Production Company(ies)
House Productions, Trustees of the Imperial War Museum, London Wing Nut Films,
 
Distributor
Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Buffalo, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexuality and language
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Zayas, directed by Tamara Jenkins, written by Tamara Jenkins, drama, R rating, box office gross $6.6M, reviewed by Joshua Rothkopf, Roger Moore, Christopher Orr, Alonso Duralde, Jonathan F Richards, Marjorie Baumgarten, Joanne Laurier, Nando Salvá, Jonah Koslofsky, Yasser Medina, Micheal Compton, family bonds, struggling playwright, college professor, senility, nursing home, sibling relationship, emotional, heartfelt, nuanced, fine performances, tender, funny script, three-dimensional, struggles, comforts, caregiver, disposable elderly, burdened, neglected, overweening narcissism, dark comedy, pathos, irony, avoidance, inspiration, creative writing, aspiration, successful playwright, modern day, subtle performances, real, patience, rewarded
 

Cast & Crew

Laura Linney

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Bosco

Peter Friedman

Gbenga Akinnagbe

Wendy Savage

Jon Savage

Lenny Savage

Larry

Jimmy

Laura Linney – Wendy Savage
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Jon Savage
Philip Bosco – Lenny Savage
Peter Friedman – Larry
Gbenga Akinnagbe – Jimmy
David Zayas – Eduardo
Tamara Jenkins – Director/Writer
Ted Hope – Producer
Anne Carey – Producer
Erica Westheimer – Producer

 

Tamara Jenkins

Tamara Jenkins

Ted Hope

Anne Carey

Erica Westheimer

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Tamara Jenkins
 
Writer(s)
Tamara Jenkins
 
Producer(s)
Ted Hope, Anne Carey, Erica Westheimer

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
17 wins & 33 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Joshua Rothkopf

Roger Moore

Christopher Orr

Alonso Duralde

Jonathan F. Richards

Time Out

Orlando Sentinel

The New Republic

MSNBC

Film.com

THE SAVAGES
 All Critics (172) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (154) | Rotten (18)
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joshua Rothkopf
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 May 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Roger Moore
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 Linney and Hoffman are both terrific, and Jenkins’s script is pointed and perceptive, but the film’s arc is a little flat.
 
 September 22, 2008
 
 Christopher Orr
 The New Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 While writer-director Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills) lets things get a little mushy towards the end, the film brilliantly portrays a difficult family moment made even more complicated by her characters’ overweening narcissism.
 
 May 1, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Alonso Duralde
 MSNBC
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s billed as a comedy. You may or may not find much to laugh at.
 
 February 7, 2008
 
 Jonathan F. Richards
 Film.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Jenkins’ superlative work proves her first film was no fluke; let’s hope it doesn’t take another nine years to hear from her again.
 
 February 1, 2008 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Marjorie Baumgarten
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 The Savages underscores in a humane manner how disposable the elderly are in America and how burdened and neglected their caregivers.
 
 March 5, 2021
 
 Joanne Laurier
 World Socialist Web Site
 [Director and screenwriter Tamara Jenkins’] great dramatic achievement is in the continuous and subtle changes of tone. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 November 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nando Salvá
 Cinemanía (Spain)
 Hoffman humanizes a character who probably needs more years of therapy than he has years left.
 
 October 28, 2020
 
 Jonah Koslofsky
 The Spool
 I laugh, I’m saddened and I also reflect with the protagonists who are wonderfully play by Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 July 23, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Yasser Medina
 Cinemaficionados
 A brutally honest look at a dysfunctional family that features outstanding performances from Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
 
 October 29, 2019 | Rating: B
 
 Micheal Compton
 Bowling Green Daily News
 An extremely rewarding film, a dark comedy that balances its acerbic wit with something much more profound and ultimately exhilarating – life in all of its beautiful, painful glory.
 
 June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)…

 

Plot
When their father is placed in a nursing home due to senility, siblings Wendy and Jon Savage must put aside their differences and work together to care for him in the drama film “The Savages.”
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney deliver fine performances in this nuanced and beautifully three-dimensional look at family bonds.
 

 
Tamara-Jenkins.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western Lightstorm Entertainment,
 
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for martial arts action and some mild rude humor
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, directed by John Stevenson, Mark Osborne, written by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, comedy, adventure, PG, box office performance, $143.5M, reviewed by Tom Keogh, Bruce Diones, Tom Huddleston, Peter Bradshaw, Joe Williams, Andrea Gronvall, Melissa Cobb, DreamWorks SKG, kung fu, martial arts action, prophecy, ancient, Furious Five, snow leopard, noodle shop, Master Tigress, Master Monkey, Master Crane, Master Viper, Master Mantis, animation, Hans Zimmer, John Powell
 

Cast & Crew

Jack Black

Angelina Jolie

Jackie Chan

David Cross

Lucy Liu

Po

Master Tigress

Master Monkey

Master Crane

Master Viper

Jack Black – Po (Voice)
Angelina Jolie – Master Tigress (Voice)
Jackie Chan – Master Monkey (Voice)
David Cross – Master Crane (Voice)
Lucy Liu – Master Viper (Voice)
Seth Rogen – Master Mantis (Voice)

 

John Stevenson

Jonathan Aibel

Melissa Cobb

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
 
Writer(s)
Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
 
Producer(s)
Melissa Cobb

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 10 nominations
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Tom Keogh

Bruce Diones

Tom Huddleston

Peter Bradshaw

Joe Williams

Seattle Times

New Yorker

Time Out

Guardian

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

KUNG FU PANDA
 All Critics (190) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (166) | Rotten (24)
 There’s something about the look of Kung Fu Panda that is so novel and pleasing. Perhaps it’s just that we haven’t seen this vintage, Far East world in a computer-animated movie before.
 
