Film
Film Indexed by Director:
A
Alegria, Oskar
The Search for Emak Bakia – Oskar Alegria and the search for the clown within. (SFF Film Review)
Alfredson, Thomas
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Tomas Alfredson does the 1970′s with understated flair
Allen, Woody
Midnight in Paris – Woody’s letter to himself.
To Rome with Love – Woody Allen and the whistle-stop tour does Italy
Vicky Christina Barcelona – Woody Allen and the impossibility of our desires. (Film review)
Almodovar, Pedro
Volver – Pedro Almodovar blurrs the boundaries between life and death.
The Skin I Live In: Almodavar at his most disturbing best.
Anderson, Paul Thomas
“The Master” review – Paul Thomas Anderson and the Death-Drive
Magnolia – Falling frogs and coincidence, Paul Thomas Anderson Style. (Film Review)
Punch Drunk Love – Paul Thomas Anderson and the Rom-Com. (Film Review)
Anderson, Wes
SFF: Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson and the fun of films
Anh Hung, Tran
Norwegian Wood: Death, grief and sex.
Antonioni, Michelangelo
Red Desert : Michelangelo Antonioni embraces colour
Audiard, Jacques
Rust and Bone – Jacques Audiard’s film on Melodrama. (film review)
Ayer, David
End of Watch – David Ayer takes the cop buddy movie a little deeper.
Ayoade, Richard
Submarine – A journey through a genre.
B
Baumback, Noah
Frances Ha – Noah Baumback grows a heart and cires “Look at my girlfriend!” (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Berger, Pablo
Blancanieves – Pablo Berger and the rediscovery of beauty past. (SFF Film Review)
Bergman, Ingmar
Persona: Bergman’s film of obsession and control.
The Hour of the Wolf: The decent into madness at Bergman’s behest.
Fanny and Alexander: Bergmans final triumph
Berninger, Tom
Mistaken for Strangers – The National, The Berningers and rock stars. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Bigelow, Katherine
Zero Dark Thirty – Katherine Bigelow takes out Osama bin Laden. (Film Review)
Boyle, Danny
Trance – Danny Boyle and the philosophy of memory and identity.
Bresson, Robert
Au Hasard Balthazar: Life in a world that hates us.
The Trial of Joan of Arc: Bresson answers Dreyer with sound
Mouchette: The Muses never talk to each other, but sometimes they dance.
Film review: Pickpocket. Robert Bresson
Bujalski, Andrew
Computer Chess – Andrew Bujalski reminds us that Computers used to be exciting. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Buñuel, Luis
The Young One – Luis Buñuel does English / American
That Obscure Object of Desire – Luis Buñuel and the universality of desire.
Diary of a Chambermaid: Bunuel at his best.
Los Olvidados: Bunuel introduces us to the real street urchins Dickens never knew.
Las Hurdes: Luis Bunuel and the surrealist documentary
Luis Bunuel: The Phantom of Liberty – A review
C
Carax, Leo
SFF: Holy Motors – Leos Carax and the question of Free Will
Carruth, Shayne
Upstream Color – Shane Carruth asks who are we when “it” takes over? (Sydney FF Film Review)
Chabrol, Claude
Les Cousins – Chabrol takes the French New Wave on a descent to Hell.
Madam Bovary: Claude Chabrol takes on a classic
Chan-Wook, Park
Stoker – Park Chan-Wook and his ode to Hitchcock. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Chytilová, Věra
Daisies – Věra Chytilová offers us jouissance and the abundant Libidinal economy.
Cianfrance, Derek
The Place Beyond the Pines – Derek Cianfrance and the testosterone high. (film review)
Clooney, George
The Ides of March: Bit of a yawn really.
Clouzot, Henri-Georges
Le Corbeau: The Raven – Clouzot teaches us the power of gossip
Cocteau, Jean
Les Enfants Terribles: A Jean Cocteau and Jean-Pierre Melville masterpiece.
La Belle et la bête – Jean Cocteau re-imagines fairytales. (film review)
Coppola, Sophia
The Bling Ring – Sophia Coppola and the cult of celebrity. (SFF Film Review)
Cowperthwaite, Gabriella
Blackfish – Gabriela Cowperthwaite with a “just the facts” look at the dark side of SeaWolrd. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Cronenberg, David
A dangerous Method – Cronenberg spins a Jungian yarn.
D
Daniels, Lee
The Paperboy – Lee Daniels and the question of what went wrong with a butchered script. (film review)
Delpy, Julie
FFF:Le Skylab – Julie Delpy does family
del Toro, Guillermo
Pacific Rim – Guillermo del Toro and tweenage passion. (Film Review)
Dominik, Andrew
Killing them Softly – Andrew Dominik reveals America is a business.
