On paper, this jazz-fuelled, experimental looking, observation of racial tensions within a small group of friends made for an interesting concept. The execution though, well I found that really quite messy. There's three siblings. "Benny" (Ben Carruthers); "Hugh" (Hugh Lord) and "Leila" (Leila Goldoni) with the sister having a far fairer skin tone than her brothers. "Benny" is a bit of a loose cannon, going with the flow in life; "Hugh" is a musician who is having a bit of a crisis of confidence that not even his supportive manager "Rupert" (Rupert Cross) can pull him from and finally there's the sister. She meets "Tony" (Anthony Ray) and falls completely for his charms. When he meets her brothers, however, there's an immediate sense of hostility. Not a violent one, especially, just one with pretty clear racial undertones that sets the scene for a drama to unfold in a meandering yet at times quite potent fashion. "Leila" finds herself caught up between her family and her lover and as the temperature gradually rises and the jazz accompaniment - trumpets particularly - gets more frenzied, this all encourages the dynamic of the story to become more turbulent and unsettling. So far, so good. It's just the acting. It's not very good nor is it very natural. There's a constant fluidity to the scenario that doesn't tally when "Leila" becomes smitten. It's never a plausible definite in this story of transience and movement, and way too much of the atmosphere here comes from the soundtrack - performances are almost incidental save for a few brawling scenes that seem to suggest that's mankind's solution to everything. It is innovative, I'd give it that, but John Cassavetes fails to invest his characters with any qualities that made me want to care, one way or the other, so i just didn't.
When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer and his old drug dealer re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits.
The daughter of jazz pianist Joe Albany witnesses her beloved father's struggle - and failure - to kick his heroin habit.
Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.
Zed is an American vault-cracker who travels to Paris to meet up with his old friend Eric. Eric and his gang have planned to raid the only bank in the city which is open on Bastille day. After offering his services, Zed soon finds himself trapped in a situation beyond his control when heroin abuse, poor planning and a call-girl named Zoe all conspire to turn the robbery into a very bloody siege.
Olivier Assayas, Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven and Alfonso Cuaron are among the 20 distinguished directors who contribute to this collection of 18 stories, each exploring a different aspect of Parisian life. The colourful characters in this drama include a pair of mimes, a husband trying to chose between his wife and his lover, and a married man who turns to a prostitute for advice.
Harlem's legendary Cotton Club becomes a hotbed of passion and violence as the lives and loves of entertainers and gangsters collide.
Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.
In the Swedish city of Lethe, people from different walks of life take part in a series of short, deadpan vignettes that rush past. Some are just seconds long, none longer than a couple of minutes. A young woman remembers a fantasy honeymoon with a rock guitarist. A man awakes from a dream about bomber planes. A businessman boasts about success while being robbed by a pickpocket, and so on. The absurdist collection is accompanied by Dixieland jazz and similar music.
The perplexity of time disturbs a young woman's psyche as her wristwatch never stops ticking.
After an interaction with a friend from the mosque he attended as a young boy, Yasine begins to question his Moroccan identity, faith, and life without his father.