celeste and jesse forever is a 2012 american romantic comedy-drama film directed by lee toland krieger .

it stars rashida jones and andy samberg , and was written by jones and will mccormack , who also has a role in the film .

it was released on august 3 , 2012 , in new york and los angeles .

celeste and jesse forever

“celeste and jesse forever” is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . curses and dope .
andy samberg and rashida jones play high - school sweethearts headed for divorce in celeste and jesse forever . photo : david lanzenberg
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing celeste and jesse forever near you .
celeste and jesse forever leaves us with this good takeaway , as told to riley by celeste : the pain from relationships never gets better , but we do .
celeste and jesse forever is that much needed refreshing take on the modern romantic comedy that ' s become worn down by repeated tries and mediocre duplicates .
utah – celeste and jesse forever is a modern movie about letting go that can be funny , cute and awesomely sad all at the same time .
celeste and jesse forever feels longer than it is , but the chemistry between the two leads rashida jones and andy samberg more than make up for that .
from left : chris messina , rashida jones , andy samberg , will mccorm - ack , and ari graynor at the “celeste and jesse forever” premiere party .
in addition to celeste and jesse forever , olsen can next be seen in the feature films the thing a prequel to the 1980 ' s classic film .
lee toland krieger wasn ' t planning to read the script for
celeste and jesse forever
in one night . it just sort of happened that way .
it ' s supposed to exemplify witty , edgy , indie comedy . but
celeste and jesse forever
turns out to be a formula movie . . .
to its credit ,
celeste and jesse forever
wants to be more than a formulaic farce . it succeeds to the extent that the neighbors keep up with jones .
can ' t wait for lee toland krieger ' s celeste & jesse forever . lots of buzz from sundance and the trailer looks really sweet . | pinterest | andy samberg and rash…
celeste and jesse have been best friends forever . they dated in high school , got married , and now they ' re getting divorced . their best friends don ' t think they can maintain their friendship throughout the dissolution of their marriage , but celeste and jesse don ' t think there will be a problem . but that ' s before jesse gets into a relationship that celeste doesn ' t think he can handle , and celeste finds it harder to move on than she originally thought .
the bottom line : despite a good deal of clichéd tropes and plot points , “celeste and jesse forever” brings a refreshing , unique portrayal of a very unorthodox – and lovely – relationship . check it out .
celeste and jesse forever marks will ' s first - produced screenplay . he and his writing partner rashida jones are currently writing frenemy of the state and a pilot for showtime called
we are puppets .
celeste ( rashida jones ) and jesse ( andy samberg ) are high school sweethearts who married young and are now at a crossroads at the age of thirty . while celeste is a success in business , jesse is unemployed and adrift . celeste thinks that if they divorce now they could still remain friends . jesse passively accepts the decision even though he is still in love with her . as reality sets in , celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship , but her timing with jesse is less than fortuitous .
but celeste’s book and her character–along with andy samberg’s jesse–are portrayed with stone - cold seriousness , not satirization . whereas the mumblecore movement’s understanding portrayals of emotionally stilted late - twentysomethings comedically own up to the immaturity of their characters , “celeste and jesse forever” never allows the viewer to laugh at celeste as she copes with looming adulthood . as such , the exercise is no more than a mopey and pathetic grab for non - existent viewer sympathy .
in addition to starring in celeste and jesse forever , rebecca dayan ' s film credits include neil burger ' s limitless opposite bradley cooper and from paris with love opposite jonathan rhys meyers . a native of france , rebecca currently resides in new york city .
there are time - honored formulas for romantic comedies , and
celeste and jesse forever
avoids them . it begins with a group of believable modern los angelinos , embeds them in a fantasy and then introduces a plot twist that ' s both unexpected and devastating to their cozy routine .
the question of whether men and women can ever really be friends lies at the heart of so many romantic comedies and dramas that celeste and jesse forever deserves a healthy dose of praise just for finding a new angle on this enduring debate . the movie subverts our expectations very quickly . after establishing the seemingly perfect relationship of celeste . . . read more
it ' s jesse , surprisingly , that falls more quickly into a new relationship , sending celeste into denial , and then a tailspin - - and the film ' s main emotional arc .
jesse and celeste met in high school and got married very young . after a few years , their marriage starts falling apart and they don ' t know what else to do in order to save it , plus jesse is unemployed . they decide to go separate ways and be just friends , celeste thought this was the best decision they could make . but she didn ' t realize how much she loved jesse when they decided to get a divorce . so , she finds herself struggling while jesse is moving on with his life . although they still love each other , celeste and jesse find themselves learning that sometimes you ' ve got to let it go , even though if it hurts . this is a very beautiful movie , funny and very entertaining .
on the silver screen , he can be found in the romantic comedy ruby sparks , opposite actress / writer zoe kazan and paul dano out july 25th ; the comedy celeste and jesse forever , opposite rashida jones , elijah wood and emma roberts ; and the thriller argo , opposite director ben affleck , bryan cranston , and john goodman and out october 12th .
with
celeste and jesse forever
out in new york and los angeles now ( a wider rollout will follow soon ) , krieger chatted with huffpost entertainment about his inspirations for the film , how he got such a great performance out of samberg , and whether he was satisfied with the script ' s bittersweet ending .
celeste and jesse forever bounces along with nimble invention , from a photo montage that colors in an entire romantic history to the hilarious scene in which celeste , increasingly jealous , gets caught going through jesse’s garbage can . i won’t even hint at what happens , since the movie keeps taking us , like its characters , by surprise . i will say that it’s been a while since a romantic comedy mustered this much charm by looking this much like life . a -
urltoken -
celeste and jesse forever
- official trailer a divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people . director : lee toland krieger writers : rashida jones ( screenplay ) , will mccormack ( screenplay ) stars : andy samberg , elijah wood and emma roberts copyright @ sony pictures
in an hour and a half , celeste and jesse , or rashida jones and andy samberg , are forced to confront the fact that the idea of a simple divorce and continued closeness is impossible , and that moving away from their comfortable rapport is inevitable .
rashida jones’ celeste , the protagonist of “celeste and jesse forever , ” publishes a non - fiction book called shitegeist , which , as you may have inferred , is about how the zeitgeist has been turned to ‘shite’ by entitled rich kids and talentless pop - stars . this could have been the basis for a sharp , funny observation of the fact that the zeitgeist has actually been co - opted by hipsters like celeste who portend to be cultural experts through doomsday characterizations of where american society is headed .
allow me to enlighten you with examples of celeste and jesse’s “human” behaviors from the first 10 minutes of the film alone . they drive by walt disney concert hall , which celeste refuses to even glance at so as to not seem touristy . they meet up with friends at a mexican restaurant , which said friends quickly leave after celeste and jesse pontificate about what they’ll order in irritating cartoon voices . they pretend to masturbate a squeeze - bottle of lip balm on the drive home — apparently a regular hobby of theirs .
writing and acting in celeste and jesse forever , her new long - awaited dramedy , were trips down a haunted memory lane . stung by a relationship gone awry , she teamed up with mccormack to pen what she calls the
boy - meets - girl story , but inverted ,
in which she plays celeste , a well - adjusted - - if slightly control freak - - woman who is in the midst of a more - than - amicable divorce from her slacker - dreamer husband jesse , played by former snl star andy samberg .
through all of the aforementioned criticisms , i do not mean to imply that celeste and jesse bear no resemblance to real people . on the contrary , their breed of intelligent , but practically inept hipster adult is an increasingly common one in urban america . as actors , jones and samberg are believable and do their darndest to make the characters’ over - written theatrics feel organically obnoxious . but “celeste and jesse forever” is dead - on - arrival in that it fails to approach these characters critically — something that even the rosiest , most sympathetic of portraits must do in order to earn their emotions .
