Hunger opens March 20th, 2009 (limited)

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Published March 15, 2009 at 2:12 a.m.

Renowned English video artist Steve McQueen's feature film debut, HUNGER, is a cinematic punch to the gut. McQueen brings a visceral intensity to his retelling of the hunger strike instigated by Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and several other detained Irish Republican Army members in the early 1980s, who were determined to live in a Northern Ireland free from British rule. In prison, Sands and other IRA members--including Davey Gillen (Brian Milligan) and Gerry Campbell (Liam McMahon)--at

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Skills Like This opens

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Published March 15, 2009 at 2:12 a.m.

Fans of indie comedy will find much to like in this film that was the 2007 Audience Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest. In SKILLS LIKE THIS, aspiring writer Max Solomon comes to the realization that there is no future for him in words. However, Max discovers that he has a hidden talent: bank robbing. He embarks on a new life, but will it get in the way of his romance with a pretty bank teller? ...

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Alexander the Last opens March 14th, 2009 (SXSW)

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Published March 13, 2009 at 2:12 a.m.

Director Joe Swanberg (NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS) goes beyond the mumblecore movement with this revealing drama about marriage. For ALEXANDER THE LAST, Swanberg reigns over an experienced cast of actors--including Jane Adams, Jess Weixler, and Josh Hamilton--but still incorporates his usual improvisational techniques. MARGOT AT THE WEDDING director Noah Baumbach serves as one of the film's producers ...

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Lessons of "The Class" extend beyond Paris

Published March 10, 2009 at 5:53 p.m.


Don't mistake actor and writer François Bégaudeau's "The Class" (or "Entre les murs" in French) for "Head of the Class" or Mr. Kotter's cast of lovable TV misfits. No, in this film of François Bégaudeau's book -- directed by Laurence Cantet -- in which the author stars as a version of himself, Mr. Marin -- is a hard-edged look at daily life in a French classroom that reflects the changing face of the country.

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Sex Week cinema: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"

Published March 9, 2009 at 10:03 a.m.


You may think of it as a bawdy, coming-of-age high school movie, but "Fast Times" treated the topic of sex in a realistic and adult manner.

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Tokyo Sonata opens March 13th, 2009 (limited)

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Published March 8, 2009 at 3:12 a.m.

Best known in the United States for bizarre and unsettling horror films like PULSE and CURE, Kiyoshi Kurosawa ventures away from that category with TOKYO SONATA. Of course, Kurosawa is incapable of directing a straightforward picture, and TOKYO SONATA is no exception. Retaining the same masterful control over mood and atmosphere that he has displayed throughout his career, Kurosawa infuses this family drama with an underlying tension that permeates the film even during its most humorous moments.

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Metcalf's DVD Screening Room: "Grace is Gone"

Published March 7, 2009 at 8:21 a.m.


Thinking about renting a DVD tonight? OnMilwaukee.com movie expert Mark Metcalf weighs in on the 2007 movie "Grace is Gone," which showcases John Cusack, who is a local hero -- even though he's really from Chicago.

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Explicit Ills opens

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Published March 6, 2009 at 3:12 a.m.

Jim Jarmusch serves as executive producer for this drama that marks the directorial debut of actor Mark Webber (THE HOTTEST STATE). EXPLICIT ILLS is set in the Philadelphia that doesn’t make an appearance in lighthearted comedies. The residents of these tough streets struggle to survive amid poverty and hardship, but this film ultimately gives a message of hope. This Audience Award Winner at SXSW in 2008 stars Paul Dano, Rosario Dawson, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Naomie Harris ...

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Video of the Day: "Watchmen"

Published March 5, 2009 at 3:14 p.m.


The movie "Watchmen" opens in theaters today. Here is a compilation of trailers for the film.

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All About Steve opens March 6th, 2009 (wide)

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Published March 1, 2009 at 3:12 a.m.

Sandra Bullock may have recently starred in INFAMOUS and PREMONITION, but fans have been praying for her to get back to her comedy roots, and ALL ABOUT STEVE may just be the answer they've been looking for. In this film, Bullock plays a crossword puzzle constructor who follows a cameraman (Bradley Cooper) around the country. Thomas Haden Church (SIDEWAYS) also stars ...

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