26th Annual Festival of Films from Iran: THE SALE (2014) review
written by: Hossein Shahabi
produced by: Hossein Shahabi
directed by: Hossein Shahabi
rated: unrated
runtime: 86 min.
release date: February 20-21, 2015 (Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL) – North America premiere
None of the Iranian films playing at the festival that I’ve seen so far have been upbeat and “The Sale” continues that tone. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging a connective melodrama that ties these films together. The films have delivered an impressive handful of performances that convey grief, fear, confusion and frustration, that resonates and is relatable. While it would be quite a surprise to view a laugh-out-loud Iranian comedy, seeing one powerful drama after another has provided a deeper knowledge and understanding for the culture and the struggles of the people of modern-day Iran – especially the women. That’s what we find in writer/producer/director Hossein Shahabi’s social drama “The Sale”, which showcases three strong female performances affected by the complexities of polygamy. Read more…
CLASSICS: Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
written by: Dziga Vertov
directed by: Dziga Vertov
rated: unrated
runtime: 68 min.
release date: January 8, 1929
Many say that the groundbreaking, experimental silent film by Dziga Vertov “Man with a Movie Camera” from 1929 has no story and no actors. This is not a correct or incorrect assessment of the film, for while there is no screenplay or assigned cast, there is still a story to be told and that story is inhabited by people. We cannot project our expectations for what a film is on an eighty-seven year-old film that is beyond definition. If we had to assign characters to “Man with a Movie Camera”, they would be the director, the cinematographer and the editor – like a conductor who guides and directs an orchestra; it is these three who tell the story here. Read more…
26th Annual Festival of Films from Iran: WEDNESDAY MAY 9 (2015) review
written by: Vahid Jalilhand, Ali Zarnegar and Hossein Mahkan
produced by: Ali Jalilvand and Mohammad Hossein Latifi
directed by: Vahid Jalilvand
rated: unrated
runtime: 102 min.
release date: September 7, 2015 (Venice Film Festival) and August 28, 2014 and February 13-14, 2015 (Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL)
There are three stories that unfold and intertwine in “Wednesday May 9”, all of take place in contemporary Tehran and two of them are good. The film marks the debut feature of director Vahid Jalilvand, who also co-produced, co-wrote and co-edited these emotionally charged dramatic tales. Jalilvand was fortunate to land a cast with a wide range of experience – from acclaimed actress, Niki Karimi (a director in her own right) to fresh newcomer Sahar Ahmadpour, to tell stories of strong and independent women in modern-day Iran in the first two stories. While the third story isn’t as compelling, “Wednesday May 9” is a worthy entry on the festival circuit, nevertheless, having already taken top awards at last year’s Reykjavik Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. Read more…
26th Annual Festival of Films from Iran: MELBOURNE (2015) review
written by: Namir Javidi
produced by: Javad Noruzbegi
directed by: Namir Javadi
rated: unrated
runtime: 91 min.
release date: August 28, 2014 and February 13-14, 2015 (Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL)
As you may guess, the title is a city in Australia. But, isn’t this an Iranian film? Just hold on….there’s a reason. Yes, “Melbourne” is an Iranian film and actually a tremendous directorial debut for Nima Javidi, who also wrote the film’s taut and affective screenplay. In fact, this effective absorbing domestic drama has a storyline that builds to a level of nail-biting tension that you’d usually find in a thriller. In a way, the film could be considered a thriller, in that it will invoke an intense response from viewers, finding them with a lingering “what would I do?” question throughout the film and easily providing lively post-viewing conversations. “Melbourne” is truly one of the most memorable discovers of the recent Iranian films I’ve seen, playing this month at Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center. Read more…
WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (2015) review
produced by: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin and Michael Moore
directed by: Michael Moore
rated: R (for language, some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity)
runtime: 110 min.
