Archive for August, 2011

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Bol

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 102

Language:

Director: Shoaib Mansoor

Plot: Bol is Shoaib Mansoor’s second dramatic breakthrough of revealing life with its complexities. After Khuda Kay Liye, that went on to win several international awards, Bol is another gripping story authored by him. A story that shows the realities of life very closely. The web of relationships within a family that barely makes ends meet. On top of the poverty the father subscribes to a set of values many would relate to-Values that we inherit and tightly hold on to, values that embody contradictions, values that have not been questioned.

Bol is a roller coaster of emotions, yet carries subtleties that make your heartbeat stop. Based in the heart of Lahore, the story takes place in a house full of daughters, with vibrancy of life, yet restrictions on blooming. It questions the worth of a human being, may it be a woman or a person born with defect. It questions the authority of reproducing human beings into this world without taking responsibility of acknowledging their worth.

Bol takes you through a journey into the life of this family experiencing their troubles, sufferings, resolves and high points. As family members take decisions to solve their problems they steep into deeper troubles. The complexity of their circumstances becomes a struggle of life and death.

Humaina Malick, after gaining popularity on the small screen in the recent years has been picked for the big screen for the first time. She plays a daughter who gets affected the most by the family tensions. She respects the norms she has been given by her parents yet is compelled by her intuitive logic and sense for justice to rebel.

Atif Aslam plays an enlightened neighbor, and with his two loves, one for music and the other for the next door beauty, Mahira Khan, adds romance and melody to the film.

Iman Ali will be seen in a very different role than her usual appearances. Courtesan who is ambivalent between the standards of success her family considers so important and the desires of her own heart.

‘Bol’ is Bold. …so bold that some will find it hard to confess that they have seen it!

 

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Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 86

Language: French

Director: Joann Sfar

Plot: Taking the best from LA VIE EN ROSE and AMELIE, renowned comic book artist Joann Sfar’s GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE is a completely original take on one of France’s greatest mavericks, the illustrious and infamous Jewish singer-songwriter, Serge Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino). Born Lucien Ginsburg to Russian-Jewish parents, Sfar follows him from his precocious childhood in Nazi-occupied Paris, to his beginnings as small time jazz musician and finally pop superstar. Along the way he romances many of the era’s most beautiful women, including Juliette Greco (Anna Mouglalis), Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta) and Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon). Employing a witty surrealistic style and a soundtrack that includes many of the musician’s greatest hits, GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE is a quintessential time capsule to ‘60’s Paris.

 

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Politics of Love

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 141

Language:

Director: William Dear

Plot: Politics makes strange bedfellows, but never stranger than when a sexy, savvy, African-American conservative Republican reluctantly falls for his Democratic counterpart: a beautiful Indian-American Obama campaign volunteer. Sparks fly, tempers flare, heads turn, and romance blossoms for his mismatched pair of lovers in the frantic and intoxicating days leading up to Election Day. Can the politics of love conquer all?

 

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Swinging with the Finkels

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 62

Language:

Director: Jonathan Newman

Plot: Swinging With The Finkels is the story of what happens after the honeymoon ends and couples get bored with married life.

Having met at University, American born Ellie (MANDY MOORE) and her husband Alvin (MARTIN FREEMAN) are several years into their marriage. The heady sparks of lust and fun have sadly faded and they’re left with the day to day normality of their everyday life.

Advised by best friends Peter (JONATHAN SILVERMAN) and Janet (MELISSA GEORGE), who are having their own marital problems, Ellie and Alvin are desperate to ‘spice things up’.

Having explored various options, including an unfortunate incident with a cucumber as witnessed by Ellie’s Grandfather (played by comedy legend JERRY STILLER), Ellie hits upon the brilliant idea to mix things up with another couple – to have a ‘consensual affair’ within the confines of the marriage.

The couple embarks on finding the ideal couple and begins to interview a plethora of perverse and quirky swingers. They finally settle on what seem to be the perfect couple – played by the well known UK media personality Angus Deayton and the hilarious Daisy Beaumont. A night of insanity and hilarity follow.

