THE HOBBITT, ANNA KARININA, ANY DAY NOW, HITCHCOCK, KILLING THEM SOFTLY, NORTH SEA TEXAS plus Dragon Tattoo

A couple more great films for the Holidays (see previous blogs), and it starts with another edition of  Peter Jackson's version of a Tolkien story THE HOBBIT.  Once more we are back in Middle Earth with engaging characters, fabulous settings (thank you New Zealand), a ripping story of good vs evil, and the finest technical and special effects work available now on film.  I saw this in good old 2D (I'm no fan of 3D--it doesn't work over my glasses, and I end up with a headache and/or eye  strain.)  It looks great and the seamless special effects are better than ever.  The score by the ever reliable Howard Shore (Oscar winner for the LOTR series) is part redo and part creative original.  I was thoroughly engaged and can't wait to see what happens in the future episodes.  The HOBBIT has been made into three films, using the actual (modest length) book and also notes and essays from Tolkien himself to flesh out the running time.  This film clocks in at over 2 1/2 hours, but it feels incredibly dense, detailed and fascinating--I can't imagine them cutting a single scene.   For those who loved LORD OF THE RINGS films 1,2 and 3, then THE HOBBIT is a MUST SEE.      GRADE-------A-

A new version of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel ANNA KARENINA has been given an invigorating, thrilling dusting-off  treatment by director Joe Wright (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 2005 and ATONEMENT 2007).  He has set the film in and on a grand theatre and stage (perhaps all the world's a stage!) and given the film a stylized, rapid cut action that seems both clever and at times theatrical, yet it works very well.  The first 20 minutes I kept imagining that the characters were going to break out into song and dance--it works to bring us into the story of a tragic love affair and the way it is juxtaposed against a love affair that works in a more wholesome and successful way.  It is a witty, ironic manner to expose the high society mores of the wealthy, and exposing the way the lower classes can cope in a different, more difficult world.  The sets, costumes, music, editing and cinematography are all first rate, and the numerous actors seem to be having a marvelous time.           GRADE--------A-

The entertaining bio-pic HITCHCOCK features fine performances by Anthony Hopkins (even if his make up doesn't really look like Alfred's features) and Helen Mirren as Alma his wife.  This is a must see for any Hitchcock fan, cinephile, film buff, and old movie fan.  Younger film goers unfamiliar with Hitchcock's films (especially NORTH BY NORTHWEST, PSYCHO, THE BIRDS) may wonder what all the fuss is about.        GRADE-----------B

Alan Cummings is the main reason to see the based on a true story ANY DAY NOW, about a gay couple in the mid-70's who attempt to raise a handicapped teenager who has been abandoned by his drug addicted mother.  Cummings plays a drag queen singer who (fortunately) gets involved with a conservative gay lawyer but their "life style" is considered inappropriate by the legal system which does little to hide their homophobia.  Some annoying hand held camera action aside,  it is a solid melodrama, and the ending packs a real punch.   GRADE---------B

The Belgium film NORTH SEA TEXAS set in a small village in the late 1960's follows a young gay teen who falls in love with the neighboring family's older teen, but finds himself left behind when the older teen discovers girls.  The film is very realistic and honest about the feelings that young gay boys harbor--most of the story is from the younger boy's POV.  The characters are well portrayed and in spite of some unpleasant characteristics, mostly sympathetic.     GRADE-------B

I admired the actors in KILLING THEM SOFTLY---Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liota, and others---they've been given uncrowded direction and telling dialogue and they make the best of this sad, depressing story of a couple of young lowlife thugs who  rob a gangster poker game, making off with thousands of dollars, only to become methodically murdered  by a professional hit man (Pitt).  The film is stylish and well made, but predictable and very grim, and by the end, the cynicism, violence and pessimism that pervades the film (set at the end of the Bush economic debacle and the start of the hopeful Obama term) feels regrettably ugly.        GRADE------C+


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DVD FILMS

The extended versions of GIRL W/THE DRAGON TATTOO (2009) and  THE GIRL WHO PLAYED W/FIRE (2010) feature some subplots that intriguingly add to the texture of the plot, and actually make some of the proceedings more interesting.  Both are strong mysteries, well acted and directed and they retain their power on a second viewing.    GRADE---------A- and B+ respectively

3 Films rated "A"---LIFE OF PI, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK,CHASING ICE, plus a cinematic-like version of TV's GLEE's called PITCH PERFECT, and Maggie Smith

Possibly the most beautiful looking piece of cinema you will see this year is Ang Lee's new film LIFE OF PI, based on a novel about a young boy named PI who grows up searching for his spirituality, losing his family during an amazingly intense tragedy at sea, and finding some peace through his intense experience alone with a Bengal tiger while lost in the ocean.  Whether or not he wins a second Oscar for this film (his first win was for the heartbreaking BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN 2007), this film is a visual feast of color, images, sights, thoughtful special effects and amazing action.  He conquers the BIG THREE issues that most directors always want to avoid----handling child actors, dealing with animals, and filming on water.  It's a most impressive job.  The long center of the film, mostly on the water, is stunningly lucid and exciting. (I don't really like the 3-D experience--it hurts my eyes, so I saw this in regular 2-D, but I can't wait to try the 3-D version.) Where the film dims a bit is the bookended  set up and conclusion which shows the adult Pi telling his life story to a reporter--it isn't bad, just seems rather ordinary when compared to the other 90% of the film.  Still, it isn't every film that attempts to capture spiritual growth in a young boy, AND features the most amazing scenes of being lost at sea ever filmed.  For the mature film-goer it's intelligent and moving.  For the novice, it's still a great thrill.       GRADE------A

Speaking of incredibly beautiful cinematography and images, the documentary CHASING ICE has the thrills to match.  Taking it's theme from Al Gore's ground breaking film AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006) which warns of the dangers of global warming, CHASING ICE  focuses mostly on ice bergs and ice covered continents, following a group of researchers as they specifically and photographically chart the quickly disappearing ice and speculate on the dangers to the environment.  How any one can watch this amazing film and still doubt that global warming is a SERIOUS threat to mankind is truly living in their own demented world.          GRADE-------A

Unique, quirky, edgy, and funny, the oddly entertaining SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is a well acted family drama which features Bradley Cooper as a recently released mental patient who was jailed for seriously assaulting his wife's lover.  He hooks up with a family friend's widowed daughter who has her own issues, and the film slowly shows us how adjustments to relationships are necessary to achieve true friendship and love and respect.  His father, strongly portrayed by Robert deNiro, has also had problems with violence (he's permanently banned from the Philadelphia Eagle's stadium for beating up fellow fans), and the family is living on the brink of bankruptcy.  The real surprise here is Jennifer Lawrence as his odd new girlfriend---she's had a big year since WINTER BONES (2010) made her a name and THE HUNGER GAMES (2012) made her a star.  I never knew just where this film was heading, and it cannot be pigeon holed,  but I enjoyed the ride.        GRADE------A-

Attention all Gleeks!  You know who you are.  (I'm one of you, too.)  The new film comedy PITCH PERFECT which opened in early October and has been playing ever since with lovely legs (cinematic slang for longevity) is a lot of fun, and plays alot like TV's GLEE---except it takes place in college.  It has a lot of characters, music, gags, and laughs, and on the sleeve dramatics, and while it suffers a bit by being compared to GLEE--it is still a funny, fun popcorn movie. I especially enjoyed the double entrende banter between the hilarious Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins as the moderators of the glee competitions.    GRADE--------B

A modest but engrossing French thriller, THE BIG PICTURE starts out with a familiar set-up, as a family man discovers that his bored wife is having an affair with a handsome neighbor.  A tragic accident changes his life soon after, and he sets out to "start over" with mixed results.  The film is a "slow burner" but well acted.  It features Romain Duris, Niels Arestrup and Cathrine Deneuve.   GRADE-------B


DVD MOVIE OPTIONS-------

I remember seeing THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE when it played in 1969 at the Guild 45 theatre in Seattle on a double bill with the excellent IF..........  I knew nothing of the film or it's star Maggie Smith, and it was playing 2nd.  It was a question as to whether or not the 4 of us high school buddies would stick around for it.  It turned out to be one of those jaw dropping experiences watching Miss Smith--she transfixed me like she did to her students.  The film is smartly directed by Ronald Neame, who died in 2010 at age 99 after an illustrious career as cinematographer (including BLITHE SPIRIT 1945, THIS HAPPY BREED 1944, and IN WHICH WE SERVE 1942) and writer and director (including HOPSCOTCH 1980, POSEIDON ADVENTURE 1972, GAMBIT 1966, I COULD GO ON SINGING 1963 etc).    But above all, it is Maggie Smith's pinnacle, and she's had quite a few.  The script has some of the greatest zingers ever written, and Maggie Smith delivers them with her infamous pithy delivery.  I know most of the dialogue by heart.   Here are some of my favorite lines:

Jean Brodie:   Sandy, please try to do as I say and not as I do.  Remember, you are a child, Sandy, and far from your prime.

J B:  For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

J B:  Safety does not come first.  Goodness, truth and beauty come first.

J B:  P-E-T-R-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.  Petrification!  I do not intend to devote my prime to petrification.

Teddy Lloyd:  A man with a wife and six children plus a schoolgirl for a mistress can be called any number of rude names, but "coward" is not one of them.

