Chopper

The film that launched the careers of actor Eric Bana (Munich) and director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) is a stylized dramatization of the life of notorious Australian criminal turned author Mark "Chopper" Read. Bana gives a riveting performance as the flashy, demented and no nonsense criminal who outsmarted the criminals as much as the cops before serving time and writing a bestseller. Writer and director Dominik finds the right style to tell of story a colorful criminal that's refreshing and original. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Thriller in Manila

Director John Dower manages the impossible by showing Mohammad Ali, one of the greatest athletes ever, in a negative light by shining light on his rival Joe Frazier in this riveting documentary behind their greatest fight of the title. The film proves that history is written for and by winners alone and how an equally great boxer became victim to a hugely popular powerhouse personality that cost him more than a title. The film will please boxing fans as much as non fans by telling a powerful story beyond sports that comes close to a Greek tragedy. YRCinema's coverage of films on TV and DVD.

The Contender

Writer and director Rod Lurie brilliantly explores the issues of morality and double standards amongst others in this riveting political thriller about a female contender for the position of the Vice President. He cleverly goes where you want a film like this to go to explore issues beyond face value and that plagues the political system in the US. Joan Allen, Gary Oldman and Jeff Bridges give powerful performances that makes this film a delight to watch. An equally great supporting cast makes this film standout amongst its kind. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Purple Violets

The good thing about Edward Burns the writer and director is that he never over reached his ambition to be something he's not which makes his films more personal themes. In this film he explores on the first or past love a decade later to reflect on the personal development and happiness. Patrick Wilson and Selma Blair play writers with ambitions of greatness but also mutual love and respect for each other. After they run into each accidentally, they both start to reflect on their lives and whether they are better off without each other. Edward Burns the actor and Debra Messing provide comic relief besides having similar issues as the main characters. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Story of Wine

Writer and director Cheol-ha Lee makes a wining film with his second feature about a wine bar where every wine has its own story. Through three different wines, three universal stories about life, love and wine are told. The film will please anybody who loves wine. The most surprising thing about this film is that it was made in Korea instead of the wine making countries. It also proves that the Asian Cinema is a strong source of originality. YRCinema's coverage of the Sonoma International Film Festival.

Matar A Todos

Esteban Schroeder's political thriller shows that shadows of the past are still present in South America, in this case Uruguay. A woman has to fight the political system that includes her father and brother to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of a political prisoner who has been wanted for justice but might be used by the military to develop chemical weapons. Schroeder meticulously shows how intricately the governments of several countries tried to silence any opposition where thousands of people disappeared without any trace. A compelling film with powerful performances that gives some insight to one of the darkest chapters in the South American history. YRCinema's coverage of the Sonoma International Film Festival.

The Answer Man

Writer and director John Hindman makes a solid debut with this unpretentious film that's more about substance than style which plagues most first time directors. The story is about a reclusive author who has been hiding from the world after his book has become a world wide bestseller. After an injury forces him to seek help outside his home, he realizes there's more to life than playing the part eccentric and unattainable author with millions of followers. A single mother and a troubled young man help him to come out of his shell. A solid cast bring story to life with humor and heart to life. YRCinema's coverage of the Sonoma International Film Festival.

(500) Days of Summer

An original and offbeat romantic comedy that allows Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel to shine on their own. Both actors around for some time finally find a project that fits them well. The love story between Tom and Summer who have different notions about love while one believes in romance and the other doesn't. It's the universal battle of the sexes with a twist told in many inventive ways that sometime goes overboard but the leads save the day with their entirely winning performances. The title refers to the amount of days Tom meets Summer, falls in and out love. YRCinema's coverage of upcoming releases.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece remains a milestone in cinema, a film of staggering power that has not lost one bits of it brilliance. A groundbreaking film with more silence than dialogue, glorious music and imagery that remains a mysterious enigma 40 years later. A mysterious monolith is witness to human evolution from the beginning of human race to the future where it awaits to reveal itself. It's a film for the ages that should be viewed every many times during a lifetime. It's also the best Science Fiction film ever made. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Angst Essen Seele Auf

