Production Company(ies)
Hell’s Kitchen Films, Universal Pictures,
 
Distributor
First Run
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2003
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, Henry Kissinger, war criminal, Christopher Hitchens, diplomat, foreign actions, bombing raid, Cambodia, plot, Chilean leader, Salvador Allende, legal experts, former government officials, accountability, public figures, international justice, Eugene Jarecki, Alex Gibney, Brian Cox, narrator, Roy Ackerman, Jennie Amias, First Run, $515.7K, box office, gross USA, 1h 20m, stereo, genre, producer, writer, director, reviewed by Peter Rainer, Marrit Ingman, Marta Barber, Steven Rosen, Roger Ebert, Wesley Morris, Jay Antani, Kelly Vance, John A Nesbit, Josh Ralske, Christopher Smith, Jason Gorber, MPAA rating, budget
 

Cast & Crew

Brian Cox

Eugene Jarecki

Alex Gibney

Roy Ackerman

Jennie Amias

Brian Cox

Eugene Jarecki

Alex Gibney

Roy Ackerman

Jennie Amias

Brian Cox – Narrator
Eugene Jarecki – Director
Alex Gibney – Writer
Roy Ackerman – Executive Producer
Jennie Amias – Associate Producer
Alex Gibney – Producer

 

Eugene Jarecki

Alex Gibney

Alex Gibney

Eugene Jarecki

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Eugene Jarecki
 
Writer(s)
Alex Gibney
 
Producer(s)
Alex Gibney, Eugene Jarecki

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Peter Rainer

Marrit Ingman

Marta Barber

Steven Rosen

Roger Ebert

New York Magazine/Vulture

Austin Chronicle

Miami Herald

Denver Post

Chicago Sun-Times

THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER
 All Critics (57) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (3)
 In a larger sense, this powerfully muckraking film is about the accountability of public figures and about how, in regard to international justice, there can be no exceptions.
 
 August 7, 2004
 
 Peter Rainer
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 Eugene Jarecki amasses a compelling body of evidence suggesting that Kissinger should be formally investigated for a possible role in the CIA-supported coup.
 
 March 10, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Marrit Ingman
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Even if the case against Kissinger is not fully convincing, the documentary keeps you glued to your seat and thinking long after you’ve left the theater.
 
 February 13, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Marta Barber
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is insightful about Kissinger’s background and history.
 
 December 13, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Steven Rosen
 Denver Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Fascinating to watch as a portrait of political celebrity and ego.
 
 December 6, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Roger Ebert
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 A stunning and overwhelmingly cogent case for Kissinger as a calculating war criminal.
 
 December 6, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Wesley Morris
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 An Incendiary piece of a rather innocuous order
 
 September 6, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Jay Antani
 Cinema Writer
 Much of Kissinger’s career has been spent smoothing the way for rich industrialists, ambitious rightwing politicos, military men, and, of course, himself.
 
 May 5, 2010
 
 Kelly Vance
 East Bay Express
 provocative study
 
 December 3, 2009 | Rating: B-
 
 John A. Nesbit
 Old School Reviews
 A fast-paced documentary that entertains as it informs.
 
 October 26, 2007 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Josh Ralske
 All Movie Guide
 Directly charging him with mass murder, the film colors Kissinger as a secretive, paranoid, duplicitous megalomaniac who rose to political superstardom while literally–the movie claims–getting away with decisions that left hundreds of thousands dead.
 
 September 13, 2007 | Rating: B
 
 Christopher Smith
 Bangor Daily News (Maine)
 The strange and engaging tale of this deepvoiced (deep-throated?) diplomat.
 
 June 21, 2007 | Rating: B-
 
 Jason Gorber
 Film Scouts…

 

Plot
“The Trials of Henry Kissinger” is a documentary that sheds light on the controversial career of the high-ranking diplomat, including his unauthorized bombing raid in Cambodia and alleged plot to oust Chilean leader Salvador Allende.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features narration by actor Brian Cox.
 

 
Eugene-Jarecki.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Ealing Studios, Michael Balcon Productions,
 
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and sexuality
 
Year of Release
2002
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey, Kerry Armstrong, Rachael Blake, Vince Colosimo, directed by Ray Lawrence, written by Andrew Bovell, drama, R rating, Lionsgate Films, Jan Chapman produced, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR sound mix, Scope (2.35:1) aspect ratio, $4.5M box office gross USA, reviewed by Marrit Ingman, Nev Pierce, Mark Caro, Roger Moore, Rita Kempley, Moira MacDonald, Leigh Paatsch, Erik Anderson, PJ Nabarro, Patrick Nabarro, Christopher Smith, Jeffrey Overstreet, Thomas Delapa, intricately plotted, character study, authenticity, grief, murder, cheating, disappearance, mystery, love, sex, deceit, distrust, suspicion, relationships, marriage, guilt, depression, psychological drama, psychiatry, investigations, interactions, disconnections, betrayal
 

Cast & Crew

Anthony LaPaglia

Geoffrey Rush

Barbara Hershey

Kerry Armstrong

Rachael Blake

Leon

John

Valerie

Sonja

Jane

Anthony LaPaglia – Leon
Geoffrey Rush – John
Barbara Hershey – Valerie
Kerry Armstrong – Sonja
Rachael Blake – Jane
Vince Colosimo – Nik
Director – Ray Lawrence
Producer – Jan Chapman
Writer – Andrew Bovell

 

Ray Lawrence

Andrew Bovell

Jan Chapman

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ray Lawrence
 
Writer(s)
Andrew Bovell
 
Producer(s)
Jan Chapman

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
36 wins & 22 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Marrit Ingman

Nev Pierce

Mark Caro

Roger Moore

Rita Kempley

Austin Chronicle

BBC.com

Chicago Tribune

Orlando Sentinel

Washington Post

LANTANA
 All Critics (107) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (96) | Rotten (11)
 March 10, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Marrit Ingman
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 August 5, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Nev Pierce
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 A meditation on fidelity in marriage where the suspense and surprises stem from who has — or hasn’t — been betraying each other and how.
 
