Trouble the Water (2008)
92%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 14 nominations total
This incredible documentary displays the tragedy and mismanagement of Katrina along with the heroism of strangers and survivors.
Trouble the Water is a documentary that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions in between. It’s a powerful story of resilience and survival in the face of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. The film follows Kimberly Rivers Roberts, a woman who captures the chaos and devastation of Hurricane Katrina on her camcorder. Her footage is raw and unfiltered, and it gives us a glimpse into the lives of those who were forgotten by the government and left to fend for themselves. Despite the tragedy, Kimberly’s spirit and determination shine through, and she becomes a force of nature in her own right. This is a must-see documentary that will leave you inspired and moved.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., 5000 Broadway Productions, Likely Story
Distributor
Zeitgeist Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Alexandria, Louisiana, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 33m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 22, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 25, 2009
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Hurricane Katrina, tragedy, heroism, survival, Ninth Ward, New Orleans, aspiring rapper, video camera, filmmakers, rebuilding, Carl Deal, producer, Zeitgeist Films, box office, gross USA, $520.0K, reviewed by Wesley Morris, reviewed by Hank Sartin, reviewed by Peter Howell, reviewed by Rick Groen, reviewed by Wendy Ide, reviewed by Mattie Lucas, directed by Carl Deal, executive producer David Alcaro, executive producer Joslyn Barnes, executive producer Danny Glover, MPAA rating, Tia Lessin, Michael Moore, Collapse, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, The Milk of Sorrow, The Arbor, The End of the Line, budget, Kimberly Rivers Roberts, Scott Roberts, Hurricane Katrina footage, tragedy and mismanagement, inspiring, heartbreaking, poignant, political, biased, important, survival journey, unpreparedness, intransigence, authorities, families, friends, government, religion, apathy, resilience
Worldwide gross: $522,766
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $720,090
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,663
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 78,527
US/Canada gross: $520,151
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $716,488
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,253
US/Canada opening weekend: $28,606
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $39,404
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,275
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $900,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $1,239,716
Production budget ranking: 2,080
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $667,587
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$1,187,212
ROI to date (est.): -62%
ROI ranking: 1,760
David Alcaro – Executive Producer
Joslyn Barnes – Executive Producer
Carl Deal – Producer
Danny Glover – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Carl Deal
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 14 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (73) | Rotten (3)
November 24, 2011 | Rating: 2/4
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
‘God’s gonna trouble the water,’ goes the chorus from the African-American spiritual that gives Trouble the Water its title, but no deity is to blame for the tide of bureaucratic bungling and inhumanity the movie reveals.
February 13, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
The person at the centre emerges as a force of nature unto herself. Meet, and prepare to be inspired by, Kimberly Rivers Roberts.
February 12, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Essential, startling and distressing insight into what it was like to be in the eye of the Katrina storm if you were a poor, black resident of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans on Monday August 29 2005.
December 5, 2008 | Rating: 4/6
Wally Hammond
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The footage – edited and augmented by Michael Moore’s collaborators Tia Lessin and Carl Deal – is unpolished, but the stories and commentary are as inspirational as they are harrowing.
December 5, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Invites us to step into the shoes of people who the government forgot, and demands that we refuse to do the same.
July 7, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
The best of the Katrina documentaries thus far, to my mind, is Trouble the Water.
November 5, 2018
Nicholas Lemann
The New York Review of Books
A documentary that changed direction, like a weather front, in the midst of being made.
August 15, 2011
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express
Timely, relevant, and touching documentary that needs to be seen.
July 27, 2011 | Rating: A-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
The most affecting footage of Hurricane Katrina ever seen comes from an amateur camcorder bought on the street for twenty bucks.
June 12, 2010 | Rating: 9/10
Ian Buckwalter
DCist
It’s a view of the disaster that no amount of news coverage would ever manage to capture.
September 8, 2009
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
“Trouble the Water” is a documentary about the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, featuring footage filmed by a couple sheltering in their attic during the storm and their struggles to rebuild their lives afterwards.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Carl-Deal.jpg
92%
The Women (1939)
92%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 4 nominations
A feast of sharp dialogue delivered by an expertly assembled cast, The Women makes the transition from stage to screen without losing a step.
The Women is a hilarious and glamorous film that will have you laughing from start to finish. With a star-studded cast including Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Fontaine, this movie is a must-see for any fan of classic Hollywood. The rapid-fire dialogue and witty banter between the characters will keep you on your toes, and Rosalind Russell steals the show as the malicious Sylvia. While the men may not understand all the boudoir talk, us ladies will definitely relate to the true-to-life characters. So grab your girlfriends and leave the men at home, because The Women is a movie night must-have.
Production Company(ies)
Audiovisual Development Bureau, Ministerio da Cultura BEI Comunicações Bahiatursa
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Loew’s Inc.