McDonagh, Martin
Seven Psychopaths Review – Martin McDonagh goes cute n’ clever on the art of the screenplay.
Dulac, Germaine
The Seashell and the Clergyman – Antonin Artaud, cinema and abstraction. (Film review / analysis)
E
Epstein, Rob
Lovelace – Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman tell half a tale that’s true. (film review)
F
Fassbinder, Rainer Werner
Fox and his Friends – Fassbinder on sex
Beware of a holy whore: Fassbinders take on film
In a year with 13 moons – Fassbinder and the desperation of love
Lili Marleen: Fassbinder’s take on Nazism.
Love is Colder than Death – Fassbinder starts out with a bang.
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant – Fassbinder and the art of woman
The American Soldier – Fassbinder does Godard
Mother Küsters goes to Heaven – Fassbinder and the the question of what comes after exploitation.
Martha – Fassbinder takes us to the darkest place. (Film Review)
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul – Older Woman Younger Man Fassbinder style (Film Review)
Fear of Fear – Fassbinder predicts the medicated society. (Film Review)
God’s of the Plague – Fassbinder and the haunted power of the image (film review)
Querelle – Fassbinder does Genet. (film review)
Katzelmacher – Fassbinder makes his first “bourgeois” film. (film review)
Whity – Fassbinder and the dark side of the Western. (film Review)
Fedorchenko, Aleksei
The Fourth Dimension – Korine, Fedorchenko and Kwiecinski take us to another place. (Sydney Underground Film Festival)
Feinnes, Sophie
The Perverts Guide To Ideology – Slavoj Žižek says we are responsible for our dreams. (Sydney FF Film Review)
The Perverts Guide to Cinema – Slavoj Žižek and the reality of cinematic fiction. (film review)
Fellini, Federico
La Strada: A tale trapped between earth and sky
Fincher, David
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: David Fincher goes Hollywood on Sweden
Fleischer, Ruben
Gangster Squad – Ruben Fleischer’s good v’s evil. (film review)
Forman, Miloš
Loves of a Blonde: Miloš Forman knows it’s difficult to be ‘normal’
The Firemen’s Ball: Controversy in the Prague Spring.
Forster, Marc
World War Z – Brad Pitt and Marc Forster show us it’s cool to be PC (Film Review)
Franco, James
Francopherenia – James Franco on the complexities of being James Franco (Sydney underground Film Festival)
Franju, Georges
Eyes Without a Face: Georges Franju teaches us about horror
Fricke, Ron
Samsara – Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson guide your meditation. (film review)
G
Gervasi, Sasha
Hitchcock – A Wikipedia guide to Psycho from Sasha Gervasi. (Film Review)
Glawogger, Michael
SFF: Whore’s Glory – Sex, money and death with Michael Glawogger.
Godard, Jean-Luc
Bande à part – Godard celebrates the outsider.
À bout de souffle – At breaths End – Breathless 52 years on.
Contempt – Enjoy a little Avant-Godard
Paris vu Par: Godard gathers up his friends to show us Paris.
Pierrot le Fou – Godard and the ecstasy of words.
2 or 3 Things I know about her – Jean Luc Godard whispers meaningfully. (Film Review)
Le Gai Savoir – Godard teaches while we experience the Joy of Learning. (film review)
Goldberg, Evan
This is the End : Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg do Bromance, again. (Film Review)
Gomes, Miguel
Tabu – Miguel Gomes and the endless beauty of cinema. (film review)
Gosling, Maureen
This Ain’t no Mouse Music – Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling remind us things need to be captured or they will be lost. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Guy, Sebastien
Nerve – Sebastien Guy at the very start of something. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
H
Haneke, Michael
SFF: Amour – Michael Haneke and the question of the end.
71 Fragments of a chronology of chance – Haneke ice cold. (film review)
Funny Games – Haneke holds a mirror. (film review)
Time of the Wolf – Haneke and the start of all things at the end of the World. (Film Review)
The Piano Teacher – Jelinek and Haneke and Austria. (film review)
Herzog, Werner
Stroszek: Herzog and the ultimate road trip
Heart of Glass – Herzog hypnotizes everyone.
My son My son what have ye done – Lynch and Herzog team up.
Nosferatu (1979) – Herzog’s classic take on a classic
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser: How do your smarts measure up?
Herz, Juraj
Spalovac mrtvol (The Cremator) – A film by Juraj Herz
Hillcoat, John
Lawless: Nick Cave and American violence.