 July 20, 2002
 
 Mark Caro
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Lawrence cast well and gets terrific performances all the way up and down the line.
 
 March 7, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Roger Moore
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 A perceptive, powerfully acted psychodrama.
 
 February 3, 2002 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Rita Kempley
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 The emotional experience of “Lantana” is heightened by its marvelous ensemble cast, all of whom etch a character in relatively brief screen time.
 
 January 25, 2002
 
 Moira MacDonald
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Achieves an intelligence, eloquence and emotion that showcases Australian film at the height of its powers.
 
 July 28, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Leigh Paatsch
 Herald Sun (Australia)
 Lantana is an embarrassment of riches. Its beautiful storytelling as its thread of conflict and insinuation are used to expose unsettling truths. A real gem of rich performances that should not be overlooked.
 
 April 7, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Erik Anderson
 AwardsWatch
 It’s not entirely far-fetched to see a link between the clunky expositions of character, plot and theme from an everyday soap, to those in Lantana.
 
 February 4, 2019 | Rating: 2/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro
 As a mystery, “Lantana” is memorable. But as a study in human relationships and the human condition, it’s unforgettable.
 
 December 1, 2005 | Rating: A
 
 Christopher Smith
 Bangor Daily News (Maine)
 … boldly, thoroughly, and honestly explores the difficulties of unconditional love in a society that teaches us that we should never deny our base appetites and impulses.
 
 January 15, 2005 | Rating: A-
 
 Jeffrey Overstreet
 Looking Closer
 The sort of movie that highbrow critics love to overrate…It’s Married With Children for serious-minded folks without a sense of humor.
 
 September 23, 2004
 
 Thomas Delapa
 Boulder Weekly…

 

Plot
The intertwined stories of a loosely tied set of mostly emotionally damaged individuals in Sydney are told. Police detective Leon Zat and his wife Sonja Zat probably still love each other but have not stated to each other the problems that have invaded their marriage. Those problems not only affect their relationship, but also the way they parent their two teenage sons. Leon’s single partner, Detective Claudia Weis, can probably most clearly see those problems, but is not equipped to be a good informal counselor to him in she considering the eye contact with another regular at the diner she frequents as being a somewhat committed relationship. A bundle of repressed emotions, Leon vents through mostly inappropriate acts of aggression, and having just embarked in an extramarital affair with Jane O’May, the recently separated woman in the same salsa dance class as him and Sonja. Jane initiated that separation from her husband, Pete O’May, in coming to the realization one day that she no longer loved him for whatever reason. Jane still craves human connection, she who may view her affair with Leon differently than him. The O’Mays’ marital problems affect their next door neighbors, Nik and Paula D’Amato, who are friends with both and do not want to betray one in helping the other. Nik and Paula are outwardly happy despite their financial problems, with unemployed Nik looking after their three preschool age children while Paula works double shifts to put food on the table. Regardless, Nik still needs his respite away from that role as stay-at-home dad. Sonja’s emotional outlet is being in therapy with Dr. Valerie Somers, something that she has not told Leon. Valerie is overcoming her own grief in her then eleven year old daughter, Eleanor Knox, having been found murdered eighteen months ago. While she wrote a just published book about Eleanor as a process to deal with her grief, Valerie’s husband, law professor John Knox, quietly says he will do anything to support her. The murder has undoubtedly affected their marriage in a certain emotional and physical distance having formed between them. Among Valerie’s clients is gay Patrick Phelan, who is dealing with the extramarital affair he is having with a man in a heterosexual marriage. Valerie’s own problems with John affect the way she deals with Patrick, who can see her dislike of him but may not understand the full extent of the reason. These collective stories become even more intertwined when one within this collective goes missing, foul play suspected. What happens in the investigation is affected by the emotional issues each of the players is dealing with beyond the fact of that person being missing.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The ensemble cast of Lantana delivers “terrific performances all the way up and down the line,” according to critic Mark Caro.
 

 
Ray-Lawrence.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Diamond Docs A&E Indie Films, Passion Pictures,
 
Distributor
Lot 47 Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexuality/nudity and violence
 
Year of Release
2002
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Natar Ungalaaq, Sylvia Ivalu, Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Pakak Innuksuk, Madeline Ivalu, directed by Zacharias Kunuk, written by Paul Apak Angilirq, Adventure, Drama, R rating, Lot 47 Films, $3.8M box office, reviewed by Amy Taubin, David Ansen, Stanley Kauffmann, Roger Moore, Robert Denerstein, Marjorie Baumgarten, Amy Bracken Sparks, Mark Halverson, Amber Wilkinson, Jeffrey Overstreet, David Nusair, Nick Rogers, Inuit people, Canadian arctic, crime, trust, justice, healing, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR, Flat (1.85:1), Paul Apak Angilirq, Paul Apak Angilirq, Norman Cohn, Zacharias Kunuk, Some Sexuality, Some Nudity, Violence, Inuktitut, cinematography, human drama, primal storytelling, filmmaking, stunning finale, mystical-mythical opening, Shakespearean plot, treachery, murder, vast, undifferentiated ice fields, Arctic landscapes, digital video, refreshing, mind, spirit, body, original content, look, style, absorbing experience
 

