Reviews

If you see Li Hongqi's film, Winter Vacation, please come armed with lots of patience. It's not a bore, but you need to wait for things to develop. The screening I was in had lots of people leaving, they couldn't handle such waiting. Because, at its core, Winter Vacation is about nothing.

In a small factory town in northern China, school is out for winter vacation. The problem is there's not a whole lot to do. But, like in Seinfeld, 'doing nothing' is perfect comedic territory.

Chubby babies badmouth their elders and go on the run. Parka-clad adolescents sit around on abandoned sofas in the deep freeze discussing the ins and outs of their sex lives. One family's only piece of sort of formal attire goes missing and emerges re-woven into something else altogether. Doesn't sound like much, but just trust that it's hilarious.

The cinematography here is quite spectacular. Each crumbling Soviet-style housing block and non-descript path is given a deep, saturated treatment. The end result like the best kind of urban decay photography; sometimes the action is almost a bit of an afterthought.

I saw this on television (CBC) yesterday night and thought it was a good documentary. I had heard of the film and its topic before and was deeply intrigued. Having also read Klein's "No Logo", you could say I had more interest in this than most. Lewis and Klein move swiftly in telling their tale of Argentinian workers' plight for dignity and labour. A balanced interplay of rhetoric that appeals to the intellect and the emotions will win over many of the viewers. The length is such that the film does not become boring or drawn-out and good editing judgment focuses on relevant segments. Regardless of their take on these events in Argentina, I think everyone has something to learn from this film. A project like this gives me faith in our country's National Film Board ... also thanks to CBC Newsworld for not fearing to air this several times (even though late at night).

This is a well-crafted piece from everyone's favorite master of suspense. As usual, the technical elements such as camera work and lighting are outstanding (especially for the film's time). I did not find the first part of the film very exciting, but the latter one certainly made up for it with one thrilling scene after another.

The only thing I did not like about this movie was the choice of Farley Granger for the part of Guy Haines. Somehow, I didn't find him very believable. On the other hand, Robert Walker shines as sinister 'bad guy' Bruno Anthony.

Overall, I would highly recommend this.

This is a pretty deep film about 'Nam. The story centers on one recruit who did not go along with the status quo. The acting is superb -- as a viewer, one really gets the sense of how psychologically tough even the pre-war training camp was.

I thought this movie explored very important themes, but it came up very short in terms of acting. Furthermore, the choice of music was quite poor. Aside from these points, the film was pleasant. Overall, it is only slightly above average.

This is a good flick from the Czech Republic. Without going into too much detail, the film focuses on the country's pre-Velvet Revolution Communist regime and one artists's fight to retain his integrity. I truly enjoyed the movie (screened at Vancouver's annual film fest); I thought the lead male actor (sculptor Mara) did an excellent job.

Highly recommended. This Brazilian feature brings you up close to the hostage situation of Bus 174 in Rio de Janiero. Real-life footage of the incident, heavily interspersed with eyewitness testimonies makes for a moving documentary. Even when the film seems to go off on a tangent, the sidetrack is always meaningful (serving to explain the real reasons behind the tragedy). Some parts of the movie reminded me of Fernando Meirelles' 'City of God'; the same street culture is portrayed almost twenty years since.

I thought that 'Shine' was a very moving story; the man's journey through life really makes you think. I thought his father was a character that was true-to-life: parents like him are not that uncommon. The effect his 'guidance' has on the son is also believable.