Film-Forward

Documentary

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?

Directed by Michel Gondry Produced by Georges Bermann, Gondry, Raffi Adlan & Julie Fong Released by Sundance Selects France. 90 min. Not rated During the screening of Michel Gondry’s latest film, Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (more on that title in a moment), I couldn’t help but take some notes. But it wasn’t […]

Narco Cultura

Directed by Shaul Schwarz Produced by Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen & Todd Hagopian Released by Cinedigm English & Spanish, with English subtitles. USA. 102 min. Rated R Welcome to the surreal, macho, and denial filled world of narcocorridos. This popular and controversial musical style is inspired by the drama of narco-traffickers and their violent […]

Weekend of a Champion

Written & Directed By Frank Simon Produced By Roman Polanski Presented By Brett Ratner Released by Submarine Deluxe It isn’t until the present-day postscript to 1972’s Weekend of a Champion that the question is posed to Roman Polanski: What compelled you to make this film? The man asking the legendary director is a legend in […]

Bettie Page Reveals All

Produced & Directed by Mark Mori Written by Douglas Miller Released by Music Box Films USA. 101 min. Rated R Narrated by Bettie Page The black bangs, the sweetly naughty come hither look, the mind-boggling curves. Bettie Page is arguably the most iconic pinup model of all time, with her alluring image gracing everything from […]

Medora

Directed by Andrew Cohn & Davy Rothbart Produced by Andrew Cohn, Davy Rothbart & Rachel Dengiz USA. 82 min. Not rated High school basketball occupies a kingly place in Indiana; the film Hoosiers quickly comes to mind. No matter the size of the school or town, people are devoted to their local team. This documentary […]

The Armstrong Lie

Written & Directed by Alex Gibney Produced by Frank Marshall, Matt Tolmach & Gibney Released by Sony Pictures Classics USA. 123 min. Rated R “Exhaustive.” That’s the best description for Alex Gibney’s thorough 123-minute scrutiny of Lance Armstrong and his now tainted sports record. In particular, he zeroes in on Armstrong’s ill-fated 2009 Tour de […]

Birth of the Living Dead

Edited, Written, Produced & Directed  by Rob Kuhns Released by First Run Features USA. 76 Minutes, Not rated Feat George Romero, Elvis Mitchell & Larry Fessenden The first thing you must know before you see this documentary about the cultural impact of 1968’s Night of the Living Dead is that it’s not necessary in the […]

Approved for Adoption

Directed by Jung Henin & Laurent Boileau Written by Henin Released by GKids Belgium/France. 75 min. Not rated Currently there is a great deal of debate about the exportation of children from war-torn and other traumatized countries. A large number of adult international adoptees agree that the best option is always for a child to […]

At Berkeley

Edited & Directed by Frederick Wiseman Released by Zipporah Films USA. 244 min. Not Rated At Berkeley is director Frederick Wiseman’s 38th film since 1967, in what he calls “my series about contemporary institutions.” His first on a college campus (the University of California at Berkeley) unfolds just over four hours. It’s a teaching lesson […]