CarnivalAskew

A movie that is written, produced and directed by one person is always deeply personal. However, Waltz with Bashir takes it to a whole new level by having Ari Folman star as the central character and basing the film on a true event.

The film starts off with Ari’s friend discussing his obsessive dreams about the 1982 Lebanon War. Ari then realises after having a surrealist dream of the Sabra and Shatila massacre that his memory of the period is missing. The film then develops as Ari visits his wartime friends in an attempt to regain his memory. Interesting and unconventional conversations unfold as the characters tell stories of the war and their idiosyncratic experiences alongside Ari’s attempts to unravel his role in the massacre.

Folman has had a successful career directing documentaries. He directed his graduate film Comfortably Numb (1991) which facetiously depicted the escapades of his friends during the Gulf War. He then entered the realm of animation in 2004 with his series The Material that Love is Made of which comically documented a scientific analysis of love.

There is something engaging about European War movies that Hollywood cannot match. It may be the attention to detail or the fascinating plots but what sets Les Femmes de l'ombre apart is its humbleness. In the film, people are people and not representatives of states. There are no inherently evil officers or cruel torturers. Everybody has their own motives to fight and war and society are the only enemies.

Femmes de l'ombre tells the story of female agents in the British Special Operations Executive. It begins with Louise Desfontaines (Sophie Marceau) alongside her brother Pierre Desfontaines (Julien Boisselier) as they recruit four women to carry out a secret mission. The mission involves saving a British geologist who was found collecting samples of sand at Normandy for the preparation of D-day. German SS Colonel Heindrich (Moritz Bleibtreu) uncovers the significance of the geologist and seeks evidence of the plan to convince his superiors.

I’m sure you’ve already heard it. This is a film about George Bush, a scathing critique of the man, his presidency, his policy, his war, his family, his friends, business and political associates, his lies, stupidity, arrogance, irresolution, opportunism, and legitimacy. I’m sure I forgot a few. And its true, Moore exploits every opportunity at his disposal to challenge, accuse, or humiliate the President of the United States and those who surround him.

It gives the film a scattered effect, as though Moore is painting his portrait with a shotgun.

could tell you that the performances of this film are consummate, outstanding, subtle. I could tell you that the cinematography is stunning, innovative, affective, and decisively employed. I could tell you that the direction is sure-handed, natural, brilliant, etc., and I could think up all sorts of adjectives to describe the editing, the soundtrack, and all the films composite parts in turn. And it would all be pretty much true.
But that would be stupid. Go see the movie.

Look Both Ways is certainly a boost for the morale of the Australian film industry; emotional, thought-provoking and honest it explores the eternal questions of life, death and our perceptions of reality. A debut feature from writer and director Sarah Watt this film will take you on a journey that is both light and dark; tragic and funny.

Look Both Ways opens with Meryl (played by Justine Clarke) an artist who is returning home from her father's funeral and has begun seeing death and tragedy everywhere.

Yes, sometimes it's nice and good to see a film that satisfies you, that gives you what you want. At the end, all problems are solved, all questions answered, the good are good and the bad? Are bad. True is true and right is right. Well, "Hidden" is not such a film. It is the opposite: What is true and right? What not? Or, is there a truth at all? Who did it and why? The camera may stay static a lot of time, but not your mind.

Just because it is a quintessential Hollywood film doesn't automatically mean its crap. So what's it about? Four guys go into a New Yorker Bank and take hostages. The Police arrives and waits outside for them. A cat and mouse game begins and lots of twists happen from now on. Who wants to play for time? The police, the bank robber, or both?

Director, Spike Lee, mainly concentrates on crafting a story but also leaves space for developing characters.

"The critics are raving", "A terrific movie"(Time), "Remarkable film" (L.A. Times) "This movie gets under the skin" (Rolling Stone). Well, I won't tell you the opposite. The story is told soon: A New Yorker intellectual family gets divorced, the father, a teacher and bohemian writer, moves out, the two boys stay three days of the week at their mom's (also a writer) and the rest at their dad's.

But it is not that simple, everybody reacts different – the parents accuse and hurt each other, who takes what, does not matter if it is the TV, the cat or the love of their sons.

The Assassination of Richard Nixon is based on the true story of Samuel Bicke (the spelling of whose name was changed to protect his family), a man virtually lost to history though he attempted to assassinate one of the most notorious of American presidents, Richard Nixon.

Delve into the world of crime in Sydney – corrupt, crooked and disturbingly realistic. Meet Jack Barrett (Colin Friels), the protagonist, introduced in the opening scene as he carves up a cadaver, so expertly. He then drops it, piece by piece into the sea, finally vomiting. The job is done.

Jack has been entrenched in crime since his return from the Vietnam war, some 30 years ago.

“Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man”. This Jesuit maxim, together with the belief that one’s background predetermines one's future, was the inspiration behind arguably the first reality TV program, “7-up”. It began when “World in Action” interviewed a group of seven year old school children from different socio-economic classes during Thatcher’s Britain, and then followed them every seven years charting their life.

Five years ago, Fast Food Nation was a book written by a relatively unknown investigative journalist named Eric Schlosser. It was well researched and very insightful, and like Morgan Spurlock did a few years later with his movie along the same vein, it got people talking about what they were eating.

When it was announced that Fast Food Nation was going to be made into a movie, those who read the book were excited at the prospect of such a great book being brought to the screen, but wondered how a fact-heavy book would translate to the screen without being a bore.

There are 2 billion emerging rich in China and India who care about the environment as much as I care for brussel sprouts. There are industry lobby groups and Australian governments and swift boats and this hanging Chad guy all standing in the way of the little guy wanting to do the right thing.

Mr.

Wildly entertaining and side-splittingly hilarious, Little Miss Sunshine is a movie that celebrates the inner loser in us all. It isn’t an underdog story where the slow kid wins the race, or where the ugly ducking becomes the beautiful swan, or where the small kid gets the best of the bullies. The slow kid stays last, the ugly ducking stays ugly, and brother, you better believe that that small kid will get his underwear pulled right over his head.

For anyone in Sydney who appreciates all things Mexican, the first annual Hola Mexican Film Festival begins on the 21st of November, showcasing some of the best movies to have come out of Mexico in the last 50 years, in addition to offering free salsa lessons and other Mexican festivities.

“Los Olvidados: The Young and The Damned,” is one of the classic movies being screened at Hola this year. Originally made in the 1950’s but digitally remastered for screening, Olvidados won the Best Film at Cannes, and was recently considered by UNESCO as part of the World’s heritage.