Production Company(ies)
Otto Preminger Films,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
China
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2009
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, drama, China, factory, apartment complex, cultural flux, ZhangKe Jia, directed by ZhangKe Jia, Shozo Ichiyama, written by ZhangKe Jia, Yongming Zhai, starring Jianbin Chen, Joan Chen, Liping Lu, Tao Zhao, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Richard Brody, Tony Rayns, Liam Lacey, Maggie Lee, Mark Jenkins, Derek Elley, David Walsh, Mattie Lucas, Donald J Levit, Dan Fainaru, Michael Joshua Rowin, Derek Smith, produced by Shozo Ichiyama
 

Cast & Crew

Jianbin Chen

Joan Chen

Liping Lu

Tao Zhao

ZhangKe Jia

self

Little Flower

Hao Dali

Su Na

Director

Jianbin Chen – self
Joan Chen – Little Flower
Liping Lu – Hao Dali
Tao Zhao – Su Na
ZhangKe Jia – Director, Writer

 

ZhangKe Jia

ZhangKe Jia

Shozo Ichiyama

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
ZhangKe Jia
 
Writer(s)
ZhangKe Jia, Yongming Zhai
 
Producer(s)
Shozo Ichiyama

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 6 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Brody

Tony Rayns

Liam Lacey

Maggie Lee

Mark Jenkins

New Yorker

Sight & Sound

Globe and Mail

Hollywood Reporter

NPR

24 CITY
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (5)
 Through interviews with retired workers and faux interviews with scripted characters, Jia brings long-repressed history to life on an intimate scale.
 
 July 23, 2018
 
 Richard Brody
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 24 City belies its documentary origins with overtly poetic film language: the film is an elegiac visual symphony of carefully framed compositions, trompe l’oeil camera movements, posed portraits, internal rhymes and mysterious vignettes.
 
 June 18, 2012
 
 Tony Rayns
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 A blend of documentary and drama which is by turns movingly authentic and deliberately artificial.
 
 September 14, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Liam Lacey
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 In [Jia Zhangke’s] chronicle of the changing fortunes of a defunct but once glorious aeronautic factory and its workers through talking heads and wordless images exclusively, the documentary strain prevails to simple, yet emotionally reverberating effect.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 Maggie Lee
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 24 City includes evocative footage of Factory 420’s dismantling, but emphasizes people over place.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 Mark Jenkins
 NPR
 TOP CRITIC
 Strongest moments are when the pristine HD lensing by Hong Kong’s Yu Lik-wai (a Jia regular) and Wang Yu, and warm string music by Yoshihiro Hanno, take over in montages showing the gradual dismantling of the factory.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 Derek Elley
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Things are confused here, and the documentary/drama suffers. A lack of social and historical perspective lies at the heart of the problem.
 
 February 13, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 A fascinating and bittersweet film, its structure creating a wholly original and moving viewing experience that takes the plight of people half a world away, and makes it stunningly, hauntingly, our own.
 
 August 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row
 A fond, quietly ironic look at the past and the present facing the global problem of individual obsolescence and urban uprooting.
 
 February 11, 2016
 
 Donald J. Levit
 ReelTalk Movie Reviews
 Jia purposely refrains from voicing any opinions here and its authenticity may be arguable, but if pure fiction is so often taken as historical testimony, why shouldn’t half-fiction qualify for the same honours?
 
 August 4, 2015
 
 Dan Fainaru
 Screen International
 Jia Zhangke seems to be entering a new phase of his fascinating career with 24 City, a documentary/fiction hybrid that reworks the director’s signature techniques and strategies to stunning and self-critical effect.
 
 August 2, 2015
 
 Michael Joshua Rowin
 Stop Smiling
 In the end, the filmmaker’s fragmented approach marks an interesting, if not entirely successful, departure for one of China’s most talented working directors.
 
 August 2, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Derek Smith
 Tiny Mix Tapes…

 

Plot
24 City is a documentary-drama that explores the lives of eight people affected by the closure of a factory in China and its replacement with an apartment complex, blurring the lines between non-fiction, drama, and musical theater.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features interviews with retired workers and faux interviews with scripted characters.
 

 
ZhangKe-Jia.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Kennedy Miller Productions,
 
Distributor
Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Entertainment
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Johannesburg, South Africa
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language
 
Year of Release
2009
 

 
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
 
Keyword(s)
District 9, Sci-fi, Sharlto Copley, directed by Neill Blomkamp, written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, Peter Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Jeannette Catsoulis, Jonathan Romney, Anupama Chopra, Tom Charity, Joshua Rothkopf, Sean Axmaker, Jason Adams, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Nikki Baughan, MPAA rating R, aliens, Multi-National United, South Africa, District 9, Wikus Van De Merwe, Grey Bradnam, Koobus Venter, Tania Van De Merwe, Fundiswa Mhlanga, Thomas, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Entertainment, SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
 

