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Reverse Shot's 11 Annoyances of 2004
Trotting out a list of the year's worst seemed like a buzzkiller after looking lovingly back over our favorites of 2004. So instead, what follows is a list of "annoyances," those films that, for whatever reason, pushed a button, struck the wrong chord, and generally proved more irritating than illuminating. They're not necessarily the worst movies of the year -- those usually aren't even worth mentioning (think "Dodgeball"). Following our eleven are a handful of resolutions we'll be keeping in mind as we look forward to the films of 2005. Capsules written by Neal Block, Michael Koresky, Marianna Martin, Adam Nayman, Jeff Reichert, Michael Joshua Rowin, Suzanne Scott, and Andrew Tracy. (January 04, 2005)

Reverse Shot's Best of '04: "Before Sunset" and 9 More Films
Labeling 2004 the "Year of the Passion," as some have done, does film culture a dual disservice: it not only validates and ennobles the project of an obviously lunatic mind, but it also occludes that fact that, all-told, 2004 was a pretty great year for movies, if you were looking in the right places. For our annual Reverse Shot writers' poll we asked our staff for their 10 best films of the year, and through an arcane tabulation system arrived at the master list of films below. Topped by a sequel none of us expected anything at all from, this list reflects, through various means, just how completely events in the United States this year absorbed world imagination. (December 28, 2004)

Ringside Seats to a Coup; "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
Sometimes the best thing a documentary filmmaker can do is just get the hell out of the way. This is exactly what the Irish documentarians Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain were wise enough to do in their superb new film, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." The directors had the amazing luck to be shooting a film about controversial Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez when a rightist coup broke out against him on April 12, 2002. Peter Brunette reviewed the film at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival; it opens Wednesday at New York's Film Forum. (November 03, 2003)

Robbery, Murder and a Seductive Motley Crew in "Burnt Money"
Marcelo Piñeyro's "Burnt Money" is a beautifully realized, fevered and smart retelling of an actual robbery that went very amiss back in sixties' Argentina. The motley crew who botched the crime include an ex-radio star, government officials, a weathered hood, and three young studs. The three Young Studs and their leader have to escape there after killing two cops in Buenos Aires. But, even the pleasures of constant masturbation, coke-sniffing has begun to pall. Not surprisingly, the Young Studs start breaking out, taking walks through fairs, and frequenting porno theaters, which all leads up to a truly sensational finale. (May 04, 2001)

Running on Empty, Tykwer's Comedown with "The Princess and The Warrior"
As fate would have it, the new Tom Tykwer picture is sort of slow. After the adrenaline rush of last year's "Run, Lola, Run," with its pulse-racing techno score and smooth kinetic grace, it would seem impossible for the German wunderkind to concoct anything harder, faster and louder than "Lola." In "The Princess and The Warrior," economy is the last thing on Tykwer's mind. Running nearly an hour longer than its 78-minute predecessor, incorporating an expansive sound and vision that's as meandering and baroque as a Pink Floyd fever dream, this awkward film is unlikely to attract the same art-house devotion as "Run, Lola, Run." Andy Bailey reviews from Venice, calling Tykwer's film: ""Wait, Lola, Wait' with narcoleptic prog-rock overtones -- 'Zabriskie Point'-less for sucker romantics." (September 06, 2000)

Sam Green and Bill Siegel's "The Weather Underground"; Quiet Storytelling About Radical Subjects
"The Weather Underground," by Sam Green and Bill Siegel, an impressively sturdy documentary about a difficult-to-master slice of American history, is a sweet rebuke to the narcissism-as-entertainment wing of contemporary doc-making. Its politics exist primarily in the choice of subject: a group of young people, a radical political group called the Weathermen, who bombed the U.S. Capitol. Ray Pride reviewed "The Weather Underground" from Sundance 2003; the film is playing now from Shadow Releasing. (June 05, 2003)

