★★★★☆ The Escape Artist (1982) is another title rereleased this week from Francis Ford Copolla’s Zoetrope production company. Directed by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, the film is yet another of Zoetrope’s casualties that failed to find an audience at its theatrical release, despite some initially positive critical reviews. Given that it Continue Reading
★★☆☆☆ Nominated for the 1982 Palme d’Or at Cannes, Hammett (1982) was Wim Wenders’ American debut feature and an homage to the B-movies and film noir that influenced him from a young age. His later film, The State of Things, was inspired by his experiences directing Hammett and working inside Continue Reading
★★★☆☆ In Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart (1982), Hank (Frederic Forrest) and Frannie (Teri Garr) are two working stiffs living in Las Vegas, locked in a relationship from which much of the fun and affection has drained away. After the umpteenth row, Frannie walks out and into the Continue Reading
★★★☆☆ French writer and director Christophe Honoré’s Close to Leo (2002) is a poignant ode to family bonds, love and acceptance. The often grey film (both visually and emotionally) stars Pierre Mignard as a young French man who discovers he is HIV positive, and the ensuing drama as he and Continue Reading
★★★★★ Canadian filmmakers Luc Côté and Patricio Henriquez have received numerous awards for Four Days Inside Guantánamo (2010), their truly shocking documentary from inside the Guantánamo facility following one young prisoner, Omar Ahmed Khadr, who is currently still being detained despite immense pressure from various sides to release him.Four Days Continue Reading