J B:  Six inches is perfectly adequate.  More is vulgar!

Mary McGregor:  I saw them kissing!----together!

J B:  Little girls.  I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the creme de la creme.  Give me a girl at an impressionable age and she is mine for life.

GRADE----------A

The French thriller classic DIABOLIQUE 1954 is in the Hitchcock vein, more suspense and less grotesque violence.  It's a clever conceit, but if you've never seen it you will recognize the plot that has been rehashed in dozens of more recent suspense thrillers.  A wife and her husband's mistress try to kill the brutal husband, but he may or may not be dead.     GRADE------B+

It's not great Hitchcock, and I felt that Gregory Peck is misscast as a dynamo lawyer in London who falls in love with his client, a mysterious woman accused of murdering her husband.  The PARADINE CASE (1947) is very talky, and the last half is all set in court.  There are a number of interesting scenes, and Ethel Barrymore has a small but effective role as the mousy wife of the magistrate (Charles Laughton, at his hammy best).   Even Hitchcock in the interview he did with Peter Bagdonovitch admits that the film  has a lot of flaws and he didn't like the editing and story.      GRADE--------B-

SKYFALL--Best Bond Ever!, THE SESSIONS, LINCOLN, plus Best Thanksgiving Movies APRIL&ALICE's

There are a lot of great James Bond films, but  SKYFALL has to counted as possibly the best of that list.  Of course, Daniel Craig is on most people's short list of great Bonds. but add an engrossing and (somewhat) logical plot, sharp and mature direction by Sam Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY 1999), expanded involvement of "M" portrayed by the esteemable Judy Dench, a great respect for the past history of Bond on films (including cars and gadgets) and the intelligent and entertaining introduction of some great Bond co-horts, and then mix in a great villain and a super knock out introductory scene, and what more can I say................GRADE----A

A forthright film about a mostly paralyzed polio-poetry spouting man (who spends much of his time in an iron lung,) yet he tries to loose his virginity with the help of a sensitive sex therapist.  It works very well as comedy/drama with some fascinating information about the challenges of the physically challenged.  The actors--especially John Hawkes and Helen Hunt-- are quite good and THE SESSIONS (of sex) moved me in ways that surprised me.           GRADE-----A-

History gets personal and intimate and clearly literate in Steven Spielberg's new film LINCOLN, a fascinating film about the last year of LINCOLN's life when he worked so hard to past the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery AND try to end the Civil War AND attempt to unite a very divided United States.  Politics hasn't changed so very much since then.  I had some very minor quibbles with a few technical glitches and that very sentimental style that serves Spielberg well most of the time, but overall, this is a very ambitious, entertaining and clearheaded film, and the actors including Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln, Sally Fields as the Mrs, and Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens are masterful.     GRADE-------B+

The French documentary BESTIAIRE which profiles animals in long, intimate takes with out moving the camera remined me of Chantal Akerman's classic profile of a bored housewife who cleans the house, cooks food, and turns the occasional trick, and not much else in long, long takes, in JEANNE DIELMAN, 23QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUSSELLES (1975)  but BESTIARE is only 72 minutes and seemed longer, while JEANNE was 201 minutes, and seems just long.  Both films have their fascination.      GRADE-------B-



DVD CHOICES------------------

It's a clever, tricky film--not his most classic, but Alfred Hitchcock's nifty STAGE FRIGHT (1949) features star performances by Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd, Alistair Sim and Dame Sybil Thorndike, plus some splendid character actors, and it becomes very engrossing in spite of a rocky 30 minute start that has many viewers wondering how a man could become so stupidly blinded by  such an evil woman so as to  be willing to take a murder rap for her, but Hitchcock has some turns and surprises up his sleeve, and the film is successfully engrossing up to the twisted end.        GRADE------B+

Never saw the classic film BEDAZZLED (1967) when it opened, but I can certainly appreciate the cult status of this film with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and Raquel Welch and Eleanor Bron and other great British actors and comedians, and at times I marveled more at the clever lines than laughed at them.  Cook plays the devil who buys the soul of Moore and then introduces him to the 7 deadly sins. (Guess which one is portrayed by Welch!?!)  I might  laugh more at the film on a second or third viewing.  Still, it is clever.    GRADE------B

It won the Best Supporting Male Actor award at last year's Oscar show, but  BEGINNERS (2010) may have been more effective had Christopher Plummer been the focal point of the plot of an elderly man who comes out as gay after his wife of many years has died, much to the confusion of his adult son Ewan McGregor.  Instead the film starts after the death of Plummer's character and has McGregor trying to start an awkward romance with a French speaking Melanie Laurent, with whom he seems to have ZERO chemistry.  The subplot of telling Plummer's story is pushed into the background as an annoying flashback, when really, that story was  much more interesting.          GRADE------C 


FAVORITE THANKSGIVING THEMED MOVIES---------

I haven't seen ALICE'S RESTAURANT (1969) for over 30 years, but this Arthur (BONNIE AND CLYDE) Penn film retains it's charm and surprising melancholic power in telling the based on fact story of a young Arlo Guthrie's struggle to make it as a singer (following his dying father Woody's illustrious career) in the mid-1960's amid the lure of the counter culture (hippie) life style.  The film features the hit song Alice's Restaurant ("You can get any thing you want at Alice's restaurant....") and features the long subplot about the misadventures of trying to dump a van load of garbage on Thanksgiving day, when the city dump is closed, and the funny, serious consequences of that adventure when he is drafted into service during the height of the Vietnam War.  Especially fine are the married duo portrayed by James Broderick and Pat Quinn--they provide a strong paternal center as they try to keep their "broad" of counter culture misfits alive and happy during trying times.    GRADE--------A

Before she married Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes had a successful little career playing counter culture types in GO (1999) and ICE STORM (1997) and in this lovely little film PIECES OF APRIL (2004).  April is an independent young adult with a troubled childhood--the rest of her family is quite traditional, but she cut them off and moved to Manhattan.  Now her mother is quite ill with cancer, and she wants to plan a Thanksgiving meal to make peace with her estranged family.  That morning, however she realizes her oven doesn't work, so the film inter cuts the trepidation that her family has with her history, and her struggles with trying to cook the tradition meal (while not really knowing what she is doing.)  She gets some unexpected help from some untraditional neighbors, and this charming but edgy film packs a big emotional wallop by the end.  It's a real gem.       GRADE----A-

PERKS of BEING WALLFLOWER, ARGO, CLOUD ATLAS, Simon and the Oaks,The Details, Taken 2

Topping any week, in fact, topping the year in films, is the impressively entertaining political thriller called ARGO.  Based on a true story (but I'm sure gussied up to entertain even more--see final sequence at the airport for that "yeah, sure" moment) ARGO tells of the heroic efforts of the Canadians and the CIA to rescue a group of American embassy workers who  slipped out the back door when Iranian mobs stormed the US Embassy and held over 50 hostages for over 400 days back in 1979.  Ben Affleck stars and (directs) as a CIA operative who pretends to be a film maker who wants to direct a science fiction movie in an exotic local, so he comes into Iran and instructs the embassy workers how to pretend to be the producer, writer, photographer, etc, and then hopes to fly them back home in plain sight.  The film is suspenseful and funny, and impossible not to like, especially with Alan Arkin and John Goodman chewing the scenery as the Hollywood types trying to set up the "best worst idea" possible.    Definitely one of the top films of the year so far.          GRADE--------A

Based on a popular best seller (which I have not read) THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER is one of those lovely little films, falsely advertised as a charming teen coming of age comedy.  The good news is that it is sincerely subtle and genuinely perceptive in telling quite dramatically the story of three best friends--all social outcasts in high school, who band together with a few others for a tender and surprisingly emotional year of self discovery.  The film veers into a completely different story line as it proceeds, helping to illuminate the false starts and missteps that many high schooler may experience.  I was surprised and very moved by these revelations.  PERKS belied and completely exceeded my expectations.        GRADE------A-

Ambitious and epic, sprawling and fascinating, CLOUD ATLAS is a great science fiction film that works on several levels.  Intermixing a half dozen different plots set in different centuries (and worlds) and featuring a large, talented cast, each of who portray several different characters through out history, CLOUD ATLAS intrigues, mystifies and thrills, sometimes all in the same scene.  If nothing else, it is fun to watch as Tom Hanks plays a physical "neanderthal" type, a nuclear scientist, a sea captain, a nasty slave owner and several other parts, and Halle Barry portrays an Asian man, an investigative reporter, a futuristic space traveler, and a Victorian "lady", among other parts.  Hugo Weaving also gets a number of juicy characters (including a prison matron) as do Ben Whishaw, Jim Sturgess, and the amazing Jim Broadbent.  The many different sets and costumes are vivid and unique, and if the film doesn't exactly answer the question of how "we are all connected" it is still a courageous and  challenging work of cinematic artistry.       GRADE------A-

The modest but entertaining filmed in Seattle low budget movie THE DETAILS isn't quite a farce or a comedy, although there are many odd and humorous things that occur.  When the young couple living in the suburbs try to get rid of the pesky raccoons that are camping out in their back yard, they accidentally kill the neighbors cat, which leads the kind but immoral doctor to more lies, infidelity and ----murder.  It's a disturbing film, but the cast--Tobey Macguire, Elizabeth Banks, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, and especially Laura Linney, are all quite effective (in good and bad ways) and make THE DETAILS something special.      GRADE--------B 