 December 7, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Tom Keogh
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The animation work is dazzling; it’s lovingly detailed without being overdone (particularly the opening sequence, which is hand-drawn and looks like prints struck from ancient woodblocks).
 
 November 22, 2013
 
 Bruce Diones
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 As the credits roll, the film’s many flaws come sharply into focus. But while it lasts, Kung-Fu Panda is something of a guilty treat.
 
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Tom Huddleston
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 This Panda delivers a cuddle more than a thump.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Manages to entertain and dazzle, and parents won’t beat themselves up for sitting through it, although what it teaches could fit on a fortune cookie.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: B
 
 Joe Williams
 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 TOP CRITIC
 Hands down the most visually striking of DreamWorks Animation’s releases, this lively CGI comedy is tailor-made for Jack Black.
 
 September 10, 2008
 
 Andrea Gronvall
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Stay for the heartwarming message and neat chosen one subversion.
 
 July 7, 2021
 
 Petrana Radulovic
 Polygon
 Though most of the voices are instantly identifiable, for once the numerous celebrities don’t detract from the film.
 
 November 28, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Often witty and filled to the brim with exciting choreography.
 
 September 13, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 It’s not the first or the last film to sermonise the idea of “never giving up,” but there is a certain charm in seeing a collector of action figures, an indolent slug, turn into an animal-bashing Bruce Lee.
 
 May 26, 2020
 
 Ruhaan Shah
 Film Companion
 Kung Fu Panda is ripe with genuine wisdom, and like any Kung Fu film, it delves into some pretty fascinating spirituality.
 
 April 10, 2020
 
 Ed Travis
 Hollywood Jesus
 This is a charming film, full of wit and character that makes it a worthy addition to the Dreamworks library of films.
 
 October 29, 2019 | Rating: B
 
 Micheal Compton
 Bowling Green Daily News…

 

Plot
When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible-learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Kung Fu Panda.
 

 
John-Stevenson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Am Psycho Productions, Lions Gate Films, Muse Productions,
 
Distributor
Focus Features
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Thames Barrier, River Thames, Woolwich, London, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong brutal and bloody violence, some graphic sexuality, language and nudity
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Mystery & thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinead Cusack, Donald Sumpter, directed by David Cronenberg, written by Steven Knight, crime, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Smith, Deborah Ross, Alonso Duralde, Amy Nicholson, Nikolai, Anna, Kirill, Semyon, Yuri, MPAA rating R, nudity, language, graphic sexuality, strong bloody violence, strong brutal violence, produced by Paul Webster, Robert Lantos
 

Cast & Crew

Viggo Mortensen

Naomi Watts

Vincent Cassel

Armin Mueller-Stahl

Sinead Cusack

Nikolai

Anna

Kirill

Semyon

Helen

Viggo Mortensen – Nikolai
Naomi Watts – Anna
Vincent Cassel – Kirill
Armin Mueller-Stahl – Semyon
Sinead Cusack – Helen
Donald Sumpter – Yuri

 

David Cronenberg

Steven Knight

Paul Webster

Robert Lantos

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
David Cronenberg
 
Writer(s)
Steven Knight
 
Producer(s)
Paul Webster, Robert Lantos

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
28 wins & 74 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Derek Smith

Deborah Ross

Alonso Duralde

Amy Nicholson

Derek Malcolm

Slant Magazine

The Spectator

MSNBC

I.E. Weekly

London Evening Standard

EASTERN PROMISES
 All Critics (203) | Top Critics (59) | Fresh (181) | Rotten (22)
 The extras are all but perfunctory, but Kinos exquisite 4K transfer is easily the best that Eastern Promises has looked on home video to date.
 
 April 25, 2022
 
 Derek Smith
 Slant Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Such are the actual subtleties of Mortensen’s performance – the odd sardonic smile; the slight tightening of a look – you’re aware, from the off, that what he is on the outside might not have anything to do with what he is on the inside.
 
 August 23, 2018
 
 Deborah Ross
 The Spectator
 TOP CRITIC
 Eastern Promises has a lot going for it, which makes it all the more disappointing when the story takes a fatal turn towards the end.
 
 May 1, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Alonso Duralde
 MSNBC
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite Viggo’s total gorgeousness, a nude fight-for-his-life in a steam room has all the titillation of a butcher throwing down a slab of meat.
 
 February 22, 2008 | Rating: B-
 
 Amy Nicholson
 I.E. Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Its subtext, which is about sex and violence and the way one often dovetails with the other, and the skill of its making, render it gripping enough.
 
 October 26, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Cronenberg is his own master, still ready to throw in the sort of scene few other directors could dare.
 
 October 26, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Anthony Quinn
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Viggo Mortensen gives a fascinating performance in this dark and violent journey full of secrets, fidelity and family. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 May 18, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Fico Cangiano
 CineXpress Podcast
 Beyond the film’s eroticized violence and secretive world among the brutal Russian gangsters, Cronenberg also tells an immigrant story about people who want a better life only to find their desire exploited.
 
 April 4, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Full of whispery menace, marked by probing studies of masculinity at its extreme boundaries, punctuated with bursts of sexual and violent excess, and coping with an abrupt ending.
 
 April 1, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 The dark and brooding world of the Russian Mafia makes for thrilling movie material – and the jumping point for a contemporary gangster epic.
 
 November 24, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 An intricate and mesmerizing thriller, featuring stellar performances (especially by Mortensen, who gives the bravest performance of his career) and an excellent script by Steven Knight
 
 June 5, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Despite the problems with the characterisations, Cronenberg’s portentous, withholding camera creates a compelling tension around Watts and Mortensen’s love/hate scenes.
 
