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Friday, Jul 25, 2008
The Movie Page
For independent films covered in Beyond the Multiplex, visit the Beyond the Multiplex directory page.
I Am Legend- Is this moody saga of the last man on earth the most meditative blockbuster ever made?
I Am Sam- Sean Penn disgraces himself in this hideously manipulative melodrama about a retarded man's battle to keep his daughter.
I Capture the Castle- In this charming coming-of-age tale set in 1930s England, two sisters fall for the new American owners of their home -- perhaps to save their family from financial ruin.
Ich bin ein Berlinaler- Having a great time at the sprawling Berlin International Film Festival. Wish you were here. But since you're not, here are the films you should know about.
I dated Cindy Sherman ...- And all I got was this documentary. Paul H-O on his film about the iconic photographer and the perils of being an art world sidekick.
Identity- In James Mangold's brain-teasing, heart-stopping thriller -- think "The Usual Suspects" or "Memento" -- everybody in a lonely motel's got a secret. And someone's trying to kill them all.
Idlewild- Gangsters, showgirls, wowser production numbers -- OutKast's messy, ambitious and extraordinary movie musical has it all ... and soul to spare.
I don't believe in the American dream- Spanish director Carles Bosch talks about his epic documentary "Balseros," which follows seven Cuban refugees who came to the U.S. by raft in 1994 -- and found their new homeland to be something less than paradise.
I don't think I was cut out to be a director- Todd Solondz explains why moviemaking is a nightmare. Plus: The sex Americans are not allowed to see in his new film, "Storytelling."
If Austin Powers were French -- and funny- He might be the star of "OSS 117," a deadpan, borderline-brilliant satire of postwar spy movies and preening Euro-idiocy in the Middle East.
Igby Goes Down- A clever, witty debut from a bright filmmaker. Now just ditch the Holden Caulfield clone, dump the in-jokes and give us some feeling.
I Heart Huckabees- There's not much to heart about David O. Russell's latest effort, in which he sets actors Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman woefully adrift.
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead- The director of "Croupier" takes a darkly compelling look at the London underworld.
I'm Not There- This dazzling film explores the idea of Bob Dylan, "poet, prophet, outlaw, fake, star of electricity."
- I'm on vacation. But you can help out!
- Seeking suggestions: Best movies for kids, non-current, non-Disney (or at least non-CGI) and non-obvious preferred.
- Impaled on the windshield of life
- Is Stuart Gordon's black-comic horror movie "Stuck" just tabloid-fueled gore or American metaphor?
Impostor- It has a Philip K. Dick story and hip references to "Blade Runner," but this sci-fi actioner is a soulless cyborg.
I'm still in shock- "City of God" director Fernando Meirelles talks about how his little-seen but critically lauded film from Brazil rose up from the slums and art houses to snag three major Oscar nods.
- In Bruges" and "The Band's Visit
- Martin McDonagh's scabrous gangster parable hits theaters, along with a gentle, haunting tale of Arab-Israeli romance.
In defense of the original "Ocean's 11- The remake is a marketing-driven bore. I'd rather be at Chasen's with Frank, Dino and the gang.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" - Steven Spielberg's beloved adventure series has built its own Temple of Hype -- but the latest installment manages to surprise and delight.
- Indie box office: "4 Months" breaks 7 digits
- A break-dancing doc, a Mexican immigration drama and a French musical all look like potential hits.
- Indie box office: Anti-Oscar boomlet!
- "Ten Canoes" wins best picture! And other true & false news from the biz's buzziest weekend.
- Indie box office: "Juno" slammo!
- The season's unstoppable hit surges past $100 million. Great God, what does it mean? Also: "There Will Be Blood" booming, "4 Months" takes Manhattan.
- Indie box office: Lennon's assassin a hit, man
- "Chapter 27" strong in NYC bow -- and don't miss an ultra-cool doc on L.A.'s hot modern art scene.
- Indie box office: "Mister Lonely" finds friends
- Harmony Korine's latest thrives in the shadow of "Iron Man," but this year's indie failures include some of the year's best films.
- Indie box office: Near-zero Oscar bounce
- "No Country" and "Blood" max out, as old-school art-house flicks rule Manhattan.
