Production Company(ies)
HBO Documentary Hit The Ground Running Films, Notorious Pictures,
 
Distributor
Magnolia Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Great Neck, Long Island, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2003
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
 
Keyword(s)
capturing the friedmans, documentary, biography, rew jarecki, directed by andrew jarecki, produced by andrew jarecki, produced by marc smerling, david friedman, jesse friedman, elaine friedman, reviewed by amy taubin, reviewed by will self, reviewed by geoff pevere, reviewed by jennie punter, reviewed by bill muller, reviewed by jay boyar, reviewed by david walsh, reviewed by richard propes, reviewed by hollis griffin, reviewed by nick rogers, starring david friedman, starring jesse friedman, mpaa rating, box office gross, rotten tomatoes, audience score, critic consensus, documentary film-making, child sexual abuse, high-profile criminal trial, home videos, new interviews, conflicting stories, investigators, truth, haunting depiction, disintegrating family, powerful argument, elusiveness of truth, emotional equivalent, kidney punch, entomological research, reality television, shocking, poignant art form, disconcertingly engrossing, difficult-to-shake experience, disturbing, undeniably fascinating, sad film, must-see, captivating, intense, mature teens+, upper-middleclass jewish family, real-life family, torn apart, objective, paedophilia, destruction of a family unit, statements of hatred, splicing real-life footage, testimonies, personal opinions, central family, compelling watch, highly recommended
 

Cast & Crew

David Friedman

Jesse Friedman

Elaine Friedman

Andrew Jarecki

Marc Smerling

David Friedman

Jesse Friedman

Elaine Friedman

Andrew Jarecki

Marc Smerling

David Friedman
Jesse Friedman
Elaine Friedman – Self
Andrew Jarecki – Director, Producer
Marc Smerling – Producer

 

Andrew Jarecki

NA

Andrew Jarecki

Marc Smerling

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Andrew Jarecki
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Andrew Jarecki, Marc Smerling

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
25 wins & 16 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Amy Taubin

Will Self

Geoff Pevere

Jennie Punter

Bill Muller

Film Comment Magazine

London Evening Standard

Toronto Star

Globe and Mail

Arizona Republic

CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
  All Critics (154) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (150) | Rotten (4)
  There’s no doubt that the film delivers the emotional equivalent of a kidney punch, but that’s as much a result of the filmmaker’s attitude-better suited to entomological research-as it is to the Friedmans themselves.
 
  April 10, 2018
 
  Amy Taubin
  Film Comment Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  While with any number of… documentaries one can happily say “wait until it turns up on the small screen”, with Capturing the Friedmans it is well worth sitting in the dark to find out the extent to which you think you are being deliberately kept there.
 
  January 9, 2018
 
  Will Self
  London Evening Standard
  TOP CRITIC
  Without a doubt a disconcertingly engrossing, difficult-to-shake experience.
 
  July 25, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Geoff Pevere
  Toronto Star
  TOP CRITIC
  Disturbing, yet undeniably fascinating.
 
  July 25, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Jennie Punter
  Globe and Mail
  TOP CRITIC
  It takes the concept of reality television and twists it into a shocking but poignant art form.
 
  July 25, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Bill Muller
  Arizona Republic
  TOP CRITIC
  Watching this remarkable production is like going on safari to that creepy world. It’s a fascinating place to visit, but you wouldn’t, not for a minute, want to live there.
 
  July 22, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Jay Boyar
  Orlando Sentinel
  TOP CRITIC
  Capturing the Friedmans has generated widespread interest in part because it provides one of the few glimpses to be found in the contemporary cinema of present-day life in America.
 
  February 16, 2021
 
  David Walsh
  World Socialist Web Site
  This is a sad film, but nearly a must-see.
 
  September 4, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
  Richard Propes
  TheIndependentCritic.com
  Captivating and intense. Mature teens+.
 
  January 1, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Hollis Griffin
  Common Sense Media
  Like the darkest pop song Billy Joel never wrote, “Friedmans” hauntingly asked how far faith goes when it comes to family, how much mercy we’d grant them based merely on our memories and how forgiveness sometimes endures years of fury before it’s granted.
 
  September 25, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Nick Rogers
  The Film Yap
  July 14, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Joe Lozito
  Big Picture Big Sound
  July 16, 2005 | Rating: 4/4
 
  James Verniere
  Boston Herald…

 

Plot
In the late 1980’s, the Friedmans – father and respected computer and music teacher Arnold Friedman, mother and housewife Elaine Friedman, and their three grown sons, David Friedman, Seth Friedman and Jesse Friedman – of Great Neck, Long Island, are seemingly your typical middle class American family. They all admit that the marriage was by no means close to being harmonious – Arnold and Elaine eventually got divorced – but the sons talk of their father, while also not being always there for them, as being a good man. This façade of respectability masks the fact that Arnold was buying and distributing child pornography. Following a sting operation to confirm this fact, the authorities began to investigate Arnold for sexual abuse of the minor-aged male students of his computer classes, which he held in the basement of the family home. Based on interviews with the students, not only was Arnold charged with and ultimately convicted of multiple counts of sodomy and sexual abuse of these boys but so was eighteen year old Jesse, who was mentioned by many as the aggressor of the two in the acts. Arnold admitted that he is a pedophile, but that he did not abuse the boys in his class as charged and convicted. The trial process brought out the dysfunction that previously existed within the family. But the issue of Arnold and Jesse’s guilt of these acts is hotly debated among the family, among the authorities, among the media and among the students of the computer classes.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features professional clown David Friedman as one of its subjects.
 