Filled with brilliantly observed truths about men and woman, and some side achingly funny set pieces, “Swinging With The Finkels” is a romantic comedy with a unique edge that anyone that has ever been in a relationship will relate to.

 

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Shut Up Little Man

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Documentary

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 108

Language:

Director: Matthew Bate

Plot: The most important audio recording released in the nineties wasn’t a collection of songs by a self-tortured alternative star. The most important recording released in the grunge era was entitled ShUT Up LiTTLE MAn! It was a covert audio recording of two older drunken men living in a small flat in San francisco, who spent their available free time yelling, screaming, hitting and generally abusing each other.

The phenomenon began in 1987 when Eddie and Mitch (two young punks from the Mid West), moved next door to Peter Haskett (a flamboyant gay man), and Raymond Huffman (a raging homophobe). This ultimate odd- couple hated each other with raging abandon, and through the paper-thin walls their alcohol-fueled rants terrorized Eddie and Mitch. Fearing for their lives they began to tape record evidence of the insane goings on from next door.

In recording pete and ray’s unique dialogue, the boys accidentally created one of the world’s first ‘viral’ pop-culture sensations. Their tapes went on to inspire a cult following, spawning sell-out CD’s, comic artworks by Dan Clowes (Ghostworld), stage-plays, music from the likes of Devo and a hollywood feeding frenzy. For the newly famous Eddie and Mitchell, this would be a life-changing experience that would see them ingested into the belly and fired out the orifice of the pop culture beast.

 

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Special Treatment

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 103

Language:

Director: Jeanne Labrune

Plot: In this darkly erotic drama from cult filmmaker Jeanne Labrune, Isabelle Huppert stars as a high-class prostitute named Alice who serves up sexual fantasies for her clientele, from schoolgirl innocence to S&M. Fed up with the seamy underbelly of French masculinity, Alice crosses paths with Xavier, a neurotic psychoanalyst facing a marriage crisis. The two quickly realize their professions share a thing or two in common as they navigate the overlapping worlds of psychotherapy and sex therapy.

 

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The Caller

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Thriller

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 156

Language:

Director: Matthew Parkhill

Plot: Troubled divorcee Mary Kee is tormented by a series of sinister phone calls from a mysterious woman. When the stranger reveals she’s calling from the past, Mary tries to break off contact. But the caller doesn’t like being ignored, and looks for revenge in a unique and terrifying way.

 

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Higher Ground

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 123

Language:

Director: Vera Farmiga

Plot: Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut, Higher Ground, is a coming-of-age drama in which Farmiga delivers a subtle, nuanced performance completely from the gut, with equally strong and compelling supporting characters. Set against the backdrop of the Sixties, when feminism reached its zenith, the film expertly depicts the landscape of a tight-knit spiritual community. Inspired by the resonant memoir from Carolyn Briggs (who also wrote the screenplay), the film is an exquisite study of one woman’s internal struggle with the primary love relationships in her life.

 

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Redemption Road

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 145

Language: English

Director: Mario Van Peebles

Plot: In Mario Van Peeble’s new film “Redemption Road”, two seemingly different men (Academy Award Nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, Morgan Simpson) embark on a music-steeped journey through the American South, learning along the way that life isn’t about where you end up – it’s how you get there that matters. Somewhere along the 900 miles between Austin, TX and Huntsville, AL the two men become unlikely friends. However, every road has an end. In Huntsville, sad truths come to light, with heartbreak and violence lingering in their wake, ultimately leaving both men changed forever. The music of “Redemption Road” is permeated with authenticity, from Country music – perfectly befitting the film’s Nashville locations – to the full scope of the Blues with a pinch of good old-fashioned Gospel to reflect the film’s deeper themes of faith.