Cast & Crew

Sharlto Copley

Jason Cope

David James

Vanessa Haywood

Mandla Gaduka

Wikus Van De Merwe

Grey Bradnam

Koobus Venter

Tania Van De Merwe

Fundiswa Mhlanga

Sharlto Copley – Wikus Van De Merwe
Jason Cope – Grey Bradnam
David James – Koobus Venter
Vanessa Haywood – Tania Van De Merwe
Mandla Gaduka – Fundiswa Mhlanga
Kenneth Nkosi – Thomas

 

Neill Blomkamp

Neill Blomkamp

Peter Jackson

Carolynne Cunningham

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Neill Blomkamp
 
Writer(s)
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
 
Producer(s)
Peter Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 4 Oscars
31 wins & 117 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Candice Frederick

Jeannette Catsoulis

Jonathan Romney

Anupama Chopra

Tom Charity

Reel Talk Online

NPR

Independent on Sunday

NDTV

CNN.com

DISTRICT 9
 All Critics (313) | Top Critics (73) | Fresh (281) | Rotten (32)
 I don’t know guys, at the end of the day it’s aliens and hard for me to take this seriously.
 
 September 12, 2017 | Rating: B
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 The wonder is that despite its obvious roots, District 9 feels staggeringly original.
 
 June 17, 2015
 
 Jeannette Catsoulis
 NPR
 TOP CRITIC
 Blomkamp is good at mustering speedy action and posting grisly sight gags in the background, carnage always hovering comically at the edge of your vision. But I’m not sure that District 9 entirely gets the earthling racism out of its own system.
 
 June 17, 2015
 
 Jonathan Romney
 Independent on Sunday
 TOP CRITIC
 Audacious, original and absolutely gut-wrenching.
 
 June 17, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Anupama Chopra
 NDTV
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a brashly confident debut, full of sharp, inventive detail (the prawns are crazy for cat food) and rooted in a couple of Big Ideas. Well worth the time, if not all of it.
 
 August 25, 2014
 
 Tom Charity
 CNN.com
 TOP CRITIC
 District 9 has too many gory vaporizations to qualify as a serious statement on race relations, but it does outclank Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen by a wide margin, and you thrill to the cleanly cut action sequences.
 
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joshua Rothkopf
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Funny and ferocious, cynical and satirical, “District 9” is both ingeniously clever and reflectively thoughtful, a science fiction thriller that bubbles with social commentary.
 
 April 26, 2022
 
 Sean Axmaker
 Stream on Demand
 I don’t think the film is the epic reevaluation of science-fiction storytelling like some people have hailed it to be. But I do think it’s a solid smart sci-fi action flick that’s honest to its characters
 
 January 10, 2022
 
 Jason Adams
 My New Plaid Pants
 One of the most creative and exciting science-fiction adventures in the last decade.
 
 November 28, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Amid the mayhem, however, it’s impossible to lose sight of the film’s penetrating satire on racism and xenophobia.
 
 November 23, 2020
 
 Jason Best
 Movie Talk
 FEELS oppressed and this oppression permeates virtually every single minute of the film’s 112-minute runtime.
 
 September 6, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 It’s a genuinely impressive debut feature and unlike the singular experience of Cloverfield’s faux-reality, District 9 has narrative, plus thematic weight and visceral thrills, which elevate it above the gimmick of the reality format.
 
 October 29, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Nikki Baughan
 Roll Credits…

 

Plot
In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed “The Prawns,” appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new ‘Prawn’ friends.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about District 9.
 

 
Neill-Blomkamp.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Toho Company, Kurosawa Production Co.,
 
Distributor
Music Box Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Berlin, Germany
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
Cloud 9, drama, romance, 67 year old woman, 76 year old man, sexuality, German, Andreas Dresen, directed by Andreas Dresen, written by Andreas Dresen, Jörg Hauschild, Laila Stieler, Conny Ziesche, Peter Rommel, Ursula Werner, Horst Rehberg, Horst Westphal, Steffi Kühnert, box office gross $91.3K, Music Box Films, MPAA rating, reviewed by G Allen Johnson, Ella Taylor, Donald Clarke, Liam Lacey, Tom Russo, Ray Bennett, David Sterritt, Dan Lybarger, Loey Lockerby, Jeffrey M Anderson, Emanuel Levy, Wade Major, nudity, sex scenes, senior characters, sexual beings, nudity, graphic sexuality, celebration, shock, tenderness, love, marriage, Petra, taboo-breaking insight, critic reviews, audience score, streaming, rent/buy
 

Cast & Crew

Ursula Werner

Horst Rehberg

Horst Westphal

Steffi Kühnert

Andreas Dresen

Inge

Werner

Karl

Petra

Director

Ursula Werner – Inge
Horst Rehberg – Werner
Horst Westphal – Karl
Steffi Kühnert – Petra
Andreas Dresen – Director, Writer
Peter Rommel – Producer
Jörg Hauschild – Writer
Laila Stieler – Writer
Conny Ziesche – Writer

 

Andreas Dresen

Andreas Dresen

Peter Rommel

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Andreas Dresen
 
Writer(s)
Andreas Dresen, Jörg Hauschild, Laila Stieler, Conny Ziesche
 
Producer(s)
Peter Rommel

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 5 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

G. Allen Johnson

Ella Taylor

Donald Clarke

Liam Lacey

Tom Russo

San Francisco Chronicle

NPR

Irish Times

Globe and Mail

Boston Globe

CLOUD 9
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (5)
 Dresen films much of the movie in close-up and medium shots, making sure we see every wrinkle and age spot, every expression, every emotion.
 
