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American Women's Club of Hamburg  Film Reviews -- April 2006Reviews by members of the AWC Film Group of films slated to open in Hamburg in April 2006.
(Pat R) Opening April 6, 2006 In an address to the Radio and Television News Producers Association in 1958, the legendary television reporter Edward R. Murrow challenged the medium to live up to its responsibilities to the public during the Red Scare in America. “There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful. Stonewall Jackson, who knew something about the use of weapons, is reported to have said, ‘When war comes, you must draw the sword and throw away the scabbard. The trouble with television is that it is rusting in the scabbard during a battle for survival.’” It is this same inability of current journalists to ask the tough questions of anyone in power that led actor George Clooney to co-write and direct this film. To him that is the responsibility of the “fourth branch” of government, the media. Clooney feels that “everyone, even from The New York Times, should ask tougher questions.” That void explains in part the reliance on comedian Jon Stewart for political coverage of current events. Stewart’s own pleading with Larry King to ask better questions and demand better answers of his guests is telling. David Strathairn portrays an impeccable Ed Murrow, giving his intelligent nightly news casts with Shakespearean quotes, a quiet smirk and elegant demeanor, his cigarette smoke curling around his head. We can only long nostalgically for such intelligent, brave and eloquent reporting. Mr. Murrow was supported by CBS owner William Paley in his on camera criticism of Senator Joe McCarthy, but he was personally accused of associating with communist organizations and took great personal risks to directly challenge McCarthy and his use of black lists and smear tactics. The bigger question of how communism was a real threat to a free and open society was never answered then and is still not addressed in this film. Mr. Murrow himself was chided by Mr. Paley for having not dared to correct McCarthy for his error in stating that Alger Hiss had committed a crime of treason and not perjury, as Murrow was afraid to be seen as defending a communist, another example of the level of intimidation at that time. Most of the film’s scenes, shot in black and white, are either in the small and smoky CBS production rooms or are from the actual video clips of the packed Senate hearings led by Senator McCarthy. Between the scenes fraught with tension and resolve we are allowed a moment of pure musical entertainment with original Rosemary Clooney arrangements, George’s aunt, sung by jazz singer Diane Reeves, with the 50s feel of smoke- filled lounges. We return at the end to Mr. Morrow’s address to the RTNDA. In reply to a reference by the Senator to Julius Caesar, Morrow commented, “had Senator McCarthy looked just three lines earlier he would have found this: ‘the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves........ Good night, and good luck.”
(Shauna K) Opening April 6, 2006 The approaching ice age that threatened all in Ice Age retreats in Ice Age: The Meltdown. How time flies! This time round the dysfunctional clan of Manny the wooly mammoth (voice Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (voice John Leguizamo), and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (voice Denis Leary) must deal with the threat of an impending deluge of the valley that is their home. The trio must warn all the animals that are in the vicinity and flee with them to a boat which is rumored to be at the end of the valley. On top of that, there are personal issues to come to terms with as well. Manny must face up to the fact that he may be the sole remaining mammoth on earth, and Diego must overcome his fear of water. Along the frantic way, the trio picks up and is hindered by a few stragglers: possum brothers Crash (voice Seann William Scott) and Eddie (voice Josh Peck) and their very un-possum like "sister", Ellie (voice Queen Latifah). And of course, rodent Scrat (voice Chris Wedge) is present and ever after that elusive acorn. In contrast to Ice Age, which featured only a few characters, there are a plethora of characters, maybe even too many, in Ice Age: The Meltdown. One, Fast Tony, even has the voice of Jay Leno. Nonetheless they all have personality, are unique in one way or another, and are delightful. In addition, the animation and the attention to detail within the animation are absolutely fantastic. But as with most sequels, the storyline and even the humor pale when compared to its predecessor. Whereas Ice Age was very original, Ice Age: The Meltdown, at least to me, seems too parallel to The Bible story of Noah’s Ark. Moreover much of the humor in my opinion is somewhat trite. Nevertheless, Ice Age: the Meltdown is cute and funny, which will make it popular with families around the globe.
