Monthly Archives: May 2008

CANNES FILM REVIEW BRIEF: Andreas Dresen’s ‘Cloud 9’

Posted on May 18, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – The 30-year itch proves to be pretty much like the seven-year version in German director Andreas Dresen’s “Cloud 9” in Un Certain Regard at the Festival de Cannes. It’s a cautionary tale about infidelity that … Continue reading →

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: James Toback’s ‘Tyson’

Posted on May 18, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – When he’s not pounding very large men to the ground, ex-fighter Mike Tyson speaks directly to the camera in James Toback’s film “Tyson” and it’s hard not to flinch. More a testimony for the defense … Continue reading →

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: ‘The Seven Days’

Posted on May 18, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – The rule imposed on the family spending a week in mourning in Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz’s “The Seven Days” requires a demonstration of pious grief lest people talk. But there is so much talk in … Continue reading →

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CANNES: Woody goes Spanish for ‘Barcelona’ soundtrack

Posted on May 18, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – As usual, Woody Allen has scored his new movie, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (which stars Penelope Cruz, left) with synch tracks but instead of the American standards that accompany his Manhattan movies, this time he’s gone … Continue reading →

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CANNES FILM REVIEW BRIEF: ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’

Posted on May 18, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Woody Allen and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe (“The Sea Inside,” “The Others”) make the most of the scenery in the comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, which screened Out of Competition at the Festival de Cannes, but the … Continue reading →

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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Steve McQueen’s ‘Hunger’

Posted on May 17, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen brings the key tenets required to win Britain’s top honor for modern art to directing his first film, “Hunger,” and so it is trite, grim and feebly provocative. It tells … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Polly Stenham’s ‘That Face’

Posted on May 16, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett Polly Stenham wrote “That Face,” a play about the disintegration of a well-off family, when she was 19 but you wouldn’t know it until the shrieking of two siblings and their estranged parents goes from strident to … Continue reading →

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‘I Served the King of England’ opens in the UK

Posted on May 9, 2008 by admin

The best film I saw at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival was called “I Served the King of England” and today it is released finally in the U.K., first at London’s Barbican Centre and then to select cinemas nationally. Smart, … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Tony Harrison’s ‘Fram’ at the National

Posted on May 9, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON — The title of British theatrical poet Tony Harrison’s new play, “Fram,” means “forward” in Norwegian, but a better name for it would be whatever in that language means “awkward.” “Fram” was the name of the … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh film festival preview

Posted on May 7, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The Edinburgh International Film Festival, which has moved this year from its traditional August slot to June, announced its lineup today with 142 feature films from 29 countries including 15 world premieres. The 11-day event … Continue reading →

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