If you’re someone who feels overwhelmed by all of the forced Christmas glee, this film might be your perfect pick-me-up. In “Rare Exports,” A young boy named Pietari living in a remote Finnish mountain village uncovers the truth about Santa Claus in a frightful, yet darkly humorous manner. Santa emerges as a malevolent and creepy [...]

Critics agree that this film is both dark and funny, much like “Bad Santa,” a previous film by writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Jim Carrey stars in his most interesting role to date and delivers an extremely balanced performance that will assuredly win over audiences. The film tells the true story of Steven Russell, [...]

This film makes Phantom of the Opera look like Sesame Street. It’s as intense and passionate as filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s last film, “The Wrestler.” On the other hand, “Black Swan” also possesses the wild melodrama and tension of Aronofsky’s earlier films such as Pi and Requiem for a Dream. With its amazing visuals and sounds, [...]

In this film, Paul Giamatti brilliantly plays Barney Panofsky, a much-married producer of a tacky, long-running Montreal soap opera and generally careless individual. He has to review his life because a detective is releasing a tell-all book about Barney’s life, including the accusation that Barney killed his best friend. Barney takes the audience through his life’s [...]

While we can’t expect every crime to have a clear, defined motive behind it, films must certainly have a motive. This film, despite several actors’ fantastic performances, emerges purposeless. By taking on the difficult task of transforming a convoluted, scattered real-life story into a riveting thriller, the filmmakers were clearly willing to risk it on [...]

If you haven’t seen the new 50th anniversary restoration of Godard’s 1960 masterpiece “Breathless” that was at Film Forum this summer, don’t miss it this week. It’s back at the Film Forum! Showing at 1:00, 2:50, 4:40, 6:30, 8:20, & 10:10 through Tuesday the 7th. Film Forum is at 209 W. Houston Street in the [...]

Last night, many parents were up late as their children were out past midnight. The youth were not out carousing, however. Unless you count dressing up as Harry Potter and seeing the midnight premier of the new film as a bacchanal … WHICH IT IS. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is truly [...]

French filmmaker Claire Denis is one of the greatest living directors we have. She made her first film “Chocolat” (No, not the one with Johnny Depp) in 1988, which was an autobiographical mood piece about a young white woman returning to her childhood home in Cameroon. With “White Material,” Denis makes her return to Africa. [...]