Reviews by Julissa Treviño/reporter
My Brother Is an Only Child (4 stars)
Directed By Daniele Luchetti
Starring Elio Germano and Riccardo Scamarcio
100 minutes
The battle between siblings’ political fury is the root of the Italian film My Brother Is an Only Child. What takes place in a small Italian town in the ’60s and ’70s becomes the basis for the brothers’ coming-of-age tale. Ultimately, the basis of the film can be condensed to be a story of one fascist outcast in a family of communists, creating a compelling story of humor, love, trouble and sibling rivalry. The characters and their acting are, among other things, great attributes of the film. The cinematography and plot of the film work extremely well together and exceed expectations. It is essentially a beautiful and most interesting foreign film.
Taxidermia (3 stars)
Directed By Gyorgi Palfi
Starring Csaba Czene and Gergely Trócsányi
91 minutes
Taxidermia is a shocking, disturbing and captivating Hungarian feature. The twisted plot follows the stages of life of several generations of a family, emphasizing such aspects as glory, sexuality, shame and depression. The most fascinating aspect of the film is the grotesque and utterly repulsive scenes. From sexual perversion to constant vomiting and competitive eating, to skinning animals and suicide, the film is a frightening, yet compelling look inside the lives of unsettling characters. While it is the cinematography and character development that first attracts the audience, the appalling images fascinate throughout the film.
Cul De Sac (2.5 stars)
Directed By Jason Long Sinclair
Starring David Andriole, Cindy Dolenc, and Jay Paulson
85 minutes
In Cul de Sac, a neighborhood suddenly finds itself without privacy when several different characters decide to experiment by videotaping each other’s lives. Shot in seven days, with a limited budget and through the point of view of each camera, the film exposes real, riveting and unsettling truths of the neighborhood from behind closed doors to portray an interesting storyline. The film, though, comes close to being boring with unnecessary, long scenes that are plainly repetitive. Nonetheless, the acting and the basis of the story elevate the film to the status of enthralling and alluring.
Hands off Mississippi (3.5 stars)
Directed By Detlev Buck
Starring Zoe Mannhardt and Katharina Thalbach
100 minutes
Set in the a small rural town of Germany, Hands Off Mississippi tells the story of a 10-year-old girl who, on summer vacation with her grandmother, becomes attached to and dedicated to saving a horse named Mississippi. The film, with its plot and artistry, is charismatic and delightful. While based on a well-known children’s book and family oriented, the film is entertaining, humorous and worthy even for adults. The best features in the film include the charm of the young actress, the scenic imagery and, above all, the story’s light, comic theme.