 October 12, 2018
 
 Dan Sallitt
 Senses of Cinema…

 

Plot
THIS SUMMARY CONTAINS SPOILERS. In London, pregnant Russian teenager Tatiana arrives bleeding to a hospital, and the doctors save her baby only. Russian-descendant midwife Anna Khitrova finds Tatiana’s diary written in Russian language in her belongings and, deciding to find her family and bring them the baby, she brings the diary home and asks her uncle Stepan to translate the document. Stepan refuses, but Anna finds a card of a restaurant owned by the Russian Semyon inside the diary and visits the old man trying to find a lead to contact Tatiana’s family. When she mentions the existence of the diary, Semyon immediately offers to translate the document. However, Stepan translates part of the diary and Anna discovers that Semyon and his sick son Kirill had raped Tatiana when she was 14 and forced her to work as a prostitute in their brothel. Further, Semyon is the dangerous boss of the Russian mafia “Vory v Zakone”, jeopardizing the safety of Anna and her family. Meanwhile, Semyon’s driver Nikolai Luzhin gets close to Kirill and Semyon, climbing positions in the criminal organization, but he helps Anna, her family, and the baby.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Viggo Mortensen delivers a “menacing, cold-blooded” performance in Eastern Promises, according to one audience review.
 

 
David-Cronenberg.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Tokuma Japan Communications, Studio Ghibli, Nibariki
 
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Thailand
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense war violence and torture
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
War
 
Keyword(s)
Rescue Dawn, PG-13, War, 2h 5m, directed by Werner Herzog, written by Werner Herzog, starring Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Galen Yuen, Apichart Chusakul, Chaiyan “Lek” Chunsuttiwat, produced by Elton Brand, Steve Marlton, Harry Knapp, reviewed by Hank Sartin, Joshua Rothkopf, Bob Mondello, Derek Malcolm, Peter Bradshaw, James Christopher, Ian Buruma, Brandy McDonnell, Kevin Carr, torture, intense war violence, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, $5.5M box office, POW camp, escape, Vietnam War, Navy pilot, Viet Cong internment camp, survival, heroism, gritty realism, slow pacing, weak narrative, tension, drama, character development, history lesson, fascinating, compelling, strong performances, Bale, Zahn
 

Cast & Crew

Christian Bale

Steve Zahn

Jeremy Davies

Galen Yuen

Apichart Chusakul

Dieter Dengler

Duane

Gene

Y.C.

Phisit

Christian Bale – Dieter Dengler
Steve Zahn – Duane
Jeremy Davies – Gene
Galen Yuen – Y.C.
Apichart Chusakul – Phisit
Chaiyan “Lek” Chunsuttiwat – Procet

 

Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog

Elton Brand

Steve Marlton

Harry Knapp

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Werner Herzog
 
Writer(s)
Werner Herzog
 
Producer(s)
Elton Brand, Steve Marlton, Harry Knapp

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 6 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Hank Sartin

Joshua Rothkopf

Bob Mondello

Derek Malcolm

Peter Bradshaw

Time Out

NPR.org

London Evening Standard

Guardian

Times (UK)

RESCUE DAWN
 All Critics (163) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (146) | Rotten (17)
 November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Hank Sartin
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joshua Rothkopf
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Rescue Dawn may not feel much like a Herzog movie, but it’s a gripping real-life thriller.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Bob Mondello
 NPR.org
 TOP CRITIC
 What we miss is the real Herzogian touch that can translate tales of derringdo into something more than mere adventure and stir the soul as well as the heart and mind.
 
 November 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 An effective, unassuming and old-fashioned action adventure which is – perhaps a little faute de mieux – probably the best film of the week.
 
 November 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 The performances are worryingly Method. Bale eats bowls of maggots. I had to look away when he tucked into a live snake.
 
 November 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 James Christopher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Somehow his story, reenacted in the feature film, fails to catch fire in the way it does in the documentary. It looks oddly conventional, even flat.
 
 August 23, 2018
 
 Ian Buruma
 The New York Review of Books
 While Zahn and Davies offer amazing performances, Bale’s starring turn often falls flat. Herzog doesn’t give him much to work with: The writer-director is reluctant to allow his hero any flaws, even fear and despair, on his harrowing journey.
 
 August 13, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Brandy McDonnell
 The Oklahoman
 Unlike a traditional Hollywood movie, Rescue Dawn follows the pacing and irony of real life. It is far from predictable and far from formulaic.
 
 April 28, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Kevin Carr
 7M Pictures
 The jungle has been very good to Werner Herzog.
 
 April 28, 2011
 
 Kelly Vance
 East Bay Express
 February 9, 2011 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Jeff Otto
 ReelzChannel.com
 Werner Herzog isn’t interested in patriotism as product placement, like other directors might be. Though uncommonly somber, “Dawn” is still an engrossing prison-break film. It’s not “The Great Escape.” It’s “The Sheer, Dumb Luck Escape.”
 
 September 17, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap…

 

Plot
In 1965, while bombing Laos in a classified mission, the propeller plane of the German-American US Navy pilot Dieter Dengler is hit and crashes in the jungle. Dieter is arrested by the peasants, tortured by the Vietcong and sent to a prisoner camp, where he meets five other mentally deranged prisoners and guards. He becomes close to Duane and organizes an escape plan; however, the unstable Gene opposes to Dieter’s plan. When they discover that there is no more food due to the constant American bombings in the area and their guards intend to kill them, Dieter sets his plan in motion. However, an unexpected betrayal splits the group and Dieter and Duane find that the jungle is their actual prison.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Christian Bale completely immerses himself in the role of fighter pilot (and prisoner of war) Dieter Dengler.
 

