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Hawaii International Film Festival (Oct 31 - Nov 9)

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Hawaii International Film Festival (Oct 31 - Nov 9)

Old 10-21-03, 10:19 PM
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Hawaii International Film Festival (Oct 31 - Nov 9)

For those of you in Hawaii, or will be visiting Hawaii during October 31st - November 9th, you'll have an opportunity to watch some great independent and foreign films.

I figured this is the best forum considering the subject matter, though this film festival doesn't really have to do much with DVDs. However, some of the movies being played are either already out on DVD or will be soon.

Here's a list of the movies I'll be watching (like you guys really care) with a brief synopsis that I cut and pasted from the HIFF website.

MOON CHILD
Japan, 2003, 35mm, 119 min., Japanese w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Takahisa Zeze
In the near-future, a fictional Asian country plays
involuntary host to impoverished immigrants from
Japan, Taiwan, and the mainland. Three Japanese
orphans and the vampire they saved from a sunlit death
befriend a Chinese man and his mute sister whom they
meet during a crime spree. Their bonds are strained
when the men fall back on the defunct fictions of
national identities. It takes a love that crosses the
border between life and death to salvage hope from the
inevitable tragedies.


THE COOLER
United States, 2003, 35mm, 103 min., English
Director: Wayne Kramer
Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) is a walking, talking
jinx. His luck ran out in Vegas before he ever placed
a bet, but a massive one-time debt has kept him
trapped there until he can repay it. For years, Bernie
has worked for Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), the
tempestuous owner of the Shangri-La Casino and his
only friend. A "cooler," Bernie's singular task - and
skill - is allowing his consistently, virulently
miserable luck to rub off on any gambler enjoying too
hot a streak. All he needs to do is stand near his
targets and their fortunes change instantly.

playing with

WALKENTALK
United States, 2003, 35mm, 10 min., English
Director: Philip Zlotorynski
A cinematic treatise on the tao of Christopher Walken…


H
Korea, 2002, 35mm, 107 min., Korean w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Lee Jong-hyuk
The Koreans have at least a century of reasons for not
wanting history to repeat itself. H figures this dread
in a killing spree that replicates the crimes of
convicted murderer Shin Hyun. The film itself, however
is not guilty of similar mimicry. It does not copy its
predecessors - it converses with them. Its critical
differences are apparent on every level. H replaces
the outside world with a carnivorous fantasy-scape,
recalling real-life killer Dennis Nilsen's description
of his reality as a private dream-movie his victims
got lost in.

playing with

REQUEST
United States, South Korea, 2002, 35mm, 12 min.,
English
Director: Jinoh Park
An odd request for a boy coping with loss. REQUEST is
an atmospheric and mysterious mood piece with images
that haunt and resonate like fine visual poetry.


DOUBLE VISION
China, Taiwan, 2002, 35mm, 113 min., Mandarin, Hokkien
w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Kuo-fu Chen
Tony Leung Ka Fai, most renowned for his role as the
wealthy pedophile in the 1991 soft core classic THE
LOVER, is a depressed Taipei police officer
investigating a brutal series of serial murders that
may be based on a sect of Taoism that believes
immortality can be achieved by experiencing six
varieties of Hell. Helping Leung in the investigation
is an American FBI agent played by David Morse (DANCER
IN THE DARK, THE GREEN MILE), causing Western science
to collide with Eastern spiritual and supernatural
faith.


THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN
Hong Kong, 1978, 35mm, 115 min., Mandarin w/Eng.
subtitles
Director: Lau Kar-leung
Principal Cast: Lau Kar-faiThe definitive
"warrior-in-training" film starring Lau Kar-fai as the
novice who progresses from abject victimhood to
spiritual and martial attainment. Wondrously
imaginative set-pieces.


