix transmissions
and read all about George Washington (yes, the President).
Hal Hartley beautifully blends all these elements to
present a nihilistic viewpoint that is genuinely humorous,
without resorting to farce or overly offensive cynicism.
We leave the theater feeling both enlightened and ashamed,
but certainly a little closer to the truth. It's well
worth a look." P. Molina - Village Voice top
Unprecedented:
The 2000 Presidential Election 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Richard Ray Pérez
USA
During the last presidential election, tragedy and farce
collided head-on in Florida. Unprecedented: The 2000
Presidential Election by Richard Ray Perez and Joan
Sekler shows this political train-wreck in all its infuriating
squalor. How thousands of mostly African-American voters
were systematically disenfranchised. How Republican
operatives schemed and sabotaged. How Al Gore blew it
by limiting the recount. How it could happen again.
MVFF staff top
Vacas (Cows)
1992
Format: DVD
Director: Julio Medem
Spain
Set in the hauntingly beautiful Basque countryside of
Spain, Vacas tells the story of an age-old family feud.
Strikingly unusual and visually impressive, the film
spans 60 years, from 1875 to 1936, as it revolves around
the entwined fates of two Carlist soldiers and their
families. The Spanish Civil War provides a backdrop
for the film's dramatic conclusion. Betrayal, cowardice
and a rampaging sexuality electrify this dreamlike cinematic
portrait. Through the constant bickering and killings,
the placid cows in the lush fields serve as the calm
eye in the center of this emotional storm, throwing
sharp perspective on the moral outrageousness of mankind's
behavior. The young Basque write-director Julio Medem-part
of the new wave of Spanish filmmakers now catching that
nation's attention-has given the story a surrealistic
treatment that is greatly enhanced by composer Albert
Iglesias' exquisitely hypnotic score. The film's strong
sense of mystery and ominous mood draws the viewer down
a darkened rabbit hole and into a brooding Wonderland
of human passions. G. Cahill top
The Way Home
2001
Format: DVD
irector: Lee Jung-hyang
South Korea
When a precocious, city-bred 7-year-old boy is plopped
into the South Korean countryside to live with his mute
grandmother, a private relationship develops that touches
on sweeping issues. Jung-hyang's beautiful depiction
of a lush rural landscape sets an easygoing pace for
a film that offers, by turns, moments of sweetness,
poignancy and with. The film's universal message helped
it top all Korean box office records for 2002. With
gentle stoicism, the elderly grandma shows remarkable
tolerance for young Sang-Woo's antagonizing pranks.
And in spite of himself, he slowly learns to appreciate
her sage-like insight, allowing their bond to expand
in an enchantingly natural way. Addressing themes of
human nature, generation gaps and the ways in which
those gaps can become cultural chasms, The Way Home
is complex in its simplicity. It's also a lilting reminder
why it's in our nature to believe in a family bond.
R. Farmer top
Waking Ned Devine
1998
Format: DVD
Director/Screenwriter: Kirk Jones
UK
"How long can a man sit on a fortune without
spending a penny?" asks Jackie O'Shea, a character in
this gentle comedy set amidst the lush Irish countryside.
Upon learning of a lottery winner in their midst, two
mischievous life-long friends from a sleepy Irish village,
population 52, intend to find out the answer. A village-wide
interrogation finally reveals the lucky winner-he has
dropped dead from shock, ticket in hand. This ironic
twist propels the two men on a hilarous yet poignant
quest to retrieve the dead man's millions. As they grapple
with the significance of fate, the trappings of greed
and the complications of deception, the men take a closer
look at the people of their community and at their own
conscience. The film, a low-budget sleeper that sparked
a surprise bidding war at Cannes, comes from first time
writer-director Kirk Jones. N. Isaacs top
Welcome to Sarajevo
1997
Format: VHS
Director: Michael Winterbottom
UK
Filmed in Sarajevo and inspired by true stories, the
sunning Welcome to Sarajevo establishes Michael Winterbottom
as one of the most important of the new generation of
British directors. The film thrusts its viewers into
the war zone with an urgent and unparalleled realism.
At the beginning of the siege of Sarajevo, a group of
war correspondents cover the news in one of the most
dangerous spots on earth. No safer than the permanent
residents, the journalists competitively search for
the biggest story, and attempt to keep the eyes of the
world on the inhumane events that they witness. When
veteran war reporter Michael Henderson (British stage
actor Stephen Dillane) discovers an orphanage on the
front lines, he grows obsessed and finds himself faced
with the opportunity to make a significant difference
in one child's life. Featuring both unknown actors as
well as stars like Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei,
Welcome to Sarajevo extracts a moving and human story
out of the chaos and rubble of a city at war. M.
Gould top
Wend Kuuni (God's
Gift) 2000
Format: VHS
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Gaston J-M Kaboré
Upper Volta
Gaston Jean-Marie Kaboré is a filmmaker wise enough
not to indulge cleverness. In his lyrical first feature,
he deftly sidesteps the pitfalls of so many beginners.
He avoids kinetic fireworks: Kaboré has no need to rediscover
the celluloid wheel. He has a simple tale to tell, and
he tells it simply, in the manner of a Mossi folktale
(the Mossi make up most of Upper Volta's populace).
But the film's virtues amount to more than a mere avoidance.
For, as any dime-store sage can tell you, being simple
ain't. The tale centers on the eponymous boy-hero a
mute foundling, and is set in a time long ago, during
the peaceful days of the Mossi Empire, 'before the white
man came,' - material that could have been easily played
for all its emotional thunder. But Kaboré-no sturm and
dranger, he-treats it with remarkable sense of balance,
and in the process gives us a film of disarming sophistication.