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Georgetown, Massachusetts, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sex-related material, language, some drug use and brief smoking
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 12m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1939 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 14, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, directed by George Cukor, written by Anita Loos, Jane Murfin, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Katherine Howard, Mildred Martin, Mae Tinee, Colvin McPherson, Charles E Ward, Globe Staff, Ada Hanifin, Marion Aitchison, Ruth Lewis, Josephine O’Neill, Paul Koury, Ronald D Schofield, producer Hunt Stromberg, MPAA rating, divorce, adultery, fashion show, all-female cast, 1930s, MGM, Loew’s Inc., Mary Haines, Crystal Allen, Sylvia, Flora, Miriam Aarons, Peggy, Countess de Lave, The Women, sharp dialogue, expertly assembled cast, stage to screen, critic reviews, audience score, streaming, theaters, subscription, rent/buy
Worldwide gross: $50,007,546
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $68,883,484
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,199
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 7,511,830
US/Canada gross: $26,902,075
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $37,056,580
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,194
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,115,210
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,933,315
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 832
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $16,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $22,039,389
Production budget ranking: 1,323
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,868,211
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $34,975,884
ROI to date (est.): 103%
ROI ranking: 925
Joan Crawford – Crystal Allen
Rosalind Russell – Sylvia
Mary Boland – Flora
Paulette Goddard – Miriam Aarons
Joan Fontaine – Peggy
Director(s)
George Cukor
Writer(s)
Anita Loos, Jane Murfin
Producer(s)
Hunt Stromberg
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (63) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (4)
As one member of the female sex trying to be honest, we’ll have to confess that we squirmed, but also admit that we saw many of our sisters in their true life characters.
May 25, 2021
Katherine Howard
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Joan Crawford gives her best performance in several seasons as Crystal; Paulette Goddard brings striking good looks and expert playing to the ex-show girl who walks off with Miss Russell’s husband; and Joan Fontaine is a lamb among the wolves.
May 25, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
As one woman to another — DON’T miss The Women, girls — but better leave papa at home.
May 25, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The new film is one of the glossiest items of the year, fast comedy superbly cast and capably performed.
May 25, 2021
Colvin McPherson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
List The Women as one grand show. Better see it.
May 25, 2021
Charles E. Ward
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
The entire cast is so good that it’s hard to do any more than hand each individual a separate laurel wreath.
May 25, 2021
Globe Staff
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The characters are altogether too unimportant to waste time and space in writing about them.
May 25, 2021
Ada Hanifin
San Francisco Examiner
While the film has its serious moments, the comedy is of the sort that is irresistible.
May 25, 2021
Marion Aitchison
Tampa Bay Times
The Women fairly bristles with rapid-fire dialogue. Get your ears tuned to keep up with the pace or some of it will fly by in the rush.
May 25, 2021
Ruth Lewis
Austin American-Statesman
he rocking laughter is won by Rosalind Russell, as that malicious female, Sylvia. No trouble for Rosalind to filch the picture from the rest.
May 25, 2021
Josephine O’Neill
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
It is the men who will get the time of their lives listening to the kind of chatter that goes on behind boudoir doors.
May 25, 2021
Paul Koury
Kansas City Star
Clare Booth’s brittle satire on Park Avenue womanhood, The Women has been translated from stage to screen without losing any of its wallop, except for a certain toning down of dialogue to get by the Hays office.
May 25, 2021
Ronald D. Schofield
Sacramento Bee…
Plot
Based on a very clever comedy by Claire Booth, wife of Time Publisher Henry Luce and later Ambassador to Italy. One of the surprises was an all-woman cast, novel in the 1930’s. And although there were no men in the cast, most of the dialog was about them. The story is rather thin and depended on the fact that divorce, in the 1930’s, was not only difficult but almost impossible in New York. Mrs. Stephen Haynes learns that her husband is seeing a salesgirl at Saks, and reluctantly divorces him, abetted by her friends, all of whom have romantic problems of their own. In the 1930’s New York women who could afford it went to Nevada, where residency could be established quickly and divorce was relatively easy. The 1939 film, starring Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard, Rosalind Russell, and Joan Crawford, was a hit. This one, with an even better looking cast, is definitely not, largely because someone tried to move a 1930’s situation comedy into the present.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Women features an all-female cast, including stars such as Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, and Joan Fontaine.
George-Cukor.jpg
92%
The Edge of Heaven (Auf der anderen seite) (2007)
92%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 38 wins & 23 nominations
Evocative and complex, this story of struggling immigrants in Germany will stay with you after you leave the theater.
The Edge of Heaven” is a film that will leave you feeling like you just went on an emotional rollercoaster. With a plot that shamelessly employs coincidences, it’s like “Babel” but with a richer, deeper sense of character. The missed connections can get maddening, but the delicate beauty of the film and the compassion for the characters and cultures in which they live make it worth the ride. It’s a much-needed maturation of the Babel/Crash formula, and it’s easy to get lost in the web of characters that Fatih Akin has woven. So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a wild ride through Turkey.
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
Distributor
Strand
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2007
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital EX
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 2m
-
Language(s):German, Turkish, English
-
Country of origin:Italy, Turkey
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 21, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2008
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Drama, immigrants, Germany, Turkish prostitute, political activism, deportation, Istanbul, father-son relationship, mother-daughter relationship, love, loss, death, coincidence, character development, evocative, complex, emotional, heartfelt, poignant, subtle, moral fabric, ethical weight, intricate plot, melodramatic, tragedy, character-driven, nostalgia, home, belonging, cultural differences, open borders, surveillance culture, missed connections, compassion, vivid depictions, Western future, Eastern empire, delicate beauty, exceptional editing, irony, suspense, interesting themes, beautiful cinematography, hard-hitting, full of irony, emotive, interesting story, social context, character changes, fully realized, three stories, connected, independent, box office, gross USA, budget, directed by Fatih Akin, written by Fatih Akin, produced by Fatih Akin, Klaus Maeck, Andreas Thiel, starring Nurgül Yesilçay, Baki Davrak, Tuncel Kurtiz, Hanna Schygulla, Nursel Köse, Patrycia Ziolkowska, reviewed by Thomas Elsaesser, David Ansen, Cliff Doerksen, Melissa Anderson, Josh Rosenblatt, Amy Biancolli, David Bernal, David Lamble, Mattie Lucas, Sarah Manvel, Dennis Schwartz
Worldwide gross: $17,804,565
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $25,506,248
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,619
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,781,488
US/Canada gross: $742,349
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,063,465
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,174
US/Canada opening weekend: $14,257
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $20,424
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,505
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Baki Davrak – Nejat Aksu
Tuncel Kurtiz – Ali Aksu
Hanna Schygulla – Susanne Staub
Nursel Köse – Yeter
Patrycia Ziolkowska – Lotte
Director(s)
Fatih Akin
Writer(s)
Fatih Akin
Producer(s)
Fatih Akin, Klaus Maeck, Andreas Thiel
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
38 wins & 23 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (80) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (8)
The subtlety of the film’s architecture does not lie in the plot, but has to do with the moral fabric being spun, whose overall design may require a third installment, or at any rate a sequel, to carry the ethical weight.
