Moeller and Jacoby on HARLAN – IN THE SHADOW OF JEW SUSS
It’s typical in these circumstances to say, “I don’t know what came over me.” But I do know what came over me: I was going to interview Felix Moeller about his new documentary, HARLAN – IN THE SHADOW OF JEW SUSS — the film about German director Veit Harlan, his infamous, anti-Semitic 1940 creation JEW [...]
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Nicole Opper on OFF AND RUNNING
Before we get to the topic at hand, lemme tell you about another screening I went to a last week. Not going to tell you which film that was, because I walked out in the middle — yes, it was that good — but the focus of that film was on this family that was [...]
Anthony Fabian on SKIN
You could probably forge a good, absurdist, dark comedy out of a government where racial identity can be declared and reversed by official decree, and white parents whose child’s skin is, because of a genetic quirk, darker than theirs struggle to get their kid designated Caucasian. I can imagine Terry Gilliam going to town on [...]
Ang Lee on TAKING WOODSTOCK
If I was to be completely honest about it, I’d have to say that my disappointment at not being able to attend Woodstock had less to do with the possibility of experiencing the performances of Joplin, Hendrix, The Who, et al, than with my fourteen-year-old, hyper-hormonal self missing the opportunity to see a real, live [...]
Oliver Hirschbiegel on FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN
Could it just be coincidence? Could it just be that, by some random alignment of the planets, we have two films about the conflict in Northern Ireland opening on the same weekend? I’m seeing conspiracy, frankly. Your grandmas may be safe from the death panels, but that doesn’t mean the government hasn’t got its sights [...]
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Amat Escalante on LOS BASTARDOS
Well, here’s a nice, nasty way to kick off your July 4th weekend. LOS BASTARDOS is spare and brutal, a survey of the suburban wasteland that finds two illegal immigrants (non-pros Jesus Moises Rodriguez and Ruben Sosa) staging a home invasion and finding that their hostage (Nina Zavarin) is too benumbed to care.
Director Amat Escalante [...]
Atom Egoyan on ADORATION
Okay, no fooling, I really like Atom Egoyan’s work. He got me at THE SWEET HEREAFTER, then I backtracked to EXOTICA and followed up with FELICIA’S JOURNEY, and found them all rewarding experiences. (WHERE THE TRUTH LIES didn’t quite do it for me, but hey, an occasional miss is only to be expected.) Something about [...]
Tim Disney on AMERICAN VIOLET
For director Tim Disney, the irony of one, brave woman taking on an unfairly balanced, Texas criminal court system at the same time that George Bush was gaming the Supreme Court to get into the White House was irresistible. Based on a true story (as the saying goes), AMERICAN VIOLET explores what happens when innocent [...]
