SIFF REPORT 28 May

Here are some more films I've screened from Wed, Thur and Fri May 25-27. Many are playing in June. Any film rated B- or better is recommended....

THE LAST MOUNTAIN-----------GRADE A
Wow. A shocking and disturbing documentary on the coal mining industry and how they are poisoning our drinking water, among other crimes. Could be the best of SIFF, and there have been many strong docs this year to choose from.

LETTERS FROM THE BIG MAN--------GRADE B
"Woman communes with a Sasquach" tale is presented without a hint of sarcasm or camp, and is eccentrically fascinating to contemplate.

LESSON PLAN---------GRADE A-
Excellent doc about THE WAVE story from 1970 in a California High School, where a teacher introduced students to fascism--and the experiment worked a little too well. Was fictionalized into the German film several years ago called THE WAVE.

BI DON'T BE AFRAID------GRADE C+
Vietnamese film strong on lyrical visuals and photography, but portrait of young boy in sexually repressive adult world makes no sense. Interesting themes include ice, urine, and sex but incoherent narrative renders film ineffective.

STOOL PIGEON--------GRADE B+
Carefully written and plotted Hong Kong police thriller, with captain trying to bring in a crime boss using a planted stool pigeon. Great suspenseful sequences, with gory violent finale, this seems like the kind of film that Martin Scorese would want to remake in America.

WASTED ON THE YOUNG---------GRADE A-
This one created the most excited buzz/talk at the weekly screenings. Technically, very stylishly and sharply made, this creates a world with only teenagers--specifically the rich, private school kind. A rape and consequential cover up keep the tension tightening until the fascinating and tragic ending.

SALVATION BOULEVARD--------GRADE B
A likable, funny satire on Dead-Heads, mega-churches and blind faith. The cast has a blast, including Greg Kinnear, Pierce Brosnan, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly and the scene stealing Marisa Tomei, all of whom learn that their pastor is not who they think he is.

VAMPIRE-------------GRADE D
He's really a degenerate serial killer of suicidal young girls, by draining, not drinking their blood, for biological research. I think. Thirty five minutes into the film comes the audacious and offensive rape/murder scene, that, literally had half the audience get up en masse and exit the theatre. I was ready to leave before that when the camera was turned on it's side for a benign fishing scene, then flipped to the other side. What was this director thinking? Boring us to death does not make for a suspenseful film, despite blood drainings, a deranged mother tied up with helium balloons (!?!), and an illogical story. Possibly the worst of SIFF for this year, and yes, I stayed for it all.

GUN HILL ROAD--------GRADE B
A well cast, sharply written, if slightly familiar drama about a macho Latino returning from a prison term to find his wife with a boyfriend and his son wanting to become a girl (!). Similar in theme to the Benjamin Bratt film from several SIFF's ago called THE MISSION, this one works very well with a fascinating performance by the young would be transsexual Harmony Santana, and some very gritty, shockingly raw (yet truthful) scenes of sex and violence.

LITTLE ROCK--------GRADE B-
Sometimes your criteria for rating a film must change a bit to accommodate something like this small, mini-budget independent film, which works well at times as a social commentary on the lack of communication in society. A brother and sister from Japan get stuck in a small California town for several days, and the sister decides to stay a while getting to know some of the locals, despite the fact that she knows no English. Some of the characters are quite intriguing, in spite of the fact that most of them are un-or-underemployed, drunkards, potheads, slackers or unfocused to any goal in life. I wish the film had been MORE, but sometimes less works well too.