Schnabel's Spirited, Sensuous "Before Night Falls'" Flawed Beauty
Painter and sculptor Julian Schnabel's glorious but flawed second film, a bio-pic based on the late Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas's 1993 autobiography, might just walk off with the Golden Lion come Saturday, against considerable odds. Such is the word on the Lido, where the 57th International Venice Film Festival is nearing its end amid fevered speculation over whether the larger-than-life Schnabel will emerge victorious for the beautifully photographed and acted "Before Night Falls," a measurable improvement over the self-indulgent ego overdrive that was his first film, "Basquiat." Andy Bailey reviews from the festival. (September 08, 2000)

"Sebastian Cole" Fresh Take on Growing up, "Twin Falls" Stale Tale of Two
Danny Lorber reviews two first films from the Sundance crop now in theaters, Tod William's "The Adventures of Sebastian Cole" and the Polish Brother's "Twin Falls Idaho." While the first is a breezy, fun and a fresh look at growing up in the 80's, the latter rings as untrue as William's film feels sincere. (August 06, 1999)

Secrets and Lies; Italy's Comic Melodrama of "Ignorant Fairies"
On the heels of his elegant 1999 period drama "Harem Suare" and well-received 1997 feature debut "The Turkish Bath," the Italian/French coproduction "Ignorant Fairies" finds 42-year-old Istanbul-born and Rome-based director Ferzan Ozpetek trying his hand at contemporary modern melodrama with a comedic strain that emerges late in the overly-generous 105-minute running time. Filming in and around the district he's called home for over 25 years, Ozpetek captures the same kind of sexual politics and regional flavor that made "Strawberry and Chocolate" such an eye-opening treat (the set designer/decorator was Bruno Cesari, who won an Oscar for "The Last Emperor" and a nomination for "The Talented Mr. Ripley"). Eddie Cockrell reviews the Berlin competition entry. (February 12, 2001)

Seeing the Mother from Hell Through "Lesbian Eyeglasses"; Monica Strambini's "Gasoline"
"Gasoline" ("Benzina" in its native Italy) is Monica Strambini's mordant, spasmodically imaginative, finally unsatisfying movie about matricidal lovers and the mother from hell who plagues us all. The lovers are Lenni and Stella, fugitive babes. So there's a road trip, a car chase, a corpse or two, loose cash, waterin' holes, and the inevitable scuzz-head men. Amy Biancolli reviews the film, which opens Wednesday from Strand Releasing. (June 30, 2003)

Self Portrait: Agnès Jaoui's "Look at Me"
As in her previous feature, "The Taste of Others," Jaoui showcases an ensemble of exquisitely-flawed Parisians. Our plucky heroine, whose pudginess automatically places her outside the realm of ideal Western beauty, is the center around which everyone revolves in this cinematic treatise on self-image, a corrective to her marginalization within the confines of her represented reality. Kristi Mitsuda reviews the film, with responses from Nicolas Rapold and Michael Koresky. (March 29, 2005)

Sex and Eczema Aside, A Worthy "Praise"
Novelist/screenwriter Andrew McGahan apparently has a small penis. This fact has been thrust upon us because McGahan's outpourings in his recent book-to-film "Praise" are said to be autobiographical, and the film's lead character, Gordan -- the celluloid version of the writer -- admits his sex organ is less than five inches when erect. Sex organs aside, the assured and unflamboyant "Praise" is quite entertaining. Brandon Judell reviews the Australian film, which opens at New York's Screening Room on Friday, and will expand to more U.S. screens via Strand Releasing. (June 29, 2000)

Sex, Narcissism, and Violence; "Auto Focus" Plays To Schrader's Strengths
If you're a fan of 1960s television, you'll remember Bob Crane as the star of Hogan's Heroes, the popular sitcom about Allied soldiers in a German prison camp. If you're a fan of celebrity scandals, you'll remember him in the different context favored by Paul Schrader's new movie. Auto Focus entertainingly portrays Crane's rise to fame, but it's more fascinated by his experiences as a minor-league comic whose sex drive burned more brightly than his limited star-power could sustain, ultimately ruining his career and leading to untimely death. This is a perfect subject for Schrader, who has chronicled the wiles and wages of sin in movies from "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull" to "American Gigolo" and "Affliction." "Auto Focus" is a perfect title for the film, too -- evoking not only the photographic gizmos that were Crane's hobby, but also the narcissism of his personality and the self-absorption of the show-biz world in which he traveled. David Sterritt and Mikita Brottman review the film, which is being shown as part of the 40th New York Film Festival. (October 07, 2002)

