The New Republic

Il Divo. An Italian film about a prime minister--not a documentary--that is dazzlingly made. The director Paolo Sorrentino has transformed the life of Giulio Andreotti, who headed seven governments and is still in the senate, into a fascinating series of contrasts between facility and crime, reticence and flash. (Reviewed 5/20/09)

Goodbye Solo. In Winston-Salem a Senegalese cab driver and a taciturn old man become bonded in a strange and moving way. Exquisitely made and genuinely serious, Rahmin Bahrani’s third film does even more to prove him a first-class director. (Reviewed 5/6/09)

Jerichow. A German take on The Postman Always Rings Twice, immersed in modern times. Christian Petzold directs his trio of actors with a keen sense of subtle frictions and attractions. Benno Furmann as the trouble-making young man is outstanding. (Reviewed 6/3/09)

Hunger. The North Ireland troubles of 1981 are the context of this extraordinary film, but the real subject is the question of giving one’s life for a cause. Distinctively directed by the English artist Steve McQueen, this account of the Bobby Sands hunger strike is absolutely gripping. (Reviewed 4/15/09)

Stanley Kauffmann is The New Republic's film critic.

By Stanley Kauffmann

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