Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

Jul 06, 2008 by Mr. Nau Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica in this documentary to talk to the eclectic and often bizarre people who staff the various scientific research station on the icy continent at the bottom of the world. Full of interesting personalities and gorgeous scenery, this picture details life in an unyieldingly harsh […]

Jarhead (2005)

Jul 05, 2008 by Mr. Nau The days leading up to Operation Desert Storm are told here from the point of view of a Marine sniper, Swoff, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal, along with Peter Sarsgaard and Jamie Foxx, brings this account of everyday life in the Marine Corps in a war zone realistically to […]

Rescue Dawn (2006)

Jul 04, 2008 by Mr. Nau Christian Bale stars in this Vietnam War picture about a German-American pilot who gets shot down on a mission, ends up in a POW camp, and tries to help his fellow prisoners escape. The acting is solid and the photography is beautiful, but the screenplay trudges a little bit. […]

Lagaan (2001)

Jun 30, 2008 by Mr. Nau In this unbelievably long Bollywood picture, villagers in India revolt against a food tax, Lagaan, by challenging the British soldiers who oppress them to a game of cricket. With lots of music and some hilarious overacting, this enjoyable picture stands out as one of India’s finest crossovers to Western […]

Lilya 4-ever (2002)

Jun 29, 2008 by Mr. Nau Lilya is a young teenager, in this heartbreaking foreign film, whose mother moves to America without her and leaves her to survive in squalor in Estonia, before she unwittingly becomes a sex slave in Sweden. The bleakness of this picture is astonishing, as well as the brutal hardships she […]

Raising Victor Vargas (2002)

Jun 26, 2008 by Mr. Nau Victor, a young man living in New York City, tries to maintain his reputation as a ladies man in his neighborhood. His approach and subsequent friendship with “Juicy” Judy gets the gossip going. A good cast and solid writing make this piece memorable and the relationships depicted endearing and […]

Radio Bikini (1988)

Jun 24, 2008 by Mr. Nau In this Oscar-nominated documentary, the race to test the hydrogen bomb on the Bikini Atoll is examined with lots of stock footage and interviews with the Bikinian chief and some of the personnel who were there. The film levels a scathing indictment of the decisions that endangered so many. […]

Amistad (1997)

Jun 22, 2008 by Mr. Nau Matthew McConaughey, Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, and Anthony Hopkins lead a talented cast in this historical drama about La Amistad and the slaves who mutinied and took the ship. With a well-written script, this detailed account features magnificent acting performances, amazing realism, wonderful cinematography, and a haunting evocative score. […]

Cool Runnings (1993)

Jun 21, 2008 by Mr. Nau John Candy coaches the inaugural Jamaican Bobsled Team in this Disney-produced feel-good adventure. The athletes on the team overcome discrimination at all levels and overcome bad sportsmanship. This charming picture is an unforgettable classic, from the reggae soundtrack to the fun screenplay to the lessons of dogged determination. Grade: […]

Horace Silver – Song for My Father (1964)

Jun 12, 2008 by Mr. Nau Horace Silver leads a legendary ensemble in this masterpiece recording from the early sixties. Joe Henderson’s tenor saxophone, Carmell Jones’ trumpet, and Silver on piano complement each other perfectly in this imminently listenable hard bop set. Silver’s compositions take inspiration from diverse sources and that makes this record a […]

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