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Andrea Arnold stands out as one of the most remarkable female directors to emerge from England, with an indie legacy that is unmatched. Hailing from the tranquil town of Dartford in South-East England, her most intimate works often mirror the distress of her early life experiences. Born to teenage parents who later separated, she grew up in a council estate, immersing herself in the local chalk pits, fields, woods, and motorways. Her upbringing in a working-class family, raised by a single mother with four children, cultivated a profound empathy for life’s modesties and the inherent smallness of existence, which in turn heightened her appreciation for the expanse of literature and art— becoming a recurring theme in her filmography.

Her ability to capture the artistic essence of the working class is evidenced by her three-time win of the Cannes Film Festival‘s Jury Prize, an honor she shares with only...

Few filmmakers can electrify the mundane as convincingly as Mike Leigh, whose trademark style—broadly characterized by discreet pacing and stripped-back storylines—belies a meticulous narrative rigor. Born from a well-documented process of intense rehearsal and improvisation with a cadre of trusted actors, Leigh’s scripts are astonishingly precise in their character work, spinning knotty, elaborate webs of tension out of generally unremarkable scenarios, such as drinks with a co-worker, or a weekly driving lesson. Implicitly, the films demand close attention. Blink and you may miss someone baring their soul.

Hard Truths, then, arrives as something of a challenge. Its central character, Pansy, isn’t particularly easy to sit with. In fact, she may be the most hard-bitten lead in Leigh’s entire roster. Nary a moment passes without her loudly, viciously slinging insults at anyone who crosses her path, be it her aptly named husband, Curtley (David Webber), her soft-spoken son,...

Before she was a three-time Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize winner, as well as an Oscar winner, Andrea Arnold was captivated with depicting reckless behavior and the subsequent consequences, as proven by her debut short film, “Milk.” With a shoestring cast and a ten-minute runtime, “Milk” cuts straight to the core without wasting a breath.

Read More: Review: ‘American Honey’ Proves Andrea Arnold is One of the Best Working Filmmakers and Finds a Breakout Star in Sasha Lane

Following a miscarriage, Hetty (Lynda Steadman) decides not to attend the funeral for her child, despite her husband’s (Stephen McGann) pleading. After wandering around town, she meets Martin (Lee Oakes), and together they embark on an impulsive, drunk joyride in his car. Unconventional and uncompromising, Arnold’s debut short packs the emotional wallop critics audiences have come to admire in her work.

“Milk” was followed by two more short films, “Dog” and “Wasp,...

COP LAND

Miramax Films

A solidly entertaining drama that stays true to the independent spirit of its filmmakers, including the casting of heavyweights Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro in less-than-glamorous roles, Miramax's "Cop Land" has a good shot at leggy boxoffice success based on upbeat word-of-mouth and critical support.

Writer-director James Mangold ("Heavy") wrangles an impressive cast working for scale -- including Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Janeane Garofalo, Peter Berg, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport and Annabella Sciorra -- and spins a compelling tale of cancerous corruption within a secretive group of New York's finest who have settled in the fictional New Jersey burg of Garrison.

With solid production design by Lester Cohen and costumes by Ellen Lutter, the editing by Craig McKay is also on the nose. Howard Shore's fine score is assisted by songs from Bruce Springsteen, Robert Cray and Boz Scaggs (HR 8/11).

David Hunter

CAREER GIRLS

October Films

"Career Girls" is Mike Leigh lite. Coming off the much-lauded, emotionally taut "Secrets & Lies," the acclaimed filmmaker cleanses the artistic palate with another tale of two women, only this time the seemingly slight story -- about two former roommates who are reunited six years later -- generates more laughter than tears.

But while humor abounds, the reflective piece nevertheless carries an emotional heft that tends to sneak up on the viewer after the fact. It's a testament to Leigh's tremendous skills as a storyteller and the splendid performances of his leads, Katrin Cartlidge ("Breaking the Waves") and newcomer Lynda Steadman (HR 8/7).

Michael Rechtshaffen

G.I. JANE

Buena Vista Pictures

A Tom Cruise movie without Tom's magic smile, an Arnold Schwarzenegger adventure without the muscular machismo, Sharon Stone crossing her legs: Imagine more of the same, star vehicles with the star's best assets not used.

Thus marches out Hollywood Pictures' "G.I. Jane", Demi Moore as a Navy S.E.A.L. trainee with her head sheared bald and her body completely covered in military gear. Although there is novelty in seeing the one spot of Moore's anatomy we haven't been exposed to, this formulaic movie is not likely to detonate more than mediocre boxoffice for Buena Vista.

Basically "Top Gun" without the high-flying acrobatics and the good-old-boy charm, "G.I. Jane" is an ultra-serious tract about an underdog's battle against the big bad establishment, in this case, the first female Navy S.E.A.L. vs. the institutional harassment of the military machine.

Special praise to cinematographer Hugh Johnson for the charged scopings and Trevor Jones for the ear-blasting score (HR 8/8-10).

Duane Byrge

Other reviews

Also reviewed last week were "Def Jam's How to Be a Player" (HR 8/6) and "Free Willy 3: The Rescue" (8/8-10).