 
Werner-Herzog.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Studio Chizu Book Walker Dentsu
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Lumphini Botanical Park, Bangkok, Thailand
 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Syndromes and a Century, Drama, Thai, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, written by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, starring Nantarat Sawaddikul, Arkanae Cherkam, Jaruchai Iamaram, Sakda Kaewbuadee, Wanna Wattanajinda, Sin Kaewpakpin, box office gross $16.3K, MPAA rating, reviewed by Ben Kenigsberg, Sukhdev Sandhu, Nigel Andrews, Peter Bradshaw, Stella Papamichael, David Parkinson, Mattie Lucas, Dennis Schwartz, Bill Weber, Philip French, Tom Charity, Anton Bitel, drama, poignant, mesmerizing, memoir, Buddhist, warm, wistful, mystical, enigmatic, fresh, alive, paintings, yin and yang, Rorschach cinema, Thai director, installation-artist, Kiarostami, Haneke, warm and happy feeling, isolated clinic, Thailand, urban setting, alcoholic doctor, dentist, country singer, female doctor, poignant, mesmerizing
 

Cast & Crew

Nantarat Sawaddikul

Arkanae Cherkam

Jaruchai Iamaram

Sakda Kaewbuadee

Wanna Wattanajinda

Dr. Toey

Dr. Ple

Dr. Nohng

Dr. Nohng’s Father

Dr. Wan

Nantarat Sawaddikul – Dr. Toey
Arkanae Cherkam – Dr. Ple
Jaruchai Iamaram – Dr. Nohng
Sakda Kaewbuadee – Dr. Nohng’s Father
Wanna Wattanajinda – Dr. Wan
Sin Kaewpakpin – Nurse

 

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
 
Writer(s)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 13 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ben Kenigsberg

Sukhdev Sandhu

Nigel Andrews

Peter Bradshaw

Stella Papamichael

Time Out

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Financial Times

Guardian

BBC.com

SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (5)
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Ben Kenigsberg
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Don’t watch it for plot, or character development; revel instead in its evocation of warm, wistful moods, its sly sense of humour and its fierce commitment to creating a mystical cinema far from the orthodoxies of both independent and mainstream cinema.
 
 September 21, 2007
 
 Sukhdev Sandhu
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Don’t think of it as film. Think of it as a series of paintings that talk to each other, raptly and quietly.
 
 September 21, 2007
 
 Nigel Andrews
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Profoundly mysterious, erotic, funny, gentle, playful, utterly distinctive, it is the work of the Thai director and installation-artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who now has a claim to be approaching the league of Kiarostami and Haneke.
 
 September 21, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 This portrait of life is all about the yin and the yang, so it follows that for everyone who finds it dull there are those who will be captivated.
 
 September 21, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Stella Papamichael
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Knowingly enigmatic, but more accessible than the director’s previous works.
 
 September 21, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 David Parkinson
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 A fleeting shadow, an elusive memory fading as the mind slips into sleep, a long lost lover reborn in a dream.
 
 July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row
 The pic has a Buddhist aura surrounding it, leaving a warm and happy feeling with the viewer.
 
 February 7, 2008 | Rating: A
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 A quieter, shorter but scarcely less idiosyncratic specimen of Rorschach cinema than Inland Empire.
 
 December 1, 2007 | Rating: B
 
 Bill Weber
 Stylus Magazine
 As Ken Tynan said of Waiting for Godot, nothing happens, twice.
 
 September 29, 2007
 
 Philip French
 Observer (UK)
 This curio sometimes bemuses, but it’s utterly fresh and alive.
 
 September 21, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tom Charity
 Total Film
 As delicate, complex and strange as any rare orchid, and as unlikely to appeal to mainstream tastes, Syndromes And A Century more than delivers on the enigma promised by its bifurcated title.
 
 September 13, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Anton Bitel
 Film4…

 

Plot
Syndromes and a Century follows Dr. Nohng as he joins a small clinic in Thailand and later moves to a more urban setting, exploring themes of love, memory, and identity through its evocative and mystical storytelling.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about Syndromes and a Century, but they do mention the cast, which includes Nantarat Sawaddikul, Arkanae Cherkam, Jaruchai Iamaram, Sakda Kaewbuadee, Wanna Wattanajinda, and Sin Kaewpakpin.
 

 
Apichatpong-Weerasethakul.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Ghost Pictures, Passion Pictures,
 
Distributor
Shadow Distribution
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some language and brief nudity
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, biography, music, air guitar, competition, world championship, New York, Finland, humor, entertainment, American, international, Pussycat Lounge, Dan Crane, Björn Türoque, David S Jung, C-Diddy, S Craig Zahler, Czar, Christian Finnegan, Adam Crystal, Peter Cilella, Alexandra Lipsitz, Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Anna Barber, Shadow Distribution, R rating, brief nudity, some language, box office, gross USA, $71.5K, directed by Alexandra Lipsitz, produced by Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Anna Barber, written by N/A, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, Sukhdev Sandhu, Xan Brooks, Kevin Maher, Catherine Chambers, David Jenkins, Dorothy Woodend, Cole Smithey, Keith H Brown, Rich Cline, David Edwards, Saxon Bullock, starring Dan Crane, Björn Türoque, David S Jung, C-Diddy, S Craig Zahler, Czar, Christian Finnegan, Adam Crystal, Peter Cilella, documentary, biography, music, air guitar, competition, world championship, New York, Finland, humor, entertainment, American, international, Pussycat Lounge, R rating, brief nudity, some language, box office, gross USA, $71.5K, produced by Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Anna Barber, directed by Alexandra Lipsitz, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, Sukhdev Sandhu, Xan Brooks, Kevin Maher, Catherine Chambers, David Jenkins, Dorothy Woodend, Cole Smithey, Keith H Brown, Rich Cline, David Edwards, Saxon Bullock
 

