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
_________________________
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!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Final weekend SIFF 2012---Plus BEST OF SIFF 2012
Last weekend of SIFF 2012 was full of choice offerings.
THE SOURCE family blossomed in the early seventies at the helm of the charismatic leader Jim Baker, and this fascinating and engrossing documentary tells of that rise and fall that attracted many into the "family". Fortunately, one family member was a professional photographer and film maker, so the pictures and film are very well done. GRADE-------A-
From Czech Republic comes the new film by Jan Hrebejk (COSY DENS 1998, and DIVIDED WE FALL 2000). A troubled, delusional 14 year old girl accuses a well liked doctor of sexual impropriety in INNOCENCEwhich throws his family into anguish and anger. Even as the true events come to light, the film-maker throws at us another twist that leaves all we've seen in troubled turmoil. This is an intelligent, dark thriller that demands a second viewing--it had audiences talking......GRADE------A-
A strong feature from Iran (again--see also GOODBYE and A CUBE OF SUGAR), MOURNING features a young boy whose parents have run off in the night after a fight, then get themselves killed in an horrific traffic accident. His aunt and uncle, both of whom are deaf, drive him back to the big city, discussing (in sign language) what they think might be good for him, unaware that he knows signing and can also read lips! It's a very intriguing set-up, pregnant with political satires and potshots, yet it works so well on a humanistic level also. It's a small gem. GRADE-----A-
Much better than the awkward, amateurish-looking preview would have you believe, GAYBY is a very witty story of a woman and her long time best gay male friend who decided to conceive a baby, the "old-fashioned way"---with sex instead of the turkey baster......Things get complicated when they each try to have a love life outside of their baby-making activities. Some of it is pretty funny, and the actors are all game. GRADE------B+
A late addition to the schedule is THE BIG PICTURE from France, which tells the story of a rising lawyer who loses his wife to a neighbor man and is about to inherit a busy law firm because his partner is dying of cancer. On top of that, he's just accidentally killed the neighbor man. Time for a big career make-over. It's an engrossing story, full of irony and some improbabilities, as well but slickly entertaining. GRADE-----B
From France comes A CHECKOUT GIRL'S BIG ADVENTURES, an overblown good idea gone flat, as the plot lumbers along with unbelievable plot turns that include a check out clerk whose blogging about retail workers becomes all the rage in Paris--oh really?--and who meets the man of her dreams in the middle of the snowy street. They both seem to fall in love after this 30 second encounter and spend the next 90 minutes searching for each other again. Yawn......I was one full step ahead of this piddle the whole time, and the supporting characters are even duller. GRADE-------C
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
BEST OF SIFF 2012
In no particular order with possible release dates
Moonrise Kingdom (now playing)
Liberal Arts (fall)
Starbuck (fall)
Lipstikka
Three Quarter Moon (fall)
Tey
Nosilatiaj.Beauty
Oslo, 31 August (now playing)
Las Acacias
Elena (July)
Eye Of Storm (fall)
Innocence
Mourning
Cube of Sugar
Best Documentaries
Story of Film : An Odyssey ( dvd in December--possible screening in fall)
Winter Nomads (August)
The Source
High Ground
Chasing Ice
Diana Freeland: Eye Has to Travel
Free Throw
Above features were rated A or A-
------------------------------------------------------------------
Best of the rest (rated B+, B, and B-)
4 Days in May, Any Day Now, Beast of the Southern Wild, Big Picture, Breathing, British Guide to Showing Off, Can, Cloudburst, Crown Jewels, Cracks in the Shell, Cloudburst, Can,Coteau Rouge, Countdown,ls, Do-Deca Pentathlon, Dreams of a Life, Eden, Empty Home, Fat Kid Rules the World, The First Time, Gayby, Goodbye, Guilty, Hello I Must Be Going, Hunky Dory, Impostor, Keep the Lights On, Lost in Paradise, Mirror Never Lies, The Monk, My Brother the Devil, North Sea Texas, My Dad is Baryshnikov, Overheard 2, Otelo Burning, People Like Us, Polisse, Policeman, Recalled, Sacrifice, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sex of Angels, Simon and the Oaks, Sleepwalk With Me, The Standbys, Tall Man, Teddy Bear, Under African Skies, Unforgivable, Unit 7, Wetlands, White Camellias, Woman in the Fifth, Xingu.
BEST SURPRISES----Any Day Now, Beasts of Southern Wild, Cube of Sugar, Gayby, The First Time, Guilty, Hunky Dory, Keep the Lights On, My Brother the Devil, North Sea Texas, The Standbys, Winter Nomads----these films really exceeded expectations!!!!!!!!!!
