FilmStew.com: REVIEWSANDVIEWS

Guy Maddin's "Brain" Power

03/19/2008

For a lot of folks in Guy Maddin's home and native land of Canada, tonight will provide the first opportunity to catch the deepest expression yet of the filmmaker’s love of show business and melodrama.

"Darwin" Finds Missing Link

09/05/2007

A year and a half ago, The Darwin Awards was the toast of Sundance. Then it was simply toast. But a couple of theater owners are giving the film an unlikely new push.

The Jilting of Japanese Baseball

03/29/2007

In the shadow of the sports dramas Glory Road, Invicible and now Pride, Audience Award winning filmmaker Desmond Nakano strikes out with Warner Bros.

A Delightfully "Kinky" DVD

09/27/2006

American audiences may perhaps never be able to pronounce the name of British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. But on the heels of The Inside Man, a British import celebrates his inside woman.

The Thriller from Manila

06/01/2006

Remember all that fuss about Robert Rodriguez making El Mariachi for only $7,000? Columnist Pam Grady takes a look at three refreshing alternatives to The Break-Up.

Maddened by Maddin

05/08/2006

Ingrid Rossellini is upset that her sister Isabella's extravagant valentine to their late father should accompany Robert Rossellini's rigorous work. Columnist Pam Grady speaks with the man in the middle, Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin.

A "Duck" Destined for DVD

03/23/2006

Even though the acclaimed Mexican import Duck Season has flown past very few American moviegoers, it has already exceeded its first-time director’s modest expectations.

Bringing Down Berlin

01/10/2006

Long before The Brown Bunny bent Cannes out of shape, a German film about the Vietnam war kicked the 1970 Berlin International Film Festival to the curb.

"Down" to the Wire

12/15/2005

The recent Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actress seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. That is, until you catch up with the stunning work of Vera Farmiga in Down to the Bone.

Pop Rock's Citizen Kane

10/26/2005

For New York Dolls bassist Arthur ‘Killer’ Kane, the operative word before his untimely passing in Los Angeles last July was ‘reunion.’

A Terrific Trio

09/08/2005

As summer turns to fall, Cote d'Azur arrives for some sexy late season laughs amid the shellfish. Plus, a Belgian take on murder in Memory of a Killer and Canadian filmmaker Don McKellar anoints a Childstar.

The Latin Chronicles

08/16/2005

Columnist Pam Grady examines the recent renaissance of Latin American cinema, with help from Crónicas principals John Leguizamo and Sebastián Cordero.

A "Grizzly" Self-Portrait

08/07/2005

In its own way, this summer’s second nature documentary is as mesmerizing as March of the Penguins. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go the way of Murderball.

A Quixotic Quintet

06/21/2005

Columnist Pam Grady spotlights mediations on romance from England and France as well as a pair of American documentaries about folks operating on the musical fringe.

Some Unbelievable Truths

05/20/2005

In a galaxy not that far away, limited theatrical releases struggle to be heard above the din of Douglas Adams and George Lucas. Columnist Pam Grady takes a look at this month’s highlights.