Watch Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (2004) Online

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (2004)Jacques Demy's 1964 masterpiece is a pop-art opera, or, to borrow the director's own description, a film in song. This simple romantic tragedy begins in 1957. Guy Foucher (Nino Castelnuovo), a 20-year-old French auto mechanic, has fallen in love with 17-year-old Geneviève Emery (a luminous Catherine Deneuve), an employee in her widowed mother's chic but financially embattled umbrella shop. On the evening before Guy is to leave for a two-year tour of combat in Algeria, he and Geneviève make love.

She becomes pregnant and must choose between waiting for Guy's return or accepting an offer of marriage from a wealthy diamond merchant (Marc Michel, reprising his role from Demy's masterful debut, Lola). A completely sung movie, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is closest in form to a cinematic opera. Composer Michel Legrand composed the score, modeling it around the patterns of everyday conversation. Umbrellas was re-released in 1997. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

G, 1 hr. 35 min.
Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International
Directed By: Jacques Demy
Written By: Jacques Demy
In Theaters: Feb 13, 2004 Limited

7.7

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (2004)

Watch Moolaadé (2004) Online

Moolaadé (2004)Pioneering Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene directed this controversial drama which deals in part with the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (generally involving removal of the clitoris and temporary closure of the vagina), which is still practiced in a number of African nations in the name of "purification." Six girls who are scheduled to undergo the traditional purification ceremony escape, and four make their way to the home of Colle Ardo Gallo Sy (Fatoumata Coulibaly), a wife and mother who is sympathetic to their dilemma. Colle casts a "moolaade" spell, which will bring harm to anyone who attempts to hurt those under Colle's care. Colle finds few supporters in a village where tradition is sacred and change is regarded with great suspicion; the men who rule the tribe and the women who conduct the purification rituals both make their displeasure clear, but none can persuade Colle to vanquish the spell, which the others are obligated to respect. Meanwhile, Colle's daughter Amsatou (Salimata Traore) is facing a dilemma of her own. Amsatou has fallen in love with a young man who will one day inherit leadership of the tribe; a man who straddles traditional and modern life, he shuttles between an office job in Paris and the village of his birth.

But, while he cares for Amsatou, her mother spared her from the purification ritual, and now she's uncertain if he will be willing to violate centuries of tribal tradition and wed a woman who is unclean in the eyes of his family. Moolaadé was awarded the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 2 hr.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Ousmane Sembene
Written By: Ousmane Sembene
In Theaters: Oct 15, 2004 Limited

7.5

Moolaadé (2004)

Watch Take Out (2004) Online

Take Out (2004)Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou make their feature debut as writer/directors with the documentary-style DV drama Take Out. Korean-American actor Charles Jang stars as Ming Ding, a Chinese illegal immigrant struggling to make ends meet working as a deliveryman at a take-out restaurant. His day begins when he is rousted, beaten, and threatened with more violence by two men over an 800-dollar debt, which he incurred because he felt obligated to send some money back to his wife and child in China. Ming scrapes together what he can.

His co-worker, Young (Jeng-Hua Yu), lends him some money, and offers to forgo his deliveries for the day so Ming can make more cash. The film follows the stoic Ming, who speaks little English, over the course of the day as he interacts with the cooks and restaurant manager (Wang-Thye Lee, an actual employee of the restaurant where Take Out was filmed), and races in the rain on a multitude of deliveries on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, interacting with a broad spectrum of New Yorkers. The filmmakers made Take Out on an extremely low budget, even by indie standards, using the Internet to find their cast, and shooting at the restaurant during business hours with a skeleton crew. Take Out was shown at the 2004 New York Asian American Film Festival and at the 2004 Nashville Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Sean Baker , Shih-Ching Tsou
In Theaters: Jan 18, 2004 Wide

6.5

Take Out (2004)

Watch Live-in Maid (Cama adentro) (2004) Online

Live-in Maid (Cama adentro) (2004)A once-wealthy Buenos Aires socialite who has fallen on hard times finds the roles between herself and her longtime live-in maid suddenly reversed in director Jorge Gaggero's class-conscious drama. Mrs. Beba is a 58-year-old woman whose days as a well-to-do socialite have long since passed, and Dora is the 51-year-old housekeeper who has been Mrs. Beba's live-in housekeeper for 35 years. As a successive cycle of personal and financial crises force Mrs. Beba to sell door-to-door beauty products as a way of making ends meet, she finds it increasingly difficult to pay her employee in a timely manner. Since Dora has been using her money to construct a house in a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, this naturally poses something of a problem. It's been six months since Dora has received her last paycheck, and her patience has finally run out. Yet, despite the fact that class differences continually come into play between the pair, there is no denying the bond that has formed between them over the course of their three decades together.