With René B. Guirma's music (based on traditional Mossi
airs) Wend Kuuni becomes a work of courtly naturalness."
Luis Francia, The Village Voice top
Wings of the Dove
1997
Format: DVD
Director, Iain Softley
UK
Moody and achingly beautiful, The Wings of the Dove
brings the classic Henry James novel to the silver screen
with a standout cast and breathtaking visuals. In London,
circa 1909, Kate (Helena Bonham Carter) finds herself
caught between her aunt, the guardian who wants to secure
her a place in society, and the man she loves, a common
journalist (Linus Roache), Kate's aunt forbids the relationship
and, for a time, she obeys. When an enigmatic American
Heiress (Alilson Elliott) befriends her, a curious turnn
of events provides Kate with what seems to be the perfect
opportunity. Too tempting to ignore, she hopes it will
allow her to keep her social standing, her money and
her love. Sure to evoke comparisons to Merchant-Ivory's
epic period dramas-thanks largely to the luminous presence
of Bonham Carter-Ian Softley's sensitively directed
The Wings of the Dove is a soulful masterpiece in its
own right, evoking not only the look and feel of the
period but its painfully oppressive mores. M. Gould
top
Yaaba
2000
Format: VHS
Director: Idrissa Ouedraogo
Burkina Faso
While visiting the grave site of her mother, a young
boy, Bila, and his cousin encounter an old woman who
was cast out of their village as a witch many years
before. Warned by his parents to stay away from the
woman and despite the village's fears, Bila is nonetheless
drawn into her mysterious world. When his cousin becomes
ill, he seeks the help of the woman, who then must find
a cure for the girl and for the intolerance of the village.
Refreshingly natural performances and beautiful scenery
highlight this feature shot in Burkina Faso. MVFF staff top
10 on Ten
2004
Format: DVD
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Iran
In 10 on Ten, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami (A Taste
of Cherry) gives us an incisive look at his unique method
of filmmaking and offers up an intimate reflection on
cinema and on life in general. 10 refers to the 10 lessons
on the creative process of his films and uses his award-winning
film Ten as the point of departure. The viewer is afforded
a unique opportunity to accompany Kiarostami as he drives
through the stark landscapes of some of his films, sharing
his innermost thoughts along the way. 10 on Ten is a
liberating, inspiring blueprint for a new era of filmmaking
and an alternative to the bloated excess of the Hollywood
formula. K. Clement
Born into Brothels:
Calcutta’s Red Light Kids 2004
Format: DVD
Director: Ross Kauffman
India/USA
Sundance Audience Award-winner and hot ticket on the
film festival circuit, Born into Brothels: Calcutta’s
Red Light Kids is a must-see documentary that follows
a Western photographer’s quest to rescue a few kids
from the wretched fates awaiting them in Calcutta’s
filthy red-light district. This mesmerizing photo album
in motion peers into the lives of a group of bright,
street-smart children born to prostitutes and absent
or drug-addicted fathers, who capture the attention
of Zana Briski as she photographs the sex workers of
the notorious Sonagachi district. Briski starts a photography
class for the kids, and the results are nothing short
of amazing, leading to international exhibitions of
their work and a first shaky step toward hope. D.
Quinones
Caterina in the Big
City (Caterina Va In Città) 2003
Format: DVD
Director: Paolo Virzi
Italy
A charming coming-of-age story as well as a clever satire
of contemporary Italian politics, this seamless comedy-drama
follows a 13-year-old and her parents who have relocated
to Rome from the provinces. Acclimating to her new school
and its well-connected students, Caterina is tugged
in two directions: toward the brooding bohemian crowd
led by Margherita, the daughter of left-wing intellectuals,
and to the clique of rich preppies dominated by Daniela,
whose father is a right-wing government minister. Adapting
easily to each successive milieu, Caterina is stymied
only by her own excitable dad and his obsession with
social status, regardless of political extremes. This
wise and witty movie leavens its laughs with essential
truths. R. Peterson
The Chorus (Les
Choristes) 2004
Format: DVD
Director: Christopher Barratier
France/Switzerland
This touching, sweet and fetchingly musical directorial
debut by noted French producer and music maker Christophe
Barratier follows the quest of lost-soul musician and
teacher Clement Mathieu (Gerard Jugnot), who in the
1940s takes a job in a tough reform school for boys.
House rules include brutal punishments for those who
won’t follow the repressive regimen of the bitter headmaster
(Francois Berleand). Mathieu, however, sees salvation
for the hardest cases in the founding of a choir, which
performs music he writes and conducts, thus salvaging
and revitalizing his own musical talents as well. Performances
by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint- Marc Choir add to
the charm of this crowd-pleaser, inspired by the 1947
movie La Cage aux Rossignols. P. Stack
Finding Neverland
2004
Format: DVD
Director: Marc Forster
UK/USA
Peter Pan and Tinker Bell are happy icons of child wonderment,
while their eccentric inventor, British playwright J.M.
