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Cannes 2013: Surprises & Notable Absence ...

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

Review: Mira Nair's 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' A Heavy-Handed Look At A Post 9/11 World

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 23, 2013 7:00 PM
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0 Comments

Reviews

Opening last year’s Venice Film Festival, Mira Nair’s “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” is an intriguing prospect. The film, an adaptation of the best-selling and acclaimed novel by Mohsin Hamed, had been under the radars of most until its selection, and aside from Kate Hudson, is mostly lacking in the starry names that normally attract attention to a festival. Fans of Nair (whose superb “Monsoon Wedding” won the Golden Lion in Venice in 2001) have been hoping for a return to form after her last film “Amelia,” disappointed. Was the film’s presence in such a prestigious slot a sign that she might have delivered? Unfortunately, despite a very fine central performance from ever-rising British actor Riz Ahmed (“Four Lions,” “Trishna”), not so much.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 19, 2012 3:24 PM
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1 Comment

News

So, not down with Black Friday (or Grey Thursday, the newest holiday shopping evil)? Want to avoid the crowds at the mulitplex and malls? And want a recommendation for something to watch at home? Well, if you've never seen Gillo Pontecorvo's masterful and hugely influential 1966 film "The Battle Of Algiers," here's a quick clip with three filmmakers telling you why you need to check it out.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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August 29, 2012 7:31 AM
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8 Comments

Reviews

Opening films at festivals are always worth approaching with a little caution. Normally given out-of-competition slots, it’s often a signal that the films have been selected to bring some starry names, and the attention that goes with them to the red carpet, or to make some kind of mission statement, with the more prestigious pictures being saved up for the main competition. But generally speaking, Venice has had a good run in the last few years for their opening night film: “Atonement,” “Burn After Reading,” “Black Swan” and “The Ides Of March” all picked up varying degrees of praise, with Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Baaria” the only one of late that failed to get much of an international following.

By Joe Cunningham
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April 2, 2012 8:41 AM
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2 Comments

News

While Mira Nair has enjoyed some success over the years for her films, acclaim has usually tended to gather around films set in her native India rather than her more mainstream efforts. "Vanity Fair," "Amelia," and even her segment in "New York, I Love You" have all, to one extent or another, fallen flat. Her next feature may be an adaptation of Mohsin Hamid's (mostly) New York-set novel "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", but we're really pretty intrigued to see how this one will play out.