March 20, 2018
Thomas Elsaesser
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
“The Edge of Heaven”‘s intricate, almost melodramatic plot shamelessly employs coincidences-much the way “Babel” did-but where that movie’s tragic events seemed gratuitous and strained, Akin has a richer, deeper sense of character.
February 6, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Cliff Doerksen
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Melissa Anderson
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
[It’s] a much-needed maturation of the Babel/Crash formula but also fails to rattle your bones the way those movies did. Pick your poison, I suppose.
September 19, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Josh Rosenblatt
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
What we don’t suspect, going in, is that a film of such plain-speaking admonitions can exploit the element of surprise. Yet this heartfelt and precisely assembled drama does just that.
September 5, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
[Fatih Akin] weaves a laconic and serene web of characters. [Full review in Spanish]
November 4, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
David Bernal
Cinemanía (Spain)
Along with vivid depictions of a Turkey torn between the remnants of its ancient Eastern empire and a tantalizingly possible Western future, The Edge of Heaven will delight an opening-night crowd…
May 26, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
There is a delicate beauty to it all. The missed connections tend to get maddening after a while, but Akin directs with a clear compassion for his characters and the cultures in which they live.
July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Akin has choreographed… a demonstration of how open borders close off other opportunities and, even in a surveillance culture, how easy it is to get lost.
February 11, 2019
Sarah Manvel
Cinemattraction
Much like one of Fassbinder’s great ones.
November 17, 2014 | Rating: B+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
February 12, 2013 | Rating: A-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com…
Plot
“The Edge of Heaven” follows the intertwined stories of a Turkish prostitute, her daughter, and a German man and his son as they navigate love, loss, and political activism across Germany and Turkey.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Hanna Schygulla, who plays Susanne Staub in the film, is a German actress and singer who has appeared in over 100 films and TV shows.
Fatih-Akin.jpg
92%
The Band’s Visit (2007)
92%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: 47 wins & 17 nominations
The Band’s Visit is both a clever, subtle slice-of-life comedy, and poignant cross-cultural exploration.
The Band’s Visit is like a warm hug from a stranger that you didn’t know you needed. It’s a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions in between. The characters are so well-written and acted that you’ll feel like you know them personally by the end of the film. And the music! Oh, the music will transport you to another world. It’s not a movie that will solve the world’s problems, but it will remind you that there is still kindness and connection to be found in the most unexpected places. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and let The Band’s Visit take you on a journey you won’t forget.
Production Company(ies)
Macrocosm Entertainment, Citizen Skull Productions, Bond It Media Capital
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Yeruham, Israel
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 26m
-
Language(s):Hebrew, Arabic, English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 8, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2008
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour, Rubi Moskovitz, Uri Gavriel, directed by Eran Kolirin, written by Eran Kolirin, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Hank Sartin, David Stratton, Sandra Hall, Jonathan F Richards, Roger Moore, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Dan DiNicola, Toni Vall, Richard Propes, Mattie Lucas, Annie Wagner, Hannah Brown, PG-13, Ehud Bleiberg, Koby Gal-Raday, Guy Jacoel, Eilon Ratzkovsky, Yossi Uzrad, produced by, Sony Pictures Classics, Arabic, Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, Israel, Negev Desert, Dina, ethnic barriers, shared melancholy, small town, lodging, restaurant, Brief Strong Language, Dolby Digital
Worldwide gross: $14,587,587
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $20,093,844
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,709
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,191,259
US/Canada gross: $3,054,457
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,207,398
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,854
US/Canada opening weekend: $67,492
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $92,968
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,956
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ronit Elkabetz – Dina
Saleh Bakri – Haled
Khalifa Natour – Simon
Rubi Moskovitz – Itzik
Uri Gavriel – Avrum
Director(s)
Eran Kolirin
Writer(s)
Eran Kolirin
Producer(s)
Ehud Bleiberg, Koby Gal-Raday, Guy Jacoel, Eilon Ratzkovsky, Yossi Uzrad
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
47 wins & 17 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (119) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (117) | Rotten (2)
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A witty, elegant and deeply affecting film.
July 10, 2008 | Rating: 4.5/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
What matters is the sense of exhilaration you take away with you.
July 10, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The Band’s Visit has pathos, but it is also very funny.
April 13, 2008
Jonathan F. Richards
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
Like no fish-out-of-water film in recent memory, it leaves you with the hope that these fish will find their way back to water, and maybe learn to share that puddle before the desert dries it up entirely.
April 11, 2008 | Rating: 5/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Kolirin has a fine sense of where to place the camera and when to cut between shots for maximum comic effect.
March 14, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Even without the coveted Oscar pedigree, this modest comedy has to be the most delightful and enjoyable movie now playing in local theaters.