 September 23, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 G. Allen Johnson
 San Francisco Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Cloud 9 is most moving when it steps quietly into the gap between physical decline and the persistence, at full blast, of unfulfilled longing and desire.
 
 September 23, 2020
 
 Ella Taylor
 NPR
 TOP CRITIC
 There is tragedy and awkwardness here, but Cloud 9 never feels like a chore.
 
 September 23, 2020
 
 Donald Clarke
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 September 14, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Liam Lacey
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 Sometimes, apparently, the old saw about the heart wanting what it wants can apply to seniors precisely the same way it does to the young and foolish.
 
 July 29, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Tom Russo
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 The film may attract older moviegoers curious to see their generation represented onscreen doing what comes naturally for once. It’s doubtful that the general audience will be so inclined.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 Ray Bennett
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 “Cloud 9” offers the welcome spectacle of two oldsters discovering romantic bliss, even though that bliss ultimately comes at the expense of others.
 
 September 23, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 David Sterritt
 Christian Science Monitor
 This German entry benefits from a matter-of-fact approach.
 
 May 2, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Dan Lybarger
 eFilmCritic.com
 This moral ambivalence is both the movie’s strength and its greatest weakness. In virtually every way, Inge’s behavior is unconscionable.
 
 April 2, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Loey Lockerby
 Kansas City Star
 Dresen shows the events with a matter-of-fact clarity and patience, with a lack of editing or obnoxious musical score; the tone is startlingly quiet.
 
 September 10, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jeffrey M. Anderson
 Combustible Celluloid
 This German melodrama has its share of problems (uncertain tone, unsatisfying closure), but in its many good moments, it offers a honest portrait of sex among the elderly, which is an almost taboo subject in American movies.
 
 August 29, 2009 | Rating: B
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 An otherwise routine look at a love triangle is passed with middling success through geriatric and Teutonic filters in this largely improvised drama from veteran German director Andreas Dresen.
 
 August 28, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Wade Major
 Boxoffice Magazine…

 

Plot
A romantic drama about an old woman in her mid-60s who enters into an affair after 30 years of marriage.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Ursula Werner, Horst Rehberg, and Horst Westphal in the lead roles.
 

 
Andreas-Dresen.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Dream Works Animation, Mad Hatter Entertainment, Vertigo Entertainment,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Detroit, Michigan, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for mild thematic elements, brief language and smoking
 
Year of Release
2009
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Nicolas Cazalé, Clotilde Hesme, Daniel Duval, Jeanne Goupil, Stéphan Guérin-Tillié, Liliane Rovère, directed by Eric Guirado, written by Eric Guirado, Florence Vignon, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Hank Sartin, Cosmo Landesman, David Parkinson, David Jenkins, Wendy Ide, Peter Bradshaw, Sarah Manvel, Robin Clifford, Philip French, Tom Dawson, Miléna Poylo, Gilles Sacuto, MPAA rating, French (Canada), coming-of-age story, family tensions, rural life, mobile grocery store, elderly customers, beautiful scenery, emotional detachment, empathy, love story, city life, college entrance exams, cinematography, honest, predictable, pleasant experience
 

Cast & Crew

Nicolas Cazalé

Antoine Sforza

Clotilde Hesme

Daniel Duval

Jeanne Goupil

Antoine Sforza

Claire

M. Sforza

Mme Sforza

François Sforza

Nicolas Cazalé – Antoine Sforza
Clotilde Hesme – Claire
Daniel Duval – M. Sforza
Jeanne Goupil – Mme Sforza
Stéphan Guérin-Tillié – François Sforza
Liliane Rovère – Lucienne

 

Eric Guirado

Eric Guirado

Miléna Poylo

Gilles Sacuto

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Eric Guirado
 
Writer(s)
Eric Guirado, Florence Vignon
 
Producer(s)
Miléna Poylo, Gilles Sacuto

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
7 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Hank Sartin

Cosmo Landesman

David Parkinson

David Jenkins

Wendy Ide

Time Out

Times (UK)

Empire Magazine

Guardian

Critic’s Notebook

THE GROCER’S SON
 All Critics (60) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (6)
 November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Hank Sartin
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Written and directed by a newcomer, Eric Guirado, this is a delightful coming-of-age film that quietly explores the hidden tensions in family life.
 
