My Brother Is an Only Child (”Mio Fratello e Figilo Unico”)

Don’t be fooled by the melodramatic plot synopsis and walk into the theater expecting a super intense political thriller like I did. While the conflicting party politics of Italy in the 60’s and 70’s is a focal point of the film, Italian director Daniele Luchetti’s MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD is by and large more of a charming coming-of-age story that takes an intimate look at the way politics affects family ties, close friendships and, most importantly, the development of one’s self-identity.

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Snow Angels (2008)

David Gordon Green has adapted the 1994 first novel by Stewart O’Nan and is bringing it to the screen this week as its director. The story of love, relationships and violence in a Pennsylvania suburban town brings some weighty drama to a weekend of prehistoric heroes and family comedy.

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Never Back Down (2008)

Never Back Down is the mantra Jake Tyler (Sean Faris) has lived his life by. An Orlando transplant from quiet, rural Iowa, Jake is having a tough time coming to terms with recently losing his dad and adjusting to living among the wealthier students of his new high school. Back home he had friends and the popularity that comes from being a football star. Now he’s an outsider who’s quick-tempered past is coming back to haunt him just as he’s starting to make an impression on hottie Baja (Amber Heard). Read more

Boarding Gate

French Director Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep) has made a self-proclaimed B-movie which got a Midnight Screening at the 2007 Cannes Festival. Now the film is getting a very limited release before its inevitable shuffling of this mortal coil onto DVD. Careful though, this noir thriller may be a little intense for your Easter weekend viewing. Read more

Chicago 10

Life imitating art and vice versa: no where is that more evident that in film. In the instance of documentaries life is art.

Opening this Friday in New York City, wider in the coming weeks is a new fresh look at events that took place 40 years ago in this country mirroring what we as 21st century citizens are facing again today.
Chicago 10 is filmmaker’s Brett Morgen’s (The Kid Stays in the Picture) exhaustive look at the events leading up to, during, immediately after the 1968 National Democratic Convention in Chicago and the subsequent trial that arose from clashes outside a downtown hotel. Eight defendants and two attorneys made up the Chicago 10. The men on trial were leaders of various anti-war movements and the fall-guys for the violence that disturbed the streets of the Windy City. Read more

Caramel

Western audiences are indeed fortunate to have two films releasing (if only limited) that bring a long overdue fresh perspective about life in the Middle East. The first was the Oscar nominated animated feature Persepolis and the second is a film from Beirut opening February 1st.

Caramel is a story about 5 Lebanese women who work and let loose in a neighborhood beauty salon. Layale the owner (first-time Writer/Director Nadine Labaki) is having an affair with a married man. Nisrine (Yasmin Al Masri), a Muslim is engaged to be married but worried about her fiancée finding out that she’s no longer a virgin. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is coming to terms with her feelings for other women, especially her attraction for a beautiful client. Jamale (Gisèle Aouad) is an actress and frequent customer, trying to fight the inevitability of getting older. Rose (Siham Haddad) is an unmarried seamstress who has devoted her life to caring for her older sister. They all use the salon as a haven where they can be women, friends and sisters. Read more

Fool’s Gold

All you fans of the 2003 film How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days can look forward to a re-teaming of the adorable actors in this Friday’s release Fool’s Gold. This time the locale has taken on a decidedly tropical feel to it and director Andy Tennant (Hitch) has added some action and adventure to the mix.

Fool’s Gold: that’s what treasure hunter Ben “Finn” Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) is ever in pursuit of. Specifically he’s hot on the trial of The Queen’s Dowry – a fabled treasure of 40 chests of unimaginable wealth. His relentless quest has claimed his reputation, his boat and his marriage to Tess (Kate Hudson). Literally on the day of his divorce Finn stumbles onto a significant clue but understandably has trouble convincing his former partner/now ex-wife to throw away her plans for a normal life and help them complete their years-long obsession. Read more