When Mrs. Beba finally produces enough money to pay Dora's debt and offer a six-month salary advancement, Dora decides to finally strike out on her own despite her employer's objections. Later, after Dora moves into her new home with her weekend boyfriend, Miguel, Mrs. Beba's energy and telephone services are turned off for lack of payment. By the time summer arrives, Mrs. Beba must sell off her apartment just to stay out of debt. Remembering that her old employee has a new home, the now-homeless Mrs. Beba kindly offers to give her furniture to Dora. But Dora can't turn away an old friend in need, and before they know it, Dora and Mrs. Beba are living together once again. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
Directed By: Jorge Gaggero
Written By: Jorge Gaggero
In Theaters: Jul 18, 2007 Limited

7.1

Live-in Maid (Cama adentro) (2004)

Watch The Best of Youth (La meglio gioventù) (2005) Online

The Best of Youth (La meglio gioventù)Directed by Marco Tullio Giordana and La Meglio Gioventu, this film chronicles the youth, emotional development, and milestone events in the lives of brothers Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio and Matteo Carti (Alessio Boni) between 1966 and the early 2000s.

Despite being polar opposites -- Nicola is a free spirited, romantic psychiatrist; Matteo is an angst-ridden idealist and member of the Italian police force -- the brothers stay connected through the nature of life, family, and time, even during their long periods of separation from one another. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

R, 5 hr. 58 min.
Drama, Romance, Art House & International
Directed By: Marco Tullio Giordana
Written By: Stefano Rulli, Sandro Petraglia
In Theaters: Jun 22, 2003 Wide

8.1

The Best of Youth (La meglio gioventù) (2005)

Watch Iron Island (Jazire Ahani) (2005) Online

Iron Island (Jazire Ahani) An abandoned ship anchored in the Persian Gulf offers refuge to a number of homeless Iranian squatters seeking sturdy shelter in this whimsical drama from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof.


Presiding over the makeshift hostel is the stern but fair Captain Nemat (Ali Nasirian). A tireless authoritarian with genuine affection for his charges, the patriarchal captain assumes a wide variety of responsibilities that span the spectrum from matchmaker to supervisor as the residents scour their makeshift home for scrap metal that will bring in some much-needed cash. It seems that the only inhabitant of this makeshift town not to bend to Captain Nemat's every whim is Ahmad (Hossein Farzi-Zadeh), a rebellious youngster with eyes for an attractive young lass (Neda Pakdaman) whose overprotective father keeps her on a decidedly short leash. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Mohammad Rasoulof
Written By: Mohammad Rasoulof
In Theaters: Mar 31, 2006 Limited

7.0

Iron Island (Jazire Ahani)(2005)

Watch Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams (Esma's Secret - Grbavica) (2005) Online

Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams (Esma's Secret - Grbavica) (2005)A woman sees her own traumatic past reflected in the actions of her teenage daughter in this drama from first-time writer and director Jasmila Zbanic. Esma (Mirjana Karanovic) is a single mother trying to raise her teenage daughter, Sara (Luna Mijovic), in Sarajevo in the wake of war. While Esma works as a barmaid at a nightclub run by Saran (Bogdan Diklic), a man on the wrong side of the law, she has trouble making ends meet, and receives occasional benefits payments from a support group for women who have been affected by the war. Esma has little interest in talking about the loss of her husband, whom she claims was a hero fighting for Bosnia, and can become hyper-emotional with little provocation.

