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What the Critics are Saying about the Films at Cannes | ||||||||||||||
The Anniversary Party (USA) "featuring a colorful ensemble comprised of their friends and colleagues, the picture boasts no shortage of tart repartee and sparkling performances.as the wild night wears on, the sharp, satirical elements give way to the kind of gut-busting emotional blowouts that give structurally shapeless films written and directed by actors who are also starring in them a bad name." Hollywood Reporter, Michael Rechtshaffen "...contains surprisingly powerful performances by actors such as Jennifer Beals, John C. Reilly, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates and the directors Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming,." Roger Ebert |
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Atanarjuat The Fast Runner (France) (Winner Camera D'Or) "the frontrunner for the Camera D'Or after the first five days. A commanding drama by documentary filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, this nearly three-hour film tells the fable-like story about when evil comes to an Inuit village. Problems persist when Atanarjuat falls for the pretty girl promised to the mean-spirited Oki, son of the village leader. Atanarjuat gets his way, and the festering resentment of Oki leads to treachery. " Indiewire, Michael Giltz *********** "pic captures an epic story rife with rivalries, evil spirits, sex, violence, native ingenuity, harsh elements and humor, that clocks in at an epic length. But any viewer who's grabbed by the first reel is more than likely to be captivated by the full enterprise. Made by a 90% Inuit crew, thousand-year-old tale of festering evil on the frozen tundra should find a warm welcome worldwide, particularly on the fest circuit. Variety, Lisa Nesselson *********** "Nunavut film director wins at Cannes", infoculture CBC |
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The Chimp (France - Kirgizstan) "In pacing, the film recalls the very early works of Taiwanese helmer Hou Hsiao-hsien... marginally distanced but rooted in reality. Overall, however, the pic is suffused with a French art film aesthetic that's also noticeable in other Third World-set movies with Gallic financing. Always tightly controlled, and seemingly aimed at a Eurofest audience, "The Chimp" has a garnished feel -- rough life observed through a protective pane of glass -- that robs it of any real emotion." Variety, Derek Elley |
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The Clement (France) "What could have been a controversial and challenging examination of inter-generational love in "Clement" becomes merely a hopelessly self-indulgent, over-extended example of the microscopically chronicled amour fou tracts of which French filmmakers never seem to tire." Variety, David Rooney |
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A Dog's Day (India) "...a political parable whose metaphors are pushed to extreme lengths. The film works in a festival context and is of interest to students and enthusiasts of Indian culture.... [A]ttempts to portray -- in the microcosm of a tiny rural province -- India's difficult transition from a society ruled by foreigners and maharajahs to a participatory democracy." Hollywood Reporter, Kirt Honeycutt |
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Highjack Stories (Germany - UK) "A lively, if predictable, tale about a young, middle class Johannesburg actor who tries to pick up enough street smarts in the ghetto to win a plum ganster role on TV" Variety, Todd McCarthy |
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La Libertad (Argentina) "...a strangely fascinating [documentary] about one day in the life of a young woodcutter that's so beautifully and fluidlly constructed....The film requires the viewer to reflect on the nature of time and space and the relationship of work to basic human survival" Variety, Deborah Young |
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Lovely Rita (Austria) "A deliciously observed, ironic take on middle-class Austrian life through an introverted teen's eyes. Though its subtly nuanced humor is unlikely to appeal to all tastes, film could carve a small career on the arthouse circuit via strong critical support, with specialized TV sales down the line. At the very least, further fest dates look certain. Rita (Barbara Osika) is an outwardly quiet, inwardly determined teenager in an unidentified Austrian town who doesn't get on with her classmates, perpetually skips school on one fabricated excuse after another, and is regularly locked in her room by her parents as punishment" Variety, Derek Elley |
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My Father's Words (Italy) "A very personal, rather touching film with unusual depth of character. [F]ilm succeeds in conveying the book's (Italo Svevo's masterpiece "The Conscience of Zeno,") otherworldly atmosphere while avoiding the problems and cliches of expensive Henry James and Edith Wharton costume adaptations. It should catch the eye of small arthouse distribs shopping for Euro quality." Variety, Deborah Young |
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No Such Thing (USA) "Aggresively awful..." Indiewire, Mark Peranson ********** "Absurdly bad..." filmfestivals.com, Angela Baldassarre ********** "Hal Hartley brings his deadpan aesthetic to the monster movie -- or at least that's what it says in the program. But all he has come up with is a low-energy "Beauty and the Beast" fable about an innocent young girl and a guy in bad Halloween makeup."Hollywood Reporter, Kirt Honeycutt |
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Pulse (Japan) "Cross the "Ring" series with "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and the result wouldn't be far from "Pulse," another step on the road back to the psychothriller genre by cult Japanese helmer Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Result is always watchable, occasionally creepy and teasingly pitched halfway between a genre riff and a genuine scarefest. Fests looking for quality latenight fare should line up for this mid-range Kurosawa, with limited sales also likely to cable and specialist outlets." Variety, Derek Elley |
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R-Xmas (USA) "Despite some hazy plot points, the tough, compelling drama comes together quite satisfyingly...perhaps the most controlled and cohesive of Ferrara's uneven work of recent years. Film has similarities to the Catherine Zeta-Jones-Steven Bauer storyline in "Traffic." Variety David Rooney ********** "Set during David Dinkins' not-so-stellar term as the city's mayor, the film, penned by Ferrara and Scott Pardo, effectively gives both sets of activities the same matter-of-fact, mundane weight as it quietly builds an intriguing tension.[But] fails to arrive at any satisfying destination." Hollywood Reporter, Michael Rechtshaffen |
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Storytelling (USA) "Dark, anti-social, amusing and mean-spirited...two-part feature seems designed as much to extract artistic revenge -- against exploitative teachers, cruel students, popular jocks, the entire school experience, parents and anyone with "conventional" attitudes"....As bright and imaginative as many of [Todd] Solondz's ploys may be, his targets are beginning to look rather like sitting ducks. Variety, Todd McCarthy *********** "...demented view of New Jersey suburbia...wildly entertaining" FilmFestival.com, Angela Baldassarre *********** "I don't subscribe to the notion that the audience is always right. My films aren't for everyone, especially for people who really like them." IndieWire Todd Solantz interview |
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Tears of The Black Tiger (Thailand) "A huge hit in Thailand...spoofing of cowboy and soap genres mixed with chopsocky mahem. Pic is fun, if finally too silly" Variety, Ken Eisner ********** "It's best understood as a cross between a spaghetti western and a Hindi movie without the Bollywood songs.... While the bad stunts and artificial violence do amuse, this becomes a well from which the filmmaker draws too often. Still, the individual scenes possess a lighthearted punch, and Sasanatieng pulls everything together with appealing panache." Hollywood Reporter, Kirt Honeycutt |