Hitchcock, Alfred
Rope – Hitchcock tricking you into seeing what’s “there” when it’s the unspeakable “there.”
The Lady Vanishes – Hitchcock makes something out of nothing
Shadow of a Doubt – Hitchcock offers us a little Freud.
Honoré, Christophe
FFF: Beloved – Les Bien-Aimes, songs, mothers and daughters.
Ma Mere – Christophe Honoré and Bataille on the silver screen. (film review)
Huzarik, Zolatan
Szinbad – beauty in the profoundly ugly from Zoltan Huzarik
I
Imamura, Shôhei
The Eel: Dark, sweet, odd Japan.
J
Jackson, Peter
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – What’s not to love after all? (film review)
Jazquot, Benoit
Farewell My Queen – Benoît Jacquot and the object of desire between women. (French Film Festival film review)
Jarmusch, Jim
Permanent Vacation – Jim Jarmusch starts his journey of cool. (film Review)
Dead Man – Jim Jarmusch, William Blake and the death of America. (film review)
Stranger than Paradise – Jim Jarmusch and the deadpan comedy of the absurd. (film review)
Johnson, Rian
Looper – A mothers love will save us all.
K
Kachyna, Karel
The Ear – They’re watching you.
Kargman, Bess
First Position – Bess Kargman and the complicated world of child dancers. (film review)
Kawalerowicz, Jerzy
Mother Joan of the Angels – Jerzy Kawalerowicz and repression in “Devil Possession” films. (film review)
Korine, Harmonie
The Fourth Dimension – Korine, Fedorchenko and Kwiecinski take us to another place. (Sydney Underground Film Festival)
Sping Breakers – Harmony Korine goes wild. (film review)
Kosinski, Joseph
Oblivion – Joseph Kosinski celebrates 70′s sci-fi. (film review)
Kravitz, Tony
Dead Europe – Tony Kravitz tells us we are what we believe. (Film Review)
Kristjánsdóttir, Kristín
Grandma Lo-fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigrídur Níelsdóttir (Antenna Documentary Film Festival)
Kurosawa, Akira
High and Low – Akira Kurosawa asks which is heaven and which is hell?
Ikiru – Akira Kurosawa and what it means to live
Rashomon – Stories, lies, perspectives and human weakness.
Seven Samurai – Akira Kurosawa starts a trend.
Kurzel, Justin
Snowtown: Australian Gothic
Kwiecinski, Jan
The Fourth Dimension – Korine, Fedorchenko and Kwiecinski take us to another place. (Sydney Underground Film Festival)
L
LaGravenese, Richard
Beautiful Creatures – Richard LaGravenese and the love of a good script. (film reviews)
Larrain, Pablo
No – Pablo Larraín and the question of selling out. (film review)
Legrand, Gilles
You Will Be My Son – Gilles Legrand films the pathological fear of death.
Lellouche, Sophie
FFF: Paris-Manhattan review
Linklater, Richard
Before Midnight – Three writers and one of the best couples in cinema. (SFF Film Review)
A Scanner Darkly – Richard Linklater and the separation of left and right brain. (film review)
Dazed and Confused – Richard Linklater and the horrors of teenage life. (Film Review)
Lloyd, Pyllidia
The Iron lady – Nothing to see but Meryl Streep
Loach, Ken
SFF: The Angels Share – Ken Loach and the power of feeling good through Whiskey.
Luketic, Robert
Paranoia – Robert Luketic and The not-so-Firm remake. (film review)
Lvovsky, Noemie
Camille Rewinds – Noémie Lvovsky realises sometimes bad things happen for good reasons. (film review from the French Film Fest)
M
McDonagh, Martin
Seven Psychopaths Review – Martin McDonagh goes cute n’ clever on the art of the screenplay.
McDonalid, Ian
Algorithms – Ian McDonald reminds us, four moves in we are all blind. (Sydney Film Festival review)
Maccarone, Angela
FFF: The Look – Charlotte Rampling gives us a self portrait through others.
McKenzie, Catriona
Satelite Boy – Catriona McKenzie brings the land to our laps. (Film Review)
Maddin, Guy
Keyhole – Guy Maddin dreams of Ulysses (Sydney Underground Film Festival)
The Saddest music in the World – Guy Maddin makes morbid arty self-consciousness fun. (film review)
Malick, Terrance
Why I won’t be reviewing Terrence Malick
Meise, Sebastian
Outing – Discussion of the ultimate taboo: Antenna Documentary Film Festival
Mehta, Deepa
Midnight’s Children – Deepa Mehta squashes generations into two hours. (SFF film review)
Melville, Jean-Pierre
Jean Pierre Melville: Un Flic
Mendes, Sam
Skyfall – how to do Bond for over 50 years (film review)
Mendoza, Brillante
SFF: Captive – Brillante Mendoza goes Political
Menzel, Jiří
Larks on a String: Jiří Menzel and Bohumil Hrabal defeat totalitarianism with spirit.
