Skip to main content

Tribeca Festival · 2011

Tribeca Festival 2011

Spotlight

A panorama of international and American cinema. Selection of 33 highly anticipated new releases and festival favorites.

Programme

33 films · 12 reviews

Jump to a film

The Assault (L'assaut)

In war-torn Algiers, four men uniformed as border guards hijack Air France Flight 8969, foreboding doom for all 220 passengers. But on their arrival in Marseilles, the elite French SWAT force waits to avert tragedy… Based on the harrowing true story.

(Country: France; Year: 2010; Director: Julien Leclercq; Writer: Simon Moutairou, Julien Leclercq, Roland Môntins, Gilles Cauture; Stars: Vincent Elbaz, Grégori Derangère, Mélanie Bernier, Philippe Bas, Aymen Saïdi, Marie Guillard, Antoine Basler, Philippe Cura, Fatima Adoum, Hugo Becker, Hugues Martel, Hervé Dubourjal, François Lescurat, Abdelhafid Metalsi, Jean-Philippe Puymartin) , Official site

International premiere

Beats, Rhymes And Life

The story of the rise and influence of one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the collective known as A Tribe Called Quest.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Michael Rapaport; Stars: Michael Rapaport, Mos Def, Ludacris, Common, Q-Tip, Pharrell Williams, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Ghostface Killah, Angie Martinez, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, Phife Dawg, De La Soul, Pete Rock, Jarobi White)

New York premiere

Carol Channing: Larger Than Life

Review preview for Carol Channing: Larger Than Life

Channing's friendliness and evident joie de vivre light up this film every bit as much as the bright lights, the dance routines and the fabulous costumes.

Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
Director Dori Berinstein captures the magic and vivacity of the ninetysomething showbiz icon.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Dori Berinstein; Writer: Dori Berinstein, Adam Zucker; Stars: Carol Channing, Harry Kullijian, Betty Garrett, Tippi Hedren, Tyne Daly, Lily Tomlin, Barbara Walters, Phyllis Diller, Angela Lansbury)

Full review

World premiere

Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame (Di Renjie)

Review preview for Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame

Sammo Hung provides the action sequences, there are model shots and good old fashioned matte painting and the costumes - oh, my, the costumes.

Andrew Robertson · 4.5 out of 5
When spontaneous combustion claims the lives of several members of her court, an empress calls on the brilliant and inventive Detective Dee to solve the mystery.

(Country: China, Hong Kong; Year: 2010; Director: Hark Tsui; Writer: Kuo-fu Chen, Jialu Zhang; Stars: Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Bingbing Li, Tony Leung Ka Fai)

Full review

US premiere

Fire In Babylon

Review preview for Fire In Babylon

The thrilling archival clips and charismatic talking heads alone would make a fabulous documentary in the most traditional sense, but the judicious use of music really brings the film alive.

David Graham · 4 out of 5
A documentary about the golden age of West Indian cricket.

(Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Stevan Riley) , Official site

Full review

North American premiere. ESPN Sports Film Festival

The Guard

Review preview for The Guard

McDonagh takes what could be a hackneyed tale of mismatched buddy cops and spins it to blisteringly funny effect.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
A small-town cop in Ireland finds himself drawn into an uneasy partnership with an FBI agent trying to smash a drug smuggling racket.

(Country: Ireland; Year: 2011; Director: John Michael McDonagh; Writer: John Michael McDonagh; Stars: Don Cheadle, Brendan Gleeson, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Fionnula Flanagan)

Full review

New York premiere

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne

Definitive portrait of the troubled Black Sabbath icon — told in part through the eyes of his family — relives Ozzy’s artistic triumphs while chronicling his arduous journey to sobriety and peace.

(Country: US, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Canada, New Zealand, UK; Year: 2010; Director: Mike Fleiss, Mike Piscitelli; Stars: Ozzy Osbourne)

World premiere

The Good Doctor

Psychological thriller. When lonesome first-year medical resident Dr Martin Blake finally gets the respect he so desperately craves from an enchanting teenage patient, he’ll do anything to keep her in his care.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Lance Daly; Writer: John Enbom; Stars: Orlando Bloom, Riley Keough, Taraji P. Henson, Rob Morrow, Michael Peña, Troy Garity, Molly Price, Wade Williams, Sorel Carradine, Gary Carlos Cervantes, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Jean St. James, J.K. Simmons, Courtney Ford, Randall Park)

World premiere

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

Eric is a thirtysomething party animal famous among his close circle of friends for his lavish summer theme parties at his father’s swanky Hamptons pad. But when members of the crew start settling down, and Eric’s dad announces plans to sell the beach house, Eric decides it’s time for one last party to go out with a proverbial bang...

