Shorts, 11/26.

"Writer-director Roy Andersson's You, the Living (Du levande, 2007), which as of the date of this writing remains unreleased in the US, represents the 65 year old Swedish filmmaker's second feature this decade, following his superlative 2000 release Songs from the Second Floor." Michael J Anderson: "For this author, the somewhat qualified, if not mixed response to the earlier film made for one of the new decade's biggest surprises, inasmuch as Songs... - a mixture of Luis Buñuel and Tativille namesake Jacques Tati resulted in one of the finest Swedish films since Ingmar Bergman's late masterworks (namely his 1982 Fanny and Alexander and 1984's After the Rehearsal). Whether or not You, the Living equals the earlier film's stature... it minimally qualifies as a major work of the European fin-de-siècle cinema."

In the New York Times:

• For Stephen Holden, The Secrets is "an intriguing, occasionally discordant hybrid of austere Israeli and voluptuous French filmmaking traditions. Although the story remains in Israel, in spirit the movie migrates from the Middle East to France before returning to Israel for a pat, feel-good ending." More from Kristi Mitsuda (Voice).

• "Four Christmases isn't anything astonishing, but at 86 minutes, divided into four farcical set pieces, plus necessary exposition, denouement and interstitial drive time, it's an efficient and stress-free entertainment package," writes AO Scott. More from Sean Axmaker (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), Alonso Duralde (MSNBC), Joe Leydon (Houston Chronicle), Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune), Nick Schager (Slant), Scott Tobias (AV Club), Robert Wilonsky (Voice) and Stephanie Zacharek (Salon).

• "To chart the differences between Transporter 3 and its two predecessors is as pointless as trying to parse its flimsy plot," writes Manohla Dargis. More from Sean Axmaker (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), Christopher Borrelli (Los Angeles Times), Shawn Levy (Oregonian), Benjamin Mercer (L Magazine), Jim Ridley (Voice), Nick Schager (Slant), Scott Tobias (AV Club) and Stephanie Zacharek (Salon). And then there's R Emmett Sweeney's piece for IFC: "Hason Statham, Working Class (Action) Hero."

"[F]or all its literary sacrilege, [Baz] Luhrmann's [Romeo + Juliet] still proves more valuable than Rome & Jewel, writer-director Charles T Kanganis's soapy, contemporary LA-set adaptation, which reworks the dialogue entirely into an interracial hip-hop musical," warns Aaron Hillis in the Voice.

"Cookies & Cream, directed by Princeton Holt, is one of the strongest - well made, generally effective - ultra low budget debut feature dramas I've seen in several years," writes Sujewa Ekanayake.

"Criterion's Blu-ray of Chungking Express is a revelation," writes Glenn Kenny. "It should thrill cinephiles and tech wonks in equal measure."

"It's difficult to oversell the delights of [Fanfan, la Tulipe]. particularly during the film' first hour or so," writes James Van Maanen.

Scott Green's got another big anime roundup at AICN.

Masters in Criminal Justice lists the "Top 100 Crime Movies of All Time."

Online listening tip. Aaron Aradillas talks with Leonard Matlin about Disney treasures.

Online viewing tip. FilmCatcher talks with Alan Rickman about Nobel Son.

Online viewing tips. Eliza rounds up "Great New Videos" for Creative Review.

Posted by dwhudson at November 26, 2008 7:51 AM