“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 Ardennes” (Belgium) Directed by Robin Pront Produced by the same group that created 2012 Best Foreign Film nominee, “Bullhead” (which I felt should have won the award), “Ardennes” is a dark and engrossing thriller revolving around two brothers – … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #7: “The Ardennes” (Belgium)
“My Golden Days” (France) Directed by Arnaud Desplachins What a delightful experience “My Golden Days” is. It is utterly disjointed in structure (although less so when you find out the French title of the film actually translates to “Three Memories … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #6: “My Golden Days” (France)
“Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice” (Netherlands) Directed by Daan Veldhuizen This gorgeous documentary attempts to answer the age old question of what happens when an untouched-for-centuries Laotian village is suddenly besieged by backpackers, culture seekers and Lonely … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #5: “Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice” (Netherlands)
“Why Me?” (Romania) Directed by Tudor Giurgiu I’ve had a good run at the Film Fest with Eastern European parables about political or social corruption. In fact, I’ve never been let down by a single such film…most notably, last year’s … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #4: “Why Me?” (Romania)
“Syl Johnson: Any Way the Wind Blows” (U.S.) Directed by Robert Hatch-Miller Before you say “why would I want to see a documentary about some R’n’B singer I’ve never heard of,” let me assure you that you’ve actually HEARD him, … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #3: “Syl Johnson: Any Way the Wind Blows” (U.S.)
“The Emperor In August” (Japan) Directed by Masato Harada As those of you who know me are aware, I’m a bit of an amateur WWII historian. I have a large bookshelf filled with tomes on the subject, and while my … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #2: “The Emperor In August” (Japan)
“Three Days In September” (Bosnia/Macedonia) Directed by Darijen Pejovski Thank god, the film festival is finally here since, for me, it’s easily the most wonderful time of the year! Perhaps an overstatement…the opening day of the baseball season trumps it, … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #1: “Three Days In September” (Bosnia/Macedonia)
The No Spoiler Critic 