 
Andrew-Jarecki.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Sputnik Yleisradio Pandora Filmproduktion,
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Helsinki, Finland
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some violence
 
Year of Release
2002
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Juhani Niemelä, Kaija Pakarinen, Sakari Kuosmanen, Annikki Tähti, directed by Aki Kaurismäki, written by Aki Kaurismäki, comedy, drama, PG-13 rating, box office gross $921.5K, reviewed by Jay Boyar, Roger Ebert, Michael Wilmington, Sara Michelle Fetters, Richard Nilsen, Kimberley Jones, Barbara Majsa, Jeffrey Overstreet, Josh Larsen, Anton Bitel, Boyd van Hoeij, Daniel Kasman, Finnish language, Sony Pictures Classics, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR, flat aspect ratio, amnesia, homeless community, Salvation Army, metal container, welder, Helsinki, Finland, community, friendship, love, simplicity, utopian, barter, free association, internal coherence, storytelling, visual style, humanity, melancholy, universal humor, warmth, idiosyncrasies
 

Cast & Crew

Markku Peltola

Kati Outinen

Juhani Niemelä

Kaija Pakarinen

Sakari Kuosmanen

M

Irma

Nieminen

Kaisa

Anttila

Markku Peltola – M
Kati Outinen – Irma
Juhani Niemelä – Nieminen
Kaija Pakarinen – Kaisa
Sakari Kuosmanen – Anttila
Annikki Tähti – Manager of Flea Market

 

Aki Kaurismäki

Aki Kaurismäki

Aki Kaurismäki

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Aki Kaurismäki
 
Writer(s)
Aki Kaurismäki
 
Producer(s)
Aki Kaurismäki

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
21 wins & 27 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Jay Boyar

Roger Ebert

Michael Wilmington

Sara Michelle Fetters

Richard Nilsen

Orlando Sentinel

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Tribune

MovieFreak.com

Arizona Republic

THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST
  All Critics (99) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (97) | Rotten (2)
  Kaurismaki’s movies can tickle you with the briefest of statements, the smallest of gestures.
 
  August 29, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Jay Boyar
  Orlando Sentinel
  TOP CRITIC
  At the end of The Man Without a Past, I felt a deep but indefinable contentment.
 
  June 27, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Roger Ebert
  Chicago Sun-Times
  TOP CRITIC
  A powerful film made with minimal means, it’s a story of poor people on the fringes of society, done without sentimentality or condescension but with wicked humor.
 
  June 27, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Michael Wilmington
  Chicago Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  After watching it, I wasn’t too sure myself if my choices would be any different than those M makes. He has no clue as to the life he’s led, only feelings that tell him he wasn’t the type of man he necessarily wanted to be.
 
  June 19, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Sara Michelle Fetters
  MovieFreak.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Deliciously slow-paced film.
 
  June 19, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Richard Nilsen
  Arizona Republic
  TOP CRITIC
  June 8, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Kimberley Jones
  Austin Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  M is a multilayered character. He is both an outcast and an artist, but he could be much more. He is no one and everyone, and Helsinki for him is nothing and everything.
 
  February 22, 2020
 
  Barbara Majsa
  barbaramajsa.com
  With its rusty railroads and dingy metal canisters where the downtrodden dwell, [this film] finds color, surprise, and joy in the simplicity of struggling Helsinki outcasts.
 
  March 16, 2019 | Rating: B+
 
  Jeffrey Overstreet
  Christianity Today
  …dourly delightful.
 
  May 19, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Josh Larsen
  LarsenOnFilm
  M’s past… is almost an irrelevance, for Kaurismki’s film is really concerned with the possibility of wiping the slate clean and replacing globalised, corporate living with the values of a utopian community of barter and free association.
 
  May 4, 2015
 
  Anton Bitel
  Daily Info
  What sets this film apart from other quirky adventures is its internal coherence (both in terms of storytelling and visual style) as well as the humanity of its characters.
 
  February 20, 2005
 
  Boyd van Hoeij
  european-films.net
  August 7, 2004 | Rating: B+
 
  Daniel Kasman
  d+kaz. intelligent movie reviews…

 

Plot
After a brutal beating, a middle-aged welder wakes up from a coma with no memory of his past and no legal way to regain his life. He finds a community of homeless people and falls in love with a Salvation Army worker while rebuilding a new life with new friends and a new job in The Man Without a Past.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Man Without a Past includes Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Juhani Niemelä, Kaija Pakarinen, Sakari Kuosmanen, and Annikki Tähti.
 

 
Aki-Kaurismäki.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Revolution Studios, Red Om Films, Hughes Entertainment,
 
Distributor
United Artists
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel – 301 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some language/sexual references
 
Year of Release
2002
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, directed by Woody Allen, written by Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by John Pym, Stanley Kauffmann, Tara Brady, Gary Arnold, Richard Brody, Jaime N Christley, Brandon Judell, Sarah Brinks, Mike Massie, Allen Almachar, MPAA rating R, Charles H Joffe, produced by Charles H Joffe, United Artists, New York City, romanticism, modern humor, bittersweet, middle age, divorce, television writer, brainy writer, mistress, high school girl, friendship, infidelity, entangling romances, black and white photography, George Gershwin score, realistic situations, witty humor, dialogue, characterizations, avoidance of clichés, late 1970s New York, cinematography, unique story, poignant, hilarious, engaging
 

Cast & Crew

Woody Allen

Isaac Davis

Diane Keaton

Mary Wilkie

Mariel Hemingway

Isaac Davis

Mary Wilkie

Tracy

Yale

Jill

Woody Allen – Isaac Davis
Diane Keaton – Mary Wilkie
Mariel Hemingway – Tracy
Michael Murphy – Yale
Meryl Streep – Jill
Anne Byrne – Emily Pollack

 

Woody Allen

Woody Allen

Charles H. Joffe

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Woody Allen
 
Writer(s)
Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
 
Producer(s)
Charles H. Joffe

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 8 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

John Pym

Stanley Kauffmann

Tara Brady

Gary Arnold

Richard Brody

Sight & Sound

The New Republic

Irish Times

Washington Post

New Yorker

MANHATTAN
  All Critics (68) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (4)
  Allen has always had difficulty harmonising his comic talents and the skittering form of his films: Manhattan is a temporary resolution gratefully received.
 