The Swedish film SIMON & THE OAKS is a good looking melodrama set during WWII that has a Christian boy befriending a Jewish boy, whose family is being persecuted.  Because the Jewish boy's mother is mentally unstable, the Christian family raise the child, while their son becomes fascinated by the musically cultured world of the Jewish father.    The film covers many years, and wanders a bit, and needs some dramatic oomph towards the end, but it is mostly intriguing and well worth watching.        GRADE----B

Played as straight forward action, TAKEN 2 is not too bad, but suffers from those having seen and liked the original TAKEN.   Again, Liam Neeson is the killing machine--in the first film he mows down dozens of Albanians who have stolen his daughter into the European sex trade industry.  In the follow up, the patriarch of a kidnapper, from the first film who doesn't seem to acknowledge that the reason his son and all his friends were killed was because they were CRIMINALS!---he wants revenge, so he kidnaps and intends to kill Liam and his wife when they return to Europe.  This time the daughter gets to help the father, and after dozens of deaths......(SPOILER ALERT!!!)  all ends well.  Except for the headache the viewer will have due to the pointless hand held jerky camera that is annoying and a cheat when it comes to action scenes, since you can't tell what is happening with the camera swirling all over the place.    GRADE--------C


DVD CHOICES---------------------------

In anticipation of Christmas Day when the musical version of Victor Hugo's classic novel  LES MISERABLES opens with Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried, I watched with interest the earlier version of LES MISERABLES (1998) which featured Liam Neeson, Uma Thurman, Geoffrey Rush and Claire Danes.  The plot is all there, but I kept wanting to hear that glorious music.  As much as I like Claire Danes, she seemed rather miscast--perhaps a bit too old and mature for the part, and the film lacks urgency and style.  Still, it was OK.      GRADE------B-

In the opening minutes of MARY REILLY (1996) I thought this was going to be another UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS from the servants point of view.  Mary Reilly, played with restraint and a roving Irish accent by Julia Roberts turns out to be a domestic in the home of a Dr. Jekyll, who we soon learn will be "entertaining"  his friend, a Mr. Hyde.  Stephen Frears directed this curious tale--it is indeed told from Mary's point of view, but the action is rather staid when it should be thrilling.  Glenn Close has fun with a brief role as the local "butch" Madame of a house of prostitution, but Roberts nearly disappears into the set design, and I kept thinking that Jekyll and Hyde looked an awful lot alike, but nobody else seemed to notice.   It looks good and has some moments.        GRADE------C+ 

THE MASTER, DIANA FREELAND: the EYE HAS TO TRAVEL, HERE COMES THE BOOM, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, plus VIFF & SLGFF samplings

I've seen over 20 films in the last two weeks, so it's been cinematic overload.  I'll just mention the Film Festival offerings from Vancouver and Seattle Lesbian and Gay festivals towards the end.  More thoughts will be offered when those films actually have a release--most all were strong enough to get released.  So here goes.

My favorite of the openings this past week is the fascinating, stylish documentary on the life of fashion icon DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL which I saw at SIFF in June.  Her daughter Lisa Immordino Vreeland produced, directed and wrote this film, and obviously had access to an amazing array of models, actors, fashionistas, and assorted industry types, as well as a wealth of video and pictures with which to illuminate Diana's life and times.  I was engaged and transfixed and very entertained.  As PROJECT RUNWAY's Tim Gunn would say, she really "made it work" for herself, and deserves the iconic status she enjoys today.       GRADE--------A-

It's been nearly 3 weeks since I viewed THE MASTER.  It hasn't stuck with me like I thought it might.  Well acted by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, and a large cast, it tells the rather crude and simplistic story of a young shiftless Navy veteran who becomes depressed and a drunkard after WWII, and finds himself fascinated by the leader of a new religious sect/cult. (Reports that this is based on the start of Scientology are left unsubstantiated.)  Hoffman plays the leader in broad fatherly strokes--it's easy to see why the desperate Phoenix wants to follow him.  The film is leisurely told, as it follows the new group around the country on talks and road shows.  Because of his violent behavior, the Phoenix character makes it hard to assimilate into the group--he seems most resistant to the indoctrinations and philosophies that are espoused.  The film doesn't have too much else to say.  The photography is good, although why it was filmed and screened in a few theatres (including Seattle's Cinerama) in 70 MM remains a mystery.  I saw it in 35 MM and that seemed just fine for the rather intimate character study that it seems to be.  I admired the film more than liked it.  It would have been nice to like some of the characters, but the film takes a distant, cold, nihilistic stance towards it's characters and subject matter.     GRADE--------B-

Some humanistic feeling is sorely needed in the passionate and cerebral documentary film about the AIDS crisis that started in the 1980's, and how difficult it was for protesters to get the governments attention on matters about this plague.   HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE suffers from too many talking heads and political posturing, when it might have benefited from more personal stories (from AIDS patients).  Still, the found documentary footage is impressive, and the film lays out a time line that shockingly shows how resistant politicians and the public were to this disease.   It's not the easiest film to watch, but certainly an important one.       GRADE---------B-

HERE COMES THE BOOM is certainly easy to watch, but the highly improbable plot keeps getting in the way.  Slightly reminiscent of the recent WON'T BACK DOWN, the story deals with a school that is losing so much money that it must cut the arts and music programs.  Kevin James (TV's KING OF QUEENS) stars as a bad teacher (always late, and downright lazy in the first few scenes) who suddenly finds himself trying to raise money to keep the arts and music programs in the curriculum.  He decides that since he was a wrestler in collage, he could become (at age 51!) a mixed martial arts player, since even the losers make big bucks.  He's conveniently single, and is desperately trying to date fellow co-worker Salma Hayek, also conveniently single.  There's just too many coincidences to make this worth more than an average film, in spite of some good laughs and some charming characters.           GRADE------C+

If you are reading this, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.  The new version of WUTHERING HEIGHTS is a very unpleasant film to watch.  Filmed with that aggressively hand held jerky camera that had my head aching, and lit only with natural light (sometimes only candlelight or fireplace) that frequently made it impossible to see who was even in the room, the film rubbed me wrong from beginning to end.  The director Andrea Arnold made one of my favorite films in 2005, the provocative thriller RED ROAD.  I didn't object to the fact that she makes Heathcliff a black man here, even though he is treated more like a slave than hired help, but the film was so relentlessly hard to watch and to listen to (the actors mumbled their lines, and often it felt improvised to weak effect,) and the costumes were dirty, grimy, mud covered (as were the faces most of the time.)  I'm not saying that WH has to be romanticized bliss, but I really object to watching an experimental version that is nearly impossible to watch and "get into."   If I had been sitting on or near the aisle, I would have fled the theater after 15 minutes.  Instead, I suffered for 90 minutes.        GRADE------D


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Vancouver International Film Festival notes

That darn Justin Bieber and his entourage bus at the border made me 45 minutes late getting into Vancouver on Wednesday morning (I took the BoltBus--only $11!!!), but I still managed to catch     I, ANNA, a British low key thriller about an aging detective becoming romantically attracted to his prime suspect, Charlotte Rampling.  Then, from France and Japan, a film called LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE about a young college student/prostitute who becomes involved with an elderly professor, but the film casts an eerie, almost comical spell.  I ended the night with the Polish film screened a SIFF, which I'd missed last June, called ROSE.  Set in WWII, the drama tells of the suffering, rape and injustices that fall on the title character, as she tries to recover from past horrific experiences.  I was really exhausted after that so I went to bed.  These films were rated  by me B-, B+, and B+ respectively.

On Thursday morning I was ready to go.  I started early (1015am) with a rather dull Chinese film called BEIJING FLICKERS about a group of immature 20 somethings trying to grow up.  IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER was a low budget Canadian film with a surprisingly good script and actors--the lead also wrote and directed.  She is the irresponsible sister who can't get into a good relationship--she always picks losers.  Her sister is getting married, and in spite of some cliches, the blend of comedy and drama works well.  The Czech sex comedy by Jan Hrebejk was next, and it was a cheerful sex positive  charmer called THE HOLY QUATERNITY about two families that are best friends.  When the parents go on a warm weather vacation together, well, think about a more progressive BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE........It's a big crowd pleaser, and really funny stuff.  On the opposite end was OUR CHILDREN (Belgium/France) a grim, serious, stunning film about a young wife who struggles to raise four children (in rapid progression) while struggling with depression.  The first scene lets you know the ending, but it is still a powerful experience.  Finally from Germany, HOME FOR THE WEEKEND has mother telling her family she will no longer be taking her mental health drugs, and the adult family has various reactions.  It slowly grew on me, and there are some startling disclosures by the end.  Then to bed.  These films were rated by me C, B, A-, B+ and B respectively.

Friday morning I started off with a French documentary called THE INVISIBLE ONES about older gay and lesbian couples (mostly)  who all became farmers in the south of France.  It was very well done, with lots of video, pictures, back stories and humor, showing how they made a family of their own over the years while growing up in a repressive society.  Next was a strong, if minor, character study staring Melissa Leo called FRANCINE.  She has just gotten out of prison, and must adjust to civilian life, but as the short film (75minutes) progresses, one becomes doubtful she will make it.
The gripping French film REBELLION by Mathieu Kassovitz dramatizes the 1988 attempt of some "rebels" to free New Caledonia from French rule--this occurring just weeks before the big French elections.  I made time for supper with Toni and Kathleen, then went off for the Mexican film AQUI Y ALLA, which has a man coming home from being in NYC for several years of work to find his family treating him a bit like a stranger.  He has to warm them up before heading back to the US for more work.
 Rated A-, B, B, and B-.

