Miss Violence
12Miss Violence
An unnerving story about a horrid family drama kept behind closed doors, and an elaborate facade where appearances can be deceiving, and nothing is as it seems. Miss Violence is a 2013 Greek film directed by Alexandros Avranas. It entered the competition at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. Avranas won the Silver Lion for Best Director and actor Themis Panou won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. The latest in the remarkable wave of iconoclastic new Greek cinema that yielded Dogtooth and Attenberg, the film unfolds with a skin-crawling sense of deadpan detachment before it explodes in shattering tragedy.
Critic Reviews
'Ever since Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth wowed audiences back in 2009, Greek cinema has become the new Michael Haneke.' StarBurst 'Miss Violence is a grim tale of family dysfunction that also stands as an allegory about moral and economic decline in Greek society.' Independent UK 'From the not-so-happy birthday that opens the film ... up to the harrowing final revelation, Miss Violence fulfils the grisly promise of its title.' TimeOutAwards
Hellenic Film Academy Awards 2014 Winner of the Hellenic Film Academy Award for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) 2014 Winner of the Orpheus Award for Best Feature Film Montréal Festival of New Cinema 2013 Winner of the Innovation Award - International Competition Stockholm Film Festival 2013 Winner of the Aluminum Horse for Best Script Venice Film Festival 2013 Winner Best Euro-Mediterranean Film Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director Winner of the Volpi Cup for Best Actor Winner of the Young Cinema Award for Best Film in CompetitionYou Also May Like
Critic Reviews
‘This tender, detail-filled movie lives for the moment.’ New York Times ‘Welsh has delivered a compelling snapshot of an era and captured a moment in life when friendship is at its most sustaining.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘The script, adapted by Welsh and Kieran Hurley from Hurley's play, is especially good on the preciousness and subjectivity of cultural experience.’ Times UK ‘Funny, as well as emotionally rewarding.’ London Evening StandardAwards
BAFTA Awards, Scotland 2019 Winner of the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor - Film Lorn Macdonald British Independent Film Awards 2019 Winner of the British Independent Film Award for Best Cinematography - Benjamin Kracun and winner for Best Sound Film by the Sea International Film Festival 2019 Winner of the International Student Jury Award - International Student Jury for Brian Welsh (director) Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards 2019 Winner of the Behind the Camera Award - Torino Film Festival 2019 for Brian Welsh (director)
Critic Reviews
‘Brilliantly observed and very moving.’ Independent (UK) ‘Coogler's realistic debut recreates Grant's final day with affection, refusing to cast him as either saint or sinner.’ Times (UK) ‘There is something almost spiritual in the eerie importance that all the ordinary, banal facts of a life achieve under scrutiny, as time is running out.’ GuardianAwards
Acapulco Black Film Festival 2014 Winner of the Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year AFI Awards, USA 2014 Winner of the AFI Award for Movie of the Year African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) 2013 Winner of the AAFCA Award for Top 10 Films and Best Independent Film Austin Film Critics Association 2013 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best First Film Boston Online Film Critics Association 2013 Winner of the BOFCA Award for Ten Best Films of the Year Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winner Un Certain Regard - Avenir Prize - Ryan Coogler Film Independent Spirit Awards 2014 Winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature Hollywood Film Awards 2013 Winner of the Spotlight Award National Board of Review, USA 2013 Winner of the NBR Award for Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer Winner of Breakthrough Performance by an Actor - Michael B. Jordan Winner of Best Directorial Debut - Ryan Coogler New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2013 Winner of the NYFCC Award for Best First Film Satellite Awards 2013 Winner of the Breakthrough Performance Award
"Black Book" tells the moving story of a young Jewish woman who joins the Resistance in The Hague and gets entangled in a deadly web of double-dealing and betrayal. It is is an epic thriller of great courage and fierce emotion--played out against the dying, explosive months of WW II.
The film had its world premiere on 1 September 2006 at the Venice Film Festival. Winner of three Golden Calves, Black Book won the most awards at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2006.
