Political Documentaries Driving You Around the Bend?

October 8, 2004

Unlike last week, there are no political documentaries on this week's list. I'm as happy as you are about that. There are, on the other hand, several award season hopefuls on the list.

Around the Bend - Reviews
Just one look at the cast of this film and you can tell it was made to win awards. Just one look at the reviews and you can tell something went horribly wrong. It's too emotional and too cliched to work.

The Child I Never Was - Reviews
A dramatization based on the letter of convicted child murder, Jürgen Bartsch. The word, 'dramatization' is a scary word to be attached to a movie about such a difficult subject. But the mixed reviews have more to do with the lack of conviction. The film opens tonight in one theatre in New York City.

Primer - Reviews
Made for just $7,000, this film is earned mixed reviews, but substantially better from the cream of the crop reviewers who are probably more will to look past the technical limitation such a budget would impose. A Science Fiction story about the creation of a miraculous piece of technology and the very human consequences. The film opens tonight in one theatre in New York, and three in Texas.

Silent Waters - Silent Waters
Set in Pakistan in 1979 during a time of great religious upheaval. Even though the film takes place 25 years ago, it is very relevant today. The film is earning perfect reviews so far and opens at the Cinema Village theatre in New York tonight.

Stage Beauty - Reviews
Set in the U.K. shortly after the restoration of the crown and the abolishing of Puritan rule, this film tells the story an actor who was famous for playing the women's roles on stage. But when a couple of Royal Decrees first make it legal for woman to act and then illegal for men to portray woman on stage, his life is utterly destroyed. Another film that was made for award season that didn't quite work out.

Tarnation - Reviews
Essentially the home movies of Jonathan Caouette edited together with $220 worth of software on an Apple computer. The film is culled from nearly 2 decades worth of home movies, still photographs, answering machine messages and more that detail a life filled with abuse, mental illness and more. It opens tonight in a lone theatre in New York.

Vera Drake - Reviews
If this film was overdone, it could have turned into a preachy, political mess. Instead it's a more of a family drama than a film about a potentially divisive subject. What is that subject? If you go to the official site and watch the trailer and you'll notice that it never mentions exactly what it is. I think the creators don't want to spell it out because it may soften the effect of the movie, and I'm willing to go along with that. The film opens tonight at the New York Film Festival, and doesn't have its theatrical debut till Sunday.

Vodka Lemon - Reviews
One of the best reviewed films opening this week, it tells the story of a September - December romance in a town that's barely able to survive. With quirky characters and dry wit, not to mention beautiful, snowy scenery, this film succeeds in delivery laughs were a lesser film would be too dreary.


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Filed under: Vera Drake, Stage Beauty, Primer, Around the Bend, Ein Leben lang kurze Hosen tragen