If you go into Coppola’s opus without a heavy belief in romance and a huge cultural knowledge of cinema, you’ll miss the point. Once you’ve got that sorted, all you need is to sit back, relax and enjoy the show — because what a show it is!
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The Amazing Netflix' 'Ripley' premieres this week!
Maybe it’s the way the 8-part series — spearheaded, written and directed by Steven Zaillian — showcases a kind of world gone by, in its hauntingly perfect B&W. Or maybe it’s how there is a bit of Tom Ripley in each and every one of us. Whatever the reason, the Andrew Scott starrer is now deeply embedded in my heart… and thoughts.
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Franz Rogowski in a still from ‘Disco Boy’ by Giacomo Abbruzzese
'Disco Boy' -- a US release review
In a hippy, trippy kind of way, filmmaker Giacomo Abbruzzese’s debut feature echoes fellow Italian Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now’, as he journeys to the heart of darkness, with the help of spellbinding German actor Franz Rogowski.
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One of Roman Vishniac’s haunting photographs, courtesy of his archives
The documentary 'Vishniac' reminds us why we should never forget
In a haunting documentary film by Laura Bialis, the story of Jewish photographer Roman Vishniac is captured in a way that pushes us to finally revisit the history of the past, in order to never make the same mistakes again.
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'The Woman Who Loves Giraffes': An intimate look at the extraordinary life of Anne Innis Dagg
Let me preface by writing that I tend to be sold right away on a film that features an exceptional woman as its central heroine. When that woman is a real life figure, still going strong and advocating both women’s rights as well as nature’s preservation, well the film immediately drives up to the top position of my favorite films. More on such a film, ‘The Woman Who Loves Giraffes’ in a minute. First bear with me and my mini trip down memory lane.
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There's an App for that! Dana Nachman on sex in the #MeToo age in 'Hook Up 2.0' at the Tribeca Film Festival
A typical present day college party. A girl. A guy. They hook up and go the man’s pink hued apartment, yes pink you read that right, to be alone together. But this is the age of #MeToo and nothing is quite the way it used to be. I mean, and just the pink lights of the man’s apartment alone should have given that away!
‘Hook Up 2.0’ screens in the “Shorts: Funhouse” program at the Tribeca Film Festival. Check out all screening times and dates here.
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'The Image Book' at IFFR: Watching cinema as God(ard) intended it
I’d read the reviews, both out of Cannes where the film premiered, and lately for its US release. A.O. Scott’s was my favorite for the NY Times, as it usually is. Then, I’d listened to friends — some admitted to breaking down after viewing the film, some pointed to the filmmaker’s problematic mishmosh of the Arab world with Iranian images.
But having missed ‘Le livre d’image’ (‘The Image Book’) at the Festival de Cannes, I had to view it for myself. And, it turns out, I did well to wait.
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Hasan Majuni in a still from Mani Haghighi’s ‘Pig’
"So I thought, I’ll make a film about this cry-baby man": Mani Haghighi talks about his latest film 'Pig'
It’s interesting that in the same year, two prominent Iranian filmmakers made films where the idea came from the perils of social media. Of course, Jafar Panahi got the inspiration for ‘3 Faces’ from the myriad of fans who send him messages wanting to connect somehow with his talent and rotate in the moons of his celebrity-dom. Mani Haghighi instead with his ‘Pig’ found the humor within the stalking of sorts that happens on the feeds of Twitter and Instagram. And how these days we’ll do just about anything to be famous.
Of course, these two filmmakers are as different as filmmakers can be, yet their latest oeuvres are both featured in the upcoming Iranian Film Festival New York, which will run from January 10th to the 15th at the IFC Center. An event not to be missed.
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Behnaz Jafari and Jafar Panahi in a still from ‘3 Faces’
Three women on '3 Faces': Jafar Panahi's latest oeuvre at the inaugural Iranian Film Festival NY
Filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been banned by the Iranian government from making movies, for an unbelievably long while. Yet he continues undeterred in churning out one masterpiece after another. All shot in different locations, each time featuring a new cast of characters, Panahi’s films have continued undisturbed to be staples at international film festivals.
Those of us who know and love his distinct brand of filmmaking, where within his kind and well thought out delivery he still manages to packs a big punch, also follow him on social media. His Instagram alone is a pleasure for those who wish to witness a bit of his genius on a nearly daily basis. And in fact, it was his presence on social media that inspired his latest work — ‘3 Faces’. The film premiered in Cannes earlier this year and will be featured at the 1st Iranian Film Festival New York at the IFC Center in early January 2019.
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Julia Jedikowska in a still from 'Sicilian Ghost Story' by Antonio Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia
Antonio Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia on 'Sicilian Ghost Story': "It’s only this idea about love defeating all that let us do the film."
There is nothing more savage in this world than violence perpetrated against a child. The inhumanity of striking a little girl, the cruelty of inflicting pain of any kind on a boy, those are undeniably the darkest moments for mankind.
It is within the realm of one such unbearable acts that ‘Sicilian Ghost Story’ takes place. Yet Antonio Piazza’s and Fabio Grassadonia’s follow up to their award winning, masterful ‘Salvo’ is a fantastical love story first, and a fact-inspired cautionary tale of violence second. And with those two impossible companions, love and violence, walking hand in hand, Piazza and Grassadonia have created a masterpiece.
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Khalid Abdalla in a still from 'In the Last Days of the City'
Tamer El Said's 'In the Last Days of the City': "What do you do when the world is collapsing around you and you only have a camera?"
I believe there are two types of films. There are those that take you on an adventure -- meaning you go through a rollercoaster of emotions and excitement while sitting in the theater, surrounded by others who share the same thrills with you.
Then there are movies which bring you on a journey, one that can last you a lifetime. Egyptian filmmaker Tamer El Said's 'In the Last Days of the City' belongs to the latter category. Once you inhabit its well-shot landscapes and meet its unforgettable cast of characters, they never, ever let go of you. And that's a good thing! More than a year and a half later, after my first viewing they continue to color my dreams and tint my emotions, but most importantly, they have changed the way I think of Cairo, Egypt and its courageous inhabitants.
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Chris Hondros/Getty Images; Courtesy of HONDROS Film
Greg Campbell's 'Hondros' honors the courage of one man to tell the truth
Just as the sound of bullets hitting a tin ceiling is heard, a mobile phone rings. "Call me back in about half an hour," says the man answering the phone.
And thus begins 'Hondros' one of the most beautifully terrifying cinematic looks into what it means to be a tried and true photojournalist. The man answer the phone is Chris Hondros. The late, great Hondros, who for years was the man behind the lens of some of the most iconic photographs of our times.
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