as jesse and celeste drift apart and come back to each other over and over , in an unhealthy but realistic look at how hard it can be to let go , they grow up . and friends beth and tucker , celeste ' s gay business partner ( elijah wood ) , and their tarted - up pop - star client riley ( emma roberts ) , help them along the slow and agonizing path to being ok .
celeste and jesse forever
is about two people who met in high school , married young and are growing apart . now thirty , they decide to get divorced and attempt to stay best friends while pursuing other relationships . this plan is not as simple as they had imagined . celeste - - imperious , successful and driven - - is convinced that divorcing the boyish jesse is the right thing to do . jesse passively accepts this transition into friendship , even though he still is in love with her . as the reality of their separation sets in , celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship . but her timing with jesse is less than fortuitous . while navigating the turbulent changes in their lives and in their hearts , these two learn that in order to truly love someone , you may have to let them go . the film is a humorous and honest examination of a broken heart and the long , hard road it takes to heal it .
huh ? celeste and jesse forever throws us that curveball early on , and it establishes the movie as a romantic comedy powered by a question as novel and provocative as the one that drove when harry met sally … : can a man and woman be friends ? the question here is more along the lines of : can a man and woman who were more than friends realize they still might be ? so why are celeste and jesse splitting up ? we hear the rationale in bits and pieces , and it doesn’t sound all that major — mostly issues of unequal careers . she’s a celebrity trend - spotter , he’s a gifted graphic artist who’s doing…not much . he’s a passive underachiever .
in addition to celeste and jesse forever , ari graynor will next be seen in for a good time call that premiered at the 2012 sundance film festival , which she also executive produced , opposite lauren miller and justin long . graynor also completed a role in my mother ' s curse with barbra streisand and seth rogen , and will star in ten year , written and directed by jamie linden , also starring channing tatum and rosario dawson , which premiered at the 2011 toronto international film festival .
as you might recall , i had similar misgivings about the conclusion of ruby sparks ; it upholds the convention of other love stories featuring manic pixie dream girls when the narcissistic novelist finally releases his titular creation from his magical spell and later goes on to meet the girl of his dreams who resembles his ideal far too much . when it comes to celeste and jesse forever , hornaday laments that jones’s eponymous character , a
the film begins with celeste and jesse in the odd honeymoon stage of their breakup , still living together and trying to avoid the despair that seems an automatic accompaniment to the end of a marriage . unwedded bliss doesn ' t last forever , though , resulting in what jones calls
a romantic comedy , but inverted .
perhaps it was that twist that kept a major studio , always risk - averse , from snatching it up .
there is no meet - cute between celeste and jesse in this film , no courting or dating or proposal or wedding for the pair . the story starts right in the middle of their separation , a legal arrangement whose real - life consequences have yet to be felt .
hornaday also reminds us that tim burton’s version of alice in wonderland ( 2010 ) and this spring’s mega - hit the hunger games ( gary ross , 2012 ) also feature strong - willed female teens who don’t need a prince charming to rescue them , as they fight epic duels on their respective quests to right evil social injustices . by comparison , the female leads of ruby sparks and celeste and jesse forever , for example , are pathetic . in particular , hornaday writes ,
also tuesday , the distribution rights for two of the most overtly commercial movies screening at sundance were sold . focus features picked up the raunchy phone - sex lark for a good time , call… , written and costarring lauren anne miller ( a . k . a . mrs . seth rogen ) , for a reported $ 2 million . and sony pictures classics acquired celeste and jesse forever , a comedy - drama starring rashida jones and snl ’s andy samberg as high - school sweethearts who decide to divorce while attempting to remain friends .
it appears they can coast along forever as best friends , especially if it were up to jesse to initiate change . their status quo is jolted , however , when jesse receives a completely unexpected piece of news . no , it ' s not something like being told he has only weeks to live . that would place the story on a fixed trajectory . his new information , which i won ' t reveal , brings a sudden infusion of reality into their lives — especially into celeste ' s , because it ' s the kind of one - upmanship she ' s temperamentally incapable of dealing with . jesse , who is so conveniently passive , suddenly finds himself holding the winning card in their game of emotions .
in the supporting cast we get small but not cookie - cutter roles for actors such as ari graynor as celeste ' s devastated best friend , emma roberts as a freshly minted teen queen , and elijah wood as celeste ' s buddy at work in an l . a . trend - spotting shop .
the viewer is practically supposed to sit in awe of the supposed wit of celeste and jesse–a couple who married young and , even after they agree to divorce , can’t find it in themselves to spend time apart–as they rattle off one carefully manufactured quip after another . before director lee toland krieger can firmly establish a tone , during the opening scenes , one makes the reasonable assumption that krieger is staging a critique of the pair’s self - absorbed , immature quirks that don’t match their adult bodies . but once the movie gets going , it becomes clear that krieger intends for celeste and jesse’s over - precious dialogue and actions to be reasons for the viewer to like them .
celeste and jesse forever
is a good - hearted romantic comedy about a likable couple — so likable , indeed , that it swims upstream against the current of our desires . the two have been happily married for years , long enough so their friends think of them as a unit , and now they ' ve decided she ' ll stay in the house and he ' ll move into his studio in the backyard .
but we ' re still best friends ,
they explain to everyone . to me those are five of the saddest words in romance .
this decision upsets and even offends their friends , because after certain people become fixed stars in their firmament , they feel threatened if things change . if the marriage between celeste and jesse isn ' t working out , what can they expect to happen in their own lives ? in a sense they have the duty to stay together just to set a good example .
our idiot brother is a 2011 american comedy - drama film directed by jesse peretz and starring paul rudd , elizabeth banks , zooey deschanel , and emily mortimer . the script was written by evgenia . . . more
celeste and jesse is definitely our friendship , we do all those little stupid things that they do in the movie ,
mccormack laughed ,
and then from the sort of break up part of the movie , i think we had both been in sort of dysfunctional , complicated loving but sort of vaguely defined relationships with people , and it felt like a good premise for a film .
i think anybody who has had a long relationship and has had a really hard time letting go , wants to feel like it’s not all for naught , and it’s meaningful , because it makes you who you are ,
she reasons .
my first love , i’ll never forget , and it’s such a big part of who i am , and in so many ways , we could never be together , but that doesn’t mean that it’s not forever . because it is forever .
celeste ' s struggle with facing her mistakes , regrets and true feelings about losing jesse is what really drives the movie . she ' s cold , self - righteous , self - involved and totally messed up , but she is endearing and relatable in a funny but cringe - worthy
been there
sort of way . jones ' performance stands out as the strongest of a good cast – she ' s messed up , but honest .
celeste and jesse is far from simply a film about a crushing sense of loss and trip into emotional wilderness ; existential crises are only effective because of the pair ' s cute inside jokes ( which include masturbating baby carrots ) and obvious affection . even the depressing moments are punctured by humor , with bouts of stoned crying , drunk partying and witty interplay a constant . while jones and mccormack borrowed from their own separate experiences for the heartbreak , it was their long history as best friends that provided the basis for comedy .
we felt like there was this real kind of thing in the zeitgeist with our friends , where they were having these relationships , where they were their first adult relationships , out of high school or college relationships , and it feels like the person you’re going to be with forever ,
she says .
and , it turns out it’s not forever , and you change and grow , and you don’t realize you’re going to change and grow . and you don’t want to lose the person who you feel really is integral to your identity , so you try to sidestep , outfox the inevitable pain of separation , and just dive right into friendship , and this is a cautionary tale about how it doesn’t work out .
coming to terms with a new life without celeste , or perhaps anyone , is faced head - on by jesse . he states his feelings outwardly , cries frequently , and in the beginning is certain this split is just a phase . samberg does a good job in the more serious scenes , but still manages to get through it all with his brand of humor – without his usual saturday night live gimmicks .