Barrie, seems a historical footnote. In director Marc
Forster’s (Monster’s Ball) latest film, Johnny Depp
creates an inspired portrait of the fanciful genius
whose theatrical failures were as notorious as his scandalous
affection for a young widow (Kate Winslet). Dustin Hoffman
is featured as Barrie‘s producer, Julie Christie as
the widow’s severe mother. Based on Allan Knee’s original
play, “The Man Who Was Peter Pan,” this deeply shaded
exploration of Barrie’s heedless extramarital attraction
is consistently delicious due to Roberto Schaefer’s
sumptuous cinematography. A fine interweave of fantasy
and troubled romantic journey. P. Stack
Kinsey 2004
Format: DVD
Director: Bill Condon
USA
Oscar-winning filmmaker Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters)
creates a luminous portrait of pioneer human sex researcher
Dr. Alfred Kinsey, played with brilliant intensity by
Liam Neeson. MVFF honoree Laura Linney co-stars in a
moving, complex performance as Kinsey’s wife and spiritual
partner. This unblushing look at the famed “sex doctor”
who shook a prudish nation, is charged with memorable
performances, rare frankness and explicit archival footage.
Condon taps into a deeply felt humanity in his study
of the stubborn researcher whose daring science plumbed
emotional hazard zones. The cast relishes every line
of Condon’s rich screenplay, as it splendidly affirms
one man’s amazing life and inspiring love. P. Stack
Kontroll 2003
Format: DVD
Director: Nimród Antal
Hungary
Nimród Antal’s genre-busting feature found critical
and commercial success in its home country of Hungary.
Part of a new generation of Hungarian film, this remarkable
piece is fraught with metaphor as it works the motif
of a society emerging from communism. Beautifully shot
in a Budapest metro station, it is the story of a team
of workers still trapped in the monotony of bureaucracy
as reviled ticket takers. The tale is told with levity
and panache and employs a variety of genres—comedy,
suspense, psychological drama, even surrealism—and a
kinetic style that never sacrifices coherence. Though
it might make you think twice before taking the subway,
Kontroll offers one hell of a ride. R. Armstrong
Lightning in a Bottle
2004
Format: DVD
Director: Antoine Fuqua
USA
Listen to this: Natalie Cole sings “Saint Louis Blues.”
India.Arie sings “Strange Fruit.” Macy Gray does “Hound
Dog.” Buddy Guy and Angelique Kidjo riff on “Voodoo
Chile.” Then come Ruth Brown, Solomon Burke, Bonnie
Raitt, the Neville Brothers, Robert Cray and the ultimate
in blues royalty, B. B. King. This lineup should give
you goosebumps. This 2003, once-in-a-lifetime Radio
City Music Hall concert is a celebration, reunion and
benediction of the blues, gorgeously captured by Antoine
Fuqua as part of the epic Martin Scorsese Presents the
Blues project. Each satisfyingly full-length song is
interspersed with intimate film clips of rehearsal sessions
and late blues greats telling it like it is. For this
one, run don’t walk. Seriously. J. Campbell
Mondovino 2004
Format: DVD
Director: Jonathan Nossiter
France/USA
Filmmaker and sommelier Jonathan Nossiter’s twin passions
marry wonderfully in the fascinating Mondovino, an enthralling
look at the winemaking industry. Featuring a rich, robust,
colorful cast of characters, the film sparkles even
as it observes the battle between indigenous winemakers
and multinational conglomerates. Nossiter’s subjects
include Napa’s Mondavi Winery and Harlan Estates, influential
American critic Robert Parker, French wine consultant
Michel Rolland and independent winemakers in Europe,
South America and the United States. Mondovino movingly
illustrates the links among winemaking, culture and
civilization and leaves one wondering at the sensibilities
of a world in which the intense, intimate relationship
of a winemaker to his wine and vines can be usurped
by technology and mass marketing. J. O’ Mahony
Tarnation
2004
Format: DVD
Director: Jonathan Caouette
USA
Like a Beethoven symphony performed at the speed of
light, filmmaker Jonathan Caouette has composed an unforgettably
moving, moody and brilliant personal epic out of the
haunting strains of a frighteningly dysfunctional childhood.
Created entirely with home-movie editing software, and
assembled from a lifetime of collected audiovisual mementos
from his past, including Super-8 film, video, answering
machine messages and more, the first-time filmmaker
documents his tormented relationship with his schizophrenic
mother, his aging grandparents, his own comingout as
a gay teenager and the blossoming of his first true
love. Beautiful, touching and often unbearably heartbreaking,
this riveting one-of-a-kind work charts new and exciting
territory for the future of contemporary independent
film. K. Davis
Vera Drake
2004
Format: DVD
Director: Mike Leigh
UK
Vera Drake, from Academy Award-nominated writer-director
Mike Leigh, paints an extraordinary portrait of an altruistic
woman who is completely devoted to and loved by her
working-class family and neighbors. Vera has a secret
other life, however, and with the inevitable exposure
of her clandestine activities, which she has kept hidden
even from family, her world and family life unravel.
Imelda Staunton (Bright Young Things, Shakespeare in
Love) gives a brilliant performance in the title role,
while Jim Broadbent, Heather Craney and Phillip Davis
round out the ensemble cast of Britain’s Best. J.
O’ Mahony
Visions of Light 2004?
DVD
Format:
Director:
Casa de Los Babys
Format: DVD
Director: John Sayles
USA
Dir. John Sayles A multilayered look at Latin America’s
adoption industry and the North American bidders that
fuel it. Following a group of women stuck in redtape
limbo, Sayles examines the socio-political effects these
maternal desires leave in their wake. With a great ensemble
cast (Lili Taylor and Rita Moreno), this portrait of
clashing cultures is provocative, complex and heartbreakingly
poignant. D.F.
Out of Time
2003
Format: DVD
Director: Carl Franklin
USA
Denzel Washington stars as the small-town Florida police
chief who must race against time and everyone close
to him, including his own police force and his wife
(the fiery Eva Mendes), to keep his name clear. Bay
Area-bred director Carl Franklin (One False Move) keeps
the adrenaline primed in this sexy thriller, in which
even innocuous office technology can be a weapon, and
the lines of communication that connect can also set
traps. M.A.S.