As Pelda (Leon Lucev), one of Esma's co-workers at the club, attempts to interest her in romance, Esma notices that Sara has caught the eye of Samir (Kenan Catic), a rebellious young man who is one of her classmates. As Esma tries to discourage Sara from becoming involved with Samir, she finds fate has forced her to tell her daughter the truth about her father. Grbavica received its world premiere at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Jasmila Zbanic
In Theaters: Feb 16, 2007 Wide

7.2

Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams (Esma's Secret - Grbavica) (2005)

Watch A fost sau n-a fost?, (12:08 East of Bucharest) (2006) Online

A fost sau n-a fost?, (12:08 East of Bucharest) Gil-Scott Heron once wrote "the revolution will not be televised," but one Romanian newsman attempts to put his nation's revolution on the air after the fact in this satiric comedy from writer and director Corneliu Porumboiu. It's the sixteenth anniversary of the revolt that removed Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu from power in Romania, and Jderescu (Ion Sapdaru) is the host of a televised public affairs show who wants to do a special program on the revolution. Jderescu's idea is to bring on a handful of ordinary citizens to discuss their role in Ceausescu's overthrow and how their lives have changed since Communist rule was swept from Romania. However, Jderescu can only round up two guests for his broadcast -- elderly Piscoci (Mircea Andreescu), who's more interested in playing Santa Claus for the neighborhood kids than talking politics, and Manescu (Teo Corban), a schoolteacher nursing a brutal hangover.

As Jderescu tries to lead a serious discussion of how Romania has changed since Ceausescu was driven from power, the conversation wanders off on a tangent about where the revolution actually took place, and the waters become even more muddied when Jderescu opens up the phone lines for questions from viewers, most of whom have their own distinct (and strongly conflicting) memories of the Revolution . . . and one of which has a bone to pick with Manescu over some drunken insults he hurled the night before. A Fost Sau n-a Fost? (aka 12:08 East of Bucharest) received its North American premier at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
Directed By: Corneliu Porumboiu
Written By: Corneliu Porumboiu
In Theaters: Jun 6, 2007 Wide

7.1

A fost sau n-a fost?, (12:08 East of Bucharest) (2006)

Watch Triad Election (Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai) (2006) Online

Triad Election (Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai) Superstar action director Johnny To's Hong Kong gangster picture Triad Election (aka Election 2) revolves around Jimmy (Louis Koo), a second-tiered triad member vying aggressively for the position of godfather in the current election. He is restrained in his pursuits by the current mob boss, Lok (Simon Yam), who wants to hold on to his seat, despite the fact that his two years are up and he isn't officially eligible for reelection.

This leads to a bloody, cutthroat, do-or-die battle of wills between the two men, carried out in some of the most astonishing set pieces ever constructed for an action opus, including a psychotic interrogation with knives and rabid dogs, a hide-and-seek battle at an outdoor café, and a shocking, ultraviolent denouement. To ads an additional level to the film by turning it into a scathing critique of the voraciousness encouraged by a laissez-faire economic system. Wong Tin-lam, Yao Yung, Lam Suet, Nick Cheung, Lam Ka-tung, and Mok Sing-lun co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By: Johnnie To
Written By: Nai-Hoi Yau, Tin-shing Yip, Yau Nai-Hoi
In Theaters: Apr 25, 2007 Limited

7.2

Triad Election (Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai) (2006)

Watch Mountain Patrol: Kekexili (2006) Online

Mountain Patrol Kekexili Filmmaker Lu Chuan, who wrote and directed The Missing Gun, traveled to the remote border of China, Tibet, and Uygur, to make his next feature, Kekexili. Lu based the film on a true story about a reporter from Beijing, Ga Yu (Qi Liang), who traveled to the barren, frigid, high altitude region of the movie's title. Ga Yu had heard about volunteer patrols that were trying to protect the endangered Tibetan antelope from the poachers who were selling their pelts to be made into expensive, fashionable shawls. The cold-blooded murder of one of the patrol members at the hands of the well-armed poachers draws Ga Yu to a small village, where the leader of the patrol unit, Ritai (Tibetan actor Duobuji), agrees to take him out on a patrol, in the hopes that a story in the paper will spur the Chinese government to take stronger action to protect the animals.

Ritai is determined to find the gunman responsible for slaughtering the animals, and for killing his comrade. His determination gradually becomes a deadly obsession. Lu shot his movie on location under dangerous conditions, with a cast of mostly nonprofessional actors. Though the film is from Mainland China, it won Hong Kong's Golden Horse Awards for Best Cinematography (Cao Yu) and Best Picture. It was also shown by Subway Cinema as part of the 2005 New York Asian Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

PG-13, 1 hr. 30 min.
Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International
Directed By: Lu Chuan , Chuan Lu
Written By: Lu Chuan
In Theaters: Apr 14, 2006 Limited

7.5

Mountain Patrol: Kekexili (2006)

Watch The Band's Visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret) (2007) Online

The Band's Visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret)
When the Ceremonial Police Band of Alexandria, Egypt, journeys to a gig in Israel, they can hardly anticipate getting stuck in a rut. But upon arrival at the Israeli airport, their hosts and transportation fail to show. So begins first-time director Eran Kolirin's fish-out-of-water comedy The Band's Visit (aka Bikur Hatizmoret, 2007).