Cast & Crew

Dan Crane

Björn Türoque

David S. Jung

S. Craig Zahler

Christian Finnegan

Dan Crane

Björn Türoque

David S. Jung

S. Craig Zahler

Christian Finnegan

Dan Crane – self
Björn Türoque – self
David S. Jung – C-Diddy
S. Craig Zahler – Czar
Christian Finnegan – New York Emcee
Adam Crystal – New York Judge
Peter Cilella – Clayton Sweeney
Alexandra Lipsitz – Director
Dan Cutforth – Producer
Jane Lipsitz – Producer
Anna Barber – Producer

 

Alexandra Lipsitz

NA

Dan Cutforth

Jane Lipsitz

Anna Barber

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alexandra Lipsitz
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Anna Barber

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Derek Malcolm

Sukhdev Sandhu

Xan Brooks

Kevin Maher

Catherine Chambers

London Evening Standard

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Guardian

Times (UK)

BBC.com

AIR GUITAR NATION
 All Critics (66) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (10)
 There must be better, more useful ways of amusing themselves but obviously none which would allow them to strut the stage to the plaudits of a baying crowd like latter-day rock stars.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 2/6
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Very funny.
 
 November 9, 2007
 
 Sukhdev Sandhu
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Like most guitar solos, the film doesn’t quite know when to quit.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Xan Brooks
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite the film’s admirable brevity it’s still hard to maintain a wry ironic grin for a full 81 minutes.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Shot in a raw, grungy style that lends the film a degree of authenticity, AGN is a riff-roaring experience that rarely hits a bum note.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Catherine Chambers
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 A nuts-and-bolts document of the annual Air Guitar World Championships which take place in the rural outpost of Oulu in Finland.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 3/6
 
 David Jenkins
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 It isn’t so much the battle of the one-man-bands that is so compelling, as the journey itself, as sublime as it is ridiculous.
 
 August 23, 2017
 
 Dorothy Woodend
 The Tyee (British Columbia)
 Put aside all of your preconceptions of air guitar as a hobby of shamelessly untalented wanna-be guitar players, and step into the world of competitive air guitar.
 
 April 26, 2009 | Rating: B
 
 Cole Smithey
 ColeSmithey.com
 When a documentary is as entertaining as Air Guitar Nation, you have to ask if you really need it to have redeeming social value or to advance the art form in any way.
 
 December 7, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Keith H. Brown
 Eye for Film
 This raucously entertaining documentary about one of the silliest competitions on the planet actually has a serious message about the power of “airness” to change the world. Well, maybe.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Rich Cline
 Shadows on the Wall
 While quite possibly the stupidest thing you’ve ever seen in your life, this documentary exploring the world of air guitar enthusiasts is a riot from start to finish.
 
 November 9, 2007
 
 David Edwards
 Daily Mirror (UK)
 A gloriously insane journey into the weirder reaches of rock, Air Guitar Nation is a funny, funky and oddly moving burst of lively factual entertainment.
 
 November 9, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Saxon Bullock
 Film4…

 

Plot
It’s time to rock and roll – air guitar style. AIR GUITAR NATION is the feature documentary about the year that air guitar swept America – from New York to Los Angeles and then all the way to northern Finland. AIR GUITAR NATION chronicles the birth of the US Air Guitar Championships and the personal journeys of those talented contestants who are vying to become the first World Air Guitar Champion from the United States. Every August, the Air Guitar World Championships bring thousands of fans all the way to Oulu, Finland to see the world’s best air guitarists battle it out for 60 seconds of mock stardom. For years, the USA was missing in action. Enter the first official US Air Guitar Championships. What starts as a friendly contest above a New York strip club becomes a battle of naked ambition played out on the national and, ultimately, the world stage. Full of triumph and disappointment, patriotic spirit and political tension – and of course invisible guitars – this tension filled competition quickly turns very real as the contest becomes even more fierce as the contestants work hard to win the title of World Air Guitar Champion. AIR GUITAR NATION captures the explosion of competitive air guitar through the eyes of former world champions, fans and media, and through the personal rivalries of those trying to attain the title of “The best Air Guitarist in the world.”
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features air guitarists such as C-Diddy and Björn Türoque.
 

 
Alexandra-Lipsitz.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Mandeville Films, Walt Disney Pictures,
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for language throughout, and some thematic elements
 
Year of Release
2006
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sima Mobarakshai, Safar Samandar, Shayesteh Irani, Mohamad Kheirabadi, Aida Sadeghi, Golnaz Farmani, directed by Jafar Panahi, written by Jafar Panahi, Shadmehr Rastin, comedy, PG rating, Iranian film, gender politics, soccer, Tehran, gender restrictions, Iranian nationalism, patriotism, women’s rights, discrimination, oppression, soldiers, peephole, stadium, sports, Iranian culture, Iranian law, Iranian society, Iranian government, banned, arrested, sympathetic soldier, box office gross, budget, Sony Pictures Classics, DTS sound mix, reviewed by Carrie Rickey, John Monaghan, Marrit Ingman, Bruce Westbrook, Bill Muller, Ann Hornaday, Ruhaan Shah, Josh Larsen, Fernando F Croce, Sam Jordison
 

Cast & Crew

Sima Mobarakshai

Safar Samandar

Shayesteh Irani

Mohamad Kheirabadi

Aida Sadeghi

First Girl

Soldier From Azerbaijan

Smoking Girl

Soldier from Mashad

Soccer Girl

Sima Mobarakshai – First Girl
Safar Samandar – Soldier From Azerbaijan
Shayesteh Irani – Smoking Girl
Mohamad Kheirabadi – Soldier from Mashad
Aida Sadeghi – Soccer Girl
Golnaz Farmani – Girl With Tchador

 

Jafar Panahi

Jafar Panahi

Jafar Panahi

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jafar Panahi
 
Writer(s)
Jafar Panahi, Shadmehr Rastin
 
Producer(s)
Jafar Panahi

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Carrie Rickey

John Monaghan

Marrit Ingman

Bruce Westbrook

Bill Muller

OFFSIDE
 All Critics (84) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (5)
 Exhilarating, exuberant and drolly funny.
 
