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Film Review by Daphne Laura

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18 short love stories by different directors, all set in Paris, France. A montage of films, each lasting roughly about 5 minutes, and cleverly edited to depict snippets of life in the French capital. Each segment is directed by a different director and surprisingly every episode has a beginning, a middle and an ending which doesn't leave you hankering for more. It caters to everyone in the audience, regardless of whether one has been to the City of Lights or merely browsed the sights and sounds of Paris through magazines, the TV, the Internet or in films.

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Film Review by Daphne Laura

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I read the book by James Bradley and Ron Powers, all 356 pages of it. I was totally engrossed by the detailed way it was written and absorbed every single well-researched bit of information with gusto. I was therefore naturally curious to see how Clint Eastwood would interpret the story of the six flag raisers of Iwo Jima. Sad to say, I left the theater pretty disappointed by the film.

“A close friend committed suicide in late 2003, and left me a video suicide note. It was something that affected me immensely to the point where, over months, and coupled with my own personal problems, I was driven to depression and ultimately to an attempt on my own life, “ says 21-year-old director Murali K. Thalluri.

In making his debut film 2:37, Thalluri has exorcised his own demons and paid tribute to his late friend. While there are a number of films that have examined the lives of young teens, this is possibly the first feature film to have been created by one of them. But being young does not prevent Thalluri from delivering a powerful and poignant film. On the contrary, this complex movie dwells on some of the most sensitive and serious issues affecting students who are on the verge of becoming adults.

Weaving together a multi-layered plot, 2:37 studies the effects of violence, drug abuse, homosexuality, incest and bullying on the lives of six students in a school in Adelaide, Australia.

"Tell me how it happened...I just want to know...please!"

After an incident that left both of them bewildered and shocked, Jackie (Kate Dickie) confronts Clyde (Tony Curran). Clyde is someone from Jackie's past, but just how he's connected to her is still unknown. She simply crossed the street and started shouting at him, and he looks surprised and a bit afraid of her.

Red Road is the astonishing and unforgettable story of Jackie, a CCTV operator who must confront her past in order to wake up from the stupor of her self-imposed isolation.

“The film is called RED ROAD because it’s set in the Red Road flats,' explains Carrie Comerford, the film's producer. These flats are so recognizable that they have become a landmark in that part of Glasgow. But the film could have been made in any other city and Jackie’s story would remain the same.

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Film Review by Daphne Laura

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This film is based on actual case files about a serial killer named "Zodiac" with references from the books written by Robert Graysmith. Graysmith is the San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, who got obsessed with the case. David Fincher, who also helmed "Se7en", "Panic Room" and "Fight Club", uses a now familiar visual technique prominent in most of his films: dim, grainy images and a few jarring hand-held effects to depict the era/setting of the film. "Zodiac" starts in the late 60s and spans four decades.

To give the film more of a documentary feel, the time frame is shown on screen to indicate the evolution of the case. But it distracted me because I kept trying to figure out "8 weeks later from which month?". Well, I was never good in math anyway!

To escape from all the violence and chaos, his family decide to leave Beirut and emigrate to Sweden. His grandparents have already settled there and await them anxiously. But on the day the travel papers arrive, their house is shelled, killing everyone instantly, except Zozo and his older brother. As they escape from the bombing, they encounter a group of soldiers who begin firing at them. Running for their lives, his brother orders him to hide inside a garbage bin. That is the last he hears of him. With only his grandparents alive, he has to find his way to the airport and begin a new life...

Directed by Josef Fares (who was himself born in Beirut and emigrated to Sweden), Zozo is almost an autobiographical movie. Using a refreshing combination of fantasy, comedy and drama, Zozo takes a look at how a young boy's life is affected by the tragic death of his family, his struggles to move on, and the challenges he has to face in order to fit in a society so different and sometimes so hostile to him.

