The Woman in The Fifth

Pawel Pawlikoswski's The Woman in The Fifth (UK, 2011) - Ethan Hawke and Kristin Scott Thomas star in Pawel Pawlikoswki’s supernatural thriller Woman In the Fifth, currently shooting in Paris. Director Pawel Pawlikowski ventures into the dark heart of classic Roman Polanski territory with The Woman In The Fifth, a bewildering, Kafkaesque conundrum set in the murky shadows of an unfamiliar Paris. 2011ROMic, 2011TOR, 2012PALM, 2012SEA. RATING: 2

Rocker

Marian Crisan's Rocker (Romania, 2012) - Victor, a rocker in his forties, is ready to do everything for his drug-addicted son. He helps him and his rock band to prepare an upcoming live concert in a bigger city. In the meantime, Victor tries to rebuild their family. But his mixed-up life seems to slowly overcome him. Maybe the only thing that is still there for him is rock music...2012SANSnd. RATING: 5

Yuma

Piotr Mularuk's Yuma (Poland, 2012) - It’s the beginning of the 1990s but the situation along the Polish-German border hasn’t much changed since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Twenty-year-old Zyga (the talented Jakub Gierszał) is tired of looking at the latest fashions and Western conveniences in glossy magazines. He and his friends decide to brighten up life in their sleepy, gray town by bettering themselves and their fellow citizens. Overflowing with goods, West German stores are just a tad too tempting for the young men. Piotr Mularuk’s impressive, action-packed drama drew inspiration from the situation (and the Polish news headlines that accompanied it) that unfolded on the Polish-German border following the breakup of the Soviet bloc. The debuting director adroitly weaves Western motifs into the film, referencing, among others, Delmer Daves’ renowned 1957 movie 3:10 TO YUMA, which Zyga dreamily watches in the half-empty local theater. 2012KVeotw. RATING: 5.

If Not Us, Who?

Andres Veiel's If Not Us, Who? (Germany, 2011) - 2011LOLA 5 nominations. So drenched in detail it ends up losing its main dramatic thread, "If Not Us Who" attempts to unravel the messy, decade-long relationship between radical-left poster girl Gudrun Ensslin and writer Bernward Vesper. This feature debut by eminent documaker Andres Veiel ("Black Box BRD") strains to distinguish itself in the shadow of two other major films about Red Army Faction figures, 2002's "Baader" and 2008's "The Baader Meinhof Complex." Sadly, despite some impressive perfs, particularly from Lena Lauzemis as Ensslin, Veiel's take lacks kick, or even the kitschy appeal of its forebears. Pic should do OK domestically but bomb offshore. 2011BERic, 2011LOLA, 2012PALM. RATING: 7.

Chasing Mavericks

Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted's Chasing Mavericks (US, 2012) - The outstanding big-wave footage proves more credible than the overfamiliar dramatics in "Chasing Mavericks," an earnest account of how Jay Moriarity became a Northern California teen surfing legend before his diving-accident death at age 22. Clunky and touching by turns, this conventional effort from directors Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted centers around the relationship between the intrepid youth and his tough-love mentor, both of whom embrace the ocean as a means of escaping, and eventually conquering, their deep personal heartaches. Overlong result won't benefit from Fox's low-profile marketing push, which should generate mid-range B.O. ripples. RATING: 7.

Cloud Atlas

GREAT MOVIES: Tom Tykwer and Wachowski Brothers' Cloud Atlas (US, 2012) - The powerful, inspiring epic Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution. Starring Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Grant. 2012TOR, RATING: 9.