The Station Agent
2003
Format: DVD
Director: Tom McCarthy
USA
A laconic dwarf named Finbar, a chatty hot dog vendor
and a traffic-challenged woman mourning for her son
stumble onto each other at a desolate New Jersey train
station that Finbar has inherited. They each suffer
their emotional burdens privately, but yearn for a human
connection. Actor-director Tom McCarthy compacts epical
truth and empathy in this film’s small frame and elicits
perfectly realized performances from his central trio
of Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson.
J.M.
Off the Map
2003
Format: DVD
Director: Campbell Scott
USA
Big Night director Campbell Scott tells a tale of an
unconventional family riding an emotional roller coaster.
It’s 1974, and the Grodens live a simple life: no running
water, telephone or electricity. Despite these peaceful
surroundings, the family is coming unhinged. With moving
performances from Joan Allen and Sam Elliot, the film
builds an unforgettable portrait of a family on the
edge of society. B.P.
The Barbarian Invasions
(Les Invasions Barbares) 2003
Format: DVD
Director: Denys Arcand
Canada
Using smart dialogue like a scalpel and making use of
classic film references, Arcand pokes fun at everything
from the United States to the Catholic Church in The
Barbarian Invasions. The film revisits the same characters
from Arcand’s Decline of the American Empire; their
reunion is occasioned by hedonist Remy’s terminal illness,
which is navigated by his estranged son’s hilarious
outwitting of Canada’s taciturn health system. Comic
and poignant, Invasions paints a picture of a perfect
death. J.M.
An Angel for May
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Harley Cokeliss
UK
Upset by family problems, young Tom runs away and unexpectedly
stumbles into a portal to the past that lands him in
Yorkshire during World War II. There he is taken in
by a benevolent farmer (Tom Wilkinson) and befriended
by May, a sweet but troubled young evacuee who is greatly
affected by Tom’s companionship. When he returns to
the present, Tom learns the unfortunate fate of his
new friends and heads back to the past once more, determined
to change the course of history. Ages 8+ J.P.
In America
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Jim Sheridan
Ireland/UK
The Flower of Evil
(La Fleur du Mal) 2003
DVD
Format: Claude Chabrol
Director: France
Claude Chabrol returns with
another dissection of bourgeois hypocrisy. A family
scandal from the Vichy era emerges to threaten the campaign
of a Bordeaux conservative (Nathalie Baye) running for
local office. Somehow, she finds the revelation from
the past far more distressing than her husband’s womanizing
or the immoderate romance between her daughter and a
stepson just returned from America. A sunlit portrait
of grinning amorality, Chabrol’s latest is tense, sexy
and disconcerting. M.F.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
2003
DVD
Format: Dir. Peter Webber
Director: UK/Luxemborg
The 17th-century painter Johannes
Vermeer and his favorite subject swim through luminous
Dutch light in this adaptation of Tracy Chevalier’s
book-club mainstay. Every shot is a cinematographer’s
dream—windows pour dust-flecked sensuality on Scarlet
Johansson as Griet, maid to the Vermeer household, who
unwittingly exudes ripples of erotically charged anguish
as she struggles to maintain her purity and budding
artistic vision. Colin Firth pierces as Vermeer, with
Tom Wilkinson as his leering patron. A.J.
I am David 2003
DVD
Format: Paul Feig
Director: USA
In a Communist prison camp in Bulgaria,
1952, an orphaned boy stares down the barrel of a gun.
That night, the boy escapes with a mysterious envelope
and directions to Denmark, a country worlds away. Dodging
police and immigration, he trusts no one until a maternal
painter takes him in and discovers his past. Moving
from darkness to light, this suspenseful period thriller
proves that—as the painter insists—a certain humanity
always prevails. J.S.
Madame Brouette
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Moussa Sène Absa
Canada/Senegal
A divorced mother who’s sworn off men, Mati is a spirited
survivor selling bric-a- brac out of her wheelbarrow
to scrape by. Into her life walks Naago, a smooth-talking,
crooked yet irresistible policeman. When he’s found
dead, all fingers point to Mati. But did she pull the
trigger? Part detective story, part parable, this jab
at shantytown chauvinism seamlessly blends storytelling
styles. A nouveau African cinema gem. D.F.
My Architect
2003
Format: DVD
Director: Nathaniel Kahn
USA
In this touching quasi-detective story, the illegitimate
son of Louis I. Kahn tries to unravel the enigma of
the iconoclastic architect’s life and death. Nathaniel
Kahn features conversations with masters Philip Johnson,
I.M. Pei and Frank Gehry, and footage of the elder Kahn’s
inspired edifices in locales such as La Jolla, Philadelphia
and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Nathaniel’s effort to reconcile
genius with a messy personal life—Louis had two mistresses
and a wife— gives the film a rare poignancy. M
Nightingale in a
Music Box 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Hurt McDermott
USA
A relentless, ingenious thriller that depends more on
the intellect than on the visceral thrills of guns and
fast cars. Burke is a legendary psychological operative.
Robin is a captured suburban mother imprisoned in a
top-secret biological lab. The two women eventually
join forces to stop an insidious plot involving Robin’s
very mind. More heady fun than doing a year of New York
Times crosswords. J.M.