Trapped in a middle-of-nowhere desert town, the group members try to figure out what to do and where to go. In desperation, two of the musicians -- conductor Tawfiq (Sasson Gabai) and playboy Haled (Saleh Bakri) -- accept an invitation from sexy café owner Dina (Ronit Elkabetz) to bunk at her residence, and seemingly within no time, the unlikeliest of interracial (Israeli-Palestinian) romances begin to blossom -- not only between Tawfiq and Dina, but between Haled and local wallflower Papi (Shlomi Avraham), whose night together at a roller disco turns into a veritable comedy of errors. Meanwhile, the remainder of the bandmembers room with local resident Itzik's (Rubi Moscovich) family, which produces overwhelming conflict and innumerable tensions. As the days roll on, the co-mingling of Egyptian bandmembers and Israeli residents imparts each individual with insights into his cultural identity and that of the others. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

PG-13, 1 hr. 29 min.
Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
Directed By: Eran Kolirin
Written By: Eran Kolirin
In Theaters: Dec 7, 2007 Limited
On DVD: Jul 29, 2008
US Box Office:$3.0M

7.5

The Band's Visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret) (2007)

Watch Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows) (2008) Online

Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows)
Fired from his job on an ostrich farm after one of the birds runs away and he is blamed for the loss, a man becomes so obsessed with collecting useless rubbish that he begins to neglect his wife and daughter while becoming completely oblivious to their familial hardships. Karim earned a decent living by working on the ostrich farm, so after he is fired he sets out on a futile attempt to locate the bird. One day, as Karim heads into town in order to have his daughter's hearing aid repaired, he offers a lift to a wandering man and decides that there is good money in the taxi business.
But as his connection to the people of the city grows stronger, his personality begins to transform. Every day, Karim returns home with a new haul of useless junk, giving his picturesque courtyard the appearance of a sprawling junkyard. When his wife offers a spare door from the courtyard to a neighbor in need, Karim completely looses his cool and sets out to retrieve the door. When Karim stumbles and breaks his foot while rummaging through his second-hand goods, the kindness of neighbors makes him realize that his priorities have taken a turn for the worse. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

PG, 1 hr. 36 min.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Majid Majidi
Written By: Majid Majidi, Mehran Kashani
In Theaters: Apr 3, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Feb 9, 2010

7.7

Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows) (2008)

Watch Let the Right One In (2008) Online

Let the Right One In
A 12-year-old boy befriends a mysterious young girl whose appearance in town suspiciously coincides with a horrifying series of murders in director Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of the book by author John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay. Oskar is a young boy who can't seem to shake off the local bullies, but all of that begins to change when a new neighbor moves in next door. After striking up an innocent friendship with his eccentric next-door neighbor, Oskar realizes that she is the vampire responsible for the recent rash of deaths around town. Despite the danger, however, Oskar's friendship with the girl ultimately takes precedence over his fear of her. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

R, 1 hr. 54 min.
Drama, Horror, Art House & International
Directed By: Tomas Alfredson
Written By: John Ajvide Lindqvist
In Theaters: Jan 26, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Mar 10, 2009
US Box Office:$1.9M

8.0

Let the Right One In (2008)