Critic Reviews
'The film manages to turn German occupied Holland circa 1944 into a fast-paced thrill ride without sacrificing the emotional core and very real human toll.' From the Front Row
'Seven years after he disappeared with the whimper that was Hollow Man, Paul Verhoeven has returned with what may be his best film.' Stop Smiling
'The handsomely mounted, heedlessly pulpy modernist World War II thriller that "The Good German" and "Valkyrie" failed to be - a dizzying rush of daring rescues, sexual intrigue, treachery, betrayal, gunfights, hasty conclusions and harrowing consequences.' The Film Yap
Awards
Austin Film Critics Association 2007 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Capri, Hollywood 2007 Winner of the Capri Cult Award
Golden and Platin Film, Netherlands 2007 Winner of the Diamond Film
Nederlands Film Festival 2006 Winner of the Golden Calf for Best Film, Best Actress and Best Director of a Feature Film
Venice Film Festival 2006 Winner of the Young Cinema Award for Best International Film
Critic Reviews
'Emboldened by alcohol and steeped in despair, the characters in Sugisball lunge for love but would settle for understanding.'Awards
Bratislava International Film Festival 2007 Winner Best Director Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival 2007 Winner Special Critics Award Nika Awards 2009 Nominee Nika Best Film of the CIS and Baltics Transilvania International Film Festival 2008 Winner Best Cinematography
Francois Ozon's humorous psychological drama The New Girlfriend stars Anais Demoustier as Claire, a young woman whose closest friend since childhood, Lea, passes away leaving behind a husband, David (Romain Duris) and a newborn baby. One day she drops by David's house unexpectedly, and finds him dressed in his dead wife's clothes and feeding their baby with a bottle. He explains that Lea was well aware of his predilection, and eventually, so relieved that he has someone to share his secret with, David and Claire create a female persona for him named Virginia.
Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney expressed his compliments on The New Girlfriend: "a delectable riff on transformation, desire and sexuality that blends the heightened reality of melodrama with mischievous humor and an understated strain of Hitchcockian suspense." At Variety, Justin Chang said "even as he (Ozon) heads down any number of tantalizing if borderline-nonsensical alleyways, Ozon maintains his diabolical wit, his infectious sense of play and his essential affection for his characters" and the film was "powered by beautifully controlled performances from Anaïs Demoustier and Romain Duris"
Critic Reviews
'It's less than it should've been, and a little mild. But Ozon makes it glide with confidence, in or out of heels.' Chicago Tribune
'"The New Girlfriend" never pretends to be more than what it is, a delicious and frothy fantasia with a teasing erotic frisson.' New York Times
'In Ozon's confident hands, "The New Girlfriend" has moments that juxtapose gentle humor and surprising depth of feeling.' Washinton Post
'In The New Girlfriend, viewers are given a piece that walks the tightrope between drama and comedy, thriller and thinkpiece. This is a film that artfully ponders the process of grief while also finding rebirth from within.' CineVue
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2014 Winner of the Sebastiane Award for Best Film
Precious, is a 2009 American drama film, directed and co-produced by Lee Daniels.
The film, then without a distributor, premiered to acclaim at both the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, under its original title of Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire.At Sundance, it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama, as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo'Nique. After Precious' screening at Sundance in January 2009, Tyler Perry announced that he and Oprah Winfrey would be providing promotional assistance to the film, which was released through Lionsgate Entertainment. Precious won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Precious was also an official selection at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival (particularly the un certain regard section).
Precious received six nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Daniels, and Best Actress for Sidibe. Mo'Nique won the award for Best Supporting Actress, while Geoffrey Fletcher won for Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first African-American to win a screenplay award at the Oscars.