  July 31, 2018
 
  John Pym
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  What George M. Cohan did with the Stars and Stripes in 1919, Allen is doing with neurosis in 1979: waving it, telling us that as long as we’re proud of it, we’re all pretty damned OK. That’s the real romance of Manhattan.
 
  January 9, 2018
 
  Stanley Kauffmann
  The New Republic
  TOP CRITIC
  A pretty and problematic picture that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
 
  June 14, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Tara Brady
  Irish Times
  TOP CRITIC
  With Manhattan, a sparkling romance about the overspecialized anxieties of overintellectualized New Yorkers, Woody Allen has bounced back from the sobriety of “Interiors” to an exhilarating new comic high.
 
  December 18, 2015
 
  Gary Arnold
  Washington Post
  TOP CRITIC
  Allen serves up a nostalgia that was utterly of its time; he incarnates an idea of the city that, even now, remains as strong as its reality and refracts his disappointed ideals into high existential crises.
 
  September 3, 2012
 
  Richard Brody
  New Yorker
  TOP CRITIC
  Gordon Willis’s too-dark lensing is an ideal match for the Scenes from a Marriage-inspired sequences of marital and amorous discord.
 
  January 31, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Jaime N. Christley
  Slant Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  By the way, Isaac’s wife, played by Meryl Streep, has left him to become a lesbian. This wasn’t that popular a move back in 1979. In fact, Meryl did it before New York magazine even had a “Lesbian Chic” cover.
 
  June 15, 2021
 
  Brandon Judell
  Huffington Post
  Fortunately, this film has a quick run time of 96 minutes so you only have to be around these obnoxious people and their trite problems for a short time.
 
  April 1, 2021
 
  Sarah Brinks
  Battleship Pretension
  One of Woody Allen’s very best works, with a screenplay that stands out amongst his numerous projects as original and satisfying.
 
  August 30, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  Woody Allen establishes all the life, beauty, and romance that come with living in New York City.
 
  August 14, 2020
 
  Allen Almachar
  The MacGuffin
  Manhattan (1979) was an acclaimed, mature, B/W masterpiece enhanced by a George Gershwin score (performed by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta), telling about infidelity, entangling romances and situations…
 
  September 29, 2019 | Rating: A+
 
  Tim Dirks
  Filmsite
  The gorgeous black and white photography recalls the smoky images of a New York that existed perhaps only in portraits on a wall, but it also evokes the way its lead character, and by proxy Allen himself.
 
  August 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Mattie Lucas
  From the Front Row…

 

Plot
Marisa Ventura is a single mother born and bred in the boroughs of New York City, who works as a maid in a first-class Manhattan hotel. By a twist of fate and mistaken identity, Marisa meets Christopher Marshall, a handsome heir to a political dynasty, who believes that she is a guest at the hotel. Fate steps in and throws the unlikely pair together for one night. When Marisa’s true identity is revealed, the two find that they are worlds apart, even though the distance separating them is just a subway ride between Manhattan and the Bronx.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Manhattan includes Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy, and Meryl Streep, who plays Isaac’s ex-wife who left him for a woman.
 

 
Woody-Allen.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
El Deseo Antena 3 Televisión Good Machine
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Puente Romano, Córdoba, Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for nudity, sexual content and some language
 
Year of Release
2003
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Javier Cámara, Darío Grandinetti, Rosario Flores, Leonor Watling, Geraldine Chaplin, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, written by Pedro Almodóvar, drama, romance, R rating, box office gross $9.3M, reviewed by J.R Jones, David Ansen, Geoff Andrew, Jeff Strickler, Judith Prescott, Kimberley Jones, Joanne Laurier, Allen Almachar, Ruhaan Shah, Felicia Feaster, Rachel Wagner, male nurse, dancer, car accident, caregiver, bullfighter, writer, sensuality, spirituality, storytelling, social context, love, obsession, connections, communication, loneliness, intimacy, persistence of love, human characters, Spanish language, Sony Pictures Classics, Agustín Almodóvar, surround sound, stereo, scope aspect ratio
 

Cast & Crew

Javier Cámara

Darío Grandinetti

Rosario Flores

Leonor Watling

Geraldine Chaplin

Benigno

Marco Zuloaga

Lydia

Alicia

Katerina Bilova

Javier Cámara – Benigno
Darío Grandinetti – Marco Zuloaga
Rosario Flores – Lydia
Leonor Watling – Alicia
Geraldine Chaplin – Katerina Bilova
Mariola Fuentes – Rosa

 

Pedro Almodóvar

Pedro Almodóvar

Agustín Almodóvar

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Pedro Almodóvar
 
Writer(s)
Pedro Almodóvar
 
Producer(s)
Agustín Almodóvar

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
46 wins & 48 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

J. R. Jones

David Ansen

Geoff Andrew

Jeff Strickler

Judith Prescott

Chicago Reader

Newsweek

Time Out

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Hollywood Reporter

TALK TO HER
  All Critics (135) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (123) | Rotten (12)
  Almodovar uses the characters’ unlikely predicaments to show how we define ourselves by narration, but his story is so overdetermined that ultimately the two men seem as constrained as their brain-dead sweethearts.
 