to pad the runtime , there is a subplot that finds celeste’s marketing firm–yes , against the odds , she co - owns a functioning company–working for a client that is antithetical to her cultural beliefs : the artistically inept pop - star riley ( emma robers ) . while roberts does her best ke $ ha / selena gomez parody , her increasingly softening interactions with celeste don’t add much substantive insight to the equation . elijah wood is likewise wasted , playing the “gay best friend” - stereotype as effectively as it will allow–which is to say , not very–in the role of celeste’s business partner .
celeste and jesse are played by rashida jones and andy samberg , who make an appealing couple . that doesn ' t come as a surprise about jones , but samberg shows a dimension here that would have been difficult to guess from
saturday night live .
the movie benefits from a sound screenplay by jones and will mccormack , who write dialogue and create supporting characters who don ' t seem like air - headed plot puppets , the way so many rom - com characters do . there ' s a certain respect for their feelings .
the give and take here feels completely real , and each character is likable while also flawed and vulnerable .
adds mccormack , who plays a lovable dunce pot dealer named skillz in the film ,
i have a sister who had a boyfriend forever , and they were so in love , and i was little , i was young , and they finally broke up and i was devastated , i said , ‘why’d you break up , why’d you break up ? you love each other so much . ’
the film , which premiered over the weekend at the sundance film festival , was co - written and co - produced by rashida jones , whose celeste is possibly the best role the actress has ever had . a successful thirty - something , celeste seriously struggles with showing weakness and being wrong ( splitting up was
right ,
so she has to pretend to be fine with their current arrangement , though clearly she is not ) . the emotional toll of the divorce creeps up on her slowly , then hits her dramatically .
the evocation of old hollywood is intentional . like screwball comedies of the 1930s and ’40s “celeste and jesse” hinges on the assumption that marriage is invariably rough going . once upon a studio time , screwball comedy was where men and women redefined gender relations in between zingers and slapstick . in some screwball romances a man and a woman battle their way into marriage ; in others it’s an estranged couple who fight their way back into love . as gender relations evolved , the romantic comedy rarely rose to the great screwball occasion , dragged down by antediluvian stereotypes and formulas . equality between the sexes , or so it seems , turned out to be a joke killer , one reason bromances exist : if you can’t imagine women as equals , just sidestep them .
graynor was born in boston , massachusetts and currently resides in both new york city and los angeles .
of course they play opposites , but opposites attract . she ' s type a , he ' s type zzzzzz . they comfortably occupy what seems to be the same double act , in which they can spin off in - jokes of indefinite length for their own amusement . given their personality types , of course it ' s celeste who asks for the divorce . jesse would never arouse himself to such a pitch . she is ambitious for herself , ambitious for him , ambitious for their marriage , and incapable of staying in a marriage that has no particular problems except that she can imagine a better one . they ' ve been married for six years , and she ' s closing in on the seven - year itch .
cop out is a 2010 american buddy cop comedy film directed and edited by kevin smith , and also written by cullen brothers mark and robb cullen , and starring bruce willis , tracy morgan , kevin . . . more
feature films include syriana , boiler room , american outlaws , prime and abandon . television credits include the sopranos , the shield , in plain sight and brothers and sisters .
sign up for a fanalert and be the first to know when tickets and other exclusives are available in your area .
certainly , i cannot just take this one critic’s word as the gospel truth . i will see these movies , eventually , to make up my own mind , but i can understand what hornaday is saying . after all , both ruby and celeste are characters defined by the relationships that they have with the men in their lives . marion of 2 days in new york , which hornaday doesn’t discuss , also fits the bill , and she’s also a mom .
if you ever need like someone to be with you and hold you and caress you , i think i could be that guy .
this past year , she was seen in five films . most recently , she starred in disney ' s hit the muppets opposite jason segel and amy adams . prior to that , was the big year opposite steve martin , jack black and owen wilson . she stole scenes in jesse peretz ' s our idiot brother opposite paul rudd , elizabeth banks and zooey deschanel . the film premiered at the sundance film festival in january 2011 . rashida also starred in adam shapiro ' s relationship drama monogamy opposite chris messina , which premiered at the tribeca film festival , where it won best new york narrative . she also had a cameo in this year ' s friends with benefits opposite justin timberlake and mila kunis .
the indie from co - stars and co - writers jones and will mccormack went through an incredible hollywood drama - - before the cameras ever rolled .
and she said , ‘sometimes love is not enough . ’ and it was such a cruel lesson ,
he continues .
and you learn that sometimes love is not enough . it comes down to timing , people grow at different times , and that’s a hard lesson in life .
andy samberg and rashida jones , as a couple who broke up , but still live together , and end up driving at least one friend crazy .
i love you , man is a 2009 american bromantic comedy film originally titled let ' s be friends and written by larry levin before john hamburg rewrote and directed the film . it stars paul rudd and . . . more
skillz :
if you ever need like someone to be with you and hold you and caress you , i think i could be that guy .
tulip talks to god , and it’s not a pleasant conversation , and we learn a little more custer family history in one of season three’s funniest episodes .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
following the late - night reading frenzy , krieger had a meeting with producer jennifer todd and co - writers rashida jones and will mccormack to make his case as director .
explore popular sci - fi movies and tv shows available to stream with prime video .
and so , just like that , i was invested , against my better judgment .
olsen currently portrays ' detective marty deeks ' on the cbs television series ncis : los angeles . eric ' s television credits include starring roles in get real and the loop , as well as guest appearances in brothers and sisters , er , 24 and community .
more tickets = more points = more movies on us ! rack up vip + points for every ticket you buy to score streaming movies and discounts on tickets and movie gear .
first - person essays , features , interviews and q & as ; about life today .
thematic murkiness aside , the film achieves a mostly successful mix of mainstream and indie sensibilities .
the pair seek to stay friends , and even continue living with each other after the split , in an effort to defy the customs and logic of the crumbling of a marriage .
samberg recently completed his 7th and final season as a cast member on saturday night live .
they hide in plain sight , suddenly visible in one frame and gone in the next .
enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email .
go behind the scenes of the mission : impossible movies , check out the latest videos and trailers , and see which spy movies topped the box office in our mission : impossible guide .
wood is an active member and supporter of the art of elysium , a non - profit organization founded in 1997 that encourages working actors , artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions . the art of elysium provides artistic workshops in acting , art , comedy , fashion , music , radio , songwriting and creative writing .
rashida jones , with her versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles and her growing presence in hollywood as a screenwriter , has quickly established herself as one of the industry ' s bright stars .
put - together and on - track young woman who , as she navigates a complicated relationship with the far less directed man in her life ( played by andy samberg ) , is made to look either uptight , witchily judgmental or miserably alone — before she sees the light and realizes that she’s the problem , what with her intelligence and high expectations and all [ emphasis in original ] .
not bad . not one to watch over and over , but good for a one off watch .
eric christian olsen starred in several feature films , including fired up , the last kiss , not another teen movie , local boys , the hot chick and dumb and dumberer : when harry met lloyd .
wanted is a 2005 tv film directed by guy norman bee , félix enríquez alcalá and davis guggenheim .
little black book is a 2004 satirical comedy film directed by nick hurran , and starring brittany murphy and ron livingston in the main roles . holly hunter , julianne nicholson , josie maran , . . . more
takes some unique angles at familiar situations and allows the nerdy chemistry between its leads to play out naturally .
nominations for the 85th annual academy awards were announced yesterday , and highly coveted titles such as best actor and best picture have already sparked lively pre - show debates among oscar enthusiasts . however , many people tend to forget about the awards for best original score and best original song , honorable categories that shouldn’t go unmentioned .
although this “little - indie - that - could” received four oscar nominations in more esteemed categories ( best director , best picture , best adapted screenplay and best actress for then six - year - old star quevanzané wallis ) , the powerful and deeply moving soundtrack deserves equal credit . as composed by dan romer and director benh zeitlan , each note is a testament to one little girl’s strength and courage in the face of insurmountable odds .
a different kind of romantic comedy : one that starts at the end and tries to make sense of itself .
riley banks . . . i don ' t understand . she ' s like a vagina and a hairdo .
roberts was also seen in the critically acclaimed focus features production it ' s kind of a funny story opposite zach galifianakis , viola davis and lauren graham , directed by ryan fleck and anna boden , the british independent thriller
4 . 3 . 2 . 1 . ,
directed by bafta winner noel clarke .
