There are usually two reasons why big-name directors like Academy Award Nominee Stephen Frears (‘THE QUEEN’, ‘GRIFTERS’ etc) return to Sundance Film Festival with new work after some years absence, a) to garner more press coverage, or b) despite the star wattage of their product they still haven’t managed to sell the movie. His ‘LAY THE … Continue reading
This extraordinary Taiwanese epic length family drama that spans the everyday struggles of three generations of a very colorful middle class family kicks off with a wedding and ends three hours later with a funeral. The chaos of the wedding with the photo of the bride and groom hung upside down and the reception invaded … Continue reading
The opening scene of this film is a ceremony where Uriel Shkolnik is being honored as a new member of the prestigious Israeli Academy, and the camera stays completely focused on Eliezer his father who sits in the audience totally stony-faced even when Uriel is lavishly praising him. It neatly sets the whole timbre of … Continue reading
The section of Brooklyn when young Daud lives with his family is like a mini Israel except the ’wall’ that divides the Jewish and Moslem communities is not physically visible. He’s a very serious introspective 12-year-old boy and as the son of the local Imam reads his Koran religiously and even helps teach it to … Continue reading
RWD’s take on some of the very best (and sadly a couple of the worse) movies from this year’s SUNDANCE FESTIVAL and hopefully (!) most of the good ones will hit your screens later in the year. Probably not your local Multi-plex but at the Art House/Indie Theater near you. Bethann Hardison is an African American … Continue reading