i give it a B+ (definite A+ for james gandolfini tho):

i know it’s unfair to compare everything tarantino does to “pulp fiction” – it’s just never gonna happen again. i know that. but “inglourious basterds” left me disappointed. the premise of the film is unusual – an alternative end to … Continue reading →

so after years of being egged on by my brother, i finally saw “donnie darko” last night. what a trip! the film is a rich mix of psychological thriller, science fiction, comedy and drama. it doesn’t have a single dull … Continue reading →

dark woody allen film in the tradition of “crimes and misdemeanors”. inspired by greek tragedies, it explores the apparent steadiness of family bonds, the moral blindness engendered by ambition and greed, the finality of crime and the psychosis that it … Continue reading →

directed by andrucha waddington, “the house of sand” was shot in brazil’s northern state of maranhão with its pristine beaches, lagoons and sand dunes. the landscape is so stunning and otherworldly that it conflates into mood, theme and character. the … Continue reading →

here is saleh bakri once again in a film that sounds terrific – “the time that remains” directed by elia suleiman. i like what suleiman says about being surrounded by politics and using film to escape that oppressive influence. check … Continue reading →

i like this.

many reviews describe “laila’s birthday” as funny and humorous. some go so far as to compare the film’s lead actor mohamed bakri to buster keaton. i got a different vibe from the film. filmed in ramallah, in the west bank, … Continue reading →

shot in southern kazakhstan, “tulpan” has the feel of a documentary. it proceeds at a languorous pace, exploring in great detail the life of nomadic sheepherders, etched against the vastness of the kazakh steppe. tulpan means tulip. it is the … Continue reading →

just saw an extraordinary documentary at the high falls film festival: “youssou ndour: i bring what i love”. visually stunning, larger than life, like africa, and infused with the beauty of ndour’s voice and personality. a work of art. a … Continue reading →

revolutionary road: steep descent into hellish world of disjointed marriage, 9 to 5 corporate bondage, and anesthetic, skin-deep suburban life. kate winslet is radiant as usual. she is trapped, suffocating in her perfect family life. leo dicaprio is uneasy in … Continue reading →

most people seated in the orchestra section of the eugene o’neill theater (april 4th, matinee performance) probably knew that i was a jane fonda fan. when i turned to my neighbor, a middle aged woman with forbiddingly short hair, and … Continue reading →

doug rice, who was director of artwalk for 10 years, has now renovated an old church building on atlantic avenue and created the latest theater space in rochester. small and intimate, with excellent acoustics and ample lights, the space is … Continue reading →

il y a longtemps que je t’aime (i’ve loved you for so long) a quiet, insightful performance by kristin scott thomas. not many actors can have the camera glued to them for the major duration of a film and come … Continue reading →

two girlfriends and i went to buffalo yesterday to listen to joan copjec talk about “the imaginal world: islam, psychoanalysis, and the cinema of abbas kiaostami”, part of a lecture series at the albright knox art gallery. we left a … Continue reading →

saw the hottest play in london “entertaining mr sloane”. it was cool to see imelda staunton on stage – just loved her in vera drake. the acting was solid. the humor was dark and twisted with loads of sexual innuendo … Continue reading →

this is a lovely song by eddie vedder from the film “into the wild”. directed with an artist’s eye by sean penn, the film has much lyricism. it’s the true story of christopher mccandless, a bright young man who decided … Continue reading →

saw “the wrestler” last week. i know that everyone’s saying it but nevertheless, mickey rourke is magnificent in this film. his performance is so honest, it’s heartbreaking. don’t get me wrong, this is not a sentimental film. like it’s hero … Continue reading →

attended a lecture by dr jonathan shay last sunday at the memorial art gallery. dr shay uses the study of homer’s iliad and odyssey to understand the plight of soldiers today. he recommends training and various techniques of cohesion and … Continue reading →

so after being pestered by my friends for the umpteenth time, i finally went and saw “slumdog millionaire”. it was different from what i expected – less bollywood, more “city of god”. the colors are supersaturated, the cinematography is brisk, … Continue reading →

just saw “man from plains” by jonathan demme – excellent film about a most excellent man. i look at carter – his life and his work – and hope that the measure of twenty first century cool will be: striving … Continue reading →

“train to pakistan” by khushwant singh one of the seminal books about the partition of india, “train to pakistan” is a relatively short book, at about 190 pages. yet it encapsulates the madness and ambiguity of partition with masterly precision. … Continue reading →

this film, by the amazing iranian director majid majidi, is tender and lyrical. it is more like a poem than a film and watching it is much like a profound, religious experience. the film starts with 8-year old mohammed learning … Continue reading →

“the dark night” is really dark – and hectic and relentless. after 2 ½ hours of psycho violence and head-spinning action, i was ready for some kind of conclusion, even if evil was going to win the day. yes, the … Continue reading →

recently saw “persepolis”, the animated film by marjane satrapi. the film is inspired by satrapi’s comic books persepolis 1 and 2 about her life in iran and europe, but the drawings have not been simply transferred to another medium. instead … Continue reading →

my first time at the toronto film festival. movies are sold out. rush lines don’t sound too promising. tickets are $20 per film so i wanna watch something i’m at least curious about. it’s a day trip so 6 hours … Continue reading →

it’s too funny that right after i saw and wrote about “the 400 blows” here comes this terrific essay about the french new wave and truffaut and godard’s friendship, “cinema revolution”, the new yorker, april 7, 2008. here is an … Continue reading →

just saw truffaut’s first film “the 400 blows” – most excellent. a young boy’s lonely life gradually veers into disorder, ending at a reform school for delinquents. jean pierre leaud, the film’s 13 year old star, is absolutely stunning as … Continue reading →

i had been dying to see this film. i had read reviews in the new yorker and other magazines and everyone seemed to agree that this was one brilliant film. for me it didn’t hurt that it was in french … Continue reading →

at a time when big budget films like “atonement” (dizzyingly beautiful cinematography but story-wise much ado about nothing) and “3.10 to yuma” (beautiful wide-lens cinematography but flimsy storyline steadily crumbling into a sad pile of film debris) are making the … Continue reading →

gillo pontecorvo’s 1966 film is a perfect example of italian neorealism with its documentary-style veracity, on location casbah scenes, non-professional algerian arab actors and its undeniably socialist heart. the film is about the algerian war of independence against french colonial … Continue reading →

saw pedro almodóvar’s “volver”, a story about mothers, daughters and the indomitable female spirit. the film is beautifully shot and a perfect vehicle for penelope cruz’s talents. having worked with almodóvar before, the actress and director seem to have a … Continue reading →