SAVE THE GREEN PLANET!
Korea, 2003, 35mm, 118 min., Korean w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Jang Jun-Hwan
Byong-gu (Shin Ha-gyun, HIFF '02's SYMPATHY FOR MR.
VENGEANCE, HIFF '01'S JSA), a young man in the
mountain ranges of Kangwon Province, convinces his
circus-performer girlfriend (Hwang Jeong-Min) that a
conspiracy from the planet Andromeda is approaching a
critical point at the next lunar eclipse. Only an
audience with the alien prince can avert disaster. The
pair kidnaps Kang Man-sik, a Seoul businessman (Baek
Yun-sik), whom they believe to be an upper-echelon
invader.


TUBE
Korea, 2003, 35mm, 112 min., Korean w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Woon-Hak Baek
At heart in this action thriller is a triangle of life
and death for a hard boiled detective named Jay, a
ruthless terrorist named T, and a tough female petty
thief named Kay. T, a rogue elite secret agent, has
taken a subway system hostage and intends to unleash
the greatest act of terrorism the world has ever seen.
Kay is on the subway train with Jay and Jay is
determined to stop T at all costs.


MY TUTOR FRIEND
Korea, 2003, 35mm, 110 min., Korean w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Kyeong-Hyeong Kim
Second year university student Soo-wan (Kim Ha-neul)
comes from a blue-collar family who runs a fried
chicken shop and works as a private tutor to cover her
expenses. One day she is assigned to Ji-hoon (Kwon
Sang-woo), a high school boy from a rich family who
cares more about his gangster side-business than his
studies. Their lessons begin with many conflicts and
amusement, but like all romantic comedies, end with
love.


LONG LIFE, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY
Canada, 2002, 35mm, 123 min., English, Cantonese w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Mina Shum
The effects of magic, luck, and spirituality permeate Canadian filmmaker Mina Shum's (DOUBLE HAPPINESS) third feature: LONG LIFE, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY. This Chinese-Canadian ensemble piece is about the intertwining lives of a twelve-year old Mindy Ho (Valerie Tian), her hardworking single-mother (Sandra Oh), a recently laid-off security guard (Chang Tseng), and the family of a local butcher (Ric Young).


There are a lot of movies that I'd like to watch but can't due schedule conflicts (I'm not watching anything until the night of 11/6/03...but I made an exception for Moon Child since the premise sounds cool).

I know there are a few people from Hawaii here, so I figured I'd give them a heads-up in case they're not already aware of this opportunity. You can see a list of movies and read their synopses here.

If anybody is interested, I'll write a short review for each of the movies that I watch. Otherwise, I guess I'll just enjoy them for my own pleasure.

Edited to say that I'll also be catching a free sneak peek of Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity tomorrow night.


Last edited by immortal_zeus; 10-21-03 at 10:23 PM.
Old 10-23-03, 04:11 AM
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I just came back from a screening of Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity and I thought it was excellent. The movie is about a little girl (Valerie Tian) who tries to use Chinese magic to find her mother a new companion. There are other subplots that involve a butcher (Ric Young) who has been disowned by his father and desperately wants his father to be a part of his life after 20 lost years and a security guard (Chang Tseng) who loses his job and loses his faith in the process.

Valerie Tian, whom I immediately recognized as Russell Wong's daughter in the short-lived WB show Black Sash did a really good job and pretty much stole the show. She is extremely likeable and she captures your heart the moment you see her on screen.

Sandra Oh, whom I had never seen before, did an excellent job as Valerie Tian's mother. I don't know why, but she reminds me of Mulan....which is funny since Mulan is Chinese and Sandra Oh is Korean.

Ric Young, whom many will recognize as the psychotic torturer from the TV show Alias (among other roles) also did a good job. His story in the movie is very interesting in that his life comes full circle with the happenings in the film. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I'll leave it at that.

Other notable cast members were Chang Tseng and Tsai Chin (whom I recognized from The Joy Luck Club). The two play a married couple who must persevere through Chang Tseng's unemployment and rediscover what faith and life is all about.

