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Hawayein
What stands out first about Hawayein is the confidence with which Amitoj Mann establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Hawayein asks Amitoj Mann and Babbu Mann to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Hawayein is established with useful clarity: Set against the backdrop of the 1984 Sikh genocide, Hawayein is a 2003 film directed by Ammtoje Mann. That direct approach lets Hawayein use its 2h 56m running time for character, a
Aug 152 min read
Foolproof
What stands out first about Foolproof is the confidence with which William Phillips establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Foolproof asks Ryan Reynolds and Kristin Booth to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Foolproof is established with useful clarity: Kevin, Sam and Rob are founding members of a theoretical group which pulls off heists. That direct approach lets Foolproof use its 1h 34m running time for character, atm
Aug 152 min read
Casa de los babys
What stands out first about Casa de los babys is the confidence with which John Sayles establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Casa de los babys asks Daryl Hannah and Maggie Gyllenhaal to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Casa de los babys is established with useful clarity: A brief look into South American family life while showing the hardships surrounding adoption in South America as six woman are forced to stay in th
Aug 153 min read
Strayed
What stands out first about Strayed is the confidence with which André Téchiné establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Strayed asks Emmanuelle Béart and Gaspard Ulliel to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Strayed is established with useful clarity: Emmanuelle Béart stars as a widowed schoolteacher who flees German occupied Paris with her children. That direct approach lets Strayed use its 1h 35m running time for charac
Aug 152 min read
Taxi 3
What stands out first about Taxi 3 is the confidence with which Gérard Krawczyk establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Taxi 3 asks Samy Naceri and Frédéric Diefenthal to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Taxi 3 is established with useful clarity: Out to stop a new gang disguised as Santa Claus, Emilien and Daniel must also handle major changes in their personal relationships. That direct approach lets Taxi 3 use its 1h
Aug 152 min read
The Return
What stands out first about The Return is the confidence with which Andrey Zvyagintsev establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Return asks Vladimir Garin and Ivan Dobronravov to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Return is established with useful clarity: In the Russian wilderness, two brothers face a range of new, conflicting emotions when their father a man they know only through a single photograph resurfaces.
Aug 153 min read
Blizzard
What stands out first about Blizzard is the confidence with which LeVar Burton establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Blizzard asks Cynthia Ashperger and Paul Bates to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Blizzard is established with useful clarity: A young girl's aunt tells her the tale of a young ice skater and an enchanted reindeer. That direct approach lets Blizzard use its 1h 33m running time for character, atmospher
Aug 153 min read
Travelers and Magicians
What stands out first about Travelers and Magicians is the confidence with which Khyentse Norbu establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Travelers and Magicians asks Tshewang Dendup and Gup Kado Duba to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Travelers and Magicians is established with useful clarity: The two men embark on parallel, if separate, journeys. That direct approach lets Travelers and Magicians use its 1h 48m running
Aug 153 min read
Gold Diggers
What stands out first about Gold Diggers is the confidence with which Gary Preisler establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Gold Diggers asks Will Friedle and Chris Owen to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Gold Diggers is established with useful clarity: A pair of losers marry two elderly sisters, thinking they'll inherit their fortune and Beverly Hills estate. That direct approach lets Gold Diggers use its 1h 30m runn
Aug 153 min read
Masked and Anonymous
What stands out first about Masked and Anonymous is the confidence with which Larry Charles establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Masked and Anonymous asks Bob Dylan and John Goodman to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Masked and Anonymous is established with useful clarity: A singer, whose career has gone on a downward spiral, is forced to make a comeback to the performance stage for a benefit concert. That direct a
Aug 153 min read
Facing Windows
What stands out first about Facing Windows is the confidence with which Ferzan Özpetek establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Facing Windows asks Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Massimo Girotti to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Facing Windows is established with useful clarity: Overburdened and stuck in a greying marriage, Giovanna takes to caring for the Jewish Holocaust survivor her husband brings home. That direct appr
Aug 152 min read
The Room
What stands out first about The Room is the confidence with which Tommy Wiseau establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Room asks Tommy Wiseau and Juliette Danielle to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Room is established with useful clarity: In San Francisco, an amiable banker's seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when his deceitful bride to be embarks on a passionate affair with his best friend. That di
Aug 153 min read
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