Year: 2015

“Wild Tales” (“Relatos salvages”) (2014). Cast: Dario Grandinetti, María Marull, Mónica Villa, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, César Bordón, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Walter Donado, Ricardo Darin, Nancy Dupláa, Oscar Martínez, María Onetto, Osmar Núñez, Germán De Silva, Érica Rivas, Diego Gentile, Javier Pedersoli, Lucila Mangone, Héctor Drachtman, Diego Velázquez, Alan Daicz, Ramiro Vayo, Marcelo Pozzi, Margarita Molfino. Director: Damián Szifron. Screenplay: Damián Szifron. Web site. Trailer. When we’ve been wronged, many of us no doubt want to seek restitution. But how far do we go with this? When do we cross the line between seeking redress and pursuing vengeance at all costs? Those are among the questions addressed in the hilarious Argentine anthology comedy, “Wild Tales.” “Wild Tales” consists of six vignettes that explore different aspects of revenge and its consequences, five of which are wickedly funny, with a sixth that’s more serious in nature. The stories include the following: • Pasternak tells the story of an airplane full of passengers who all have a common – and unexpected – association with one another. Shortly after takeoff, Salgado (Dario Grandinetti), a music critic who once served as chairman of a panel of thesis judges at a conservatory, strikes up a friendly conversation ...

“Red Army” (2014). Interview footage: Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov, Alexei Kasatanov, Vladislav Tretiak, Vladimir Krutov, Vladimir Pozner, Scotty Bowman, Felix Nechepore, Lada Fetisov. Archive footage: Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Viktor Tikhonov, Anatoli Tarasov, Mikhail Gorbachev, Leonid Brehznev, Vladimir Putin, Joseph Stalin, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Herb Brooks, Wayne Gretzky. Director: Gabe Polsky. Screenplay: Gabe Polsky. Web site. Trailer. One never knows where one’s creative inspiration will come from. Sometimes the sources will seem obvious. But, at other times, it may arise from the unlikeliest of places. Such is the case with the engaging new sports documentary, “Red Army.” For decades, the Soviet national hockey team dominated the sport in the world of international tournament play, including the Winter Olympics. Organized and operated under the auspices of the Red Army, the team was a virtually unstoppable juggernaut. But how did it come to be such a formidable powerhouse? In the years after World War II, with the rise of the Cold War, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin sought to exploit the world of sport for propaganda purposes. His intent was to demonstrate the alleged inherent superiority of the Communist system through its success in all manner of athletics, and one of the ways ...

I’m pleased to announce that I have become a contributor to New Consciousness Review! In this capacity, I will be contributing articles to NCR‘s quarterly magazine and film reviews to its web site. The first of those reviews, a look at the recently released metaphysical saga “The Last Avatar,” is available by clicking here. In addition, I will be appearing as a regular film reviewer on NCR‘s radio show with host Miriam Knight, which is available by clicking the radio show tab on the web site’s home page. My first show appearance, as part of the NCR Reviewers Round Table series, will air beginning on Tuesday March 3 with reviews of “Still Alice,” “Wild,” “Cake” and “The Last Avatar.” Be sure to tune in for some fascinating conversation about consciousness-related books and movies with my fellow reviewers Miriam Knight and Cynthia Sue Larson ...

With this year’s Academy Awards ceremony behind us, it’s time to take a look at how I did on my predictions for the winners in this annual competition, as first outlined in my previous blog, Who Will Win This Year’s Oscars. And the result? Four out of six correct calls, with two misses. Here are the details: Best Picture Projected Winner: “Boyhood”Actual Winner: “Birdman”Result: Missed call Despite its wins in the Golden Globe, Critics Choice and BAFTA Awards competitions, the momentum behind “Boyhood” finally ran out, and “Birdman” took advantage of the opportunity, charging ahead to a much-deserved victory. I probably should have picked up on this shift, given the victor’s recent wins in the Directors’ Guild, Producer Guild and Screen Actors Guild Award contests, momentum that was punctuated with a win at the Independent Spirit Awards ceremony the day before the Oscars. Although I saw “Birdman” as one of the films capable of besting “Boyhood,” I didn’t know if it had enough oomph behind it to pull that off. Obviously I was wrong, though I can’t say I’m disappointed with the result. Thankfully, Academy voters saw through the “Boyhood” hype and recognized the film for what it is – ...

In case you missed my radio interview on Smart Women Talk Radio with host Katana Abbott this past Tuesday, you can catch the archived edition, available for on-demand listening by clicking here ...

“Timbuktu” (2014). Cast: Ibrahim Ahmed, Toulou Kiki, Layla Walet Mohamed, Abel Jafri, Mehdi A.G. Mohamed, Kettly Noël, Adel Mahmoud Cherif, Cheik A.G. Emakni, Damien Ndjie, Weli Cleib, Djié Sidi, Salem Dendou, Fatoumata Diawara, Amadou Haidara. Director: Abderrahmane Sissako. Screenplay: Abderrahmane Sissako and Kessen Tall. Web site. Trailer. Personal power – it’s something we all wield in manifesting and managing our daily lives. It’s a force that can be used beneficially for the betterment of ourselves and those around us. It can also be used to subvert and dominate others for our own gain. It’s even something we can give away, for better or worse. Whichever course we choose, however, depends on us and how we handle the power we each possess, ideas explored individually and collectively in the dramatic new release, “Timbuktu.” Life in the ancient and fabled Malian city of Timbuktu undergoes a radical change with the arrival of a band of oppressive outsiders. The northwest African community on the edge of the Sahara Desert, long home to a population of spiritually focused, peace-loving Muslims, is disrupted by the appearance of the Islamic Police, a self-proclaimed posse of fundamentalist jihadists seeking to implement Sharia law – mostly by imposing ...