Rendition (2007)

Rendition (Gavin Hood, 2007) Let's face it. We live in a world of terror and multiple storylines, which is probably why films like Steph...

Pa-Siyam (2004)

Pa-Siyam (Erik Matti, 2004) Ever since Chito Roño's Feng Shui (2004) made a killing at the local box office (an obvious aftershock of th...

Lust, Caution (2007)

Lust, Caution (Ang Lee, 2007) Mandarin Title: Se, Jie Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is such a handsome, handsome film. Cinematographer Rodrigo...

Kolya (1996)

Kolya (Jan Sverák, 1996) Early in the film, crusty fifty-something year old musician Louka (screenwriter and the director's own father Z...

Knocked Up (2007)

Knocked Up (Judd Apatow, 2007) Ben Stone (a very likable Seth Rogen) is a marijuana-smoking, dreamless yet hopelessly romantic loser. Alison...

Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) Swedish Title: Fanny Och Alexander I just sat there trembling. Fanny and Alexander , the 188-minu...

Closely Watched Trains (1966)

Closely Watched Trains (Jirí Menzel, 1966) Czech Title: Ostre sledované vlaky Jirí Menzel's Closely Watched Trains opens with a narrated...

Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Notes on a Scandal (Richard Eyre, 2006) There is absolutely nothing sexual about Barbara Covett (played marvelously by Judi Dench), the anci...

Blow Job (1963)

Blow Job (Andy Warhol, 1963) Traditionally, the value of the close-up is for emphasis. As opposed to the long shot or the medium shot wherei...

Retribution (2006)

Retribution (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2006) Japanese Title: Sakebi The murders in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution ( Sakebi ) have distinct commo...

Still Life (2007)

Still Life (Katski Flores, 2007) I remember the first time I saw a Van Gogh painting. Unlike the usual printed versions in the plenty postca...

Snake Sisters (1984)

Snake Sisters (Celso Ad. Castillo, 1984) Like Elwood Perez's Silip ( Daughters of Eve , 1985) , Celso Ad. Castillo's Snake Sisters ...