On Saturday several film were repeated so I got a chance to view them.  NUALA is an Irish documentary about writer Nuala O'Faolain, who came from a very impoverish, abusive household to become a brilliant and successful author.  The film was informative and engrossing, although I felt too much time (over 20 minutes) towards the end dealt with her death by cancer.  Also saw THE IRAN JOB, a documentary from Iran/USA about American basketball player Kevin Sheppard who can't get into the NBA, so takes a job playing basketball and training a struggling team for Shiraz in Iran.  The film works well as a fish out of water story, a sports come from behind thriller, and a strong human interest drama.  Rated B+ and A- respectively.   All in all, a pretty good 4 days of international film.  Watch for these films this winter and spring, and by next summer on DVD.

The SEATTLE LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FESTIVAL  had already started when I got back to town, but I managed to see a few selections.  On Monday night I saw YOSSI, a sequel of sorts to the Eytan Fox film YOSSI & JAGGER (2003) which is a well loved film about two men in service who fall in love, but must keep it a secret.  That film is a love-story-tragedy.  Even though it had been quite a while since I'd seen Y&J, it doesn't really matter, because YOSSI picks up 10 years later with the surviving man now a workaholic  heart specialist at a hospital, still deeply closeted and repressed.  When Jagger's mother comes to him for a test, it triggers unresolved feelings, and a forced vacation makes him try to open up.  It's a small but lovely film.  Several of my favorite films over the years were directed by the Isreali Eytan Fox, including WALK ON WATER (2004) and THE BUBBLE (2006).   On Saturday I saw the gripping documentary MOHAMMED TO MAYA about a conservative Islamic man who transgenders into a woman, against his/her family's values and basically alone except for a friend who films the procedings.  It was an intimately shocking and  heartbreaking experience to watch.   Then came the low budget (7,000 dollars!!!) film THE FALLS about two very serious male Mormon missionaries who discover love with each other while on their mission work.  After a slow and leisurely beginning, the film becomes more humorous and rather effective.  It is certainly a topical film and looked like a million dollars.   My favorite movie was a filmed British dance version of  SWAN LAKE (in 3D!)  I'm no fan of 3D, and I wish it had not been used for this film (it gives me eye strain and sometimes a headache), but the music was glorious, the costumes and choreography were fascinating and the entire production had the audience cheering after nearly every scene.  The film reminded me of the recent PINA--it was clear and personal.   The gender changes (the park sequences are danced by male swans, and the prince is obsessed with the lead swan, so the dance takes on --without a hint of camp--a very masculine feel.  The homoerotic theme is fascinatingly woven into this  tragic but superior production.       GRADES------A-, B-, B-, and A

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, ARMITRAGE, LOOPER, PLUS ANNA KARENINA (1948), Single Man, The Help, Streisand's All Night Long, Hitchcock's Suspicion

It's not Classic Romantic Tragedy like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, nor nearly as slickly photographed and scored and directed or acted, but the new film KEEP THE LIGHTS ON about a decades long gay love affair between two New Yorkers is quite auspicious, affecting and moving in it's own way.  It certainly beats BROKEBACK for  realism and gritty truth telling, and therefore splits the audience due to some very grim and serious scenes which include drug addiction and sex.  Both men are successful in business, but one has a persistent drug problem that constantly nags at their relationship.  There is no happy, pat ending here, but the filmmaker has captured the truth of urban lovers struggling to stay together when uncontrollable forces pry them apart.  It's a clear eyed look at queer love and life, not romanticized or presented as a sit-com, and for that, I've very grateful.      GRADE------B+

At last, a futuristic science fiction action film that stays consistent to the boundaries and parameters it sets up initially.  There's also some great suspense scenes and a style that keeps you intrigued.  Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt play the same character, and they do that convincingly.  Gordon-Levitt is a LOOPER, a man who kills criminals who are sent back in time for him to murder and dispose of, since in the future, it is impossible to dispose of bodies. (!!!????) One day his own more mature self (Willis) is sent back to be murdered, setting into motion a plot that twists your mind at the possibilities.  It's a clever, complicated premise, but  entertaining to watch.     GRADE------B+

The definition of ARBITRAGE says "the possibility of a risk free profit at zero cost."  It's a term used in financial dealings, and the outline of the plot in this Richard Gere film has you believing that this is a financial thriller about  hedge fund bankers at their worst.  Fortunately, the film includes moral issues other than financial, and the main protagonist must deal with themes of infidelity, deception, corruption, cheating and murder.  It is a  smart, nifty dramatic thriller, and as the screws tighten around Gere, we root for him in spite of the character flaws that  would normally have us seething.  The definition begins to take on a great deal of moral irony.      GRADE-------B

Based on a true story, WON'T BACK DOWN has it's heart in the right place---an inner city school in Pittsburgh is rated F for it's ability to teach students, and a small group of teachers and parents want to take over the school to shake up the teachers and students with new and creative teaching methods, which would mean a non-union school.  Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis give it their all as a disgruntled parent and teacher, respectively, but unfortunately, the script has their characterizations and motivations very hazy and confused.  The film seems most unfocused with what point of view is being presented (the teachers? or the parents? or the administrators ? or the union ?---and what about the students, who are given short shrift?)  In trying to give everyone equal time, the film loses power and at times makes no dramatic sense.  There are actually a couple scenes that don't make any sense at all.  One scenes towards the end has Davis rushing up stairs to WAKE UP her 10 year old son and tearily confesses that when he was an infant she didn't do something about his fever like she should have, or something, and that's why he might be "slow" at school.  This scene comes out of left field, with no reference to anything that's happened before or after.  Cut it out!  A big disappointment.        GRADE------C-



DVD FILMS viewed this week.............


Watched THE HELP (2011) for the third time in a year, and fortunately, the plot and characters continue to amuse and entertain.  Jessica Chastain is quite funny as the rich white trash wife who just doesn't get why the other women in town won't associate with her, and her scenes with Oscar winner (for supporting Actress) Octavia Spencer as her stubborn maid are winning and quite moving.  Sissy Spacek makes the most of a small role, and Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone hit all the right notes. It's a classic in many ways.     GRADE------B+

A couple of fine performances by Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and others, and some very stylish sets, clothes and direction from director/fashion designer Tom Ford, evelate the moving day-in-the-life of A SINGLE MAN (2009) to near classic status.  Firth plays a closeted gay professor in 1962 who is overcome with grief from the death of his long time partner several months before, and sets out to end his life and pain by nightfall, but finds that small, seemingly unimportant moments in the day carry great significance that may have lasting consequences.  It's a beautifully sustained film.     GRADE------A-

Hitchcock's SUSPICION (1941) is not my favorite from the master, but as I've said before, even lessor Hitchcock is better thrills than 95% of other films out there.  This one stars Cary Grant as a cad of a husband to Joan Fontaine (Best Actress Oscar winner for this role), a rather naive maiden who jumps at the chance to marry and leave her parents---only to discover that not only is Grant NOT rich (penniless, actually), but he has many debts, and he is unemployed, and a big fat liar as well.  As if that wasn't enough, he may be trying to kill her off for her dowry money (and the insurance that he is trying to sign her up for.)  He is a hard character to like--obnoxious, conceited and a liar.  His best friend seems too simple minded to notice that he too may be the brunt of his schemes and murderous attempts.  Of course, Cary Grant is the perfect actor to play this part, but I still don't care for him much.  According to supplemental material on the DVD, the book upon with SUSPICION is based, has a decidedly different ending, where the wife is indeed killed, but not without the last word---a letter delivered to her mother explaining everything, and therefore submitting the killer to the police.  The movie ending is "happier" but I think it is not believable.        GRADE-------B

This film version of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel ANNA KARENINA (1948) features Vivian Leigh with Ralph Richardson as her husband, and the handsome Irish actor Keiron Moore as her lover Count Vronsky.  I've never read the book, but it felt that it is greatly trimmed, as many characters are introduced, but not many have much to do.  Still the production was lavish and the leads have the dramatic chops to get the work done.  There have been 4 other versions of ANNA KARENINA over the years--1935 with Greta Garbo and Fredrick March, a Russian version in 1967,  a made for TV version  in 1985 with Jacqueline Bisset and Christopher Reeve, a 1997 version with Sophie Marceau and Sean Bean (before he hit it big with LOTR series) and coming next month is the 5th version with Kiera Knightly and Jude Law, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Vronsky.  The previews look lush and arresting, and I believe much of the film is set on  (the whole world's a) theatre stage.  Looking forward to it.        GRADE-------B

