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‘In Secret’ a dour, lifeless period piece stranding an overly talented quartet of performers

In Secret Written and directed by Charlie Stratton USA, 2013 What occurs in the new film In Secret feels less like a natural progression of logical events, instead of something more pre-ordained and unnecessarily fatalistic. The characters existing inside of this turgid tragedy do not act freely, but as if guided by an invisible puppet …

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TJFF 2012: Watching ‘The Prize’ in totality is an unsavory Pyrrhic victory

The Prize Written and directed by Paula Markovitch Mexico, 2011 After winning an essay contest at her school, seven-year old Cecilia (Paula Galinelli Hertzog) is showered with praise. Her teacher has the entire class form a line, and one-by-one, she has everyone give Cecilia a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. That is, except for one. …

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Staff List: The 30 Best Films of 2011

With more movies in limited and general release than ever before, 2011 was a ridiculously crowded year for both casual and discerning moviegoers alike. One by-product of the glut is a refreshing lack of consensus; so many films have been championed in so many corners – while those same films get trashed in others – …

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‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ a flawed and disturbing portrait of identity

Martha Marcy May Marlene Directed by Sean Durkin Written by Sean Durkin USA, 2012 The fractured nature of Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene is eerily reminiscent of the same tactics used by Derek Cianfrance in his 2010 film Blue Valentine. This film relies less on the novel like structure of the aforementioned film, as it effortlessly invites the …

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‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ ranks as one of the greatest directorial debuts of all time

Martha Marcy May Marlene Directed by Sean Durkin Screenplay by Sean Durkin 2011, USA Winner of the Best Dramatic Direction award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a clever, creepy and extremely striking reflection on the duplicitous way cults instill their beliefs when feeding on the psychological vulnerabilities of their …

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Best Horror Films / Thrillers of 2011

Filmmakers have continued to push boundaries and find new innovative ways to elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers. Since Alfred Hitchcock directors strived to provoke viewer’s nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Although a good deal of it is about the supernatural, others have focused more on a …

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Martha Marcy May Marlene’ one of the most assuredly original films of the year

Martha Marcy May Marlene Directed by Sean Durkin Written by Sean Durkin Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes Even from its title the film Martha Marcy May Marlene suggests a fracture of psyche, a yearning for identity that provokes a young woman’s hypnosis and subsequent evasion of a sinister cult in the …

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NYFF2011: 10 Most Anticipated Films – Paranoia, Beauty Queen Drug Dealers, Apocalyptic Weddings, and More pt.1

The 49th installment of the New York Film Festival, going on September 30th to October 16th, is shaping up to be a jammed packed cluster of cinematic gold. From love-torn couples (Mia Hansen-Love’s Goodbye First Love) to suffocating terrains (Julia Loktev’s The Loneliest Planet) to documentaries shot on an Iphone (Jafar Panahi’s This Is Not …

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