Though there have been many coming-of-age dramas set against a galaxy of different backdrops, there usually is a moralistic or sociological approach to the experience in which a catharsis can be universally reached. Composer/writer/director Amman Abbasi makes his feature film debut with the latest addition to the genre with a surprising blend of naturalistic techniques…
As of late the cinematic genre of choice happens to be the ostentatious antics of raunchy female groupings — something to feast on for the estrogen crowd. For the most part these “loose ladies of the pack” films have been profitable, whether bordering on the reputation of a box office cult hit like “Bridesmaids” or…
For Iranian-born Swiss director Barbet Schroeder, venturing into the picturesque Mediterranean paradise that is Ibiza is something he is familiar with, shooting his 1969 debut film “More” in the country, now famed for its exuberant party life and strong love dedication to the hypnotic epidemic of electronic dance music. It is in this unsuspected concept…
In Israeli-American director Joseph Cedar’s masterful film, Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, a ridiculously expensive pair of shoes given as a gift leads to a friendship between rising Israeli politician Micha Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi, “Encirclements”) and Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere, “Time Out of Mind”), an American businessman, consultant…
The word that will be most often used to describe Across the River, a movie about two ex-lovers spending a few hours together on the streets of London, is small. We often use the word small these days to describe movies that don’t involve superheroes or CGI, what Siskel & Ebert used to refer to…
The Incredible Story of the Stone Boy (“La increíble historia del Niño de Piedra”) is an animated film that begins with our main character, a young girl named Marina, nonchalantly talking to a cloud. Yes, you read that right. A cloud. With a face. This cloud then gives Marina (voice of Melissa Gedeón) a ride…
Somehow Hollywood continues to search for different outlets to convey young love at the box office. Sure, the goal is always the same in terms of tapping into the youth market by promoting yet another transparent teen weepie, but this time with The Space Between Us it’s among the stars. Hey, youngsters need catering at…