Prisoner of Paradise
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Malcolm Clarke
Canada/UK
Stuart Sender Kurt Gerron was a huge star in pre-World
War II Germany, thoroughly dominating stage and screen—the
song “Mac the Knife” was written for him, and he co-starred
alongside Marlene Dietrich. Under Nazism, however, the
Jewish actor-director was shipped off to the Nazi showpiece
ghetto, Theriesenstadt, where he was given a terrible
choice: make a Nazi propaganda film or be deported to
Auschwitz. Wrenching interviews and remarkable archival
footage bring the crushing sham of Theriesenstadt and
Gerron’s predicament into sharp focus. A.J.
Shattered Glass
2003
Format: DVD
Director: Billy Ray
USA
This fascinating exploration of journalistic ethics
and the power of personality covers the real rise and
fall of notorious journalist Stephen Glass. In the ’90s,
this 20-something magazine writer rocked the lives of
writers, editors and readers when it was discovered
he had fabricated more than half the stories he published.
With deft direction and a charismatic cast led by Hayden
Christensen and Chloë Sevigny, this thought-provoking
fable about contemporary media perfectly re-creates
the scandal’s excitement and confusion. B.P.
The Singing Detective
2003
Format: DVD
Director: Keith Gordon
USA
In this film version of the late Dennis Potter’s iconic
TV series, Robert Downey Jr. uses his wondrously expressive
lips to burrow deeply into the central figure of frustrated
pulp writer Dan Dark. Drugged to dull the pain of a
horrible skin disease, Dark hallucinates his newest
screenplay from a hospital bed. Downey plays both the
curmudgeonly Dark and his tuneful, Bogey-like alter
ego in a Potter script that deliriously mixes paranoia,
musical numbers and redemption. With Robin Wright Penn
and Mel Gibson. A.J.
Springtime in a Small
Town (Xiao Cheng Zhi Chun) 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Tian Zhuangzhuang
China/France/Hong Kong
A doctor visiting a former colleague rekindles a passion
for an old flame—who is married to his longtime acquaintance.
They resist their still-smoldering attraction until
a celebratory drinking game fans the embers of desire,
with tragic results. China’s pioneering Fifth Generation
director Tian Zhuangzhuang returns to filmmaking after
a 10- year absence with this gorgeous, spellbinding
tale of illicit passion and betrayal in the postwar
provinces. As ethereal as an Ozu masterpiece. D.
Tom Dowd and the Language
of Music 2003
Format: DVD
Director: Mark Moorman
USA
It’s hard to imagine American pop music without Tom
Dowd, who compiled an impressive résumé as a studio
whiz and producer until his death last year. During
his 50 years with Atlantic Records, he worked with rock
and jazz greats such as Ray Charles, John Coltrane,
Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Otis Redding and the
Allman Brothers, to name a few. This insightful portrait
shows Dowd as a big-hearted father figure and a remarkable
artist who left a rich legacy of sound. G.C.
White Oleander
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Peter Kominsky
USA
The potent image of the lovely, poisonous oleander pervades
this masterfully acted and visually lush film. The daughter
of a strong-willed artist and single mother (Michelle
Pfeiffer), young Astrid (Alison Lohman) is shunted into
the foster-care system after her mother is imprisoned
for the murder of a lover. Yanked from home to facility
to home, Astrid becomes a catalyst for exploding relationships,
her own development is shaped by her acute responses
to these dramas and to the constant undertow of her
mother’s possessive love and steely independence. Even
as Astrid is repeatedly cast into adult chaos, her own
creative sensibility nurtures a nascent self-identity
and enables her to fashion a real emotional life. Drive
by outstanding performances by Lohman, Pfeiffer, Robin
Wright Penn and Renee Zellweger, White Oleander, based
on the novel by Janet Fitch, is powerful drama and a
fresh, multi-layered look at the human condition.
C.I. Pickett
All or Nothing
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Mike Leigh
UK/France
Mike Leigh returns from the costumed biopic detour of
Topsy-Turvy to the London working-class milieu of his
greatest works with this searing comic look at the long,
long weekend of one family in a housing project. The
masterful Timothy Spall, a Leigh regular, is a hangdog
taxi driver whose common-law wife (Lesley Manville)
at least tries, though with little success, to break
out of the sullen traps their lives have become. Their
two overweight children, Rachel and Rory, and various
neighbors have other ways to pointedly avoid the economic
hardships of their world: mainly, alcohol, depression,
anger, seething resentment or (if you’re talented) all
four simultaneously. Hilarious, harrowingly powerful
and always perceptive, All or Nothing’s wealth of behavioral
detail and observational humor finds Leigh and his cast
at the top of their games, creating a vibrant, energetic
slice-of-life drama that finds a jolting poetry in the
thickest, hardest curses. J. Sanders
The Barefoot Contessa
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
USA
Newly restored to its full three-strip Technicolor beauty,
The Barefoot Contessa is Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s cautionary
tale of one woman’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune,
replete with the barbed bon mots that made his All About
Eve such a devilish delight. Ava Gardner is Maria Vargas,
a headstrong dancer turned- movie-star from Madrid who
refuses to be swayed by the glitz and glamour that threaten
to overwhelm her. Her fierce but impetuous independence
reveals a self-destructive bent that will not be tempered,
resulting in a stable of spurned lovers, bad decisions
and an inevitable, wonderfully overwrought downfall.
