Monday November 23, 2009

A new Pedro Almodovar film starring the talented and gorgeous Penelope Cruz is bound to be a treat, and Broken Embraces is just that. Cruz stars as Lina, as the woman caught between the desires of a filmmaker and a powerful financier.
A closing night selection at the New York Film Festival, Broken Embraces is currently playing in theaters. Read Marcy's review.
Thursday November 19, 2009

Nicolas Cage plays a bug-eyed cop with a drug problem and a broken moral compass in Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, a fascinatingly complex film ripe with intoxicating cross-currents of cynicism, tragedy, and absurdity. With Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, and Fairuza Balk.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans opens tomorrow in New York and Los Angeles, with more cities to follow. Read Jürgen's review.
Friday November 13, 2009

What a fantastic idea it was for Wes Anderson to adapt Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox. Anderson and his co-conspirator Noah Baumbach holed away in Dahl's cottage in England to write the screenplay, fleshing out the classic children's story into an animated feature length-film. While the result may certainly please kids (though in some instances there is cause for genuine alarm), it's cinema-candy for grown-ups. I left the screening room thinking, I want to see this movie again.
The fantastic cast of voices includes George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Wes Anderson regulars Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman.
Fantastic Mr. Fox opens today in New York and Los Angeles, before going wide on November 25. Read Marcy's review.
Wednesday November 4, 2009

The title might make you think you're in for something raunchy, but Josiane Balasko's bittersweet film is anything but. The always wonderful Nathalie Baye stars as Judith, an independent woman who is pragmatic about the difference between love and sex and willing to pay to fulfill her desire. Eric Caravaca co-stars as Marco, a hard working professional caught between the needs of young wife and his favorite client.
A French Gigolo was a box office hit in its native France and debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. In the U.S., the film will make a modest debut as part of the IFC Festival Direct program. It's available for download beginning today.