  January 11, 2008
 
  J. R. Jones
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s Almodovar’s most mature and mysterious movie.
 
  November 1, 2007
 
  David Ansen
  Newsweek
  TOP CRITIC
  The film combines sensuality, spirituality and sheer joy in storytelling in marvellously harmonious proportions.
 
  February 9, 2006
 
  Geoff Andrew
  Time Out
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s a brave movie and a mature undertaking.
 
  May 19, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Jeff Strickler
  Minneapolis Star Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  Good, but not classic Almodovar.
 
  May 21, 2003
 
  Judith Prescott
  Hollywood Reporter
  TOP CRITIC
  [Has] moments of almost unbearable beauty.
 
  March 10, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kimberley Jones
  Austin Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  Almodóvar glibly, superficially and without opposition presents contemporary Spain as a series of beautiful images, largely devoid of a social context.
 
  March 5, 2021
 
  Joanne Laurier
  World Socialist Web Site
  Talk to Her is all about making connections; how we interact with people and the reasons why we make the relationships that we do.
 
  August 3, 2020
 
  Allen Almachar
  The MacGuffin
  The film sways between different forms of love – from tender, unconditional affection to obsession and mania.
 
  April 29, 2020
 
  Ruhaan Shah
  Film Companion
  Unfortunately, the Spanish enfant terrible’s iconoclastic artistic hysteria never rises to the surface in Talk to Her.
 
  February 4, 2020
 
  Felicia Feaster
  Creative Loafing
  It earns its R rating but it is a thoughtful unique depiction of that line between love and obsession.
 
  April 12, 2019 | Rating: B+
 
  Rachel Wagner
  rachelsreviews.net
  no other current director blends comedy and drama as smoothly or with as much flair
 
  March 9, 2010 | Rating: A-
 
  John A. Nesbit
  Old School Reviews…

 

Plot
Male nurse Benigno becomes infatuated with a dancer named Alicia and ends up caring for her in the hospital after she is injured in a car accident, while also bonding with writer Marco over their shared experiences.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Javier Cámara stars as male nurse Benigno in Talk to Her.
 

 
Pedro-Almodóvar.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Claudie Ossard Productions, Union Générale Cinématographique Victoires Productions,
 
Distributor
Miramax Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Rue des Trois-Frères, Paris 18, Paris, France
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content
 
Year of Release
2002
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Yolande Moreau, Dominique Pinon, Maurice Bénichou, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant, Comedy, Romance, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Frédéric Bonnaud, Kate Muir, Barbara Ellen, Philip Kerr, Jack Mathews, Ronnie Scheib, Jim Rohner, Sarah Brinks, MPAA rating R, produced by Claudie Ossard
 

Cast & Crew

Audrey Tautou

Mathieu Kassovitz

Rufus

Yolande Moreau

Dominique Pinon

Amelie

Nino Quicampoix

Raphael Poulain

Madeleine Wallace

Joseph

Audrey Tautou – Amelie
Mathieu Kassovitz – Nino Quicampoix
Rufus – Raphael Poulain (Amelie’s father)
Yolande Moreau – Madeleine Wallace (concierge)
Dominique Pinon – Joseph
Maurice Bénichou – Dominique Bretodeau

 

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

NA

Claudie Ossard

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Claudie Ossard

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 5 Oscars
59 wins & 74 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Frédéric Bonnaud

Kate Muir

Barbara Ellen

Philip Kerr

Jack Mathews

Film Comment Magazine

Times (UK)

New Statesman

New York Daily News

Chicago Reader

AMÉLIE
  All Critics (185) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (164) | Rotten (21)
  In a sense, Amélie depends on the maniacal cataloguing of signifiers of a caricature France: Jeunet nails every last one. But he cleverly opts for a tone that is modest rather than grandiose
 
  April 10, 2018
 
  Frédéric Bonnaud
  Film Comment Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  The whimsical romantic comedy directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet burst through the language barrier to become an international success.
 
  December 10, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie is one of those once-in-a-decade comedies which scatters its charm like pearls from a broken necklace, all the more adorable because they are not real.
 
  December 2, 2014
 
  Barbara Ellen
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s all very charming, often amusing, and there is hardly a dull moment.
 
  October 21, 2014
 
  Philip Kerr
  New Statesman
  TOP CRITIC
  It is a tour de force of a bauble, if such a thing can exist.
 
  April 9, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
  Jack Mathews
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  Jeunet has succeeded at drawing us inside his head; the question is, do we want to be there?
 
  April 9, 2014
 
  Ronnie Scheib
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  …a film so emotionally and aesthetically beautiful that I think I just talked myself into buying it on Blu-ray…
 
  April 15, 2021
 
  Jim Rohner
  Battleship Pretension
  I think what I like so much about Amélie is that it is a celebration of the imagination and people who are dreamers.
 
  April 1, 2021
 
  Sarah Brinks
  Battleship Pretension
  Through an avoidance of reality and escape through surrealism, the utter weirdness of the picture transforms into a surprisingly sentimental celebration of life.
 
  September 25, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  The perfect blending of pure art with pure heart.
 
  September 23, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Leigh Paatsch
  Herald Sun (Australia)
  Jean-Pierre Jeunet has constructed an oddly fascinating, magic realistic world full of color.
 
  March 31, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Shikhar Verma
  High on Films
  What it offers is a determinedly cinematic world in which references pile upon references to assemble a synthetic universe that resonates emotionally, reeking of familiarity and nostalgia.
 