(Shelly S) Opening April 6, 2006 This film opens with a bird’s eye view of an international refugee camp in Sudan in the 1980s. Hundreds of thousands of people, including Christians, Moslems and Jews, had found their way there due to a long, devastating famine. In 1984 the secret Operation Moses airlift, with the help of the United States and Israel, transported thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. This is the story of a Christian boy, Shlomo, whose mother sends him to Israel disguised as the son of a Jewish woman who has lost her own boy. Once there, this adopted mother unfortunately dies, leaving him both an orphan and a Jew; he finds neither role easy to accept or understand. A third woman takes him under her wing. Director Radu Mihaileanu wanted to break down stereotypes of societies and tried to emphasize individuals as their destinies crossed. He could relate to his own past as a Romanian in France, where he changed his name to make it more difficult for prejudiced people to stereotype him before knowing him. Live and Become received the Panorama audience prize at the 2005 Berlinale. It is a moving story in which three women make a difference in a child’s existence. Three actors were chosen to represent Shlomo at different stages in his life; they had to be able to speak three languages and work closely together in order to copy each other’s unique characteristics. (Alyssa C) Opening April 13, 2006 Finally something fun and entertaining! Four stories overlap and intertwine to make up this delightful romantic comedy about the everyday pitfalls of love. Young, carefree and still on the dole from his parents, Tommaso (Silvio Muccino) meets Giulia (Jasmine Trinca) while cruising around on his roommate’s moped. She uses every trick she knows to blow him off. Will he ever get the hint? Barbara (Margherita Buy) has dragged Marco (Sergio Rubini) on a tropical vacation to put some spark back into their on-the-rocks relationship. The fire-eating Polynesian dancers didn’t help – maybe a baby will fix things? Traffic cop Ornella (Luciana Littizzetto) discovers her husband is having an affair, and, tempted by the fun of revenge, must decide if the price forgiveness is too high to save her marriage. Goffredo (Carlo Verdone) is a pediatrician longing for children of his own but abandoned by his wife. A failed attempt at a one-night-stand with his nurse leaves him spending the night half-naked outside on the ledge to contemplate things. Is there someone out there for him? The book within the movie, The Manual of Love, may not have any practical advice for any of these situations, but it nevertheless manages to bring these characters together in a witty and charming way. Laugh-out-loud funny and tender, this is a great date movie!
(Alyssa C) Opening April 13, 2006 Originally a hit Broadway musical (winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Obie Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, four Tony Awards and three Drama Desk awards), Rent is not an easy film to watch for the socially conservative. The characters are bohemians living in the East Village in NYC who are a myriad of races and also IV drug users, gays, lesbians, even a drag queen, and HIV-positive people. The message, however, is a universal one: "Forget regret, or life is yours to miss... No day but today." Driving home this message to live each moment to its fullest, the genius behind the musical, Jonathan Larson, the man who wrote the book, the music and the lyrics, died unexpectedly from an aortic aneurysm the night before the play's first opening. Without Larson, the stakes were raised for the making of a movie version. Afterall, when one tinkers with perfection, is it not a forgone conclusion that one will end with less than that? (Note: this reviewer saw the Broadway musical 3 times and can sing the score by heart.) That being said, director/producer Chris Columbus (known for less-than-gritty and uncontroversial family films such as Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire and Harry Potter) had big shoes to fill. With Larson's sister Julie on board as co-producer, Columbus' first smart decision was to use the original Broadway cast, including two whose careers took off with Rent, Jesse L. Martin as Collins and Taye Diggs as Benny. Although the actors are now all about 10 years too old for their roles, their chemistry is undeniable and irreplaceable. (And Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel could still jump up on that table wearing "her" high-heeled platform shoes!) That their voices are the same as those on my oft-played original cast recording made me feel like I was visiting old friends. Kudos also goes to the two newcomers to the cast, Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Tracie Thoms as Joanne, who were seamlessly integrated into the family. Columbus' attempt to bring an element of realism to the screen version worked well in some places, but flopped miserably in others. There was a particularly touching scene during the musical number "Another Day" where the others are pleading with self-exiled Roger (Adam Pascal) to get out of the house again. The camera heightened the intensity, allowing Roger to stand on the balcony juxtaposed against the others down below on the corner across the street. The external scenes shot on location in Manhattan effectively reminded the audience that these characters live in a real world, not just on a stylized stage set. An example of a flop is the musical number "Santa Fe" filmed on a subway car. If Columbus was aiming for realism, then maybe the subway should have stopped and the doors should have opened sometimes during the 3 minute-long song? The purist in me was slightly annoyed by minor timing/plot inconsistencies and I missed some of the musical lyrics that were converted into