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Fishing Without Nets

Directed by Cutter Hodierne Somali, with English subtitles Released by Vice Films USA/Kenya/Somalia. 110 min. Rated R Fishing Without Nets is a beautifully shot, intelligent, and engaging, if somewhat clichéd and obvious, story about a group of Somali pirates who capture a cargo ship. It’s kind of a reverse mirror of Captain Phillips. Or Captain […]

Snowpiercer

Directed by Bong Joon-ho Written by Bong and Kelly Masterson, based on a screen story by Bong and the graphic novel Le Transperceneige, by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette; Produced by Tae Sung Jeong, Steven Nam, Park Chan-wook and Lee Tae-hun Released by Radius-TWC South Korea/USA/France/Czech Republic. 126 min. Rated R With Chris […]

The Rover

Directed by David Michôd Produced by Liz Watts, David Linde and Michôd Written by Michôd, story by Michôd and Joel Edgerton Released by A24 Australia/USA. 102 min. Rated R With Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field, Anthony Hayes, Gillian Jones, Susan Prior, Richard Green, Tawanda Manyimo, and James Fallon With The Rover, David […]

Genre Films | Cannes 2014

The Directors’ Fortnights at the Cannes Film Festival was established in 1969 as an alternative to the official selection, as a way of opening the door to “free and adventurous cinema” (per its program guide) and promoting new directors. It has since become a showcase for the up-and-coming, spotlighting Martin Scorsese, Michael Haneke, Werner Herzog, […]

Journey to the West

Directed by Stephen Chow Produced by Chow and Ivy Kong Written by Chow, Derek Kwok, Huo Xin, Wang Yun, Fung Chih Chiang, Lu Zheng Yu, Lee Sheung Ching and Kong Released by Magnet Releasing Mandarin with English subtitles China. 110 min. Rated PG-13 With Wen Zhang, Shu Qi, Huang Bo, and Show Lo Stephen Chow’s […]

Man of Tai Chi

Directed by Keanu Reeves Produced by Lemore Syvan Written by Matthew G. Cooney Released by Radius/TWC USA/China/Hong Kong. 105 min. Rated R With Tiger Chen, Keanu Reeves, Karen Mok, Simon Yam, Ye Qing & Yu Hai The first thought that comes to mind when looking at the trailer for Man of Tai Chi is “Aw, […]

All Is Lost

Written & Directed by J. C. Chandor Produced by Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb, Justin Nappi & Teddy Schwarzman Released by Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions USA. 107 min. PG-13 With Robert Redford This steadily absorbing man-adrift-on-a-damaged-sailboat saga has possibly the three most suspenseful sequences of the year and in many ways blows another survival-against-the odds-odyssey, Gravity, out of […]

Machete Kills

Directed by Robert Rodriguez Written by Kyle Ward, based on a story by Robert Rodriguez & Marcel Rodriguez; Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Rick Schwartz, Sergei Bespalov, Alexander Rodnyansky, Aaron Kaufman & Iliana Nikolic Released by Open Road Films USA. 107 min. Not rated With Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Antonio Banderas, Cuba […]

The Guillotines

Directed by Andrew Lau Produced by Peter Ho-Sun Chan & Jojo Hui Yuet-chun Written by Aubrey Lam & Joyce Chan; Released by Well Go USA Mandarin with English subtitles. China/Hong Kong. 113. Rated R With Huang Xiaoming, Ethan Juan, Shawn Yue & Li Yuchun The latest film from director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs) kicks off […]