A Tale of Family and Revenge

December 10, 2004

This week among the films opening in limited release is one of the most anticipated films of award season this year. But it is not the only film looking for Oscar glory.

Born into Brothels - Reviews
A documentary that looks at the lives of the children of prostitutes that live in Calcutta's red light district. 2004 might go down as the year of the documentary and this is one of the most powerful examples of such films to come out this year. Photojournalist, Zana Briski, spent month getting these kids and gave them cameras so they could document their lives. The film opened on Wednesday at the Film Forum in New York City and is the highlight of this week's list.

Dolls - Reviews
One of several Japanese films that have had a limited release Stateside recently. This film tells three separate stories with a connected theme of never ending love. The stories could be described as slow, deliberately paced even meditative, but this is either a positive or a negative depending of the person watching. The film opens at Cinema Village in New York City.

Fabled - Reviews
Starring Desmond Askew, who is probably best known to American audiences for his role in Go!. The film tells the story of Joseph Fable, who has recently broken up with his girlfriend and he's not taking it well, to put it mildly. He thinks his ex-girlfriend is in cahoots with his psychiatrist plotting against him, and his co-workers are responsible for his dog's disappearance and then there's the monsters who are trying to kill him. A surreal horror film and an ambitious debut film from director Ari S. Kirschenbaum, it opens tonight in Chicago, Milwaukee and Vancouver.

The Green Butchers - Reviews
Two butchers fed up with their boss decide to go into business for themselves, but business is poor till an accident supplies them with a rather exotic meat to sell. This black comedy from Denmark has earned strong reviews and is that country's contender for best Foreign Language Oscar. The film opens in two theatres in L.A. and D.C.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Reviews
Wes Anderson has developed quite a following for his films, which are based on strange and quirky characters with dysfunctional relationships. And while this film is no different, it is well behind his career average when it comes to critical acclaim. Still, it should earn enough over the weekend to justify its Christmas wide release, and while it may get a few nominations, don't expect too much Oscar glory.

Shwaas - Reviews
A grandfather takes his grandchild to doctor's only to find out he has cancer of the eye and the only treatment will rob the child of his sight. The second Foreign Language Oscar hopeful of this week's list, this one from India. This film, which is based on a true story, opens at the ImaginAsian Theatre in New York City tonight.


Submitted by:

Filed under: Fabled, Dolls, The Green Butchers, Shwaas