The acting was very good and the cinematography, music, and direction were all good as well. The movie was set in Canada (where there's a huge Chinese community) and although the weather in the movie is rainy and gloomy, the overall feel of the movie is warm and touching. There were some pretty funny moments and a few sad ones as well.

I give this movie a solid 8 and highly recommend it to anyone as there was no violence, foul language, nudity, etc.

Old 10-23-03, 02:10 PM
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What ever happened to your friend's film?
Old 10-23-03, 03:29 PM
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Originally posted by devilshalo
What ever happened to your friend's film?
The last time I talked to her, she said it was on hold. She's trying to get a new screenwriter, but I think she said the one she wants is currently working on another project...so she has to wait until he's finished. I think she said it works out for her, because I think she's still trying to raise additional capital.

Old 10-23-03, 03:52 PM
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
The last time I talked to her, she said it was on hold. She's trying to get a new screenwriter, but I think she said the one she wants is currently working on another project...so she has to wait until he's finished. I think she said it works out for her, because I think she's still trying to raise additional capital.
Hmm.. I emailed her once with some info and if she wanted MM Budgeting and Scheduling. Never heard back...
Old 10-23-03, 04:17 PM
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Hey Zeus, I was at the 6:30 sneak preview of "Long Life. . ." last night! Nice review -- I really enjoyed the movie as well! Sandra Oh's been around a long time, including playing Diane Lane's best friend in the recent "Under the Tuscan Sun".

Movies I've bought tickets to so far are:

The Cooler/Walkentalk
Tube
Melvin Goes to Dinner
The Hunter and the Hunted
People I Know

I found a lot of movies had conflicting times, or had late starts of 10:00 p.m. on work nights, unfortunately.
Old 10-23-03, 04:23 PM
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Originally posted by devilshalo
Hmm.. I emailed her once with some info and if she wanted MM Budgeting and Scheduling. Never heard back...
How recent was that? Email her again; she recently had some trouble because I think some fool hacked her webpage. I'm not totally sure, but I think so. Also, maybe she didn't recognize your email address and thought it was spam. Put in the subject line: I AM DEL'S FRIEND!!!

Old 10-23-03, 04:40 PM
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Originally posted by rkndkn
Hey Zeus, I was at the 6:30 sneak preview of "Long Life. . ." last night! Nice review -- I really enjoyed the movie as well! Sandra Oh's been around a long time, including playing Diane Lane's best friend in the recent "Under the Tuscan Sun".

Movies I've bought tickets to so far are:

The Cooler/Walkentalk
Tube
Melvin Goes to Dinner
The Hunter and the Hunted
People I Know

I found a lot of movies had conflicting times, or had late starts of 10:00 p.m. on work nights, unfortunately.
Cool! I went to the 8:45 showing of Long Life.... How crowded was the 6:30 show? I figured it would've been more crowded than my showing. My guess is that for the 8:45 show, the theater was only maybe 1/5 capacity, if that. I think that's one of Dole's bigger theaters, though.

Melvin Goes to Dinner sounds like a good movie. Unfortunately, both its showtimes conflict with other movies that I want to watch.

I wanted to watch The Hunter and the Hunted, but I'm not allowing myself to watch any movies before the evening of November 6th (with Moon Child being the one exception).

People I Know is another movie I wanted to watch. How can you pass up an Al Pacino movie? Unfortunately, I found a way. Are you watching it because it's Roger Ebert's pick?

Among other movies, I really wanted to watch The Company because I like Neve Campbell (at least when she was on Party of Five) and I appreciate the ballet (I love Center Stage ).

Old 10-23-03, 04:44 PM
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
How recent was that? Email her again; she recently had some trouble because I think some fool hacked her webpage. I'm not totally sure, but I think so. Also, maybe she didn't recognize your email address and thought it was spam. Put in the subject line: I AM DEL'S FRIEND!!!
Interesting, considering I emailed her a few days after I got back here. I have her card somewhere...