Cast & Crew

Natar Ungalaaq

Sylvia Ivalu

Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq

Lucy Tulugarjuk

Pakak Innuksuk

Atanarjuat

Atuat

Oki

Puja

Amaqjuaq

Natar Ungalaaq – Atanarjuat
Sylvia Ivalu – Atuat
Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq – Oki
Lucy Tulugarjuk – Puja
Pakak Innuksuk – Amaqjuaq
Madeline Ivalu – Panikpak
Paul Apak Angilirq – Producer, Writer
Norman Cohn – Producer
Zacharias Kunuk – Director, Producer

 

Zacharias Kunuk

Paul Apak Angilirq

Paul Apak Angilirq

Norman Cohn

Zacharias Kunuk

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Zacharias Kunuk
 
Writer(s)
Paul Apak Angilirq
 
Producer(s)
Paul Apak Angilirq, Norman Cohn, Zacharias Kunuk

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
26 wins & 18 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Amy Taubin

David Ansen

Stanley Kauffmann

Roger Moore

Robert Denerstein

Village Voice

Newsweek

The New Republic

Orlando Sentinel

Denver Rocky Mountain News

ATANARJUAT THE FAST RUNNER
 All Critics (98) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (89) | Rotten (9)
 …a gorgeous landscape movie shot in digital video, which, since it gives equal focus to everything in the frame, turns out to be a terrific medium for depicting the vast, undifferentiated ice fields of the Great North.
 
 October 8, 2019
 
 Amy Taubin
 Village Voice
 TOP CRITIC
 In a time of decadent visual clutter, the stark beauty of these Arctic landscapes is bracing.
 
 March 8, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 The performances of all the roles are better than we might have expected. Sincerity pulses throughout, the assurance from these people that they are enacting a legend that is significant to them.
 
 January 5, 2018
 
 Stanley Kauffmann
 The New Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 From its mystical-mythical opening to the stunning finale, this is storytelling at its most primal and filmmaking at its most original.
 
 October 3, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Roger Moore
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 Compelling as it is exotic, Fast Runner has a plot that rivals Shakespeare for intrigue, treachery and murder.
 
 August 9, 2002 | Rating: A
 
 Robert Denerstein
 Denver Rocky Mountain News
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a movie that refreshes the mind and spirit along with the body, so original is its content, look, and style.
 
 July 28, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Marjorie Baumgarten
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 The ever-changing light and stark sea of ice become characters in themselves. Indeed, the making of Fast Runner is fascinating in itself. Outtakes of the production run with the end credits; they’re worth sticking around for.
 
 October 26, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Amy Bracken Sparks
 Cleveland Free Times
 August 7, 2008 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Mark Halverson
 Sacramento News & Review
 A trailblazer for its culture and certainly makes for a fascinating, if rather long, watch.
 
 September 6, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Amber Wilkinson
 Eye for Film
 …takes you to a place you’ve never been and tells a story as profound and ambitious as a Shakespeare play.
 
 January 15, 2005 | Rating: A+
 
 Jeffrey Overstreet
 Looking Closer
 …barely has enough material to fill a 52-minute CBC special, let alone a three-hour cinematic “event.”
 
 November 2, 2003 | Rating: 2/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 A film so crisp with detail that, like other great films, it whisks us away to a locale like nothing else we’ve ever seen to tell a story that’s not quite like anything else we’ve ever heard.
 
 June 26, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap…

 

Plot
Atanarjuat The Fast Runner is a drama about the Inuit people of the Canadian arctic, telling the story of a crime that ruptures the trust within a closely knit group and how justice is achieved and healing begins.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the performances of all the roles in Atanarjuat The Fast Runner, stating that “sincerity pulses throughout.”
 

 
Zacharias-Kunuk.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
United Artists
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Quality Coffee Shop – 1238 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language and some sexual content
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Bob Balaban, directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Terry Zwigoff, Daniel Clowes, produced by Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith, comedy, drama, R rating, box office gross $6.2M, reviewed by Joe Morgenstern, David Denby, Scott Tobias, Ken Eisner, Angie Errigo, Sara Michelle Fetters, Matt Brunson, Eddie Harrison, Nicholas Bell, Matt Patches, B Ruby Rich, Thora Birch as Enid, Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca, Steve Buscemi as Seymour, Brad Renfro as Josh, Illeana Douglas as Roberta, Bob Balaban as Dad, high school, graduation, record collector, friendship, alienation, self-loathing, social satire, disaffected youth, dark comedy, deadpan teen angst, intelligent, comedic trip, graphic novel, neo-cool, wryly observe, romantic fixation
 

Cast & Crew

Thora Birch

Scarlett Johansson

Steve Buscemi

Brad Renfro

Illeana Douglas

Enid

Rebecca

Seymour

Josh

Roberta

Thora Birch – Enid
Scarlett Johansson – Rebecca
Steve Buscemi – Seymour
Brad Renfro – Josh
Illeana Douglas – Roberta
Bob Balaban – Dad

 

Terry Zwigoff

Terry Zwigoff

Lianne Halfon

John Malkovich

Russell Smith

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Terry Zwigoff
 
Writer(s)
Terry Zwigoff, Daniel Clowes, Daniel Clowes
 
Producer(s)
Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
28 wins & 56 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

David Denby

Scott Tobias

Ken Eisner

Angie Errigo

Wall Street Journal

New Yorker

AV Club

Variety

Empire Magazine

GHOST WORLD
 All Critics (161) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (149) | Rotten (12)
 The greatest distinction of “Ghost World” is its singular spirit. Here’s a dark, deadpan comedy about alienated kids that manages to be smart, surpassingly odd, extremely funny and mysteriously endearing at the same time.
 