 

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The Family Tree

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 147

Language: English

Director: Vivi Friedman

Plot: Life in suburban Serenity, Ohio is never quite as serene as it appears. The dysfunctional Burnett family Bunnie (Hope Davis), Jack (Dermot Mulroney) and their twin 17 year olds Eric (Max Thieriot) and Kelly (Britt Robertson) seems like a lost cause. When a freak accident leaves Bunnie with a case of amnesia, the Burnetts get an unexpected second chance at happiness. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Simon (Chi McBride) is relieved that his tryst gone wrong with Bunnie remains undetected, at least for the moment. Before long, a slew of past relationships, kids with guns, a suicidal teacher, a very zealous religious club, misinterpreted advances, corporate down-sizing, and one fateful squirrel combine to create enough mayhem to test the resolve, sanity and future of any family!

 

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Chasing Madoff

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Documentary

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 148

Language:

Director: Jeff Prosserman

Plot: Chasing Madoff is the compelling story of Harry Markopolos and his team of investigator’s ten-year struggle to expose the harrowing truth behind the infamous Madoff scandal. Throughout the decade long investigation, Markopolos pieced together a chain of white-collar predators consisting of bankers, lieutenants, and henchmen, all linked to the devastating Ponzi scheme. With risk and danger apparent, Markopolos and his loyal team relentlessly continued to pursue the frightening truth. Finding himself trapped in a web of epic deceit, the once unassuming Boston securities analyst turned vigilante investigator now feared for his life and the safety of his family, as he discovered no one would listen.

 

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Brighton Rock

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 142

Language: English (International)

Director: Rowan Joffe

Plot: Adapted from Graham Greene’s iconic 1939 novel, BRIGHTON ROCK charts the headlong fall of Pinkie, a razor-wielding disadvantaged teenager hell bent on clawing his way up through the ranks of organized crime. At the heart of the story is the anti-hero Pinkie’s relationship with Rose – an apparently innocent young waitress who stumbles on evidence linking Pinkie and his gang to a revenge killing that Pinkie commits. After the murder, Pinkie seduces Rose, first in an effort to find out how much she knows and latterly to ensure she will not talk to the police. A love story between a murderer and a witness can Pinkie trust Rose or should he kill her before she talks to the police? Can Rose trust Pinkie or is she next in line?

 

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Our Idiot Brother

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 74

Language: English

Director: Jesse Peretz

Plot: Ned (Rudd) is an idealist. His three sisters (Banks, Deschanel and Mortimer) are ambitious. Ned crashes at each of their homes, in succession, and brings truth, happiness and a sunny disposition into their lives. In other words, he wreaks havoc.

 

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Cafe

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 90

Language:

Director: Marc Erlbaum

Plot: For the up-and-comers on Philadelphia’s west side, West Philly Grounds is the place to be. There, Claire (Jennifer Love Hewitt) serves wisdom along with coffee and scones. The clientele comes to her with advice in love, life and careers. But even the neighborhood’s favorite gathering place has a dark side. Jamie Kennedy, Alexa Vega, Madeline Carroll and Daniel Eric Gold co-star in writer-director Marc Erlbaum’s slice-of-life drama.

 

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The Smell of Success

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 161

Language:

Director: Michael Polish

Plot: THE SMELL OF SUCCESS is a decidedly irreverent satire about the wages of greed and an enchanting comic adventure that riffs on an iconic theme – the American salesman – with a twist. For this tale of door-to-door marketers takes place in a world heretofore never seen on screen: that of 1960s manure salesmen, AKA “the Men of Manure.” Having brought to life an original assortment of American misfits and dreamers, with “The Smell of Success” now turns an unabashedly comic eye to the wonders of the American wasteland… literally.

It all begins when a tragic fan accident ends the life of Mr. Roses, the scientific genius behind Roses Manure Company, forcing his cosmetics salesgirl daughter Rosemary (TÉA LEONI) to take control of the company. Rosemary isn’t sure if she has a nose for the family business, but when she discovers the company is about to go under, she is determined to find a way to turn the foul into financial profits. To do so, she’s going to need the help of her father’s best salesmen – led by the steely-eyed; silver tongued Patrick Fitzpatrick (BILLY BOB THORNTON) for whom “bull” is not just a product but an art form – even if they don’t exactly trust a lady in charge.

