All Articles

There is a useful directness to Hush!, a comedy shaped by Ryosuke Hashiguchi with a firm understanding of its audience. In Hush!, Reiko Kataoka provides the anchor while Kazuya Takahashi introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Hush! opens from this situation: Soon after the disparate yet compatible Naoya and Katsuhiro start to settle into a relationship, a slightly unhinged young woman named Asako asks Katsuhiro to father her child. The resulti

There is a useful directness to Almost Salinas, a comedy shaped by Terry Green with a firm understanding of its audience. In Almost Salinas, John Mahoney provides the anchor while Linda Emond introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Almost Salinas opens from this situation: A story about a man trying to overcome mistakes and past events in his life. The resulting its 1h 32m running time feels most convincing whenever Almost Salinas trusts behavi

There is a useful directness to Fulltime Killer, an action film shaped by Johnnie To with a firm understanding of its audience. In Fulltime Killer, Andy Lau provides the anchor while Takashi Sorimachi introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Fulltime Killer opens from this situation: Two very different hitmen find themselves to be in each other's way. The resulting its 1h 42m running time feels most convincing whenever Fulltime Killer trusts beh

There is a useful directness to All the Queen's Men, a comedy shaped by Stefan Ruzowitzky with a firm understanding of its audience. In All the Queen's Men, Eddie Izzard provides the anchor while Matt LeBlanc introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, All the Queen's Men opens from this situation: A mismatched team of British Special Services agents led by an American must infiltrate, in disguise, a female run Enigma factory in Berlin and bring ba

There is a useful directness to Liars Club, a comedy shaped by Bruce Cacho Negrete with a firm understanding of its audience. In Liars Club, Amy Jo Johnson provides the anchor while Elisa Donovan introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Liars Club opens from this situation: A man pines for a woman for years, but is afraid to tell her, finally enlisting the help of his friends to win her love. The resulting its 1h 39m running time feels most conv

There is a useful directness to Shadow Glories, an action film shaped by Ziad H. Hamzeh with a firm understanding of its audience. In Shadow Glories, Marc Sandler provides the anchor while Linda Amendola introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Shadow Glories opens from this situation: A middle aged, down and out kickboxer, once contender for the heavyweight title, struggles to rebuild his shattered life as he makes his way back home to his lost

There is a useful directness to All About Lily Chou Chou, a thriller shaped by Shunji Iwai with a firm understanding of its audience. In All About Lily Chou Chou, Hayato Ichihara provides the anchor while Shûgo Oshinari introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, All About Lily Chou Chou opens from this situation: The problematic lives of teenager students for whom the singer Lily Chou Chou's dreamy music is the only way to escape an alienating, vi

There is a useful directness to Everybody Says I'm Fine!, a romance shaped by Rahul Bose with a firm understanding of its audience. In Everybody Says I'm Fine!, Rehaan Engineer provides the anchor while Koel Purie introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Everybody Says I'm Fine! opens from this situation: A hair stylist who can read the minds of those whose hair he cuts decides to act on his gathered information. The resulting its 1h 43m running

There is a useful directness to Beyond Vanilla, a documentary shaped by Claes Lilja with a firm understanding of its audience. In Beyond Vanilla, Mitch Banning provides the anchor while Celeste introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Beyond Vanilla opens from this situation: Much as the title suggests, Beyond Vanilla explores the kinkier aspects of sex on the other side of vanilla. The resulting its 1h 32m running time feels most convincing whe

There is a useful directness to A Song for Martin, a romance shaped by Bille August with a firm understanding of its audience. In A Song for Martin, Sven Wollter provides the anchor while Viveka Seldahl introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, A Song for Martin opens from this situation: Swedish composer/conductor Martin and concertmaster Barbara fall in love. The resulting its 1h 57m running time feels most convincing whenever A Song for Martin

There is a useful directness to Teddy Bears' Picnic, a comedy shaped by Harry Shearer with a firm understanding of its audience. In Teddy Bears' Picnic, Delaune Michel provides the anchor while Morgan Fairchild introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Teddy Bears' Picnic opens from this situation: Teddy Bears Picnic covers an annual encampment of prominent male leaders at the Zambezi Glen, a thinly veiled reference to the Bohemian Grove. The res

Gypsy 83 begins with an appealing promise: Todd Stephens will treat its romance framework as a route into character rather than an excuse for noise. The early chemistry between Sara Rue and Birkett Turton gives Gypsy 83 an immediate pulse. The story of Gypsy 83 begins from a specific pressure point: Two young misfits head for New York City to celebrate their idol and muse, Stevie Nicks, at The Night of 1,000 Stevies. By the end of its 1h 34m running time, the value of Gypsy 8