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 | Startlingly Original Anime Over the course of a decade, Japanese filmmaker Satoshi Kon has put together a uniquely ambitious body of work that explores the tensions and connections between technology, celebrity culture, class, identity, mental illness, the corporate media, and the nature of reality. Kon's latest film, [b]Paprika[/b], a futuristic mind-tripping mystery thriller based on a novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, is no less adventurous and provocative than his previous efforts.More |  | Uneven Piaf Biopic Elevated by Star-Making Performance Directed and co-written by Olivier Dahan ([b]Ghost River[/b], [b]Tom Thumb[/b]), [b]La Vie en Rose[/b] ("Môme, La") explores French chanteuse Edith Piaf’s short, tragic life. Born Edith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris in 1915, Gassion (later renamed “Piaf”, the French equivalent of the word “sparrow”) loved and lost and suffered, combining her personal experiences with her prodigious singing talents to become one of France’s, and later the world’s, most beloved performers.More |  | The Serial Killer Next Door Back in the mid-80s when actor Kevin Costner established himself as a box office draw, he was compared to Hollywood icon Gary Cooper, primarily for his ability to play decent, respectable characters that never strayed from their moral identities. After several expensive flops and misfires, Costner was relegated to the B-list. He’s back in a lead role, though, in director/co-writer’s Bruce A. Evans psychological thriller , [b]Mr. Brooks[/b], playing the titular character, a successful businessman by day and equally successful serial killer by night.More |  | Uneven Russian Fantasy/Horror Sequel Billed as the “second chapter in the epic fantasy trilogy,” [b]Day Watch[/b] ("Dnevnoy dozor"), directed by Timur Bekmambetov from a screenplay co-written with novelist Sergei Lukyanenko is less the middle film in a trilogy than the conclusion to a two-part story that began with [b]Night Watch[/b], a fantasy/horror/action film released three years ago in Russia and Europe to critical acclaim and positive box office returns.More |  | Irish-Indie Musical Soars Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award for Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award for Dramatic Film at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, [b]Once[/b] is an indie-Irish musical. Shot over 17 days cinéma vérité style with handheld cameras and telephoto lens on a modest, $130,000 dollar budget by writer/director John Carney ([b]On the Edge[/b], [b]November Afternoon[/b]), [b]Once[/b] is a marvel of indie filmmaking.More |  | Sporadically Entertaining, Formulaic Sequel Everyone's favorite unhygienic, green-skinned ogre (no, not the Hulk, his return to multiplexes is still a year away), Shrek, is back in [b]Shrek the Third[/b], the inevitable sequel to [b]Shrek 2[/b], the third-highest grossing film of all-time. Not bad for a sequel to an animated family film constructed around a combination of pop culture jokes (great for adults) and crude, slapstick humor (great for kids) and less for the sub-Pixar animation. With a family-friendly formula in place, a second sequel seemed liked a done deal. It was, but with [b]Shrek the Third[/b], the formula is starting to look tired and in desperate need of rejuvenation.More |  | The Power Politics People Play Once, not long ago, indie filmmaker Hal Hartley ([b]Amateur[/b], [b]Simple Men[/b], [b]Trust[/b]) was lauded for his dialogue-driven dramas centered on hyper-smart, hyper-neurotic, art- and fame-obsessed characters entangled in unlikely romances. As often happens, though, Hartley's fanbase shrank over the years. Trying to get back into the good graces of critics and indie audiences alike, Hartley decided it was time to make a belated sequel to [b]Henry Fool[/b]. Unfortunately, the sequel, [b]Fay Grim[/b], isn't likely to satisfy Hartley's core audience or attract new devotees.More |  | Affecting Romantic Comedy/Drama Written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly ([b]Trust[/b], [b]The Unbelievable Truth[/b]), [b]Waitress[/b], an off-kilter romantic comedy/drama, was received warmly at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival by audiences and critics alike. Fox Searchlight picked up the distribution rights from Shelley's producers, hoping to repeat last year's breakout success with [b]Little Miss Sunshine[/b]. Maybe, maybe not, but [b]Waitress[/b] does have a lot going for it, from an unconventional storyline, a clever plot device in the central character's pie obsession, quirky, offbeat dialogue, and Shelly's obvious gifts both behind and in front of the camera.More |  | Urban Documentary About Hopeful Rappers Soars In 1999, Chris “Kazi” Rolle, a former performing arts student, rapper and one-time street hustler, created the "Hip Hop Project" under the auspices of Art Start, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing art and inner-city teenagers together. The Hip Hop Project was an outreach program for inner-city teenagers interested in becoming hip hop artists or joining the music industry. Over the next six years, it became a surrogate family, with the youthful Rolle as a surrogate father figure. Remarkably, Rolle was only in his early twenties when he started the Hip Hop Project.More |  | Perceptive, Moving Australian Drama In twenty-two years, Australian filmmaker Ray Lawrence has directed just three feature-length films. His first film, [b]Bliss[/b], an adaptation of Peter Carey's darkly satirical novel about contemporary Australian society, won major awards. After a fifteen-year drought, Lawrence adapted Andrew Bovell's play, "Speaking In Tongues", for the screen as [b]Lantana[/b], an Altmanesque, web-of-life drama, which then went on to win five awards, including Best Picture, at the 2001 AFI Awards. A half a decade later, Lawrence is back with his third film, [b]Jindabyne[/b], an adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story, "So Much Water So Close to Home".More |
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