A rarely seen film starring Barbara Streisand, Gene Hackman and Dennis Quaid called ALL NIGHT LONG (1981) that did very low box office business (about 4 million) and then dropped out of sight, popped up at my little, closing DVD store last month.  It is not bad, although Streisand is remarkably restrained and speaks with a little, quiet oddly accented voice.  Those wanting a typical Streisand film with be very disappointed.  However, the good news is that Gene Hackman is very very good.  It's his movie anyway.  He plays an executive who is demoted to become the night manager of a drugstore, where he meets a cousin (Streisand) who has been having an affair with his 18 year old son (Quaid).  He trys to talk her out of the relationship, but she tries to take up with him instead.  His wife (Diane Ladd) is demanding, and the cousin's husband works as a fireman and is gone much of the time.  The laughs are restrained but come on naturally, and the film feels like a French fluff comedy/drama, with it's sophisticated take on infidelity and relationships, both sexual and platonic.  It may not be a hidden gem, but  it is an interesting little project that had some fine moments.      GRADE------B-

Another little comedy that works well in a low key way is THE BAXTER (2005) with a great cast--Michael Showalter, Elizabeth Banks, Justin Theroux, Michelle Williams and Paul Rudd.  A BAXTER is defined (in the film) as a bachelor with lots of exes, who's kind of a loser, and Michael Showalter plays him perfectly.  The laughs are consistant and character driven.  A charmer.      GRADE-------B-

BOURNE LEGACY, PREMIUM RUSH, LAS ACACIAS, 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK

OOPS!  Last Tuesday I had some trouble getting my BLOG to publish--the computer went down, then held me hostage until I paid the bill for the internet.  Finally, the spell check wasn't working, so I ended the Tuesday night blog as fast as possible so I wouldn't loose it completely, with a lot of bad spelling.  My apologies to those who read through it and cringed.  It is now corrected.  However, I also realized that I dropped four films off that list that I did indeed mean to write about.  So instead of adding those films to a blog that over 30 people have looked at already, I'll indulge in a second blog this week. 

A beautiful, small film slipped through town about two weeks ago called LAS ACACIAS--one of those rare subtle gems that very few have seen but all who did really enjoyed.  This one has a gruff trucker (shipping the trees of the title) forced by his boss to pick up and transport a poor woman with an infant, who will ride with him all the way to his destination--nearly 900 miles from Paraguay to Buenos Aires.  He's annoyed at the company at first, but gradually, the two develop a mutual respect and empathy for the other.  The outstanding leads manage to evoke volumes of sympathy and subtle glimpses into their backgrounds, and in spite of the simplicity of the setting---mostly in the cab of the truck, with a few pit stops along the way, the film contains a large kernel of humanitaristic truth.  And, of course, the infant is incredibly endearing.  One of the years best.     GRADE-------A

Sometimes I end up seeing a film due to timing, so when I realized I was 20 minutes late to the newest Batman film, I ended up at THE BOURNE LEGACY.  I thought that the first three Bourne films had pretty much run their course, but leave it to Hollywood to figure out a way to reboot the series.  The film does feel like a bit of a rehash of the first three and HANNA (2011) , but with two new attractive leads (in Jeremy Renner taking over for Matt Damon and the excellent Rachel Weisz) the film still works as a superior action chase popcorn thriller, and I can heartily recommend it for those interested in such films.         GRADE--------B

I do a fair amount of cycling from May through October, so the chance to see PREMIUM RUSH, about a maniacal bike messenger speeding recklessly through the streets of Manhattan with a corrupt cop on his tail, was too tempting to pass up.  The film is cleverly shot and edited, and the cycling scenes are quite exciting and nerve racking.  The plot is some weirdly coincidental mumbo jumbo about a "ticket" that is worth big money to the holder, although it becomes more clear (and personal) by the end, and the evil copper, played with gusto by Michael Shannon, seems quite over the top.  More importantly, numerous fantastic collisions that are on display between bikes and cars throughout the film would probably, IN REAL LIFE, result in trips to the hospital emergency ward, instead of having the cyclist getting up and continuing the chase.  But HEY---IT'S ONLY THE MOVIES, so pass the popcorn.       GRADE--------B-

It plays like a poor man's Woody Allen film, but there are moments in 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK that are quite good, and I especially liked Chris Rock, who plays a sophisticated yuppie who must deal with the annoying family of his French girlfriend Julie Delpy when they descend into their modest apartment for an indefinite stay.  The French relatives are incredibly obnoxious and cliched---dad must try to bring in smelly meats and cheeses through customs, old boyfriend must try to buy pot all over town in front of neighbors and cops, sister loves to walk around mostly naked---etc---and that part got tiresome for me.  But when the film settles down to deal with relationships and careers and surviving in NYC, the film is more interesting.       GRADE--------B-


COMING SOON TO THE SEATTLE AREA-------
It's FILM FESTIVAL TIME.  In the next month I hope to be reporting on films from VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, SPANISH Film Festival, LATINO Film Festival, IRANIAN Film Festival, FRENCH Film Festival and the GAY AND LESBIAN Film Festival, so stay tuned.

BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, LIBERAL ARTS, TROUBLE W/ CURVE,a new Spiderman, The Avengers, again, Hello I Must Be Going, End of Shift, Robot & Frank and Hitchcock's THE BIRDS

Still at the top of my list the second time around, Joss Whedon's exciting and entertaining THE AVENGERS manages to thrill and amuse, and for fantasy/sci-fi fans, it is very satisfying.  I loved how each character got several good scenes and there's a lot of witty, clever lines to go along with the the mayhem.  This could be one of the year's best films.      GRADE-------A-

It opened last May while I was preoccupied with SIFF, but I finally caught up with THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE BEAUTIFUL) during a run at a discount theatre, and there were nearly 50 people in attendance during a Friday afternoon showing.  This film has legs, and it's easy to see why.  A group of elderly Brits are duped into using their life savings to invest in a retirement stay at what turns out to be a motley, faded hotel in India, but despite their disappointment, find their lives transformed by the country, and, as they learn the back stories of their companions, each other.  It's a lovely and surprisingly caustic film--the sarcasm and set backs take the edge off what could have been a sickeningly sentimental affair.  Of course, with the indomitable Judi Dench leading the cast, which includes Tom Wilkenson, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy and others, the quality and empathy remains high, and there are enough twists and surprises (in plot and characterization) to keep you on your emotional toes.  It's definitely a feel good film, and with older adults so infrequently dominating the  screen, film will have a life of it's own long into DVD, cable TV, Networks and private screenings.  Plus, it is beautifully photographed, acted, scored, and written.       GRADE-----------B+ 

A 35 year old college recruiter heads back to his ivy league alma mater, and finds himself longing to get back into his fantasy academia life style from 15 years ago, especially when he finds a nubile, wise undergrad who takes a fancy to him, in LIBERAL ARTS.  This is a small movie, but it is done to near perfection, as he meets old professors, new young student friends, and has  an early mid-life crisis.   TV's Josh Radnor (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER) beautifully wrote, directed and stars, and the strong up and coming Elizabeth Olsen (so outstanding in MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE 2011) is pitch perfect again.        GRADE----------A-

After his miss-fire at the RNC, I was not enthused to see Clint Eastwood in TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE, but his bantering with his estranged daughter (Amy Adams) and his long time friend (John Goodman) shows that, even in his sometimes predictable "cranky man" mode, Clint still has it--at least when it is scripted.  The film, about an older baseball scout near the end of his contract, who is losing his eye sight, and is obviously scared of the future, shows how hard it is to come to terms with change and teaching old dogs new tricks.  The actors (including a charming Justin Timberlake) are very likable most of the time, and the film won me over about half way through.     GRADE--------B

Frank Langella pulls another fine performance out of the bag as a lonely old burglar who suffers from dementia, but seems to respond to a human style robot installed by his absent but well-meaning son to help him cope with his loneliness.  ROBOT AND FRANK is a low energy film, sweet and at times sentimental, quirky and quietly charming.  Liv Tyler is his (also absent) daughter, and Susan Sarandon is a possible love interest.  The film is a bit sad, and the ending is haunting.     GRADE-------B-

There's nothing wrong with the new, rebooted version of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN--in fact there are a number of exciting scenes and wonderful special effects, and Andrew Garfield is a winning super hero.  It's just that I've seen this movie before, in SPIDER MAN (2002)--in fact the first 40 minutes is rather ho-hum in this new version, since the story set up is nearly the same.  I also loved Tobey McGuire as SPIDEY.  So, the new AMAZING SPIDER MAN is  OK entertainment, but
 totally unnecessary.        GRADE-------B-

Based on a stage play, the new romantic comedy HELLO I MUST BE GOING is a slight movie saved by one big ace in the hole--the leading actress Melanie Lynsky.  She plays a 30-something, recently divorced, depressed woman who has been living with her parents for over 3 months.  She has an affair with a 19 year old man that helps shake her out of her ennui.  Would be utterly forgettable were it not for the actors, especially Lynsky.     GRADE-------B- 

Several characters in the new intense cop thriller END OF SHIFT seem to be in possession of a video camera or other recording device, and so we the audience are subjected to the most aggressively hand held shaky camera photography (from beginning to end) ever seen in a major motion picture since---THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999).   About 30 minutes into the film, I had to gather my jacket and cup of coffee and move to the back row of the theatre---the nauseating hand held picture was making me literally ill.    WHAT THE HELL ARE DIRECTORS THINKING WHEN THEY GROSSLY OVERUSE THIS "feature"---HOW CAN AUDIENCE MEMBERS ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE WHEN IT MAKES YOU WANT TO SHUT YOUR EYES, OR THROW UP, OR RUN OUT OF THE THEATRE???????  The film itself has many strong, provocative features going for it.  The actors are quite authentic (Michael Pena and Jake Gyllenhaal are the cops.)  Narrative is intense and compelling, as the two protagonists stumble into Mexican drug cartells on their beat.  This is one time when the excessive use of HAND HELD SHAKY CAM really RUINED the film for me.     I'm being generous with this grade--it would have been a lot higher if the film looked better.    GRADE------C