Directed by Gaspar Noé | written by Gaspar Noé | starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Jo Prestia... | Running time 97 min.

Review by Rina H.

Titled the “most walked-out-of movie of the year” by American magazine Newsweek, Irréversible was the most controversial and shocking movie at Cannes in 2002.
With on one hand graphic violence and an eight minutes long rape scene and on the other hand interesting camera shots and a high amount of realistic flair. the movie split its audience into two camps.

The story can be told in a few sentences. After a conflict with her boyfriend Marcus (Vincent Cassel) at a friend’s party, Alex (Monica Bellucci) leaves to walk back home. On her way she is brutally raped and beaten up by a man (Jo Prestia) in a lonely underpass and falls into a coma. Driven by rage and a desire for revenge Marcus and his friend Pierre (Albert Dupontel) search for the rapist and turn into cruel and brutal animals themselves.

Directed by Laurie Collyer | Written by Laurie Collyer | Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Trejo, Brian William Henke
Distributed by IFC Films | Running Time: 96 minutes

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Film Review by Daphne Laura
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This film explores the journey of one woman to find her place in this world amidst several difficult but very realistic challenges. Sherry Swanson is a single mother recently released after 3 years in prison for drug-related offenses. Her ultimate concern is to reconnect with her young daughter, Alexis. The child, who lives with Sherry's brother Bobby and his wife Lynnette, is too young to remember her and is often manipulated to call her Sherry instead of "Mommy".

A film set in very basic surroundings with minimal effects, its simplistic approach belies the heavy human drama it aims to expose. We witness the various emotional upheavals that Sherry struggles to overcome. We cheer her on as she connects with her daughter. We cringe at the way that she handles her job interviews. We are repulsed by the manner in which Sherry's father treats her. We pity her when she unravels after she discovers certain disturbing facts. Yet amidst such dramatic moments, we don't judge her for her shortcomings and her failures in life.

Directed by Tom Tykwer | Starring Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Jessica Schwarz, Karoline Herfurth
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures (USA), Constantin Film (Germany), Pathé (UK) | Running time 147 min.


Review by Jed Medina and Kathleen Sydenham

"For the first time in his life, he realized that he had no scent!" exclaims the narrator.

It is a shocking revelation for Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw). Reluctantly, he has come to the conclusion that he is probably the most isolated man in the world, and that one day he will die and leave no trace of his existence. In this state of mind, he promises himself that he will not die unnoticed, that he will be remembered, that he will be a 'somebody'.

Directed by Neil Burger | Written by Steven Millhauser (Short story) Neil Burger (Screenplay) | Starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan

Distributed by Yari Film Group Releasing | Running time 110 min

Review by Jed Medina

"It's all an illusion!" exclaims Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). He is trying desperately to convince Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) that the illusionist Eisenheim (Edward Norton) has created an elaborate plot to discredit him and bring down the royal house of Vienna.

Based loosely on the Steven Millhauser's story "Eisenheim the Illusionist", this film tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician in Vienna during the 19th century. Interweaving the past and the present through the use of flashbacks, the film is a visual feast as it explores the themes of love, magic, betrayal and intrigue.

Nicholas Hytner – Director | Alan Bennett - Writer (Screenplay) | Alan Bennett - Writer (Play) | Pádraig Cusack – Producer | Cast include Samuel Anderson, James Corden, Stephen Campbell Moore, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Andrew Knott, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, Dominic Cooper, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Barnett


Film review by Jamie Garwood

The screen adaptation of Alan Bennett’s award-winning play re-unites the director and the original twelve leads from the London cast. This could have caused problems but because of the dynamic chemistry already existing between the cast members, the proof is definitely in the performances. The film is a perfect vehicle for Richard Griffiths, allowing a great theatrical performance to be seen in mainstream cinema, and his Hector is certainly deserving of accolades. It is a pity that Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore), the new teacher who works in a different way to Hector, gets somewhat lost in the shuffle.