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.
The Return (2003)
8/10
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring: Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko, Natalia Vdovina
Two teenage brothers, living with their mother, discover that their father has returned home after years of absence without a word of explanation. He... Read more
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)
7.1/10
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Roberto Benigni, Cate Blanchett, Steve Coogan, Alfred Molina, Bill Murray, Iggy...
As hard to resist as its title vices, Jim Jarmusch's deceptively simple film consists of 11, to be fair, hit and miss vignettes, filmed over the cours... Read more
Zatoichi (2003)
7.6/10
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ogusu, Yui Natsukawa
Aka "The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi". The sightless Zatoichi - hero of over two dozen films from 1962 to 1989 - is revived by scripter/director/star Ta... Read more
I'm Not Scared (2003)
7.5/10
Director: Gabriele Salvatores
Starring: Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Dino Abbrescia, Giorgio Careccia, Giuseppe Cristiano
Something sinister is lurking under the surface of 10-year-old Michele's (Giuseppe Cristiano) idyllic summer. While the days in his remote southern It... Read more
Ruby and Quentin ( Tais-toi! ) (2003)
4.9/10
Director: Francis Veber
Starring: Jean Reno, Gerard Depardieu
Ruby (Jean Reno) has only one thing on his mind: to avenge the death of the woman he loved at the hand of a criminal. Quentin (Gerard Depardieu) has v... Read more
Anatomy of Hell (2003)
4.5/10
Director: Catherine Breillat
Starring: Amira Casar, Rocco Siffredi
A.k.a. "Anatomie De L'Enfer". After encountering a man at a gay nightclub, a suicidal woman hires the stranger to watch her explore her sexuality over... Read more
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
7.8/10
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Starring: Arnold Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman, Jesse Friedman, Seth Friedman
Devastating, critically acclaimed documentary centres on Arnold Friedman, a Long Island math teacher and former magician, and son Jesse, who were accu... Read more
Bon Voyage (2003)
6.9/10
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu, Virginie Ledoyen, Yvan Attal, Gregori Derange...
It is June 1940 and everyone who is anyone is hightailing it out of Paris to avoid the imminent Nazi occupation. Heading south, a motley group that in... Read more
Carandiru (2003)
7.6/10
Director: Hector Babenco
Starring: Rodrigo Santoro, Milton Goncalves, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Maria Luisa Mendonca...
Carandiru, Brazil's largest correctional facility. Built to house 3,000 inmates, it is home to over 7,000 murderers, rapists, drug addicts and crimina... 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