Sleeping Sickness

GREAT MOVIES: Ulrich Kohler's Sleeping Sickness (Germany, 2011) - The titular illness of German pic "Sleeping Sickness" comes in two stages, with the latter, ultimately lethal stage typically associated with disorientation, headaches, nighttime insomnia and daytime drowsiness. Scribe-helmer Ulrich Koehler's third feature is also divided in two parts, the second of which displays similar symptoms. Story of a successful Cameroon-based European doctor who might need looking after himself becomes a distant dual-character piece that mostly seems content to just observe the lived-in perfs and impressive location work. Beyond fests and home turf, pic will likely be quarantined. 2011BERic, 2011NYFF, 2012SANF. RATING: 9.

Bride of Frankenstein

GREAT MOVIES: James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein (US, 1935) - In Bride of Frankenstein, the superior and very witty sequel to Frankenstein, the monster (Karloff) gets his own made-to-order (almost!) bride (Elsa Lanchester). 100TIME, 1000DT, 1001M, E500, EGM. RTAING: 9.

The Manhattan Project

Mharshall Brickman's The Manhattan Project (US, 1986) - Teenager Paul learns that Dr. Mathewson is building nuclear bombs. To expose the secret, Paul and his girlfriend steal plutonium, build a bomb and enter it in a science fair. But the military finds out Paul's plan and pursues him with lethal force. EFS. RATING: 7.

20000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

Richard Fleischer's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (US, 1954) - Kirk Douglas stars as Ned Land and James Mason as Captain Nemo in this Walt Disney live-action adaptation of the classic Jules Verne underwater adventure. Sent to investigate a rash of shipwrecks, Ned encounters the nefarious Nemo's submarine. An ambitious production at the time, the film nabbed two Academy Awards, for special effects and art direction. Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre and a frightening giant squid co-star in Richard Fleischer's epic. 1954NBR, 1955AA. RATING: 7.

White Elephant

Pablo Trapero's White Elephant (Argentina, 2012) - Ricardo Darrin, Jeremy Rennier. The lensing is flawless in "White Elephant," a superbly shot story about two priests working in one of Buenos Aires' most dangerous slums. The same can't be said for the script, which tries to keep too many thematic balls in the air without privileging any one. Pablo Trapero ("Carancho," "Lion's Den") is thinking big here, and he's certainly got the scope, especially in constructing visuals, yet his sense of balance is off and the finale's illogic doesn't sit well. Despite these flaws, the pic will play well in all three home countries, with strong international sales likely. 2012CANucr, 2012TOR. RATING: 7.

The Paperboy

Lee Daniels' The Paperboy (US, 2012) - A curious selection for Cannes competition, Lee Daniels’ first film since Precious (which was in Un Certain Regard) is an enjoyably lurid potboiler with a keen sense of humour, which has more in common with Daniels’ guilty pleasure feature debut Shadowboxer than with the urban drama of Precious. Based on a novel by Pete Dexter (Paris Trout) and set in a sun-drenched summer in Florida 1969, it’s a film of vivid colours, steamy atmosphere and sexual desire rather than tight plotting, but no less entertaining for that. 2012CANic, 2012TOR. RATING:7.

The Banishment

GREAT MOVIES: Andrei Zvyagintsev's The Banishment (Russia, 2007) - 2007CANic Best actor Winner. A haunting mix of fable and psychodrama, Russian filmmaker Andrei Zvyaginstev's acclaimed debut feels like the retelling of an ancient myth. Visually striking, thematically bleak and constructed according to a strange logic all its own, it confirmed Zvyaginstev as a worthy successor to Tarkovsky. Sparse in dialogue and devoid of exposition, the absences and allusions to unexplained events make The Return as compelling as the most efficient thriller. But Zvyaginstev brings to this skeletal tale an emotional and psychological complexity that's lingering, subtle and immensely powerful. The story centres on adolescent brothers Andrey (Garin) and Ivan (Dobronravov). One day, their father (Lavronenko), who has been mysteriously absent for the past 12 years, turns up, unannounced and unwelcome. Where he's been, or why, is never made clear, though the boys' mother immediately submits to his authority. Over an awkward dinner, he announces his intention: he's going to take the boys on a trip from which they will return - if they return - as men. 2007CANic. RATING: 9.

