BBBB (out of 5) A con man in 1940s Italy travels from village to village filming people for bogus screen tests and promising that one day he’ll come back for them and make them famous. It’s a solid moneymaking operation until one day he meets a young lady entirely devoted to the fake dream he … More The Star Maker (L’Uomo Delle Stelle)
BBBB (out of 5) A Swedish film about a fifteen year-old boy, on the verge of puberty, having sexual liaisons with his teacher might sound like Debbie Does Mr. Chips meets I Am Curious (Yellow), but this is a terrific coming-of-ager. The young man in question (played by director Bo Wiederberg’s son Johan) has a … More All Things Fair (Lust Och Fagring Stor)
BBBBB (out of 5) When a group of known offenders are gathered as possible suspects in a highly publicized crime, their time spent together gives them the opportunity to hatch a brilliant scam. I won’t say anything else so as to not give away all the explosive surprises, except that it’s brilliantly acted and marvelously … More The Usual Suspects
BBB (out of 5) Gone are the good old days of Tim Burton’s menacingly creepy Gotham City. Director Joel Schumacher has turned the Caped Crusader’s hometown into a bloated colour parade, beautifully designed but also a bit ridiculous. This time, Batman (Val Kilmer filling in for Michael Keaton) must tackle two new villains, the Riddler (a … More Batman Forever
BBBB (out of 5) Peaceful little romance about an illiterate fisherman (Massimo Troisi) who takes a job delivering mail to his village’s new visitor, the famous poet Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret). When Troisi realizes that he has developed feelings of love for a local barmaid (Maria Grazia Cucinotta), he asks Neruda to help him woo … More The Postman (Il Postino)
BB.5 (out of 5) Multiple generations of a Latino-American family in California are narrated in this middling saga by Gregory Nava (El Norte). Edward James Olmos is the standout in the cast (and sadly the most underused) as a writer who tells us about his relatives, starting with his father who as a young man crossed the … More My Family (Mi Familia)
BBBB (out of 5) Those who enjoyed the Meryl Streep film Music of the Heart should definitely get a look at the documentary that inspired it. Originally titled Fiddlefest when it was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Documentary Feature, the film follows violin teacher Roberta Guaspari as she goes from school to school in … More Small Wonders (Fiddlefest)
