AltWeeklies Wire
Filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern Review the First Part of Their Legacynew
Although their films have predominantly, and famously, dealt with pressing social issues and human drama, Stern and Sundberg do not necessarily see themselves as "issue-oriented" filmmakers.
Durham Artist Beverly McIver Lifts Curtain on Her Life in 'Raising Renee'new
Raising Renee follows Beverly McIver as she brings her sister Renee -- who developmentally is akin to a third grader -- into her home and her life as a painter and university professor just as her career is taking off.
Would-be Woody Allen-ish Indie 'happythankyoumoreplease'new
Writer-director-star Josh Radnor's film, placed in a superficially recognizable but lifeless version of Manhattan's East Village, is full of distractingly dissonant moments.
'The Conspirator' is Studious but Inertnew
The film's opening act is a well-crafted recounting of the conspiracy, and Robert Redford's attention to detail is impressive throughout, but we're left puzzling over the figures at the center of the diorama.
Tags: Robert Redford, The Conspirator
Full Frame 2011 Brief Film Reviewsnew
Our writers watched as many of the films as possible, but this list isn't exhaustive.
'The Loving Story' Looks at a Landmark in Marriage Equality and Civil Rightsnew
Directed and co-produced by Nancy Buirski, The Loving Story chronicles Mildred and Richard Loving's life leading up to the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, in which the court unanimously overturned that state's miscegenation laws.
Full Frame 2011: The Festival Enters its Second Decadenew
In a couple of significant ways, this year's festival seems to mark a sea change.
'Hanna' is Filled with Precocious Kids and Corrupt Adultsnew
A stylized fable whose substance doesn't measure up to its resounding razzmatazz, Hanna is a blend of breathless chase thriller and fairy-tale conceit.
Tags: Joe Wright, Hanna
Cary Fukunaga's 'Jane Eyre' Disappointsnew
With so few opportunities given to female directors, it seems a shame the producers picked the wrong man for this job.
Grappling with Demons in 'Win Win'new
Win Win is director Tom McCarthy's most accessible yet subtly subversive film to date, one that manages to both celebrate the virtues of middle-class America while laying bare some unpleasant human frailties.
Tags: Tom McCarthy, Win Win
The Daunting Struggles of Africa's Big Catsnew
Regrettably, the crisis that 'The Last Lions' is designed to raise awareness of -- the lion population is down from half a million to about 20,000 -- is underexplored. But the footage is never less than astounding.
No More Working For the Man in Made in Dagenhamnew
Dagenham is a suburb on the east side of London and, in 1968, was home to a Ford automotive plant. Several thousand worked there, including 187 women who were assigned the job of cutting and stitching the upholstery for the cars.
Sofia Coppola's Hollywood Movie Somewhere Strips the Glamournew
Many scenes are wordless, most are simply conceived and beautifully executed, almost all are poignant, and only rarely do they seem to editorialize.
Tags: Sofia Coppola, Somewhere
Cedar Rapids Finds Joy in the Midwestnew
Cedar Rapids is one of the most adorable movies featuring drugs, alcohol, infidelity, prostitution, bribery and a fleeting moment of sidelong racism that you'll ever see.
Slasher Flick Bereavement is a "Poor Man's Eli Roth"new
No horror trope goes unexploited, from the emotionally scarred youngster to the derelict slaughterhouse to the comely damsel in distress.