Elena

GREAT MOVIES: Andrei Zvygintsev's Elena (Russia, 2011) - 2011CANucr Special Jury Prize Winner. Like the younger son in The Return (2003), who freezes in fear at the top of a tower rather than jumping off a tower into a lake to join his friends, and the husband in The Banishment (2007), torn between whether or not to shoot his best friend who he believes impregnated his late wife, the title character in Zvyagintsev’s third feature is caught between a rock and a hard place. A late addition to Un Certain Regard, for which it is the closing night film, one can only wonder, why is this extraordinary film not in the main competition?. 2011CANUcr, 2011TOR, 2012PALM, 2012SEA, 2012SUN. RATING: 9.

2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival Winners

Narrative Feature Competition
Black Pearl Award - Best Narrative Film:
Araf/Somewhere in Between, directed by Yeşim Ustağlu (Turkey, Germany, France)
Special Jury Award:
Gebo and the Shadow, directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal, France)
Best Director from the Arab World:
Nouri Bouzid, Hidden Beauties (Tunisia, France, UAE)
Best Actor: Gael García Bernal, No (Chile, US)
Best Actress: Franziska Petri, Betrayal (Russia)
New Horizons Competition
Black Pearl Award – New Horizons:
A Respectable Family, directed by Massoud Bakhshi (France, Iran)
Special Jury Award:
Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin (US)
Best Film from the Arab World:
When I Saw You, directed by Annemarie Jacir (Jordan, Palestine, UAE)
Best Director from the Arab World:
Hala Lotfy, Coming Forth By Day (Egypt, UAE)
Best Actor:
Søren Malling, A Hijacking (Denmark)
Best Actress:
Golshifteh Farahani, The Patience Stone (Afghanistan, France, Germany)
Special Mention:
A Hijacking, directed by Tobias Lindholm
Documentary Feature Competition
Black Pearl Award – Best Documentary Film:
A World Not Ours, directed by Mahdi Fleifel (Lebanon, UK, UAE)
Special Jury Award:
Stories We Tell, directed by Sarah Polley (Canada)
Best New Director:
Lyubov Arkus, Anton’s Right Here (Russia)
Best Film from the Arab World:
Cursed Be the Phosphate, directed by Sami Tlili (Tunisia, UAE, Lebanon, Qatar)
Best Director from the Arab World:
Wael Omar and Philippe Dib, In Search of Oil and Sand (Egypt, UAE)
Audience Choice Award:
Saving Face, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge (Pakistan, US)
FIPRESCI Awards:
Coming Forth by Day, directed by Hala Lotfy (Egypt, UAE)
A World Not Ours, directed by Mahdi Fleifel (Lebanon, UK, UAE)
NETPAC Award:
A World Not Ours, directed by Mahdi Fleifel (Lebanon, UK, UAE)

2012 London Film Festival Winners

Jacques Audiard's Rust and Bone won Best Film Award

Alex Gibney's Mea Maxima Culpa won Best Documentary Award

Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of The Southern Wild won Best First Feature Award

Sally El Hosaini's My Brother The Devil won Best British Newcomer Award

Pusher (2012)

COMING SOON: Luis Prieto's Pusher (UK, 2012) - Like a sports car hot-wired and taken for a conspicuous spin, the exploits of a coke-slinging low-life get a flashy English-lingo facelift with "Pusher" -- a case of "pimp my pic" that does little to boost what's under the hood. Where 1996's scrappy original put Danish helmer Nicolas Winding Refn on the map, inspiring two sequels and jump-starting a career that led to "Drive," director Luis Prieto's ultra-stylish remake looks the way the cult fave might if Refn were making the film today, electrified by slick cinematography and neon lighting. Pic should hook new fans on the franchise, especially in Blighty. 2012EDI, 2012TOR.

