Film Festivals 2004
Another great year for documentary fans with the gripping 'Capturing the Friedmans', political offerings 'Control Room', Robert McNamara in 'Fog of War', and the disturbing psyche of 'The Corporation'. For music lovers there was the fascinating 'End of the Century: The Sory of the Ramones', 'The Mayor of Sunset Strip', 'Metallica: Some Kind of Monster' and 'Festival Express'. Hector Babenco broke a long absence from directing with the powerhouse 'Carandiru' while Zhang Yimou's lush 'Hero' made it to New Zealand screens along with 'Motorcycle Diaries', gut-wrenching Korean flick 'Old Boy', heart-tugger 'Osama' and the delightful 'Triplets of Belleville' to name just a few.
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
8.2/10
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Marty Milner
This hard-hitting expose of gossip columnists and press agents stars Burt Lancaster as a merciless scribe whose sister is his only soft spot. Tony Cur... Read more
The Band Wagon (1953)
7.6/10
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant
Delightful musical featuring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in a story line that revolves around the difficulties of putting on a Broadway show. Astair... Read more
The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
7.7/10
Director: Denys Arcand
Starring: Remy Girard, Stephane Rousseau, Marie-Josee Croze, Dorothee Berryman
Reuniting the characters first introduced in his 1986 "The Decline of the American Empire," director Denys Arcand's Oscar-winning (Best Foreign Langua... Read more
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
8.1/10
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Starring: Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef, Brahim Haggiag
Director Gillo Pontecorvo brilliantly recreated the street riots and other events that led up to Algeria's independence from France in this astonishin... Read more
The Cat Returns (2002)
7.3/10
Director: Hiroyuki Morita
From Japan's Studio Ghibli comes this magical animated adventure that will delight and inspire both the young and the young at heart. After saving a... Read more
The Corporation (2003)
8.1/10
Director: Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott
Based on a book by Joel Bakan, this documentary considers the fact that, under American law, corporations are individuals and have the same rights as... Read more
The Fog of War (2003)
8.2/10
Director: Errol Morris
Starring: Robert S McNamara
Robert S. McNamara was one of the most controversial and influential political figures of the 20th century. As Secretary of Defence under Presidents K... Read more
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
8.9/10
Director: Sergio Leone
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood's invincible "Man with No Name" teams with two gunslingers (Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach) to pursue a fortune in stolen gold. But team... Read more
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ( Blu-ray ) (1966)
8.9/10
Director: Sergio Leone
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
Clint Eastwood's invincible "Man with No Name" teams with two gunslingers (Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach) to pursue a fortune in stolen gold. But team... Read more
The Grudge (2002)
6.7/10
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa
Aka 'Ju-on'. Japanese legend has it that a man who dies in a fit of rage leaves behind a malevolent presence that nests in his home; a contaminant tha... Read more