Film Reviews · Backpex

Title	Overview		Toggle columns Title Overview
Desperado	A gunslinger is embroiled in a war with a local drug runner.
The Accused	A prim psychology professor fights to hide a murder she committed in self-defense.
Meet John Doe	As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement.
W.	Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. W takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life -- his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.
Clouds of Sils Maria	A veteran actress comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier.
Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming	Wily roving gunslinger Sartana arrives in a small town and tries to find a hidden fortune of half a million dollars in gold and two million dollars in counterfeit money. Naturally, a bunch of other treacherous folks who include conniving widow Senora Manassas, shrewd fellow gunslinger Grand Full, and the vicious and unhinged General Monk are also looking to get their greedy hands on said fortune.
Carrie Pilby	Awkward, isolated and disapproving of most of the people around her, a precocious 19-year-old genius is challenged to put her convictions to the test by venturing out on to the NYC dating scene, in this adaptation of Caren Lissner’s best-selling 2003 novel.
I Know a Woman Like That	Actress Virginia Madsen collaborates with her mother Elaine Madsen to produce this documentary, which profiles a collection of fascinating woman between 64 and 94 years old. Among those featured in this extraordinary exploration of womanhood are famed model-turned-actress Lauren Hutton, screen and stage legend Rita Moreno and Hollywood pioneer Eartha Kitt.
Ashes and Diamonds	Maciek and Andrzej, two home army fighters, were paired and ordered to kill an incoming communist party cadre. At the hotel where their target's welcoming party is being held. Maciek meets the barmaid Krystyna and the two have a brief, passionate affair, before he is pulled away from this fleeting happiness into his deadly mission.
Bye-Bye	In Paris, Ismaél, a young Tunisian, cares for two brothers, Nouredine, a cripple, and streetwise Mouloud, 14. In haste, Ismaél and Mouloud go to Marseilles where an uncle lives. Nouredine has died in a fire, and Ismaél feels guilt on top of grief. Ismaél becomes friends with Jacky, a white man whose father and brother hate immigrants. Mouloud hangs out with cousin Rhida who breaks Islamic rules and deals hash. Ismaél decides Mouloud must return to Tunisia, but the boy runs off, becoming an acolyte to Rhida's supplier. Ismaél and Jacky's Arab girlfriend start an affair, friends betray friends, and the racism gets ugly. Can Ismaél rescue himself and Mouloud or will life in France crush them?
Io so che tu sai che io so	The investigations of a private eye shake up the almost broken marriage of a middle aged couple.
Family Business	Jessie is an aging career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else. His son Vito, while currently on the straight and narrow, has had a fairly shady past and is indeed no stranger to illegal activity. They both have great hope for Adam, Vito's son and Jessie's grandson, who is bright, good-looking, and without a criminal past.
Omen IV: The Awakening	Damien Thorn is dead, but his prophecy is reborn in a girl named Delia, who is adopted by two attorneys, Gene & Karen York. When Karen realises her baby was born under suspicious circumstances, she hires a private investigator to find Delia's real parents. A series of bizarre accidents occur, and Karen begins to suspect everyone of conspiring her as she unravels the truth about her baby.
Home of the Brave	Home of the Brave is a 1986 American concert film directed by and featuring the music of Laurie Anderson. The film's full on-screen title is Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. The performances were filmed at the Park Theater in Union City, NJ, during the summer of 1985. The film included appearances by guitarist Adrian Belew, author William S. Burroughs (who famously briefly dances a slow tango with Anderson during one song), keyboardist Joy Askew, and percussionist David Van Tieghem. Also, Barry Sonnenfeld, who was early in his movie-making career, receives an early film credit for operating second projection camera on this film.
Vig	Vinnie's a bookie, happily married, running his operation for 30 years out of his bar in Brooklyn. Times change, the boys up the chain want a bigger profit, so Vinnie's expendable He's assigned a hotheaded kid, Tony, the nephew of a local mobster. Vinnie's told to school the lad, use him for collections, and teach him some sense. What Vinnie doesn't know is that once Tony learns the ropes, Vinnie will be out. Tensions mount when Tony goes around Vinnie's paternalistic ways, takes a bet from an unemployed alcoholic, and demands that the loser's wife pay the vig in trade. Is there any way out for Vinnie - with or without his good name?