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck; Writer: Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck; Stars: Lucy Punch, Jason Sudeikis, Lindsay Sloane, Leslie Bibb, Tyler Labine, Lake Bell, Martin Starr, Will Forte, David Koechner, Don Johnson, Michelle Borth, Angela Sarafyan, Lin Shaye, Nick Kroll, Rhys Coiro)

World premiere

The Hideaways (The Last Furlong)

The Furlong men have unusual powers. Grandpa goes blind when he thinks of sex, Dad fries electronics when he’s afraid… but young James has a far more fearsome power. After losing everyone he loves, he flees to the woods to live alone. But when he’s discovered by a beautiful teenage cancer patient, their romance leads James on a journey back to civilisation.

(Country: Ireland; Year: 2011; Director: Agnès Merlet; Writer: Nick Murphy; Stars: Rachel Hurd-Wood, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Susan Lynch, Harry Treadaway, Kate O'Toole, Stuart Graham, Tom Collins, Lesley Conroy, Niamh Shaw, Dónal Haughey, Calem Martin, Diarmuid O'Dwyer)

World premiere

Higher Ground

A frustrated young mother turns to a fundamentalist community for answers, but after years of dogma and loss, she must find the courage to ask the questions that will help her reclaim her life.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Vera Farmiga; Writer: Carolyn Briggs, Tim Metcalfe; Stars: Donna Murphy, Vera Farmiga, John Hawkes, Bill Irwin, Dagmara Dominczyk, Joshua Leonard, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Norbert Leo Butz, Michael Chernus, Nina Arianda, Boyd Holbrook, Sean Mahon, Lucy Owen, Natalie Thomas, Booker James Winter)

New York premiere

Janie Jones

A struggling musician content with his on-the-road rock-and-roll lifestyle and his much younger girlfriend, has his life turned upside down with the arrival of a 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had. Left with the responsibility of raising Janie Jones , a shy but talented aspiring musician herself, Ethan embarks with Janie on a road trip of music, discovery, and father-daughter bonding.

(Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: David M Rosenthal; Writer: David M Rosenthal; Stars: Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue, Peter Stormare, Joel Moore, Frances Fisher, Brittany Snow, Frank Whaley, Michael Panes, David Lee Smith, Rodney Eastman, Breilen Bauer, Joseph Canales, Richard Cotovsky, Gene L. Hamilton) , Official site

US premiere

Klitschko (Die Klitschkos)

Portrait of the Ukrainian boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko who, after a 15-year reign over the ring, made history in 2008, becoming the first brothers in the sport to hold world titles at the same time.

(Country: Germany; Year: 2011)

World premiere

Last Night

Review preview for Last Night

Worthington is so wooden it's a wonder rubbing up against Mendes doesn't cause him to spontaneously combust.

Amber Wilkinson · 2 out of 5
A married couple find their fidelity tested on a night apart.

(Country: US, France; Year: 2010; Director: Massy Tadjedin; Writer: Massy Tadjedin; Stars: Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes, Guillaume Canet, Griffin Dunne) , Official site

Full review

US premiere

Let The Bullets Fly

Review preview for Let The Bullets Fly

Comedy aside, the story hinges on cunning plans and double bluffs that, when they work, are very effective indeed.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
Jiang Wen's rumbustious comedy-adventure, set in the 1920s, is an Eastern Western. Chow Yun-Fat, Ge You and Jiang himself star as the three unscrupulous men vying for control of Goose Town: fun performances, and lots of flying bullets.

