by Warren Curry
12/15/2011
Just before sitting down to write this review, I decided to go online and watch the trailer for “Carnage,” the new film from 78-year-old Roman Polanski. It’s an exceptional trailer — one that promises snappy dialogue, great chemistry among a stellar cast and cruelly quirky characters. To a certain degree, the film delivers the aforementioned qualities — but in a much lower dosage than the trailer would lead you to believe.
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by Warren Curry
12/5/11
It’s interesting to consider how Ozzy Osbourne has changed (and how public perception of him has changed) over the past four decades. Once the vocalist for one of the most important bands in the annals of heavy rock music who embarked on a shockingly successful — and controversial — solo career before having an image makeover as the star of a popular reality television series, Osbourne’s life has indeed been a memorable one. He is certainly a subject worthy of a feature length documentary film.
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by Warren Curry
10/20/2011
If you’re unfamiliar with Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, “Le Havre” is an excellent entry point to his work. The filmmaker’s style can be described as deadpan, lighthearted, comical and understated, all qualities that apply to his latest effort, which emerged from the 2011 Cannes Film Festival with many favorable reviews (and is now Finland’s entry for the best foreign language film Oscar). Though Kaurismäki is still pretty much an unknown quantity in the U.S., he’s quite well regarded in the international critical community.
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by Warren Curry
10/19/2011
The towering Ukranian brothers, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, have the distinction of being the only siblings to simultaneously be boxing world heavyweight champions. Right now, the brothers enjoy such dominance that what’s historically been the sport’s most popular division has become something of an afterthought (at least in the U.S.). Director Sebastian Dehnhardt’s documentary traces the brothers’ lives from their humble beginnings to their current standing as boxing superstars (especially in their adopted home country, Germany).
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by Warren Curry
10/8/2011
The Los Angeles punk, funk, ska, rock, etc. band Fishbone emerged as something of a cult group in the ’80s, then saw their popularity break into the mainstream in the early ’90s, before slowly drifting into obscurity later in the decade. Those who were fans of the band in their heyday might even be surprised to learn Fishbone is still an active recording, touring unit, though only two original members remain. Lev Anderson’s and Chris Metzler’s highly entertaining yet fairly sloppy documentary tells the story of the band, sometimes in minute detail and other times in very broad strokes. It’s a fun ride albeit one that’s structurally aloof.
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