Are you still going to Vegas on Thanksgiving?
Old 10-23-03, 04:49 PM
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The 6:30 showing was quite full. The upper arena was just about packed, and the several rows below the dividing aisle close to the screen had 20 people or so.

Yeah, November 9 was jampacked with about 5 movies I wanted to see so I had to do some prioritizing! I'll be watching "Tube", then going back out to stand in line for the same theatre for "Melvin". I REALLY was interested in "2LDK", too, but it overlaps "Melvin". Love David Morse, so I wanted to see "Double Vision", but it overlaps "Tube". At least "DV" is already out on DVD, so I can see it another way. And "My Tutor Friend" overlaps "Melvin" as well. I'd be seeing a lot more films if not for the scheduling!

I'm seeing "People I Know" because I'm the biggest Al Pacino fan! Though it's nice Ebert thinks highly of it! His pick last year, "Nowhere in Africa" was definitely an excellent film. (Didn't see it in the festival, but at the later booking at Arthouse at Restaurant Row. )
Old 10-23-03, 05:47 PM
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Originally posted by devilshalo
Interesting, considering I emailed her a few days after I got back here. I have her card somewhere...

Are you still going to Vegas on Thanksgiving?
Hmm...well, maybe she just doesn't like you. Just kidding. Email me if you can't find her email address.

Nope, not going to Vegas for Thanksgiving. I'll be staying here.

Old 10-23-03, 05:57 PM
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Originally posted by rkndkn
The 6:30 showing was quite full. The upper arena was just about packed, and the several rows below the dividing aisle close to the screen had 20 people or so.

Yeah, November 9 was jampacked with about 5 movies I wanted to see so I had to do some prioritizing! I'll be watching "Tube", then going back out to stand in line for the same theatre for "Melvin". I REALLY was interested in "2LDK", too, but it overlaps "Melvin". Love David Morse, so I wanted to see "Double Vision", but it overlaps "Tube". At least "DV" is already out on DVD, so I can see it another way. And "My Tutor Friend" overlaps "Melvin" as well. I'd be seeing a lot more films if not for the scheduling!

I'm seeing "People I Know" because I'm the biggest Al Pacino fan! Though it's nice Ebert thinks highly of it! His pick last year, "Nowhere in Africa" was definitely an excellent film. (Didn't see it in the festival, but at the later booking at Arthouse at Restaurant Row. )
Melvin really screwed up your schedule! How come you don't go to the Friday (11/7) night show? If you watch the Friday 9:45 PM show, you can watch My Tutor Friend on Sunday. I guess you already bought your Sunday ticket, though...and no refunds. Double Vision is playing Friday at 10:00 PM (which is when I'm going).

Ooh yeah, 2LDK sounds good...there must be a good catfight or two in that movie.

I'm seeing 2 movies each on the 7th, 8th, and 9th. The 9th is my birthday so if you see me, wish me a happy birthday.

Old 10-23-03, 06:40 PM
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
Double Vision is playing Friday at 10:00 PM (which is when I'm going).
Tell me how this is. It was a Columbia Pictures Film Asia production...

And if you're not going out of town, then the crayons need to be going to a *ahem*gentlemen's club*ahem* when I'm there.
Old 10-23-03, 08:59 PM
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
Melvin really screwed up your schedule! How come you don't go to the Friday (11/7) night show? If you watch the Friday 9:45 PM show, you can watch My Tutor Friend on Sunday. I guess you already bought your Sunday ticket, though...and no refunds. Double Vision is playing Friday at 10:00 PM (which is when I'm going).

Ooh yeah, 2LDK sounds good...there must be a good catfight or two in that movie.

I'm seeing 2 movies each on the 7th, 8th, and 9th. The 9th is my birthday so if you see me, wish me a happy birthday.

I prefer seeing movies at earlier hours -- don't care for those 10:00-ish showings!