Shadow Boxing: Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby"
Somehow I'm always surprised by a new Clint Eastwood movie showing up in theaters, though it can't be for lack of fanfare, as there's an ever-increasing round of critical apoplexy surrounding each release from our beloved "old pro." But all this noise stands in contrast to the way these films sidle onto screens; it's that same natural and unaffected quality that shows in Eastwood's approach to his subjects. Reviewed by Nick Pinkerton, with responses from Andrew Tracy and Michael Koresky. (January 11, 2005)

Slick Surfaces And Much Confusion; Assayas' Ambitious "demonlover"
Flinging himself all over the cinematic landscape, the young and very talented French director Olivier Assayas previously jumped from contemporary Parisian life to period drama. His latest, "demonlover," which looks at our contemporary, postmodern obsession with images, Assayas' ambition may have taken him one step too far, and over the edge. It's a film jam-packed with shiny surfaces and glittering ideas, and it's impossible to take your eyes off the incessant parade. Nevertheless, the surfaces never become more than that and the ideas, which must have looked great on paper, don't much work. Peter Brunette reviewed the film at the 2002 Cannes film festival; Palm Pictures released it on Friday. (September 22, 2003)

Small Change: Alice Wu's "Saving Face"
At one point during Alice Wu's ethnic dramedy, "Saving Face," Ma, played by Joan Chen, skims over titles such as "The Last Emperor" (a knowing nod to the actress' U.S. breakthrough) and "The Joy Luck Club" while browsing the "China" section of a video store. For a brief, shining moment -- since this sequence, with its handheld camera approximating an explicit point-of-view, breaks with the fairly classical visual schema the film has established -- you think the director is on the verge of a scathing indictment on the dearth of quality representations of Asians in American cinema or at least a tacit acknowledgement that hers belongs to a short list of mainstream movies that deal specifically with Asian-American characters and issues. But Wu possesses no such self-awareness, and the pan ends abruptly with a facile punchline: meek-looking Ma, captivated by porn. (May 24, 2005)

Small Scope, Huge Rewards; Campanella's "Son of the Bride"
With some folks, familiarity breeds contempt. Florida-based politicians, meter maids, moms, and certain high colonicists probably are at the top of the list. With most movie or TV actors, it's quite the opposite. Familiarity breeds an instant acceptance of whatever role they've now taken on. Take Ray Romano. People who've watched "Everyone Loves Raymond" for years now not only adore the guy, they think he has talent. Which brings us to Ricardo Darín and his star turn in the Oscar-nominated "Son of the Bride," the latest effort from Argentinean director Juan José Campanella. Darín plays Rafael Belvedere, a middle-aged, highly successful restaurateur who's becoming an orderly madman because of Argentina's faltering economy. His performance resonates with humor, bitterness, grief, and a recognizable frenziedness. He plays scenes lightly. Whether he's crying over his daughter's poems or warning her, "Don't bust my balls! I can't get a divorce from you." Brandon Judell reviews the Sony Pictures Classics release, which opens Friday. (March 21, 2002)

Smith Brothers Team Up for Sturdy "Slaughter Rule"
"The Slaughter Rule" is an engrossing, frequently brilliant first feature by twin brothers Andrew and Alex Smith. Attempting a work both dense and allusive, the Smiths have taken a subcultural subject -- the sport of six-man football -- and crafted a story of immediacy and depth, thwarted ambition and recurring failure. Patrick McGavin reviewed the film at Sundance 2002; Cowboy Pictures opens the film on Friday at New York's Pioneer Theater before rolling it out to other major markets. (January 06, 2003)

