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Reviews: October 2006 Archives
"Babel," the new "Crash"
By R. Emmet Sweeney on 10/30/2006
By R. Emmet Sweeney IFC News [Photo: Paramount Vantage, 2006] It's the scariest time of the year, and not only because of the healthy release of arterial spray in "Saw III." Yes, Oscar season is upon us, where Hollywood's self-important social conscience rears its bloated head for a few looks toward relevance. After the embarrassing Best Picture victory for "Crash" (the funniest movie of 05), the question arises of what "issue" film will bear the middlebrow crown of improbable success this year: Philip Noyce's "Catch a Fire," Ed Zwick's "Blood Diamond" and Todd Field's "Little Children" all have (or did... MORE »
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"Babel," the new "Crash"
By R. Emmet Sweeney on 10/30/2006
Filed under: Reviews, ReviewsBy R. Emmet Sweeney IFC News [Photo: Paramount Vantage, 2006] It's the scariest time of the year, and not only because of the healthy release of arterial spray in "Saw III." Yes, Oscar season is upon us, where Hollywood's self-important social conscience rears its bloated head for a few looks toward relevance. After the embarrassing Best Picture victory for "Crash" (the funniest movie of 05), the question arises of what "issue" film will bear the middlebrow crown of improbable success this year: Philip Noyce's "Catch a Fire," Ed Zwick's "Blood Diamond" and Todd Field's "Little Children" all have (or did... MORE »
"The Marine" vs. "Flags of Our Fathers"
By Matt Singer on 10/23/2006
Filed under: Reviews, ReviewsThat there could be two movies in theaters simultaneously of such similar bases and such divergent content is a testament to cinema's enduring versatility, and its capacity for both brilliance and stupidity. "Flags of our Fathers" and "The Marine" are so perfect in their symmetry, they seem designed to inform each other. Both present dueling views of life as a member of the United States Marine Corps. Clint Eastwood's "Flags of our Fathers," about the impact of Joe Rosenthal's photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" on the war effort, contrasts the individual heroism of the men in the corps... MORE »
"The Marine" vs. "Flags of Our Fathers"
By Matt Singer on 10/23/2006
Filed under: Reviews, ReviewsThat there could be two movies in theaters simultaneously of such similar bases and such divergent content is a testament to cinema's enduring versatility, and its capacity for both brilliance and stupidity. "Flags of our Fathers" and "The Marine" are so perfect in their symmetry, they seem designed to inform each other. Both present dueling views of life as a member of the United States Marine Corps. Clint Eastwood's "Flags of our Fathers," about the impact of Joe Rosenthal's photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" on the war effort, contrasts the individual heroism of the men in the corps... MORE »
Guy Maddin's "Brand Upon the Brain!"
By R. Emmet Sweeney on 10/23/2006
Filed under: Reviews, ReviewsBy R. Emmet Sweeney IFC News [Photo: The Film Company/Celluloid Dreams, 2006] Guy Maddin's latest fever dream of a film, "Brand Upon the Brain!," descended upon the Walter Reade Theatre on October 15 to close out the Views From the Avant-Garde section of the New York Film Festival. In tow were an orchestra, a team of foley artists (for live sound effects), and Isabella Rossellini, who would perform the narration for the film, which was, as you may have guessed, silent. It went out with a bang, or to be more precise, a bang! No director today is as fond... MORE »
Guy Maddin's "Brand Upon the Brain!"
By R. Emmet Sweeney on 10/23/2006
Filed under: Reviews, ReviewsBy R. Emmet Sweeney IFC News [Photo: The Film Company/Celluloid Dreams, 2006] Guy Maddin's latest fever dream of a film, "Brand Upon the Brain!," descended upon the Walter Reade Theatre on October 15 to close out the Views From the Avant-Garde section of the New York Film Festival. In tow were an orchestra, a team of foley artists (for live sound effects), and Isabella Rossellini, who would perform the narration for the film, which was, as you may have guessed, silent. It went out with a bang, or to be more precise, a bang! No director today is as fond... MORE »
