Everlasting Moments

Veteran Swedish filmmaker Jan Troell doesn't seem to be slowing done since he wrote, directed, filmed and edited this poignant drama. A working class woman trapped in an unhappy marriage finds her calling in photography after winning a camera which becomes her saving grace through war and poverty. Beautifully written and directed with a terrific cast and crew. Troell also pays an affectionate homage to photography and the power of art with integrity and compassion that's the true work of a master at his craft. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

RIP: John Barry 1933 - 2011

GUILD AWARDS 3: Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

Motion Picture Cast
Black Swan
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network

Leading Actor
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Robert Duvall, Get Low
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

Leading Actress
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Hilary Swank, Conviction

Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

2009
2008
2007

Man Push Cart

Iranian-American writer and director Ramin Bahrani made his feature debut with this portrait of an immigrant. A former Pakistani rock star with a traumatic past has become a street vendor in New York where he meets others like him on a daily basis. Bahrani focuses on the average immigrant worker and the story he has which represents many like him in the busy streets of New York which has been the first and last stop for many chasing the American dream. Everything is as authentic and as it should be including the cast and crew which makes this film effective. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

GUILD AWARDS 2: Director's Guild (DGA)

Feature Film
DARREN ARONOFSKY, Black Swan
DAVID FINCHER, The Social Network
TOM HOOPER, The King's Speech
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Inception
DAVID O. RUSSELL, The Fighter

Documentary Film
LIXIN FAN, Last Train Home
CHARLES FERGUSON, Inside Job
ALEX GIBNEY, Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
DAVIS GUGGENHEIM, Waiting for "Superman"
TIM HETHERINGTON and SEBASTIAN JUNGER, Restrepo

2009
2008
2007

FESTIVALS 1: SUNDANCE, USA

The first important festival of the year is the most important one in the US that has a competition and world premieres. The festival started to support the independent films and filmmaker but is now an integrated part of Hollywood.

2011 Winners:

GRAND JURY PRIZE: U.S. DRAMATIC
Like Crazy, Drake Doremus

GRAND JURY PRIZE: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
How to Die in Oregon, Peter D. Richardson

WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY
Hell and Back Again, Danfung Dennis (U.K./U.S.A.)

WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DRAMATIC
Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig), Anne Sewitsky (Norway)

DIRECTING AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
Jon Foy, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles

DIRECTING AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene

WALDO SALT SCREENWRITING AWARD
Sam Levinson, Another Happy Day

THE WORLD CINEMA DIRECTING AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
Project Nim, James Marsh (U.K.)

WORLD CINEMA DIRECTING AWARD: DRAMATIC
Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine (U.K.)

WORLD CINEMA SCREENWRITING AWARD
Restoration, Erez Kav-El (Israel)

AUDIENCE AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
Buck, Cindy Meehl

AUDIENCE AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
Circumstance, Maryam Keshavarz

THE WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
Senna, Asif Kapadia (U.K.)

THE WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DRAMATIC
Kinyarwanda, Alrick Brown (U.S.A./Rwanda)

The Sixth Sense

Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan delivered his best work with this effective thriller. A little boy with a terrifying secret finds help in a psychologist with personal problems. Shyamalan's story and film works best the first time around with some genuine thrills but the flaws show up in the repeat viewing. What's intriguing about the film that it will lead for a repeat view that shows the cleverness of the writing and direction. The film features terrific performances by Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment as the tormented mother and son. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Green Zone

British director Paul Greengrass reunited with Matt Damon for this thriller set in Iraq. The story follows a US officer after the invasion who's eager to find the weapons of mass destruction. However he finds out there's no evidence for the weapons but follows a lead of a cover up by the Pentagon. Greengrass puts on screen what everybody knows about the initial phase of the Iraq war in an effective way which works as an action film and a political thriller. Matt Damon brings the intensity and integrity of his "Bourne" character while Greg Kinnear is effective as the Pentagon henchman. The solid support cast includes Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson and Khalid Abdalla. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Enter the Void

French-Argentinian writer and director Gaspar Noé is one of the "enfant terrible" of French cinema who delivered another controversial film with his third feature, a visually stunning nightmare. The story about a brother and sister who are lost souls in Tokyo, one dealing drugs and the other working as an exotic dancer. After the brother is killed, his soul floats around watching over his sister while reflecting on their tragic and empty life. While Noé knows how to apply shock value, his film is as shallow as his one dimensional characters beyond its striking superficial surface. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Satin Rouge

Tunisian writer and director Raja Amari made her feature debut with this upbeat film. A widowed seamstress with a rebellious daughter finds a second chance in life through belly dancing. Even though the story lacks credibility, it's a feminist fable about personal liberation that will resonate with the western audiences. Amari got a terrific coup with the magnificent Hiam Abbass as her lead who brings credibility with her performance that goes from demure to sexy in a heartbeat. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Dogtooth

Greek writer and director Giorgos Lanthimos delivered something different and original with this bizarre and perverse black comedy. A married couple have raised three teenage children in absolute seclusion from the outside world, even modified their behavior and psychology in bizarre and disturbing ways. While the story is a bizarre fantasy, it takes a scathing stab at home schooling and parental control gone amok. The film is rare gem which combines black comedy with cautionary morality tale beautifully realized and executed by Lanthimos and his talented talented cast and crew. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Walkabout