 April 28, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Cosmo Landesman
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 A little predictable in places, but explores family relationships with pathos and perception.
 
 April 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
 
 David Parkinson
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a small, well-rounded movie that you’d be hard pressed to find fault with, achieving its modest goals with subtle aplomb while whipping up humour and empathy from Antoine’s rapport with his doddery clientele.
 
 April 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/6
 
 David Jenkins
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a slow-burning charmer of a film that rewards those prepared to settle into its easygoing pace.
 
 April 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a sweet and engaging little film, and though it becomes more contrived and sugary as the story progresses, there is real charm.
 
 April 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 What every single person in this film does is treat the other adults as adults. Seeing it done so consistently emphasizes how rare it is to see this not only on screen, but also in real life.
 
 August 9, 2018
 
 Sarah Manvel
 Critic’s Notebook
 January 27, 2012 | Rating: B
 
 Robin Clifford
 Reeling Reviews
 The landscape with Mont Sainte-Victoire regularly in view is seductively beautiful.
 
 April 28, 2009
 
 Philip French
 Observer (UK)
 A warm-hearted tribute to a disappearing way of life, the unhurried Grocer’s Son is a well acted film where the journey is more important than the final destination.
 
 April 25, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Tom Dawson
 Film4
 Writer/director Eric Guirado lets events unfold at their own relaxed pace, and has a feel for simmering family resentments, while the wonderful Clotilde Hesme is effortlessly charming in the role of the free-spirited best friend.
 
 April 25, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Tom Dawson
 Total Film
 Unfolding amid the dappled sunshine and dusty roads of Provence, this is a film that lifts your spirits.
 
 April 24, 2009
 
 Allan Hunter
 Daily Express (UK)…

 

Plot
A young man returns to his village to help his father run the family grocery store in this French coming-of-age drama.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a noteworthy performance by Eric Guirado.
 

 
Eric-Guirado.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions,
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Harrachov, Czech Republic
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content and nudity
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
I served the king of England, Ivan Barnev, Oldrich Kaiser, Julia Jentsch, Martin Huba, Marián Labuda, Milan Lasica, Jirí Menzel, Robert Schaffer, Andrea Metcalfe, Comedy, Romance, War, Czech, R, $617.2K, reviewed by Hank Sartin, Wally Hammond, David Fear, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Roger Moore, Peter Rainer, David Lamble, Mattie Lucas, Steve Erickson, Larry Ratliff, Jean Lowerison, James Verniere, 80%, 88 reviews, 81%, 5,000+ ratings, directed by Jirí Menzel, written by Jirí Menzel, produced by Robert Schaffer, Andrea Metcalfe, Sony Pictures Classics, nudity, sexual content, aspiring millionaire, train attendant, prominent hotels, wealthy guests, string of affairs, fanatical Nazi, temptation, social ruin
 

Cast & Crew

Ivan Barnev

Oldrich Kaiser

Julia Jentsch

Martin Huba

Marián Labuda

Jan Díte

young

Jan Díte

old

Liza

Ivan Barnev – Jan Díte, young
Oldrich Kaiser – Jan Díte, old
Julia Jentsch – Liza
Martin Huba – Skrivanek
Marián Labuda – Walden
Milan Lasica – Professor

 

Jirí Menzel

Jirí Menzel

Robert Schaffer

Andrea Metcalfe

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jirí Menzel
 
Writer(s)
Jirí Menzel
 
Producer(s)
Robert Schaffer, Andrea Metcalfe

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 13 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Hank Sartin

Wally Hammond

David Fear

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Roger Moore

Time Out

Entertainment Weekly

Orlando Sentinel

Christian Science Monitor

Bay Area Reporter

I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND
 All Critics (88) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (18)
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Hank Sartin
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Wally Hammond
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 David Fear
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: A-
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 May 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Roger Moore
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 The world it depicts is too dangerous and too lovely to classify.
 
 November 21, 2008 | Rating: A
 
 Peter Rainer
 Christian Science Monitor
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a gently amusing, surreal vision that dishes up hard truths in an unsentimental but never brutal fashion.
 
 June 2, 2020
 
 David Lamble
 Bay Area Reporter
 A captivating, heartwarming, and ultimately life affirming celebration of what makes us human.
 
 July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row
 … the film dishonors the history it glides through by lacking any sense of real danger.
 
 March 8, 2018
 
 Steve Erickson
 Gay City News
 I Served the King of England plays like a combination of Life Is Beautiful and Forrest Gump.
 