- Indie box office: "No Country" and "Blood" booming
- Oscar nods push the Coens and Anderson to new financial heights. "Band's Visit" opens strong, but are genuine indies hurting?
- Indie directors wrestle teen angels
- Gus Van Sant's dreamlike "Paranoid Park" and David Gordon Green's earnest "Snow Angels" take opposite sides in American cinema's civil war.
Indie film is dying -- unless it isn't- Yes, distributors are closing, films are tanking and insiders are muttering that doom is nigh. But the best filmmakers always survive.
- Indy and the Martian Inca mummies -- vs. the French!
- "Indy 4" premieres, Harrison Ford charms the Euro-throngs and Cannes surrenders to celebutainment silliness.
- Indy, Clint and Che hit the Côte d'Azur
- Eastwood's "Changeling" and Soderbergh's four-hour "Che" top an impressive Eurocentric lineup at 61st Cannes festival.
Infernal Affairs- This Hong Kong hit from 2002, starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung and just now being released here, is one of the truest American gangster films of all time.
- In-flight reading
- I'm en route to Cannes, to watch movies, drink wine and blog like crazy. Poor me!
In Good Company- Dennis Quaid -- as an ad man working for a young upstart boss -- proves he's one of those actors who improve with age.
In Her Shoes- The pretty sister is dumb; the smart sister is plain and resentful. How original.
In My Country- John Boorman's film about post-apartheid reconciliation in South Africa embraces forgiveness. But is it really that black and white?
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry- Adam Sandler and Kevin James play faux-gay Brooklyn firefighters in a comedy that's about as subtle as a face full of firehose.
In Praise of Love- The critics are wrong: Jean-Luc Godard has absolutely nothing left to say -- and this passionless phony comeback proves it.
In search of a lost literary giant- In his bittersweet documentary "Stone Reader," Mark Moskowitz tries to track down a vanished novelist -- and a fading conception of literary greatness.
Inside Deep Throat- This documentary about the ludicrously bad ur-porno film will test your gag reflex.
Inside Man- Spike Lee evokes New York's grittier, edgier days -- and gives Jodie Foster her best role in years -- with this crisply made heist movie.
Inside the Army's fake Iraq- Welcome to the military's Iraq Simulation, where the townspeople are Arab actors, the insurgents come from Arkansas -- and things tend to go horribly wrong.
Insomnia- Christopher Nolan's creepy, big budget thriller -- his first film since "Memento" -- is the kind of film Hitchcock would make.
In space, no one can hear you groan- The soul-deadening string of clichés that is "Attack of the Clones" must immediately be shot beyond Pluto where it can do no harm.
- Interrogating Abu Ghraib
- Errol Morris on his film "Standard Operating Procedure," why Lynndie England and others took photographs, and how the infamous images conceal as much as they reveal (podcast and video).
- Interview: Jimmy Fallon
- Fallon talks about his first trip to Sundance and his new film, "The Year of Getting to Know Us."
- Interview: Michael Keaton
- The actor on his directorial debut ("The Merry Gentlemen"), staring in public and the virtue of slowness
- Interview With the Vampire
- Never mind the homoerotic text. Here's a little dish on the "extraordinary game" between icy Tom Cruise and soulful Brad Pitt.
In the Bedroom- Small-town life erupts in this deceptively calm, emotionally shocking thriller from director Todd Field.
In the Cut- Severed heads! Kinky sex! Meg Ryan reading poetry! Jane Campion's adaptation of Susanna Moore's novel is full of horrors but lacks a point.
In the Land of Women- Adam Brody of "The O.C." stars alongside Meg Ryan in this ultra-gentle picture about life and love.
In the mood for Leung- The charisma of Tony Leung, star of the new "2046" and among the biggest stars in the world, is as potent offscreen as on.
In the Mood for Love- Wong Kar-Wai's Hong Kong romance smolders with more reserved passion than "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
In the Valley of Elah- The first in a rush of fall films that deal with the Iraq war raises a tough question: Is it too soon to make sense of a war we're still fighting?
