FilmFlashes.com Blog

Adult children (Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jeremie Renier) dwell upon the disbursement of their deceased mother’s artwork, heirlooms, and the country home in french writer/director, Olivier Assayas’ contemplative composition.
 

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Sayra, a young Central American girl (Paulina Gaitan) confronts peril when she joins her father on his journey back to the US where he has made a life with a new family.  While audiences are struck by the cinematic ride across Central America, Sayra is captivated by a young gang member (Edgar Flores), running from his past.  The portrait of violence [...]

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Five stories with unhappy endings are splayed out on the screen, directed by Italian director, Matteo Garrone, and based upon journalist Roberto Saviano’s best selling book detaling the far reaching tennacles of the Camorra, (Naples mafia).

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Swedish filmmaker, Jan Troell delivers an emotional portrait (based upon Troell’s wife’s relative) of a 1900’s Swedish, working class woman (Maria Heiskanen).  With the mentoring of a local photographer (Jesper Christensen) she discovers her gift for capturing beauty and calm amidst the social unrest, abusive behavior by her husband (Mikael Persbrandt), poverty, and child-rearing that engulf her.

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Acclaimed, Philippine director, Brillante Ma. Mendoza explores the decaying society and surroundings through the Pineda family who operates a local movie theater which also doubles as a “service” center for male prostitution.

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The Vuillards come together for the Christmas holiday to dig up old sibling rivalries, exhibit their psychosis, and support their mother (Catherine Deneuve) in her search for a bone marrow transplant. Depending upon your taste for French cinema, you will either become enthralled with the personalities and mannerism of the group surrounding [...]

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Juliette (Kristen Scott Thomas) is warmly embraced by her younger sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein), upon her release from a 15 year prison sentence.   As Lea’s family and friends express their curiousity, the facts and emotions surrounding Juliette’s incarceration surface.  The suspense unfolds effortlessly,  thanks to a strong team of actors directed by writer, Philippe Claudel.
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Wayne Wang directs this highly introspective film about a suburban dwelling Chinese woman (Feihong Yu) whose father (Henry O) travels all the way from Beijing and winds up visiting more with local vendors, neighbors, and an Iranian woman (Vida Ghahremani) in the local park.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of A Thousand [...]

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  Popular Czech writer/director, Jiri Menzel adapts Bohumil Hrabal’s quirky profile of waiter/aspiring millionaire, Jan Dite played by Ivan Barnev (the charming younger Jan) and Oldrich Kaiser (older reflective Jan).  The characters, including a plethora of beautiful women, flow through the film  during, before, and after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, providing a uniquely entertaining backdrop for Jan’s random [...]

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This Israeli film dramatizes the social and psychological issues that accompanied the influx of thousands of Ethiopian Jews escaping famine and devastation in the 1980’s. Characterization and aging are at times inconsistent, but director/writer Radu Mihaileanu deserves credit for tackling so many themes in the course of one film.
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French director/writer, Guillaume Canet features François Cluzet (a dead ringer for Dustin Hoffman in his 30’s) as Alex Beck, a pediatrician still pining for his wife (Marie-Josée Croze) eight years after her abduction and death. Alex was a prime suspect and when two bodies are discovered at the murder site, the case is reopened by [...]

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Russian filmmaker, Sergei Bodrov utilizes authentic locations, and a healthy smattering of Mongolian actors in this epic film of Genghis Khan’s rise to power. Young Temudjin (Odnyam Odsuren) and his (adult) first lady Borte (Khulan Chuluun) stand out in their authenticity as well as Japanese leading man Tadanobu Asano as adult Temudjin and Chinese [...]

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Claude Lelouche’s adaptation keeps audiences questioning: is crime novelist Judith Ralitzer (Fanny Ardant) imitating her own novels, is Dominique Pinon really her ghost writer or a serial killer, and how does Hughette, (Audrey Dana) a frustrated hairdresser, ditched by her boyfriend fit into all this frenzy? Fun and very French!
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The Five Star French hotel circuit provides a lavish backdrop for complicated encounters between a seasoned hustler (Audrey Tautou) and a naïve bar tender (Gad Elmaleh).
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Priceless .

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Carlitos (Adrian Alonso) crosses the border from Mexico to reunite with his mother (Kate del Castillo), at the same time that she contemplates trading in her day job in the U.S. for a one way ticket to Mexico to catch up on the last four years she has been separated from Carlitos. This syrupy [...]

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Writer/director, Stefan Ruzouwitzky masterfully crafts Adolf Burger’s book for the big screen in the Austrian Oscar winner. Ruzouwitzky avoids stereotypes in his portrayal of a group of Jews assigned to an elite division in Sachsenhausen to produce bankable English pound notes to finance the failing German war effort. Karl Markovics, [...]

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An Egyptian police band booked to play at an Arab art center opening in Israel winds up in the wrong town with unexpected interaction in this charming Israeli film.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of The Band’s Visit .

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Lebanese director, Nadine Labaki also stars in this Beirut version of “Barber Shop” focusing on the personal problems challenging a group of women who work or patronize her salon.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Caramel .

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While the poetic style of Khaled Hosseini’s novel doesn’t translate to the screenplay, we are truly touched by the two young Afghan boys (Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) whose relationship is the basis of this bio/drama.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of The Kite Runner .

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A shy young Chinese girl (Wei Tang) transforms herself into a sophisticated insider during the World War II Japanese occupation of Shanghai. Ang Lee’s lengthy political piece, also featuring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Joan Chen lightens up on the heavy drama only occasionally to showcase explicit sex scenes that leave nothing to the [...]

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Filmmaker Susanne Bier cooks up a Danish treat featuring awesome talent, splendid cinematography, and superb storytelling. Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen, known to U.S. audiences in Casino Royale), must return to Denmark from India as a condition of receipt of a substantial donation to the orphanage he runs. As the mysterious philanthropist (Rolf Lassgǻrd) and his devoted [...]

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When a high-powered CEO (Daniel Auteuil) is photographed with his beautiful mistress (Alice Taglioni) he immediately links a nearby valet (Gad Elmaleh) to the beautiful supermodel to avoid repercussions from his wife (Kristen Scott Thomas). This delightful bon bon is a welcome diversion from the heavy handed fare, featured on many big screens.
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Numerous vignettes featuring famous faces (Fanny Ardant, Steve Buscemi, Ben Gazzara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bob Hoskins, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Binoche, Gérard Depardieu) are directed by equally celebrated directors (Olivier Assayas, Joel & Ethan Coen, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuarón, Alexander Payne, Gus Van Sant, to name a few). The only commonality is Paris, [...]

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