March 22, 2021
Dan DiNicola
The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)
Everything in it is telegraphed to the point of exasperation. [Full review in Spanish]
November 6, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/5
Toni Vall
Cinemanía (Spain)
Tenderly written, beautifully photographed, and patiently directed.
September 2, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
For all of its dry wit and visual gags, The Band’s Visit is ultimately a poignant slice of life about people from totally different backgrounds and cultures forging unexpected connections and healing old wounds.
July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
It’s not going to solve any problems in the Middle East, and it doesn’t attempt to, either. It’s just a quiet story about the uncomfortable charm of coerced hospitality.
August 22, 2017
Annie Wagner
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
It’s both quintessentially Israeli and an enjoyable experience that will touch audiences no matter what their background.
March 1, 2016 | Rating: 4/4
Hannah Brown
Jerusalem Post…
Plot
On an ordinary day, the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel from Egypt for a cultural event, only find there is no delegation to meet them, nor any arrangements to get to their destination of Petah Tiqva. When they find their own ride, they arrive instead at the remote town of Beit Hatikva. Stuck there until the next morning’s bus, the band, led by the repressed Tawfiq Zacharaya, gets help from the worldly lunch owner, Dina, who offers to put them up for the night. As the band settles in as best it can, each of the members attempts to get along with the natives in their own way. What follows is a special night of quiet happenings and confessions as the band makes its own impact on the town and the town on them.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Band’s Visit features a cast of mostly unknown actors, including Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, and Saleh Bakri.
Eran-Kolirin.jpg
92%
Mostly Martha (Bella Martha) (2001)
92%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 1 nomination
Mostly Martha may have a predictable plot, but it still feels charming and fresh, and the food will make you hungry.
Mostly Martha is a delicious romantic comedy that will leave you craving for more. The film centers around a strict German chef and a charming Italian cook who bring the heat both in and out of the kitchen. The food scenes are mouth-watering and the chemistry between the two leads is sizzling. While the plot may be predictable, the film’s charm and heart make up for it. It’s the perfect movie to watch with a glass of wine and a plate of pasta. Bon appétit!
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some sensuality and language
Year of Release
2007
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:SDDS Dolby Digital DTS
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 45m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 2002 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2013
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto, Maxime Foerste, August Zirner, Sibylle Canonica, Katja Studt, Ulrich Thomsen, directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, written by Sandra Nettelbeck, comedy, drama, German language, PG rating, box office gross $4.2M, reviewed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, Emanuel Levy, Neil Smith, Peter Travers, Roger Moore, Marc Savlov, Leigh Paatsch, food, chef, restaurant, Italian cuisine, therapy, family, grief, love, romance, kitchen, order, chaos, obsession, charm, predictability, commercial appeal, class, Hollywood, catharsis, sex, eroticism, German film, English subtitles, anger management, surprises, tragedy, niece, sous-chef, therapist, Italian chef, precision, spotless, flat aspect ratio, Dolby sound mix, Paramount Pictures, Karl Baumgartner, Christoph Friedel, produced by
Worldwide gross: $92,601,050
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $132,657,292
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 891
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 14,466,444
US/Canada gross: $43,107,979
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $61,755,107
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 977
US/Canada opening weekend: $11,704,357
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $16,767,286
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 739
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $28,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $40,111,901
Production budget ranking: 955
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $21,600,259
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $70,945,132
ROI to date (est.): 115%
ROI ranking: 881
Sergio Castellitto – Mario
Maxime Foerste – Lina
August Zirner – Therapist
Ulrich Thomsen – Sam Thalberg
Sibylle Canonica – Frida
Director(s)
Sandra Nettelbeck
Writer(s)
Sandra Nettelbeck
Producer(s)
Karl Baumgartner, Christoph Friedel
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (85) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (78) | Rotten (7)
This well-made and entertaining romantic comedy drama provides ample proof that German writer-director Sandra Nettelbeck can turn out a classier commercial feature than most of her Hollywood contemporaries.
October 16, 2014
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Though utterly predictable, this kitchen-set romantic comedy about a severe German woman and a fun-loving Italian cook, has a certain charm, and it’s about food, which speaks well for commercial appeal.
July 17, 2007 | Rating: B
Emanuel Levy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
May 6, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Neil Smith
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Nettelbeck serves the tastiest film about food and sex since Big Night.
October 2, 2002 | Rating: 1/4
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Nettelbeck has given the viewer a genuine catharsis and a cinematic meal that isn’t perfect — but is all the better for it.
September 19, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Nettelbeck’s alliterative subtext — food equals love, life, and longing — is more or less obvious from the get-go, but the excellent performance from Gedeck and Castellitto belie the film’s straightforward nature.
September 15, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Touching meditation on the mending of hearts and mastering of cuisines.
September 11, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Predictable but still charming German romantic comedy, centering on the erotic appeal of food
June 17, 2011 | Rating: B
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
German film about finding family.
January 2, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Sarah Wenk
Common Sense Media
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
April 5, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews
Great food scenes, good story, real characters.
March 6, 2003 | Rating: B+
Mark Robison
Reno Gazette-Journal…
Plot
A master chef, Kate, lives her life like she runs the kitchen at upscale 22 Bleecker Restaurant in Manhattan
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sergio Castellitto plays the charming and carefree Italian chef who clashes with Martha in Mostly Martha.