Critic Reviews
'Precious is an emotional powerhouse, a triumph of bruising humor and bracing hope that deserves its place among the year's best films.' Rolling Stone
'While it may not be perfect on a technical level, dramatically it's a blow-your-socks-off triumph. Be moved. Very, very moved' Empire Magazine
'A film full of life and love, well-meaning and, judging by the reaction in the US, a genuine and important phenomenon that says act - don't dwell - on your dreams.' Time Out
'Impressive performances power a surprisingly lively account of an existence blighted by material and spiritual poverty.' Film 4
'Precious is a big-screen "misery memoir" that is so keen to trace the hellish pathology of familial abuse that it risks glorifying its own subject, or at least shooting it with horror-movie verve.' Times UK
'It isn't the transcendent masterpiece that some admirers would have you believe: more like a black-comic nightmare that isn't exactly supposed to be funny. It's certainly arresting, though.' The Guardian
Awards
Academy Awards, USA 2010
Winner Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Mo'Nique Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay - Geoffrey Fletcher Geoffrey Fletcher became the first African American to win a Best Screenplay Oscar
Golden Globes, USA 2010 Winner of theGolden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Mo'Nique
BAFTA Awards 2010 Winner - BAFTA Film Award Best Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010 Winner of Actor for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Mo'Nique
CinEuphoria Awards 2011 Winner of theCinEuphoria for Best Actress - Audience Award - Gabourey Sidibe
Top Ten of the Year - Audience Award - Lee Daniels Top Ten of the Year - International Competition - Lee Daniels Best Duo - International Competition - Mo'Nique & Gabourey Sidibe
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2010 Winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature - Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness Best Female Lead - Gabourey Sidibe Best Supporting Female - Mo'Nique Best Director - Lee Daniels Best First Screenplay
Critic Reviews
‘Life is the collection of memories, and Campbell is losing them. But there is solace in the reality that you will not miss what you cannot recall.’ Globe and Mail ‘It's a rare, intensely personal look at Alzheimer's that will be tragically familiar to those who have lived with it and sobering and sad for those who have not.’ Toronto Star ‘Emotional and intimate.’ Toronto Sun ' This is a portrait of a star gaining luster even as his mortality becomes more evident.’ Seattle TimesAwards
Edmonton International Film Festival 2014 Winner of most outstanding biography Grammy Awards 2016 Winner of the best compilation soundtrack Nashville Film Festival 2014 Winner of the Grand Jury Prize Vancouver International Film Festival 2014 Winner of the award for most popular documentary feature film
Award winning The Flowers of War is a 2011 historical drama war film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi, Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi and Cao Kefan. The beautifully shot story is set in Nanking, China, during the 1937 Nanking Massacre in the Second Sino-Japanese War. A group of escapees, finding sanctuary in a church compound, try to survive the plight and persecution brought on by the violent invasion of the city.
Pete Hammond from Boxoffice Magazine gave it 4 stars of 5, and said "The Flowers of War is ultimately an inspiring, stirring and unforgettable human drama in the face of a horrifying war. It is highly recommended.
"The Flowers of War is a big movie in every sense of the word, from its kinetic battle scenes to the beautiful photography and impressive performances from a mostly young and inexperienced cast."
Critic Reviews
'Bale is forthright and emotional in the role, and with a hint of boyish vulnerability, even reminds us of his 13-year-old self in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.' The Guardian
'As you'd expect, it's beautiful, emotional and exciting, if florid in style. Bale, beauties and English dialogue widen Yimou's appeal.' Empire
Awards
Asian Film Awards 2012 Winner of the Asian Film Award for Best Newcomer Ni Ni
Asian Film Critics Association Awards 2012 Winner of the NETPAC Award for Best Picture, Best Director and Best New Performer
Chinese American Film Festival (C.A.F.F.) 2012 Winner of the Golden Angel Award for Outstanding Film
Chinese Film Media Awards 2012 Winner of the Audience Award for Favourite Actor - Dawei Tong and Favorite Actress - Ni Ni
Shanghai Film Critics Awards 2012 Winner of the Film of Merit
Shanghai Film Critics Award winner of Best Actress - Ni Ni
Writers Guild of China Film Association 2012 Winner of the WGC Award for Outstanding Screenplay