 April 12, 2013
 
 Joe Morgenstern
 Wall Street Journal
 TOP CRITIC
 See it for Birch’s hostile stare and Johansson’s devastating monotone.
 
 April 12, 2013
 
 David Denby
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 Most of Ghost World is funny, but the laughs are inextricably tied to the painful alienation and self-loathing that comes with living on society’s fringes.
 
 July 14, 2010
 
 Scott Tobias
 AV Club
 TOP CRITIC
 By sharp turns poignant, disturbing and hysterically funny.
 
 July 7, 2010
 
 Ken Eisner
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 his is ‘teen comedy’ of startling sophistication — with horribly funny bits as well. A true original, with sharp humour, subtle detail and painfully realistic characters.
 
 December 30, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Angie Errigo
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a sneaky, snide and cynical masterpiece of urban dystopia seen through the eyes of youth and ranks as one of the best American films so far this year.
 
 June 19, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Ghost World is very funny but also very perceptive, and it offers Steve Buscemi one of the defining roles of his career.
 
 November 22, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 … one of the best films made by middle-aged men about what women might feel when confronted by the comic, tragic un-loveliness of middle-aged men themselves…
 
 March 10, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 Zwigoff’s portrait of adolescent alienation commands a potent portrait of interiority as concerns its lonely souls searching for likeminded personalities within a superficial void.
 
 September 9, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Nicholas Bell
 IONCINEMA.com
 An elegy to the rebellious Gen X dream, and a crash course in existence for all 18-year-olds who followed.
 
 August 4, 2020
 
 Matt Patches
 Polygon
 We care about these characters and, despite themselves, they care for one another, too. Irony meets empathy here and both are better for it.
 
 February 24, 2020
 
 B. Ruby Rich
 The Nation
 That is part of its magic and its beauty, I think – its ability to speak to and for those who don’t quite feel at home in mainstream society.
 
 June 4, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row…

 

Plot
Enid and Rebecca after they finish the high school. Both have problems relating to people and they spend their time hanging around and bothering creeps. When they meet Seymour who is a social outsider who loves to collect old 78 records, Enid’s life will change forever.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Steve Buscemi portrays a memorable withdrawn character named Seymour in Ghost World.
 

 
Terry-Zwigoff.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
 
Distributor
Miramax Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Château Hôtel Mont-Royal, La Chapelle-en-Serval, Oise, France
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some violence and a scene of nudity
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Mystery & Thriller
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Laurent Lucas

Sergi López

Mathilde Seigner

Sophie Guillemin

Liliane Rovère

Michel

Harry

Claire

Plum

Michel’s Mother

Laurent Lucas – Michel
Sergi López – Harry
Mathilde Seigner – Claire
Sophie Guillemin – Plum
Liliane Rovère – Michel’s Mother
Dominique Rozan – Michel’s Father

 

Dominik Moll

Gilles Marchand

Michel Saint-Jean

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Dominik Moll
 
Writer(s)
Gilles Marchand, Dominik Moll
 
Producer(s)
Michel Saint-Jean

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
7 wins & 15 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Anthony Lane

Sara Michelle Fetters

Kimberley Jones

Susan Stark

Jay Boyar

New Yorker

MovieFreak.com

Austin Chronicle

Detroit News

Orlando Sentinel

HARRY, HE’S HERE TO HELP
 All Critics (94) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (90) | Rotten (4)
 A smart horror story, at once thrilling and upsetting…
 
 November 16, 2020
 
 Anthony Lane
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 Next to Memento, With a Friend Like Harry is the best thriller of the year.
 
 June 19, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 March 10, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Kimberley Jones
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 October 30, 2001 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Susan Stark
 Detroit News
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s Lopez’s understated charm in the role that ultimately makes this film as creepy as it is.
 
 August 24, 2001
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 An artfully entertaining psychological thriller.
 
 May 12, 2001
 
 Michael Rechtshaffen
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 One of the few post-Chabrol psychological thrillers to really get near Hitchcock, and to successfully update him in some ways, this French film probes deep into the mind of its protagonist…
 
 September 16, 2020
 
 A.S. Hamrah
 The Baffler
 Our laughter is deep and lasting, as are our shivers.
 
 November 28, 2017
 
 Antonia Quirke
 Independent on Sunday
 All the hallmarks of a classic Hitchcock thriller. The master would certainly approve.
 
 July 31, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Joe Leydon
 The Moving Picture Show
 Add “who needs family?,” and that’s a good indication of how “Harry” dives into – but doesn’t easily resolve – a strangely symbiotic muse relationship. Evil can be just as banal as everyday life, an idea explored with nasty wit and not brutish violence.
 