Sandra-Nettelbeck.jpg
92%
Grbavica (2007)
92%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: 12 wins & 7 nominations
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams is a poignant and powerful film that explores the aftermath of war and the enduring legacy of trauma. Director Jasmila Zbanic masterfully weaves together the stories of a mother and daughter as they navigate the complexities of their relationship and confront the painful truths of their past. The film is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope, even in the face of unimaginable adversity. With stunning performances from the cast and a hauntingly beautiful score, Grbavica is a must-see for anyone who appreciates intelligent and thought-provoking cinema.
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. It’s a heartwarming story about the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. The film takes you on a journey through the lives of ordinary people living in Bosnia, and it’s impossible not to be moved by their struggles and triumphs. The performances are outstanding, and the direction is masterful. If you’re looking for a movie that will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted, Grbavica is the perfect choice.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Strand
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 47m
-
Language(s):Bosnian
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 12, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Drama, war, Bosnia, ethnic conflict, emotional toll, survival, school trip, sleazy job, mob-connected disco, relationship, bouncer, first love, outcast, widowed, adolescent daughter, Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Mijovic, Leon Lucev, Kenan Catic, Jasna Beri, Dejan Acimovic, Jasmila Zbanic, Barbara Albert, Damir Ibrahimovich, Bruno Wagner, written by Jasmila Zbanic, directed by Jasmila Zbanic, produced by Barbara Albert, Damir Ibrahimovich, Bruno Wagner, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Marc Savlov, Robert Denerstein, Carrie Rickey, Jeff Shannon, Walter V Addiego, Winda Benedetti, Sean Burns, Jeff Vice, Sean P Means, Ken Hanke, Beverly Berning, MPAA rating, box office gross, budget, Strand, Serbian, 1h 47m
Worldwide gross: $848,073
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,250,617
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,545
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 136,381
US/Canada gross: $43,460
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $64,089
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,726
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,977
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $7,339
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,762
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Luna Zimic Mijovic – Sara
Leon Lucev – Pelda
Kenan Catic – Samir
Jasna Beri – Sabina
Dejan Acimovic – Cenga
Director(s)
Jasmila Zbanic
Writer(s)
Jasmila Zbanic
Producer(s)
Barbara Albert, Damir Ibrahimovich, Bruno Wagner
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (1)
This is a smart, moving film, and ultimately optimistic. Hate may have the questions, but love has the answer.
August 22, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
[Director] Zbanic makes the awful seem commonplace and vice versa, while adding ominous shadows to Esma’s untold backstory. The war might be over, but fear and hope remain locked in a rapturous stranglehold amidst the rubble.
May 18, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Grbavica increases in power as it progresses. It’s a movie about the ways in which people yearn for healing and about the many obstacles that work to prevent it.
May 18, 2007 | Rating: B
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
Like its music, the film’s emotions proceed from lament to screaming screed to chorus of hope.
May 4, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
While Grbavica concerns a legacy of hatred, it’s also optimistic about Bosnia’s physical and emotional reconstruction. If the film’s final image doesn’t move you, you’d better check your pulse.
April 13, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
The portrayal of a wounded society is compelling, and the film ends on a very modestly hopeful note, appropriate for a country where the ‘dreams’ have been mostly painful.
March 30, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Walter V. Addiego
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
This is a slice of Bosnian life, a powerful peek at average people trying to live their average lives despite the extraordinary and unthinkable things that lie in their past.
May 4, 2007 | Rating: B+
Winda Benedetti
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Lovely in its understatement, quietly but insistently demanding that Esma’s story, and those of too many other women, finally be told.
May 2, 2007
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly
There’s really nothing new about the way Grbavica looks at the mother-daughter dynamic. But it’s still refreshing to see any film that does so with such honesty and realism.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Vice
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
Zbanic telegraphs parts of the drama a little too easily, but she draws heartbreaking performances from Karanovic and Mijovic.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Sean P. Means
Salt Lake Tribune
The kind of well-meaning film that actually gives well-meaning films a good name.
April 11, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Jasmila Zbanic also deserves our admiration for casting Karanovic, and for making a film of great power about the fate of that ultimate contradiction — a child born out of hatred.
April 9, 2007
Beverly Berning
culturevulture.net…
Plot
A widowed mother and her daughter struggle to survive in post-war Sarajevo, with the mother taking a job in a sleazy disco to pay for her daughter’s expensive school trip, while the daughter falls in love with an outcast.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Mirjana Karanovic delivers a “heartbreaking performance” as Esma in Grbavica, according to critic Winda Benedetti.
Jasmila-Zbanic.jpg
92%
Man Push Cart (2006)
92%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 8 wins & 9 nominations
Man Push Cart, a neo-realist masterpiece by Ramin Bahrani, is a slow-burn stunner that captures the bitter flavor of Ahmad’s life with close observation and conviction. The film defies Hollywood conventions and instead ennobles the hard work by which its hero earns his daily bread, free of contrived melodrama and phony suspense. Michael Simmond’s cinematography is wonderfully true to the moods of a city that never sleeps and seldom nods at the hard work going on before it. Ahmad’s concerns, his sadness, and his striving become universal, and his early-morning riser’s world, though gray and threaded with melancholy, becomes a place we recognize. Man Push Cart is a meditation on self and perceived personal value, perpetually heartbreaking as each scene relays some new hope against Ahmad’s despair-ridden reality. It’s a modern classic that deserves to be seen and appreciated by all cinephiles.
