BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

A motherless kid named Hushpuppy lives with her father in a primitive coastal Eden on the Gulf of Mexico. Hushpuppy’s father, Wink, is very ill, and when her teacher Miss Bathsheba tells her about extinct monsters called aurochs, Hushpuppy transposes all her fears onto the aurochs. Wink is teaching Hushpuppy how to survive without him… Continue reading BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

ZERO DARK THIRTY

Three years ago, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to receive a “Best Director” Oscar. Now she stands poised to do it again with her new film Zero Dark Thirty. But even if she doesn’t win, Bigelow will almost certainly achieve the one “Personal Best” that has so far eluded her grasp, Zero Dark Thirty… Continue reading ZERO DARK THIRTY

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Two of the big winners at this year’s Sundance Film Festival addressed the devastating effects of prolonged incarceration on African-American family life. Is this a mere coincidence? I don’t think so. Middle of Nowhere is the story of a woman left behind. When we first meet Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi), her husband Derek (Omari Hardwick) is… Continue reading MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

THE LONELIEST PLANET: Review by Jan Lisa Huttner

The Loneliest Planet is the story of a 30 year old woman named “Nica” (Hani Furstenberg) who travels well off the beaten path with her fiancé “Alex” (Gael Garcia Bernal) and their Georgian guide “Dato” (Bidzina Gujabidze). These three people are quite alone in the wild, and despite the quiet that surrounds them, the mountains… Continue reading THE LONELIEST PLANET: Review by Jan Lisa Huttner

THE FIFTH HEAVEN

Dina Zvi-Riklis’s new film The Fifth Heaven is set in Palestine at the close of World War II. Jewish residents, terrified by the Nazi advance across Europe and North Africa, have been giving their all to their British protectors for years, but now that the defeat of the Third Reich appears imminent, their thoughts turn… Continue reading THE FIFTH HEAVEN

W.E.

Pampered “Wally Winthrop” (Abbie Cornish) has reached a crisis point in her marriage to a man she thought was Prince Charming. The year is 1998, and Wally seeks refuge at Sotheby’s New York at the precise moment in time when they are preparing for one of the biggest auctions in history: 44,000 items once owned… Continue reading W.E.

JANE EYRE

A heroine created in the Victorian Era has indelibly imprinted herself on our cultural imagination. Her basic problem is the same problem every young person must face: whom can she trust? Here in the early 21st Century, “Jane” has a feisty core of self-reliance, so she learns to trust her own instincts, staying faithful to… Continue reading JANE EYRE

TWO DAYS IN PARIS

Two Days in Paris follows a New York couple, French photographer Marion (Julie Delpy) and American interior designer, Jack (Adam Goldberg) as they try to reinfuse their relationship with romance on a European vacation.  Julie Delpy wrote, directed, and starred in this hilarious film which was nominated for Cesar, Independent Spirit and European Film Awards,… Continue reading TWO DAYS IN PARIS