(Country: China, Hong Kong; Year: 2010; Director: Jiang Wen; Writer: Zhu Sujin, Shu Ping, Jiang Wen; Stars: Jiang Wen, Chow Yun-Fat, Ge You, Carina Lau, Hu Jun)

Full review

Like Water

In the most brutal and often most misunderstood sport in the world, becoming a champion takes more than just blood, sweat, and tears. Like Water follows middleweight Ultimate Fighter Anderson Silva as he prepares to crown his four-year run as the unbeaten king of the sport with a record 12th straight win in the UFC.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Pablo Croce)

World premiere. ESPN Sports Film Festival

Limelight

As the owner of legendary hotspots like Limelight, Tunnel, Palladium, and Club USA, Peter Gatien was the king of the New York club scene — until years of legal battles led to his eventual deportation to Canada. This exuberant documentary charts Gatien’s rise and fall against the transformation of New York City, offering a wild ride through a now-closed chapter in the history of NYC nightlife.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Billy Corben)

World premiere

L'Amour Fou (Yves Saint Laurent - L'Amour Fou)

Review preview for L'Amour Fou

Our view, through Bergé's eyes, is that of the melancholic, someone who has the object of desire but has lost the object-cause of desire.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
Documentary charts the relationship between the fashion designer and his lover Pierre Bergé.

(Country: France; Year: 2010; Director: Pierre Thoretton; Stars: Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé, Betty Catroux, Loulou De La Falaise, Jack Lang, Frédéric Chambre, Boujemaa Lahbali, Catherine Deneuve, Laetitia Casta, François de Ricqlès, François Curiel, Lionel Gosset, Antoine Godeau, Randy Jones, Carla Bruni)

Full review

US premiere

The Loving Story

The unknown love story of Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple behind the 1967 Supreme Court ruling overturning anti-miscegenation laws in the United States. Drawing from a wealth of stunning archival footage, The Loving Story recreates a seminal moment in history in uncommon style, anchoring a timely message of marriage equality in a personal, human love story.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Nancy Buirski; Writer: Nancy Buirski, Susie Ruth Powell) , Official site

New York premiere

Mama Africa

Review preview for Mama Africa

Manages to do justice to Makeba’s wonderful talent and noble activism.

Robert Munro · 4 out of 5
A documentary portrait of the acclaimed performer and political campaigner.

(Country: Finland, Germany; Year: 2011; Director: Mika Kaurismäki; Writer: Don Edkins, Mika Kaurismäki; Stars: Miriam Makeba)

Full review

International premiere

A Matter Of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt

Review preview for A Matter Of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt

Director Sally Rowe does a great job with this human side, making a relatively inaccessible subject emotionally engaging and throroughly entertaining.

James Benefield · 3 out of 5
Documentary tracing a decade in the career of the British chef.

(Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Sally Rowe; Stars: Paul Liebrandt) , Official site

Full review

New York premiere

My Part Of The Pie (Ma part du gâteau)

When single mom France loses her factory job, she is forced to take a gig as a housekeeper and nanny for Steve, a hotshot Parisian stockbroker. As France and Steve grow closer, it seems both of their minds may be opening to each other’s worldviews — until France makes an unsettling discovery about Steve and events snowball toward a shocking dramatic finale.

(Country: France; Year: 2011; Director: Cédric Klapisch; Writer: Cédric Klapisch; Stars: Karin Viard, Gilles Lellouche, Tim Pigott-Smith, Kevin Bishop, Jean-Pierre Martins, Zinedine Soualem, Audrey Lamy, Philippe Lefebvre, Edwin Kruger, Raphaële Godin, James Puddephatt, Marine Vacth, Aline Nolasco, Juliette Navin-Bardin, Fred Ulysse)

New York premiere

New York Says Thank You

The journey of New Yorkers whose lives were touched by September 11 as they travel the country helping communities rebuild after disasters. Along the way, they face their emotions and ultimately triumph over tragedy through an idea that evolved from a five-year-old New York City boy.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Scott Rettberg; Stars: Jamal Braithwaite, Jimmy Sands, Evan Parness, Sandra Hauser Parness, Brian Fitzpatrick, Arnell Petrzilka, Charlie Vitchers, Matt Deighton, Jeff Parness) , Official site

World premiere

The Perfect Family

A devout Catholic (Kathleen Turner) in the running for the coveted Catholic Woman of the Year award must prove that her family actually conforms to the image of “the perfect family” as envisioned by the church, an image she’s put forth with considerable effort her whole life.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Anne Renton; Writer: Paula Goldberg, Claire V. Riley; Stars: Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter, Kathleen Turner, Richard Chamberlain, Angelique Cabral, Kristen Dalton, Michael McGrady, Scott Michael Campbell, June Squibb, Mandy June Turpin, Gregory Zaragoza, Hansford Rowe, Michael Andrew Stock, Rebecca Wackler) , Official site

World premiere

Point Blank (À Bout Portant)

Review preview for Point Blank

While Sartet's back story is as pulpy as they come, it's the delivery that matters and in terms of action thrills, Cavayé never takes his foot off the throttle.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
An ordinary nurse defies all odds to help an injured gangster escape from the hospital where he works in order to save his kidnapped, pregnant wife.

