HUGO

2/29/2012

 
Beautiful, but somethings missing... and too long.
http://www.hugomovie.com/

ELITE SQUAD

2/26/2012

 
Story and characters: better than the sequel. Heavily narrated. Brazilian cops, para-military fascists, drug-dealers and college students in the favelas of Rio prepare for the arrival of the Pope. Lots of yelling & angst, hugely popular, ultra-violent film.

THE GUARD

2/25/2012

 
Irish policeman Brendan Gleeson and FBI agent (not a profiler) Don Cheadle in a dark, funny, film with loads of literary nods. Loved it!
http://www.sonyclassics.com/theguard/
 
Ultra-violent police procedural set in the world of Rio de Janeiro slums, crooked cops, and politicians. Most of the lines are screamed, the camera is hand held, and the body count is high.
Official Site: http://elitesquad-movie.com/

RED RIDING TRILOGY

2/20/2012

 
British TV series adaptation of David Peace's work, loosely based on the Yorkshire Ripper case. Andrew Garfield stars in the first (and best). Cast includes Sean Bean and Paddy Considine. Dark, violent. Try to view it with subtitles. The flashbacks can be confusing, but it's worth it.
http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-red-riding-trilogy

PROJECT NIM

2/18/2012

 
James Marsh (Man On Wire) delivers a solid documentary about a chimpanzee, and the people responsible for him being raised as a human... I won't tell you the rest: you'll have to see it!
Official Site: http://www.project-nim.com/

THE DEBT

2/16/2012

 
Helen Mirren can do no wrong, and Ciarán Hinds is always fascinating to watch. Great cast assembled by director John Madden in a remake of an Israeli film about Mossad agents' quest to bring to justice a Nazi war criminal.
http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_debt/

ROMULUS, MY FATHER

2/15/2012

 
Eric Bana is inconsistent with the Romanian accent, but he's forgiven because he's Eric Bana.  Franka Potente and young Kodi Smit-McPhee are great too, love the story, characters, milieu!
 
Writer / director Nicolas Winding Refn and actor Mads Mikkelsen create one of the most difficult and rare phenomenon in cinema: empathy for a total jackhole loser character.
Pusher Trilogy Official Site: http://www.pusherthemovie.co.uk/
 
Documentary on young Black Panther leader cut down by Chicago Police in a hail of bullets while he slept. Essential. Don't expect any narration: the footage speaks for itself.