There's a lot you can say about Michael Moore. He's sentimental. He massages the truth to fit the points he's making. His reliance on comedy when making serious points sometimes defeats his objectives (more suited to his excellent TV Nation series). He is a propagandist. But in a world dominated by right-wing media conglomerates, neo-conservative thinktanks and war profiteers thirsty for new conflicts, you can easily forgive his mawkish foibles. Fahrenheit 9/11 is an excellent feature in it's co
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MISSING (1982)
Certification15 Our Rating
Brilliant story of a bourgeois American father searching for his son who disappeared in Chile in the 1970 coup. Due to his son's knowledge of the deep extent of American involvement in the coup and subsequent massacres, the trail gradually leads to the American embassy itself.
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ROME OPEN CITY (1945)
CertificationPG Our Rating
Rossellini's masterpiece of neo-realist cinema. Based on the life of a priest who serves in the Resistance movement, it's triumph is to show the Resistance against a backdrop of everyday wartime life in Rome. The realism is enhanced by the camerawork and locations. A truly remarkable film.
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THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1957)
CertificationPG Our Rating
Set during WW2; Veronica is madly in love with her fiancé, Boris, who departs for the front to do his patriotic duty. The story unravels to depict a poignant portrayal of blameless individuals doing their best to survive the travails of tragedy and hardship in the face of such an all consuming conflict. The compelling narrative is complemented by stunning black and white cinematography and the film deservedly won the Cannes Palme d'Or in 1958, reintroducing Soviet cinema to the Western world.
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THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY (2006)
Certification15 Our Rating
Returning to the topic of The Troubles, after his 1990 effort Hidden Agenda, Ken Loach has confirmed his place as a Grand Old Duke of British Cinema with the Palme d'Or winning 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'. Leaving his traditional hunting ground of contemporary urban environs Loach takes us to Eire, in the 1920s, and to labourers joining forces to oust the British 'Black and Tan' soldiers sent in to crush the rebellion. Brothers Damien and Teddy join forces in the battle, Damien sacrificing
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WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS (1986)
Certification15 Our Rating
Father's business is that he's in the nick, because of some dodgy political and sexual liasons in the turbulent world of post war Yugoslavia. This is a free-wheeling and hugely enjoyable movie about how his extended family get along without. Anarchic and sprawling! Highly recomended.
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