Misunderstood is a fantastic cinematic memoir based on director Asia Argento’s childhood as the daughter of a famous filmmaker. Primarily known as an actress in French films (like Catherine Breillat’s The Last Mistress), Argento collaborated with Italian writer Barbara Alberti to tell the story of her upbringing from the perspective of her nine-year-old self. Is it…
Month: September 2014
ADVANCED STYLE
Review of Advanced Style by Associate Editor Brigid K. Presecky “People always ask me, ‘How old are you?’ and I usually tell them I’m between 50 and death.” – Lona Smithkin Lina Plioplyte’s charming documentary Advanced Style shows an array of older New York City women who have turned fashion into an art form. Although…
THE BOXTROLLS
Review of The Boxtrolls by Associate Editor Brigid K. Presecky The Boxtrolls is the intricately animated adventure of a young boy raised by a group of box-clothed creatures in a dystopian, Gothic, and whimsical world. Although marketed to young children, this animated film is more for the world of Tim Burton lovers than any bubbly,…
THE LITTLE BEDROOM
The Little Bedroom is a Swiss film directed by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond about elderly “Edmond” (Michel Bouquet) forming an unlikely friendship with his nurse “Rose” (Florence Loiret Caille). What begins as a well-intentioned, realistic film about love and loss unfortunately falls apart and loses most of its credibility by Act Three. (JLH: 3.5/5)…
THIS AIN'T NO MOUSE MUSIC
Fabulous doc about Chris Strachwitz–the founder of Arhoolie Records–and his passionate love for American Roots Music. Combines classic performance footage with great interviews plus snippets of youngsters bringing these old traditions to new generations. FYI, co-director Chris Simon is the widow of Les Blank (to whom film is dedicated) & this helps account for the…
ART & CRAFT
At a pivotal point in the film Lawrence of Arabia, which even after all these years continues to be my all time favorite film, there’s a conversation between two people. One is Jackson Bentley, a journalist modeled on Lowell Thomas, and the other Mr. Dryden, a diplomat played by Claude Rains. Bentley is trying to…
BRUSH WITH DANGER
Filled with youthful energy and enthusiasm, Brush with Danger is more enjoyable as a milestone in the development of its creator than for its current reality. A national karate champion, Livi Zheng not only stars, she produced, directed, and co-wrote the screenplay with her brother Ken as her co-star and writing partner. You Go, Girl! (JLH: 3.5/5)…
FORT BLISS
(JLH: 3/5) Click HERE for our FF2 Haiku. Fort Bliss, a new film written and directed by Claudia Myers, tells the typical story of a female soldier returning from Afghanistan. In the very first scene of Fort Bliss, we see “Maggie Swann” (Michelle Monaghan) in a Helmand province, riding down a road with a number…
HECTOR & THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
Hector and the Search for Happiness, the Peter Chelsom-directed comedy about a psychiatrist who uproots his mundane life to find adventure, turns tedious quickly. This predictable tale of a man-child wavers despite a promising first act. (JLH: 3.5/5) Click HERE for our FF2 Haiku. The screenplay, co-written by Maria von Heland, finds “Hector” (Simon Pegg)…