 August 4, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Carrie Rickey
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 The rare Iranian film that is not only thoughtful and thought-provoking but also a lot of fun.
 
 June 15, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
 
 John Monaghan
 Detroit Free Press
 TOP CRITIC
 Its ruminations on secular Iranian nationalism are effectively couched within the characters, and the film, which won the Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear but is banned in Iran, has a refreshing slyness to it, as if it’s getting away with something too.
 
 June 8, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Marrit Ingman
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Offside is a slow slog through bloated scenes with little happening. Framed and shot like a crude documentary, it proceeds in long, clunky takes, as if an editor couldn’t be bothered.
 
 May 18, 2007 | Rating: 1.5/5
 
 Bruce Westbrook
 Houston Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Humanizes the Iranians and shows that they’re just as crazy about their sports as Westerners, if not more. If anything, it proves that soccer is truly an international language, providing an arena where anyone can communicate.
 
 May 18, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Bill Muller
 Arizona Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 [Director] Panahi has perfected the art of realist filmmaking, here turning his camera on scenes that seem more improvised or captured on the fly than staged.
 
 May 10, 2007
 
 Ann Hornaday
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Panahi interweaves their anxiety with the relatable urgency of watching a game.
 
 May 16, 2020
 
 Ruhaan Shah
 Film Companion
 …reveals pockets of empathy existing in defiance of Iran’s oppressive regime.
 
 September 4, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Josh Larsen
 LarsenOnFilm
 Posits an exhilarating, ephemeral sense of cultural inclusiveness
 
 August 27, 2009
 
 Fernando F. Croce
 CinePassion
 Another no-frills success from one of Iran’s most accessible directors.
 
 August 3, 2008
 
 Sam Jordison
 Film4
 Engaging, insightful, and crowd-pleasing comedy sports drama.
 
 September 28, 2007 | Rating: A-
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 A plea for cultural evolution that doesn’t point fingers, instead only hoping that the next generations will wake up and take the sensible steps towards the future.
 
 September 13, 2007 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Jeffrey Chen
 Window to the Movies…

 

Plot
Tehran, and possibly the whole of Iran, is galvanised by a match to be played at the Azadi stadium between Bahrain and Iran, the victor of which will qualify for the World Cup. Although women are banned from watching, a number of them, undeterred, attempt to buy tickets and enter disguised as men. Funny and fierce in equal measure Offside was filmed during the actual Iran versus Bahrain match in Tehran in 2005.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Offside.
 

 
Jafar-Panahi.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Shanghai, China
 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, Edward Burtynsky, industrial landscapes, slag heaps, dumps, factories, Chinese iron factory, Shanghai, wealth and poverty, Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier, Daniel Iron, produced by, cinematographer, Dolby, box office, gross USA, budget, reviewed by, critic reviews, Tomatometer, audience score, MPAA rating, genre, actors, director, writer, Jennifer Baichwal, Peter Mettler, Richard Brody, Hank Sartin, Mark Holcomb, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Marta Barber, Jordan M Smith, Amber Wilkinson, Jeffrey Chen, Jeffrey M Anderson, Tim Brayton, Marc Mohan, documentary prism, environmental concern, artist’s moral duties, ecological impact, political content, rapid industrialization, urbanization, featured reviews, MCU movies, horror movies, Netflix series, TV shows, streaming movies, box office performance, critic submission, licensing, advertise, careers
 

Cast & Crew

Jennifer Baichwal

Nick de Pencier

Daniel Iron

Jennifer Baichwal

Peter Mettler

Jennifer Baichwal

Nick de Pencier

Daniel Iron

Jennifer Baichwal

Peter Mettler

Jennifer Baichwal – Director
Nick de Pencier – Producer
Daniel Iron – Producer
Jennifer Baichwal – Producer
Peter Mettler – Cinematographer

 

Jennifer Baichwal

NA

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jennifer Baichwal
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Brody

Peter Howell

Hank Sartin

Mark Holcomb

Lisa Schwarzbaum

New Yorker

Toronto Star

Time Out

Entertainment Weekly

Miami Herald

MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES
 All Critics (63) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (10)
 Proves even more revealing than the photographs it celebrates.
 
 June 1, 2020
 
 Richard Brody
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 An astonishing visual indictment of man’s inhumanity to Mother Earth, as seen through the documentary prism of Jennifer Baichwal.
 
 May 23, 2018 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Peter Howell
 Toronto Star
 TOP CRITIC
 November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Hank Sartin
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Holcomb
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: A
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 What the film does well is to make us part of the problem: After all we demand the lowest prices in everything we buy and that probably means it was made in China.
 
 October 19, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Marta Barber
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 An enchanted layering of grotesque visual perfection, environmental concern, and the questioning of an artist’s moral duties, not only in a political sense, but of one’s authorship in documentation turned art turned different art form.
 