Closely Watched Trains: The Czech New Wave consistently ahead of its time.
I served the King of England – Jiri Menzel’s take on Bohumil Hrabal just after the Prague Spring.
N
Němec, Jan
Diamonds of the Night – Heartbreaking beauty by Jan Němec in his first film.
The Party and the Guests: Jan Němec – the film they banned for years.
Netzer, Călin Peter
Child’s Pose – Călin Peter Netzer and oppressive mother regimes. (SFF Film Review)
Newell, Mike
So Many Great Expectations – Mike Newell and the ninth version.
O
Ole Gerster, Jan
Oh Boy – Jan Ole Gerster tells us to say goodbye to a certain type of Berlin. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Olds, Ian
Francopherenia – James Franco on the complexities of being James Franco (Sydney underground Film Festival)
Ophüls, Max
The Earings of Madame de: 1950′s French Cinema chic
Oppenheimer, Josh
The Act of Killing – Josh Oppenheimer brings the documentary to the forefront of film making. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Oshima, Nagisa
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence: One of the best war films ever made.
The Empire of the Passions: Japan at its most passionate.
Ozon, Francoise
8 Femmes – Francois Ozon alludes to anything and everything.
Francois Ozon: Film as art, art as film.
Water Drops on Burning Rocks – Ozon uses Fassbinder to get steamy.
P
Pálfi, György
Final Cut Ladies and Gentlemen – György Pálfi and the film of 500 films. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Petzold, Christian
SFF: Barbara – Christian Petzold asks do I go or do I stay.
Phillips, Todd
The Hangover 3 – What’s not to love? (film review)
Polanski, Roman
Carnage: Roman Polansky in real time.
Death and the Maiden: Dorfman’s guide to Hell
Roman Polanski: A film Memoir – Laurent Bouzereau let’s the camera roll. (Film Review)
Potter, Sally
Ginger and Rosa – Sally Potter and the problem with girl/women (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Press, Richard
Bill Cunningham New York: Depth behind the frivolity of fashion
Q
R
Ramsay, Lynne
We need to talk about Kevin: Cinematic quality in a sea of ambiguity.
Reider, Thomas
Outing – Discussion of the ultimate taboo: Antenna Documentary Film Festival
Renoir, Jean
The Rules of the Game – Greatest film ever made.
Resnais, Alain
Last year at Marienbad Results in an Amorous Event – Detail from seiminar by Alex Ling
Last Year at Marienbad – One of the great art works of 20th Century.
Private Fears in Public Places – Alain Resnais shows us our naked human heart. (film review)
Hiroshima Mon Amour – Resnais and Duras and the tragedy of memory. (Film review)
My American Uncle – Alain Resnais and the thing that drives us. (Film Review)
Night and Fog – Resnais asks who is to blame and reminds us we have to know. (Film Review)
Rivette, Jaques
Céline and Julie go boating – The quiet achiever of the French new wave goes epic.
La Belle Noiseuse – Jaques Rivette toys with artistic temperament.
Va Savoir – Jacques Rivette and the subtle pleasures of the Nouvelle Vague
Robelin, Stephane
FFF: And if we all lived together – A very enjoyable senior moment.
Rohmer, Eric
Love in the Afternoon: Rohmer and the end of Six moral tales.
My Night at Maud’s – Eric Rohmer and the spirit of the Nouvelle Vague
The Bakery Girl of Monceau – Eric Rhomer comes alive!
Rosenfeld, Lauren
Captive Radio – Lauren Rosenfeld and the power of the human voice to reach accross the jungles of terror. (Sydney Film Festival short film review)
Russell, David O.
The Silver Linings Playbook – David O. Russell gives us a rom-com for the severely depressed. (film Review)
S
Saakyan, Maria
The Lighthouse – Maria Saakyan shows us Armenia as a dream
Schepisi, Fredric
The Eye of The Storm – sex and molestation for those over 55.
Schwartz, Jeffery
I am Divine – Jeffrey Schwarz gives us a “What’s-not-to-love” look at the most beautiful woman in the world. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Scorsese, Martin
Hugo: Scorsese can do family flicks! Who knew?