  February 20, 2020
 
  B. Ruby Rich
  The Nation…

 

Plot
Amélie is a story about a girl named Amélie whose childhood was suppressed by her Father’s mistaken concerns of a heart defect. With these concerns Amélie gets hardly any real-life contact with other people. This leads Amélie to resort to her own fantastical world and dreams of love and beauty. She later on becomes a young woman and moves to the central part of Paris as a waitress. After finding a lost treasure belonging to the former occupant of her apartment, she decides to return it to him. After seeing his reaction and his new found perspective – she decides to devote her life to the people around her. Such as, her father who is obsessed with his garden-gnome, a failed writer, a hypochondriac, a man who stalks his ex girlfriends, the “ghost,” a suppressed young soul, the love of her life and a man whose bones are as brittle as glass. But after consuming herself with these escapades – she finds out that she is disregarding her own life and damaging her quest for love. Amélie then discovers she must become more aggressive and take a hold of her life and capture the beauty of love she has always dreamed of.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Audrey Tautou plays the delightful heroine, Amélie, in the film.
 

 
Jean-Pierre-Jeunet.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Killer Films, New Line Cinema,
 
Distributor
Fine Line Features
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
The Eaton Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content and language
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Musical/Lgbtq+
 
Keyword(s)
starring John Cameron Mitchell, Michael Pitt, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Theodore Liscinski, Rob Campbell, Andrea Martin, Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Christine Vachon, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, written by John Cameron Mitchell, Stephen Trask, genre: Musical, LGBTQ+, box office performance: $3.0M, budget: N/A, reviewed by Drew Gregory, Dennis Harvey, Kim Newman, Sara Michelle Fetters, Marjorie Baumgarten, Jay Boyar, Kanishk Devgan, Richard Propes, Nicholas Bell, Nathanael Hood, Rob Aldam, Mattie Lucas, MPAA rating: R, producer: Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel, Pamela Koffler
 

Cast & Crew

John Cameron Mitchell

Michael Pitt

Miriam Shor

Stephen Trask

Theodore Liscinski

Hansel Schmidt

Hedwig Schmidt

Tommy Gnosis

Yitzhak

Skszp

John Cameron Mitchell – Hansel Schmidt, Hedwig Schmidt
Michael Pitt – Tommy Gnosis
Miriam Shor – Yitzhak
Stephen Trask – Skszp
Theodore Liscinski – Jacek
Rob Campbell – Krzysztof

 

John Cameron Mitchell

John Cameron Mitchell

Christine Vachon

Katie Roumel

Pamela Koffler

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Cameron Mitchell
 
Writer(s)
John Cameron Mitchell, Stephen Trask, John Cameron Mitchell
 
Producer(s)
Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel, Pamela Koffler

 

Film Festivals
Berlin, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
28 wins & 33 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Drew Gregory

Dennis Harvey

Kim Newman

Sara Michelle Fetters

Marjorie Baumgarten

Autostraddle

Variety

Empire Magazine

MovieFreak.com

Austin Chronicle

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
  All Critics (116) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (9)
  Today marks the 20th anniversary of the film’s wide release and to me its importance has only deepened.
 
  September 10, 2021
 
  Drew Gregory
  Autostraddle
  TOP CRITIC
  Those expecting a rockin’ good time are likely to be left cold by this screen translation, which despite some imaginative packaging too often proves a drag in more than the sartorial sense.
 
  May 20, 2008
 
  Dennis Harvey
  Variety
  TOP CRITIC
  Definitely recommended for those looking for something different.
 
  December 30, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kim Newman
  Empire Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s Rocky Horror for a new millennium; a post-punk odyssey of love and longing filled with wit and surprisingly poignant observations on the human condition.
 
  June 19, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Sara Michelle Fetters
  MovieFreak.com
  TOP CRITIC
  The show belongs wholly to Mitchell, although good moments are also claimed by Andrea Martin, Miriam Shor, and Michael Pitt in what are otherwise sketchy roles.
 
  September 4, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Marjorie Baumgarten
  Austin Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  It is fairly short and fairly enjoyable.
 
  August 31, 2001
 
  Jay Boyar
  Orlando Sentinel
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s a lovable film with plenty of personality, humour, and heart.
 
  March 29, 2021
 
  Kanishk Devgan
  Film Companion
  A deeply rich, incredibly authentic musical.
 
  September 10, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
  Richard Propes
  TheIndependentCritic.com
  Mitchell’s performance and Stephen Trask’s incredibly touching tracks allow for delirious cinematic spectacle. Mitchell’s Hedwig… remains one of cinema’s most heartbroken and heartbreaking cinematic chanteuses.
 
  August 14, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Nicholas Bell
  IONCINEMA.com
  The film hums with the plasticine kineticism of Terry Gilliam as the camera tilts and moves with all the abandon of one of Hedwig’s shows.
 
  January 9, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Nathanael Hood
  The Retro Set
  of the greatest modern musicals
 
  July 18, 2019
 
  Rob Aldam
  Backseat Mafia
  Brazenly breaks down the holy silos of the masculine and the feminine gender binary and revels in the ambiguity between.
 
  July 17, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Mattie Lucas
  From the Front Row…

 

Plot
Hedwig, born male as Hansel in East Berlin, fell in love with an American G.I. and underwent a Gender Reassignment Surgery in order to marry him and flee to the West. Unfortunately, nothing worked out quite as it was supposed to – years later, Hedwig is leading her rock band on a tour of the U.S., telling her life story through a series of concerts at Bilgewater Inn seafood restaurants. Her tour dates coincide with those of arena-rock star Tommy Gnosis, a wide-eyed boy who once loved Hedwig – but then left with all her songs.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
John Cameron Mitchell not only directed the film, but also starred as the lead character, Hedwig Schmidt.
 