Intimate Strangers- This stylish French film about a woman who confesses her deepest marital secrets to a tax lawyer promises to be a Hitchcockian thriller -- until it fizzles weirdly out.
Intolerable Cruelty- George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones square off deliciously, but this '30s-style battle of the sexes from the Coen brothers never catches fire.
Into the Wild- Sean Penn's adaptation of Jon Krakauer's book about a privileged kid's strange, sad quest to find himself is at times quite touching.
Introducing the Guilties!- Which best picture nomination is the best example of Oscar trying to ram its liberal guilt down our throats?
Invincible- Mark Wahlberg stars in this inspirational real-life story of a regular guy plucked from obscurity to become an NFL pro.
Invisible women- Sure, Denzel and Will and Eddie have conquered Hollywood. But as Halle Berry's lonely Oscar nod makes all too clear, black actresses still get no respect in the movie biz.
- Iran's leading filmmaker denied U.S. visa
- Director Abbas Kiarostami, one of international cinema's biggest names, is blocked from attending the New York Film Festival and speaking at Harvard.
Iris- The film of novelist Iris Murdoch's life suffers from PBS syndrome, but Dame Judi Dench cures with a moving portrayal of life with Alzheimer's.
I, Robot- Will Smith has one hot bod, but is that enough to overcome this futuristic flick's edifice complex?
Iron Man- Robert Downey Jr. gives this inventive superhero blockbuster its warm, glowing heart -- and makes it soar.
Iron Monkey- With one dazzling fight scene after another, this Hong Kong actioner plays like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" -- without all the wussy art stuff.
Irreversible- Gaspar Noe's horrifying film about rape and revenge erases the boundaries between porn and exploitation. But is it art?
- I Spit on Your Grave," Italian style
- Massive Euro-hit "The Unknown Woman" is ludicrous and trashy -- don't miss it! Plus: "Stuck" in a windshield and left to die.
I Spy- Owen Wilson is funny, Eddie Murphy's a braying ass and the easygoing humor of the classic TV series is frittered away.
- Israel's Nazi-porn problem
- Hot she-wolves of the SS, rescued from the memory hole. Also: Buddhism for murderers, housewife seeks Asian stud and more.
Is Slovenia the film world's new Romania?- From slacker comedies to horror films and rom-coms, the least well known of all former Yugoslav republics gets its moment.
It felt like this was supposed to happen- Fifteen years ago, Jackie Earle Haley had given up on acting. Now the former teenage heartthrob is back with an Oscar nomination for his creepy role in "Little Children."
- It Happened One Night
- On a glorious transfer of the great screwball comedy, every little detail comes into focus -- even Claudette Colbert's dark, hazy nipples.
I Think I Love My Wife- Chris Rock contemplates sex and marriage in this sort-of remake of Rohmer's "Love in the Afternoon."
It Runs in the Family- Three generations of the Douglas clan -- Kirk, Michael and grandson Cameron -- star in a bumpy but brave family comedy about old age and mortality.
It's a game between the director and the spectator- Laetitia Colombani, the 27-year-old French filmmaker behind the new erotic thriller "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not," on madness, manipulation and movies.
It seems like exactly the wrong film to make- Oscar-winning "Pulp Fiction" screenwriter Roger Avary attacks the teen genre -- and American complacency -- with an audacious adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' "The Rules of Attraction."
It was a very strange year- In movie screens in 2001, the nightmares took over, with the exception of one wizardly epic.
I was a Bollywood stuntwoman- Working as an extra in the world's biggest film industry has become a tourist attraction. No wonder -- it allowed a nobody like me to instantly rub shoulders with a star who makes millions of Indian women swoon.
DVD Releases
- Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo (7/29)
- Shine a Light (7/29)
- The Band's Visit (7/29)
- The Counterfeiters (8/5)
- My Brother Is an Only Child (8/5)
- Rent DVDs with Netflix
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Scully have I loved
By Rebecca Traister -
Stark, raving mad
By Heather Havrilesky -
"The Dark Knight"
By Stephanie Zacharek -
When a bad seed grows up
By Andrew O'Hehir -
The George Brett pine tar incident
By David Puner
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