But the times, they are a changing and so is the business. When the suspiciously clean-cut Jimmy St. James (KYLE MACLACHAN) and his band of slick salesmen drop into town ready to take over with their newfangled “fertilizer” and fancy marketing techniques, it becomes clear that Rosemary’s quest is no longer simply about selling as much crap as she can. It’s all-out war.

 

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Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Action-Adventure

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 127

Language: English

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Plot: On the surface, Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all…married to a famous spy hunting television reporter, a new baby and intelligent twin step kids. But in reality, trying to mother Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), who clearly don’t want her around, is her toughest challenge yet. Also, her husband, Wilbur (Joel McHale), wouldn’t know a spy if he lived with one which is exactly the case – Marissa’s a retired secret agent.

Marissa’s world is turned upside down when the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to take over the planet and she’s called back into action by the head of OSS, home of the greatest spies and where the now-defunct Spy Kids division was created. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action when they learn their boring stepmom was once a top agent and now the world’s most competitive ten year olds are forced to put their bickering aside and rely on their wits. With a little help from a couple of very familiar Spy Kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world and possibly bring their family together while they’re at it.

 

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Programming the Nation

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Documentary

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 157

Language:

Director: Jeff Warrick

Plot: Filmmaker Jeff Warrick leads this journey through the subconscious mind while examining the reported history, scientific research and potential effects of such techniques on society. With eye-opening footage, revealing interviews, humorous anecdotes, and an array of visual effects, the film categorically explores the alleged usage of subliminals in advertising, music, film, television, political propaganda, military psychological operations, and even advanced weapons development. As a result, Warrick makes it his personal mission to determine if these manipulative tactics have succeeded. Or, if subliminal programming belongs in the category of what many consider urban legend.

“PROGRAMMING THE NATION?” brings these haunting revelations to light in the hope that the public will make an effort to “deprogram” themselves, reclaim their independence, and promote change.

 

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Griff the Invisible

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 153

Language: English

Director: Leon Ford

Plot: Ryan Kwanten of TV’s “True Blood” stars in this charming, quirky and totally unpredictable romantic comedy about the superhero in all of us. Griff (Kwanten), a shy and awkward office worker by day, finds escape from his ordinary life by assuming the identity of a fantastic superhero each night. Griff’s secret is jeopardized when he meets Melody (Maeve Dermody), a cute but unconventional daydreamer. She quickly becomes fascinated by his idiosyncrasies, which are equal only to her own. In the face of mounting pressure to live in the “real world,” it’s up to Melody to rescue GRIFF THE INVISIBLE for the sake of herself, Griff and their newfound love for each other..

 

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Grave Encounters

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Horror

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 71

Language:

Director: Vicious Brothers, The

Plot: Lance Preston and the crew of “Grave Encounters”, a ghost-hunting reality television show, are shooting an episode inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, where unexplained phenomena has been reported for years.

All in the name of good television, they voluntarily lock themselves inside the building for the night and begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera. They quickly realize that the building is more than just haunted – it is alive – and it has no intention of ever letting them leave. They find themselves lost in a labyrinth maze of endless hallways and corridors, terrorized by the ghosts of the former patients. They soon begin to question their own sanity, slipping deeper and deeper into the depths of madness, ultimately discovering the truth behind the hospital’s dark past-and taping what turns out to be their final episode.

 

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The Hedgehog

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Genre: Comedy

Release Year: 2011

Runtime: 149

Language: French

Director: Mona Achache

Plot: Inspired by the beloved New York Times bestseller, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery, THE HEDGEHOG is the timely story of Paloma (Garance Le Guillermic) a young girl bent on ending it all on her upcoming twelfth birthday. Using her father’s old camcorder to chronicle the hypocrisy she sees in adults, Paloma begins to learn about life from the grumpy building concierge, Renée Michel (FRENCH TWIST’s Josiane Balasko). When Paloma’s camera reveals the extensive secret library in Renée’s back room, and that the often gruff matron reads Tolstoy to her cat, Paloma begins to understand that there are allies to be found beneath the prickliest of exteriors. As the unlikely friendship deepens, Paloma’s own coming of age becomes a much less pessimistic prospect.

 

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