raw dialogue or skipped entirely, but the spirit of the piece remained in tact and its message came through loud and clear. Rent remains a wonderful story about love, friendship and passion for life. Seeing it on the big screen was a lot of fun, and in lieu of being able to see it on stage on a regular basis, this is a DVD that I will definitely add to my collection. Second Opinion by Kara W I have to admit I am a newcomer to Rent. I have never seen the Broadway production but I am familiar with the storyline and was excited about the release of this film. I found the beginning to be a bit slow as relationships were introduced but because the film centers not around action, but around characters, I later appreciated the tedious character development. Additionally, the flashbacks in the movie added something extra that (probably) cannot be done on a stage in a musical giving the viewer further insight in the lives of the characters, making them seem more realistic as people. The music was sensational and I still find myself singing several of the songs days after having seen the film. Over the course of the movie I fell in love with the music and characters. Rent as a movie does make it possible for those who haven't seen the play to be introduced to its magic, allowing new viewers to see why it has such a wonderful reputation. The storyline seemed complete and I can’t imagine anything to be missing. Whether a fan of the play or a newcomer, this is a movie that should definitely be seen if not for the music then for the chemistry of the well-written characters.
(Pat R) Opening April 13, 2006 Screenwriter Dan Gilroy became enthralled by the life story of his golf caddy, and with a few changes it became the script for a film about innocence corrupted. The young caddy had been a star basketball player for the University of Nevada - Las Vegas until a knee injury took him out of the game. He was working as a telephone marketer and filled in for a co-worker giving picks on a sports gambling line. He had a real knack for it and caught the eye of a New York sports advisory firm, and years later a film was born. The story could have just been about the evils of gambling and the corruption of the ideals of sport and of youth. However, this accounting of the gaming industry pushes it up a notch. It shows the artful gaming of the gamers of the games, where the vulnerabilities of the individual gamblers are exposed and abused. This is where it should get fun, watching those who aren’t playing by the rules get taken to the cleaners by foul mouthed and abusive “advisors”. But there is no joy in watching peoples’ lives and families destroyed by addiction. Al Pacino (Any Given Sunday, The Devil’s Advocate) plays the devil convincingly again as a recovering gambler and the unscrupulous owner of a New York sports advisory firm. In his appearance at a recovering gamblers meeting where he encourages the others to make the weekend bets he displays his faustian best. Matthew McConaughey (Sahara, Amistad) plays the wholesome ex-football player who is lured and seduced into the high-rollers league of gambling, where winning becomes a matter of life or death. Renee Russo (In the Line of Fire, The Thomas Crown Affair) plays the wife and recovering drug addict who tries to protect the young man from her self-destructive husband and the uncertain world of gambling. Betting on sporting events is illegal in most states, however giving advice and taking a percentage is perfectly legal. Cantor Index’s financial and sports divisions legitimately handle spread betting on the major stock and futures indices, as well as on sports, and claim that unlike conventional trading, the bet is even tax free. So, where’s the problem? (Adele R) Opening April 20, 2006 Robin Williams’ enormous talent sets the tone for this wonderfully amusing black comedy set in a landscape of snow, and nothing but snow, in the northern reaches of Alaska. The resemblance to the Coen brothers Fargo is inescapable, especially as early on a female cop does a perfect five-second imitation of Frances McDormand’s Oscar-winning role. But the cold and snow, the corpse which must be disposed of in order to be found, the wacky crooks, the “dead” brother who isn’t, and the superb Holly Hunter, hilarious and charismatic as a woman suffering from a psychosomatic version of Tourette’s Syndrome (or maybe it isn’t psychosomatic…), deliver such a wealth of wonderful possibilities that it is a credit to the great script that the characters have depth and the movie is filled with warmth and love. It is that rare film which amuses without resorting to slapstick or scatological humor, charms without being cloying and is so intelligent that, like Fargo, you walk out wanting to go right back and see it all over again. Paul Barnell (Williams) is a poor schmuck whose tiny travel business in a small town in the snowy reaches of Alaska is nearly bankrupt. His beloved wife Margaret (Hunter) is psychologically challenged, to put it mildly, and the health insurance refuses to pay for treatment. In desperation, Paul tries to cash in the million dollar life insurance policy on his brother, Ramond (Woody Harrelson), who has been missing for five years, but the insurance company insists that either Raymond’s body must be found or two more years must pass before Raymond can be declared legally dead. Then Paul just happens upon an unknown corpse… There are many twists and turns to the plot, a great pair of totally inept killers looking for their misplaced corpse, and the perfectly conceived insurance agent (Giovanni Ribisi) who smells something foul and is determined to get to the bottom of it, dangerously neglecting his cute girlfriend, Tiffany (Alison Lohman) and a lot more. I couldn’t possibly recount all of it, even if I wanted to. Just go see it – you’ll love it.