4 . 3 . 2 . 1 .
was released exclusively in the uk last summer and joel schumacher ' s
twelve , based on the novel by nick mcdowell and co - starring chace crawford , kiefer sutherland , 50 cent and ellen barkin .
big little lies was alluring , but sharp objects is intoxicating , thanks in large part to its direction and editing .
movie fans who love rashida jones have also been known to enjoy films starring amy poehler and julia louis - dreyfus .
the ten is a 2007 american comedy film , directed by david wain and cowritten by wain and ken marino , released through thinkfilm . the film was released on august 3 , 2007 . the dvd was released on . . . more
did you give any thought to having them get back together at the end ? will and rashida said they had the ending before they wrote the script . when i read it , one of the first things i said in the meeting was ,
i love this ending and i think it ' s honest and real and not contrived and i want to make sure that never changes .
and they jumped right in and said that ' s the ending no matter what . a lot of times , you get into these situations when you ' re trying to figure out how to get the movie made and an investor comes along and says ,
i ' ll pay for it , but you have to change the ending .
we wanted to make sure that wasn ' t the case . if you sit with the movie and these characters , you do understand that sometimes you ' re in love with somebody but they ' re not
the one .
this is a great example of two people who were meant to be best friends and not lovers . to pull a punch there would have marginalized the movie in a way that would have made it feel more contrived in a way the bigger studio rom - coms do . we wanted it to feel a little left of center .
other film credits include : will gluck ' s friends with benefits opposite justin timberlake and mila kunis ; mark mylod ' s what ' s your number ? opposite anna faris ; john hamberg ' s i love you , man opposite paul rudd and jason segel ; chris miller ' s animated feature cloudy with a chance of meatballs with bill hader , anna farris and james caan ; voicing the lead character , ham iii , in fox studios animated film space chimps ; and akiva schaffer ' s hot rod , starring jorma taccone , ian mcshane , sissy spacek , isla fisher , and bill hader .
a smart and visually stunning thriller deserves an equally impressive soundtrack , which composer nathan johnson delivers in style . pretty piano quickly morphs into dark percussive rumblings , jarring and alien to match looper ‘s bizarre plot twists and turns . this high - concept action movie thrives on johnson’s perfectly - constructed chaos , like a tightrope walker dangling then successfully skimming across a wire .
wired honest , complex and sharp script is executed perfectly to make this a hilariously sad but introspective anti - romantic comedy .
mary hubert is a performing artist , director , and arts administrator in the seattle area . when not producing strange performance concoctions with her company , the horse in motion , she is wild about watching weird theater , whiskey , writing and weightlifting .
upon their arrival in new york , sally and harry enjoy a bite at katz’s—much to sally’s memorable delight . image courtesy of
and best friends who try hard not to let their dealings with men dictate who they are as individuals . image courtesy of
© urltoken , inc . or its affiliates . all rights reserved . box office mojo and imdb are trademarks or registered trademarks of urltoken , inc . or its affiliates . terms of use and privacy policy under which this service is provided to you .
an enjoyable rom - com that finds itself smarter and more insightful than it really is , but still it benefits from a great chemistry between the adorable leads - and jones proves that she is quite talented enough to carry a film on her shoulders .
the script is quick and sharp , and seriously funny at times , but with emotional maturity : here ' s real heartbreak , and here ' s how we survive it . directed by lee toland krieger , the film finds a way of telling a story that seems familiar but evolves into something new . the depth of the characters makes their twisted , insecure attachment so compelling , their love real , and their comedy so infectious . in this way , the movie succeeds where many others have failed .
this is a little blog with big , idiosyncratic aspirations . while its name is a corruption of the more recognizable word
cinephilia ,
it is an otherwise well - curated collection of impassioned ideas and feelings about the cinema past , present , and future . in 2014 , cine feel yeah began covering tv and books as they relate to film or audiovisual materials more generally .
get your swag on with discounted movies to stream at home , exclusive movie gear , access to advanced screenings and discounts galore .
with a diverse range of comedic talents , andy samberg has emerged as a captivating and hilarious leading man on screens both big and small . as an emmy® award winning writer , samberg is achieving as much success behind the scenes as he is on screen .
at the box office , the summer of 2012 may be about breaking records with movies about boys and their toys ( “hulk smash , ” indeed ) . but culturally , the season’s been all about the girls . beginning with snow white and the huntsman , continuing through brave and with a dash of talk - worthy premium cable thrown in , girls seem to have taken over screens both large and small , their inner struggles magnified into mythic battles , their most mundane problems examined with probing , disarmingly frank intimacy .
a miami businesswoman is transferred to rural minnesota , and while she is there she re - evaluates her big - city values .
death of a dynasty is a comedy film first screened in 2003 . it is a satire of the hip hop music industry centered on roc - a - fella records , and stars ebon moss - bachrach , capone and damon dash . it . . . more
for a film about a breakup , the soundtrack to c & j is unexpectedly chill - wave . this charming tale about the tricky intimacies of love pulses with indie jam and soul , beginning with lily allen’s “the littlest things” and ending with “as for tonight” by sunny levine . other standout tracks include “rescue song” by mr . little jeans and the freddie scott classic “you’re all i need . ”
danny baldwin has been writing about film on the internet for over a decade , initially for bucketreviews and now for critic speak . he holds a master ' s degree in critical studies from the university of southern california and in past years served as a member of both the online film critics society and the san diego film critics society . danny ' s favorite films include “the 400 blows , ” “imitation of life
( 1959 ) , “my neighbor totoro” and “the silence of the lambs . ” he lives in los angeles .
turtleneck and chain is the highly anticipated follow up to the lonely island ' s first album incredibad , which included the emmy® winning sensation
d * * * in a box ,
featuring superstar justin timberlake . incredibad also featured the follow - up gold record
j * * z in my pants ,
which has over 100 million views on youtube and the grammy® nominated , third single
i ' m on a boat
, which went platinum and catapulted the album to the # 1 selling comedy album in 2009 and 2010 .
roberts also starred in the indie film what ' s wrong with virginia opposite ed harris and jennifer connelly which premiered at the toronto film festival last year . the film is directed by dustin lance black ( oscar winner for milk ) and executive produced by gus van sant .
i won’t tell you how the movie ends . no spoilers from this lady . and i also won’t tell you to drop everything and go see this movie , because to a certain extent , you’ve seen it before . but what i will say is , if you’re in the mood for some humor , some heartbreak , and some romance , i’d choose this one over “21 dresses” any day of the week .
use of and / or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our user agreement ( updated 5 / 25 / 18 ) and privacy policy and cookie statement ( updated 5 / 25 / 18 ) . your california privacy rights . the material on this site may not be reproduced , distributed , transmitted , cached or otherwise used , except with the prior written permission of condé nast . ad choices .
guarantee the perfect movie night with tickets from fandango . find theater showtimes , watch trailers , read reviews and buy movie tickets in advance .
messina will next be seen onscreen in aaron sorkin ' s the newsroom premiering june 24th on hbo , opposite jeff daniels ; and damages premiering july 20th on direct tv , opposite glenn close and rose byrne . he also recently wrapped production on the untitled mindy kaling / fox project .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
is a shrewd rom - com that benefits from its likable cast and trumpets the arrival of rashida jones as a bona fide big screen talent .
