AltWeeklies Wire
Out of the Pastnew
Brick transfers Dashiell Hammett's hard-boiled universe to the modern high school campus with nary a clue that more than a half-century has passed since the Continental Op's heyday.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
04-07-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Brick, Rian Johnson
Hell on Earthnew
Hot new Mexican director Carlos Reygadas is back with his second feature, which pushes his unflinching imagery into provocative realms.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
04-07-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Carlos Reygadas, Battle in Heaven
Poet and Activist Praisednew
John Trudell, the Native American rights activist, is the subject of this reverential biographical portrait that feels more like a press package than a full-fledged biopic.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-31-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Heather Rae, Trudell
Small Face, Big Impactnew
This rock documentary about musician Ronnie Lane can be described in one word (or is it three?): Ooh la la.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-31-2006 |
Reviews
Exoneratednew
Like the criminal justice system it portrays, Find Me Guilty ultimately works a great deal better than you might expect.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-31-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Sidney Lumet, Find Me Guilty
Blank Slate Equals Movie's Fatenew
The ambitions of this intriguing documentary about one man's amnesia far outweigh its accomplishments.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-24-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Rupert Murray, Unknown White Male
Leader of the Pack Felled by a Babynew
Winner of the 2005 Best Foreign Language Oscar, this South African entry is a harsh but ultimately redemptive tale of a young gang leader who lives in a Johannesburg shantytown.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-24-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Gavin Hood, Tsotsi
See What They Do to Younew
How did Jonathan Demme and Neil Young made a film about a concert attended by an audience of Nashville spirits?
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-10-2006 |
Profiles & Interviews
Who's That Knocking on the Door?new
This Italian film presents a modern parable about a Palestinian family, whose home in the West Bank is abruptly taken over by Israeli soldiers.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-10-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Private, Saverio Costanzo
A Hip-Hop Happeningnew
Although the film hasn't the distinctive fingerprints of Eternal Sunshine director Michel Gondry, Chappelle's party is nevertheless a fun blast of impromptu musicmaking, filmmaking, and comedy.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-02-2006 |
Reviews
Muscovite Mayhemnew
Russia's highest box-office grosser (until the release of its sequel) is a stylish sci-fi thriller that's filled with adrenaline-fueled pacing, an abundance of gory effects, a death metal soundtrack, and a convoluted narrative that puts The Matrix to shame.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-02-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Timur Bekmambetov, Night Watch
Inclement Clevelandnew
Meredith's debut film is a Chekhov-inspired collection of semi-intertwined vignettes about a half-dozen or so depressed people living in Cleveland, and features an impressive cast.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
03-02-2006 |
Reviews
Jones Brands the Westernnew
Don't let the near-impossible-to-remember title keep you away from this singular and slightly surreal scorcher.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
02-23-2006 |
Reviews
A Long Way From Alphavillenew
This Cameroonian-French science fiction satire with Godardian influences is as fascinating as it is obscure.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
02-23-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Les Saignantes
Wait for the Fire Next Timenew
This Richard Price story about simmering racial tension that boils over during the course of a police investigation is scattershot and erratic.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
02-16-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Freedomland, Joe Roth
