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November 2007 Archive

November 1, 2007

American Gangster

Airless, stilted and bored with itself, Scott's Gangster is handsomely empty hack work

By R. Emmet Sweeney

Martian Child

The Cusack conundrum is in full effect in this blandly observed family film

By Eric Kohn

Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

Temple taps Clash frontman's prodigious ego and attendant charisma in galvanic biography

By Vadim Rizov

Bee Movie

Seinfeld's great-looking, wildly unbalanced vanity project a Bee Movie about nothing.

By Eric Kohn

When Kingpins Collide

Searching for "the real Harlem" in American Gangster and Mr. Untouchable

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: Whose Gangster is it Anyway?

Also: Blogger dies while attempting movie criticism; Jarmusch and Doyle bound for Spain

November 2, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Tribeca pares down (at last); praying for an Oscar season without Vilanch

November 5, 2007

Choking Man Breathes at Last

Magical-realist indie odyssey lands mainstream director in Queens cauldron

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: No Balls, One Strike

Also: Gangster cleans up at box office while Untouchable goes cable; ND/NF '08 wants your submissions!

The Sandrelli Factor

Seduced and Abandoned: New rep feature looks closer at Italian siren's roles in new Germi retrospective

Jacquot Goes to School

On Set with French Cinema brings filmmaker (and his new screenplay) for SVA workshop

November 6, 2007

Scenes From a Strike

Checking in with Hedges, Coffey and other NYC scribes on the first day of the WGA work stoppage

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Bibi, Bergman and BAM

Actress introducing Persona as part of two-day tribute to late, great Swede

November 7, 2007

CinemaEast Meets West

Beur sidebar among highlights of third annual program of Middle East and North African cinema

42nd Street Cruise

A-list glitz (and Losin' It!) accompanies Moving Image tribute

November 8, 2007

Back to Attica

Reeler Interview: Firestone discusses landmark documentary in advance of rare NYC encore

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Fred Claus

Likeable slice of Christmas schmaltz is the ultimate test for the Vaughan persona

By R. Emmet Sweeney

Local Heroes

Fifth annual Queens International Film Festival celebrates the everyman

No Country For Old Men

Don't call it a comeback -- the blood spilled in Coens' triumph is not that simple

By Eric Kohn

Lions For Lambs

Despite pounding on blunt political keynotes, Redford comes up with a referendum on star power

By Vadim Rizov

On the Lips

MoMA retro alum Majewski returns for premiere engagement in East Village

Taubin Brings the Grudge

Film Comment scribe chases empty bandwagon with Mumblecore takedown

Steal a Pencil For Me

A happy ending to a story of the holocaust, infidelity and some seriously crazy love

By Michelle Orange

November 9, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Pacino and De Niro shoot to Kill; Obscene makes a deal; Diva makes a comeback

The Trick

The Coens see themselves in No Country For Old Men. But can they survive?

By S.T. VanAirsdale

This Weekend: Patinkin Talks Choking Man

Join Reeler editor for Q&A following Sunday screening at Cinema Village

November 11, 2007

Norman Mailer, 1923-2007

Reeler Flashback: Revisiting the iconic author/filmmaker's final public appearance

November 12, 2007

Weinstein Wedding Bells!

Couple slates Dec. 15 nuptials in time for awards-season consideration

The News: Woody Allen, Wanderer

Also: Getting to the bottom of a haircut metaphor, breaking down the strike spin

The Reeler's 2007 Holiday Movie Preview Review

The annual glimpse at the guides worth your time

By S.T. VanAirsdale

November 13, 2007

The News: I Am Not Cuba

Also: Diller weighs in on strike stupidity; Mailer's last-born claims first-born

Into the Other Israel

Zabar (yes, that Zabar) undertakes inaugural fest for films by and about Israeli Arabs

The Kids are Alright (Aren't They?)

Seduced and Abandoned: Sophisticated child roles take over the week in NYC repertory

November 14, 2007

Baumbach's Wedding Party

Reeler Interview: Director discusses his Margot whirlwind and the art of the follow-up

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Homegrown Apples Served in NYC

Big Apple Film Fest launches fourth season, honors Cumming

The News: That's One Way to Boost Redacted

Also: From indie glut to famine in months flat; all hail Monika, back in NYC

Southland Tales

Kelly's all-American, mondo apocalypto allegory has to be seen to be believed

By Eric Kohn

Get Thee to NYM's Online Video Showcase

Waste your day(s) with NYC's best videos and other recovered treasures

November 15, 2007

Margot at the Wedding

Baumbach's latest family freak show is more redolent of bad television than Bergman

By Keith Uhlich

Love in the Time of Cholera

Newell turns a classic love story into a tour de force of trite

By Michelle Orange

Redacted

De Palma fights misinformation with caricature in his irresponsible Iraq manifesto

By Vadim Rizov

MIX and Match

20th annual queer experimental fest hosts rare selections from Warhol camp and beyond

ReelerTV: Savages Take Over

Director Jenkins chats about acclaimed family drama; Cinecultist Wilson on Redacted and Margot

Burton Bloody Burton

Filmmaker talks career and premieres clips of Sweeney Todd at Lincoln Center

Eagle Lands in NYC

Reeler Interview: Richard Linklater on the brilliant work and troubled legacy of Eagle Pennell

Raiders Redux at Anthology

Cult classic returns by popular demand -- this time with Spielberg original

November 16, 2007

Zen Can Cook

Cook Your Life chef brings viewers (and himself) back to basics

By Cathy Erway

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inisde: Reilly debuts to raves, Gothams' Best coming to a MoMA near you

Will the Real New York (Or London, Or Paris, Or...) Please Stand Up?

