Film Festivals 2004
Another great year for documentary fans with the gripping 'Capturing the Friedmans', political offerings 'Control Room', Robert McNamara in 'Fog of War', and the disturbing psyche of 'The Corporation'. For music lovers there was the fascinating 'End of the Century: The Sory of the Ramones', 'The Mayor of Sunset Strip', 'Metallica: Some Kind of Monster' and 'Festival Express'. Hector Babenco broke a long absence from directing with the powerhouse 'Carandiru' while Zhang Yimou's lush 'Hero' made it to New Zealand screens along with 'Motorcycle Diaries', gut-wrenching Korean flick 'Old Boy', heart-tugger 'Osama' and the delightful 'Triplets of Belleville' to name just a few.
The Grudge (2002)
6.7/10
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa
Aka 'Ju-on'. Japanese legend has it that a man who dies in a fit of rage leaves behind a malevolent presence that nests in his home; a contaminant tha... Read more
The Man on the Train ( L'Homme Du Train ) (2002)
7.5/10
Director: Patrice Leconte
Starring: Johnny Hallyday, Jean Rochefort
Travelling to a small village to rob the local bank, an ageing criminal (Johnny Hallyday) strikes up an unlikely friendship with a retired poetry prof... Read more
The Motorcycle Diaries (2003)
7.8/10
Director: Walter Salles
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo De La Serna, Mia Maestro
From executive producer Robert Redford and acclaimed director Walter Salles ("Central Station") comes a love letter to a continent and its people. Bas... Read more
The Motorcycle Diaries ( Blu-ray ) (2003)
7.8/10
Director: Walter Salles
Starring: Mia Maestro, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo De La Serna
From executive producer Robert Redford and acclaimed director Walter Salles ("Central Station") comes a love letter to a continent and its people. Bas... Read more
The Return (2003)
8/10
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring: Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko, Natalia Vdovina
Two teenage brothers, living with their mother, discover that their father has returned home after years of absence without a word of explanation. He... Read more
The Saddest Music in the World (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Guy Maddin
Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Mark McKinney, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox
Director Guy Maddin's works are like a window to an alternate film universe - this unforgettable feverish whirligig of a movie is the closest the cul... Read more
The Stroll (2003)
7.4/10
Director: Aleksei Uchitel
Starring: Irina Pegova, Pavel Barshak, Yevgeni Tsyganov
A.k.a. "Progulka". Olya (Irina Pegova) steps out of a luxurious car and begins a stroll through the streets of St Petersburg, striking up an acquainta... Read more
The Triplets of Belleville ( aka Belleville Rendez-vous ) (2003)
7.8/10
Director: Sylvain Chomet
In this offbeat, creative, original animated feature from France, Champion, an orphan who lives with his grandmother Madame Souza, turns his childhood... Read more
The Weeping Camel ( aka The Story of the Weeping Camel ) (2003)
7.5/10
Director: Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni
Starring: Janchiv Ayurzana, Chimed Ohin, Amgaabazar Gonson, Zeveljamz Nyam
This moving documentary chronicles a family of nomadic shepherds' desperate attempts to save the life of a baby camel. Born snow white, the young colt... Read more
The Yes Men (2003)
6.9/10
Director: Chris Smith, Dan Ollman, Sarah Price
Starring: Andreas Bichlbauer, Mike Bonanno, Sal Salamone, Michael Moore
A comedic documentary following Andy and Mike, prankster activists who set up a website mimicking the World Trade Organisation. Finding themselves inv... Read more