German cinema's "L'Enfant Terrible" filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder was never shy from criticizing the racism in his country. In this homage to Douglas Sirk's "All That Heaven Allows" he takes no prisoners when a good-hearted and lonely old woman falls in love with a Moroccan guest worker, she's viciously criticized by the society that endangers her happiness. Fassbinder clearly shows the dilemma of the woman to choose between loneliness and the wrath of the society. While Brigitte Mira gives a heartbreaking performance as the lonely cleaning lady Emmi, Fassbinder stylization gets in the way, specially in the last act. An influential film never-the-less, specially on Todd Haynes and François Ozon amongst others. The German title is grammatically incorrect since it's an Arab proverb spoken by Ali, the leading man which would be in English "Fear Eat Soul" instead of "Fear Eats the Soul." YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

RIP: Maurice Jarre 1924 - 2009

Les Amitiés Maléfiques

Writer and director Emmanuel Bourdieu's character study of a charming and pathological liar who has a profound influence on several people that consider him a genius. The film is as much about the influence of friendship as it is about the fragility of creativity where a false friend can kill talent before it matures in this morality tale. It's refreshing to see a film about something other than just entertainment. A fine cast makes the film a rewarding one to watch. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Anthony Minghella's last film shows what a brilliant writer and director he was before his untimely death. A colorful, gorgeous and hugely entertaining film where the location is as much a character as the actors with Jill Scott giving a winning performance along with a fine cast and crew. After all these years of bad news from Africa, it shows that there's a lot of good about the continent as the films shows with great heart and humor. The film has top notch A-list talent from cinematographer Seamus McGarvey(Atonement, The Hours) to composer Gabriel Yared (The English Patient, Betty Blue) and Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral). YRCinema's coverage of films for TV.

Memento

This film remains Christopher Nolan and Guy Pearce's best work. A brilliant film with one of the best endings ever. It's easier to have a great beginning than to have a great ending. So many films year after year burn because they fail in the third act. The story about the importance of memory is told in reverse about a man suffering from short-term memory loss on the hunt of his wife's murder. Rarely does a film require the audience's total attention as much as this film does. Nolan brilliantly controls every beat of the film with a brilliant cast and crew. It remains of the best films of the decade. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

The Mother

Director Roger Michell (Persuasion, Notting Hill) redeems himself with this film after a short detour to Hollywood. The story of an elderly and frigid woman's sexual awakening after the death of her husband when she falls for her daughter's unstable lover. Writer Hanif Kureishi delivers his best script since his brilliant debut for Stephen Frear's My Beautiful Laundrette. Michell and Kureishi bravely address the taboo issue of elderly sexuality with care and compassion. Anne Reid and Daniel Craig equally give powerful and honest performances along with a talented cast and crew. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Savage Grace

Tom Kalin's second feature in more than a decade fails despite a talented cast and crew. The story behind the murder of the socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland by her only son. The problem with the film is the script that tries too hard to give insight into the psyches of the privileged Baeklands but comes short. Julianne Moore gives a riveting performance as the unstable woman who destroys her marriage and her son's life. Instead of covering the three decades, it probably would have been better to narrow it down to a shorter time period. The characters behaviors in 1946 is similar to the ones in the 50's and 60's except for their stylish outfits. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Mon Oncle d'Amérique

Legendary French master Alain Resnais (Hiroshima, Mon Amour) is never been shy to break the rules that were either hits or misses but always with interesting results. He brilliantly brings the theories of human nature to screen with this film where narrative and documentary mix seamlessly as he mixes behavioral theorist Henri Laborit with fictional characters to demonstrate his point on how we function in the society. The film grabs you from the first minute till the last where everything makes perfect sense yet hard to describe. A true masterpiece that has not lost one bit of its sheer power with wonderful performances all around, specially Gérard Depardieu. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Twilight

Production designer turned director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) still has not found her vision as a director that's clearly evident in this film that struggles between the teenage coming of age story and the supernatural thriller. She never finds the balance to satisfy the both aspects of the teenage love story between a vampire boy and a human girl. The flaws are all over the place, specially the screenplay but the leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson save the day without whom the film would have been a total disaster. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Street Kings

Writer turned director David Ayer (Training Day, Harsh Times) opts for somebody else's script for his second feature but remains thematically in the same territory of police corruption in Los Angeles. Keanu Reeves plays a burned out LAPD detective Tom Ludlow who finally realizes that the corruption in his department is more widespread than he previously thought. After the murder of his former partner, he finds out with the help of a rookie (Chris Evans) that the murder was setup by his colleagues and friends. The fine cast includes Forest Whitaker and Hugh Laurie. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

RIP: Natasha Richardson 1963 - 2009