Alex Cross

Rob Cohen's Alex Cross (US, 2012) - From Bond to Bourne, bona fide action stars don't get nearly enough credit for their acting, an injustice that has seldom been clearer than when watching Tyler Perry strain his way through "Alex Cross." The cross-dressing "Madea" star seems out of his depth playing the hard-boiled detective made famous by Morgan Freeman in "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls." Even reliable action helmer Rob Cohen ("The Fast and the Furious," "XXX") seems to be off his game here. Though this potential franchise starter may not reposition Perry, solid business looks certain. RATING: 2.

Paranormal Activity 4

Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity 4 (US, 2012) - A battle between horror conventions and innovations has been steadily brewing over the course of the "Paranormal Activity" franchise, and in the fourth film, the conventional finally wins. Less reliant on slow-burn suspense and larded with fake-out jump scares, this is the first sequel in the series that fails to advance the overall mythology in any meaningful way. Whether the faster pace and less inventive thrills will matter to hardcore fans, there's little indication the "Paranormal" brand has worn out its commercial appeal just yet. B.O. should be positively frightful (in a good way) through the Halloween season. RATING: 4.

Warriors of The Rainbow

Wei Te Sheng's Warriors of The Rainbow (Taiwan, 2011) - Heads are chopped off with grim abandon in the epic Taiwanese film Warriors Of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale, a based-on-a-true-story account of a violent uprising by aboriginal warriors against the Japanese who controlled the region. More bodies hit that ground that in any feel-good Rambo movie, and while flailingly unfocussed in structure it is also a fascinatingly brutal history lesson. 2011TOR, 2011VENic, 2012OE, 2012PALM. RATING: 9

2012 European Film Award Discovery Nominations

Mads Matthiesen's Teddy Bear (Denmark, 2012)

Jan Speckenbach's Reported Missing (Germany, 2012)

Boudewijn Koole's Kauwboy (Netherlands, 2012)

Angelina Nikonova's Twilight Portrait (Russia, 2012)

Rufus Norris's Broken (UK, 2012)

Indonesian Auteur's Edwin and His Short Films

A Very Slow Breakfast (2003) - When a boy is too confused to speak with his non-communicative family, words eventually lose their meaning. He decides to communicate with his dandruff and a cup of cold coffee instead. His father ignores these eccentricities, assuming it is just a ploy to get attention. Meanwhile, the boy's sister likes exercising seductively in front of men and is better able to capture her father's attention than her brother. Their mother is oblivious, perpetually talking to people on her mobile phone and the space the family occupies grows narrower and narrower. RATING: 6

Dajang Soembi - The Woman who Married to A Dog (2004) - Following the examples of silent cinema, Indonesian filmmaker Edwin uses expressionistic sets reminiscent of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and plot overtones of Oedipus Rex to retell an Indonesian folk tale about a beautiful but dull-witted princess who marries a dog. RATING: 7.

Kara, Daughter of A Tree (2005) - Hit by fate. A statue falling from the sky kills the mother of the newly born Kara. As a little girl, she goes to get her own back. Kara is a little girl living in an isolated place. Her father disappeared after Ronald killed her mother. A journalist's invasion of her life makes her decide to seek out Ronald and ask him the ultimate question. Ronald is Ronald MacDonald, and that doesn't give everything away. An exercise in absurdist globalism. RATING: 7

A Very Boring Conversation (2006) - A conversation that starts with music and emails, and ends up possibly changing the relationship between the two people from "mother-son" to "woman-man". RATING: 7

Trip To The Wound (2007) - Shila meets Carlo on a bus one night. Shila is a collector. She collects stories of wounds. Shila is constantly pining for the wound’s existence. This is a trip that Carlo will never forget.

Hulahoop Sounding (2008) - Was it black magic that took him from her? Or the vision of her rival’s swaying hips? Lana works at a phone sex company, and hula-hoops when calling her customers to make moaning sounds. RATING: 7.