 December 15, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap
 A chance encounter (or is it) with an old forgettable classmate in a restroom leads to an unforgettable and unwelcome intrusion
 
 May 22, 2010 | Rating: B
 
 John A. Nesbit
 Old School Reviews
 August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Halverson
 Sacramento News & Review…

 

Plot
Michel, his wife Claire and their three little daughters Jeanne, Sarah and Iris are traveling to their cottage in Switzerland to spend summer vacation. When they stop the car, Michel goes to the toilet and a man stares at him. Soon the man introduces himself as Harold “Harry” Balestoro, who studied with Michel in high school and knows him very well. When Michel and his family go to their car, Harry parks his Mercedes Benz and introduces his fiancée Plum to the couple and invites themselves to travel to Michel’s house for a drink. Later her recalls by heart a poem written by Michel and shows that he was obsessed for Michel. Harry is surprised that Michel does not write anymore and tells that he is wealthy since he has inherited his father’s investments. Michel and Claire are middle-class and are still repairing their cottage by themselves. Harry and Plum stay for the night in the guest room and in the morning, Harry gives a 4×4 V6 Pajero to his new friends. They do not accept but Michel needs to bring his parents to see their granddaughters and drives the truck. He brings his mother and his father that immediately recognizes Harry. He feels tension between Michel and Claire and his parents and Harry and Plum move to a nearby hotel. During the night, Harry decides to help his friend, showing that he is a psychopath that turns Michel’s life upside down.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Sergi López’s performance as Harry is “humorously psychotic” and leaves the audience constantly guessing about his motives.
 

 
Dominik-Moll.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Partizan Films, Partizan
 
Distributor
Winstar Cinema
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Drama, Iran, Women’s Rights, Oppression, Prison, Fleeing, Abortion, Friendship, Shifts in Perspective, Mariam Parvin Almani, Nargess Mamizadeh, Fareshteh Sadr Orafai, Jafar Panahi, Gary Howsam, Kambuzia Partovi, $673.8K Box Office, Winstar Cinema, Mono Sound Mix, Flat Aspect Ratio, Reviewed by Michael Thomson, Gary Dowell, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Marc Savlov, Eric Harrison, Desson Thomson, A.S Hamrah, Ruhaan Shah, Mariam Parvin Almani, Arezou, Nargess Mamizadeh, Nargess, Fareshteh Sadr Orafai, Pari, Monir Arab, Elham Saboktakin, Fatemeh Naghavi, directed by Jafar Panahi, written by Kambuzia Partovi, produced by Gary Howsam and Jafar Panahi, MPAA rating
 

Cast & Crew

Mariam Parvin Almani

Arezou

Nargess Mamizadeh

Nargess

Fareshteh Sadr Orafai

Mariam Parvin Almani

Arezou

Nargess Mamizadeh

Nargess

Fareshteh Sadr Orafai

Mariam Parvin Almani – Arezou
Nargess Mamizadeh – Nargess
Fareshteh Sadr Orafai – Pari
Monir Arab – Ticket Seller
Elham Saboktakin – Nurse
Fatemeh Naghavi – Mother

 

Jafar Panahi

Kambuzia Partovi

Gary Howsam

Jafar Panahi

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jafar Panahi
 
Writer(s)
Kambuzia Partovi
 
Producer(s)
Gary Howsam, Jafar Panahi

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Michael Thomson

Gary Dowell

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Marc Savlov

Eric Harrison

BBC.com

Dallas Morning News

Chicago Reader

Austin Chronicle

Houston Chronicle

THE CIRCLE
 All Critics (63) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (4)
 September 24, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Michael Thomson
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 An impressive piece of work, especially considering it was made in a barren artistic climate overseen by a censorious government.
 
 September 13, 2001
 
 Gary Dowell
 Dallas Morning News
 TOP CRITIC
 August 31, 2001 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A tragic film from start to finish, but equally undeniable is the endless stoicism displayed by the women, and Panahi’s crisp, meandering direction.
 
 June 25, 2001 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Marc Savlov
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Just like Tomb Raider, it is fiction. It just unfortunately comes a lot closer than the American film to the truth of how its female characters live.
 
 June 15, 2001
 
 Eric Harrison
 Houston Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 A memorable and devastating indictment of the oppression facing many women in Iran.
 
 June 12, 2001 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Desson Thomson
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Scenes of indifference, rejection, and abuse accumulate without rage or pity in this desperate feminist film made with mostly nonprofessional actors.
 
 September 16, 2020
 
 A.S. Hamrah
 The Baffler
 Panahi here unearths the everyday sexism of the country, of what it is like to be a woman in a society dominated by men.
 
 May 15, 2020
 
 Ruhaan Shah
 Film Companion
 What few ironies there are, are overpowered by the firm, calm, institutionalized oppression imposed on the women of Panahi’s country.
 
 May 4, 2010
 
 Kelly Vance
 East Bay Express
 … like a cry of distress from a princess imprisoned in a tower. But the tower is in a busy world of heartless, self-absorbed men who laugh at the idea of a rescue.
 
 January 15, 2005 | Rating: A-
 
 Jeffrey Overstreet
 Looking Closer
 June 19, 2003 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Vadim Rizov
 Movie-Vault.com
 The Circle basically shows that Iran is a police state with severe measures for keeping women in control.
 
 May 11, 2003 | Rating: A
 
 Moira Sullivan
 Movie Magazine International…

 

Plot
Contestants live in an apartment building showcasing the infamous circle on the outside. They are literal neighbours, but never meet face to face. They communicate through a social media app called “The Circle.” They can create a profile as themselves or make up a fake persona to play as. They regularly rank the other players based on their impressions through social media interactions, and the top rated players become influencers. The influencers get to block, or eliminate a player, until ultimately a winner is crowned.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about “The Circle.”
 