 October 24, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Larry Ratliff
 San Antonio Express-News
 [A] delightful, lighthearted satire, a quirky story of fantasy, wealth and pretty women with exposed nipples.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Jean Lowerison
 San Diego Metropolitan
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: A-
 
 James Verniere
 Boston Herald…

 

Plot
Czechoslovakia, 1963. Jan Díte is released from prison after serving 15 years. He goes into semi exile in a deserted village near the German border. In flashbacks, he tells his story: he’s a small, clever and quick-witted young man, stubbornly naïve, a vendor at a train station. Thanks to a patron, he becomes a waiter at upscale hotels and restaurants. We see him discover how the wealthy tick and how to please women. He strives to be a millionaire with his own hotel. Before the war, he meets Líza, a German woman in Prague. Is this his ticket to wealth or his undoing? Meanwhile, we see Jan putting a life together after prison: why was he sentenced, and who will he become?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels review.
 

 
Jirí-Menzel.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Selznick International Pictures,,
 
Distributor
IFC First Take
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Austin, Texas, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian Matthew McGuire, Kathleen Luong, Bret Roberts, Twink Caplan, directed by Alex Holdridge, written by Alex Holdridge, produced by Seth Caplan, Scoot McNairy, Comedy, Romance, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kevin Craft, Dave Calhoun, Ben Kenigsberg, Noel Murray, Peter Bradshaw, Josh Rosenblatt, MPAA rating, Craigslist personal ad, New Year’s Eve, Los Angeles, aspiring actress, midnight kiss, loneliness, heartbreak, relationship, black and white shots, old Los Angeles, theatre district
 

Cast & Crew

Scoot McNairy

Sara Simmonds

Brian Matthew McGuire

Kathleen Luong

Bret Roberts

Wilson

Vivian

Jacob

Min

Bui

Scoot McNairy – Wilson
Sara Simmonds – Vivian
Brian Matthew McGuire – Jacob
Kathleen Luong – Min
Bret Roberts – Bui
Twink Caplan – Wilson’s Mother

 

Alex Holdridge

Alex Holdridge

Seth Caplan

Scoot McNairy

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alex Holdridge
 
Writer(s)
Alex Holdridge
 
Producer(s)
Seth Caplan, Scoot McNairy

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
4 wins
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kevin Craft

Dave Calhoun

Ben Kenigsberg

Noel Murray

Peter Bradshaw

Miami Herald

Time Out

AV Club

Guardian

Austin Chronicle

IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS
 All Critics (65) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (10)
 The film never finds an original voice or qualifies its tagline (It’s not just another kiss), but it is more enjoyable than most New Year’s Eve celebrations.
 
 April 6, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Kevin Craft
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Dave Calhoun
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ben Kenigsberg
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 In Search Of A Midnight Kiss shows enough flashes of brightness that its more conventional business is all the more dispiriting.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: B-
 
 Noel Murray
 AV Club
 TOP CRITIC
 Alex Holdridge has written and directed a sweet, funny little indie movie.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Holdridge is clever enough to keep his characters from slipping into outright narcissism, or when they do, he’s familiar enough with the art of mainstream moviemaking to balance the exhausted with the ecstatic.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Josh Rosenblatt
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 There’s enough wit and tenderness here to put many a bloated Hollywood movie to shame.
 
 November 13, 2020
 
 Jason Best
 What’s On TV
 It’s Mr. Holdridge’s third film, though, and an experienced filmmaker should offer us more than just brief glimpses of talent.
 
 December 13, 2018 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Kelly Jane Torrance
 Washington Times
 In Search of a Midnight Kiss oozes charm.
 
 August 21, 2017
 
 Annie Wagner
 The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
 It’s a great feeling, isn’t it, falling in love with a movie about falling in love?
 
 November 26, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Creative Loafing
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Paul Gallagher
 Future Movies UK
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: B+
 
 James Verniere
 Boston Herald…

 

Plot
On New Year’s Eve, Wilson, a twenty-nine-year old guy has just had the worst year of his life. He emigrated to Los Angeles, has no date, no concrete plans and every intention of locking the doors and forgetting the last year ever happened. That is until his best friend, Jacob, browbeats him into posting a personal ad on Craig’s List. When Vivian, a strong-willed woman hell bent on being with the right guy at the stroke of midnight responds, a chaotic, sometimes hilarious, sometimes touching journey through the black and white streets of L.A. begins. In the waning hours of the year, emotional vulnerability and bitterly honest humor seem to be waiting around every corner.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about “In Search of a Midnight Kiss.”
 

 
Alex-Holdridge.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, Right of Way Films,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Austin, Texas, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, environmentalism, real estate, Austin, Texas, aquifer, Barton Springs, opposition, conservatives, George W Bush, directed by Laura Dunn, produced by Laura Dunn, executive produced by Terrence Malick, starring Robert Redford, Willie Nelson, Ann Richards, reviewed by John Hartl, J.R Jones, Hank Sartin, Mark Holcomb, Josh Rosenblatt, Joe Leydon, Ken Hanke, Steve Erickson, Dorothy Woodend, Annie Wagner, Craig Phillips, Louis Proyect, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, cinematography, interview subjects, human ingenuity, human intransigence, nature’s power, environmental protections, urban sprawl, ecological destruction
 

Cast & Crew

Robert Redford

Willie Nelson

Ann Richards

Laura Dunn

Terrence Malick

Self

Self

Self

Director

Producer

Robert Redford – Self
Willie Nelson – Self
Ann Richards – Self
Laura Dunn – Director, Producer
Terrence Malick – Executive Producer

 

Laura Dunn

NA

Laura Dunn

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Laura Dunn
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Laura Dunn

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

John Hartl

J. R. Jones

Hank Sartin

Mark Holcomb

Josh Rosenblatt

Seattle Times

Chicago Reader

Time Out

Austin Chronicle

Houston Chronicle

THE UNFORESEEN
 All Critics (42) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (4)
 A gorgeous, thoughtful film that is remarkably evenhanded in its treatment of the subject.
 
