Category Archives: Reviews

KVIFF FILM REVIEW: Tomas Masin’s ‘3 Seasons in Hell’

Posted on July 6, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic – Tomas Masin’s “3 Seasons in Hell” tells of the terror that ensued in Czechoslovakia in 1948 when, having just emerged from the hell of Nazi occupation, the country was overrun by the … Continue reading →

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KVIFF FILM REVIEW: ‘The Woman With a Broken Nose’

Posted on July 5, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic – “The Woman With a Broken Nose” tells of a woman with a bloody face who jumps out of a taxi stuck in heavy traffic in the rain and leaps from a bridge. … Continue reading →

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KVIFF FILM REVIEW: Jan Sverak’s ‘Kooky’

Posted on July 5, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic – Czech filmmaker Jan Sverak, whose “Kolya” won the 1997 Oscar for best foreign language film, has created a little gem with his latest, “Kooky”, which combines puppetry with animation and live action. … Continue reading →

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KVIFF FILM REVIEW: Agusti Vila’s ‘The Mosquito Net’

Posted on July 5, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic – The title of Barcelona-born filmmaker Agusti Vila’s “The Mosquito Net” refers to a story created by one of the characters about a girl who is scared to death because she’s afraid of … Continue reading →

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EDINBURGH FILM REVIEW: Hattie Dalton’s ‘Third Star’

Posted on June 27, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH – Four men go on a camping trip to Wales seeking a memorable beach from childhood, but one of them is dying and his motives might be different in Hattie Dalton’s gloomy drama “Third Star.” Screened … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘As You Like It’, ‘The Tempest’

Posted on June 24, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Sam Mendes brings his Bridge Project back to the Old Vic for the second year but while the pairing of “As You Like It” and “The Tempest” makes enjoyable theater, the productions lack the vitality … Continue reading →

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EDINBURGH FILM REVIEW: ‘Jackboots on Whitehall’

Posted on June 20, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH – Some top UK stars, including Ewan McGregor, Alan Cumming, Tom Wilkinson and Rosamund Pike, lend their voices to the characters in “Jackboots on Whitehall,” a puppet animation comedy in the spirit of “Team America” but … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Ruth Wilson in ‘Through a Glass Darkly’

Posted on June 17, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – A sense of claustrophobia permeates the films of Ingmar Bergman and it’s especially strong in his 1961 Oscar-winner “Through a Glass Darkly” so high marks are due to Michael Attenborough who matches that in his … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Terence Rattigan’s ‘After the Dance’

Posted on June 9, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Portraying apparent wastrels who actually have genuine character and feelings is never easy but the National Theatre’s production of Terence Rattigan’s seldom produced 1939 play “After the Dance” succeeds wonderfully. Rattigan’s hit plays included “Separate … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Simon Gray’s ‘The Late Middle Classes’

Posted on June 2, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Simon Gray’s “The Late Middle Classes” is an exquisite delineation of 1950s English pretensions when snobbery and prejudice strived to hold their own against the post-war shattering of illusions. It’s a brittle little tale that … Continue reading →

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