Watch Afghan Star (2008) Online

Afghan Star
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, among their many edicts was banning popular music, considering it a corrupting and sacrilegious influence. Though Taliban was swept from power in 2001, Islamic militants still regard music as sinful and have targeted Afghan musicians in assassination plots. Into this repressive culture comes a television show that has taken Afghanistan by storm -- Afghan Star, a talent search modeled after American Idol in which aspiring singers perform for the viewing audience and either advance in the ranks or are dropped from the competition based on votes cast by telephone.
In a nation where both free democracy and pop music are both novel and risky concepts, Afghan Star's popularity is a bona fide phenomenon, and filmmaker Havana Marking explores both the competition and its effect on Afghan society in the documentary Afghan Star. Marking examines the show's audience -- it's estimated that a third of the nation watches it regularly -- as well as several top contestants, including would-be teen-pop sensation Rafi; Hammeed, a singer who is seen as a champion and role model by fellow members of the Hazara people; Lima, who was born and raised in a community of Islamic fundamentalists and must hide her identity for the safety of her family; and Setara, an attractive woman who defies convention by wearing American-style clothes and makeup, moving to the music on-stage, and even abandoning her head scarf during a performance, making her a hero to youngsters and a pariah to their parents (as well as Islamic conservatives). Afghan Star was an official selection at the 2008 Sheffield International Documentary Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Documentary, Television, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International, Special Interest
Directed By: Havana Marking
In Theaters: Jun 26, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Mar 30, 2010

7.0

Afghan Star (2008)

Watch Aruitemo Aruitemo (Still Walking) (2008) Online

Aruitemo Aruitemo (Still Walking)
Director Hirokazu Kore-eda writes and directs this family drama that unfolds over the course of a single summer day as the Yokoyama family gathers for a rare reunion held to commemorate the death of the one who was taken before his time. It was 15 years ago that eldest Yokoyama son, Junpei, drowned in a tragic accident, and the only changes around the family home since that fateful day are so subtle that they're not likely to be noticed by anyone outside of the immediate family.
Retired family patriarch Kyohei (Yoshio Harada) used to run a successful medical clinic out of the home, though the lights in his medical examining room haven't even been turned on in years. The tiles in the kitchen where energetic Toshiko (Kirin Kiki) cooks family meals are slowly coming loose, and as youngest son Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) arrives home, he does his best to hide the fact that he's currently unemployed. His older sister, Chinami (You), has also arrived with her family, and does her best to entertain everyone despite the undeniable cloud of melancholy hanging over the home. As the festive gathering commences and Toshiko lays out a lavish meal, it gradually becomes obvious that resentment and sorrow bonds this family as powerfully as love. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 54 min.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda
Written By: Hirokazu Kore-eda
In Theaters: Jun 28, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Mar 1, 2010
US Box Office:$86.0k

7.8

Aruitemo Aruitemo (Still Walking) (2008)

Watch Cell 211 (Celda 211) (2009) Online

Cell 211 (Celda 211)
A lawman must side with a gang of criminals if he's to save his own life in this action drama from Spanish director Daniel Monzon. Juan Oliver (Alberto Ammann) has accepted a job as a prison guard, and the day before he begins work he leaves his pregnant wife Elena (Marta Etura) at home and goes to the penitentiary for an orientation session. During a tour of the facilities, Juan is struck on the head in a freak accident; he passes out and is carried to a nearby cell.

As the jailers wait for a doctor to arrive, a riot breaks out, and Juan is left behind. When he wakes up, all is in chaos, and Malamadre (Luis Tosar) and a band of fellow inmates have taken control of the prison. Malamadre thinks Juan is another prisoner, and for the sake of his own survival he plays along, throwing in his lot with fellow rebels Tachuela (Vicente Romero) and Releches (Luis Zahera). When Malamadre learns that a handful of Basque terrorists are confined to the same prison, he sees an opportunity to use them as a bargaining chip with the government, and Juan is caught between saving his own skin and helping Malamadre make a deal that could have grave nationwide implications. Celda 211 (aka Cell 211) received its North American premiere at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 44 min.
Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By: Daniel Monzon
Written By: F.P. Gandull, Jorge Guerricaechevarría
In Theaters: Nov 6, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Aug 29, 2011

7.6

Cell 211 (Celda 211) (2009)