Edmond O’Brien won an Oscar for his portrayal of a toadying
press agent and, as the recovering alcoholic director
who’s powerless to save Maria from herself, an ashen
Humphrey Bogart provides a touch of pathos to this superb
Cinderella story gone awry. D. Jones
Bowling for Columbine
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Michael Moore
Canada/USA
Former teenage marksman and current cultural instigator
Michael Moore sets his sights on Americans’ love affair
with guns in this incendiary, boisterous documentary,
the first in almost fifty years to be invited to the
Cannes Film Festival’s main competition. As in Roger
and Me and his series TV Nation, Moore dispenses with
the formalities of objectivity or journalistic distance
to grind his axes on a dizzying number of highly deserving
targets with a stunning blend of in-depth research,
intriguing arguments, smart satire and Moore’s seemingly
endless on-screen chutzpah. Whether opening an account
at a bank that gives out free rifles to new customers,
visiting the Columbine High School massacre site or
cornering NRA mouthpiece Charlton Heston, Moore remains
unwavering in his search to line up, dismantle and re-form
the usual arguments about guns, violence and the USA.
Carefully avoiding simple conclusions, Bowling for Columbine
turns this hot-button issue into compelling, mandatory
viewing. J. Sanders
City of God
(Cidade de Deus) 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Brazil
City of God is a swaggering, honest retelling of the
history of Rio de Janeiro’s young street gangs, from
their relatively innocent beginnings in the 1960s to
the far deadlier drug wars of the 1980s. Adapted from
a fact-based novel by Paulo Lins, who grew up in the
notorious Cidade de Deus (City of God) favela, the film
tells its tale of violence and death through the eyes
of Buscade, a young man too kind and too smart to choose
a future in either a gang or a menial job. Picking up
a camera instead, he becomes a photographer, able to
exist in a maelstrom of guns, drugs and senseless killings,
while still maintaining a sense of clarity and a hope
of escape. Far closer to Goodfellas than Pixote in its
hyperkinetic visual style and sensational use of music,
City of God delivers a visceral experience. J. Sanders
Divine Intervention
(Yadon Ilaheyya) 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Elia Suleiman
Palestine/France/Morocca/Germany
The most talked-about film at this year’s Cannes Film
Festival, Divine Intervention gutsily reinvents Israeli-occupied
Palestine as a surreal hinterland of violence and comic
absurdity—one that’s more in tune with Buster Keaton
or Jacques Tati than CNN. Director Suleiman (Intifada:
Speaking for Oneself, Speaking for Others MVFF 1990)
alternates scenes both gut-wrenching and hopeful in
this mosaic of Palestinian life: A gasping Santa Claus
is chased and cornered by a gang of children; a balloon
with Yasser Arafat’s face escapes a checkpoint and floats
over Israeli soldiers to a mosque; a Palestinian female
ninja disarms machine-gunning commandos. Shying away
from didacticism or gritty misery, Suleiman embraces
an ethos of pure, almost silent cinema, where an alreadyabsurd
reality is heightened into an eloquent nightmare. Deadpan
yet energetic, resigned yet enraged, witty yet sorrowful,
Divine Intervention is “a chronicle of love and pain”
(as its subtitle reads) and far more. J. Sanders
Intact (Intacto) 2001
Format: DVD
Director: Spain
Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
What if some people really are born lucky—and what if
that luck were a currency that could be stolen, collected
and added to, until one person literally had all the
luck? Based on this eerily wild hypothesis, Intact unleashes
a cascade of consequences that becomes a meditation
on the eternal riddles of chance and survival. Samuel
(Max von Sydow), an aging “god of chance,” runs a gaudy
desert casino. When his protégé, Federico, abandons
him, Samuel steals Federico’s luck and leaves him powerless.
The vengeful Federico then finds his own protégé—the
sole survivor of a plane crash—with whom he enters the
twisted, high-stakes game of the luck-endowed, hoping
to best Samuel in one final game of chance. Like Memento,
this moody, stylish thriller explores loss, responsibility,
redemption and survivor-guilt, and conjures up images—such
as a blindfolded race through the woods—that unsettlingly
mirror our randomly violent, power-mad world. J.
C.
Lost in La Mancha
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Keith Fulton
UK
A trip through the chaotic obsessions of eccentric auteur
Terry Gilliam, Lost in La Mancha documents the gory
details of a film shoot gone awry. For ten years, Gilliam
has dreamt of creating his own version of Don Quixote.
With financing in place, locations in Spain scouted
and a cast of well-known actors signed on (including
Johnny Depp and French star Jean Rochefort), Gilliam
and his international crew are ready to make a movie.
