“Princess Cyd” (USA) Directed by Stephen Cone A wildly successful coming-of-age (& coming-of-middle-age) story set in the bright light of a perfect Northside Chicago summer, “Princess Cyd” is an enjoyable and dense jumble of emotions. More specifically, it is a … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #22: “Princess Cyd” (USA)
“The Quartet (Kvarteto)” (Czech Republic) Directed by Miroslav Krobot I must admit that when I first completed my screening of this bizarre little film, I threw my hands up in the air and thought, “what on earth was the point”? … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #21: “The Quartet (Kvarteto)” (Czech Republic)
“Borg/McEnroe” (Sweden/Denmark/Finland) Directed by Janus Metz My notes for this film consist of one word: “Boring”. Looking back, that’s probably not a fair moniker. It’s actually pretty good when inspecting individual elements. But by film’s end…it’s pretty damned close. Based … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #20: “Borg/McEnroe” (Sweden/Denmark/Finland)
“The Scythian Lamb” (Japan) Directed by Daihachi Yoshida This odd little Japanese offering, based on an award-winning Manga production of the same name, is pleasingly curious, mysterious and, most surprisingly, very human. The film revolves around a governmental decision to … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #18: “The Scythian Lamb” (Japan)
“1945” (Hungary) Directed by Ferenc Török One of the four or five best films I’ve seen this year, Ferenc Török’s “1945” is an example of what can happen when you have a clear vision of your story, a brilliant script, … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #19: “1945” (Hungary)
“The Racer and the Jailbird” (Belgium) Directed by Michael R. Roskam What happens when you take a great director who introduced us to a great actor through their collaboration in a brilliant (and Oscar-nommed) film six years ago, and give … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #17: “The Racer and the Jailbird” (Belgium)
“Oh, Lucy!” (USA/Japan) Directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi Many of the films I’ve seen at this year’s Festival revolved on the theme of being alone vs. being lonely. In this instance, a middle-aged, single and unhappy Japanese woman finds herself falling … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #16: “Oh, Lucy!” (USA/Japan)
“Sammy Davis Jr.: I Gotta Be Me” (USA) Directed by Sam Pollard So…a ninety minute, well-researched, lovingly constructed documentary on the life of Sammy Davis Jr., filled with interviews of contemporaries who knew him best? Truly, what’s not to love? … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #15: “Sammy Davis Jr.: I Gotta Be Me” (USA)
“Charleston” (Romania/France) Directed by Andreï Cretilescu Andreï Cretilescu’s “Charleston” is a classic Romanian black comedy. Like last year’s brilliant “Sieraneveada”, it is very clever, often laugh-out-loud funny, earnest and heartwarming. But whereas the latter could sustain its almost three hours … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #14: “Charleston” (Romania/France)
“In the Intense Now” (Brazil) Directed by João Moreira Soles Historical docs very rarely stray from the tried and true formula – identify the main players, and chronologically take us through the events that shaped the story. Occasionally, one will … Continue reading 53rd Chicago Int’l Film Fest #13: “In the Intense Now” (Brazil)
The No Spoiler Critic 