U.S. release date: December 23, 2015 (NY/LA) & February 12, 2016 (limited)
Who’s afraid of question marks? Movie studios are apparently. The title of Michael Moore’s new documentary is a question, yet it has no question mark. Is it a question then? Does a simple, innocent question mark annoy people that much? Does it not translate well in foreign markets? For every “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?” there’s a “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, a “How Do You Know” and now a “Where to Invade Next”. Well, Mr. Moore, we can’t answer your sarcastic question unless you use proper grammar. Read more…
2016 Oscar-nominated Shorts: DOCUMENTARY review
Of all the nominated Shorts, the documentary category is usually the one where I’m left wanting more. In terms of time, not quality. In the past, these shorts have proven to be contain some of the most eye-opening and fascinating, often leaving me wishing they would be given the full-length treatment. Three of these shorts are produced by HBO Films and will show up on the cable channel very soon – “Body Team 12” and “A Girl In the River: The Price of Forgiveness,” will air in March and “Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah” will air in May. All of them are great and will leave viewers frustrated, educated, sobered and heartbroken – but most of all connected to compelling stories of humanity at its best and worst.
CLASSICS: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
written by: Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer
produced by: Rudolf Meinert and Erich Pommer
directed by: Robett Wiene
rated: unrated
runtime: 71 min.
release date: February 26, 1920 (Germany) and April 3, 1921 (Capitol Theatre, New York City)
Sometimes when I watch an old film, I wish I could’ve been alive to experience it during its initial theatrical run. To see a film with a live audience in a giant movie house with a crowd back in 1920 to take in German director Robert Wiene’s surreal “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” would’ve been a mind-blowing, surreal and possibly horrifying experience. I would imagine this iconic black-and-white silent film would’ve been the very first venture for an audience back then into what we now call horror. Even if a viewer is discovering this landmark in German Expressionist filmmaking now for the first time today, there is much to take in. Read more…
BOY & THE WORLD (2015) review
written by: Alê Abreu
produced by: Tita Tessler and Fernanda Carvalho
directed by: Alê Abreu
rated: unrated
runtime: 80 min.
U.S. release date: December 11, 2015 (limited) and February 5-11, 2016 (at Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL)
Out of all the Oscar-nominated Animated Features, “Boy & The World” is the most vibrant and innovative, offering an abundance of color in a kaleidoscope manner. This is the sophomore effort from Brazilian writer/director by Alê Abreu, a follow-up to his 2007 feature-length debut, “Garoto Cósmico” and is fortunately and unfortunately a timeless tale of a boy taking stock of where he’s at and who he is in comparison to the world around him. Without a line of dialogue and an eclectic, energetic score, Abreu communicates the beauty and confusion of exploration and education. Read more…
JANE GOT A GUN (2016) review
written by: Brian Duffield, Anthony Tambakis & Joel Edgerton
produced by: Natalie Portman, Aleen Keshishian, Zack Schiller, Mary Regency Boies, Scott Steindorff, Scott LaStaiti & Terry Dougas
directed by: Gavin O’Connor
rated: R (for violence and some language)
runtime: 98 min.
U.S. release date: January 29, 2016 (limited)
I’m a western nut. I feel right at home with them. Unfortunately for me and other western fans, we’re long past the time when westerns were the norm, leaving aficionados of the genre have to squint a little harder to find a movie set in the Old West. Which brings us to “Jane Got a Gun”, a movie I imagine a lot of people haven’t even heard of. Released in theaters on January 29th, it’s had a dramatic production and is basically being released in theaters because….I don’t know, it takes millions of dollars to make a movie. So what’s the verdict on this little-advertised western? Read more…
DEADPOOL (2016) review
written by: Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese
produced by: Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner and Ryan Reynolds
directed by: Tim Miller
rated: R (for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity)
runtime: 108 min.
U.S. release date: February 12, 2016
I’ve had no faith in a Deadpool movie and with good reason. Considering how his big-screen debut was quickly botched back in 2009’s “Wolverine: X-Men Origins”, I was quite pessimistic 20th Century Fox could do anything worthy of the character’s potential. Don’t blame Ryan Reynolds, who fittingly portrayed the wise-cracking, katana-slinging mercenary Wade Wilson within the first fifteen minutes of that movie. The character nosedived when his mouth (his most appealing attribute) was sewn shut and martial artist Scott Adkins stepped in on the action. Devoted fans of the Marvel Comics anti-hero – a character who spun-off from the X-Men universe – were understandably ticked off, and although there was talk of Reynolds reprising the role in the character’s own movie, it mostly felt like all talk. Well, surprise surprise – we now have that movie and “Deadpool” is actually one of the best of the Marvel/Fox movies since 2003’s “X2: X-Men United”. Read more…