It's kind of funny because I didn't get the impression that you were that much of a movie fan. (You all seemed kind of surprised that I often take off from work to hit opening day, first show. )
I'm up to 73 movies seen at the theatre so far this year -- trying to break my record of 86.

Hey, my birthday is November 4, fellow Scorpio!

And hi there, devilshalo!
Old 10-24-03, 12:30 AM
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Originally posted by devilshalo
Tell me how this is. It was a Columbia Pictures Film Asia production...

And if you're not going out of town, then the crayons need to be going to a *ahem*gentlemen's club*ahem* when I'm there.
They don't allow cameras inside Femme Nu.

Old 10-24-03, 12:35 AM
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Originally posted by rkndkn
I prefer seeing movies at earlier hours -- don't care for those 10:00-ish showings!

It's kind of funny because I didn't get the impression that you were that much of a movie fan. (You all seemed kind of surprised that I often take off from work to hit opening day, first show. )
I'm up to 73 movies seen at the theatre so far this year -- trying to break my record of 86.

Hey, my birthday is November 4, fellow Scorpio!

And hi there, devilshalo!
Me? Not a movie fan? Then what would I be doing here?

Actually, I haven't seen many movies in the theater the past year or two...I'm fairly positive that I've never seen 86 movies in the theater in a year.

The only other time that I can remember seeing two movies in a theater on the same day was when I watched Boiler Room and American Beauty. Watching 2 movies a day for 3 days in a row is definitely a first for me.

Old 10-24-03, 11:37 AM
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Originally posted by rkndkn
And hi there, devilshalo!
Old 10-24-03, 01:18 PM
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
Me? Not a movie fan? Then what would I be doing here?


I don't know, but I think you're more in "Other" than the movie-related threads!
Old 10-24-03, 05:47 PM
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Originally posted by rkndkn
I don't know, but I think you're more in "Other" than the movie-related threads!
That was back when the Other Forum was fun.

I saw My Sassy Girl at home last night. WOW. I don't recall ever crying during a movie (I've teared up, but never actually had tears rolling down my cheeks), but I cried last night. I might have to start watching the dramas on KBFD. I'm afraid too, though, cause I think I might get addicted. It might help me bond with my mom, though.

Old 10-24-03, 08:45 PM
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I have "My Sassy Girl" on VCD (legit), but I haven't had the chance to see it yet. Now you've made me more curious.

I know several women who are absolutely hooked on those Korean TV dramas. While I love Korean cinema, I've never attempted to watch the shows. I sure have enough on American TV to keep me busy as it is!
Old 10-25-03, 06:06 PM
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I just got a call from the Hawaii International Film Festival that Double Vision has been canceled. I was going to the 11/7/03 10:00 PM show. I don't remember if the guy said that the 11/9 showing is canceled too, but it doesn't matter cause I'm watching Tube at that time.

Now I have to find a movie to replace it with. On the bright side, I can watch Melvin Goes to Dinner now if I want.

Old 10-29-03, 06:49 AM
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Well, I think I'm going to watch Memories of Murder in place of Double Vision. I was a bit hesitant to watch it because I'm already watching a serial killer movie (H) and I didn't really want to spend my entire birthday at the movies (I'll be watching 3 Korean movies that day), but what the hell.

MEMORIES OF MURDER
Korea, 2003, 35mm, 127 min., Korean w/Eng. subtitles
Director: Bong Joon-ho
From 1986-1991 Korea's first serial killer, responsible for the brutal rape-murders of ten women, terrorized a rural community near Seoul. MEMORIES OF MURDER details the failed attempt to solve the murders. Although the initial focus on the local cop (Song Kang-ho, HIFF 02's YMCA BASEBALL, JSA) and the big-city detective (Kim Sang-kyo, THE TURNING GATE) may seem familiar, the film's ambition and courage soon exceeds this conventional beginning. It is a tribute to the artistry and integrity of the director and cast that the film never becomes a sensationalist or a star vehicle.

