“Mustang” (Turkey) Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven Each year, there is one film that takes you by surprise. Not just in how good it is, but how it affects you. You know..you don’t know a thing about a flick, but … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #17: “Mustang” (Turkey)
“Hitchcock/Truffaut” (U.S.|France) Directed by Kent Jones In 1962, a very young Francois Truffaut came to Hollywood and did a series of interviews with Alfred Hitchcock, the guts of which would later make up one of the earliest texts about the … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #16: “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (U.S.|France)
“A Perfect Day” (Spain) Directed by Fernando León de Aranoa Oy, this movie. Very funny. Very well-acted. And one of the most white-washed war movies you’ll ever see. Taking place somewhere in Bosnia, during the latter stages of the war … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #15: “A Perfect Day” (Spain)
“Macbeth” (UK|France|USA) Directed by Justin Kurzel I overheard another Film Fest audience member refer to this as “Macbeth meets Mad Max.” Oh, if ONLY. I would’ve been happy if this film possessed even SOME of Mad Max’ drive, energy and … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #14: “Macbeth” (UK|France|USA)
“Youth” (Italy|France|Switzerland|UK) Directed by Paolo Sorrentino This is a tough one to write a review for. It’s very funny. It’s also very serious. It’s very obvious. And yet it’s very obtuse. It’s extremely sardonic while being concurrently sweet. You think … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #13: “Youth” (Italy|France|Switzerland|U.K.)
“Very Semi-Serious” (U.S.) Directed by Leah Wolchok I was never a fan of comic books…nor did I ever read the funnies in the paper. I only had two experiences of comics as a child…Mad Magazine and The New Yorker. I … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #12: “Very Semi Serious” (U.S.)
“How To Win Enemies” (Argentina) Directed by Gabriel Lichtmann This is a trifling little comedy in the same vein as “Manhattan Murder Mystery”…but, alas, this movie does not have Woody’s writing or Diane Keaton and Alan Alda’s comedic chops. The … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #11: “How To Win Enemies” (Argentina)
“Son of Saul” (Hungary) Directed by Laszlo Nemes So, alas, because seventy years has passed since the discovery of the camps, we have enough films to make up a genre…Holocaust films. At the top of that list, the mighty “Schindlers … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #10: “Son of Saul” (Hungary)
“For Grace” (U.S.) Directed by Mark Helenowski & Kevin Pang When was the last time you saw a documentary about the creation of a restaurant and cried through most of it? Well, this was my first. “For Grace” is a … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #9: “For Grace” (U.S.)
“The Assassin” (Taiwan/China) Directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien Listen, I love me some Chinese Dynastic cinema parables. I really do. I love the way they flow…the beauty of the countryside…the absolute conviction with which the actors surrender to their character…and, obviously, … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #8: “The Assassin” (Taiwan/China)
The No Spoiler Critic 