British cinematographer turned director Nicolas Roeg did double duty on this masterpiece about humans alienation from nature which will lead to its destruction. After an horrific incident, two children are stranded in the Australian outback which leads them to a journey to nature with an Aborigine boy on a ritualistic separation from his tribe called "walkabout". Roeg's masterful cinematography and direction puts the primitive on the same level as the sophisticated which tells volumes without preaching the obvious. The children are perfectly captured by Jenny Agutter, David Gulpilil and Luc Roeg. A haunting masterpiece which has not lost one bit of its sheer power. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Still Walking

Japanese writer and director Hirokazu Koreeda evokes the great Yasujirô Ozu with this beautiful and thoughtful film. An elderly couple reunite with their adult children and families for the anniversary of a beloved son whose tragic death years ago still has left open wounds that haunts them. Koreeda delivers another genuine and profound story about a family that's profound and transcending. Koreeda remains one of the best Japanese contemporary filmmakers whose profound films about the human condition goes directly to the heart. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

RIP: Bernd Eichinger 1949 - 2011

Distant

Turkish writer and director Nuri Bilge Ceylan established himself as a legitimate heir to Andrey Tarkovskiy with this study of alienation. A young man leaves his village to visit his cousin in Istanbul where he hopes to find a job. However he finds the big city and its people distant from his reach as well as a job and a better life. He also fails to find support from his successful cousin suffering from different set of problems. Ceylan's observant eye lures into the psyche of lost men in the big city where human connection has been lost. Along with his talented cast and crew, Ceylan delivered a poetic masterpiece. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Flight

Indian writer Vikramaditya Motwane makes his feature debut as a director with this coming of age drama. Rohit, a teenager gets expelled from his boarding school after eight years. Upon his arrival home, his abusive and oppressive father has already plans for him which further deteriorates the father and son relationship. Motwane has written an effective drama that looks and sounds true which also shows a different side of India that most people don't see. The talented cast includes Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor and introduces two new talented actors , Rajat Barmecha as Rohit and Aayan Boradia as Arjun who both deliver solid performances that's the heart of the film. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Owl and the Sparrow

Vietnamese-American Stephane Gauger does triple duty for his feature debut as a writer, director and cinematographer. In Saigon, the path of three strangers, an orphan, a zookeeper and a flight attendant cross in this heart warming film about loneliness and human connection. A little girl runs away from her abusive uncle to Saigon where she sells flowers on the street where she bonds with a good hearted zookeeper and a beautiful flight attendant. The girl becomes cupid for these two lonely souls. Gauger has the right sensibility in the casting of his impressive cast and the atmosphere of the film. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Buried

Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés delivers a riveting and claustrophobic thriller. An American truck driver wakes up in a coffin with only a lighter and mobile phone without knowing where is buried in the Iraqi desert. Cortés and writer Chris Sparling managed to make a taut and heart pounding thriller with one character and one location. The film depends on the performance of Ryan Reynolds who delivers his best performance as the man trying to survive while coping with his situation. Cortés and cinematographer Eduard Grau find inventive ways to keep the tension and interest throughout the film. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

GUILD AWARDS 1: Producer's Guild (PGA)

Feature Film
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit

Animated Film
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
Toy Story 3

Documentary Film
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
Earth Made of Glass
Inside Job
Smash His Camera
The Tillman Story
Waiting for 'Superman'

2010
2009
2008

For more info:http://www.producersguild.org/

Ondine

Irish writer and director Neil Jordan returns with a solid drama seamlessly woven with a fable. A fisherman who discovers a beautiful woman in his net can't believe his good fortune which leads him to believe she's a mythical creature. Jordan returns to his Irish roots for inspiration which pays off splendidly with terrific cast and crew. Colin Farrell delivers a nuanced performance that fits him well with solid support by the stunning Alicja Bachleda and Stephen Rea. Ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle captures the beautiful Irish scenery perfectly matched with the music of Sigur Rós that makes this film a special treat. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

The Time Traveler's Wife

German director Robert Schwentke's second Hollywood film is a bittersweet love story. A woman falls in love with a man who involuntarily time travels. If the story sounds ludicrous because it's if you look beyond the love story. The time travel is used merely as a device to emphasize the preciousness of time which is the obstacle for the lovers. What makes the film work is the performances by the leads which Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana play very well. Anybody expecting more than a love story will be disappointed because there's no trace of science fiction to be found. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

The Town

Actor, writer and director Ben Affleck more than redeems himself with this thriller. After a bank robbery, one of the robbers falls in love with the female hostage which leads him to reevaluate his life including his friends and family. While it's a competent crime thriller, the film succeeds more in the conflicts of its characters at the heart of this drama. Affleck continues to improve as a director as well as an actor along with a terrific cast and crew. Affleck scored big time with the casting of Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm who all deliver outstanding performances in this ensemble including Pete Postlethwaite, Blake Lively and Chris Cooper.