Film Festivals 2003
2003 brought many filmic gems from around the world. Some highlights were Rolf De Heer's stunning 'The Tracker'; New Zealand's entry, a delicious, black holiday comedy 'Christmas'; from Brazil, the astonishing debut of Fernando Meirelles, 'City of God' and from Russia, the longest tracking shot in film history, 'Russian Ark'. From the US came the unique and captivating bio-pic 'American Splendor' and tongue-in-cheek horror 'Cabin Fever' as well as documentaries 'The Kid Stays in the Picture' featuring the infamous Robert Evans, and Noam Chomsky's 'Power and Terror'.
Christmas (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Gregory King
Starring: David Hornblow, Darien Takle, Helen Pearse-Otene, Tony Waerea
Broke, jobless and chronically depressed, eldest son Keri returns to the family home for Christmas, where he must face the emotional train-wreck that... Read more
Woodenhead (2003)
6.6/10
Director: Florian Habicht
Starring: Nicholas Butler, Teresa Peters
"Gert is ordered by a dump owner to deliver his beautiful mute daughter, Princess Plum, to her wedding. The two embark on a mystical journey through s... Read more
The Mother (2003)
6.8/10
Director: Roger Michell
Starring: Anne Reid, Daniel Craig, Steven Mackintosh, Cathryn Bradshaw, Oliver Ford Davies...
May (Anne Reid, terrific) is a conservative grandmother from the suburbs. When her husband dies on a family visit to London, she finds herself alone f... Read more
For Good (2003)
5.4/10
Director: Stuart McKenzie
Starring: Michelle Langstone, Timothy Balme, Miranda Harcourt, Tim Gordon, Adam Gardiner,...
Would-be journalist Lisa Pearce is haunted by the abduction and murder of her childhood companion. When Lisa confronts the killer, she sparks a devast... Read more
American Splendor (2003)
7.5/10
Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, James Urbaniak, Judah Friedlander, Harvey Pekar
"From off the streets of Cleveland" comes the acclaimed filming of Ohio file clerk/jazz buff/crank Harvey Pekar's underground comic book chronicle of... Read more
A Tale of a Naughty Girl (2002)
6.7/10
Director: Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Starring: Samata Das, Rituparna Sengupta, Arpan Basar
India, 1969. Rajani, a prostitute, and her daughter, Lati, both live in a bordello in a little town called Gospaira. Hoping that her daughter will hav... Read more
The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)
6.5/10
Director: Alan Rudolph
Starring: Campbell Scott, Hope Davis, Denis Leary
Dr. Dave Hurst (Campbell Scott) seems content with his wife Dana (Hope Davis), his three daughters, and a thriving dental practice shared with his bel... Read more
Marie-Jo and Her Two Loves (2002)
Director: Robert Guediguian
Starring: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gerard Meylan
On the old smugglers' trail, during a picnic, Marie-Jo presses the blade of a knife to her wrist. She is very much in love with Daniel, her husband, a... Read more
In This World (2002)
7.4/10
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Jamal Udin Torabi, Enayatullah , Imran Paracha
From director Michael Winterbottom comes a shattering docudrama concerning a pair of Afghan boys who attempt to flee their refugee camp in Pakistan. S... Read more
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
7.4/10
Director: Stephen Frears
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Wong
The sometimes harrowing life of London's immigrant population is the focus of director Stephen Frears' engrossing drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a doctor... Read more