 September 22, 2020
 
 John Hartl
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 One can see the hand of coproducer Terrence Malick in this gorgeous, lyrical documentary about ecological destruction in Austin, Texas.
 
 September 22, 2020
 
 J. R. Jones
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 November 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Hank Sartin
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Mark Holcomb
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 The result is an expansive and ambivalent testament to human ingenuity, human intransigence, and nature’s endangered yet enduring power to move.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Josh Rosenblatt
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 By turns rapturously beautiful and unspeakably sad while considering the consequences of unchecked urban sprawl.
 
 June 6, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Joe Leydon
 Houston Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Very thought-provoking and worth seeing.
 
 September 22, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ken Hanke
 Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
 While [director Laura] Dunn’s style is closer to Terrence Malick than Paul Thomas Anderson, Bradley becomes a figure as tragic and memorable as the fictional Daniel Plainview in “There Will Be Blood.”
 
 March 5, 2018
 
 Steve Erickson
 Gay City News
 It’s a beautiful film. . .Go and see it.
 
 August 22, 2017
 
 Dorothy Woodend
 The Tyee (British Columbia)
 This enviro documentary has its pretensions (I could’ve done without Wendell Berry intoning poetry), but the 30-year drama it describes couldn’t be more timely.
 
 August 22, 2017
 
 Annie Wagner
 The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
 If The Unforeseen has a fault, it would be a slight lack of focus. A flawed, but beautiful documentary.
 
 July 30, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Craig Phillips
 GreenCine
 Powerful study of a landmark struggle between environmentalists and real estate developer in Austin, Texas in the early 90s. A parable for our exhausted, consumerist society that is choking itself to death.
 
 January 23, 2009
 
 Louis Proyect
 rec.arts.movies.reviews…

 

Plot
The Unforeseen is a documentary about a real estate developer’s dream to build a subdivision in Austin, Texas, which becomes a rallying call for environmentalists and a political issue used by conservatives to dismantle environmental protections.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Robert Redford, who is also a co-producer of the film, appears as a self in The Unforeseen.
 

 
Laura-Dunn.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
Body of War, documentary, Iraq War, veteran, Tomas Young, post-traumatic stress disorder, combat, war in Iraq, anti-war activist, Congress, public outrage, Phil Donahue, Ellen Spiro, producer, writer, director, political, heart wrenching, rough around the edges, determination, compassion, critic reviews, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, reviewed by David Fear, Ben Kenigsberg, Owen Gleiberman, Michael Phillips, J.R Jones, Jim Emerson, Prairie Miller, Ross Anthony, Stephen Schaefer, Rob Thomas, Beth Accomando, starring Tomas Young, produced by Ellen Spiro, written by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, genre documentary
 

Cast & Crew

Phil Donahue

Ellen Spiro

Phil Donahue

Ellen Spiro

Phil Donahue

Director

Writer

Executive Producer

Producer

Phil Donahue – Director
Ellen Spiro – Director
Phil Donahue – Writer
Ellen Spiro – Writer
Phil Donahue – Executive Producer
Ellen Spiro – Producer

 

Phil Donahue

Phil Donahue

Ellen Spiro

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Phil Donahue, Ellen Spiro
 
Writer(s)
Phil Donahue, Ellen Spiro
 
Producer(s)
Ellen Spiro

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

David Fear

Ben Kenigsberg

Owen Gleiberman

Michael Phillips

J. R. Jones

Time Out

Entertainment Weekly

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Reader

Chicago Sun-Times

BODY OF WAR
 All Critics (40) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (8)
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 David Fear
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ben Kenigsberg
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: B-
 
 Owen Gleiberman
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Whatever you think of the film, Body of War stirs up real admiration for its subject.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Michael Phillips
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 [Tomas Young] deserves better treatment from the government than he’s gotten as a returning veteran, and a better movie than this simpleminded indictment of every senator who voted ‘yea.’
 
 May 16, 2008
 
 J. R. Jones
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Body of War again demonstrates that we Americans still have some bitter truths to face.
 
 May 16, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jim Emerson
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 When is a startling and devastating war movie made in the past too long ago to shed light on the present? Well, apparently never, if we’re talking permanent war characterizing the endless US invasions and occupations around the world.
 