(Shelly S) Opening April 20, 2006 Johanna Perl (Hannelore Elsner) once an expert swimmer is now faced with retirement. Before, her life was once filled with routine and helped her pass the time and kept her loneliness at bay. She realises that she needs to find a successful relationship and acquires photography as a hobby in order not to be lost in the unstructured freedom which has been forced on her. Both she and her daughter find new boyfriends at the same time. They also break up at the same time since the men are unable to stay faithful to them. The film consistently mirrors the daughter’s life with hers and they both seemed to be cursed. The curse comes from the grave of the mother who never found true love. This film could have taken on a mystical and mysterious development but it doesn’t. Deep thoughts with very little action seemed to poison this film. It’s probably better to read this story as a book than to waste time seeing it as a film. By director Rudolf Thome.
(Kara W) Opening April 20, 2006 The Scary Movie cast returns for a fourth time to continue their parodies. In the past few movies the jokes have been well set-up although a little on the lewd side. These jokes just tend to be flat out gross in their attempts to keep the same tone as the past successes. This movie, though it starts out with an amusing scene with both Dr. Phil and Shaquille O’Neal, goes quickly downhill as the dodgy plot thickens. This particular film parodies such other movies as War of the Worlds, The Grudge, The Village, Million Dollar Baby, and Saw. Though some of the jokes have the ability to get a chuckle, but for the most part they’re simply recycled from past movies. After all, what is Scary Movie without the usual Micheal Jackson jokes? Such returning cast members include Anna Farris, Regina Hall, Charlie Sheen, Carmen Electra, and Chris Elliott. If your curiousity gets the best of you because you have seen all the other movies, then perhaps renting the DVD would get the job done, however, I wouldn’t suggest paying the money to go to the cinema to see this one. Earlier attempts in this line of films seemed to do a much better job.
(Adele R) Opening April 20, 2006 Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a handsome young fashion photographer, learns that he is incurably ill and has less than six months to live. He decides to forego the arduous chemotherapy, which he is told will have a less than 2% chance of success. The film follows Romain as he slowly sheds his arrogantly selfish persona and endeavors to find peace and a more meaningful connection with the people close to him. First and foremost among the chosen few is his grandmother Laura (the still-riveting Jeanne Moreau) with whom he has always had a deeply loving relationship. She is the only one he will actually tell about his fatal illness. Neither his lover, Sasha (Christian Sengewald), nor his sister Sophie (Louise-Anne Hippeau), nor his parents, are informed, although his transformation from a muscular, vibrant young man into a semi-somnambulant skeleton, shorn of his head of rich black curls, certainly would have made his approaching death clear to anyone who saw him. Halfway through the picture, a stranger, Jany (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), enters his life. She is to play a surprising role in his coming to terms with his fate. François Ozon, the director, brought the excellent Sous le sable (Under the Sand) with Charlotte Rampling to the screen in 2000 as the first in a trilogy about grief – in that case dealing with the death of someone else. This film examines the question of one’s own death. A third, as yet unwritten, is to concern the death of a child. The Time Remaining is decidedly not as successful as the Under the Sand, but that is not the fault of Melvil Poupaud, who gives an extraordinary performance. I felt the script and Ozon’s directorial approach gave us little chance to make an emotional connection with Romain, who dominates every frame. The result is a film which is often tedious and boring despite the dramatic theme. (Karen P) Opening April 27, 2006 Lithuanian director Audrius Juzenas’s film Ghetto is an adaptation from the award-winning play from Israeli Joshua Sobol of the same name – Ghetto. The story begins with the occupation of the Nazis in the city of Vilna, Lithuania in July 1941. There were about 55,000 Jews who lived in and around the city of Vilna, and according to the Nazi’s purification crusade, they needed to be annihilated. The job of liquidating the city was put in the hands of twenty-two year old Nazi commander Kittel (Sebastian Hülk).Young and inexperienced Kittel was aware of