Film Festivals 1997
Yet another all-sorts year with something for all tastes. From Atom Egoyan's controversial "The Sweet Hereafter" and Kirby Dick's provocative "Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Lanagan, Supermasochist" to the warm and witty "Kolya" from the Czech Republic and the harrowing and visually stunning "Zero Kelvin" from Norway. The Wachowski Brothers' stylish contemporary noir "Bound" was good company for David Cronenberg's not-for-all-tastes minor masterpiece "Crash". Peter Greenaway offered up his stylistic "The Pillow Book".
Rats In The Ranks (1996)
8/10
Director: Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson
Starring: Larry Hand
This bruising political doco follows the squabbles in a Sydney suburb between the Mayor and City Councillors. The filmmakers gained an extraordinary d... Read more
Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
6/10
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Uberto P Quintavalle, Aldo Valetti
Pasolini's final and most controversial film has been banned, censored and reviled the world over since it's first release. The film is based on the M... Read more
Fever Pitch (1996)
6.2/10
Director: David Evans
Starring: Colin Firth, Ruth Gemmell, Neil Pearson
Based on the cult novel by Nick Hornby and set against the backdrop of the 1988-89 English football season. This well-written, exuberant and witty num... Read more
Celestial Clockwork (1996)
7/10
Director: Fina Torres
Starring: Ariel, Ariadna Gil, Arielle Dombasle, Evelyne Didi
This quirky, magic-infused romantic comedy whimsical tale tells of a Venezuelan woman who abandons the altar as she's about to get married, fleeing to... Read more
A Self Made Hero (1996)
7.4/10
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Mathieu Kassovitz, Anouk Grinberg, Albert Dupontel
Mathieu Kassovitz plays a young Frenchman who manages to avoid military service in WWII. His one great talent is his confidence and his ability as a s... Read more
East Side Story (1996)
6.7/10
Director: Dana Ranga
Starring: Chris Doerk, Erich Gusko, Helmet Hanke
This fascinating and fun, though not campy, documentary focuses on Soviet musicals, which were made to distract audiences from the oppressive politica... Read more
Swingers ( Blu-ray ) (1996)
7.3/10
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Heather Graham, Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston, Vince Vaughn, Patrick Van Horn, Ale...
Doug Liman's debut is a surprisingly winning look at the romantic and social entanglements of a group of Los Angeles lounge lizards. Jon Favreau and V... Read more
Big Night (Blu-ray) (1996)
7.3/10
Director: Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci
Starring: Ian Holm, Isabella Rossellini, Minnie Driver, Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub
An impeccably crafted, endearing story of Italian immigrant brothers trying to survive as restauranteurs in 1950's America. Isabella Rossellini, Ian H... Read more
The Separation (1994)
7.5/10
Director: Christian Vincent
Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Isabelle Huppert, Jerome Deschamps
Isabelle Huppert and Daniel Auteuil are spellbinding in their roles as lovers who endure the darkest hours of a relationship-the separation. Internati... Read more
Crash (1996)
6.4/10
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Rosanna Arquette, Deborah Kara Unger
James Spader, Holly Hunter and Rosanna Arquette are a motley assortment of car crash survivors seeking more and more perverse thrills to communicate,... Read more