DVD Choices------------------------------

TCM held special screenings (through Fathom Events) of  the theatrical showings of THE BIRDS (1963) last week, and I went, because I don't believe I've ever seen this Hitchcock classic on a big screen with an audience.  The Thornton Place theatre was nearly half full--a big crowd for a Wednesday night, for an old film, at $12.50 per ticket.  Unfortunately, the digital projection seemed to dim the brightness and color of the film---afterwards, outside in the lobby a Plasma screen was showing clips of THE BIRDS and the color on the lobby screen was much brighter and more colorful than anything I saw in the theatre.  Coming soon is a screening of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, and the preview had that same muted, dark, almost colorless imagery.  THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO SHOW THOSE CLASSICS.  I WILL PROBABLY NOT SEE ANY MORE OF THOSE TCM CLASSICS AT A THEATRE (unless it is projected in 70MM or at least 35MM film) because in most cases, DIGITAL screenings SUCK on a large screen.
Nonetheless, THE BIRDS remains for me the finest film in Hitchcock's long and luminous career--endlessly fascinating in structure and social themes, with many witty visuals and clever dialogue. There are at least 4 iconic, extended sequences with NO dialogue--which create insidious suspense and tension.   It is also the ultimate APOCALYPTIC film experience---moody, mysterious, despairing, chilling.  It is my FAVORITE FILM OF ALL TIME.........GRADE--------A+

Peter Bagdonovich's incisive documentary of the prolific and profound director, DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD (1971)  features many many clips that starred either John Wayne, Henry Fonda, or Jimmy Stewart.  At times if felt like a documentary on those fine actors.  John Ford, by all accounts here, was a cantankerous, difficult man to work with at times.  Especially telling is the "interview" that Bogdanovich tried to film---Ford answered "Yes" or usually "NO" to every question, and would not elaborate on any answer.  But the film clips themselves are tremendously captivating.  It makes you want to rent any John Ford film immediately.      GRADE--------A

Moody and realistic, the British classic film LONELINESS OF A LONG DISTANCE RUNNER(1962) stars Michael Redgrave and a very young Tom Courtenay as a teen who is sentenced to boys prison for stealing.  He can run hard and fast and it is hoped by the warden that he will win the crown from a regular boy's school for long distance running.  The black and white film is grim and part of the "angry young man" milieu, but worth watching.     GRADE--------B

QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (1958) (or at least in this case, Venus) is a low low budget film that moves slowly and features the lovely Zsa Zsa Gabor, but the jokes/laughs are few.    GRADE----C-

STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY-Thursdays in Sept at SIFF Cinema, plus SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN, LAWLESS, Sleepwalk w/Me, Paranorman, and Sidney Lumet

Summer movies are fading fast and here come the more substantial Fall Flicks.  Top pick of this (or any) week is the just beginning STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY which starts up Thursday 6 Sept at the SIFF Cinema---every Thursday during September they will be showing a three hour segment of the most comprehensive and fascinating documentary every seen about the history of world cinema, starting from the early 1900's up to the present.  Many many film clips and talking heads keep the interest soaring.  In a way, it is frustrating to watch, because the subject of "film" is so incredibly large that the director Mark Cousins can only touch briefly on most films and genres and directors, and your favorites may seem to get a short shift.  But the most important aspect of this 15 hour long documentary is that it makes you want to see (perhaps for the first time) or revisit some of these great cinematic masterworks.  Exhausting and Exhilarating and Highly Recommended.     GRADE-------A


Another example of life being stranger than fiction, SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN documents the search for an unsung Detroit recording artist from the early 1970's who, although he was  never a financial success in the US, incredibly became a huge sensation in South Africa before dropping out of sight completely.  Rumor had it he had committed suicide on stage during a live performance.  No one--even the record labels who produced his two albums--knew what had happened to him.  The singer/songwriter's name is Rodriguez, and he sounds a lot like Bob Dylan.  His story is fascinating and surprising, and the film generates a huge emotional pull, and it makes me want to hear more music from this pop/folk singer sensation.       GRADE--------B+

I can't image the generic title and theme of moonshiners in the 1920's Depression  will generate a lot of box-office, but the cast of LAWLESS is so very strong that the film transcends it's subject matter and becomes a thrilling and entertaining period piece.  Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pierce, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska head an excellent cast.   GRADE-------B+

The comedy SLEEPWALK WITH ME plays like a low key Woody Allen film, amusing but without as much wit.  Based on a radio show by Mike Birbiglia, who has showcased it as a one man show, SLEEPWALK WITH ME takes it's title literally, as it tells of a young man with sleep disorders, who can't seem to commit to his long time girlfriend.  I enjoyed the film, but it doesn't really amount to much.     GRADE-------B-

Just who is the intended audience for PARANORMAN?  This animated feature about a young teen who can see and talk to the dead, and is recruited to fight zombies who are raised from the dead comes with all the cliches of the rash of zombie comedies of recent years, and the ending is particularly lame.  There are a few clever moments, but the action is nearly bloodless (a PG rating for families????) and it is tired stuff.        GRADE-------C+

An interesting international cast headed by Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins et al, seem wasted and otherwise lost in the LA RONDE (1950) inspired romantic thriller where each scene leads you to another scene with just one or two actors carried over--to illustrate how life is connected.  Previous versions of this theme usually involve love and sex, and this film called  3 6 0  has some of that, too, but it is very mean spirited and harsh.  A happily married man contemplates being unfaithful, then returns home to his wife who is indeed having an affair.  In another subplot, the theme is sexual slavery, and in another an innocent tries to hook up with a sexual predator.  It is competently filmed, but rather unsavory and sad.       GRADE------C+


DVD CHOICES-----------

A great and prolific director, Sidney Lumet died last April.  He had made over 40 films and directed dozens of live (and otherwise) TV dramas, where he started in the 1950's.  He had a way with great, talkative scripts, and led dozens of actors to Oscar nominations and Oscar wins.  His filmography is filled with incredible classic films.  Here are some of them:    12 ANGRY MEN (1957), FUGITIVE KIND (1959), LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (1962), THE PAWNBROKER (1964), FAIL SAFE (1964),  THE HILL (1965), SERPICO (1973), DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975), NETWORK (1976), THE VERDICT (1982), THE MORNING AFTER (1986), RUNNING ON EMPTY (1988), and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (2007).
Even some of his "misses" like CHILD'S PLAY (1972), THE WIZ (1978), JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT (1980)  and GLORIA (1999) have their fans, and are certainly very watchable in their own way.  I saw the unusual caper movie THE ANDERSON TAPES (1971) which recently came out on DVD.  Starring one of Lumet's favorite actors Sean Connery (see also THE HILL, THE OFFENCE (1972), MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974) and FAMILY BUSINESS (1989) for the others).  In spite of some dated touches like the jazzy Quincy Jones score, and some very homophobic and racist and sexist comments, THE ANDERSON TAPES is very interesting and satisfying, and was a hit in its day.        GRADE-----B

THE GREEN HORNET (2011) got a lot of criticism last year, but I found it to be a fresh, youthful, irrelevant take on the superhero milieu.  In spite of the fact it made over 250 million dollars world-wide, apparently there will be no sequel in the near future.  Too bad.  It's a funny, smart alec film, even on second viewing.   GRADE------B-

Meryl Streep's HOPE SPRINGS, BRAVE, Prometheus, To Rome w/Love, Ice Age 4, The Imposter, Ai Weiwei

I understand why they are doing it (to get people into the theatre)--but the promoters of the new Meryl Streep film HOPE SPRINGS are selling it as a sex comedy, when what they really have is a rather serious and intense psychodrama.  At times it felt like I was watching a more updated version of Bergman' s SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE.  To be sure, there are some light hearted moments and smiles and giggles--all of which are prominent in the previews, but, surprisingly, and importantly, the film really starts to focus on the nitty gritty of a middle-aged marriage that is struggling to find some spark (intimacy) that many many couples struggle with  everyday.  The big revelation is not how wonderfully light and frothy Streep's character appears, when really she's deeply lonely and miserable, but how amazingly Tommy Lee Jones keeps the attention on his character--his struggles with sex   and communication and how hurt he feels by some basic betrayals in their relationship.  Without becoming crude or vulgar, the film feels very honest in dealing with (and discussing) these issues--some may have you squirming--and it is to the credit of a likable but very restrained Steve Carrel as the councilor that the issues hit home like they do.  This is a courageous and thoughtful film, and I hope it finds it's true audience.        GRADE-------B+

There's a strong start and a vivid female lead character fronting Disney's new film BRAVE, and the first hour is a true pleasure. (She's got the most intense, vibrant head of flaming red hair I've ever seen--it takes on a life of it's own.)  But once mother gets turned into a ----oops! can't say, but the film becomes rather predictable as it plods to a ho-hum ending.  It is also a bit strong for younger children (under 5) --it had my 3 1/2 old year grand daughter heading for the door (due to intensity) at that same half way mark.  Still it is bright, clever and funny for most of it's running time.      GRADE------B