the pressure his job demanded but moved quickly to gain the praise from his supervisors. However, he didn’t have enough German soldiers to assist him in fulfilling his job, so he reverted to using Jewish controllers and slowly pursued his goal. The use of Jewish controllers to assist in keeping the peace among the Jewish folk was common. In spite of the fact that this was not a volunteer position for a Jew, it naturally had some advantages, especially in regard to protection. In the heart of Vilna’s Jewish ghetto between 1942 and 1943, there were close to 15,000 Jews and many were well-known in the arts and entertainment scene. Knowing that Commander Kittel had a soft spot for excellent musical talent, Jewish controller Gens (Heino Ferch) made it known to Kittel that his ghetto could make a name for himself if he choose to further the Nazi “humanitarian” propaganda to the world. Kittel agreed! Through his deep love for theater and music, he allowed himself to be emotionally smitten with the talented Jewish troop he had raised. However, his obsession was for a beautiful Jewish opera singer, Haya (Erika Morozsán). Kittel successfully held a tight reign on the façade of happy-times which was promoted by his ghetto. With the assistance of Gens, Kittel held his reign, which allowed Gens the possibility to secretly transport many of his folk to safety, but not without participating in Kittel’s continual brutal slaughter. Kittels’ happy-times façade held for one year until the Russians began to close in on the Nazi foothold in Lithuania. Kittel’s good- times came to an end that left an aftermath of confusion, emotional trauma and lasting visual impressions. No more comments!
(Becky T) Opening April 27, 2006 Director Eli Roth’s second film (after Cabin Fever) begins with two American college students, Paxton and Josh, looking for adventure in Europe. Their limited interests rule out visiting The Louvre or shopping for cuckoo clocks. Sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll, European style, are their game. They exchange tips with other like-minded young people in an Amsterdam youth hostel. Perhaps if someone had directed them to the Hamburg Reeperbahn, they would be alive and well today. As fate would have it, they connect with Oli from Iceland and take the train to Slovakia where they check into a hostel in Bratislava. This is worthy of old playboy Hugh Hefner’s wildest dreams: beautiful naked girls, sauna, drug-induced nirvana. Naturally, it’s too good to be true, and the horror begins. Oli disappears and while his friends search, we see him chained to a chair waiting to be tortured by a maniac. There is more sex than horror in the first two-thirds of this adult splatter movie. Most of the horror is in the form of your worst nightmares: searching for someone, crawling down an empty corridor, a tray of surgical instruments, fear of being alone, or a stranger whistling in the dark. Not all is left to the imagination, for example, a Japanese girl named Kana does get her eye gouged out by demented sadists. In old-fashioned horror movies, someone was always looking for a phone and barely finding one, which then didn’t work. In this modern film, a cell phone creates suspense through mysterious clues via SMS and photos. I’ll always remember the film as the first time I ever saw a man with a face tattooed onto his buttocks which must make mooning much more interesting.
(Mary W) Opening April 27, 2006 In The Promise (Wuji) Chinese director Chen Kaige, best known for his internationally successful Farewell, My Concubine, tells a fairy tale of vehement passions: love, revenge, greed, ambition, loyalty. The tale opens with a ragged little girl scavenging for food among bodies littering a battlefield. A noble young lad catches her and offers her the food if she will be his slave. She accepts the offer, but then breaking her promise attacks him, fleeing with the food. She encounters a Sorceress who makes her another offer: She can be a Princess desired the world over, but if she accepts, she will never experience true love or genuine happiness. She accepts. Twenty years later, she is a Princess and mistress of the King. The King offers her to his enemy, the Duke of the North. When the Princess is threatened, she is saved by a Slave dressed as the General. The Slave kills the King to save her, but everyone believes the General is responsible for the murder. The Princess and the Slave flee but are cornered by the Duke who makes them an offer. Is this destiny or are uncontrollable passions ruling their lives? Promise not to miss the romance, martial arts, stunning cinematography and plot twists worthy of Shakespeare.
