Author Archives: James McNally

Vincere

Vincere (Director: Marco Bellocchio): Bellocchio’s latest exploration of Italy’s turbulent history is an operatic tragedy which mixes melodrama with the techniques of propaganda films from the Fascist period it depicts. Vincere (Italian for “Win!” and an authentic Fascist slogan) uncovers … Continue reading

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TIFF 2009: Early Picks

As always, here is a list of the films I’ve requested tickets for. Depending on how the ticket lottery goes, I could get anywhere from none to all of these. New this year is a series of free screenings being … Continue reading

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L’affaire Farewell

L’affaire Farewell (Director: Christian Carion): It’s the early 1980s and KGB colonel Serguei Grigoriev (Emir Kusturica) knows that the Soviet system isn’t working. He wants change, and so he decides to set events in motion that might sweep him away, … Continue reading

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You Might As Well Live

You Might As Well Live (Director: Simon Ennis): When I first saw the “red band” trailer (embedded below), I have to admit I laughed out loud a few times, and so I was looking forward to seeing what promised to … Continue reading

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Montréal World Film Festival 2009

Suddenly finding myself with a lot of time on my hands, I’ve decided this year to check out the Montréal World Film Festival. Now in its 33rd year, this mainstay of the Montréal film calendar is the vocation of Serge … Continue reading

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