SIFF Report May 20-May 22

Generally, films rated B- or higher are well worth seeing in my book. A mixed bag for the opening weekend, here's what I saw:

HAPPY HAPPY-------------GRADE B
Two lonely isolated couples mix it up in a remote Norwegian village. Cheerful, funny, quirky and at times a bit painful, it plays like an updated, tamer version of the 70's film BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE.

EX----------------------GRADE C+
Pleasant enough romantic comedy from Hong Kong, but it feels too long and at times redundant, and some of the 20-something actors really got on my nerves with their whining and insecurities.

COPACABANA--------------GRADE B
Lightweight story about a bohemian 50-something woman whose daughter is ashamed of her, but the great French actress ISABELLE HUPPERT is, as usual, quite astonishing--I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her real life daughter has a supporting role (as the daughter!) and is quite good, too.

CHILD PRODIGY----------GRADE C+
An uninspired bio-pic about the life and death of master composer/pianist Andre Mathieu, but his glorious music was a revelation to me, and fills the soundtrack. Skip the film, but buy the CD.

CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND WORK OF JACK CARDIFF------GRADE B+
He spent over 80 years making films, including still photography, acting, cinematographer and towards his later years, as director. As any good documentary should, it makes you want to see again his crowning films which he infused with emotional and psychologically (vivid) color choices: BLACK NARCISSUS, THE RED SHOES, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP and many others.

SILENT SOULS----------GRADE C+
Heavy handed Russian film of two men who go on a ceremonial road trip to honor one man's recently deceased wife. Long, slow shots of desolated scenery taken from a car window.

THE TRIP--------------GRADE B
Fitfully amusing pseudo documentary/travelogue of two British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon who travel through northern Britain eating at fine restaurants, telling jokes and doing impressions (of British actors) that are pretty darn good. In the vein of MY DINNER WITH ANDRE, but less intellectual, and more juvenile at times. They also like to sing--here's another Kate Bush song (Wuthering Heights) sung a cappella by these two cards.

22nd of May-----------GRADE C-
There's some great ideas floating around this story of a security guard surviving the bombing of a shopping mall and being contacted by some of the dead people, but this was filmed (or projected) with a dark screen obscuring the action, and at times the aggressively chaotic camera work makes you nauseous. Most of this film is physically painful on the eyes and head to watch. Why would a director make an unwatchable film!!!????!!!!

FOUR MORE YEARS--------GRADE B
Light weight romantic comedy of two high ranking Swedish male politicians who fall in love!----the PROBLEM????? They belong to different political parties, and one is, inconveniently, married to a woman!!!! I liked this film, but I wish the film had been stronger--like those Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn comedies-- where they were often at opposing sides of many different issues (ie WOMAN OF THE YEAR, PAT AND MIKE, ADAMS RIB). At least this is a step in the right direction--where sexuality is not the most exploitable key issue here.