Social Critics or Crowd Pleasers?; Payne and Taylor Return With "About Schmidt"
With their pitch-dark comedies "Citizen Ruth" and "Election," writer-director Alexander Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor emerged as premiere satirists of the American scene --acute in their social observations, shrewd in their psychological instincts, and unafraid to take on touchy political issues like abortion rights and the manipulative power games our schools teach us to call democracy. "About Schmidt" heads in similar directions, again using the adventures of a troubled protagonist to pry open seemingly innocent chunks of Americana that prove surprisingly bitter and bruising. But this time the filmmakers aim at a broader commercial audience than they've reached before, and the compromises they make don't always ring true. The result is more a crowd-friendly Jack Nicholson vehicle than a forward step for the Payne-Taylor team. David Sterritt and Mikita Brottman review the film from Cannes. (May 23, 2002)

Sofia Coppola's Overly Subtle "Lost in Translation"
Sofia Coppola's new film, "Lost in Translation," is so subtle it's almost catatonic. A delicate, purposely tentative film about cultural and personal displacement, and the way they intersect, it never really fulfills the promise it holds out. It's a road movie in disguise--how vulnerable we are to change when we're away from home--but, fatally, it lacks any real snap. Still, its script is remarkably patient, and Coppola is to be commended for resisting the urge to give in to the temptation of the cheap thrill. Peter Brunette reviews the film, which Focus Features opened on Friday. (September 17, 2003)

Sophisticated Storytelling in a Modest Town; Dardenne Brothers Return with "The Son"
"The Son" confirms what everyone interested in serious cinema has known since at least 1996, when "La Promesse" made its indelible debut. Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne are pioneering a new kind of filmmaking that's as fresh and distinctive as it is formally innovative, psychologically sophisticated, and politically savvy to its core. Olivier Gourmet gives a stellar performance as a carpenter who struggles with the aftermath of his son's death five years earlier. On narrative and thematic levels, the Dardennes belong to the new wave of French-language cinema that strives to take storytelling out of big cities into the more modest places where most people live and work. "The Son" follows this trend as scrupulously as "La Promesse" and "Rosetta" did, unfolding its intensive story in everyday settings devoid of the urban dynamism we take for granted in many modern films. David Sterritt and Mikita Brottman review "The Son," which screened this weekend as part of the New York Film Festival. (September 30, 2002)

"Sound and Fury" Signifies Everything, Riveting Doc on Cultures, Hearing and Not
Josh Aronson's "Sound and Fury" surprises on a number of levels, most notably in its refusal to serve as a routine triumph-of-the-human-spirit documentary about deaf people transcending their handicap. Billed as a new film about the communication wars of the deaf, Aronson's thoroughly engaging doc examines the controversial cochlear implant (a surgical procedure that restores some level of hearing to the deaf) and its volatile influence on three generations of an extended family from Long Island, the Artinians, for whom deaf identity is either celebrated or bemoaned. "Sound and Fury" is now playing at New York's Film Forum and will be released nationwide by Artistic License, and will appear on PBS in 2001. Andy Bailey reviewed the film at the New Directors/New Films series last April. (October 27, 2000)

Southern-Fried Ennui: Aniston and Arteta Go Down South in "The Good Girl"
Since he debuted at Sundance in 1997 with "Star Maps," Miguel Arteta has proven himself a savvy director of actors with a keen insight into the behavioral tics of restless outsiders who long for better lives. This year, he returns to the festival for a third time with "The Good Girl," a bittersweet comedy-drama about a small town Texas retail worker grappling with an unhappy marriage. There's something underwhelming about "The Good Girl," a much quieter and soulful beast than Arteta's previous feature, the raw and malicious "Chuck & Buck." In his third outing with screenwriter Mike White, the director has created the cinematic equivalent of a Lucinda Williams lament, in which ennui and humor collide with the emotional and sexual longings of a certain breed of Southern-fried lonely heart. While "The Good Girl" doesn't always work, its top-notch heartfelt performances and crackpot humor should be enough to satisfy discerning audiences. (January 14, 2002)