while sweeping epics like lincoln and les mis are hard - wired for oscar gold , quirky indie films rarely get the accolades that they deserve . in lieu of these omissions , here’s a shortlist of the best under - the - radar soundtracks and scores that the academy should have recognized .
thanks , jake 88 , for your comment . i absolutely agree that we need far fewer “dick flicks” ( that’s a good one ! ) . and i’m saying just that , because i am arguing that we need more leading roles for women . “chick flicks” are only part of the problem because the term denigrates women and marginalizes movies about women ( the term has a negative connotation for most people ) . you’re right , we should be thankful that they exist at all , what with hollywood’s current business model focusing on actioners and comic book adaptations to attract boys and young men to the theater . but can you really argue that making more films—especially by women—with less formulaic stories and more dynamic female characters is a bad thing ?
in february 2010 , roberts co - starred alongside jessica biel , bradley cooper , patrick dempsey , jennifer garner , ashton kutcher , carter jenkins and julia roberts in the romantic comedy valentine ' s day . jenkins and roberts re - teamed after sharing the screen in unfabulous to play a young couple who are contemplating whether to take a crucial step in the relationship . the film is directed by gary marshall and was released by warner bros .
receive a free * exclusive ' ant - man and the wasp ' poster with ticket purchase ( * shipping & handling not included ) . buy tickets
on television , rashida can currently be seen on nbc ' s
parks and recreation .
as ann perkins the nurse , she stars opposite amy poehler . the show was recently renewed for a fifth season and was nominated for a 2010 tca award for
outstanding achievement in comedy ,
a 2011 emmy award for
best series , comedy
and was listed as one of afi ' s top programs in 2011 . rashida caught attention of audiences and the industry alike when she portrayed the ambitious saleswoman , karen filippelli , in nbc ' s emmy award winning comedy
the office .
upon landing her very first audition , roberts booked the role of johnny depp and penélope cruz ' s daughter in blow , which was directed by the late ted demme for new line cinema . soon after , she starred in the sundance short film big love directed by leif tilden and starring sam rockwell . roberts went on to play one of the lead roles in the independent feature film grand champion opposite joey lauren adams and directed by barry tubb .
even plays written by men that are “particularly masculine and talk about issues particular to men , are never called ‘men’s plays , ’ ” she added .
you met with rashida , will and jen after reading the script . how ' d you sell yourself to them ? what i tried to present were that my touchstones for this movie were going to be
broadcast news ,
husbands & wives
and
when harry met sally ,
and not so much a contemporary , fluffier rom - com , for lack of a better description . will , rashida and jen were determined to make the film as authentic as possible in terms of putting on the screen what it ' s like to really have a broken heart and go through the six stages of grief we go through . i don ' t think they wanted to pull any punches either . that ' s what they responded to primarily .
the roles afforded women in movies are no better . we’ve heard this a million times before . writing an op - ed piece for the washington post , melissa silverstein , the founder and editor of the indiewire blog women and hollywood and the co - founder and artistic director of the woman - centric athena film festival , argues that the upper echelons of the american film industrial complex , aka “hollywood , ” should be more accommodating to stories about women because they represent half the ticket - buying public in the u . s . ( she cites data from the motion picture association of america ) . silverstein writes ,
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
but when the dialog begins , everything seems normal . their easiness around each other , weird inside jokes and obvious mutual adoration make them the couple everyone else hates . this is when we , laughing with a tinge of jealously , learn that they are getting divorced – and that things have never been better .
widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation , elijah wood continues to challenge himself with roles spanning the spectrum of style and genre .
i think in order to be in any way good or real , you have to bring your own thing to it ,
jones adds .
and , in the writing of this movie , i was for sure processing some pain . and in the filming of this movie , i was processing some stuff , too . it is like a totally selfish pursuit in some ways , acting , because you get this enormous overblown cathartic experience , and you get to go through it and come out the other side with a little bit more understanding of yourself . so , it’s kind of a lucky thing to have .
additional credits oxford murders opposite john hurt ; paris , je t ' aime ; day zero ; george miller ' s animated film happy feet ; emilio estevez ' s bobby ; liev schreiber ' s everything is illuminated ; and michel gondry ' s critically acclaimed eternal sunshine of the spotless mind . additional credits include lexi alexander ' s hooligans ; frank miller ' s graphic novel sin city , co - directed by robert rodriguez and miller ; ang lee ' s the ice storm ; martin duffy ' s independent film the bumblee flies away ; jeffrey porter ' s try seventeen ; ash wednesday ; and james toback ' s black and white .
although a series of blizzards has battered the festival , dumping several feet of snow throughout this winter - sport wonderland at the base of the wasatch mountains and making the schlep from screening to swag suite to open bar tricky to navigate , sundance dealmaking heated up tuesday with sony pictures classics and focus features acquiring the distribution rights to festival entries . and fox searchlight has emerged as most purchase - happy of studio suitors so far , picking up two movies here in park city , utah .


iraq in fragments is a documentary film directed by james longley .

longley shot the film in digital video on a panasonic dvx100 minidv camcorder .

the film premiered at the 2006 sundance film festival where it won three awards : " directing award documentary " , " editing award documentary " and " excellence in cinematography award documentary " .

it was nominated for an academy award for best documentary feature .

the film was shot in iraq and edited at 911 media arts center in seattle .

this film has three parts to it which describe the viewpoints of sunni , shi'ite , and kurdish residents .

iraq in fragments

an 11 - year - old named mohammed with his boss in baghdad , as seen in iraq in fragments .
an iraq that you haven ' t likely seen before . . . stunning
iraq in fragments is an in - depth marvel
- - new york magazine
james longley ' s
iraq in fragments ,
filmed in iraq and edited at seattle ' s 911 media arts center , won directing , cinematography and editing awards at the sundance film festival .
iraq in fragments illuminates post - war iraq in three acts , building a picture of a country pulled in different directions by religion and ethnicity . filmed in verité style with no scripted narration , the film explores the lives of ordinary iraqis to illustrate and give background to larger trends in iraqi society .
' iraq in fragments ' is a beautifully filmed biography of a country on the verge of civil war .
- - peter byck , lousiville courier - journal
capturing post - war iraq in three chapters , iraq in fragments focuses on the lives of individuals to tell a larger story of a country torn apart by war and ethnic division . iraq in fragments was nominated for an academy award for best documentary feature and an emmy for best cinematography . the film was honored with awards at the sundance film festival for best documentary directing , editing , and cinematography . iraq in fragments received top prize at the chicago international film festival , full frame film festival , the gotham awards , the ida awards , and won the nestor almendros award at the human rights watch film festival . iraq in fragments was included in the guardian ' s list of 50 documentaries you need to see and paste magazine ' s 25 best documentaries of the decade ( 2000 - 2009 ) .
robert greenwald looks at war profiteering in iraq by private contracting companies halliburton , caci , and kbr .
watch the evening news and you get a view of iraq from high above the wreckage . in this fascinating doc , director james longley shows us how things look on the ground . iraq in fragments presents a tri - fold , intimate portrait of a country in turmoil , via a fatherless eleven - year - old boy in baghdad , supporters of religious leader moqtada sadr in naserijah , and an elderly farmer in the kurdish north . their voices amount to a revelation .
the question of legitimate authority — and the related question of what , in this fragmentary country , democracy might look like — hovers over the other two sections of “iraq in fragments , ” which deal with militant shiite followers of moktada al - sadr in nasiriya and najaf , and then with kurds living in a village outside of erbil .

iraq in fragments
is the latest entry in the crowded field of documentaries from that war . it is also one of the best , partly because it is more concerned with exploring daily life and individual destinies than with articulating a position . . . . whether you think the war is right or wrong ,
iraq in fragments
is a necessary reminder of just how painful and complicated it is .