 
Jafar-Panahi.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
RKO Radio Pictures, Mercury Productions,
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, USA Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for pervasive drug content, strong language, violence and some sexuality
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzmán, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Simon Moore and Stephen Gaghan, crime, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nell Minow, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Andrew Sarris, Geoff Andrew, Rick Groen, Peter Rainer, MPAA rating R, Laura Bickford, Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick produced by, drug trafficking, ethics, interrelated stories, personal, intrigue, danger, some sexuality, pervasive drug content, strong language, violence, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, flat (1.85:1) aspect ratio, contemporary thriller, high stakes, high risks, drug trade, gray ethics, terrific acting, Road to Perdition, American History X, House of Flying Daggers, Layer Cake, Goodfellas
 

Cast & Crew

Michael Douglas

Don Cheadle

Benicio Del Toro

Luis Guzmán

Dennis Quaid

Robert Wakefield

Montel Gordon

Javier Rodriguez

Ray Castro

Arnie Metzger

Michael Douglas – Robert Wakefield
Don Cheadle – Montel Gordon
Benicio Del Toro – Javier Rodriguez
Luis Guzmán – Ray Castro
Dennis Quaid – Arnie Metzger
Catherine Zeta-Jones – Helena Ayala
Director – Steven Soderbergh
Producers – Laura Bickford, Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick
Writers – Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan

 

Steven Soderbergh

Simon Moore

Laura Bickford

Marshall Herskovitz

Edward Zwick

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Steven Soderbergh
 
Writer(s)
Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan
 
Producer(s)
Laura Bickford, Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 4 Oscars
74 wins & 87 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Andrew Sarris

Geoff Andrew

Rick Groen

Common Sense Media

Chicago Reader

Observer

Time Out

Globe and Mail

TRAFFIC
 All Critics (161) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (148) | Rotten (13)
 Tons of drug use, violence, and depressing stories.
 
 December 29, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 I don’t see this slightly better-than-average drug thriller, with slightly better-than-average direction by Steven Soderbergh, as anything more than a routine rubber-stamping of genre reflexes.
 
 May 18, 2008
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The promise of Sex, Lies, and Videotape has been fulfilled.
 
 April 27, 2007
 
 Andrew Sarris
 Observer
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s wise about different kinds of addiction and concepts of family, about the folly, futility and hypocrisy of anti-drug ‘wars’, and about the awful human cost of it all. And it grips like a vice from start to end.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Director Steven Soderbergh is riding one of the hottest streaks in the movie world.
 
 April 25, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Rick Groen
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 Soderbergh’s jazzed stylistics can be smartly entertaining. Without them, an uneven movie like Traffic might seem more of a mélange than it already is.
 
 September 26, 2002
 
 Peter Rainer
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 Apparently, the movie leads one to believe, Washington is fighting the good fight against lawless, amoral peoples.
 
 March 5, 2021
 
 Joanne Laurier
 World Socialist Web Site
 Though it’s overlong, it slowly builds to a monumental finale with an undeniable sense of satisfaction.
 
 November 9, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 While one may take some time to settle in with the film, it nevertheless leaves one breathless with the finesse with which it tells the tale.
 
 February 28, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nikhat Kazmi
 The Times of India
 While the film does well at imagining a world cut loose from moral quadrants, where right and wrong are not clear choices and all decisions seem tainted by compromise, its imagination is confined to a US model.
 
 February 25, 2020
 
 B. Ruby Rich
 The Nation
 Despite some minor flaws, Traffic is a skilled, finely honed piece of filmmaking that suggests Soderbergh as an ever-evolving talent adapting his indie mindset to the demands of a more mainstream vision.
 
 January 29, 2020
 
 Felicia Feaster
 Creative Loafing
 It is such a complex film yet artfully done in such a way that you cannot help but sit back and admire it.
 
 July 30, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Kevin Carr
 7M Pictures…

 

Plot
An intertwined drama about the United States’ war on drugs, seen through the eyes of a once conservative judge, now newly-appointed drug czar, his heroin-addicted daughter, two DEA agents, a jailed drug kingpin’s wife, and a Mexican cop who begins to question his boss’s motives.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Benicio Del Toro’s performance in Traffic earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
 

 
Steven-Soderbergh.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Cosmopolitan Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
 
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., IFC Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some teen drug use
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Kerry Washington, Anna Simpson, Melissa Martinez, Marlene Forte, Anthony Thomas, Rosalyn Coleman, directed by Jim McKay, written by Jim McKay, produced by Jim McKay, Paul Mezey, Diana E Williams, drama, R rating, box office gross $254.2K, budget unknown, reviewed by Gavin Smith, Stephen Hunter, Philip Wuntch, Jay Boyar, Connie Ogle, Carrie Rickey, Ren Jender, Renee Schonfeld, Mark Halverson, Betsy Bozdech, Emanuel Levy, Vadim Rizov, realistic, documentary-style, teenage girls, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, marching band, summer, coming of age, friendship, adolescence, urban, women of color, sensitive, empathetic, humanity, positive, mature themes, vérité camerawork, English language, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., IFC Films
 

Cast & Crew

Kerry Washington

Lanisha Brown

Anna Simpson

Joycelyn Clifton

Melissa Martinez

Lanisha Brown

Joycelyn Clifton

Maria Hernandez

Pilar Brown

Carl Brown

Kerry Washington – Lanisha Brown
Anna Simpson – Joycelyn Clifton
Melissa Martinez – Maria Hernandez
Marlene Forte – Pilar Brown
Anthony Thomas – Carl Brown
Rosalyn Coleman – Dawn Clifton
Jim McKay – Director/Writer/Producer
Paul Mezey – Producer
Diana E. Williams – Producer
Jim Denault – Cinematographer