 November 17, 2020
 
 Jordan M. Smith
 IONCINEMA.com
 There is nothing wrong with Baichwal’s camerawork, with a fascinating opening eight-minute shot of it roaming across a Chinese factory floor, particularly stunning – but everything lacks depth.
 
 February 28, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Amber Wilkinson
 Eye for Film
 Burtynsky’s awe-inspiring work ultimately speaks for itself.
 
 December 28, 2007 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Jeffrey Chen
 Window to the Movies
 Each of Burtynsky’s subjects is impressive in its scale, but terrifying in its ecological impact.
 
 December 6, 2007
 
 Jeffrey M. Anderson
 Combustible Celluloid
 A film in search of a subject.
 
 September 12, 2007 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Tim Brayton
 Antagony & Ecstasy
 Burtynsky avoids any political content to his work, but it’s hard not to feel anxious and sad at the spectacle of the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the world’s most populous nation.
 
 September 7, 2007 | Rating: B+
 
 Marc Mohan
 Oregonian…

 

Plot
“Manufactured Landscapes” is a documentary that explores the environmental impact of industrialization through the lens of photographer Edward Burtynsky, showcasing the beauty and devastation of industrial landscapes around the world.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about Manufactured Landscapes, but they do mention that the film features photographer Edward Burtynsky exploring industrial landscapes and the contrasts between wealth and poverty in Shanghai.
 

 
Jennifer-Baichwal.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
The Weinstein Company, UK Film Council Momentum Pictures,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Kilmainham Jail, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Drama, 2h 6m, Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald, Mary Riordan, Mary Murphy, Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty, $1.8M, 90%, 117 Reviews, 87%, 25,000+ Ratings, reviewed by Cliff Doerksen, Steven Rea, Marta Barber, Jim Emerson, Josh Rosenblatt, Kyle Smith, directed by Ken Loach, written by Paul Laverty, produced by Rebecca O’Brien, MPAA rating, Irish Republican Army, British Black and Tans, 1920s Ireland, political events, brothers, cinematography, pacing, tragedy, historical piece, grim realist portrait, muted tones, solemnity, tragedy, hard questions, violence, outrage, political
 

Cast & Crew

Cillian Murphy

Damien O’Donovan

Padraic Delaney

Teddy O’Donovan

Liam Cunningham

Damien O’Donovan

Teddy O’Donovan

Dan

Sinead

Peggy

Cillian Murphy – Damien O’Donovan
Padraic Delaney – Teddy O’Donovan
Liam Cunningham – Dan
Orla Fitzgerald – Sinead
Mary Riordan – Peggy
Mary Murphy – Bernadette

 

Ken Loach

Paul Laverty

Rebecca O’Brien

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ken Loach
 
Writer(s)
Paul Laverty
 
Producer(s)
Rebecca O’Brien

 

Film Festivals
Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 24 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Cliff Doerksen

Steven Rea

Marta Barber

Jim Emerson

Josh Rosenblatt

Time Out

Philadelphia Inquirer

Miami Herald

RogerEbert.com

Austin Chronicle

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
 All Critics (117) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (105) | Rotten (12)
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Cliff Doerksen
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Gripping, powerful, heart-breaking.
 
 August 4, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Steven Rea
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 The Wind that Shakes the Barley is a multi-layered story, and the more you see those different aspects, the more you’ll enjoy the film.
 
 May 11, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Marta Barber
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 While this may be a historical piece, it’s history told in the vivid present tense.
 
 May 11, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Jim Emerson
 RogerEbert.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Loach and his cinematographer, Barry Ackroyd, paint a grim realist portrait in muted tones that captures the solemnity of an Ireland turning on itself and the tragedy of two brothers spiraling away from each other.
 
 April 27, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Josh Rosenblatt
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Raises hard questions about Ireland’s uncanny ability to kneecap itself.
 
 April 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Kyle Smith
 New York Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Murphy’s agonized body language conveys the horrible, irreparable damage of war.
 
 May 26, 2020
 
 David Lamble
 Bay Area Reporter
 The director has an excellent cast, having Cillian Murphy shining with his own light. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 February 15, 2020
 
 Alberto Abuín
 Espinof
 I think The Wind That Shakes the Barley is great. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 February 15, 2020
 
 Beatriz Maldivia
 Espinof
 The often peaceful but ever present nature reminds of not only what these men are fighting for, but serve as a sharp contrast to the senseless violence.
 
 July 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row
 The film’s stark outrage exposes the pussyfooting that these days passes for ‘political’
 
 August 27, 2009
 
 Fernando F. Croce
 CinePassion
 Pickings must have been pretty slim at Cannes last year because Barley isn’t much of a standout piece.
 
 August 28, 2008 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Heather Huntington
 ReelzChannel.com…

 

Plot
In 1920, rural Ireland is the vicious battlefield of republican rebels against the British security forces and Irish Unionist population who oppose them, a recipe for mutual cruelty. Medical graduate Damien O’Donovan always gave priority to his socialist ideals and simply helping people in need. Just when he’s leaving Ireland to work in a highly-reputed London hospital, witnessing gross abuse of commoners changes his mind. He returns and joins the local IRA brigade, commanded by his brother Teddy, and adopts the merciless logic of civil war, while Teddy mellows by experiencing endless suffering first-hand. When IRA leaders negotiate an autonomous Free State under the British crown, Teddy defends the pragmatic best possible deal at this stage. Damien however joins the large seceding faction which holds nothing less than a socialist republic will do. The result is another civil war, bloodily opposing former Irish comrades in arms, even the brothers.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Cillian Murphy delivers a fine performance in The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
 

 
Ken-Loach.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Les Films, du Cru Film4 Orange Studio
 