Spike's "Summer of Sam" Sizzles
"Summer of Sam" is Spike Lee's long hot film about the long hot summer of 1977, brought to a boil by real-life serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the Son of Sam. Though its overall architecture is flawed, its behavioral detailing is urgent, and the tapestry Lee weaves of his memories and impressions of that blistering season is visual dynamite. . . Danny Lorber reviews Spike's ambitious summer release. (July 09, 1999)

Spin Cycles; Meshkini's Feminist Tracks on "The Day I Became a Woman"
At the start of the second episode of Marzieh Meshkini's triptych film, "The Day I Became a Woman," a man (Cyrus Kahouri Nejad) forcefully gallops his horse across the screen in an ebullient diagonal composition. The man is in feverish pursuit of a woman (Shabnam Toloui), who happens to be his wife, and who happens to be escaping from him with equal vigor and increasing speed on a bicycle. And as man and woman weave in and out of the buzzing fury of an all-female cycling race along the coast of Iran's Kish Island, Meshkini's film transforms into a pure, nearly dialogue-less exploration of color, form and movement through space. The remaining two-thirds of "The Day I Became a Woman" also impress, even if they lack the conjunctive dazzle of the cycling bit. Scott Foundas reviews the latest installment in The Shooting Gallery Film Series, opening this Friday. (April 05, 2001)

"Stardom," Denys Arcand's Dread TV
The shallowness of celebrity. The way powerful politicians get weak at the knees at the sight of a beautiful, very young girl, and our attraction to television. We've heard this all before, from Princess Di to President Bill, and they are the main issues brought to the table by Denys Arcand's "Stardom," which closed last May's Cannes Film Festival and opens the 25th Toronto Film Festival this evening. Following the rise and fall of Canadian-born model Tina Menzhal (newcomer Jessica Pare, whose own rise from nobody to major motion picture star sounds eerily familiar), "Stardom" is ultimately a slight film from a talented filmmaker. Outside of the first and last scenes, we see Tina's maturation from hockey star to fashion queen only through the camera eye, from appearances on Jerry Springer-like TV trash talk shows to Fashion TV segments. Skipping from clip to clip like a bored viewer who is impelled to search out the newest dirt, Arcand compacts a whirlwind of activity into brief moments. Mark Peranson reviewed the Toronto opener at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. (September 07, 2000)

"Stardom," Denys Arcand's Dread TV
The shallowness of celebrity. The way powerful politicians get weak at the knees at the sight of a beautiful, very young girl. Our attraction to television. We've heard this all before, from Princess Di to President Bill, and they are the main issues brought to the table by the first-ever Canadian film to close the Cannes Film Festival, Denys Arcand's "Stardom." Following the rise and fall of Canadian-born model Tina Menzhal (newcomer Jessica Pare, whose own rise from nobody to major motion picture star sounds eerily familiar), "Stardom" is ultimately a slight film from a talented filmmaker. But what is more apt to close the Cannes festival, where intellectualizing about the latest Taiwanese masterwork takes place a breath away from promotional campaigns for the next episode in the Toxic Avenger series? And I won't get into the excessive billboard presence of Jean ClaudeVan Damme. (May 22, 2000)

States of Siege; "The Dancer Upstairs," John Malkovich's Intense Debut
John Malkovich's intensely cinematic directorial debut "The Dancer Upstairs" weaves a compelling variation on one of the most violent pre-Al Qaeda terrorist movements: the story of Peru's post-Maoist terrorists, Sendero Luminoso (The Shining Path), and the capture of Abimael Guzman, their messianic leader, in the 1980s. Malkovich's film was completed before September 11 and it's a tribute to the actor-director's intellectual curiosity and dramatic sophistication that "The Dancer Upstairs," an adaptation of Nicholas Shakespeare's novel, has so much to tell us about today's world. Ray Pride reviews the film, currently without U.S. distribution, which had its world premiere in the Premieres section of the Sundance Film Festival. (January 12, 2002)

