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'.
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
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
City of God (2002)
8.6/10
Director: Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund
Starring: Seu Jorge, Matheus Nachtergaele, Alexandre Rodrigues, Douglas Silva
Celebrated with international acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous awards at festivals around the world. The str... Read more
The Conversation (Blu-ray) (1974)
7.8/10
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Teri Garr, John Cazale, Harrison Ford, Gene Hackman, Frederic Forrest, Cindy Wil...
Gene Hackman is brilliant as Harry Caul, the surveillance man who becomes the object of surveillance himself. Coppola's great achievement is evoking a... 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
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002)
6.2/10
Director: Shane Meadows
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Shirley Henderson, Ricky Tomlinson, Fin...
Using the operatic style associated with Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, this offbeat comedy stars Robert Carlyle as a small-time hood who watches ex... Read more
Only the Strong Survive (2002)
6.8/10
Director: Chris Hegedus, D A Pennebaker
Starring: Jerry Butler, The Chi-Lites, Isaac Hayes, Sam Moore, Ann Peebles, Wilson Pickett...
Revealing documentary from co-director D.A. Pennebaker ("Dont Look Back") offers a vibrant, captivating look at the legendary Memphis, Tennessee, musi... Read more
Together (2000)
7.5/10
Director: Lukas Moodysson
Starring: Emma Samuelsson, Gustaf Hammarsten, Michael Nyqvist, Lisa Lindgren
The year is 1975. Elisabeth tires of her husband, so she packs her bags, takes her children and goes off to her brother, Goran. Elisabeth is a fairly... Read more
The Spanish Apartment ( L'Auberge Espagnole ) (2002)
7.3/10
Director: Cedric Klapisch
Starring: Romain Duris, Cecile De France, Judith Godreche, Audrey Tautou
Aka "Pot Luck". From the director of "When the Cat's Away" comes this frothy romantic comedy in which Xavier, a French college senior, signs up for a... Read more
11'09"01 - September 11 (2002)
Director: Claude Lelouch, Idrissa Ouedrago, Ken Loach, Mira Nair, Samira Makhmalbaf, Sean Penn, Shohei Imamura, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Danis Tanovic, Amos Gitai, Youssef Chahine
This film is a unique and extraordinary response to the catastrophic events in New York City that shook the world on September 11, 2001. Producer Alai... Read more