(Shauna K) Opening April 27, 2006 It’s the 1930’s in small town America and a PTA meeting has been called at the local high school in order to address a serious threat to the community’s youth. That threat is marijuana and a lecturer (Alan Cumming) warns all by way of telling the story of what happened in a similar community not so very far away. Jimmy Harper (Christian Campbell) and Mary Lane (Kirsten Bell), perfectly innocent high school sweethearts, were destined to marry and lead a life of happiness. That was, until Jack Stone (Steven Weber), entices Jimmy back to the reefer den with false promises and corrupts him via marijuana. Just one hit and Jimmy is instantly transformed into a hopeless addict and maniac. From here on it’s all down hill not only for Jimmy and all who are associated with the reefer den, but also for the entire town. Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical is based on the former Los Angeles and New York City off-Broadway musical Reefer Madness which is in turn based on the 1936 anti-marijuana propaganda film Reefer Madness. Originally titled Tell Your Children, that propaganda film has become something of a cult classic within the pot-smoking world. Produced for cable television in America by Showtime, Reefer Madness now hits the big screen in Germany. The word that best describes my experience of Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical here in Germany is stunned. It was almost as if I’d smoked the ‘forbidden’ substance throughout the film myself. It actually surprisingly took me several hours to really form an impression. Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical is a totally absurd and totally politically incorrect musical which is brimming with social commentary on America past and present in which absolutely nobody is spared. While some may find the humor stupid or even offensive, and two friends I was with at the theatre even walked out during the screening, I found the film hilarious. In fact I think it’s been years since I’ve laughed so much during a film. There is absolutely nothing that isn’t grossly exaggerated in this film, the entire cast overacts, and the satire is cutting but clever. What I can compare it to most within the film world is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. But the relentless lampooning of American society makes it much more. While some will despise Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, and may even crucify me for my four star rating, others will find the film brilliant.
(Kara W) Opening April 27, 2006 Tim Robbins and Sarah Polley give sensational performances in this film, slipping into their characters as they would second skins. The voice of a small child serves as narrator, giving insight into the perpetual sadness that is a part of Hanna’s (Polley) life. The identity of the child is a mystery in itself, one of many throughout the plot line. The opening scene reveals Josef (Robbins) running into the flames of a fire on an oil rig. This first scene is short, giving away very little before cutting to the life of Hanna. Her life is controlled by routine that runs borderline obsessive compulsive, but is obviously therapeutic to her in the fact that she is the one in control of what she does. While taking a vacation forced upon her by her job, she overhears a man on his cell phone in need of a nurse to take care of an injured man on an oil rig. With little hesitation, she introduces herself and takes the job. Josef is temporarily blinded in the accident while also suffering several other injuries that force him to put his life into Hanna’s hands. In several scenes, the camera focuses on the hearing aid that Hanna must wear for everyday life. This is to be one of many complications in the open communication these two must have on a regular basis, him unable to see and she unable to hear most things. Both Josef and Hanna cannot forgive themselves for past events in their lives, a common thread binding these two seemingly incompatible people to one another. This film pushes to the surface the terrible pains people inflict upon one another, both accidentally and purposefully. The acting is superb on all counts, and along with fantastic cinematography, I was able to connect with characters at certain moments in the flim, making it more personal to me as a viewer. Though not light entertainment, this film is heartbreakingly beautiful. A winner of four Goyas, this film is definitely worth seeing.
