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Friday, September 11, 2009

Chicago International Film Festival

Twenty more films have been announced for the 45th Chicago International Film Festival. Here are some of the ones that I definitely want to see.

Against the Current is directed by Peter Callahan. Paul, still wracked with grief five years after his wife's death, has a goal: to swim the entire length of the Hudson River in a month. His friends Jess and Liz come along on the adventure, but they are dismayed when Paul reveals the true purpose behind his trip. by turns wry and sorrowful, this unconventional indie-drama-meets-road-trip-movie stars Joseph Fiennes, Justin Kirk, Elizabeth Reaser, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Mary Tyler More.

An Education is directed by Lone Scherfig. In post-war, pre-Beatles London suburbs, a bright schoolgirl (Carey Mulligan) is torn between studying for a place at Oxford and the more exciting alternative offered to her by a charismatic older man (Peter Sarsgaard)...Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Sally Hawkins, and Emma Thompson also star.

Love and Savagery is directed by John N. Smith. Asleepy town along Ireland's magnificent rocky western coast plays host to a lyrical tale of forbidden love between Michael and Cathleen, a passionate geologist/poet from Newfoundland and the lovely, gentle waitress at the local pub. Undeterred by the many enemies he amasses for wooing Cathleen, Michael forces her to question the path she's chosen, and decide whether her love for a man can be stronger than her love for God.

No Hard Feelings is directed by Yves Hanchar. It's 1955, and troublemaker Laurent finds himself at a Belgian boarding school, where a teacher there recognized his intelligence and encourages him to write. As Laurent's talent develops, he adopts his inspiring teacher as a father figure, while at the same time wondering about his real father, who disappeared during the war. As Laurent investigates the past, he is forded to confront his present.

Made in Hungaria is directed by Gergely Fonyo. It's rock'n'roll verses communism in this rollicking musical comedy. Pompadoured teen Miki and his parents return to opressive 1960s Hungary after four years in the States. Miki's stash of contraband Jack Daniels and 45s by Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis makes him a hit with local kids starved for American pop culture, but it'll be harder to win over his ex-flame Vera...and especially the local comrades.

The Revenant is directed by Kerry Prior. A zombie buddy comedy with political overtones? After being killed in combat, U.S. soldier Bart Gregory inexplicably rises from his grave, a walking, talking rotting corpse (or revenant), but otherwise himself. With the help of his friend Joey, he discovers he can not only keep from decomposing without killing the innocent but also clean up the mean streets of Los Angeles, all while cruising through the night in a 1979 Camaro.

The Girl on the Train is directed by Andre Techine. Jeanne is a beautiful, freewheeling 22-year-old with a penchant for telling little white lies and avoiding a real job. When her flash-in-the-pan relationship with the audacious and vaguely mysterious Franck goes sour in a big way, the heartbroken girl spins a story there's no coming back fromm Emillie Dequenne (Rosetta) and Catherine Deneuve highlight the excellent ensemble cast in this sexy, complex drama about deception and its repercussions.

Women in Trouble is directed by Sebastian Gutierrez. A pregnant porn star, a couple of call girls, a scorned psychiatrist, ,a teenage goth, a flight attendant with a crush on a famous passenger...the troubles of this cluster of LA women couldn't be more different, but on one crazy day feminine compassion will alter all of their lives. Devilish humor, razor-sharp scripting, and a knockout ensemble of talented actresses (inclucing Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, and Marley Shelton) turn Trouble into pure Pleasure.

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