Eyes Wide Open (2009)
★★★★★
Forbidden desire in Jerusalem’s orthodox community, the love affair between two Haredi Jews raises eyebrows in Haim Tabakman’s Eyes Wide Open. And razes the temple.
Reviews
El Secreto De Sus Ojos / The Secret In Their Eyes (2009)
★★★☆☆
Putting Argentina’s past on trial, Juan José Campanella’s El Secreto De Sus Ojos is a whispered love story amid cries of bloody murder. It’s a rough kind of justice.
I Am Love / Io Sono L’Amore (2009)
★★★★★
I Am Love is a feast for the senses. The partnership between Luca Guadagnino and Tilda Swinton creates the perfect dish in this capolavoro of Italian cinema.
Donne Moi La Main (2008)
★★★☆☆
Exploring the entangled intimacy of twins, Pascal-Alex Vincent’s Donne Moi La Main is a road trip with a difference. But it’s no straight story.
Kakera – A Piece Of Our Life (2009)
★★☆☆☆
Jellied in postpubescent malaise, Momoko Ando’s debut feature Kakera is a lesbian love story with a dusting of fantasy sprinkles. But is it all sweet nothings?
Film Festival: 24th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2010
From forbidden love to lovesick confusion, London’s 24th Lesbian & Gay Film Festival explores the boundaries of love, sexuality and gender. It’s a fine bromance!
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Nightwatching (2008)
★★☆☆☆
Beautifully baroque, Peter Greenaway’s Nightwatching uncovers the hidden plot behind Rembrandt’s most famous painting. He’s got obscurity down to a fine art.
Leonera / The Lion’s Den (2008)
★★★☆☆
Exploring female relationships in the maternity wing of an Argentine prison, Pablo Trapero puts motherhood at the heart of Leonera. Just don’t rattle her cage.
Storm / Sturm (2009)
★★★☆☆
Unpicking the wheels of justice at The Hague’s International Criminal Court, Hans-Christian Schmid’s Sturm is a very European thriller. And it’s kicking up a storm.
No-one Knows About Persian Cats (2009)
★★★★☆
Battling an oppressive regime, Bahman Ghobadi’s semi-fictional documentary is a rousing anthem to the power of music. But does it struggle to hit the high notes?
Sons of Cuba (2009)
★★★☆☆
Packing a real punch, Lang’s beautifully crafted, heartfelt documentary Sons of Cuba follows three young boxers against a backdrop of political uncertainty in this unique island-nation.
Lourdes (2009)
★★★★☆
With wry humour and religious austerity, Jessica Hausner’s Lourdes explores female potency as hopeful pilgrims jostle for a miracle. O, come all ye faithful.
The Kreutzer Sonata (2008)
★★★★☆
In Bernard Rose’s The Kreutzer Sonata, Danny Huston rampages through Hollywood-hued infidelity with green-eyed rage. It’s a furious symphony of Tolstoyan gloom.
Micmacs à tire-larigot (2009)
★★★★☆
Taking on the arms trade with customary quirk, Jeunet’s Micmacs launches another political bombshell. But can all this salvage ever hope to hit the bull’s eye?