The Fifth Season

Peter Brosens' The Fifth Season (Belgium, 2012) - A remote Francophone Ardennes village is perpetually stuck in winter in "The Fifth Season," an effective and gorgeously lensed parable from Belgium-based helming duo Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth. After making what felt like very Euro arthouse takes on life in Mongolia and Peru, in "Khadak" and "Altiplano," respectively, the filmmakers winningly apply their simultaneously operatic and anthropological style to a more familiar country that's known for its surrealist bent. High-profile Venice competish slot will ensure the helmers' widest exposure yet, though the image- rather than dialogue-driven pic will remain niche fare commercially. 2012TOR, 2012VENic. RATING: 6.

Here Comes The Boom

Frank Coraci's Here Comes The Boom (US, 2012) - Hands of stone meet heads of air in "Here Comes the Boom," a sports story so daffy it may as well star Kevin James. Reuniting the Everyman thesp with "Zookeeper" director Frank Coraci, this "Rocky"-esque tale is a triumph of recycling, with James playing a biology teacher-turned-UFC fighter out to save his high school's music program. The visibly buffed actor obviously trained for the role, and the onscreen violence adds a frisson of tension to the pic's mix of grappling, romance and anemic social critique. Genial tone will help slip a half nelson on opening weekend B.O.; just-respectable numbers seem likely. RATING: 5.

Once Upon A Time in The North

Jukka Pekka Siili's Once Upon A Time in The North (Finland, 2012) - In the plainlands of Ostrobothnia, Western Finland, a tradition prevails, according to which the first-born son inherits everything and the remaining offspring must fend for themselves. The law has been cast aside in many areas and groups of men, knife-wielding thugs, nicknamed 'toughs', control the fields. The blade rules the land. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE NORTH, directed by Jukka-Pekka Siili, will have its international market premiere in Cannes 2012. RATING: 7.

Seven Psychopaths

Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths (US, 2012) - The pulp sensibilities of writer/director Martin McDonagh’s ambitiously oddball pop-cinema psycho-thriller/comedy are writ large, and with a strong cast, including Christopher Walken, Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell lapping up his wry and witty dialogue it seems that the gloriously titled Seven Psychopaths has the tag-line ‘must see cult film’ written all over it. / Written and Directed by Academy Award® winner Martin McDonagh, the comedy Seven Psychopaths follows a struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster’s (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu. Co-starring Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko and Zeljko Ivanek. 2012TOR. RATING: 8.

Holy Motors swept 2012 SITGES Awards

Leos Carax's Holy Motors

And the winners are:
FANTASTIC COMPETITION
FILM
"Holy Motors"" (Leos Carax, France-Germany)
DIRECTOR
Leos Carax
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
"Chained" (Jennifer Lynch, U.S.)
ACTOR
Vincent D'Onofrio, ("Chained")
ACTRESS
Alice Lowe ("Sightseers," U.K.)
SCREENPLAY
Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump ("Sightseers")
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Chankit Chamnivikaipong ("Headshot," Thailand-France)
F/X;
Yee Kwok-leung, Garrett Lam, Ho Kwan-yeung ("The Viral Factor," Hong Kong-China)
YOUTH JURY AWARD
"Robot & Frank," (Jake Schreier, U.S.)
CASA ASIA AWARDS
BEST FILM
"Dragon" (Peter Ho-sun Chan, China)
BEST ANIMATION FILM AWARD
"Wolf Children" (Mamoru Hosoda, Japan)
NEW VISIONS AWARD
"War Witch" (Kim Nguyen, Canada)
PERIODICO DE CATALUNYA AUDIENCE AWARD
"Robot & Frank"
JOSE LUIS GUARNER CRITICS' AWARD
"Holy Motors"
CITIZEN KANE AWARD TO AN UP-AND-COMING DIRECTOR
Brandon Cronenberg ("Antiviral," Canada)
SITGES SILVER MELIES AWARD
"Holy Motors"