Distributor
Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead, London, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some aberrant sexual content
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/LGBTQ+
 
Keyword(s)
Notes on a Scandal, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, drama, LGBTQ+, psychological thriller, directed by Richard Eyre, written by Patrick Marber, produced by Scott Rudin, Robert Fox, Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald, reviewed by Amy Nicholson, Paul Byrnes, Peter Rainer, James Christopher, Peter Bradshaw, Melissa Anderson, Murtada Elfadl, PJ Nabarro, Mattie Lucas, David Keyes, Fernando F Croce, Barbara Covett, Sheba Hart, Richard Hart, Antonia Robinson, Ben, Steven Connelly, MPAA rating R, box office gross $17.5M, budget, teacher, school, affair, teenage student, explosive secret, psychological, thriller, loneliness, desire, social envy, morality, cheating, trust, betrayal
 

Cast & Crew

Cate Blanchett

Judi Dench

Bill Nighy

Tameka Empson

Max Lewis

Sheba Hart

Barbara Covett

Richard Hart

Antonia Robinson

Ben

Cate Blanchett – Sheba Hart
Judi Dench – Barbara Covett
Bill Nighy – Richard Hart
Tameka Empson – Antonia Robinson
Max Lewis – Ben
Andrew Simpson – Steven Connelly

 

Richard Eyre

Patrick Marber

Scott Rudin

Robert Fox

Allon Reich

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Richard Eyre
 
Writer(s)
Patrick Marber
 
Producer(s)
Scott Rudin, Robert Fox, Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 4 Oscars
15 wins & 74 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Amy Nicholson

Paul Byrnes

Peter Rainer

James Christopher

Peter Bradshaw

I.E. Weekly

Sydney Morning Herald

Christian Science Monitor

Times (UK)

Guardian

NOTES ON A SCANDAL
 All Critics (175) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (153) | Rotten (22)
 Smart and brash, it’s a picture Bette Davis and Joan Crawford would have killed (preferably each other) to be in.
 
 May 15, 2009 | Rating: A-
 
 Amy Nicholson
 I.E. Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 That’s the wonder of the film: it’s about the vicious power of loneliness, played out through a story of two women in love. The tragedy, for both of them, is that it’s not with each other.
 
 February 9, 2007
 
 Paul Byrnes
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 Blanchett has also recently appeared in The Good German and Babel, but this represents far and away her best work.
 
 February 9, 2007 | Rating: A
 
 Peter Rainer
 Christian Science Monitor
 TOP CRITIC
 Richard Eyre directs the film like a chamber play. He leans on Philip Glass’s ever-present and insistent music like a crutch. But his natural gift for framing scenes is terrifically assured. A potent and evil pleasure.
 
 February 5, 2007 | Rating: 5/6
 
 James Christopher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Notes on a Scandal is about something deeply unlovely in human nature rarely explored by poets, or novelists, or film-makers: the explosive combination of desire and social envy.
 
 February 3, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Richard Eyre’s direction merely plays up the melodramatic aspects of Zoë Heller’s novel, screenwriter Patrick Marber’s acidic dialogue occasionally slips into the overwritten, and the rest of the cast gamely chews table scraps.
 
 February 3, 2007 | Rating: 3/6
 
 Melissa Anderson
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite the trope of the predatory lesbian being the engine behind its plot, Notes on a Scandal is delicious fun. A most enjoyable entry into the hagsploitation genre with serious art house credentials.
 
 March 30, 2021 | Rating: A
 
 Murtada Elfadl
 Sundays with Cate
 Dench is compelling, and offers a transcendent portrait of a sociopath, whose bitter, fantasy-inflected interaction with the outside world is informed by a colossal solipsism.
 
 October 29, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro
 A sharp, intelligent thriller whose thrills come not from car chases or shootouts – but from the power of words; glorious, unabashedly brutal words.
 
 June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 The strength of the writing, and therefore the directing, is that it sees the scandal as a minor point in a human experience that is naturally corrupt, and cares more about how those on the inside choose to deal with their realities.
 
 September 16, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Keyes
 Cinemaphile.org
 Stages the story with a tastefulness both ponderous and dishonest
 
 August 28, 2009
 
 Fernando F. Croce
 CinePassion
 British cinema fans shouldn’t miss this one.
 
 April 23, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Peg Aloi
 Boston Phoenix…

 

Plot
Bitter, cynical, and lonely Barbara Covett (Dame Judi Dench) is a tough and conservative teacher, near to retirement, who is loathed by her colleagues and students. In the loneliness of her apartment, she spends her spare time writing in her journal, taking care of her old cat Portia, and missing her special friend Jennifer Dodd. When Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) joins the high school as the new art teacher, Barbara dedicates her attention to the newcomer, writing sharp and unpleasant comments about her behavior and clothes. When Barbara helps Sheba in a difficult situation with two students, the grateful Sheba invites her to have lunch with her family. Sheba introduces her husband and former professor Richard Hart (Bill Nighy), who is about twenty years older than her; her rebellious teenager daughter Polly (Juno Temple); and her son Ben (Max Lewis), who has Down’s Syndrome. Barbara becomes close to Sheba, but when she accidentally discovers that Sheba is having an affair with fifteen-year-old student Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), Barbara sees the chance to manipulate and get closer to Sheba, hiding the secret from the school headmaster. When Portia dies and Sheba does not stay with Barbara in the veterinary office to see Ben in a theater play, Barbara plots a Machiavellian revenge against Sheba, creating a scandal and consequent turmoil in their lives.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Judi Dench’s performance as a lonely, obsessive elderly teacher is described as chilling and intimidating.
 

 
Richard-Eyre.jpg