 

Jim McKay

Jim McKay

Jim McKay

Paul Mezey

Diana E. Williams

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jim McKay
 
Writer(s)
Jim McKay
 
Producer(s)
Jim McKay, Paul Mezey, Diana E. Williams

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 6 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Gavin Smith

Stephen Hunter

Philip Wuntch

Jay Boyar

Connie Ogle

Film Comment Magazine

Washington Post

Dallas Morning News

Orlando Sentinel

Miami Herald

OUR SONG
 All Critics (55) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (5)
 Our Song is completely convincing and much more visually accomplished, thanks in part to Jim Denault’s attentive vérité camerawork.
 
 April 10, 2018
 
 Gavin Smith
 Film Comment Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s an astonishing movie, with a real-life feel.
 
 January 6, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Stephen Hunter
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 It says something positive about human resilience under duress.
 
 September 20, 2001
 
 Philip Wuntch
 Dallas Morning News
 TOP CRITIC
 A truly fresh performance can do wonders for a movie, and Our Song has three of them.
 
 September 14, 2001
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 Anyone who understands the subtle shadings of friendship will appreciate Our Song’s realistic slice of teen life.
 
 September 13, 2001
 
 Connie Ogle
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 That rare thing, an American movie that looks at teenagers’ life with sensitivity and empathy and humanity.
 
 September 13, 2001
 
 Carrie Rickey
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is a treasure trove of thoughtful characters who are women of color.
 
 March 12, 2019
 
 Ren Jender
 Bitch Flicks
 Honest, positive look at urban teens with mature themes.
 
 July 2, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Renee Schonfeld
 Common Sense Media
 August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Halverson
 Sacramento News & Review
 At times, Our Song feels like a documentary, never once seeming forced or far-fetched.
 
 September 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Betsy Bozdech
 Reel.com
 November 5, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 June 19, 2003 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Vadim Rizov
 Movie-Vault.com…

 

Plot
Our Song follows three teenage girls and best friends who are members of their school’s marching band as they navigate the small moments and dramas of their lives during the closing weeks of summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Our Song.
 

 
Jim-McKay.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Igor Film Casbah Film
 
Distributor
USA Films, Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Easington, Peterlee, County Durham, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
 
Year of Release
2000
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Lgbtq+
 
Keyword(s)
starring Julie Walters, Jamie Bell, Jamie Draven, Gary Lewis, Jean Heywood, Stuart Wells, directed by Stephen Daldry, written by Lee Hall, drama, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Charlotte O’Sullivan, Nell Minow, Peter Travers, Alexander Walker, Paul Tatara, Joanne Laurier, Leigh Paatsch, Eve Tushnet, Nick Rogers, Ted Murphy, Jim Lane, produced by Greg Brenman, Jonathan Finn, R rating, coal miner’s son, ballet class, dance, Mrs Wilkinson, raw talent, tart tongue, cigarettes, teaching, potential, Thatcher, miners strikes, northern England, blue-collar community, socio-economic hardship, coming of age, fathers and sons, homosexuality, stereotypes, working-class, north-south divide, Geordie, Yorkshireman, Mackem, feel-good, dramatic, conflict, uncertainty, sexuality, Disney, horror movies, MCU, Netflix series
 

Cast & Crew

Julie Walters

Jamie Bell

Jamie Draven

Gary Lewis

Jean Heywood

Mrs. Wilkinson

Billy

Tony

Dad

Grandma

Julie Walters – Mrs. Wilkinson
Jamie Bell – Billy
Jamie Draven – Tony
Gary Lewis – Dad
Jean Heywood – Grandma
Stuart Wells – Michael

 

Stephen Daldry

Lee Hall

Greg Brenman

Jonathan Finn

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Stephen Daldry
 
Writer(s)
Lee Hall
 
Producer(s)
Greg Brenman, Jonathan Finn

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
57 wins & 73 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Charlotte O’Sullivan

Nell Minow

Peter Travers

Alexander Walker

Nell Minow

Independent

Common Sense Media

Rolling Stone

London Evening Standard

Movie Mom

BILLY ELLIOT
 All Critics (119) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (101) | Rotten (18)
 It’s as raw a slice of escapism as you could wish for.
 
 November 15, 2017
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Terrific story of young ballet dancer has strong language.
 
 December 22, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 June 4, 2001 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Peter Travers
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 Immensely moving.
 
 January 1, 2000
 
 Alexander Walker
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Bell is extraordinary as Billy, the best child actor performance since Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense.
 
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 Bravo! to everyone involved.
 
 January 1, 2000
 
 Paul Tatara
 CNN.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Billy Elliot is not a masterpiece, but it is a work, in the first place, driven by considerable feeling.
 
 March 5, 2021
 
 Joanne Laurier
 World Socialist Web Site
 Take a twirl with Billy and you won’t be disappointed.
 
 June 12, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Leigh Paatsch
 Herald Sun (Australia)
 Billy Elliot almost always makes the wrong choice, for the saccharine over the convincing.
 
 March 19, 2019
 
 Eve Tushnet
 Patheos
 The film about atypical artistic pursuits in a blue-collar community that “The Full Monty” sought to be. Peter Darling’s choreography dexterously captures the defiance in the dancing – rage against economical and emotional repression in a motherless home.
 
