All Articles

What stands out first about Full Frontal is the confidence with which Steven Soderbergh establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Full Frontal asks Julia Roberts and David Hyde Pierce to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Full Frontal is established with useful clarity: A day in the life of a group of men and women in Hollywood, in the hours leading up to a friend's birthday party. That direct approach lets Full Frontal us

What stands out first about Man on the Train is the confidence with which Patrice Leconte establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Man on the Train asks Jean Rochefort and Johnny Hallyday to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Man on the Train is established with useful clarity: A man steps off a train into a French village awaiting the day when he will rob the town bank. That direct approach lets Man on the Train use it

What stands out first about Devdas is the confidence with which Sanjay Leela Bhansali establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Devdas asks Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Devdas is established with useful clarity: After his wealthy family prohibits him from marrying the woman he is in love with, Devdas Mukherjee's life spirals further and further out of control as he takes

What stands out first about Comedian is the confidence with which Christian Charles establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Comedian asks Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Comedian is established with useful clarity: A look at the work of two stand up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and

What stands out first about Tadpole is the confidence with which Gary Winick establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Tadpole asks Sigourney Weaver and Aaron Stanford to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Tadpole is established with useful clarity: Coming of age story about a suave 15 year old prep school student who falls in love with his stepmother. That direct approach lets Tadpole use its 1h 18m running time for chara

What stands out first about G is the confidence with which Christopher Scott Cherot establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, G asks Richard T. Jones and Blair Underwood to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of G is established with useful clarity: "G" is a Gatsbyesque love story set against Hip Hop's invasion of the Hamptons. That direct approach lets G use its 1h 37m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence.

What stands out first about Russian Ark is the confidence with which Aleksandr Sokurov establishes its mystery identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Russian Ark asks Sergey Dreyden and Mariya Kuznetsova to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Russian Ark is established with useful clarity: A 19th century French aristocrat, notorious for his scathing memoirs about life in Russia, travels through the Russian State Hermitage Museum and encounters

What stands out first about Sunshine State is the confidence with which John Sayles establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Sunshine State asks Angela Bassett and Edie Falco to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Sunshine State is established with useful clarity: A woman and her new husband returns to her hometown roots in coastal northern Florida, and must deal with family, business, and encroaching real estate developm

What stands out first about Paid in Full is the confidence with which Charles Stone III establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Paid in Full asks Mekhi Phifer and Wood Harris to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Paid in Full is established with useful clarity: A young man from Harlem, forced to cope with the 1980s drug scene, builds an illegal empire, only to have a crisis of conscience. That direct approach lets P

What stands out first about The Guru is the confidence with which Daisy von Scherler Mayer establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Guru asks Jimi Mistry and Heather Graham to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Guru is established with useful clarity: A young man leaves India to find fame and fortune in America where he unexpectedly becomes a sex guru. That direct approach lets The Guru use its 1h 34m running time

What stands out first about 8 Women is the confidence with which François Ozon establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, 8 Women asks Fanny Ardant and Emmanuelle Béart to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of 8 Women is established with useful clarity: A man is murdered in an isolated chalet, and the eight female residents are all suspects; their secrets are revealed as they try to determine who is guilty. That direct approac

What stands out first about Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra is the confidence with which Alain Chabat establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra asks Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra is established with useful clarity: Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, believes she can build a temple in record time and makes a be