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.
Hero ( Blu-ray ) (2002)
7.9/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung (Chiu Wai), Zhang Ziyi, Daoming Ch...
Director Zhang Yimou's highly stylized martial arts epic stars Jet Li as a nameless expert swordsman, who tells the ruler of one of ancient China's wa... Read more
The Motorcycle Diaries ( Blu-ray ) (2003)
7.8/10
Director: Walter Salles
Starring: Mia Maestro, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo De La Serna
From executive producer Robert Redford and acclaimed director Walter Salles ("Central Station") comes a love letter to a continent and its people. Bas... Read more
Power Trip (2003)
7.5/10
Director: Paul Devlin
Attempting to supply modern electrical power to the former Soviet republic of Georgia, a powerful American energy company encounters enormous drama an... Read more
Devdas (2002)
7.6/10
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai
Set in the early 1900s, this film follows a young man named Devdas (Shahrukh Khan) on his way home to India after having spent the past ten years in L... Read more
Born Into Brothels (2003)
7.3/10
Director: Ross Kauffman, Zana Briski
A portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a N... Read more
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003)
7.9/10
Director: Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Four musicians from another galaxy are kidnapped by an evil manager to ultimately become the biggest band on Earth. Daft Punk's music meets Leiji Mats... Read more
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring (2003)
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Starring: Oh Yeong-Su, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Yeong-min
A tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breathtaking landscape, tended to by a solitary Monk. Into this serene setting comes a young child... 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
The Yes Men (2003)
6.9/10
Director: Chris Smith, Dan Ollman, Sarah Price
Starring: Andreas Bichlbauer, Mike Bonanno, Sal Salamone, Michael Moore
A comedic documentary following Andy and Mike, prankster activists who set up a website mimicking the World Trade Organisation. Finding themselves inv... 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