FEATURES
GREEN ZONE
By Gavin Smith
Paul Greengrass reveals the recipe for his latest state-of-the-art thriller
NICOLE HOLOFCENER
By Christine Spines
Please Give is the newest and best of this director’s candid indictments of female folly
CATHERINE BREILLAT
By Amy Taubin
The intrepid director on her re-envisioning of the Bluebeard tale
DANIEL SCHMID
By Gary Indiana
The haunted, ritualized cinema of the late Swiss director
35TH ANNUAL GROSSES GLOSS
By Donald Wilson
Box-office results for 2009, the year that Avatar conquered the world. Plus: Roger Smith on what James Cameron hath wrought
DEPARTMENTS
EDITOR’S LETTER
OPENING SHOTS
News, Hot Property: The Red Chapel by Chris Chang, Alex Cox’s 10,000 Ways to Die: Rita of the West, Site Specifics: Undercurrent by Paul Fileri, Trivial Top 20: The Best Performances by Children 12 and Under, Letters
READER’S POLL
Your best films of 2009 and the decade. Plus: your comments on the best of 2009 and of the decade
OLAF’S WORLD
Cyrus Frisch
SOUND AND VISION
Dogtooth by Philip Brophy & Tim Burton’s MoMA Retrospective by Chris Chang
CRITICS’ CHOICE
Eight critics rate 25 new releases
ENCORE
Dusty and Sweets McGee by Thom Anderson
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
Tilda Swinton by Harlan Jacobson
THE ACCIDENTAL AUTEURIST
Andrew Sarris on Eric Rohmer
FESTIVALS
Sundance by Amy Taubin, Laura Kern; Rotterdam by Gavin Smith
SCREENINGS
Greenberg by Scott Foundas, I Love You Phillip Morris by Paul Brunick, No One Knows About Persian Cats by Nicolas Rapold, Mother by Megan Ratner
SHORT TAKES
Brooklyn’s Finest by Chris Chang, The Eclipse by Laura Kern, The Good Heart by Laura Kern, Mid-August Lunch by Nicolas Rapold, Prodigal Sons by Nicolas Rapold, The Secret of Kells by Chris Chang
HOME MOVIES
Letters from Fontainhas: Three Films by Pedro Costa by Patrick Friel
READINGS
Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince by Mark A. Vieira, reviewed by Kent Jones; Inside the Hollywood Fan Magazine: A History of Star Makers, Fabricators, and Gossip Mongers by Anthony Slide, reviewed by Kevin Canfield; Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll Starring the Fabulous Allan Carr by Robert Hofler, reviewed by David Ehrenstein; Warning Shadows: Home Alone with Classic Cinema by Gary Giddins, reviewed by George Rafael
CLOSING SHOTS
Who’s who at recent Film Society events