Seidl, Ulrich
Paradise: Love – Ulrich Seidl and the uglienss of unmet desire. (SFF Film Review)
Simon, Chris
This Ain’t no Mouse Music – Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling remind us things need to be captured or they will be lost. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Soderbergh, Steven
Side Effects – Steven Soderbergh and the twisting plot combined with the old chestnut. (film review)
Behind the Candelabra – Steven Soderbergh and the ‘appropriate gay’. (film review)
The Soskas
American Mary – The Soska Twins take on Bod.Mod. (film review)
Stillman, Whit
Damsels in Distress – Whit Stillman back after thirteen years. (Film Review)
Sukurov, Alexander
SFF: Faust – Sokurov reads between the lines.
Szumowska, Małgorzata
FFF: Elles – A day in the life of journalistic integrity.
T
Tarentino, Quentin
Django Unchained – Tarantino and the Spaghetti Western (film review)
Tarkovsky, Andrei
Solaris – The film Tarkovsky didn’t like.
Tavernier, Bertrand
Coup de torchon (Clean Slate) – Bertrand Tavernier and the dark comic side of French Colonialism. (film review)
Teshigahara, Hiroshi
Woman of the Dunes: Existentialism at its disturbing best.
Thatcher, Ben
Short Film – Homecoming. (C’me on! We’ve ALL been there)
Trapero, Pablo
White Elephant – Pablo Trapero and the snapshot of the now. (Sydney FF Film Review)
Truffaut, Francoise
Jules and Jim: Genius locked away in a moment in time.
FFF: The last Metro – Truffaut and the mightiest of tensions
The Soft Skin – Truffaut recommends fidelity in marraige – or else. (film review)
Tykwer, Tom
Cloud Atlas – The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer make the most expensive independant film of all time. (film review)
U
V
Vallée, Jean-Marc
Cafe de Flore – Music, ritual, religion and life.
Van Groeningen, Felix
The Broken Circle Breakdown – Felix Van Groeningen and the attraction of opposites. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Van Sant, Gus
Restless: Gus Van Sant’s take on death.
Various
Destricted – The place where art and pornography connect. (film review)
Vinterberg, Thomas
The Hunt – Thomas Vinterberg and the Salem Witch Hunts. (film review)
Vláčil, František
Marketa Lazarová – The greatest Czech film of all time
The Valley of the Bees – František Vláčil tells a tale of obsessive horror.
Adelheid – František Vláčil places all his hope in what goes on between two people. (film review)
Von Trier, Lars
Melancholia: An exquisite chicks flick.
Melancholia Non Grata: Lars von Trier and the Infinite Sadness
The Kingdom Pt 1 – tons of fun the von Trier way. (film review)
Breaking the Waves – Lars Von Trier and the infinite sadness. (film review)
Antichrist – Lars Von Trier and extreme grief. (Film Review)
W
Wachowskis
Cloud Atlas – The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer make the most expensive independant film of all time. (film review)
Westmeier, Inigo
Dragon Girls – Inigo Westmeier and the Kung Fu girls of the Shao Lin. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Wenders, Wim
Land of Plenty – Wim Wenders as a friend of America (film review)
A trick of the Light – Wim Wenders reminds us the German’s did it first. (Film Review)
Wexler, Tina
Hysteria – Enjoyment at its peak.
Winding Refn, Nicholas
Drive: A boys film the girls will love.
Only God Forgives – Nicolas Winding Refn and the Oedipus reach. (Sydney Film Festival Film Review)
Pusher Three: I am the Angel of Death – Nicolas Winding Refn completes his ode to Goodfellas. (Film Review)
Pusher 2: With Blood on my Hands – Nicolas Winging Refn and one of the best sequels ever made. (film Review)
Pusher – A young director leaves the womb. (Film Review)
Winterbottom, Michael
The Look of Love – Michael Winterbottom’s missed opportunities. (SFF Film Review)
Wiseau, Tommy
The Room and The Roomsical – the worst film ever made moves to theatre. (Film and theatre review)
Wright, Joe
Anna Karenina – Joe Wright and Tom Stoppard squeeze Tolstoy down to theatre size (film review)
X
Y
Z
Zaccai, Jonathan
SFF: Play it like Godard – Jonathan Zaccaï pokes fun at precociousness
Zeitlin, Benh
SFF: Beasts of the Southern Wild – A film for the Bourgeoisie.
Zilberman, Yaron
Performance (A Late Quartet) – Yaron Zilberman’s astonishing debut. (film review)
Zobel, Craig
Compliance – Craig Zobel and the Bullit County McDonalds Case. (Film Review)
Zwart, Harald