Azooma

Lee Ji Seung's Azooma (South Korea, 2012) -In this feminine version of the Hollywood thriller LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, an ordinary mother plays the protagonist to enhance our sympathy and rage while raising questions of ethics and societal responsibility. The film covers exactly the same subject as DON'T CRY, MOMMY which is screening in Open Cinema this year: a mother's private revenge for the rape of her daughter and an unresponsive and ineffective governmental apparatus. But this time the victim is only 10 years old. Though she expects the police to dispense justice, all she witnesses is a poor investigation; where she expects understanding, she experiences only prejudice and apathy, even from her own husband. What can she do then? Unlike DON'T CRY, MOMMY whose mother character relies on unwanted violence, in AZOOMA the woman falls back on her professional specialty: nursing. It is what makes her final choice so uncomfortable. And also in contrast to DON’T CRY, MOMMY both the narrative structure and the brilliant performance by Jang Young-nam as the grieving mom lean toward the intellectual rather than the emotional. 2012BUS. RATING: 7. 

Sinister

Scott Derrickson's Sinister (US, 2012) - Caveat emptor barely covers the fresh warning "Sinister" supplies in an already cautious real-estate market: Don't buy a house where the previous family was hanged, drowned, incinerated or otherwise murdered, unless you care to meet a similar fate. Ethan Hawke plays a desperate true-crime writer whose investigations into a shocking small-town death uncover a series of similar cases, suggesting his own family could be next. The scares are not just intense but unyielding in this compelling horror yarn from "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" director Scott Derrickson, which sneak-screened at SXSW seven months ahead of its Oct. 5 release. 2012SITGES, 2012SXSW. RATING: 7

Samsara (2011)

Ron Fricke's Samsara (US, 2011) -"Samsara" is a film composed of powerful images, most magnificent, some shocking, all photographed with great care in the highest possible HD resolution — or in 70mm, if you can find it. Filmed over five years, in locations in 25 countries, it is the kind of experience you simply sink into. 2011TOR. RATING: 8.

Glowing Review on SKYFALL from both sides of The Atlantic

Sam Mendes's Skyfall (UK, 2012) - Variety called it Stunning Skyfall in their headline: Putting the "intelligence" in MI6, "Skyfall" reps a smart, savvy and incredibly satisfying addition to the 007 oeuvre, one that places Judi Dench's M at the center of the action. It's taken 23 films and 50 years to get Bond's backstory, but the wait was worth it. In Sam Mendes' hands, the franchise comes full circle, revealing the three-film Daniel Craig cycle to be both prelude and coda to the entire series via a foxy chess move that puts these pics on par with Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy as best-case exemplars of what cinematic brands can achieve, resulting in a recipe for nothing short of world domination. Screen Daily also gives the film glowing review: Fifty years on from the release of Dr No, the twenty-third official James Bond film refreshes a formula which seemed flagging in Quantum Of Solace, the last entry, by keeping on Daniel Craig, who has grown into the role of the secret agent but brought his own distinctive take on the character, but bringing in top talent, including director Sam Mendes (unwinding after weightier things, but taking the assignment seriously), script-polisher John Logan (working over a screenplay by series regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade) and (perhaps in a masterstroke) cinematographer Roger Deakins, who finally provides a Bond film with a visual sophistication that matches the credits sequence.

