Reviews of films presented at the AFI Fest 2008 Film Festival:

The Brothers Bloom Switcheroo con capers and one-last-heist-then-I'm-out films don't usually register on my radar but Brothers Bloom looked so quirky and fresh that I took a chance.

Che Anti-dramatic, anti-charismatic and as anti-Hollywood as possible, the icon of the Cuban Revolution as seen by Steven Soderbergh puzzles and even disappoints.

The Class The Class is based on a book and screenplay by François Bégaudeau, a teacher who plays his own role here and is directed by Laurent Cantet, an astute portraitist of French societal social mechanisms.

Gogol Bordello Non-Stop Rough around the edges and highly emblematic of theatrical gypsy punk vision of founder and lead singer Eugene Hutz, director Maragarita Jimeno's documentary Gogol Bordello Non-Stopchronicles the band's early years and covers their 2006 European tour.

Gomorra What differentiates Gomorra from other works however in the Mobster sub-genre is that it emphasizes the involvement of kids in the Mafia.

Hunger Deeply moving, experimental and almost dialogue-free, Hunger chronicles IRA detainees who tried to win political prisoner status in 1981 through a no wash protest and hunger strike.

Leonera Trapero's film, served by sophisticated but never flashy cinematography and an extremely precise sense of the frame, knows how to play the discretion of the objective observer who nevertheless feels tenderness for his characters.

Nirvana In an era where the Suicide Girls look — a mix of tattoos, piercings and naughtiness — has become a symbol of female empowerment, here comes a Russian film fully embracing that aesthetic.

Tokyo! While all three parts of Tokyo! are forgotten fairly quickly, the film emerges from the coherent vision of a city often portrayed as sprawling, swarming, supersaturated with technology and finally over-sanitized.

Two Lovers James Gray is back on the big screen with Two Lovers, his opportunity to abandon the thrillers emblematic of his work and explore the inexhaustible theme of love.

Waltz with Bashir Waltz with Bashir is an animated autobiographical documentary whose title refers to an Israeli soldier taken under fire from snipers in Beirut.

The Wrestler With his hearing aid, his long dyed hair and a face which has been disgraced by one too many punches, Mickey Rourke's rough and selfless incarnation of a washed-out wrestler called Randy the Ram could easily be seen as a metaphor for the actor's career.

.: 11/08: Jeff Goldblum red carpet photoshoot — video
.: 11/08: The Brothers Bloom — article + video
.: 11/08: Plastic City — article + video
.: 11/06: The Wrestler — article + video
.: 11/02: Hunger — video
.: 11/02: Gogol Bordello — video
.: 11/02: Gomorrah & The Class — article + video
.: 11/01: Waltz with Bashir & Two Lovers — article + video