(Country: France; Year: 2010; Director: Fred Cavayé; Writer: Fred Cavayé, Guillaume Lemans; Stars: Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Elena Anaya, Gérard Lanvin)

Full review

International premiere

Puncture

Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) is not your typical lawyer. The tattooed and drug-addicted townie has more than his share of personal demons, but can he straighten up long enough to lead a renegade safety-needle inventor to victory against a monopolising medical supply corporation?

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Adam Kassen, Mark Kassen; Writer: Paul Danziger, Chris Lopata, Ela Thier; Stars: Chris Evans, Michael Biehn, Vinessa Shaw, Kate Burton, Brett Cullen, Jesse L. Martin, Jennifer Blanc, Marshall Bell, Sam Medina, Tess Parker, Julin, Mark Kassen, Austin Stowell, Claire Risoli, Davi Jay)

World premiere

A Quiet Life (Una vita tranquilla)

A retired gangster finds it is difficult to escape the past.

(Country: Italy, France, Germany; Year: 2010; Director: Claudio Cupellini; Writer: Filippo Gravino, Guido Iuculano, Claudio Cupellini; Stars: Toni Servillo, Marco D'Amore, Francesco Di Leva, Juliane Köhler, Leonardo Sprengler, Alice Dwyer, Maurizio Donadoni, Micki Bertling, Ulrich Cyran, Nick Dong-Sik, Hans Joachim Heist, Joachim Kretzer, Giovanni Ludeno, Edoardo Melone, Franco Melone)

New York premiere

Renée

Despite his alpha-male reputation, tennis ace Dick Raskind always felt different from other guys. But it wasn’t until his 40s, after getting married and having a son, that Dick was reborn as Renée Richards. Renée was still dynamite on the tennis court, but being the first transgender player in the women’s US Open would put her in a spotlight she — or her troubled son — couldn’t escape. Documentary.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Eric Drath)

World premiere. ESPN Sports Film Festival

Revenge Of The Electric Car

Review preview for Revenge Of The Electric Car

The documentary is never dull due to the excellent pacing and editing.

Paul Logan · 4 out of 5
Documentary about the return of the electric car, which was once regarded as a dead technology.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Chris Paine; Writer: PG Morgan, Chris Paine; Stars: Elon Musk, Carlos Ghosn, Bob Lutz, Greg Abbott, Dan Neil, Danny DeVito) , Official site

Full review

World premiere

Roadie

A washed-up roadie faces the coming-of-middle-age.

(Year: 2010; Director: Michael Cuesta; Writer: Gerald Cuesta, Michael Cuesta; Stars: Lois Smith, David Margulies, Bobby Cannavale, Jarlath Conroy, Ron Eldard, Suzette Gunn, Jill Hennessy, Lourdes Martin, Arian Moayed, Lucy Spain, Edwin Torres) , Official site

World premiere

Shakespeare High

At home they face poverty, gangs, drugs, and a lack of role models. But in their high school drama program, a group of Southern California teens finds a chance to create a better life. Documentary follows several students as they prepare for and compete in the 90th Drama Teachers Association Shakespeare Competition.

(Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Alex Rotaru)

World premiere

The Trip

Review preview for The Trip

The Trip is a big costume drama without the costumes.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 3.5 out of 5
A comic road trip through the north of England.

(Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Michael Winterbottom; Stars: Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Claire Keelan, Margo Stilley, Dolya Gavanski, Paul Popplewell)

Full review

US premiere

When The Drum Is Beating

he 20-member band Septentrional has been making music for 62 years as Haiti’s most celebrated big band. This documentary charts the history of Haiti from its triumphant independence from French colonialism to 2010’s devastating earthquake—all set to the vibrant music of Septentrional and punctuated with its members’ personal memories.

(Country: USA, Haiti; Year: 2010)

World premiere