Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is the perfect personification of his films—sometimes rough, a little bit mad, but essentially human. The French filmmaker is quirky and eccentric, hair tousled, probably thinking of 20 new story ideas a minute.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
A dramatic moment in Alexander, Oliver Stone’s epic biopic of Alexander the Great, turned unintentionally funny. As Alexander (Colin Farrell) grieved over the dead body of his lifelong companion Hephastion (Jared Leto), the audience burst into laughter.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
House of Flying Daggers, the latest swordplay-romance from the masterful Chinese director Zhang Yimou, is a splashy spectacle set in a distant, glorious past—much like his last martial arts flick, Hero.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
A Very Long Engagement is a most fitting title: it encapsulates the film’s plot, its themes, and even its shortcomings.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
Based on a real-life story of kidnapping, terrorists, and a media circus, Guerilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst is a suspenseful and fascinating ride.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
Chopin is reputed to have said, “My kingdom is a small one, but at least I can be king there.” Film historian Peter Cowie relates this anecdote in his commentary track to the Criterion Collection’s recent release of Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
How far will the Catholic Church go to cover up its own corruption? A powerful, poignant, and persuasive film, Conspiracy of Silence explores the modern controversies over celibacy and homosexuality in the priesthood.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
A few years ago, I remember looking through a collection of Beatles photos and finding a picture of Yoko Ono and her son Sean Lennon, taken a good while after Sean’s adolescence. By all means it was an unremarkable photograph, except for the fact that Ono was smiling—and to me that was odd.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
It was pretty magical seeing U2 in Brooklyn Heights two Mondays ago.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004, 12:00am
Even though The Exit have a video on MTV, guitarist/secondary-vocalist Ben Brewer still cuts-and-pastes his own flyers at Village Copier and sports anti-Bush pins on his bag and jacket.