Man Push Cart is a slow-burn stunner that captures the bitter flavor of Ahmad’s life. Shot in three weeks, the film does a fine job of bringing us into a world that many of us see every day but rarely stop to consider. Ahmad’s struggles become universal, and we can’t help but root for him as he strives to make a better life for himself. The film is a meditation on self and perceived personal value, perpetually heartbreaking as each scene relays some new hope against Ahmad’s despair-ridden reality. Overall, it’s a modern classic that’s worth watching for anyone who appreciates neorealist cinema.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
Distributor
Films Philos
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 26m
-
Language(s):English, Urdu
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 8, 2006 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 16, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Ahmad Razvi, Leticia Dolera, Charles Daniel Sandoval, Ali Reza, Farooq “Duke” Muhammad, Panicker Upendran, directed by Ramin Bahrani, written by Ramin Bahrani, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Marc Savlov, Peter Hartlaub, Lisa Kennedy, Robert Denerstein, Roger Ebert, Michael Wilmington, Matt Brunson, James Kendrick, Norman Wilner, Douglas Davidson, Peter Canavese, Ahmad Razvi as Ahmad, Leticia Dolera as Noemi, Charles Daniel Sandoval as Mohammad, Ali Reza as Manish, Farooq “Duke” Muhammad as Duke, Panicker Upendran as Noori, Films Philos, MPAA rating, Pakistani-born, street vendor, bagels, coffee, Manhattan, bleak, rock star, married, child, wife dead, in-laws, businessman, chance encounter, compassionate portrait, beautiful, melancholy
Worldwide gross: $55,903
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $82,438
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,042
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,990
US/Canada gross: $36,608
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $53,984
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,745
US/Canada opening weekend: $13,694
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $20,194
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,509
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Leticia Dolera – Noemi
Charles Daniel Sandoval – Mohammad
Ali Reza – Manish
Farooq “Duke” Muhammad – Duke
Panicker Upendran – Noori
Director(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Writer(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Producer(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (54) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (6)
A slow-burn stunner, where nothing much of consequence happens, except life itself.
January 4, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
The makers of Man Push Cart seem so dedicated to making a film that defies Hollywood conventions that the finished product lacks enough entertainment value to justify price of admission.
December 8, 2006 | Rating: 2/4
Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Michael Simmond’s cinematography, especially in scenes of Ahmad muscling his way amid evening traffic and early-morning delivery trucks, is wonderfully true to the moods of a city that never sleeps and seldom nods at the hard work going on before it.
December 1, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
Shot in three weeks, Man Push Cart does a fine job of capturing the bitter flavor of Ahmad’s life.
December 1, 2006 | Rating: B
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
Free of contrived melodrama and phony suspense, it ennobles the hard work by which its hero earns his daily bread.
October 20, 2006 | Rating: 4/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
Ahmad’s concerns — his sadness and his striving — become universal. Though his early-morning riser’s world is gray and threaded with melancholy, it becomes, in the end, a place we recognize.
October 19, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The Italian neorealism of the 1940s is reconfigured by Iranian-American writer-director Ramin Bahrani.
March 12, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
a film in the neorealist vein, one of close observation and conviction that brings us into a world that many of those who live in larger cities see every day-right under their eyes-but probably rarely if ever stop to consider.
March 8, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
[A] modern classic…
February 27, 2021
Norman Wilner
NOW Toronto
… the whole of Man Push Cart is a meditation on self and perceived personal value; perpetually heartbreaking as each scene relays some new hope against Ahmad’s despair-ridden reality.
February 22, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Douglas Davidson
Elements of Madness
The one that started it all for Ramin Bahrani and is emblematic of his neo-realist aesthetic. (Blu-ray Review)
February 18, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Canavese
Celluloid Dreams
One of the greatest film experiences you’re likely to have this holiday season arrives this week very quietly, as if walking into Bay Area theatres on the paws of a cat.
May 19, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter…
Plot
A Pakistani-born street vendor in New York City, Ahmad, struggles to make a living selling bagels and coffee, but a chance encounter with a businessman may change his fortune for better or worse in the drama film “Man Push Cart.”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ramin Bahrani, the writer and director of Man Push Cart, is known for his neo-realist aesthetic and compassionate portrayals of working-class characters.
Ramin-Bahrani.jpg
92%
Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)
92%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins
Plagues And Pleasures is a thoroughly engrossing account, both humorous and disheartening, of a once bustling community ravaged by ecological change and human greed.
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea is like a wild ride through a bizarre and forgotten world. With John Waters’ dry wit as the perfect guide, the film takes you on a journey through the rise and fall of a once-thriving resort town that’s now home to a host of oddball characters and ecological disasters. It’s a cautionary tale, a portrait of a place, and a hilarious romp all rolled into one. If you’re looking for something offbeat and entertaining, this is the documentary for you.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions,
Distributor
Tilapia Film
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Salvation Mountain, Niland, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 13m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 24, 2006 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2009
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, ecological disaster, Salton Sea, California, John Waters, narrator, Chris Metzler, director, Jeff Springer, director, Tilapia Film, genre, English, box office performance, budget, critic reviews, reviewed by Rebecca Onion, Roger Moore, Amy Nicholson, Mark Feeney, Noel Murray, MPAA rating, audience score, 86%, producer, written by, directed by, actor, Plagues and Pleasures, human greed, environmental change, Southern California, once bustling community, humorous, disheartening, engaging, semi-natural landmark, rise and fall, classic story, forgotten paradise, cautionary tale, dangers of messing with nature, future, American community, economically unsound, politically inconvenient, odd bird, wacky, poignant, funny, sobering, must-see, wildlife habitat, migrating bird species, hubris, control the environment, hermits, free thinkers, cursed, historical footage, live interviews
Worldwide gross: $53,471
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $78,851
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,049
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,599
US/Canada gross: $53,471
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $78,851
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,692
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,424
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $6,524
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,778
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Chris Metzler – Director
Jeff Springer – Director
Director(s)
Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
7 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (2)
Plagues and Pleasures has a different style for a reason: It’s a movie about the environment that isn’t content with the good-bad dynamic of your average gloomy enviropic.
