Category Archives: Locarno International Film Festival

LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Valerie Donzelli’s ‘The Queen of Hearts’

Posted on August 18, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – “The Queen of Hearts” (La Reine des Pommes) is a frothy but lame Parisian sex farce about a young woman who cannot get over being dumped by her boyfriend and so sets out to … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Ho Yuhang’s ‘At the End of Daybreak’

Posted on August 18, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Malaysian director Ho Yuhang composes some arresting images in “At the End of Daybreak,” his film of two youngsters who discover that their society’s rules leave little room for youthful mistakes. A cautionary tale … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Babak Jalali’s ‘Frontier Blues’

Posted on August 18, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Intended to offer a droll portrait of eccentric characters living in the northern region of Iran next to the Turkmenistan border, Babak Jalali’s “Frontier Blues” will test the patience of audiences waiting for anything … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Francois Rotger’s ‘Story of Jen’

Posted on August 17, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – A woman who gave birth to her daughter at 14 strives hard to stop history repeating itself but the girl’s impetuous passions pose a challenge in Francois Rotger’s complex drama “Story of Jen.” Set … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Pan Jianlin’s ‘Feast of Villains’

Posted on August 17, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Slow moving and marred by nondescript performances, Chinese filmmaker Pan Jianlin’s “Feast of Villains” describes the terrible state of affairs that afflicts the poor when dealing with faceless institutions. Obviously heartfelt and deserving attention … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Howard McCain’s ‘Outlander’

Posted on August 16, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Here’s a twist for fans of creature features: Aliens versus Vikings. There’s no reason to suppose that if extra-terrestrials visit Earth it has to be in modern times. In Howard McCain’s “Outlander,” futuristic terrors … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Enroque Rivero’s ‘Parque Via’

Posted on August 15, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Mexican director Enrique Rivero’s first feature film “Parque Via” is the study of a simple man who lives alone and really likes it that way. Slow and repetitious, it uses the structure of a … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Federico Bondi’s ‘Black Sea’

Posted on August 15, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – A clash of cultures and generations gives way to understanding and friendship in Federico Bondi’s touching “Black Sea” (Mar Nero) in which a grouchy Italian widow slowly bonds with her young Romanian caregiver. Acclaimed … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Mijke de Jong’s ‘Katia’s Sister’

Posted on August 14, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Dutch director Mijke de Jong’s “Katia’s Sister” is an observant snapshot of a young woman who is the heart and soul of an all-female Russian ex-patriot family living in Amsterdam. It features an endearing … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: ‘The Market – A Tale of Trade’

Posted on August 14, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – An uneven saga about capitalism’s capacity to corrupt the innocent, Ben Hopkins’s “The Market – A Tale of Trade” tries to blend whimsy with harsh reality but doesn’t quite pull it off. Set in … Continue reading →

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