Forbidden Games

GREAT MOVIES: Rene Clement's Forbidden Games (France, 1952) - Director René Clément's bittersweet drama depicts the ravages of war on its youngest victims. After being orphaned when a Nazi strafing kills her parents and her dog, 5-year-old Paulette (Brigitte Fossey) is taken in by farm boy Michel Dolles (Georges Poujouly) and his family. While his parents are busy feuding with their neighbors, the youngsters cope with the death surrounding them by creating a cemetery for animals killed in the fighting. 1952VENic, 1000DT, 1000NY, 1001M, EGM. RATING: 9

El Condor Pasa

Jeon Soo Il's El Condor Pasa (South Korea, 2012) - Mirroring the themes of religion, grief and forgiveness found in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine (2007), El Condor Pasa is a compelling addition to Jeon Soo-ill’s body of work, which should continue its festival run following its world premiere in Busan, but lacks the substance found in Lee’s award-winning feature. Most of the film takes place in Busan where Jeon has established his roots as it follows a catholic priest who begins a relationship with a woman after her younger sister is raped and murdered. The priest then takes a trip to Peru to visit an old friend as he sets out toss seek forgiveness for his transgressions. 2012BUS.

Shifting The Blame

Lars Gunnar Lotz's Shifting The Blame (Germany, 2012) - In "Shifting the Blame," a vicious juvenile thug's rehabilitation is complicated when the woman he'd assaulted turns out to be house mother at the experimental correction facility he's sent to. Lars-Gunner Lotz's accomplished first feature, penned by Anna Maria Prassler, requires a major suspension of disbelief over this key coincidence. Viewers who can swallow it, however, will likely find themselves engrossed by this familiar but effective tale of tough-love redemption. Beyond continued fest play, pic should attract some tube and rental sales while boosting its creators' future prospects. 2012MONff. RATING: 8.

Life Without Principle

Johnnie To's Life Without Principle (Hong Kong, 2012) - Seizing on the ongoing world banking crisis to add a spin to an otherwise ho-hum crime story, Hong Kong helmer Johnnie To finds greed to be the root of all evil in his patchy "Life Without Principle." Auds who've come to expect pyrotechnic action will be disappointed in this almost perversely slow-burning, sometimes slapdash criss-crosser that intersects the stories of a bank employee, a cop and a clutch of small-time triad gangsters all chasing a fast buck. Pic will find it challenging to leverage interest from international buyers, but should enjoy solid returns at home. 2011TOR, 2011VENic, 2012EDI, 2012SANF, 2013OE. RATING: 8.

The Last Circus

Alex De La Iglesia's The Last Circus (Spain, 2010) - 2010VENic Best Director Winner and Best Screenplay Winner. This political slasher portraying life in Franco’s Spain as a horror movie must be one of the most hysterical films ever made about a fascist regime, and among the least pleasant pictures devised about circus life and particularly about jesters. A genre film par excellence, owing its inspiration to such sources as James Whale, Alfred Hitchcock, Tod Browning, King Kong and Pan’s Labyrinth, to mention just a few, it may very well catch the fancy of Venice jury president Quentin Tarantino, but its grating black humor, if that’s what it is, will have a lot of trouble travelling beyond the borders of Spain. 2010TOR, 2010VENic, 2011SANSmis, 2011SEA. RATING: 8.

National Security

COMING SOON: Chung Ji Young's National Security (South Korea, 2012) - Extremely grueling and painful to watch, National Security is a tough sell, but director Chung Ji-young’s unyielding approach to convey the torture experienced by the late Kim Geun-tae is likely to attract attention, which in and of itself should make it a feature on the festival market. The film is based on the memoir written by the famous politician Kim Geun-tae who was once imprisoned by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) for 22 days during the military dictatorship for his role in the pro-democracy movement in the ‘80s. 2012BUS.   

Perfect Number

COMING SOON: Pang Eun Jin's Perfect Number (South Korea, 2012) - Perfect Number, which premiered at the Busan Film Festival, is a worthy adaptation of The Devotion Of Suspect X written by popular Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino, which should perform well domestically, while overseas sales are also likely to be strong. Much like the novel that is the third part in a series called Detective Galileo, it follows a woman who unwittingly killed her ex-husband after he enters her apartment and starts abusing her, but the neighbor next door, a mathematics genius, after hearing the commotion, devises the perfect alibi for her. A detective, however, becomes suspicious and so he begins, together with his colleague, to try and solve the case. 2012BUS.