THE IMPOSTOR has been getting some rave reviews, and it is quite an incredible true story, about a 24 year old man from Spain who pretends to be the four years lost  teen ager of a Texas family who insist against all odds that he is their son.  But the film runs along the same trajectory as any 48 HOUR MYSTERY show from TV (indeed, it is produced by A&E Films).  It is engrossing--just not technically or stylistically impressive.       GRADE---------B

A new film from French director Andre Techine (WILD REEDS) has an older crime novelist move out to a remote island near Venice with his new wife, a younger bisexual woman who has family issues.  He becomes jealous of her past life and has a young man follow her around.  I'm not sure what it all means, or the significance of the title UNFORGIVABLE, but the characters are intriguing and the film making is compelling and Venice never looked so mysterious.     GRADE------B

The documentary AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY chronicles a couple years in the life of the controversial Chinese artist whose work is critical of countries that do not give civil liberties to their citizens.  He is famous for his overused middle finger which appears in a number of photos.  The film concludes with his recent arrest and detention for nearly 90 days--sadly he comes out of that experience a remarkably changed man, leaving the viewer curious as to what exactly happened to his spirit, and what will he do next..............GRADE-------B

I don't recall seeing ICE AGE 2 or 3, but I did enjoy 1, and I did enjoy ICE AGE 4, which has a lot of jokes and sight gags, with an especially funny voice over by John Leguizamo (as Sid) and his Granny (voice by Wanda Sykes).  The film is not too intense for young children and has enough laughs for the adults.     GRADE-------B-

Weak Woody Allen is still better than a lot of stuff out there, and TO ROME WITH LOVE is certainly not his best, but he's got a lot of clever and funny ideas floating around this mish-mash of characters and splendid Rome visuals to make watching this comedy a treat--just don't expect another PARIS AT MIDNIGHT.      GRADE--------B-

I kept hearing that the new prequel to the ALIEN saga called PROMETHEUS was not so hot by those who rushed to see it in it's first week or two.  Perhaps my expectations were low, but I thought this was a smart, exciting science fiction thriller, with the emphasis on characters---not creature monsters.  I especially enjoyed the robot character played smoothly and creepily by Michael Fassbender and the female lead played by Noomi Rapace (Swedish DRAGON TATTOO films).  Rapace gets to really kick ass towards the end, especially just after she gives herself some MAJOR surgery.  Obviously, she's related to the Sigourny Weaver character.  My biggest question is this:    Set in 2093, there must be THOUSANDS of space horror films they would have watched by then, enough to know that you must NEVER BRING BACK TO THE SPACE SHIP SOME GOOEY DRIPPING POD OR UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE, because it will invariably spring to life and destroy life as we know it.  SO WHY DO THEY KEEP DOING IT?????????     ( Second question:   Born into a desert like planet with nothing but rocks and sand, what the hell do these creepy horror monster eat when they get hungry?????????)         GRADE-------B-



DVD CHOICES-------------------

I had never seen Douglas Sirk's film  ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955),  and it impressed me with the vibrant Technicolor photography, the memorable musical score, the vibrant direction, and the melodramatic story line that kept me engrossed.  Jane Wyman seemed a bit rigid and cold to me, and Rock Hudson as her "younger" lover--well, he was just Rock Hudson.  Fit the part of the alternative life style hunk, he did.  This film has inspired several remakes, including the excellent German film from Fassbinder called ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL(1975)which has an older white woman falling for a younger black man. I decided to see another (unofficial) remake called FAR FROM HEAVEN (2003) which impressed me 9 years ago.  It remains impressive for the actors (a luminous Julianne Moore, as well as a tightly wound Dennis Quaid--both Oscar nominated) and it's vivid fall-color photography and melodramatic music.  This time her husband is gay, and she falls for her black gardener---this being the 1950's she sure has her plate full, what with the gossip in this small New England town.  Similar themes (small town prejudices, love between classes) but different approaches.  Both HEAVEN films --------GRADE------B+

A documentary about the career of Yves St. Laurent as told by his long time companion and partner Pierre Berge called L'AMOUR FOU (2010) was filled with fascinating details and insight into his creativity, success and "madness."     GRADE--------B

From last year comes JUMPING THE BROOM (2011), a modest, amusing "wedding film" between two very different families (one is rich and the other is lower working class.)  It is pleasant to see some fine African American actors get some decent roles--especially memorable were Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine as the mothers of the bride and groom, and Mike Epps, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso and Broadway regular Brian Stokes Mitchell.   GRADE-------B-

It won the top honors at the New Orleans and Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals--all I can say is it must have been a slooooow year for films.  THE SKI TRIP (2006) is a looooow budget affair that is refreshing in that all the characters are gay men and women of color, but it doesn't have much plot, and some of the gags are rather insulting and/or obvious.  Nice try.     GRADE--------C-

BEASTS OF SOUTHERN WILD, Take This Waltz, Elena, Trishna, Ted and GWTW

The most intriguing new film you'll ever see is the ambitious BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, featuring the most dynamic child actor to appear in a long while.  Filmed on location in the marshes and swamps of Louisiana, this new film centers on a 10 year old girl who is pretty much left to her own devices, but still has a strong community of neighbors to fall back on, because her father is often absent, drunk, or in the hospital due to a life threatening illness.  Early in the film the community is struck with a Katrina like hurricane which flattens or washes away much of the structures, and the girl must keep her life together or perish---her father has instilled in her a strong survival ethic, and you know she will probably make it.  But in her mind, the BEASTS are something to conquer.  She also has an active imagination, and the film eloquently mixes fantasy, reality and melodrama to gripping effect.  My main problem with the film, whether it be due to awkward location filming or many scenes shot on water or just director's prerogative, is that there is excessive use of jittery hand held camera.  I ended up sitting in the forth row, and the camera work was nauseating and distracting for me.  Perhaps if this doesn't bother you, or you can sit further back, you may find BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD to be the most innovative and propelling film of the year.    GRADE---------B+

A strong film-noir from Russia, ELENA remains a haunting (if leisurely) examination of the class struggles between the rich and middle class, and between the haves and have nots. ELENA is married to a wealthy but ill man, kind but not very understanding, and when she becomes aware that his inheritance is mostly going to his uncaring daughter from an earlier marriage, she decides to manipulate his wishes in favor of her dead beat son and his family.  The pacing is careful but builds at a steady pace, helped by the hypnotic Phillip Glass score, and the film has stuck in my mind since I saw it screened back in October at the Vancouver International Film Festival.  It had a brief run last week after several SIFF screenings.   Watch for it on DVD.      GRADE--------B+

Also with a too brief run is the creatively shot "teen film" that is mostly made for adults.  STARRY STARRY NIGHT looks terrific, with some CGI effects and glorious cinematography as it tells the story (faithfully presented from the novel) of a young teen whose parents are splitting up.  She has an active fantasy life, mostly involving her dead grandfather, and her life changes when she meets another teen boy who lives with his struggling mother.    GRADE-------B

Brightly and creatively designed in mostly primary colors, with simple plot lines, the animated film THE LORAX is based on a Dr. Seuss book, and is a cheery (and politically "green"!) experience, and kept my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter rightly intrigued.  I liked it too.        GRADE------B

The new Michael Winterbottom film TRISHNA is certainly a nice try.  He retells TESS OF THE D'HUBERVILLES but sets it in modern day India--and at times the tragedy is exotically intriguing.  But in his attempt to modernize the film, he makes the fatal step of copying the directorial style of Michael Bay (ARMAGEDDON, PEARL HARBOR, THE ROCK) who admittedly claims to never allowing a scene to last more than 3 seconds.  This really works against this romance, as the scenes never allow us to focus our eyes on the main characters for signs of drama or conflict or subtlety.  We are constantly being pulled away to another scene/shot/angle, and we lose empathy for the characters.          GRADE--------C+

Sarah Polley's first film AWAY FROM HER (2007) was blessed with a lovely, sad performance by Julie Christie as a woman who is falling into dementia.  Her new film has some thoughtful moments, but the oddly titled TAKE THIS WALTZ features some annoyingly irritating characters doing some stupid, irrational things, and by the end I was really disappointed.  Her direction is fine but in this case her script is at times trite and awkward.  I did appreciate the lengthy pool shower scene featuring some average looking (fat, old, wrinkly, etc) woman talking in the nude, and later another pool scene has two characters swimming like dolphins underwater as they discover that they love each other. Better luck next time.       GRADE----------C-

The first 30 minutes of the one joke movie TED, about an obscene, dope smoking teddy bear who is a bad influence on his 35 year old human, is the best, but suddenly, the joke gets really tired, and the last 30 minutes feels like it came from another film altogether--as if the film makers realized that they needed to pad the film out to 85 minutes instead of 55 minutes.    GRADE--------D+

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DVD CHOICES
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It has been nearly 10 years since I've seen GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), so I recently watched the new Blu Ray version.  I always forget that instead of being an EPIC---yet there are some very epic scenes in the film---GWTW is mostly an intimate, intense drama about the mismatched love relationship between two stubborn people, and how a spoiled, manipulative "princess" nearly ruins the lives of some of those around her.  I've always been quite annoyed with the character of Scarlett O'Hara, but with each viewing, I've always appreciated the entertainment value that Oscar winner Vivien Leigh brings to the proceedings and she and Clark Gable make a splendid couple, even it that  coupling lasts only 10% of the total running time.  Of course, still the great scene stealer is the Oscar winning supporting turn by Hattie McDaniel--she has all the best lines and the greatest double take facial expressions!, and Olivia De Havilland still grabs your sympathies at every moment.  The production values still can't be beat---costumes, sets, music, cinematography, editing, etc are all superb.  They don't make them like this anymore.        GRADE-------A

