Movie of the Week: ‘Searching for Sugar Man’

AHFW’s Movie of the Week isn’t a feature but a documentary, a remarkable one.  We urge you to see “Searching for Sugar Man”! “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012) – Director Malik Bendjelloul’s film about folk singer Sixto Rodriguez won the Best Documentary Oscar in February 2013, and this critic thought “Searching for Sugar Man” was the best film – feature or doc – of 2012.   Who is Sixto Rodriguez?  He made two albums in 1970 and 1971, respectively, but this talented singer-songwriter’s career didn’t take off in the U.S.  It…

Movie of the Week: ‘Once’

AHFW’s Movie of the Week is a beloved Irish flick that we’ve seen several times!  “Once” (2007), starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, is an 86-minute arthouse musical that you might watch twice in one night. “Once” (2007) –  Writer/director John Carney shoots his no-frills musical in dimly-lit rooms and on bustling Dublin sidewalks, while the audience follows a friendship and possible romance between Guy (Glen Hansard) and Girl (Marketa Irglova).  Guy suffers from a broken heart, and he can be often found crying out his songs on Grafton Street…

‘Judy’: Zellweger takes a big step towards Oscar gold in a small, incomplete biopic

“Judy” – It’s the late 1960’s, and a star is fading.  Judy Garland’s (Renee Zellweger) star, because the bright, beautiful shine on her career – which includes “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) and Oscar nominations for “A Star is Born” (1954) and “Judgment at Nuremberg” (1961) – seems like a lifetime ago. She feels like a terrible mother to her two preadolescent children Lorna and Joey. She’s also broke and homeless. Judy needs to jumpstart her career and earn a living, and through some very helpful advice, she earns a…