Desperado

A gunslinger is embroiled in a war with a local drug runner.

The Accused

A prim psychology professor fights to hide a murder she committed in self-defense.

Meet John Doe

As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement.

W.

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. W takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life -- his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.

Clouds of Sils Maria

A veteran actress comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier.

Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming

Wily roving gunslinger Sartana arrives in a small town and tries to find a hidden fortune of half a million dollars in gold and two million dollars in counterfeit money. Naturally, a bunch of other treacherous folks who include conniving widow Senora Manassas, shrewd fellow gunslinger Grand Full, and the vicious and unhinged General Monk are also looking to get their greedy hands on said fortune.

Carrie Pilby

Awkward, isolated and disapproving of most of the people around her, a precocious 19-year-old genius is challenged to put her convictions to the test by venturing out on to the NYC dating scene, in this adaptation of Caren Lissner’s best-selling 2003 novel.

I Know a Woman Like That

Actress Virginia Madsen collaborates with her mother Elaine Madsen to produce this documentary, which profiles a collection of fascinating woman between 64 and 94 years old. Among those featured in this extraordinary exploration of womanhood are famed model-turned-actress Lauren Hutton, screen and stage legend Rita Moreno and Hollywood pioneer Eartha Kitt.

Ashes and Diamonds

Maciek and Andrzej, two home army fighters, were paired and ordered to kill an incoming communist party cadre. At the hotel where their target's welcoming party is being held. Maciek meets the barmaid Krystyna and the two have a brief, passionate affair, before he is pulled away from this fleeting happiness into his deadly mission.

Bye-Bye

In Paris, Ismaél, a young Tunisian, cares for two brothers, Nouredine, a cripple, and streetwise Mouloud, 14. In haste, Ismaél and Mouloud go to Marseilles where an uncle lives. Nouredine has died in a fire, and Ismaél feels guilt on top of grief. Ismaél becomes friends with Jacky, a white man whose father and brother hate immigrants. Mouloud hangs out with cousin Rhida who breaks Islamic rules and deals hash. Ismaél decides Mouloud must return to Tunisia, but the boy runs off, becoming an acolyte to Rhida's supplier. Ismaél and Jacky's Arab girlfriend start an affair, friends betray friends, and the racism gets ugly. Can Ismaél rescue himself and Mouloud or will life in France crush them?

Io so che tu sai che io so

The investigations of a private eye shake up the almost broken marriage of a middle aged couple.

Family Business

Jessie is an aging career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else. His son Vito, while currently on the straight and narrow, has had a fairly shady past and is indeed no stranger to illegal activity. They both have great hope for Adam, Vito's son and Jessie's grandson, who is bright, good-looking, and without a criminal past.

Omen IV: The Awakening

Damien Thorn is dead, but his prophecy is reborn in a girl named Delia, who is adopted by two attorneys, Gene & Karen York. When Karen realises her baby was born under suspicious circumstances, she hires a private investigator to find Delia's real parents. A series of bizarre accidents occur, and Karen begins to suspect everyone of conspiring her as she unravels the truth about her baby.

Home of the Brave

Home of the Brave is a 1986 American concert film directed by and featuring the music of Laurie Anderson. The film's full on-screen title is Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. The performances were filmed at the Park Theater in Union City, NJ, during the summer of 1985. The film included appearances by guitarist Adrian Belew, author William S. Burroughs (who famously briefly dances a slow tango with Anderson during one song), keyboardist Joy Askew, and percussionist David Van Tieghem. Also, Barry Sonnenfeld, who was early in his movie-making career, receives an early film credit for operating second projection camera on this film.

Vig

Vinnie's a bookie, happily married, running his operation for 30 years out of his bar in Brooklyn. Times change, the boys up the chain want a bigger profit, so Vinnie's expendable He's assigned a hotheaded kid, Tony, the nephew of a local mobster. Vinnie's told to school the lad, use him for collections, and teach him some sense. What Vinnie doesn't know is that once Tony learns the ropes, Vinnie will be out. Tensions mount when Tony goes around Vinnie's paternalistic ways, takes a bet from an unemployed alcoholic, and demands that the loser's wife pay the vig in trade. Is there any way out for Vinnie - with or without his good name?