Contemplating the best and worst urban journeys in cinema

Totally Unrelated Blog-a-Thon: Over!

The digressions end with Springsteen, sketch comedy and Halloween in the Castro

November 19, 2007

The Glover Model

Actor/director adapts self-distribution standard for challenging new film

By Ben Gold

The News: A Taxing Day For Oldman, Ferrara

Also: McGowan plays "drunken journalist" card; Disney slumming in Enchanted?

What's in a Box?

New Yorker's list of best boxed sets now available for nitpicking

November 20, 2007

Some Enchanted Evening

Disney-fied NYC takes center stage at Ziegfeld premiere

Fincher Kills at Special Zodiac Screening

Director shares extended cut, talks about the making (and breaking) of instant classic

Flack From All Sides

How PR zealotry is killing film journalism -- and how to stop it

By Lewis Beale

The Other Bergman

Seduced and Abandoned: Underrated titles share week with director's greatest

Hoffman, Jenkins Laugh on the Inside

Savages principals on the film's uneasy blend of grim drama and dark comedy

November 21, 2007

Yiddish Theater: A Love Story

The race to save a New York -- and Jewish -- institution raises questions about the cost of cultural evolution

By Vadim Rizov

Starting Out in the Evening

Ambrose and Langella make an engrossing pair in stirring, strange adaptation

By Michelle Orange

I'm Not There

Haynes revisits persona and image-play in his compelling, sometimes overreaching portrait of a legend

By Vadim Rizov

Evening Class

Possibilities are endless in Andrew Wagner's superb Talent follow-up

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: Bibi Redux - Live From Brooklyn

Also: Weinsteins whip up cheat sheets for I'm Not There; someone has actually seen Stop-Loss

Shooting with Hitch, Tennis with Chaplin

Quintessential industry vet discusses upcoming NYC tribute to 75 years in the business

November 23, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Starting Out with a boost; Jesus planning payback at Radio City Music Hall

November 26, 2007

Mistress of Puppets

Oscar-winner Yu back at the controls for Protagonist's challenging doc-narrative hybrid

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Cindy Adams Explains I'm Not There

Gossip grills Haynes for trenchant truths behind Ledger, Gere and Blanchett

The News: Ang Lee Gets All the Chicks

Also: Novelists not swayed by film industry; more seasonal abuse from Kyle Smith

Today in Variety: Hack Jobs and Afterthoughts

"Are art films out of touch?" Variety asks on hot weekend for Starting Out

Carpetbagger 3.0 Live at NYT

Makeovers and revelations pledged for sure-to- be-grueling 2007-08 campaign

November 27, 2007

The News: Cate On, Cate Off

Also: Watchmen's NYC set photos make it online; NY Hispanic Film Fest launches with El Cantante

MoMA, Miranda, Meals and More

Seduced and Abandoned: Making the most from a busy week of rep highlights

Keep the Mumblecore Dream Alive

Upstate genius behind Lohan Howl and M-Core catharsis wants you to send her to Austin

Ebert Gets Gothamed

Critic takes questions and compliments in advance of IFP honor

November 28, 2007

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Handsomely composed and minimally maudlin, Bauby biopic is competent but unmemorable

By Vadim Rizov

The News: I Quit

Inside: Tedium drives Reeler to the bottle -- of arsenic

Oswald's Ghost

Dispassionate and thorough, Ghost is a dull but convincing conspiracy-buster

By Vadim Rizov

The Savages

Jenkins gives her story of siblings, bad dads and loss a quasi-fairy tale twist

By Michelle Orange

NYFF Postscript: When the Selector Thwacks the Selection

Committee rookie Foundas takes down fest darling Diving Bell

New York Returning to Park City

Fleck, Boden, Gibney and... Mary-Kate Olsen(!) headed to Sundance '08 competition

By S.T. VanAirsdale

November 29, 2007

Diving with Max

Reeler Interview: Von Sydow on Schnabel, Bergman and brief but essential turn in Butterfly

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Gondry, Haneke, Spurlock to Bow at Sundance

More NYC films/filmmakers prep for Park City premieres

November 30, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Daily News readers celebrate NY films; wear a wedding dress, watch a free flick

When Quique Camín Wins, NYC Wins

Will Woody Allen's Iberian exile mean return to form in New York?