 August 4, 2012
 
 Prairie Miller
 WBAI Radio
 The doc gets up-close and personal. It shows one injured vet’s reality after war.
 
 November 18, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Ross Anthony
 Hollywood Report Card
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: A
 
 Stephen Schaefer
 Boston Herald
 “Body of War” is so simple-minded and ham-handed in its case against the war that it ends up diluting its own argument.
 
 July 18, 2008 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Rob Thomas
 Capital Times (Madison, WI)
 Body of War is a powerful and effective documentary because it keeps its focus very tight and makes its story vivid in personal terms.
 
 June 8, 2008
 
 Beth Accomando
 KPBS.org
 The lack of ego and relatively little self-pity [wheelchair-bound Tomas] Young has is astounding.
 
 June 4, 2008 | Rating: A-
 
 Michael Dance
 The Cinema Source…

 

Plot
Body of War is a documentary that follows Iraq War veteran Tomas Young as he transforms from a shattered soldier to a devout anti-war activist, questioning the validity of the war in Iraq and the value of war in general.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Body of War.
 

 
Phil-Donahue.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
FM Productions, Last Waltz Inc.,
 
Distributor
City Lights Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Bom Retiro, São Paulo, Brazil
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic material, mild language, brief suggestive content, some violence and smoking
 
Year of Release
2006
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
coming of age, Brazil, 1970s, soccer, political repression, Jewish neighborhood, family, grandparents, World Cup, identity, drama, PG, Michel Joelsas, Germano Haiut, Simone Spoladore, Daniela Piepszyk, Caio Blat, Eduardo Moreira, Cao Hamburger, directed by, Claudio Galperin, Bráulio Mantovani, Anna Muylaert, written by, Cao Hamburger, Caio Gullane, Fabiano Gullane, produced by, City Lights Pictures, box office, budget, reviewed by, Wesley Morris, Joshua Rothkopf, Lisa Schwarzbaum, John Hartl, Rick Groen, Philip Marchand, Yasser Medina, Mattie Lucas, Fernando F Croce, Nora Lee Mandel, Joseph Proimakis, Sarah Boslaugh, PG rating, Portuguese, smoking, mild language, brief suggestive content, some violence, thematic material
 

Cast & Crew

Michel Joelsas

Germano Haiut

Simone Spoladore

Daniela Piepszyk

Caio Blat

Mauro

Schlomo

Bia

Hanna

Ítalo

Michel Joelsas – Mauro
Germano Haiut – Schlomo
Simone Spoladore – Bia
Daniela Piepszyk – Hanna
Caio Blat – Ítalo
Eduardo Moreira – Daniel

 

Cao Hamburger

Claudio Galperin

Cao Hamburger

Caio Gullane

Fabiano Gullane

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Cao Hamburger
 
Writer(s)
Claudio Galperin, Cao Hamburger, Bráulio Mantovani, Anna Muylaert
 
Producer(s)
Cao Hamburger, Caio Gullane, Fabiano Gullane

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
32 wins & 38 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Wesley Morris

Joshua Rothkopf

Lisa Schwarzbaum

John Hartl

Rick Groen

Boston Globe

Time Out

Entertainment Weekly

Seattle Times

Globe and Mail

THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION
 All Critics (54) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (10)
 November 24, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Wesley Morris
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joshua Rothkopf
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: B
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 This Brazilian coming-of-age drama, co-produced by City of God creator Fernando Meirelles, charms because it rarely spells things out.
 
 April 11, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 John Hartl
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Be patient and brace yourself for the climax; the wait is definitely worthwhile.
 
 March 28, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Rick Groen
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 Director Cao Hamburger, a Brazilian of Italian and German descent, treats this development with a very light hand.
 
 March 28, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Philip Marchand
 Toronto Star
 TOP CRITIC
 The little empathy that the opening of the coming of age story transmits to me, vanishes when I witness the triviality of innocence, the calculated sentimentality. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 August 6, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Yasser Medina
 Cinemaficionados
 Has an authenticity and sense of genuineness that is truly beautiful.
 
 July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row
 A painless enough movie, which is precisely the problem
 
 August 27, 2009
 
 Fernando F. Croce
 CinePassion
 Heavy on nostalgic charm, but a lovely and insightful portrait of children buffeted by their parents’ leftist activism in the 1970’s and of São Paolo’s Jewish neighborhood.
 
 December 17, 2008 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Nora Lee Mandel
 Film-Forward.com
 click for full review
 
 November 8, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Joseph Proimakis
 Movies for the Masses
 You’ve heard this story before, but what makes The Year My Parents Went on Vacation worth seeing is the unfamiliar setting…the Jewish community of Sao Paolo.
 
 September 19, 2008 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Sarah Boslaugh
 Playback:stl…

 

Plot
In 1970s Brazil, a young boy named Mauro is sent to live with his grandfather while his parents flee the politically repressive regime, and he befriends the characters in the surrounding Jewish neighborhood while anxiously awaiting news of his parents’ fate.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a standout performance from Michel Joelsas as the young protagonist.
 