(Coppelia HB) Opening April 27, 2006 Imagine the largest gathering in recorded history on earth: 70 million people. This documentary impressively begins with a satellite photo of this mass of humanity which is the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, north India, in 2001. Every 12 years this spiritual Hindu pilgrimage takes place but it is every 144 years that the Maha Kumbh Mela takes place, of which this is its latest occurrence. Over a six-week period, people from all over the world come to pray for peace and rebirth for the self and the world at large. It is believed that at this time, bathing in the confluences of the sacred rivers of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati, will purify the soul and body and all one’s sins from 1000 births will be washed away in these holy waters. Thus, the unending cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth is broken and one enters the “short cut to nirvana.” The mission of this expedition of film makers, photographers, writers, sound designers and composers is to bring us a multi-sensory experience and they are highly effective. We are guided through the intriguing crowds in this makeshift tent city by a western female pilgrim and an Indian Hindu swami, both visitors to the Mela. Throughout the documentary we are given their personal impressions as sadhus and gurus are interviewed. Exposed to an array of Indian yogis - the man who has held his arm up in the air for over 20 years, the Japanese woman who is buried underground for three days, the man who sits on a chair of nails over fire, the sadhu who wraps his penis around a stick and holds the stick behind his legs as someone stands on it - we are left to our own conclusions. Amazing feats of what the human being is capable of through will power and belief. The camera jumps from scene to scene where we are exposed to the sights and sounds of a myriad of colors, to the hustle and bustle of people walking, observing, dancing and chanting in ecstasy. The visual effects are so intense that one is even able to sense the smells. We are offered glimpses of the most exotic accumulation of people imaginable. Even the Dalai Lama is present to share the message of peace in this spiritual gathering. On a particular day, in accordance with planetary alignment, millions of people go down to bathe in the sacred waters. First, however, the sadhu’s must enter in order to purify the waters. The parade of saints down to the river is grandiose with the accompanying horses, elephants, camels and bulls that are carrying the procession along with musicians and dancers and the sea of humanity that follows down to the rivers edge. Through a patchwork approach of shots which is exceptionally synchronized to the music, directors and producers, Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day, offer us not only a documentary of an ancient religious pilgrimage but also a personal spiritual journey of sorts.
(Shauna K) Opening April 27, 2006 We Feed the World, directed by Erwin Wagenhofer, is jam-packed full of facts about world-wide food production on both a small scale and a super industrial scale, food waste, and even hunger around Europe and the world. The facts presented are indeed interesting; however, there are simply too many of them. And unfortunately their presentation is so pedantic that this film reminds me of boring classroom films from school days long past. I did enjoy the plethora of languages in which the film was produced; however, unfortunately there wasn’t a plethora of striking images, music, and humor to go with it. Like many recent successful documentaries, this film should make use of these critical elements. Unfortunately, without them We Feed the World is dry, too pedagogic and doesn’t command an audience’s attention.
(Shauna K) Opening April 27, 2006 It’s the story of a man named Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) and the story of a woman named Helen North (Rene Russo)… When the two recently widowed former high school sweethearts meet by chance while both on blind dates, it is love at second site. The very regimented coast guard admiral and the free spirited hippie chick fashion designer meet again soon after, this time not by chance, on their high school reunion cruise, where they re-bond instantly and spontaneously tie the knot at sea. But when both return to their families, break the news of the marriage and soon after move into a New England lighthouse together, war nearly ensues. For Frank’s eight children and Helen’s ten children, four of whom were adopted, all have personalities as different as night and day, and as different as Frank and Helen. Nearly every stereotype in the book, from cheerleader to class president to art student, is represented in the new family. Despite Frank and Helen’s grandiose effort to gel as a family, the kids do everything in their ability to undermine their new siblings. However they do eventually unite, but only for a common cause which is none other than to break up their parents' marriage. Yours, Mine and Ours, directed by Raja Gosnell, is truly Brady Bunch superlative! But unfortunately superlative only in the number of children this couple tries to bring together into one family. It’s a modern day re-make of the 1968 film of the same name starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, which was based on the book Who Gets the Drumstick by Helen Beardsley, which was based on a true story. This new version has plenty of slapstick comedy for the entire family. But unfortunately the gags and indeed the entire film are quite predictable and unoriginal, including the Nickelodeon (co-producer of the film) signature “slimings” that take place throughout. Nonetheless, Yours, Mine and Ours is at best mediocre family entertainment.
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Good Night, and Good Luck. 
Ice Age: The Meltdown (Ice Age 2: Jetzt Taut's) 
Live and Become (Va, Vis et Deviens) 
Manual of Love (Handbuch der Liebe, Manuale d'amore) 
Rent 
Two for the Money (Das Schnelle Geld) 
The Big White 
Du hast gesagt, dass du mich liebst 
Scary Movie 4 
Time to Leave (Die Zeit die bleibt, Le temps qui reste) 
Ghetto 
Hostel 
The Promise (Wu Ji - Die Reiter der Winde) 
Reefer Madness (Kifferwahn) 
The Secret Life of Words (Das Geheime Leben Der Worte, La Vida Secreta de las Palabras) 
Short Cut to Nirvana - Kumbh Mela 
We Feed the World (Essen Global) 
Yours, Mine and Ours (Deine, Meine und Unsere) 
Questions?