- - a . o . scott , the new york times
a doc that shows iraq in three parts , through the eyes of the sunnis , shiites and kurds .
stories from modern day iraq as told by iraqis living in a time of war , occupation and ethnic tension .
an elderly kurdish man , speaking in james longley’s documentary “iraq in fragments , ” predicts that his country will inevitably be divided into three parts . a few moments later an unseen child’s voice casts doubt on that prophecy and asks how you cut up a country . “with a saw ? ”
two films with pacific northwest roots won awards over the weekend at the sundance and slamdance film festivals in park city , utah . james longley ' s documentary
iraq in fragments ,
filmed in iraq and edited at seattle ' s 911 media arts center , won three awards at sundance . longley was honored for best directing and best cinematography , and billy mcmillin , fiona otway and longley for best editing ( a new award this year ) , all in the documentary category .
a pakistani involved in a planned attack in new york city experiences a crisis of conscience .
it was a great shock , a huge honor ,
said longley monday of his film ' s sundance success . he ' ll be travelling with his film over the next few months , at several international film festivals , but is looking forward to the seattle premiere .
iraq in fragments
will be the opening night film at the seventh annual seattle arab & iranian film festival on march 31 , screening at cinerama . festival director john sinno is the producer of
iraq in fragments .
longley ' s previous documentary ,
gaza strip ,
premiered at the festival in 2002 .
a trilogy of stories from iraq , set against a backdrop of war and occupation .
since “iraq in fragments” was finished , the fragmenting of iraq appears to have accelerated , but the film is not easily summarized as a text of hope or a brief for despair . it is instead an invitation to look again and afresh at a country many americans may be tired of thinking about , and to be reminded of the complicated human reality underneath the politics .
arriving in theaters today after being shown at several festivals , including sundance , “iraq in fragments” feels both timely and prophetic , given the current levels of sectarian violence . but even as mr . longley glimpses the sources of that division , he does so in a way that is remarkably contemplative , at times even serene . that is partly because his narration is supplied by iraqis who use their conversations with him to reflect and philosophize .
the film is also a part of the iraq media action project film collection . it was nominated for an
in this sense , a ' public ' is a group of people bound together by a common disposition . documentaries play an important role in filling gaps left by the media . aufderheide says
iraq in fragments
represents a form of documentary which constructs an ideal public , which she calls a ' pre - political public ' or a ' proto - public ' - one in which the viewer is posited as a global citizen , by understanding that there is a problem , which is a prerequisite to any action taken toward a solution .
a comprehensive look at the bush administration ' s conduct of the iraq war and its occupation of the country .
twenty - two year old corporal jonathan santos had documented his thirty - seven days of military service in iraq in a personal diary before a roadside bomb took his life and the lives of several of his feloow servicemen on october 15 , 2004 .
i read about this film in an informative article by patricia aufderheide ,
your country , my country : how films about the iraq war construct publics
( citation below ) .
a documentary providing insight to the complexity of iraq and its future .
- - sally barnes , boise weekly
ames longley ' s outstanding documentary - portrait of ordinary lives in post - invasion iraq has a structure and procedure that imitate its underlying political point : iraq is fragmented . broadly speaking , there are three fragments , and this is a reality with which the political classes here and in the united states are becoming acquainted . in the centre : the sunnis , from which group saddam and his followers sprang . in the south : the shias , depicted by longley as the centre of a retributive new militancy . in the north : the kurds , who welcomed the american and british military action as the antidote to their oppression - and still do so . boldly , longley ' s film gives the kurds the final voice , and the overall effect is far from boilerplate anti - americanism .
ajami is the religiously mixed community of muslims and christians in tel aviv . these are five stories about the everyday life in ajami .
i really liked the time - speeded sequence of the train leaving southern iraq and then we lurch into fast motion , the perspective switches from looking backward to looking forward , and we zip across the country in a few seconds into northern iraq , where longly hooks up with a kurdish family . i just found a speed manipulation tutorial on ken stone’s final cut site that explains in detail , complete with project files , how to do this effect in final cut pro 7 .
behind the heroic tale of the first us soldier to die in the iraq war , emerges the story of a one - time guatemalan street child , drawn into battle as a greencarded soldier for a foreign country .
the title seems to refer as much to the filmmaker’s method as to the content of his film , which is lyrical and impressionistic . rather than focus on the experiences of american soldiers , as did michael tucker and petra epperlein in “gunner palace , ” or follow the expanding shelf of books that discuss the background and consequences of american military policy , “iraq in fragments” dwells in the hectic immediacy of daily life . from 300 hours of material , mr . longley has created a collage of images , sounds and characters , an intimate , partial portrait of an unraveling nation — a portrait that gains power partly by virtue of its incompleteness .
we’re interested in your feedback on this page . tell us what you think .
urltoken uses javascript extensively . please enable javascript in your browser preferences before proceeding .
it ' s exhilarating , at first , to feel oneself immersed in these lives . what emerges , though , is a moving portrait of the many and tangled human implications of the invasion . in baghdad , mohammed struggles with his school work as us helicopters low - fly overhead and says
everything is scary now ,
; but kurdish farmers in the north breathe easier with saddam gone . meanwhile , inhabitants of naserijah fear the islamist followers of sadr will constitute a new oppression . iraq in fragments is a timely reminder that after all the talk of dodgy dossiers , death tolls , and exit strategies , there remains only the fact of daily life for ordinary iraqis , and their attempts to live it as best they can .
300 hours of material was filmed in iraq over a period of more than two years for this production . 1600 pages of typed transcripts , translations of material from arabic and kurdish , were made before picture and sound editing could begin .
( 1968 ) may be the only major documentary about vietnam that actually considers the vietnamese , this film allows the people of iraq to speak , and what they say is fascinating throughout . in kurdish and arabic with subtitles . 94 min .
beautifully shot , well - edited and gives you a picture of iraq that you ' ve never seen before .
- - john powers , fresh air
the film examines the everyday lives of iraqi citizens in a country torn by political and ethnic differences , including an 11 - year - old auto mechanic , an elderly farmer and a leader of the shiite religious / political movement headed by muqtada al - sadr . longley , an oregon native who grew up in the san juan islands , captured more than 300 hours of footage in iraq , between february 2003 and april 2005 .
an abstract political short film commissioned by amnesty international in reference to international relations and arms trade .
save my name , email , and website in this browser for the next time i comment .
what’s incredible about this oscar - nominated film is that it appears to have been made almost singlehandedly by a lone white guy , james longly . he was born in eugene , oregon , but apparently hasn’t spent much time there over the past several years . instead , he’s been living in places like iraq ( where he spent 2 years making this film ) ; iran ( where he was arrested during the election last year ) , and he’s currently doing more of the same in pakistan .
but in the end , my mind kept going back again and again to that small boy in baghdad , who is at first trusting and accepting , and then coldly angry about what life has given him . with discretion and subtlety , longley has created a narrative for the child without it seeming artificial or absurd . this alienated , orphaned figure becomes a metonym for iraq , a tragically divided nation .
in a series of stunningly filmed sequences , longley and his camera seek out the real lives outside the frame of conventional tv news , and he succeeds in creating both compelling journalism and superb images . in baghdad , he finds a heartbreakingly lonely 11 - year - old orphan , apprenticed to a tough garage owner who has taken him in . this man appears at first to be affectionate to the boy in his rough and ready way , and the child ' s hesitant voiceover pays a kind of cowed tribute to how kind he is ; and yet soon the man is cuffing him and shouting at him , and in the course of the film , the boy ' s feelings become something altogether different . in baghdad , in the cafes and streetcorners , the cynical talk is of how things were actually better under saddam - although these sentiments may have been disproportionately amplified .
you need to log in to search . if you don ' t have an account , sign up for free
mr . longley , who captured the images in this haunting , oblique film during trips to iraq between february 2003 and april of last year , offers no ready answer to that question or any other . his is not the kind of documentary that presents an analysis or argues , even implicitly , for a particular point of view .
the first thing that struck me , as a filmmaker , about this extraordinary film is the way the opening sequence was shot – in fragments – by simply pointing the camera out of a vehicle traveling down the street with a fast shutter speed of maybe 250 / second , which gives you a stuttering sequence of still frames strung together . it’s a technique popularized by hollywood films like saving private ryan and traffic , and it works extremely well here to show that we’re entering a chaotic world .
in beautifully shot , almost poetic images , it takes us inside this fractured country , letting us feel what its like from the inside from three points of view - - sunni , shiite and kurd . . . . a fascinating glimpse of an iraq the mass media never shows us , the movie is a quiet revelation .
