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FROZEN RIVER December 25, 2008

Posted by neptunestars in 2008, 4 Stars, Festival, Run To, Sundance, Won.
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FROZEN RIVER  ****

Also in New York, but upstate, way up north next to the Canadian border, here’s another delicate tale, with different economic conditions, but similar longings and human dilemmas. Melissa Leo plays a working mother who, in desperate need of cash, falls into a precarious scheme of smuggling illegal immigrants from Canada into the U.S. across the frozen St. Lawrence River. Typical of fine independent films, there is a graceful weaving of the emotional problems of the characters into an over-all view of social and racial injustices that produces films which have a universal quality of compassion. Director Courtney Hunt adds an element of tension, making her film not only a social outcry but a thrilling suspense. Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.

© 2008 Neptune Ingwersen

THE VISITOR December 25, 2008

Posted by neptunestars in 2008, 4 Stars, Festival, Run To, Sundance, Won.
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THE VISITOR ****  

From Tom McCarthy, the director of the unforgettable Station Agent, here is another gem of a story, mixing the loneliness of a solitary scholar with the problems of immigration and human injustices. With seamless ease, McCarthy has Richard Jenkins’ character unconsciously connect disparate worlds in New York City, from the cold worlds of business and academia to the world of illegal foreigners, the warmth of their cultures and their despair at being caught like rats in the immigration system. Adding music and a gently growing love into this mix makes it all the more human and moving. One of the best films of the year, this is one to cherish, like The Station Agent or Baghdad Café, with the outstanding performance of Jenkins and those of Haaz Sleiman as the alien and Hiam Abbas as his mother. It has won numerous awards at festivals, including Sundance and San Sebastian.

© 2008 Neptune Ingwersen

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