 
Cao-Hamburger.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group Heyday Films,
 
Distributor
Big World Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Sheridan School – 191 Fountain Street, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violent and disturbing content, language and brief drug use
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
coming-of-age, drama, Georgian, Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Groß, Guillaume de Seille, Marc Wächter, Tamar Bukhnikashvili, Lika Babluani, Mariam Bokeria, Eka Khizanishvili, Natia Zaridze, box office, budget, reviewed by Kate Muir, reviewed by Drew Hunt, reviewed by Philippa Hawker, reviewed by David Stratton, reviewed by Stephanie Merry, reviewed by Mark Kermode, MPAA rating, Big World Pictures, societal customs, female friendship, political statement, real-world tension, adolescence, independent female identity, violence, anarchy, Middle Ages, limited choices, naturalistic performances, severe performances, shouting matches
 

Cast & Crew

Tamar Bukhnikashvili

Lika Babluani

Mariam Bokeria

Zurab Gogaladze

Data Zakareishvili

Tamar Bukhnikashvili

Lika Babluani

Mariam Bokeria

Zurab Gogaladze

Data Zakareishvili

Tamar Bukhnikashvili – self
Lika Babluani – Eka Khizanishvili
Mariam Bokeria – Natia Zaridze
Zurab Gogaladze – Kote
Data Zakareishvili – Lado
Ana Nijaradze – Ana
Nana Ekvtimishvili – Director, Writer
Simon Groß – Director, Producer
Guillaume de Seille – Producer
Marc Wächter – Producer
Big World Pictures – Distributor

 

Nana Ekvtimishvili

Nana Ekvtimishvili

Guillaume de Seille

Nana Ekvtimishvili

Marc Wächter

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Groß
 
Writer(s)
Nana Ekvtimishvili
 
Producer(s)
Guillaume de Seille, Nana Ekvtimishvili, Marc Wächter, Simon Groß

 

Film Festivals
Berlin
 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kate Muir

Drew Hunt

Philippa Hawker

David Stratton

Stephanie Merry

Times

Chicago Reader

The Age

The Australian

Washington Post

IN BLOOM
 All Critics (51) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (5)
 The leads are played with freshness and mischief by Lika Babluani as Eka and Mariam Bokeria as Natia.
 
 June 2, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Kate Muir
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Directors Nana Ekvtimshvili and Simon Gross adopt the long, contemplative takes of the new wave; much of the film feels familiar, but the location shooting and period details are nicely drawn, a result of Ekvtimshvili’s autobiographical script.
 
 December 19, 2014
 
 Drew Hunt
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a story of adolescence and female friendship under pressure, explored with a quietly engrossing combination of familiarity and strangeness.
 
 September 26, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Philippa Hawker
 The Age (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 Babluani and Bokeria are completely believable as the two teenagers who have to grow up very quickly, and a long, uninterrupted scene in which the former dances, alone, at her friend’s wedding is a highlight of an extremely engaging movie.
 
 September 26, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
 David Stratton
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 The viewer becomes keenly aware that she is only getting part of the story. But when the truth is so troubling, sometimes part of the story is more than enough.
 
 June 26, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Stephanie Merry
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 This terrifically engaging work raises important questions about universal experience and cultural context – in this case, the search for independent female identity in a society all but suffocated by the threat of violence.
 
 May 4, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 If a movie is going to be so rigid in crafting a realistic setting, it should have real movement to the story. Little here is invigorating.
 
 December 8, 2020
 
 Mat Bradley-Tschirgi
 Battleship Pretension
 The whole cast more than holds its own, whether its members are young or old, experienced or newcomers, but the two lead actresses are the film’s anchor.
 
 August 17, 2020
 
 Vladan Petkovic
 Cineuropa
 Watching the fates of Eka and Natia, we begin to feel a bit glazed over ourselves.
 
 August 29, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Nicholas Bell
 IONCINEMA.com
 It’s [the] deft balance between the light and the dark which ultimately makes In Bloom so successful.
 
 March 21, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Daniel Green
 CineVue
 This film out of Georgia (the country, not the state) depicts a society not far removed from anarchy, or the Middle Ages, for that matter. There’s not much light or laughter in this grim tale of limited choices.
 
 June 2, 2015 | Rating: C+
 
 Robert Roten
 Laramie Movie Scope
 The performances are naturalistic and severe, especially the highly volatile families, where shouting matches are almost traumatising to hear and to watch. But … the film ends without having said enough to satisfy us
 
 November 12, 2014
 
 Andrew L. Urban
 Urban Cinefile…

 

Plot
A dramatic thriller about Diana, a suburban wife and mother who begins to question her seemingly perfect life
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the lead actresses, Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria, for their fresh and believable performances as the two teenagers navigating their way through a turbulent family life.
 

 
Nana-Ekvtimishvili.jpg