 September 25, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap
 September 8, 2009 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Ted Murphy
 Hollywood.com
 August 7, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Jim Lane
 Sacramento News & Review…

 

Plot
County Durham, during the endless, violent 1984 strike against the Margaret Thatcher closure of British coal mines. Widower Jackie Elliot (Gary Lewis) and his firstborn, fellow miner Tony (Jamie Draven), take a dim view of eleven-year-old second son Billy’s (Jamie Bell’s) poor record in boxing class, which worsens when they discover he sneakily transferred to the neighboring, otherwise girls-only-attended ballet class. Only one schoolmate, closet-gay Michael Caffrey (Stuart Wells), encourages Billy’s desire, aroused by the teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson (Dame Julie Walters), who judged him talented enough for private lessons, to train and try out for the world-renowned Royal Ballet audition. Only the prospect of a fancy career unimagined in the pauper quarter may twist pa and big brother’s opposition to indispensable support.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Billy Elliot on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Stephen-Daldry.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Jet Tone Production
 
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
2000
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, Christopher McDonald, Louise Lasser, directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Darren Aronofsky, Eric Watson, Palmer West, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Lisa Alspector, Matt Noller, Geoff Andrew, Peter Bradshaw, Peter Travers, Federico Furzan, Carey-Ann Pawsey, Sarah Boslaugh, Christopher Runyon, Emanuel Levy, producer Eric Watson, Palmer West, MPAA rating R, addiction, drug culture, diet regimen, TV game show, loneliness, mother-son relationship, bleak imagery, intense performances, parallel stories, hallucinations, tragedy, happiness, lost love, inner landscape, human connection, parable
 

Cast & Crew

Ellen Burstyn

Jared Leto

Jennifer Connelly

Marlon Wayans

Christopher McDonald

Sara Goldfarb

Harry Goldfarb

Marion Silver

Tyrone C. Love

Tappy Tibbons

Ellen Burstyn – Sara Goldfarb
Jared Leto – Harry Goldfarb
Jennifer Connelly – Marion Silver
Marlon Wayans – Tyrone C. Love
Christopher McDonald – Tappy Tibbons
Louise Lasser – Ada

 

Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky

Eric Watson

Palmer West

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Darren Aronofsky
 
Writer(s)
Darren Aronofsky, Darren Aronofsky
 
Producer(s)
Eric Watson, Palmer West

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
37 wins & 70 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Candice Frederick

Lisa Alspector

Matt Noller

Geoff Andrew

Peter Bradshaw

Reel Talk Online

Chicago Reader

Slant Magazine

Time Out

Guardian

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
 All Critics (137) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (108) | Rotten (29)
 At times disturbing and always intense, this flick offers its own acid trip for viewers and is a first-hand look at four people who become trapped by their own hell.
 
 September 12, 2017 | Rating: A
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 A staccato narrative parallels the experiences and hallucinations of a woman on drugs with those of her son and his friends.
 
 September 20, 2011
 
 Lisa Alspector
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A gut-wrenching, formally adventurous masterpiece or an ugly, flashy piece of empty-headed propaganda?
 
 September 8, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Matt Noller
 Slant Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Burnished camerawork and ex-Pop Will Eat Itself head Mansell’s part-punchy, part-elegiac score reinforce and counterpoint the increasingly nightmarish visuals.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 With spareness and unremitting cruelty, Aronofsky shows his characters’ accelerated slide to destruction. It’s an almost unbearably bleak view and its lack of any obvious redemptive moral message will revolt some.
 
 August 27, 2001
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 [It] may be a bummer to some audiences, so harsh is its view of the drug culture. But no one interested in the power and magic of movies should miss it.
 
 May 8, 2001 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Peter Travers
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 As fascinating as it is disturbing. It’s still a harrowing visit into a world not often revealed with such honesty, even if it feels artistic. [Full review in Spanish].
 
 September 21, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Federico Furzan
 Cinelipsis
 Though all aspects of the film are excellent from story to cinematography to directing it is the acting which holds the whole thing together. The three leads are amazing.
 
 September 14, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Carey-Ann Pawsey
 Orca Sound
 While a whiff of symbolism softens the horror elements in Pi, no such escape is provided in Requiem for a Dream (2000)…
 
 November 3, 2018 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Sarah Boslaugh
 PopMatters
 As uncompromising a work of art as you can ever view.
 
 February 20, 2014 | Rating: A
 
 Christopher Runyon
 Movie Mezzanine
 Aronofsky’s second feature is an emotionally intense, relentlessly grim tale of forms of addiction that may rely too much on montage to achieve real dramatic impact.
 
 July 18, 2011 | Rating: B
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 Translating this into a music video would make a lot more sense than the film does in present form
 
 May 14, 2011 | Rating: C-
 
 John A. Nesbit
 Old School Reviews…

 

Plot
Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) is a retired widow, living in a small apartment. She spends most of her time watching TV, especially a particular self-help show. She has delusions of rising above her current dull existence by being a guest on that show. Her son, Harry (Jared Leto) is a junkie but along with his friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) has visions of making it big by becoming a drug dealer. Harry’s girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) could be fashion designer or artist but is swept along in Harry’s drug-centric world. Meanwhile Sara has developed an addiction of her own. She desperately wants to lose weight and so goes on a crash course involving popping pills, pills which turn out to be very addictive and harmful to her mental state.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “wonderful performances” in Requiem for a Dream, but warns that the movie “may be too intense for some to stomach.”
 

 
Darren-Aronofsky.jpg