- - david ansen , newsweek
in seattle . this film has three parts to it which describe the viewpoints of sunni , shi ' ite , and kurdish residents .
a former american boxer now exiled in bangkok , is forced to confront his violent past after meeting a mysterious fight fan from his hometown .
where it won three awards :
directing award documentary
,
editing award documentary
and
excellence in cinematography award documentary
.
there are a lot of very briefly held , beautiful , almost still shots edited in liberally throughout the film . it reminded me that you don’t have to always be thinking in terms of sequence – just shoot something pretty even if it’s a couple seconds – you can find a place for it in editing . also , he uses whip pans really effectively as a transition at once point , panning quickly away from a child’s face and holding the blurry transition until dropping in the next clip . whip - panning off someone’s face is a dramatic and powerful way to initiate a transition , and you don’t have to come to a sudden and precise stop on something else within the camera for it to be extremely useable in editing .
the first section of the film focuses on mohammed , an 11 - year - old boy who lives in a working - class sunni neighborhood in baghdad , where he is employed by a mechanic whose main activities seem to be smoking cigarettes , talking politics and humiliating his young helper . at first glance the relationship between mohammed and his boss , a father figure whom the boy seems to love in spite of the mistreatment , has little evident connection to the larger situation in the country . but mohammed’s fearful , adoring attitude toward his employer comes to seem like a miniature parable of life under a dictatorship .
chechen
godfather
khozh - ahmed noukhaev makes for a fascinating and charismatic ( if troubling ) subject in this documentary about the complicated politics of the region .
there’s a shot early on in the film that i won’t forget for a long time : a sketchy street seen through a fish tank in which a pair of breathtakingly orange goldfish are floating . the contrast is unbelievable . it’s just an incredible shot that , if you got it , it has to go in the film . reminded me that no matter where you are , keep your eyes open for things that don’t to fit within the paradigm of everything else you’re keying on .
) has a flair for cinematography and editing and a poetic sensibility that informs both these talents . he ' s also responsible for this film ' s music . but the most significant credits for this examination of iraqi sunnis , shiites , and kurds may be the dozen translators listed . ( “the future of iraq will be in three parts , ” says one kurd . “how can you cut a country into three parts ? ” asks another . ) much as emile de antonio ' s neglected
portrays the problems of postwar iraq solely as a consequence of the invasion - but gives no historical context of what iraq was like before 2003 . by highlighting the mistakes of the us occupation the film becomes an anti - war polemic - at the price of being historically thorough and offering real insight into the country ' s current situation .
this
, viewers are meant to conclude ,
is what the invasion led to - terrorism , sectarian hatred , constant fear and misery .
the cruelty of saddam ' s regime is dismissed as irrelevant , as if there were no link between totalitarian rule and the strife that has followed .
after such chaos , the kurdish region looks downright pastoral , though there is a scene of voting - day chaos in which police scuffle with some voters , while poll workers patiently tell others which party to vote for . although everyone in the film expresses a desire for normalcy and peace , the kurds seem closer to achieving it than their fellow citizens .
the most significant filmmaker take - away from this film is that it’s possible to include interviews in your film without including interviews . i’ll explain . in the first two - thirds of the film , at no point does the voice of the person being interviewed match with an interview happening on screen . yet , we’re often seeing the person who is talking – only in different ( but frequently related ) situations . for example , the first person we get to know in the film is a young boy , who works for an abusive boss at a small car and motorbike repair shop . we hear the boy’s voice for a long time before we actually meet the boy , and when we meet him , it’s not in an interview context . he’s essentially giving us a voice - driven commentary about how awful his boss is , while at the same time we’re actually seeing how awful his boss is .
longly doesn’t hide the fact that the huge pillar of black , boiling smoke rising in the background of many of the scenes in the final third of the film is actually coming from a foundry , rather than from the result of war violence . but it works as a great metaphor . so does the snowball fight that he films , again with fast shutter speed .
not a moment from these sunni , shiite and kurdish daily lives is familiar from u . s . news programs , and it ' s all eye - opening .
- - in these times
eliezer and uriel shkolnik are father and son as well as rival professors in talmudic studies . when both men learn that eliezer will be lauded for his work , their complicated relationship reaches a new peak .
cinema politica is the largest campus and community based documentary screening network in the world . we are a montreal - based non - profit media arts organization dedicated to the dissemination of independent political works by canadian and international filmmakers .
i about fell over when i saw basil shadid’s name come up in the credits as the post - production supervisor on this film . i know basil from having hired him to film the second bizjam conference we did a few years ago . more recently , he earned an additional camera credit on shine for filming interviews at the may 6 event . nice work basil ! i’m proud to know someone who played a role in making this incredible film .
james nachtwey , a committed , shy man , considered one of the bravest and most important war photographers of our time , has been close enough for over 20 years - a period in which he has not missed a single war .
wow . what a film ; it portrays the consequences of the iraq war at the level of ordinary , everyday life for the people and , especially , for small children . we americans probably will not want to view this film . why would we , it will just make us feel stupid and ashamed of ourselves . thankfully , the film was made anyway . watch it , learn from it , be wary the next time .
. . . a one - man production of startling audacity and aesthetic provocation . . . . if longley ' s astonishing feat of poetic agitation has a precedent in the entire history of documentary , i ' m not aware of it .
- - rob nelson , the village voice
in the south , the shias are electrified by the historic opportunity that has opened up for them , and vigorously prosecute their new islamic revolution ; we see them loudly declaiming the great satan uncle sam and brutally arresting people on suspicion of selling alcohol , a suspicion that does not appear to have much relation to due process of law . these people appear drunk with righteousness , and again , the dark talk is of a rampant new saddam - ism . then there is a gentle , pious kurdish man who sadly reflects that his people ' s religious identity has left them out of step with the fierce new flame of anger burning elsewhere in the country .
this is an extremely effective way to include interviews without forcing the audience to sit through predictable visuals . they are actually seeing what happens next at the same time as hearing what they need to hear to flesh out the story details . it’s brilliant . it’s a seamless combination of cinema verite with traditional documentary storytelling , and in this film at least , it’s effect is spellbinding . it doesn’t hurt that the kid is mostly silent through these ordeals , so there’s room for us to hear him explaining things . but the technique also works pretty well in part 2 of the film , when longly manages to get himself embedded with muqtada al sadr’s militia during a tense period when most us journalists were getting embedded with us troops .
approaching the film from this angle , i did find what felt like profound and refreshing moments of pure objectivity . longely highlights the confusion that results from many shifting pillars of leadership vying for a vacant office and amorphous regime , as well as how the turmoil effects once - hopeful and ambitious youths , causing them to turn away from education in exchange for seemingly more immediate needs .
directed by james longley ; in arabic and kurdish , with english subtitles ; director of photography , mr . longley ; edited by billy mcmillin , fiona otway and mr . longley ; music by mr . longley ; produced by john sinno and mr . longley ; released by typecast releasing and hbo documentary films . at film forum , 209 west houston street , west of avenue of the americas , south village . running time : 94 minutes . this film is not rated .