Old 11-02-03, 05:05 AM
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Well, I just came back from watching Moon Child. I wasn't very impressed. Neither were the 3 friends I went with.

I guess if you're a fan of J-Pop (and especially a female one, at that), the movie might appeal to you....strictly based upon the two stars of the movie (Gackt Camui and Hyde). However, the movie itself isn't all that good.

For those who aren't very familiar with Japan or Japanese people in Japan, most young men there pluck their eyebrows. Gackt takes it a step further and wears so much mascara in this movie that it really makes you wonder what the hell is going on with him.

Anyway, on to the movie. The movie is basically a mess. Plot holes abound and the action and drama are lacking. The few action sequences that there were were pretty decent, although I think the director tried to hard to make the action sequences like a John Woo flick. Despite his attempt at mimicking Woo, I felt the movie would've been a lot better if there had been more action. The premise was really promising, but the action didn't live up to it. It left me with an empty feeling, cause I wanted more.

On the same note, the dramatic scenes weren't really all that dramatic. Because the characters weren't really developed, you didn't feel the sense of loss or sadness when any of them died.

I didn't particuarly care for the cinematography either, especially at the beginning of the movie.

At 2 hours, this movie really felt like it dragged. It definitely could've been tightened up and definitely would have benefitted from more action sequences and/or more character development. Moreover, the movie had no sense of direction whatsoever because throughout the whole movie you're wondering to yourself, "What's the point of this movie? Where are they going with this?"

With all that said, I'm actually glad I watched this. If I hadn't seen it, I know I'd be wanting to see it just based upon the premise. At least I won't have a desire to watch it in the future now.

Oh yeah, one sort of cool thing was that Taro Yamamoto, who played Shougo Kawada (the returning contestant from Battle Royale), was in this movie. He did a good job in the movie and had a much different role than the one he had in BR. Still, that's not reason enough to see this movie.

5 out of 10

Old 11-03-03, 05:37 AM
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Saw People I Know on Saturday, Roger Ebert's "Pick" as a little-seen, underappreciated gem.

Al Pacino plays Eli Wurman, once a top celebrity publicist but now a virtual
has-been. Abusing himself with an assortment of pills, he's barely hanging on to his one famous client. When his client gets himself involved in a scandal in the making, Eli is called to help, but unexpectedly witnesses a crime.

Al Pacino displays a total lack of vanity in portraying this haggard, desperate man in one of his most vulnerable performances. But it's not enough to recommend this film -- while the basic premise is promising, the execution is poorly paced and somehow does not evoke as much compassion as it should.

Saw The Cooler last night, starring William H. Macy, Maria Bello and Alec Baldwin. The performances by the trio are excellent! It was so good to see Baldwin back with a meaty role, playing the ruthless, mean-eyed bulldog he does so well. While William H. Macy may not be the first name which comes up when casting romantic leading men, he has an extremely sweet romance with Bello's casino waitress. The film captures the excitement and behind-the-scenes shenanigans of Vegas while successfully shifting from comedic moments to brutal violence.

Also saw Demonlover yesterday, though not part of the Hawaii International Film Festival. This controversial French film starring Connie Nielsen, Chloe Sevigny, Charles Berling and Gina Gershon seems to divide audiences. I found it completely engrossing, and I could never guess exactly where the story was going. Connie Nielsen is excellent in a very difficult role. This story of corporate backstabbing, internet anime porn, and torture websites plays a lot with its visuals, camera angles and film grain. While not entirely successful as a plausible narrative, it's quite mesmerizing. Though not your typical French film (which I LOVE), it's definitely a change from the cookie-cutter American films.

Last edited by rkndkn; 11-03-03 at 05:43 AM.
Old 11-03-03, 02:48 PM
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Glad to see that you liked The Cooler. I'll be seeing it Thursday night.


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