Category Archives: Film

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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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Denis Cote’s ‘All That She Wants’

Posted on August 14, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Shot in atmospheric black-and-white but lacking clear exposition, Quebec filmmaker Denis Cote’s “All That She Wants” tries without success to combine a gritty crime story with a portrait of loneliness. The French title suggests … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Kirill Serebrennikov’s ‘Yuri’s Day’

Posted on August 14, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Reality takes a back seat in Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov’s puzzling fable “Yuri’s Day,” in which an internationally famous opera star abandons everything to become the incarnation of Mother Russia. Intriguing at first, the … Continue reading →

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LOCARNO FILM REVIEW: Lance Daly’s ‘Kisses’

Posted on August 13, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LOCARNO, Switzerland – Two little Irish kids flee their abusive homes on a bleak estate and ride a barge into the center of Dublin for a night of adventure and stark terror in Lance Daly’s captivating feature … Continue reading →

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