Blue (DVD)
In the first part of acclaimed Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowskis extraordinary THREE COLORS trilogy, BLUE represents Liberty (of Equality and Fraternity) in the French flag and national motto. Julie (Juliette Binoche) is a young, musically gifted Frenchwoman who has just lost her daughter and renowned composer-husband Patrice (Claude Duneton) in a tragic car accident. During her long physical and emotional convalescence, a journalist questions Julie about the widespread rumor that she`s the actual composer of all Patrice`s work. She rebuffs the journalist`s inquiry regarding her husband`s music, but she does not deny it. Upon leaving the hospital, Julie takes a flat in Paris and struggles to start anew--but not until she destroys Patrice`s final unfinished work: a huge symphony for twelve orchestras, to be played at a gala celebrating the upcoming unification of twelve European nations. But another copy surfaces, and gradually, as Julie discovers some surprising secrets about her husband`s life, she`s drawn back to the music, and the pleasures of existence. Kieslowski uses color as metaphor ingeniously, adding immense emotional depth to the story that is unfolding on screen. As Julie, Binoche is a striking cinematic presence. Her transition from a destroyed widow to a woman who has learned to embrace life gives BLUE the heart and soul that makes it a powerful, moving work.NR"
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
ACTORS: Juliette Binoche, Benoit Regent, Helene Vincent, Florence Pernel, Charlotte Viry
The New Women (DVD)
The effects of an unusual rainstorm forces Lisa LaStrada (Mary Woronov) to abandon her modest ways and help bring back order the best way she can. The mysterious storm leaves the men of the world in a comatose state and Lisa conjures up the supernatural to mediate Earth`s new imbalance.NR"
ACTORS: Mary Woronov
The Son (VHS)
This intensely focused film from brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (LA PROMESSE, ROSETTA) follows Olivier (Olivier Gourmet), a man in mid-life working as a carpentry instructor in a blue collar French suburb. By day he teaches teenage boys how to work with wood. By night he leads a drab, solitary, routine existence. Olivier is a humble Everyman who could easily go unnoticed. However, the jarring sounds of his wood shop--sawing, hammering, slamming boards together--tell a different story, and set the tone for this simple but clearly dread-filled plotline. The camera violates Olivier with its constantly invasive, examining motion. It is behind his ears, up his nose, under his chin, and peering down the collar of his shirt. And as the film rolls, it becomes increasingly evident that Olivier is nervous, edgy, even seething about something deep inside. He develops a fascination with one of the boys in his class and nervously pursues the boy, offering him friendship and advice with a frightening lack of affection. Through forced spurts of dialogue and unexplained actions, Olivier`s connection to the boy is slowly and painfully revealed. THE SON meditates on its own static tension, turning suspense into a gripping plotline all its own. Gourmet`s performance is pointed and perfect, and it earned the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002.NR"
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne|Luc Dardenne
ACTORS: Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, Isabella Soupart
Robert Rauschenberg - Inventive Genius (DVD)
The AMERICAN MASTERS series, originally aired on PBS, features biographical profiles of outstanding American artists and their work. This program features a look at Robert Rauschenberg, pop art icon.NR"
Sexy and Dangerous (DVD) Import A smart, tough teenage cookie is torn between two guys--a Triad hunk and a next-door nebbish--while dealing with trouble of her own, in the form of her gang of girlfriends, who flirt with lawlessness.
A smart, tough teenage cookie is torn between two guys--a Triad hunk and a next-door nebbish--while dealing with trouble of her own, in the form of her gang of girlfriends, who flirt with lawlessness.
NR"
Director: Billy Tang
ACTORS: Loletta Lee, Karen Morris, Theresa Mak, Francis Ng, Ben Ng
