Monthly Archives: May 2007

CANNES FILM REVIEW: Malcolm McDowell in ‘Never Apologize’

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Malcolm McDowell offers a reminder of the tremendous charisma he has onscreen in this film of his one-man stage show, “Never Apologize,” about the late British filmmaker Lindsay Anderson (pictured). The film is almost entirely McDowell … Continue reading

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‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ deserves its Palme d’Or

By Ray Bennett CANNES — Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” won the Palme d’Or at the 60th Festival de Cannes tonight and for once the jury has made a terrific choice.

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CANNES: Malcolm McDowell on Lindsay Anderson

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Stephen Frears is a big-time movie director (“The Queen”) and this year’s jury president at the snazziest film festival in the world, but Malcolm McDowell recalls yelling at him to fetch the tea on the … Continue reading

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Alexander Sokurov’s ‘Alexandra’

By Ray Bennett CANNES – The value to a movie of a beautiful orchestral score is made clear in Russian director Alexander Sokurov’s “Alexandra,” an austere glimpse of life in war-torn Chechnya. Andre Sigle, who produced the In Competition film, … Continue reading

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Fatih Akin’s ‘The Edge of Heaven’

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Director Fatih Akin continues his insightful exploration of the things that divide and bridge different cultures and generations in his absorbing In Competition film “The Edge of Heaven.” Like his 2004 Berlin Golden Bear winner … Continue reading

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’

By Ray Bennett Julian Schnabel not only directed the splendid Festival de Cannes In Competition film “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” but he also assembled the marvelous soundtrack music. The movie stars Mathieu Almaric (pictured with Emmanuelle Saigner) as French … Continue reading

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Angelina Jolie in ‘A Mighty Heart’

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Michael Winterbottom’s expertly fashioned documentary-style drama “A Mighty Heart” relates the intense manhunt launched in Pakistan when jihadists kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Angelina Jolie delivers a well-measured and moving performance … Continue reading

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Ulrich Seidl’s ‘Import/Export’

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Ulrich Seidl’s “Import /Export” is a tawdry little film ostensibly about the cultural clashes that result from the proximity of former Soviet states, such as the Ukraine, to western nations such as Austria. There is … Continue reading

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The happy accident of Cannes delight, ‘The Band’s Visit’

By Ray Bennett The best film so far at this year’s Festival de Cannes, by a country mile, is Eran Kolirin’s little gem, “The Band’s Visit”, and I’m so glad I stumbled upon it by accident. A mix-up led me … Continue reading

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Li Yang’s ‘Blind Mountain’

CANNES – Like Hollywood studios under the Hays Code from 1934 to 1967, London playwrights under the Lord Chamberlain for eons until 1968, filmmakers in China today must please the authorities before their movies are released to the world. The Hollywood … Continue reading

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