Stilted "St. Pierre," Leconte's Thrilling Melodrama Lacks Passion
There's a complex web of passion, allegiances and honor at the core of "The Widow of Saint Pierre," the new film from veteran French director Patrice Leconte ("Ridicule," "The Hairdresser's Husband"). There's also a performance of great expressiveness and charisma from acclaimed director Emir Kusturica -- in his feature film acting debut -- as a poor unfortunate whose single act of drunken violence dooms not only himself, but an honorable officer and his resolute wife as well. Unfortunately, this skein of emotions is buried in a stilted and clich&etilde;d approach that leaches the film of virtually all drama and tension, almost as if it were composed of a series of still photographs that, while beautiful, remain static and unengaging. Eddie Cockrell reviews the Lions Gate release from Toronto. (September 15, 2000)

Studying a New Genre: The High School Massacre Film
Hark, a new genre has emerged! It's a bloody blend of secondary ed movie, prison flick, and western: the American high school massacre film. Movies like "Rebel Without a Cause," "Blackboard Jungle," and "The Breakfast Club" have had their day. The Columbine affair shifted the emphasis. Over the past 18 months, Gus Van Sant ("Elephant"), Michael Moore ("Bowling for Columbine"), Ben Coccio ("Zero Day"), and Paul F. Ryan ("Home Room") have made, from four different perspectives, films inspired by high school massacres. Howard Feinstein looks at the films and discusses them with Van Sant and Moore. (October 27, 2003)

Sue Brooks' "Japanese Story": Unexpected Results as Cultures Clash in the Outback
She's an Aussie geologist; he's a Japanese businessman, and it's dislike at first sight. Which means, of course, that they'll fall in love. The attraction of two people from wildly differing cultures is not the freshest premise to come down the pike, and the main novelty of "Japanese Story" initially appears to be its setting in Australia's Pilbara Desert. Yet a shocking twist midway (that only a spoiler would reveal) reroutes the plot in surprising directions. Is this enough to make a wholly riveting film? Not quite. Still, the mysteries it evokes about human nature and the vagaries of fate linger in the mind. And the story is continually rescued from its own limitations by the raw energy of Toni Collette. Samuel Goldwyn Films opens "Japanese Story" in selected markets tomorrow; Erica Abeel reviews. (December 30, 2003)

Summer's Hot Docs, From Surfers to Schoolkids
From "Bowling for Columbine" to "Capturing the Friedmans," documentary films have recently been burning up the box-office. As Hollywood churns out inane summer action flicks and disappointing sequels, indieWIRE thought it was the perfect time to look at some of the smarter -- and more entertaining -- indie docs of the summer. We look at the next crop of hot docs, including "Stoked," "To Be and To Have," and "Bukowski: Born Into This." Wendy Mitchell reports. (August 06, 2003)

Sun Zhao's "Breaking the Silence" Shines on Gong Li
No national cinema has mastered the art of simplistic beauty quite like mainland China, and Sun Zhou's "Breaking the Silence" is yet another example. It's overly manipulative, but still a rare look at the plight of women and the disabled in modern Beijing that, together with the recent release of Chen Kaige's "The Emperor and the Assassin," should put Gong Li back into the ranks of the world's great actresses. G. Allen Johnson reviews the out-of-competition Berlin entry. (February 24, 2000)

Surveying African Cinema at the Walter Reade
The sixth African Film Festival at the Walter Reade Theater (May 19th through June 1st) presents an impressive array of aesthetically and thematically diverse contemporary films. This year's festival is comprised of a series of five shorts and several compelling features from Senegal and South Africa. (May 18, 2000)

Surviving Victory; "Divided We Fall" Tells Truer Story of WWII
Pardon me if I like "Divided We Fall," the Oscar-nominated Nazi-occupation drama from the Czech Republic, perhaps a little more than I should. After sitting through three mind-numbing hours at the hands of Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer (and isn't it unbelievable how bad "Pearl Harbor" is with that kind of time, money and cast), it was, pardon the pun, liberating to watch a World War II movie in which characters are developed, plot lines are complex and the "true story'" really is true. That said, director Jan Hrebejk's film is sapped of energy and a bit overlong, with a droopy midsection sagging between a neat, economical setup and a well-executed denouement. But it is a good film, filtering through its tragicomic worldview how it is sometimes possible to get the most deeply involved in trouble simply by trying to stay out of it. G. Allen Johnson reviews the Sony Pictures Classics release, which opens in New York and L.A. this Friday. (June 07, 2001)