December 19, 2019
Rebecca Onion
Slate
TOP CRITIC
John Waters’ dry narration suits the surreal, comic material.
December 13, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
While the doc flounders as a coherent story of human folly, it’s a cheeky travelmercial guaranteed to get the curious to make the road trip to this near-abandoned resort.
September 13, 2009
Amy Nicholson
I.E. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
It makes for a strange, but somewhat endearing, melange of the grim and comic.
December 6, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4
Mark Feeney
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The movie is engaging for the way it documents the rise and fall of a semi-natural landmark, and especially for the way it shows how people still come to California to remake themselves.
November 29, 2007 | Rating: B+
Noel Murray
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
Plagues and Pleasures is simultaneously fun and creepy, best appreciated by those who enjoy similar profiles of Detroit’s crumbling grandeur.
October 26, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
Plagues & Pleasures does a great job of presenting both the place and its problems, its delights and its curiosities.
June 4, 2020
Melissa Levine
SF Weekly
Plagues & Pleasures is more than a cautionary tale about the dangers of messing with nature. It’s about the rise and fall of a place, a classic story: think Camelot, or Rome, or maybe even planet Earth.
August 23, 2017
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea is funny and compassionate, but it shows us a future that could befall any American community that suddenly becomes economically unsound, or politically inconvenient.
September 13, 2009
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit
Narrated by John Waters, Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea is an odd bird — wacky and poignant, funny and sobering, but this portrait of a forgotten paradise is a must-see.
September 13, 2009
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
a one-off kinda film that is worth seeing for its sheer jaw-drop factor
January 18, 2008
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
[A] thoroughly engrossing documentary.
November 30, 2007 | Rating: 7/10
Rob Horning
PopMatters…
Plot
Renowned cult film director John Waters narrates this quirky exploration of the Salton Sea, the massive Southern California lake that was created by accident a century ago, became a popular desert resort and has since developed into a refuge for a community of oddballs.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
John Waters narrates the story of Southern California’s Salton Sea in Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea.
Chris-Metzler.jpg
92%
Deep Water (2006)
92%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Equal parts mystery and biography, Deep Water is both an engrossing documentary and an affecting treatise on human folly and obsession.
Deep Water is a documentary that will make you feel like you’re lost at sea with the sailors. The film is haunting and engrossing, and the details just get stranger and stranger. The intercutting of archival footage and present-day interviews makes for a highly watchable clip, and the shots of the boats from below with prisms of light surrounding them are beautiful. The movie may lose focus at times, but it’s still a pretty interesting story into madness. Overall, Deep Water is a gripping and amazing documentary that will leave you feeling like you need to go on a boat ride ASAP… or maybe not.
Production Company(ies)
Aurum Film Canal+ Polska W F S Walter Film Studio,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Hulu)
Filming Location(s)
Urbania, Lower Garden District, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and some violence
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 33m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 24, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 18, 2007
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Deep Water, PG, Documentary, 1h 33m, directed by Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell, written by Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell, starring Tilda Swinton as the narrator, box office gross of $270.5K, reviewed by Joshua Rothkopf, Jason Anderson, Desson Thomson, Toddy Burton, Moira MacDonald, Bruce Westbrook, Blake French, Austin Kennedy, Jim Lane, Peter Calder, Josh Bell, John Beifuss, genre: documentary, MPAA rating: PG, producer: IFC Films, cinematographer: Nina Kellgren, Donald Crowhurst, Golden Globe, nonstop boat race, human folly, obsession, financial pressure, unprepared boat, open ocean, deadly chain of events, incidental smoking, thematic elements, mild language, English, Aug 24, 2007 Limited release date, Dec 18, 2007 streaming release date, Dolby Digital sound mix, distributor: IFC Films
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Louise Osmond – Director, Writer
Jerry Rothwell – Director, Writer
Nina Kellgren – Cinematographer
Director(s)
Louise Osmond, Jerry Rothwell
Writer(s)
Louise Osmond, Jerry Rothwell
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (2)
January 18, 2008 | Rating: 5/6
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The details just get stranger and stranger.
January 4, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Jason Anderson
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
As directed by Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell, the movie breezes along at a highly watchable clip, thanks to fluid, affecting intercutting of archival, black-and-white footage and present-day interviews.
November 3, 2007
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
The film evokes a visceral understanding of solitude at sea.
October 26, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Toddy Burton
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Some beautiful shots give unexpected texture to the film, such as an underwater capture of a boat from below, with prisms of light surrounding it. And its final image is a quiet heartbreaker.
September 21, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
For this gripping and amazing documentary, such truth emerges not just from the facts, but also the poetry of men who redefine themselves in a risky race on small sailboats.
September 14, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
engaging
August 2, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/5
Blake French
Filmcritic.com
I do think the movie loses focus at times, but nevertheless, this is a pretty interesting story into madness.
August 22, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
Knowing in advance how it all turned out cannot rob this remarkable movie of any of its drama, although ignorance of the events probably adds to the kick.
November 17, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Calder
New Zealand Herald
As a portrait of obsession, competition and, finally, delusion, Deep Water is haunting and engrossing, and one of the best nonfiction movies of the year.
November 8, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly
This is fascinating stuff… that would be better served by a magazine article or book.