And then it unravels. Flash floods, an injured actor
and unwanted airplanes are a few problems that pop up
early in production. Filmmakers Fulton and Pepe take
us into the minds of a crew on the verge of a nervous
breakdown, as investors and insurance agents watch from
the sidelines and Gilliam giggles maniacally. A disaster
flick like no other, Lost in La Mancha is an uncomfortable
and thoroughly entertaining look at filmmaking spun
out of control. B. Peterson
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest (1975)
Format: DVD
Director: Milos Forman
USA
It’s one of the greatest American films of all time.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, director Milos Forman’s
powerful film adaptation of Ken Kesey’s popular 1962
novel, was a critical and commercial hit. The independently
produced black comedy was based on Kesey’s own experiences
as an orderly at a San Jose mental hospital and starred
Jack Nicholson as Randle Patrick McMurphy, a smart aleck
anti-establishment hero who became a symbol of 70s counterculture
rebellion. The film also made Nurse Ratched (played
by Louise Fletcher) the poster girl for uptight bureaucratic
society. Cuckoo’s Nest swept the Oscars, becoming the
first film since Frank Capra’s 1934 classic It Happened
One Night to win all the major awards: Best Picture
(beating Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and Robert Altman’s
Nashville), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor
and Best Actress. Don’t miss this brand-new print and
MVFF’s tribute to the immortal Forman. G. Cahill
Rabbit-Proof Fence
(2002)
Format: DVD
Director: Director Phillip Noyce
Australia/UK
In this true story of Australia’s “Stolen Generations,”
the walk home for three young girls spans 1500 miles
of desert. In 1931, A.O. Neville (Kenneth Branagh),
Chief Protector of Aborigines, promotes the government’s
long-term policy of forcibly removing half-caste children
from their Aboriginal mothers and integrating the children
into white society. As part of this program, 14-year-old
Molly Craig, her younger sister, Daisy, and cousin Gracie
are brought to an official orphanage for training as
domestics. The resourceful Molly masterminds the girls’
escape along the anti-rabbit fence that bisects the
continent, while Neville’s police pursue the runaways
with skilled Aboriginal tracker Moodoo (David Gulpilil,
Walkabout). An auspicious return to Australian film
for director Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games), this emotionally
charged drama, underscored by Peter Gabriel’s soundtrack,
is adapted from the book by Molly’s daughter, Doris
Pilkington Garimara, who was also separated from her
mother as a child. R. Peterson
Seven Samurai
Format: DVD
Director: Director Akira Kurosawa
Japan
Often called the greatest Japanese film ever made and
considered Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Seven Samurai
is a wonder to behold. Shot in breathtaking black and
white, this mighty epic blends action, suspense, drama
and humor into a moving story of honor, justice and
will. The simple story of good versus evil unfolds quickly:
In the early 16th century, a group of wild bandits terrorizes
a small village; to protect themselves, the peasants
hire a lively, diverse group of samurai. The battle
lines are soon drawn. Kurosawa’s episodic construction
threads together multiple story lines, as a masterful
group of actors create memorable, rich characters. Moments
of deep feeling are thrust against stunning scenes of
expressive violence in the battle segments. Few films
pack this combination of visceral thrill, intellectual
engagement and emotional resonance. Don’t miss a chance
to take in this beautiful new print of a Kurosawa classic
on the big screen. B. Peterson
Spellbound (2002)
Format: DVD
Director: Jeff Blitz
USA
Not for the faint of heart, or for those who have difficulty
with the word onomatopoeia, Spellbound uncovers the
sheer will, wit and array of characters required to
produce a national championship spelling bee. Following
eight children of various ethnic, class and regional
backgrounds, the film ranges over a vast landscape of
super-intelligent American youth. You will indubitably
find yourself pulling for one of the main contestants,
while the tension becomes as thick as the dictionaries
these kids have memorized to get here. Ted, from the
Ozarks, joins Emily, of upper-crust New Haven, Connecticut,
Angela, a multilingual Mexican American and Neil, a
first-generation Indian American in their quest for
glory. The children’s individual stories and their competitive
spirits will have you enrapt and agog, as the would-be
champions each calculate and sweat out their challenges,
letter by painstaking letter, hoping to escape to the
next round.
Stand and Deliver
(1987)
Format: DVD
Director: Director Ramon Menendez
USA
In 1982, Jaime Escalante, a Bolivian math teacher in
a tough Los Angeles high school with a 50 percent drop-out
rate, prepared 18 students to take the National Advanced
Placement Calculus Test, an exam so difficult that only
2 percent of graduating seniors attempt it. When all
of the students passed, they were accused of cheating
and forced to retake it; the second results matched
the first. The Los Angeles Times story of these events
caught the attention of UCLA film school graduates Tom
Musca and Ramon Menendez, who wanted to make a film
about heroic modern-day Hispanics. Edward James Olmos
(Zoot Suit, The Battle of Gregorio Cortez), who plays
Lt. Castillo on Miami Vice, signed on to star and co-produce.
A $1 million budget (the fiscal size of Don Johnson’s
wardrobe) paid for this uplifting film about dreams,
hard work and one teacher’s refusal to give up on his
students. C. Graham
The Stoneraft
(La Balsa De Piedra) 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Director George Sluizer
Netherlands/Spain/Portugal
Enchanted visuals, spirited performances and charming
wit make The Stoneraft
an offbeat, whimsically satirical examination of the
human condition. When a rift opens along the border
between Spain and France, the Iberian Peninsula is suddenly
freed from the European continent. Amid the ensuing
political and geological chaos, five curious characters
and a loveable canine unite to discover their connections
to each other and to the mysterious groundbreaking events.
Seeking to stop the peninsula’s movement, the six journey
by deux-chevaux through the divine landscapes of Portugal
and Spain and learn something about fate, love and European
politics along the way. Weaving in an endless ball of
blue yarn, a chorus of starlings and a woman’s ability
to crack open the earth, director George Sluizer (The
Vanishing, MVFF 1989; Utz, MVFF 1992) brings to life
Nobel Prize-winner José Saramago’s magical parable of
the same name. C. Shamberg
Standing in the Shadows
of Motown 2002
Format: DVD
Director: Director Paul Justman
USA
During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Funk Brothers
were the heartbeat of Berry Gordy’s popular Motown label.