even the credit roll of this film is worth mentioning . credits rolled out from right to left – rather than the traditional bottom to top – which is the same way people in the arab world read . james longly’s name entered the screen like an arrow , dragging all of the key roles behind him , carving a solitary path through the black screen and pulling the rest of the crew , which contain a raft of translators behind him . how the hell do you make a film like this with everything filtered through translaters ?
there is no grand editorialising , here ; instead , longley lets his subjects tell their own stories . so we so follow 11 - year - old mohammed into work at a mechanic ' s garage , where the owner , haithem , says the us invaders are motivated only by oil . we ride with armed islamists in naseriyah as they purge alcohol sellers from the local market , and organise local elections meant to push out us - appointed officials . and we live with a rural kurdish father who dreams of peace and hopes his son might become a doctor .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
visit education lab for the latest news and conversation on puget sound area schools .
at slamdance , seattle writer / director lynn shelton ' s feature
we go way back
won two prizes , including the top one : the grand jury award for best narrative feature , for which shelton will receive a camera rental package valued at $ 60 , 000 . cinematographer ben kasulke won the kodak vision award for best cinematography . shelton ' s film , about a young actress who confronts her teenage self , was produced by seattle ' s nonprofit film studio the film company , based on capitol hill .
slamdance , positioned as an alternative to sundance , focuses on new independent filmmakers . its 2005 opening night film ,
mad hot ballroom ,
later became one of the year ' s documentary hits .
urltoken no longer supports internet explorer 9 or earlier . please upgrade your browser .
from the new york times . you may opt - out at any time .
you agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for the new york times ' s products and services .
the shiite section , narrated mainly by a thoughtful young cleric , sheik aws al - khafaji , is full of images of sectarian commitment that verge on the fanatical . young men at a religious procession flog themselves with chains ; others , their faces covered , converge on an outdoor market , where they beat and detain suspected vendors of alcohol , who accuse their attackers of being new saddams .
accessibility concerns ? email us at accessibility @ urltoken . we would love to hear from you .
intimate and provocative . . . longley ' s sensitive eye for imagery and graceful camerawork . . . gives the film a beauty rarely seen . . .
- - seattle post - intelligencer
highly recommended ; a beautifully shot , fascinating and informative portrait . . . a searing vision of this historical miasma .
- - time out london
a patient , lyrically photographed , closely observed meditation that pays calm attention to aspects of sunni , shiite , and kurdish daily life .
- - entertainment weekly
the most lacerating and complex american doc so far about the war over there .
- - eye weekly
it is a superbly made film , pessimistic but not simplistic . longley ' s footage of baghdad streetlife is outstanding : he seems to capture stunning images everywhere he looks , just by pointing the camera , a dozen scorching pictures every minute , rendered hyper - real on high - definition video . it looks like an imaginary landscape from some impossibly violent and traumatised futureworld , from which the director reports back with something other than the tv newsman ' s redundant rhetoric of sensation or forced compassion .
© 2018 guardian news and media limited or its affiliated companies . all rights reserved .
you stream , we stream ! this week only , get a fourth deal for your fandor movie subscription ! click here to subscribe .
winner of the documentary
directing
and
cinematography
awards at the 2006 sundance film festival .
directors michael tucker and petra epperlein turn their focus on america and follow u . s . soldiers home as each struggles to define their wartime experience .
based on mosab hassan yousef ' s bestselling memoir son of hamas , the green prince exposes a complex world of terror , betrayal , and impossible choices .
excellent , immediate and believable based on multiple accounts and experience talking to iraqis .
sign up now to be the first to hear about new and featured films , film culture news and exclusive offers from fandor .
sorry , we just need to make sure you ' re not a robot . for best results , please make sure your browser is accepting cookies .
some parts of this page won ' t work property . please reload or try later .
hotel transylvania 3 : summer vacation stars plan their dream summer getaways to some memorable movie settings .
want to share imdb ' s rating on your own site ? use the html below .
a documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of shin bet , the israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets .
richard macedo , is a young mexican - american businessman from orange county whose life is changed over the course of one night through a series of off beat encounters with the denizens of mexico city .
a documentary on a palestinian farmer ' s chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the israeli army .
an investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the us military .
pat tillman never thought of himself as a hero . his choice to leave a multimillion - dollar football contract and join the military wasn ' t done for any reason other than he felt it was the . . . see full summary »
this candid new york love story explores the chaotic 40 - year marriage of famed boxing painter ushio shinohara and his wife , noriko . anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband ' s assistant , noriko finds an identity of her own .
17 of 29 people found this review helpful . was this review helpful to you ? yes no | report this
this article is issued from wikipedia - version of the 9 / 26 / 2016 . the text is available under the creative commons attribution / share alike but additional terms may apply for the media files .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
/ 93 ' / arabic - kurdish / s . t . english - french
sundance , full frame , chicago int . , cleveland , hrw - nyc / london , thessaloniki , hotdocs , vancouver , deauville , victoria bc , docuday , durango , san francisco int , istanbul int , sarajevo , mannheim , casablanca , mexico - ficco , las palmas - spain , warsaw planet doc
the d - word is © 2018 doug block . all rights reserved . • • built by peter gerard & designed by doug fitzsimmons
longly used a panasonic dvx 100 while making this film , the standard - definition precursor to the panasonic hvx 200 ( which we used to shoot virtually all of shine ) . the highlights are frequently blown out , and it lacks hd clarity , and there’s a lot of mic handling noise during some of the militia scenes . but none of that matters a bit , because the story is so damn compelling . the film is a solid reminder that the story and the person behind the camera is always more important than the equipment .
i found myself wondering if longly used a glidecam or something like a steadicam merlin for some of his traveling shots . they weren’t rock steady , but they were smoother than i could have hand held .
i really liked the brief time - disolve of the school teacher herding students down the hall . it’s a great way to convey time passing slowly for the child throughout the school day . and you don’t have to do a lot of these to call attention to them – i thought this was truly judicious use of these techniques which can otherwise call a lot of attention to their use .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
select an author andrea gronvall michael atkinson pat aufderheide zbigniew banas barbara scharres angelica jade bastién bill stamets bob mehr brian thomas peter brunette dave canfield cara jepsen carol burbank cheryl ross pat chesnut luca cimarusti patrick dahl tyler daswick dave kehr cliff doerksen dominick suzanne - mayer don drucker don druker mick dumke marilyn ferdinand fred camper patrick friel chris fujiwara leor galil hank sartin justin hayford steve heisler jack helbig henry sheehan luke hicks tanner howard drew hunt j . r . jones j . r . jones jennifer vanasco jessica hopper jim healy jonathan rosenbaum joshua katzman josh katzman anthony kaufman kelly kleiman asher klein shelley kraicer shelly kraicer nathalie lagerfeld adam langer lawrence bommer lisa alspector jamie ludwig eric lutz peter margasak mark jenkins martha bayne adrian martin tom mccormack meredith brody sergio mims michael miner laura molzahn monica kendrick adam morgan noel murray noah berlatsky pat graham patrick mcgavin patrick z . mcgavin gerald peary richard pena mark peranson peter keough leah pickett richard m . porton laura power quintin miles raymer reece pendleton berenice reynaud ronnie scheib tal rosenberg joshua rothkopf joshua h . rothkopf martin rubin ryan wenzel ben sachs dan sallitt dmitry samarov ronnie schieb david schwartz david p . schwartz scott pfeiffer ian simmons alissa simon michael glover smith patrick somerville laura stempel steve erickson david stewart gwynedd stuart mike sula ted shen julia thiel andrea thompson ignatiy vishnevetsky kevin warwick jessica weisberg brianna wellen joel wicklund albert williams michael wilmington sam worley