Monthly Archives: September 2010

TIFF FILM FESTIVAL: Justin Lerner’s ‘Girlfriend’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Justin Lerner’s “Girlfriend” claims to be the first U.S. feature film to star a person with Down syndrome, namely Evan Sneider who plays a young man with a major crush on a single mom he’s … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Rowan Joffe’s ‘Brighton Rock’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Rowan Joffe’s film of Graham Greene’s 1938 novel “Brighton Rock” takes a gothic approach to the story of a young thug obsessed with hell with little of the writer’s subtlety and too much reliance on … Continue reading

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THEATER REVIEW: ‘Les Miserables – 25th Anniversary’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – In a reasonable world, 25 years should see fans of strident caterwauling  sated sufficiently, but here is “Les Miserables” in a new production to celebrate the show’s quarter century. It has returned to London’s Barbican from … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Hilary Swank in ‘Conviction’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Tony Goldwyn’s “Conviction” is a soundly constructed tale of an individual fighting against a travesty of justice with Hilary Swank as a high school dropout who devotes her life to becoming a lawyer in order … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Mickey Rourke in ‘Passion Play’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Screenwriter Mitch Glazer’s first directorial effort, “Passion Play” starring Mickey Rourke and Megan Fox is a sentimental noir fable aimed at movie buffs with a soft spot for tough guys with tender hearts. Rourke in … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Clive Owen in ‘Trust’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – The title of David Schwimmer’s understated drama “Trust” derives from children and parents who have too much of it when dealing with the potential perils of internet chat rooms. Clive Owen provides a wrenching study … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Jeanne Labrune’s ‘Special Treatment’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Parisian sophistication is hard work in Jeanne Labrune’s ineffectual “Special Treatment,” which attempts to explore the similarities between prostitution and psychoanalysis. Isabelle Huppert plays a 40-ish uptown hooker bored with her chosen career path who … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: ‘Made in Dagenham’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – The real-life tale of a group of female machinists who took on the Ford Motor Company in England and earned equal pay for women gets a rousing and entertaining telling in Nigel Cole’s crowd-pleasing “Made … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Khalo Matabane’s ‘State of Violence’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Khalo Matabane’s South Africa-set “State of Violence” is a sturdy and straightforward parable about the way violence becomes an endless cycle unless someone is prepared to put a stop to it. Its linear story is … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: ‘Behind Blue Skies’

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Swedish filmmaker Hannes Holm turns a jaundiced eye on 1970s idealism and nostalgia in “Behind Blue Skies” but its discordant elements leave it not as funny and penetrating as it was no doubt intended to … Continue reading

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