Articles by Laura Francis

Mystic River

Clint Eastwood

PUBLISHED Jul 1, 2004

Mystic River is an urban crime thriller of considerable gravitas. Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins) and Sean Devine (Kevin...

The Triplets of Belleville

Sylvain Chomet

PUBLISHED Jun 1, 2004

It's impossible to watch the opening five minutes of The Triplets of Belleville and not realise that you have gained entry to a world beyon...

Judy Garland: The Signature Collection

PUBLISHED May 1, 2004

Generally regarded as the single finest actress to have emerged from Hollywood's "golden age," Judy Garland left a legacy that even today s...

The Far Side of the Moon (La Face Cachée de la Lune)

Robert Lepage

PUBLISHED May 1, 2004

In the opening scene of Robert Lepage's stunning new film we learn that the moon's regarded as a "polished mirror, its dark scars and myste...

The Statement

Norman Jewison

PUBLISHED May 1, 2004

Directed by Norman Jewison and based on a novel by the late, great Canadian author Brian Moore, The Statement is a thriller with a high ped...

Elephant

Gus Van Sant

PUBLISHED May 1, 2004

Gus Van Sant's latest film, Elephant, is set on a beautiful fall day at an Oregon high school. Oh, what a difference a day makes. Inspired...

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

Peter Webber

PUBLISHED May 1, 2004

Most films about painters do a less than stellar job of conveying the complexities of the creative process. If we are to believe the movies...

Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion

Tom Peosay

PUBLISHED Apr 1, 2004

Am I jaded, or should I simply ignore the bells and whistles that go off in my head the moment I see that Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon ar...