November 2, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)…
Plot
Vic and Melinda Van Allen are a couple in the small town of Little Wesley. Their loveless marriage is held together only by a precarious arrangement whereby, in order to avoid the messiness of divorce, Melinda is allowed to take any number of lovers as long as she does not desert her family. Vic becomes fascinated with the unsolved murder of one of Melinda’s former lovers, Martin McRae, and, in order to successfully drive away her current fling, takes credit for the killing. When the real murderer is apprehended, Vic’s claims are interpreted by the community as dark jokes.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary Deep Water features Tilda Swinton as the narrator.
Louise-Osmond.jpg
92%
Pride (2014)
92%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 4 Oscars
13 wins & 59 nominations total
Earnest without being didactic and uplifting without stooping to sentimentality, Pride is a joyous crowd-pleaser that genuinely works.
Pride is the kind of movie that makes you want to stand up and cheer, even if you’re just sitting on your couch. It’s a heartwarming and hilarious tribute to the power of solidarity, and it’s impossible not to get swept up in the story of the unlikely alliance between a group of gay activists and striking miners. Sure, there are some cheesy moments, but they’re more than outweighed by the film’s genuine emotion and powerful message. So if you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and feel inspired all at once, Pride is the perfect choice.
Production Company(ies)
Little Monster Films, Itinerant Films, Parkes MacDonald Image Nation
Distributor
CBS Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Chatsworth House, Edensor, Derbyshire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some mild thematic elements
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 59m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 2014 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 23, 2014
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, George MacKay, Joseph Gilgun, directed by Matthew Warchus, written by Stephen Beresford, LGBTQ+, Margaret Thatcher, police, conservative press, striking coal miners, solidarity, uplifting, heart-warming, crowd-pleaser, critic reviews, reviewed by Heather Davidson, Kaitlyn, Andi Zeisler, Ben Walters, Joe McGovern, Bill Zwecker, Brian T Carney, Ben Turner, Dan Brightmore, Richard Crouse, Debbie Lynn Elias, Alexander Ryll, box office performance, budget, produced by David Livingstone, MPAA rating R, English, distributor CBS Films
Worldwide gross: $121,616,555
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $185,341,603
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 738
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 20,211,734
US/Canada gross: $38,405,088
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $58,528,714
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,006
US/Canada opening weekend: $2,804,000
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $4,273,249
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,120
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $28,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $42,671,533
Production budget ranking: 900
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,978,621
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $119,691,449
ROI to date (est.): 182%
ROI ranking: 673
Imelda Staunton – Hefina
Dominic West – Jonathan
Paddy Considine – Dai
George MacKay – Joe
Joseph Gilgun – Mike
Director(s)
Matthew Warchus
Writer(s)
Stephen Beresford
Producer(s)
David Livingstone
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 4 Oscars
13 wins & 59 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (154) | Top Critics (61) | Fresh (142) | Rotten (12)
Pride is as heart-warming as it is a rousing call for radical resistance and solidarity between oppressed groups.
August 17, 2021
Heather Davidson
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
By focusing on the miner strike storyline – which was a huge national story when it happened – the film creates a more authentic environment in which to tell those other stories of the lesbian and gay diaspora.
August 12, 2021
Kaitlyn
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
Even the most cynical viewer will find it hard not to get goosebumps as the unlikely allies pull off a rousing rendition of “Solidarity Forever.”
January 22, 2021
Andi Zeisler
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
Small moments of thoughtless homophobia and union-bashing stick in the craw, successfully engendering empathy across apparently wide distances.
January 5, 2015
Ben Walters
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
In its total inspirational sweep, it earns comparison to the movement it chronicles – as an organized, well-calculated piece of political theater.
January 5, 2015 | Rating: B
Joe McGovern
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
This film moves effortlessly from some pretty intense dramatic moments to hilarious scenes showcasing the contrasting lifestyles of the gay and straight worlds to some vignettes of incredible poignancy.
January 5, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4
Bill Zwecker
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
“Pride” is a thoroughly engaging movie that manages to be political without being preachy and deeply moving without being overly sentimental.
May 18, 2022
Brian T. Carney
Washington Blade
Uproariously funny, with the ensemble bouncing off each other like an all-Welsh ping-pong match. But for every moment of humour there is a moment of poignancy, depicting two contrasting communities who are both desperate for help and support.
September 2, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Ben Turner
The Pink Lens
Though guilty of the odd cheesy moment Pride is an uplifting protest film offering a poignant and heartwarming reminder of a time when social activism meant actually getting involved and not just sharing a link on social media.
May 26, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Dan Brightmore
NME
The story might be painted in broad strokes, but it isn’t afraid to tackle topics like homophobia, AIDS and intolerance.
February 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
[A] rousing portrait of a key event in history, so much so as to stir feelings of activism and solidarity within the watching audience.
December 14, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
Incredibly written, Stephen Beresford’s script not only delivers a heartfelt account of a factual national movement, but also manages to weave in a variety of characters and stories, adding emotional depth to the film.
September 15, 2019
Alexander Ryll
Gay Essential…
Plot
The story is based on Jane Austen’s novel about five sisters – Jane (Rosamund Pike), Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), Mary (Talulah Riley), Kitty (Carey Mulligan), and Lydia Bennet (Jena Malone) – in Georgian England. Their lives are turned upside down when wealthy young Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) and his best friend, Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), arrive in their neighborhood.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Bill Nighy, who plays Cliff in the film, has said that he was initially hesitant to take on the role because he didn’t want to play another “gay character in a comedy.” However, after reading the script and meeting with the director and writer, he was convinced to take on the role and has since praised the film for its message of unity and solidarity.
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