Film Reviews

At Phoenix Progressive School, students take notes lying on parlor couches and are encouraged to explore their gifts through electives like break-dancing and graphic-novel writing. In the midst of all this liberal pedagogy and budding talent, Molly Maxwell feels unexceptional, until she embarks on a photography independent study under the tutelage of her attractive English teacher, Ben. Their relationship quickly evolves beyond the darkroom, introducing Molly to the throes of a first love, and putting Ben’s job in jeopardy.

In this quirky romantic comedy inspired by a true story, an influx of women invade the small town of Herman, Minn., to get their hands on a surplus of bachelors yearning for female companionship. When the persuasive "cry from the heart" of Herman's lonely men becomes a big-time news story, it unwittingly attracts a swarm of single women from 38 states and four different foreign countries, adding 1,500 residents to the tiny hamlet of 485.

The affable, towheaded comic demonstrates his hysterical brand of self-effacing comedy and deadpan delivery at two sold-out shows at Chicago's Vic Theater. It's OK to laugh at this pale white guy...'cause nobody's laughing at Jim Gaffigan harder than Jim Gaffigan!

A French diplomat who's recovered from amnesia is blackmailed over crimes he can't remember.

A group of Spanish refugees try to organize protests from France. Their network is under constant threat by the police and some of them have recently been arrested. The main character (played by Yves Montand) dedicated his whole life to the battle but he feels forever estranged. He doesn't find his place nor in his adoptive country (France) nor in love. But this film is not about the story, it's all about style. Alain Resnais has an original approach in this film and this is the thing that makes this film worth watching.

A break-in and sabotage attempt occurs at a top secret research institute and the culprit is cornered and captured. The problem is that he's been badly injured and claims to have lost his memory entirely. A cat-and-mouse game ensues between investigator Tuxan, the mystery intruder Welles and the people who sent him on the mission.

A story about a young woman, Vera, who is somebody, living the life of a troubled teenager in the time right before the end of the Soviet Union. She lives in a very small Russian apartment with her mother and father, however being this close to each other makes the living get rough. Their daily life is plagued with massive amounts of alcohol (mainly vodka) and when she tries to escape her home life, she meets up with a boyfriend, Sergei who then moves into her already small apartment after sleeping with her. Every day little Vera has to go through hell just to get by, which even involves her going against her own morals after her father has done something extremely wrong.

Great white sharks bio-engineered to be the size of piranhas with the purpose of living in rich peoples exotic aquariums, terrorize New York City when they get into the water supply and do what great white sharks do best.

During the First World War, before joining a squadron at the front in 1918, Herbillon (Jean-Pierre Aumont) has a liaison with Helene (Annabella), a married woman. The young man discovers that his mistress is none other than the wife of Maury (Charles Vanel), an aviator friend.

A closeted gay man's attempt to "act straight" for the sake of his job has unexpected consequences.

Sasha, a young British woman, is living with her baby daughter at Ile d'Yeu, a peaceful beach community. A stranger appears. Her name is Tatiana, she's passing through, and pitches her tent in Sasha's yard. The two women build an odd rapport, and tension builds as events unfold.

A Peruvian schoolteacher conspires with a journalist to assassinate the official responsible for her fiancé's murder.

Dr. Lo Bianco, debt load, flees abroad and the headquarters avviatissimo study gynecological colleague Giovannaldi. These are adept at gaining the trust of high society and, thanks to the relationship established with the wife of a wealthy manufacturer (enough to get her pregnant), she becomes finance, own the cuckolded husband, a luxury clinic. And there will be a prize for Lobianco.

Nora Wilder (Parker Posey), a single, career woman works at a Manhattan boutique hotel where her excellent skills in guest relations lack in the romantic department. If it is not her loving and dominant mother (Gena Rowlands) attempting to set her up that consistently fail, she has her friend’s (Drea de Matteo) disastrous blind dates to rely on as a backup for further dismay. She's surrounded by friends who are all happily engaged or romantically involved and somehow, love escapes Nora -- until she meets an unusual Frenchman (Melvil Poupaud) who helps her discover life beyond her self-imposed boundaries.

A graduate student preparing his thesis on mythology leads his friends on a research expedition to an old plantation estate on the outskirts of the Big Easy. The site is reputed to mysteriously cause madness and death to all who enter it.