Simple images, songs, animation and plotting, help to create the Disney classic BAMBI (1942), which becomes an artful recreation in the year in the life of some forest animals.  The mother's death, though handled off camera, is still a dramatic shocker, as is the abstract, intense forest fire scene, but the animal and bird antics have a charming and hilarious effect, even in their simplicity.  GRADE-----A-

Got a chance to watch last year's fine Woody Allen film MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011) again, and it holds up very well as a light comedy filled with intelligence and wit.    GRADE------B+

Another light weight but charming musical comedy is HAIRSPRAY (2007), directed by Adam Shankman who this summer gave us the lively ROCK OF AGES (see previous blog.)  I also read that there has been some controversy over John Travolta playing an iconic "gay" character (the mother) given his Scientology ties, and the fact that just about every other film maker involved in the movie was gay.  That sheds a bizarre light on the new gay sex scandal that Travolta is currently involved in.  The film plays down the gender reversal--it's very understated, and not as overt as the great underground performer Devine played it when first conceived by John Waters years ago.  The music, while pleasant, is unmemorable to me (I've seen this film a couple of times and never remember anything hummable.)  Still, the actors are all quite game and in many cases, very talented.       GRADE----------B

I saw HOPSCOTCH (1980), a very surprising, clever and comic spy thriller featuring the shaggy doggedness of Walter Matthau and the intelligent, witty spryness of Glenda Jackson, and even though the film doesn't amount to too much, it is a pleasure to watch.      GRADE-------B+

Modest but sincere in the best "based on a true story" sense, GLORY ROAD (2006) tells about the first attempt in 1966 to send an all black basketball starting team to the NCAA finals.  It took me 15 minutes to realize that I'd seen it before, but it is quite watchable.   GRADE------B-

PEOPLE LIKE US, ROCK OF AGES, POLISSE, MADAGASCAR 3, SIFF 2012 Comments

Playing to an oversold house at SIFF, the new film which opens today nationwide PEOPLE LIKE US is an anomoly for the summer months--a serious drama about discovering that you have a relative that you've never known.  Based on a true story, director Alex Kurtzman wrote about discovering he had a half sister when he was thirty.  The film is well acted (by Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer and new-comer Michael Hall D'Addario) and delivers some lovely dramatic moments as it manuevers through the thorny issues that often come with discovering an instant relative or family member.    It may not be Chekov, but in July when most theatres are playing sequels and bombastic science fiction thrillers, it's a wonderful and moving alternative.      GRADE-------B+

Also from SIFF is a French thriller about a Child Protection Unit called POLISSE.  Considering the subject matter, the film is surprisingly funny and at times even light hearted as an intrepid group of cops track down and question  possible child molester, pediphiles, incompentent parents, peeping Tom's, neglectful adults, and other who never learned respect for children.  The film also delves into the personal lives of these cops, and shows how taxing it can be to deal with such criminals on a daily basis.  It plays a lot like an extended HILL STREET BLUES, where the station is filled with anguish, criminals, pranksters and drama.  GRADE---------B+ 

I wrote about MOONRISE KINGDOM earlier--a perfect little concoction by Wes Anderson that creates it's own little world out of two 12 year old runaways.  Also still playing from SIFF is the engaging and funny "based on a true story" from France called THE INTOUCHABLES, about a rich, white parapalegic being cared for by a poor Senagalese man from the slums of Paris--yet the film is very, very funny.  Also from SIFF is SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, a local Seattle based production that starts off rough and slow, but builds to an engaging and satisfying relationship comedy drama featuring a slightly deranged man (Mark Duplass) who may or may not be able to travel through time.  It's a very pleasing surprise.   MOONRISE KINGDOM---GRADE----A,
THE INTOUCHABLES---GRADE----A-, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED---GRADE----B

My first after SIFF mainstream film was MADAGASCAR 3.  It's clever, fast paced, character based animation with a lot of cultural in-jokes, most which fly over most children's head, and I must confess that many flew over my head, too.  Several times I found myself laughing (or at least gawfawing) at a joke that was 15 seconds old.  It is exhausing to watch such a fast and furious and silly work, but the jokes keep coming, the penguins are still mean and funny, and there are worse ways to waste 90 minutes.         GRADE--------B

I saw the Broadway stage production (in Seattle) last year of ROCK OF AGES, and if you like rock music from the mid 1980's then this is the film for you.  Otherwise, you should be able to appreciate the clever direction by Adam Shankman (HAIRSPRAY) that really pokes fun at the hard rock mileau inspite of the cliches that are (rightly) skewered.  Tom Cruise has some fun (and looks pretty buff) as the over the top rock god that causes women to drop (literally) at his feet.  Russell Brand and Alex Baldwin keep their tongues in cheek as the oh so close buddies who manage the infamous rock venue, and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mary J. Blige provide some fun and dramatic, respectively, support to the cast, which includes two likeable young lovers struggling to make it in the Los Angeles music scene. I thought this was an improvement on the stage production, and some good, infectious fun.         GRADE----------B

DVD CHOICES-----------------

A Bette Davis film that I thought I'd seen before, proved to be  a fine melodrama that I'd only seen parts of before.  NOW VOYAGER (1942) has Davis in her finest, spinster mode.  She's brought out of her shell by psychiatrist Claude Rains, then meets married man Paul Henreid on a cruise and falls in love with the unattainable.  She later meets his disturbed daughter and, in a rather bizarre effort to remain close to her ex-lover, "adopts" his teen daughter to help her grow into womanhood.  There are a number of memorable scenes, including the occasional lighting of two cigarettes by Henreid, and of course the closing line is "Why shoot for the moon when we have the stars."      GRADE----------B+

Tennessee Williams play PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT (1962) made a fine movie for a very young Jane Fonda, who along with Tony Franciosa, Jim Hutton and Lois Nettleton create a touching portrait of a newlywed marriage compared to a five year marriage on the rocks.  Not all the laughs work, and the static action in the second half is limited mostly to a living room, but the characters are strong and tender and memorable.            GRADE----------B

Another Fonda, Henry, is not quite as successful in the sprawling epic version of Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE (1956), directed by King Vidor.  Audrey Hepburn is quite fetching as Natasha--she's easy to watch and lovely to look at.  Mel Ferrer has some fine moments, and Vittorio Gassman is dashing as the dangerous man who nearly ruins Natasha's life.  Although Fonda tries gamely, he seems miscast as the anti-war intellectual who holds a long smouldering love for Natasha.  The production values are OK, but the long long (nearly 4 hour) film is mostly engrossing because of the plot devices.  The costumes (including some very "gay" looking short waisted capes trimmed with fur worn with very tight form fitting pants for officers) and set designs (where some serious and authentic antiques were on display) were the strongest elements for me.        GRADE-------C+

Disney's THE ARISTOCATS (1970) was modestly amusing--an animated feature about cats in peril in Paris.  Eva Gabor scores strongest as the voice of the mother cat trying to protect her kittens from the elements.  I thought it strange that their father is never mentioned, but she is happy to seduce an alley cat named O'Malley very quickly!       GRADE------C


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SIFF 2012 is two weeks past.  Here are the results of the FOOL SERIOUS poll---FOOL SERIOUS are the full series pass holders--those film goers who see an average of about 80 films during the Festival.  This year I rated 126, but one of those films was a 15 hour experience (shown in 5 three hour segments) called STORY OF FILM: An Odyssey,  so I probably saw the equivelent of over 130 films.  Top vote getters for the FOOL SERIOUS Awards are:

TOP FILMS:
THE INTOUCHABLES
BREATHING
MOONRISE KINGDOM
REBELLION
XINGU
RED ROAD
INNOCENCE
EDEN
Secret Festival #2

TOP DOCUMENTARIES:
THE OTHER DREAM TEAM
MARINA ABRAMOVIC: The Artist is Present
CHASING ICE
STORY OF FILM: An Odyssey

TOP ARCHIVAL PRESENTATIONS:
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
BADLANDS
STORY OF FILM; An Odyssey
COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER

BEST:
BEST DIRECTOR:  BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
"  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  tie--CHASING ICE< MOONRISE KINGDOM< WINTER NOMADS
"  SCRIPT:  THE INTOUCHABLES
"  MUSIC:  EL GUSTO: The Good Mood
"  ACTOR:  ALAN CUMMINGS in ANY DAY NOW
"  ACTRESS:  QUVENZHANE WALLIS (newcomer child)in BEASTS OF SOUTHERN WILD
"  GUILTY PLEASURE:  REMINGTON AND CURSE OF ZOMBADINGS (!)

LEAST LIKED:
MOST FUN I'VE EVER HAD W PANTS ON
Secret 2012 #3
HAIL
V/H/S
419
HEMEL
DAAS
L
THE CONVOY
WUTHERING HEIGHTS


SEE MY PREVIOUS BLOG FOR MY PERSONAL FAVORITES!