"Suzhou River," It's Deja Vu All Over Again
Named after the murky, polluted river that floats through Shanghai, "Suzhou River" confidently charts how its filth overflows into a noirish gangland story of a kidnapping, a girl, a motorcycle driver, and another pair -- the narrator and his girlfriend, who are their doubles. Heads, tails, and stripes above all other films that competed in Rotterdam -- and one of the eventual winners of the festival's top award -- was Lou Ye's very assured and engrossing tale. You're unlikely to find a more polished second film on any continent. Mark Peranson reviews the film, which opens today (Wednesday) at New York's Film Forum. (November 08, 2000)

Sweet Dreams; "Too Much Sleep" Recalls Amerindie's Heyday
"Too Much Sleep" harkens back to the golden years of the Amerindie boom, to the early-nineties wave of David O. Russell's "Spanking the Monkey" and Stacy Cochran's "My New Gun," when suburban ennui exuded charm in the hands of filmmakers you could say were gleefully wet behind the years. ("Too Much Sleep" isn't far off, having been finished in 1997.) Nowadays, of course, anyone can grab a digital camera and film the angry oil stains on their tract-home driveway and it's the new social realism. What's so refreshing about "Too Much Sleep," the latest installment in The Shooting Gallery Film Series, is how its writer-director David Maquiling opts to shirk current indie conventions in favor of something that feels almost organic -- like folklore. Andy Bailey reviews. (March 23, 2001)

Takeshi Kitano's "Zatoichi," An Irreverent Take on the Blind Swordsman
Takeshi Kitano's latest, "The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi," while always thoroughly watchable, once again fails to achieve the heights of his enthralling debut "Hana-bi." Yet the film's often delicate merging of martial-arts genre elements with perky if occasionally over-broad comedy will win it many admirers. Peter Brunette reviews "Zatoichi," which Miramax releases on Friday. (July 21, 2004)

Taking Care; Majidi's "Baran" Strikes Timely Chords of Romance and Refugees
"Baran" (opening for one week in Los Angeles this Friday) is a superbly compassionate film that supplies an understanding of a people our tabloids and talk radio shows love to loathe. Refusing to be epic in form, master Iranian director Majid Majidi ("The Color of Paradise" and "Children of Heaven") concentrates on one construction site of a building that seems will never be completed. His hero is Lateef (Hossein Abedini), a short-wired Iranian teenager with a run-of-the-mill beauty accentuated by facial hair that's just graduating from the peach fuzz state. Lateef's daily tasks include serving workers tea and buying their groceries. This is a job of leisure compared to carrying bags of cement and knocking down walls as he soon discovers. "Baran" rips open a society in which survival of the displaced and, for that matter, the placed insists upon perpetual toil and diligence. Here an ID card is worth a pound of flesh. Here the notion of "self" is almost a fool's luxury. Brandon Judell reviews the Miramax release. (December 06, 2001)

Taking Care; Majidi's "Baran" Strikes Timely Chords of Romance and Refugees
Baran" is a superbly compassionate film that supplies an understanding of a people our tabloids and talk radio shows love to loathe. Refusing to be epic in form, master Iranian director Majid Majidi ("The Color of Paradise" and "Children of Heaven") concentrates on one construction site of a building that seems will never be completed. His hero is Lateef (Hossein Abedini), a short-wired Iranian teenager with a run-of-the-mill beauty accentuated by facial hair that's just graduating from the peach fuzz state. Lateef's daily tasks include serving workers tea and buying their groceries. This is a job of leisure compared to carrying bags of cement and knocking down walls as he soon discovers. "Baran" rips open a society in which survival of the displaced and, for that matter, the placed insists upon perpetual toil and diligence. Here an ID card is worth a pound of flesh. Here the notion of "self" is almost a fool's luxury. Brandon Judell reviewed the Miramax release last December, during its one week Oscar qualification run. "Baran" opens Friday in New York, followed by a national release. (April 30, 2002)

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