Monthly Archives: August 2009

A different kind of alien causes mayhem in 'District 9'

Posted on August 29, 2009 by admin

Neill Blomkamp’s science fiction drama opens in the United Kingdom on Sept. 4 This preview appeared in the July edition of Cue Entertainment By Ray Bennett Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson has made plenty of movies that were reason enough to … Continue reading →

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Cruz dazzles in Almodovar’s sumptuous ‘Broken Embraces’

Posted on August 27, 2009 by admin

Penelope Cruz was all over the Festival de Cannes in posters for ‘Broken Embraces’ By Ray Bennett Aside from the fact that one is a genuine film artist while the other is an annoying twerp, the difference between the sublime … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO: 'Saviors' reveals untold tale of courage

Posted on August 26, 2009 by admin

Veronica Ferres as a Jewish woman sheltered from the Nazis by farmer Martin Horn By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – German cinema’s growing number of films willing to address topics relating to World War II has a fine addition in … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO: Provocative 'Partners' is a well-paced crime yarn

Posted on August 25, 2009 by admin

Cyril Descours and Nina Meurisse in Frederic Mermoud’s crime story By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland — Swiss director Frederic Mermoud’s “Partners” (Complices) is a police procedural with sex that deals with two sets of couples on both sides of the … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO: Two loners make a fine pair in 'Nothing Personal'

Posted on August 24, 2009 by admin

Stephen Rea and Lotte Verbeek as solitary characters who form an unlikely bond By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland — Holland-based Polish director Urszula Antoniak’s “Nothing Personal” is an intensely personal and engrossing tale of a ferociously independent young woman’s involvement … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO: 'A Real Life' is a crime yarn with a bucolic twist

Posted on August 22, 2009 by admin

Guillaume Depardieu and Florence Loiret Caille find tranquility while on the run By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland — Sarah Leonor’s “A Real Life” (Au Voleur) starring the late Guillaume Depardieu, is an odd little picture that runs along like a … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO: Witty and wise 'Plato's Academy'

Posted on August 22, 2009 by admin

Antonis Kafetsopoulos, left, was named best actor at Locarno, with Anastas Kozdine By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Intelligent, warm and very funny, Filippos Tsitos’s “Plato’s Academy” (Akadimia Platonos) is a small tale of a proudly nationalistic Greek man who … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO: 'She, a Chinese' falls a bit flat

Posted on August 21, 2009 by admin

Wei Yibo and Huang Lu in Locarno International Film Festival competition winner By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland — Chinese filmmaker Xiaolu Guo’s “She, a Chinese” is an absorbing character study of a young woman from rural China who makes her … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: ‘Julia’s Disappearance’

Posted on August 19, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Sophisticated and insightful, Christoph Schaub’s comedy “Julia’s Disappearance” is a romantic comedy about getting older that should charm grownup audiences keen for some wry laughs without sentimentality. The film won the public award after … Continue reading →

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'Slumdog' music tops World Soundtrack Awards nominations

Posted on August 18, 2009 by admin

Nominees have been announced for the World Soundtrack Awards, held each year during the Ghent Film Festival in Belgium in October. Here’s the press release: The World Soundtrack Academy has announced the list of nominees for the three principal categories … Continue reading →

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