new york film festival
The New York Film Festival ended a week ago and the elapsed time has enabled for reflection on the best films of the festival.
With the New York Film Festival having come to a close many of the best films of the year and some 2014 premiered. The following is a list of my favorite five films at the festival.
Alexander Payne is known for combining deadpan humor in serious circumstances. For his latest film "Nebraska" Payne succeeds in telling an intimate film that is both funny and heartwarming.
"12 Years a Slave" has been getting a tremendous amount of Oscar buzz as the front-runner of the Best Picture race. While this would undoubtedly be well-deserved, the film has already achieved a more important victory that few other works in cinema history have ever achieved. McQueen's brutal masterwork has not only given audiences a chance to witness the crimes against humanity; he is one of the few to make the audience members participants as well. This is an experience that will surely leave a mark, both painful and hopeful, for every viewer that embarks on its powerful journey.
Denis' film aims to showcase a world of turbulent family relationship. However, the confusing opening coupled with a slow build-up fail to truly capture the viewer. As the film heads toward its big climax, the viewer is left uninterested and ultimately unsatisfied.
Overall the film's running time of 77 minutes feels short. The characters are not fully fleshed out and the lack of focus makes for a difficult and often tedious viewing experience.
The film is an engaging thrill ride from start to end that will undoubtedly keep audiences constantly guessing. However, the film is not only a superficial thrill ride as it asks powerful questions about betrayal, privacy, and control over one's destiny that linger long after the film has ended. The Middle East has come into prominence as a terrific filmmaking center; "Omar" proves that the region still has a tremendous amount to offer.
In 1991 the fictional radio and television presenter created by Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci and known as Alan Partridge first appeared on the radio. The character soon made several appearances on TV and various radio specials. After years of playing the character Steve Coogan has decided to bring the heavily praised personality to the big screen in a comic and smartly executed feature film.
The Coen Brothers are legends at this point with such terrific films as "A Serious Man," "The Big Lebowski," Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men." However, "Llewyn Davis" is possibly their most powerful film in its ability to tap into the universal creative struggle of not only the artist, but every human being.
Rockstar and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will team up for a group of events at the New York Film Festival's Convergence program.
The 16th annual Icaro Central American Film and Video Festival opened yesterday in El Salvador with the screening of recently released Salvadoran films.
The New York Film Festival will open on Sept. 27 with a number of films making their North American premieres.
The New York Film Festival has announced 51 films for its official slate.
"Captain Phillips" will open the New York Film Festival.
The New York Film Festival is a month away, but the announcements are already underway.
On Monday, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" will open the film festival. The film is based on the hugely popular best-selling novel by Yann Martell of the same title. The novel "Life of Pi" sold more than seven million copies.