 
John-Cameron-Mitchell.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Films, Anouchka Films, Orsay Films,
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Rialto Pictures, Royal Films International
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Chateau d’Eau, Porte des Lilas, Le Métro, Paris, France
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
1964
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Band of Outsiders, Crime, Drama, French (Canada), Jean-Luc Godard, Dolores Hitchens, Anna Karina, Sami Frey, Claude Brasseur, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, written by Jean-Luc Godard and Dolores Hitchens, reviewed by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, Jaime N Christley, Dave Kehr, Philippa Hawker, Philip Wuntch, John Monaghan, Michael J Casey, Shikhar Verma, Isabel Quigly, Matt Prigge, Henry Stewart, Eric Melin, 94% Tomatometer, 91% Audience Score, $37.7K Box Office (Gross USA), Criterion Collection, Rialto Pictures, Royal Films International, Mono Sound Mix, misfit trio, heist movie, Hollywood noirs, Westerns, choreographed dances, Louvre, romantic view of outlaws, inexperience, blaze of glory
 

Cast & Crew

Anna Karina

Sami Frey

Claude Brasseur

Jean-Luc Godard

Chantal Darget

Odile

Franz

Arthur

Le narrateur

Arthur’s Aunt

Anna Karina – Odile
Sami Frey – Franz
Claude Brasseur – Arthur
Jean-Luc Godard – Le narrateur
Chantal Darget – Arthur’s Aunt
Michel Delahaye – Le portier

 

Jean-Luc Godard

Jean-Luc Godard

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jean-Luc Godard
 
Writer(s)
Jean-Luc Godard, Dolores Hitchens
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Jaime N. Christley

Dave Kehr

Philippa Hawker

Philip Wuntch

AV Club

Slant Magazine

Chicago Reader

The Age (Australia)

Dallas Morning News

BAND OF OUTSIDERS
  All Critics (50) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (3)
  Behind its substantial charm and light touch is a movie that’s more morbid, alienated, and personal than it lets on.
 
  May 5, 2016 | Rating: A
 
  Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
  AV Club
  TOP CRITIC
  The film sees Godard parsing out his feelings for Karina, then his wife, and meditating on the mercurial nature of his own preoccupations.
 
  September 7, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Jaime N. Christley
  Slant Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  This 1964 feature remains one of Godard’s most appealing and underrated films, relatively relaxed and strangely optimistic.
 
  March 3, 2008 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Dave Kehr
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  Grave, light-hearted and quietly poetic.
 
  October 21, 2006
 
  Philippa Hawker
  The Age (Australia)
  TOP CRITIC
  As charming as seasoned film buffs remember and as refreshing as initiates expect.
 
  January 17, 2002
 
  Philip Wuntch
  Dallas Morning News
  TOP CRITIC
  Delivers one clever idea atop another.
 
  January 4, 2002
 
  John Monaghan
  Detroit Free Press
  TOP CRITIC
  A documentary of Godard’s affection for Karina.
 
  July 17, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Michael J. Casey
  Michael J. Cinema
  Diving into cultural malice and the crisis of being young and clueless, the film exhumes coolness and for once makes the filmmaker accessible to everyone who was ever sold into his cocky attitude only to be disappointed later.
 
  April 16, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Shikhar Verma
  High on Films
  I yawned all through with what I thought was wild boredom, but realised afterwards was fury and distaste, because in fact nothing Godard does is ever boring in the sense of being uninteresting,
 
  January 29, 2019
 
  Isabel Quigly
  The Spectator
  The Godard movie you use to turn people into Godard-heads, ‘Band of Outsiders’ wasn’t, as it were, always liked.
 
  May 6, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Matt Prigge
  Metro
  Godard, the cocky provocateur, breaks every rule of filmmaking he can muster…[it’s] a rejection of traditions–all of ’em, de qualité or otherwise–and an embrace of the new.
 
  May 4, 2016
 
  Henry Stewart
  Brooklyn Magazine
  Besides being a stirring portrait of a youth culture in crisis, the film is very charming and accessible – especially for anyone that’s experienced teen alienation…at once a snapshot in time and a timeless piece of cinema.
 
  June 17, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Eric Melin
  Scene-Stealers.com…

 

Plot
Besotted with cheap crime fiction, cinema, and popular culture, bored-to-death English language students Franz and Arthur love to live in a dream world. Indeed, the pair of layabouts fancy themselves to be a gang. But, in the meantime, Franz and Arthur vie for the attention of their romantic classmate Odile, who naively tips them off about a mountain of cash stashed in an unlocked cabinet in Aunt Victoria’s suburban house in Joinville-le-Pont. Of course, the amateur criminals take an immediate interest in wide-eyed Odile’s incidental mention and start to iron out the facts of an audacious robbery, just like in the movies. However, what happens if Arthur’s uncle and all-powerful love stand in the way of the perfect heist?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels describes Anna Karina’s performance in Band of Outsiders as “wonderful” and “beautiful.”
 

 
Jean-Luc-Godard.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production Orly Films,
 
Distributor
USA Films, Criterion Film Corp., Criterion Collection
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Thailand
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements and brief language
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Romance/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Kelly Lai Chen, Rebecca Pan, Ping Lam Siu, Tsi-Ang Chin, directed by Kar-Wai Wong, written by Kar-Wai Wong, produced by William Chang, romance, drama, PG rating, box office gross $2.7M, reviewed by Adam Kempenaar, Kevin Maher, Jake Wilson, Kent Jones, David Denby, Jack Mathews, Victor Pineyro, Charles Mudede, Gautam Anand, Amanda Mazzillo, Brian Eggert, Don Shanahan, 1962 Hong Kong, extramarital affairs, loneliness, emotional connection, beautiful dresses, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR, Flat (1.66:1), journalist, cheating spouses, friendship, unfaithful, love, human connection, time, distance, silence, intimacy, thematic elements, brief language, Chinese, USA Films, Criterion Film Corp., Criterion Collection, 1h 37m
 