Yet the story of the Funk Brothers—session players Gordy
handpicked from the cream of the Detroit jazz and blues
scene— has largely gone untold, and its members have
not been given their due. Until now. Fourteen years
in the making, Standing in the Shadows of Motown is
the first behind-the-scenes look at the musicians (among
them, bassist James Jamerson, drummer Pistol Allen and
keyboardist Johnny Griffith) who helped create more
No. 1 hits than the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the
Beach Boys and Elvis combined. This groove-laden film
takes you into Motown’s basement Studio A (the musicians
called it “the snake pit”) to tell the Funk Brothers’
saga via archival footage, interviews, re-created scenes
and new performances featuring Joan Osborne, Bootsy
Collins, Ben Harper and Chaka Kahn. It’s what’s going
on! G. Cahill
Welcome to Collinwood
2002
Format: DVD
Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
USA
Loosely based on the 1958 Italian hit I Soliti Ignoti,
Welcome to Collinwood is a character actor’s delight,
a nostalgic comedy about a collection of down-ontheir-
luck misfits from Cleveland’s rough side. Led by Sam
Rockwell (Galaxy Quest) in a breakout performance as
a hapless boxer, as well as the peerless William H.
Macy (Fargo, MVFF Tributee 2001) as a baby-toting con,
the expert ensemble cast fashions a warm, idiosyncratic
rendition of the heist-gone-wrong in this debut feature
by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo. With evocative location
shooting and a timeless jazz soundtrack, the movie follows
a group of penny-ante crooks and hustlers as they chase
the elusive score of a lifetime— what they call a bellini—only
to be hilariously upended by matters of the heart. All
the acting is memorable, and George Clooney, in an extended
cameo as a disabled safecracker, seems to be having
the time of his life. J. Campbell
The Women of Rockabilly 2001
Format: Beth Harrington
Director: USA
The women of rockabilly were rock ’n’ roll pioneers
who defied convention with
their rebellious spirit and sizzling sound. This smart,
sassy film fully renders their power, from their 1950s
burst into the spotlight to their influence on the punkedout
contemporary rockabilly renaissance. The lineup includes:
Wanda Jackson, whose “Riot in Cell Block #9” is a true
barn-burner; the “female Elvis Presley” Janis Martin;
bee-hived dynamo Brenda Lee; and the Collins Kids’ Lorrie
Collins, TV’s Ranch Party regular and former Ricky Nelson
love interest. With stellar archival footage, the film
provides a rare insider’s view of rockabilly, with tasty
offerings to satisfy every appetite. N. Tangborn
In the Bedroom
(2000)
Format: DVD
Director:
USA
The captivating performances and mindful storytelling
in Todd Field’s debut feature reveal a skilled filmmaker.
Through a strong, almost metaphoric use of sound and
imagery, Field methodically follows the spiral from
acceptable New England familial dysfunction to a deeper,
more universal darkness. The film becomes increasingly
psychological as we watch distressed parents struggle
with their son’s relationship with an older woman. Sissy
Spacek brilliantly portrays the complexity of a parent
dealing with the consequences of their child’s choices.
Her performance is countered by Tom Wilkinson’s excellent
rendering of a husband and father determined to resolve
the family’s troubles and by Marisa Tomei’s exquisite
depiction of a woman who is unacceptable both to her
lover’s family and to the closed seaside Maine town
in which she lives. A potent, well-crafted film, In
the Bedroom is gripping from the start and doesn’t let
go until the mysteries of our darkest capabilities bare
themselves on-screen. C. Shamberg
The Man Who Wasn’t There
2001
Format: dvd
Director: Director Joel Coen
USA
The Coen brothers return to their roots with this noirish
tale of greed, passion, crime and punishment. Set in
Santa Rosa in 1949, this classic crime story, influenced
by the work of pulp writer James M. Cain, evolves directly
from the heart of small-town America. Beaten down by
life and looking for a way out, barber Ed Crane (Billy
Bob Thornton) concocts a risky scheme to blackmail his
wife’s lover and use the money to get in on a shady
deal. The unsavory situation soon unravels further,
laying bare even darker secrets before leading to murder.
Described by Ethan Coen as “a black-and-white ode to
existential dread,” The Man Who Wasn’t There, co-winner
of this year’s Cannes Film Festival award for best director,
boasts a phenomenally strong ensemble cast, breathtaking
cinematography and the Coens’ trademark bleak humor,
attention to detail, pacing and stylish storytelling.
P. Moore
Lantana2001
Format: DVD
Director: Ray Lawrence
Australia
This magnificent, psychologically precise drama is no
standard thriller. Director Lawrence and playwright-screenwriter
Bovell have expertly adapted Bovell’s play, Speaking
in Tongues, folding together the stories of ten major
characters, each with complex love relationships and
coincidental but realistic connections to each other.
The marriage of psychiatrist Valerie Somers (Barbara
Hershey) and law school dean John Knox (Geoffrey Rush)
is crushed by grief for their 11-year old daughter,
murdered two years earlier. Dr. Somers over-identifies
with a patient, Sonja (Kerry Armstrong), who correctly
suspects her policeman husband, Leon (Anthony LaPaglia),
is unfaithful to her. Leon, in turn, is involved with
a woman who is separated from her husband. Midway through
this tangle of emotionally battered, frustrated lives,
a female character disappears. Superbly nuanced performances
by a fine ensemble cast give this intriguing tale its
texture: You definitely want to know what happens next.
Lantana is a thoroughly gratifying experience. S.
Handsher
Amélie (Le fabuleux
destin d’Amélie Poulain) 2001
Format: DVD
Director: Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Belgium/France
Shooting in over 80 Parisian locations to create this
fanciful comedy, director Jean- Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen,
The City of Lost Children) applies his visionary style
to capture the exquisite charm and mystery of modern-day
Paris through the eyes of a beautiful ingenue. A shy
waitress discovers an old box hidden in her apartment
and returns it anonymously to its owner. She watches
from a distance as his life is transformed by the discovery
and thus embarks on a large-scale effort to secretly
intercede in her neighbors’ lives. |