Watch Ajami (2009) Online

Ajami
Palestinian Scandar Copti and Israeli Yaron Shani collaborated on this independent drama, which examines how the troubled relationship between their countries colors everyday life in the Middle East. Nasri (Fouad Habash) is a teenager whose family is in crisis: his uncle got into an altercation with a local crime boss, and in reprisal, his cousin has been murdered. The shooters, it seems, originally intended to kill Nasri's younger brother, Omar (Shahir Kabaha), in lieu of the cousin. Abu Elias (Youssef Sahwani), a restaurateur and respected member of the community, steps in to negotiate.
Omar agrees to make a cash payment to the gangsters to prevent further violence, but since he doesn't have the money, he raises it by dealing drugs. Abu has a daughter, Hadir (Ranin Karim), who works at his restaurant; she's fallen in love with Omar, but since she's Christian and he's Muslim, they can't acknowledge their feelings in public. Also working at the restaurant is Malek (Ibrahim Frege), a 16-year-old illegal immigrant who is looking for any kind of job to help pay for his mother's medical treatments. And elsewhere, Dando (Eran Naim) is a policeman drawn into the chaotic life of Binj (Scandar Copti), a suspected drug dealer who has been arrested for attacking a Jewish neighbor; Dando is also preoccupied with the fate of his brother, who has suddenly gone missing. Ajami won a special distinction award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 2 hr.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Scandar Copti , Yaron Shani
Written By: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani
In Theaters: Feb 3, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Aug 24, 2010
US Box Office:$0.6M

7.0

Ajami (2009)

Watch A Prophet (Un prophete) (2009) Online

A Prophet (Un prophete)
Condemned to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena, part Arab, part Corsican, cannot read or write. Arriving at the jail entirely alone, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. He is 19 years old. Cornered by the leader of the Corsican gang currently ruling the prison, he is given a number of "missions" to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader's confidence in the process. Malik is a fast learner and rises up the prison ranks, all the while secretly devising his own plans.

R, 2 hr. 35 min.
Art House & International, Drama
Directed By: Jacques Audiard
Written By: Thomas Bidegain, Jacques Audiard, Abdel Raouf Dafri, Nicolas Peufaillit
In Theaters: Feb 26, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Aug 3, 2010
US Box Office:$1.5M

7.9

A Prophet (Un prophete) (2009)

Watch L'Enfer d'Henri-Georges Clouzot (Henri-George Clouzot's Inferno) (2009) Online

L'Enfer d'Henri-Georges Clouzot (Henri-George Clouzot's Inferno)
In the 1950s and '60s, Henri-Georges Clouzot was one of France's most acclaimed and successful filmmakers, a director who enjoyed massive international success with Le Salaire de la Peur (aka The Wages of Fear) and Les Diaboliques, and his gift for generating tension and suspense onscreen earned him the nickname "the French Hitchcock." In 1963, Clouzot began work on a project called "L'Enfer" (aka "The Inferno"), a tale of jealousy that leads to madness, and the filmmaker was promised all the time and resources he needed for the picture.
However, while the director was meticulously prepared when shooting began, after only three weeks the production was halted and never resumed; Clouzot would complete only two more films before his death in 1977. Filmmakers Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea try to answer the question of what happened to a project so full of promise in L'Enfer d'Henri-Georges Clouzot (aka Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno), a documentary which looks into the shadowy history of this lost film. Including interviews with members of the cast and crew (among them production assistant Costa-Gavras, who went on to a distinguished career of his own) and excerpts from the surviving footage (seen by the public for the first time here), the film tells the tale of how a great director ran afoul of his own demons while making a movie about a troubled man. Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno received its world premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Documentary, Television, Art House & International
Directed By: Ruxandra Medrea , Serge Bromberg
In Theaters: Jul 16, 2010 Wide
US Box Office:$24.0k
Park Circus

7.3

L'Enfer d'Henri-Georges Clouzot (Henri-George Clouzot's Inferno) (2009)

Watch Last Train Home (2009) Online

Last Train Home
Every spring, China's cities are plunged into chaos as 130 million migrant workers journey to their home villages for the New Year's holiday. This mass exodus is the world's largest human migration-an epic spectacle that reveals a country tragically caught between its rural past and industrial future.
Working over several years in classic verité style Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Lixin Fan (with the producers of the award-winning hit documentary Up the Yangtze) travels with one couple who have embarked on this annual trek for almost two decades. Like so many of China's rural poor, Changhua and Sugin Zhang left behind their two infant children for grueling factory jobs. Their daughter Qin-now a restless and rebellious teenager-both bitterly resents their absence and longs for her own freedom away from school, much to the utter devastation of her parents. Emotionally engaging and starkly beautiful, Last Train Home's intimate observation of one fractured family sheds light on the human cost of China's ascendance as an economic superpower.-- (C) Zeitgeist Films

PG, 1 hr. 25 min.
Documentary, Art House & International, Special Interest
Directed By: Lixin Fan
In Theaters: Sep 3, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Feb 22, 2011
US Box Office:$0.3M

7.6

Last Train Home (2009)