Triangle of Sadness: An American Marxist and a Russian Capitalist on a $250 m yacht As movies go, there are several advantages of being different. Genre films have been beaten to death and critics, not to mention discerning audiences, are dying to watch something different. There are those who are different by virtue of original ideas, while others are different for the sake of being different. Let’s begin with the title: in the first few minutes of the film, you are told that it is som...

Midway, Review: Exactly When you make a war movie, based on facts, you might be motivated to give a slightly balanced view of events, for every country that goes to war has its reasons and its heroes. Your sympathies might lie with the nation where the film is produced, yet, unless your motive is jingoism and ultra-nationalism, you will give some weightage to the enemy’s point of view. Also, a faithful recreation means detailing and realistic characterisation, which when juxtaposed agai...

Venom, Review: High-breed Hannibal lecture Alien organisms are brought to earth by a mad industrialist who experiments by hosting them in human bodies, to form hybrid beings. These high-breeds feed on living humans, possess immense strength and can take over the human host at will, both in mind and body. What’s more, they can, and do, talk to the hosts in English, most of the conversations being lectures. Alien organisms inspired by Hannibal Lecter, a Hollywood cannibal who has been eat...

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, Review: Rape, murder and other black grey comedy Outdoor advertising is no longer so called. The 21st century buzz-word is ‘Out-of-Home medium’, OOH. There have been many claims about the efficacy of such advertising, but no one has so far professed that it can help galvanise a police force into speedy action. Welcome to Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, a 115-minute R-rated homicide drama that is reportedly dropping many clues a...

War for the Planet of the Apes, Review: Ape-o-calypse now Apes riding horses, wielding rifles, and their leader being an English speaking specimen called Caesar is not enough for the makers of this third instalment of the series—they keep stretching your suspension of disbelief every minute, till they lead you to an apocalypse of a climax, perhaps believing that the word ‘war’ in the title has to be taken very, very seriously. Along the way, the War for the Planet of the Ape...

Triple 9, Review: 9 pins If bodies count in a crime drama, the body count in Triple 9 is very high. In fact, hardly anybody is left alive in the end. So that makes it morbid. Decapitation and gore galore make it really blood-curdling. Cops and criminals mixing and mingling, while betraying and killing each other, make it confusing. High-profile robberies, blackmail, drug dealers, buddy-buddy cops, uncle-nephew, brother-brother, alcoholic cop, titillation (if the censors have let it pass), bet...

  This is Woody Harrelson’s moment. The actor, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as an incendiary army officer in 2009’s THE MESSENGER, reteams with director Israeli-born director Oren Moverman on an even more explosive drama that is tailored to his particular talent for playing characters with a short fuse. World premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this week, RAMPART, set in a neo-noir Los Angeles in the late 1990s, alludes to the Ramp...

  7TH ANNUAL HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR ACCLAIMED PRODUCERS KEVIN CHINOY AND FRANCESCA SILVESTRI WITH INAUGURAL MAVERICK PRODUCERS AWARD   ”   Hollywood -The organizers of HollyShorts (www.hollyshorts.com) announced today that the 7th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival will kick off by honoring the award-winning production team of Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri with the inaugural HollyShorts Maverick Producer’s Award for their significant contrib...

By Marla Lewin The American Film Institute held its annual awards luncheon today in Los Angeles. The tenth annual event remained an honoree-only affair, with no press and no public in attendance. For each of the honored films and television programs, Hewlett-Packard, the event sponsor creates a scholarship to the world-renowned AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles. Because 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic NORTH BY NORTHWEST, AFI acknowledged this lan...

By Maria Esteves - November 27, 2009 The 29th CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2009  (CMJFF09) Closing Night Premiere of THE MESSENGER, written and directed by Oren Moverman, was held at the Chelsea Clearview Cinema, New York, Friday, October 23, 7:30 pm. A special Q&A session with director Moverman and actor Woody Harrelson immediately followed. THE MESSENGER , winner of 2009 Berlin Film Festival for Best Screenplay, and Best Peace Film awards, 2009 Deauville American Film Festiv...

   -photo credit Margot Duane  -"Thurman has proven her versatility by playing a wide variety of compelling characters.  Thurman was honored at a special tribute event during the 32nd Mill valley Film Festival and was given the Mill Valley Film Festival Award for her remarkable work in cinema." (mvff.com)    -photo credit Margot Duane -Woody Harrelson was honored October 15, 2009 with the Mill valley Film Festival Award at the Christopher B. S...

 Wednesday, April 9-----The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) opens its thirteenth edition tomorrow evening with the Southeast Premiere of THE GRAND, an all-star poker comedy, directed by Zak Penn. The film stars Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, Hank Azaria, Chris Parnell, Michael McKean, Werner Herzog, David Cross, Richard Kind, Dennis Farina and Cheryl Hines (who is being honored at the Festival's Saturday night Tribute Gala). The ensemble film is in the tradition of such improvi...

I have to blog and write reviews and festival experiences so my way of making it through the theaters, award ceremonies and parties is by not drinking at the festival parties. Well, some people are a bad influence. Take blogger Craig Smith for example, now he’s a bad influence. Both of us were at the intimate, post-Javier Bardem tribute party at the Sacks Fifth Avenue Store. No red wine was served, but there was plenty of white, along with vodka-enhanced mixed drinks. There was no shopping to ...

Friday, October 19--------Although it began screenings this week at its year-round theater Cinema Paradiso, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival officially kicks off this evening with the screening of THE GRAND, a laughter roundelay set around the world of competitive poker. The film, directed by , includes an all-star cast including Woody Harrelson,  Dennis Farina, Richard Kind, CMichael McKean, Ray Romano, Cheryl Hines and Jason Alexander. Two of the film's stars, Dennis Farina and...