Cast & Crew

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Maggie Cheung

Kelly Lai Chen

Rebecca Pan

Ping Lam Siu

Chow Mo-wan

Su Li-zhen

Mr. Ho

Mrs. Suen

Ah Ping

Tony Leung Chiu Wai – Chow Mo-wan
Maggie Cheung – Su Li-zhen
Kelly Lai Chen – Mr. Ho
Rebecca Pan – Mrs. Suen
Ping Lam Siu – Ah Ping
Tsi-Ang Chin – Amah

 

Kar-Wai Wong

Kar-Wai Wong

William Chang

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Kar-Wai Wong
 
Writer(s)
Kar-Wai Wong
 
Producer(s)
William Chang

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award
46 wins & 51 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Adam Kempenaar

Kevin Maher

Jake Wilson

Kent Jones

David Denby

Filmspotting

Times (UK)

The Age (Australia)

Film Comment Magazine

New Yorker

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
  All Critics (144) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (131) | Rotten (13)
  …even the camera has to steal glances.
 
  August 28, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Adam Kempenaar
  Filmspotting
  TOP CRITIC
  [A] mesmerising tale of love never realised – it’s up there with Brief Encounter and Roman Holiday as the best of the genre.
 
  July 23, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kevin Maher
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The settings are wilfully drab – narrow corridors, cramped apartments – yet the fragmentary, richly coloured images are dazzling.
 
  November 16, 2018
 
  Jake Wilson
  The Age (Australia)
  TOP CRITIC
  In the Mood for Love belongs to Cheung, whose beauty lights up the movie like the polar star lights up a winter sky. Cheung is one of the few modern actresses who understands her own physical beauty as an expressive instrument.
 
  April 10, 2018
 
  Kent Jones
  Film Comment Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  So skillfully does the director brings us to a state of breathless expectation that when he refuses to deliver the goods he almost seems to have invented a new form of perversion.
 
  April 15, 2014
 
  David Denby
  New Yorker
  TOP CRITIC
  In the Mood is a love story told from the point of impact, at the heart, and no conventional resolution could be more profound.
 
  April 15, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Jack Mathews
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  The film shows why we are attracted to the prohibited. A finesse to watch, hear and feel. [Full review in Spanish]
 
  June 23, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
 
  Victor Pineyro
  Seventh Art Studio
  In the Mood For Love is not a ‘hole in the wall’ but a universe filled with possibilities that are invisible to us Westerners…
 
  June 10, 2022
 
  Charles Mudede
  The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
  In The Mood For Love is not just a film; it is poetry in motion.
 
  March 22, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Gautam Anand
  The Cinemaholic
  Wong Kar-Wais In The Mood For Love is a beautiful film examining silence, intimacy, time, and distance in captivating ways which show just how beautiful film can be when true attention is taken to utilize this visual medium to its fullest potential.
 
  March 8, 2022
 
  Amanda Mazzillo
  Amanda Mazzillo’s Cinematic Adventures
  There are boundless delights in Wong’s exploration of the ephemeral, desirous chambers of the mind.
 
  February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  Moody, colorful and melodic masterpiece of pining and passion
 
  February 12, 2022
 
  Don Shanahan
  Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast…

 

Plot
Set in Hong Kong, 1962, Chow Mo-Wan is a newspaper editor who moves into a new building with his wife. At the same time, Su Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen spend most of their time together as friends. They have everything in common from noodle shops to martial arts. Soon, they are shocked to discover that their spouses are having an affair. Hurt and angry, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film or its cast.
 

 
Kar-Wai-Wong.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Margate House Films,
 
Distributor
United Artists
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some strong violence and language
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
War/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
No Man’s Land, War, Comedy, R, Branko Djuric, Rene Bitorajac, Danis Tanovic, Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela, Marc Baschet, Cédomir Kolar, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR, Scope (2.35:1), United Artists, Violence, Language, English, Dec 21, 2001, Apr 9, 2002, 1h 38m, 93%, 98 Reviews, 92%, 10,000+ Ratings, reviewed by Marc Savlov, Roger Moore, Eric Harrison, Rene Rodriguez, Jane Sumner, Andrew Sarris, John A Nesbit, Ken Hanke, Judith Egerton, Joe Mader, Andrea Chase, Tom Grealis, starring Branko Djuric as Ciki, Rene Bitorajac as Nino, Filip Sovagovic as Cera, Georges Siatidis as Marchand, Katrin Cartlidge as Jane Livingstone, Simon Callow as Soft, written by Danis Tanovic, produced by Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela, Marc Baschet, Cédomir Kolar, directed by Danis Tanovic, box office performance, budget, producer names, MPAA rating, critic names
 

Cast & Crew

Branko Djuric

Rene Bitorajac

Filip Sovagovic

Georges Siatidis

Katrin Cartlidge

Ciki

Nino

Cera

Marchand

Jane Livingstone

Branko Djuric – Ciki
Rene Bitorajac – Nino
Filip Sovagovic – Cera
Georges Siatidis – Marchand
Katrin Cartlidge – Jane Livingstone
Simon Callow – Soft

 

Danis Tanovic

Danis Tanovic

Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela

Marc Baschet

Cédomir Kolar

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Danis Tanovic
 
Writer(s)
Danis Tanovic
 
Producer(s)
Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela, Marc Baschet, Cédomir Kolar

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Marc Savlov

Roger Moore

Eric Harrison

Rene Rodriguez

Jane Sumner

Austin Chronicle

Orlando Sentinel

Houston Chronicle

Miami Herald

Dallas Morning News

NO MAN’S LAND
  All Critics (98) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (91) | Rotten (7)
  April 14, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Marc Savlov
  Austin Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  … a gripping piece of combat theater.
 
