An Israeli clan takes its Broken Wings and tries to fly again
By Bill Gallo,
April 15, 2004
In Israeli writer-director Nir Bergman's Broken Wings, we never see an automatic weapon, a military roadblock or a horrific explosion on a city... More>>
Connie and Carla models a classic but ends up being a drag
By Bill Gallo,
April 15, 2004
When we first see the title characters of Connie and Carla, a penny-dreadful imitation of one of Hollywood's most inimitable comedies, they are... More>>
Neil Young charts his Greendale via "a little love and affection"
By Gregory Weinkauf,
April 08, 2004
Up front, it's "full disclosure" time. Let it be confessed here, publicly, that I have never been a religious Neil Young fan. Always liked him... More>>
Intermission kicks through the debris of modern Ireland
By Gregory Weinkauf,
April 01, 2004
As a proud sponsor of the Colin Farrell media blitz, Intermission opens on the lad's salable mug, basically sporting the same buzz-cut 'n' tats... More>>
Sudanese refugees struggle to make their way in America
By Melissa Levine,
April 01, 2004
Those of us who grew up in the United States may be weary of our country's claims of freedom and opportunity. Faced with a wobbly quote from our... More>>
This Roman Holiday redux sacrifices itself for a happy ending
By Melissa Levine,
April 01, 2004
She's a pre-med farm girl intent on administering to the world's suffering children. He's a car-racing Danish prince looking to shed the burdens... More>>
The Golden Age of the Comic Book Movie has turned the color of tarnished copper. But there is no going back, not when comic shops have become... More>>
Family man Smith goes soft in a story about a Girl
By Robert Wilonsky,
March 25, 2004
Jersey Girl, the sixth film by writer-director Kevin Smith, is the least Kevin Smith-y film he's ever made, which will be welcome news to those... More>>
Tom Hanks steals the Coens' latest by playing--get this--very broad and funny
By Robert Wilonsky,
March 25, 2004
The Ladykillers is the second film in as many years made by Joel and Ethan Coen to fill space between pet projects that seem to run off leash;... More>>
The belated holiday anime Tokyo Godfathers is a genre-bending offer you shouldn't refuse
By Luke Y. Thompson,
March 25, 2004
Viewers rightfully marvel at the colorful CG seascapes of Finding Nemo and the unique drawing style of The Triplets of Belleville, but when it... More>>
Inside the Spotless Mind is a big and beating heart
By Robert Wilonsky,
March 18, 2004
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in which a man has recollections of a soured relationship erased from his brain, may be the most romantic... More>>
A sweet German film pokes fun at East Berlin life after communism
By Melissa Levine,
March 18, 2004
If you were a college-aged East Berliner in October 1989, chances are that your time was occupied by one of several things. Protesting comes to... More>>
The problem with Spartan isn't so much that it's mediocre, but that it could be a whole lot better. Unlike writer-director David Mamet's last... More>>
An Afghan girl faces the terror of life under the Taliban
By Melissa Levine,
March 11, 2004
If you were expecting the first film to emerge from Afghanistan since the defeat of the Taliban to be even remotely celebratory, you'll have to... More>>
Like America's current leaders, Viggo and Hidalgo try to "enlighten" the Arabs with Western justice
By Bill Gallo,
March 04, 2004
At first glance, Hidalgo seems to be nothing more than an old-fashioned, flat-footed adventure epic plunked down on a vast stretch of desert and... More>>
Bernardo Bertolucci revisits young love with The Dreamers
By Gregory Weinkauf,
March 04, 2004
It is so very nice when a movie completely outstrips the expectations conjured by its trailer, as is the case with The Dreamers. At first blush,... More>>
This Jew has spent several hours in the past week reading all four Gospels, as well as various supplementary (and often inflammatory) texts, upon... More>>
What's a great actor doing in a dump like Mooseport?
By Robert Wilonsky,
February 19, 2004
Seldom over the course of a relatively storied career has Gene Hackman garnered sustained laughter in films billed as comedies. He's wondrous at... More>>