  February 26, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Roger Moore
  Orlando Sentinel
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s hard to believe this is writer-director Danis Tanovic’s first feature fiction film.
 
  February 15, 2002 | Rating: A
 
  Eric Harrison
  Houston Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  The film would have been a stunner under any circumstances, but with the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East worsening on a daily basis, No Man’s Land feels even more relevant.
 
  February 8, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Rene Rodriguez
  Miami Herald
  TOP CRITIC
  The acting’s so strong and the dialogue so realistic, that it feels authentic.
 
  February 7, 2002
 
  Jane Sumner
  Dallas Morning News
  TOP CRITIC
  A strange and disturbing film, but it is not without a stirringly humanist compassion even at its most outlandish and outrageous.
 
  January 9, 2002
 
  Andrew Sarris
  Observer
  TOP CRITIC
  absurd situation creates lasting images that don’t diminish with time
 
  June 17, 2011 | Rating: B
 
  John A. Nesbit
  Old School Reviews
  A brilliant and brilliantly disturbing film.
 
  February 28, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Ken Hanke
  Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
  Tanovic adroitly indicts the entrenched hostilities between people and nations.
 
  June 25, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Judith Egerton
  Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
  May 14, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Joe Mader
  Palo Alto Weekly
  savage whimsy
 
  April 5, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Andrea Chase
  Killer Movie Reviews
  An intelligent and expertly-judged microcosm of the inanity of war.
 
  February 13, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Tom Grealis
  RTÉ (Ireland)…

 

Plot
A modern Western inspired by the real-life “no man’s land” areas along the Texas-Mexico border. While out on a father-son border patrol, Jackson kills a Mexican immigrant boy. When Jackson’s father tries taking the blame, Jackson flees south on horseback, becoming a gringo “illegal alien” in Mexico. Chased by Texas Rangers and Mexican federales, Jackson journeys across Mexico to seek forgiveness from the dead boy’s father only to fall in love with the land he was taught to hate.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Simon Callow as Soft.
 

 
Danis-Tanovic.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Walter Shenson Films, Proscenium Films,
 
Distributor
Miramax Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Les Ambassadeurs Club, Hamilton Place, Mayfair, London, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
G
 
Year of Release
1964
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Musical
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

The Beatles

Wilfrid Brambell

Norman Rossington

John Junkins

Victor Spinetti

The Beatles

Grandfather

Norm

Shake

T.V. Director

CAST & CREW

The Beatles – The Beatles

Wilfrid Brambell – Grandfather

Norman Rossington – Norm

John Junkins – Shake

Victor Spinetti – T.V. Director

Anna Quayle – Millie

 

Richard Lester

Alun Owen

Walter Shenson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Richard Lester
 
Writer(s)
Alun Owen
 
Producer(s)
Walter Shenson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
2 wins & 7 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Mike McGrady

Jonathan Romney

Rafer Guzman

Geoffrey Macnab

Kate Muir

Newsday

Film Comment Magazine

Independent (UK)

Times (UK)

Wall Street Journal

A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
  All Critics (111) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (109) | Rotten (2)
  [Hard Day’s Night] adds up to a breathless, sometimes funny film maybe even worth a squeal or two.
 
  January 4, 2018
 
  Mike McGrady
  Newsday
  TOP CRITIC
  This re-release offers a refreshed glimpse of a long-lost English Atlantis-and a farewell to it.
 
  September 18, 2014
 
  Jonathan Romney
  Film Comment Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  The movie never feels like a nostalgia trip. It moves, breathes and sings with life.
 
  July 17, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Rafer Guzman
  Newsday
  TOP CRITIC
  As invigorating and funny now as it was on its original release half a century ago, A Hard Day’s Night offers both a perfect showcase for the Beatles and an intriguing snapshot of fast-changing, early-1960s British society.
 
  July 7, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Geoffrey Macnab
  Independent (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s pure joy as I Should Have Known Better, And I Love Her and Tell Me Why pour out over footage of thousands of screaming, weeping schoolgirls with bouffant hair and miniskirts pursuing John, Paul, George and Ringo.
 
  July 7, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The results remain pop perfection.
 
  July 7, 2014
 
  John Anderson
  Wall Street Journal
  TOP CRITIC
  Almost 60 years after it was first released, A Hard Day’s Night is still one of the best musical films of all time and it has never looked better than in 4K Ultra HD.
 
  January 17, 2022
 
  Danielle Solzman
  Solzy at the Movies
  An irreverent movie that never grows old. It looks and feels as fresh as the very first time.
 
  November 13, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Michael J. Casey
  Michael J. Cinema
  Never gets old, only I do. In re-seeing it again I thought “youth is fleeting!” – but great movies stay the same forever, and this film was part of the evolution revolution.
 
  July 17, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Patrick McDonald
  HollywoodChicago.com
  Remains as charming, funny and cinematically inventive as ever.
 
  November 4, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Jordan M. Smith
  IONCINEMA.com
  It’s all about the music and it’s great music
 
  April 11, 2020
 
  Rachel Wagner
  Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
  Sometimes reminds one of silent slapstick and sometimes of the Marx brothers. There have been many efforts to recapture the spirit of those old comedies, but Mr. Lester’s is the first I’ve seen that gets beyond self-conscious pastiche.
 
  August 13, 2019
 
  Dwight MacDonald
  Esquire Magazine…

 

Plot
A day and a half in the life of the Fab Four leading up to a televised concert gig. The boys seem to be constantly on the run, from their crazed fans and from their manager, who is constantly trying to rein them in. Sir Ringo Starr however is arrested and still isn’t in the studio half an hour before air time. With Sir Paul McCartney’s grandfather available for additional comical relief, the group performs a dozen or so songs.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Richard-Lester.jpg