Favorite reissue------the fabulous looking, witty TWO FOR THE ROAD
--------------------------------
Worst of SIFF 2012 (rated D+ or less)
170HZ, Everything and Everyone, Hail, Keyhole, Long Ride Home, Most Fun I've Ever Had w/Pants On, Remington and Curse of Zombadings, Wuthering Heights, Cousinhood
THE SOURCE family blossomed in the early seventies at the helm of the charismatic leader Jim Baker, and this fascinating and engrossing documentary tells of that rise and fall that attracted many into the "family". Fortunately, one family member was a professional photographer and film maker, so the pictures and film are very well done. GRADE-------A-
From Czech Republic comes the new film by Jan Hrebejk (COSY DENS 1998, and DIVIDED WE FALL 2000). A troubled, delusional 14 year old girl accuses a well liked doctor of sexual impropriety in INNOCENCEwhich throws his family into anguish and anger. Even as the true events come to light, the film-maker throws at us another twist that leaves all we've seen in troubled turmoil. This is an intelligent, dark thriller that demands a second viewing--it had audiences talking......GRADE------A-
A strong feature from Iran (again--see also GOODBYE and A CUBE OF SUGAR), MOURNING features a young boy whose parents have run off in the night after a fight, then get themselves killed in an horrific traffic accident. His aunt and uncle, both of whom are deaf, drive him back to the big city, discussing (in sign language) what they think might be good for him, unaware that he knows signing and can also read lips! It's a very intriguing set-up, pregnant with political satires and potshots, yet it works so well on a humanistic level also. It's a small gem. GRADE-----A-
Much better than the awkward, amateurish-looking preview would have you believe, GAYBY is a very witty story of a woman and her long time best gay male friend who decided to conceive a baby, the "old-fashioned way"---with sex instead of the turkey baster......Things get complicated when they each try to have a love life outside of their baby-making activities. Some of it is pretty funny, and the actors are all game. GRADE------B+
A late addition to the schedule is THE BIG PICTURE from France, which tells the story of a rising lawyer who loses his wife to a neighbor man and is about to inherit a busy law firm because his partner is dying of cancer. On top of that, he's just accidentally killed the neighbor man. Time for a big career make-over. It's an engrossing story, full of irony and some improbabilities, as well but slickly entertaining. GRADE-----B
From France comes A CHECKOUT GIRL'S BIG ADVENTURES, an overblown good idea gone flat, as the plot lumbers along with unbelievable plot turns that include a check out clerk whose blogging about retail workers becomes all the rage in Paris--oh really?--and who meets the man of her dreams in the middle of the snowy street. They both seem to fall in love after this 30 second encounter and spend the next 90 minutes searching for each other again. Yawn......I was one full step ahead of this piddle the whole time, and the supporting characters are even duller. GRADE-------C
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
BEST OF SIFF 2012
In no particular order with possible release dates
Moonrise Kingdom (now playing)
Liberal Arts (fall)
Starbuck (fall)
Lipstikka
Three Quarter Moon (fall)
Tey
Nosilatiaj.Beauty
Oslo, 31 August (now playing)
Las Acacias
Elena (July)
Eye Of Storm (fall)
Innocence
Mourning
Cube of Sugar
Best Documentaries
Story of Film : An Odyssey ( dvd in December--possible screening in fall)
Winter Nomads (August)
The Source
High Ground
Chasing Ice
Diana Freeland: Eye Has to Travel
Free Throw
Above features were rated A or A-
------------------------------------------------------------------
Best of the rest (rated B+, B, and B-)
4 Days in May, Any Day Now, Beast of the Southern Wild, Big Picture, Breathing, British Guide to Showing Off, Can, Cloudburst, Crown Jewels, Cracks in the Shell, Cloudburst, Can,Coteau Rouge, Countdown,ls, Do-Deca Pentathlon, Dreams of a Life, Eden, Empty Home, Fat Kid Rules the World, The First Time, Gayby, Goodbye, Guilty, Hello I Must Be Going, Hunky Dory, Impostor, Keep the Lights On, Lost in Paradise, Mirror Never Lies, The Monk, My Brother the Devil, North Sea Texas, My Dad is Baryshnikov, Overheard 2, Otelo Burning, People Like Us, Polisse, Policeman, Recalled, Sacrifice, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sex of Angels, Simon and the Oaks, Sleepwalk With Me, The Standbys, Tall Man, Teddy Bear, Under African Skies, Unforgivable, Unit 7, Wetlands, White Camellias, Woman in the Fifth, Xingu.
BEST SURPRISES----Any Day Now, Beasts of Southern Wild, Cube of Sugar, Gayby, The First Time, Guilty, Hunky Dory, Keep the Lights On, My Brother the Devil, North Sea Texas, The Standbys, Winter Nomads----these films really exceeded expectations!!!!!!!!!!
Favorite reissue------the fabulous looking, witty TWO FOR THE ROAD
--------------------------------
Worst of SIFF 2012 (rated D+ or less)
170HZ, Everything and Everyone, Hail, Keyhole, Long Ride Home, Most Fun I've Ever Had w/Pants On, Remington and Curse of Zombadings, Wuthering Heights, Cousinhood
Friday, June 8, 2012
SIFF 4Jun--7Jun---LIPSTIKKA, HUNKY DORY, CHASING ICE
Coming up to the last weekend of SIFF 2012, another busy week of film-going.
Still at the top was Part 5 of the 15 hour marathon screening of THE STORY OF FILM and in spite of a few minor complaints (like occasionally declaring some film the BEST of it's kind for the decade--usually a film that no one in the auditorium had ever even heard of....much less seen) this thoughtful, epic film is a MUST SEE for any serious film fan, because it provides a much needed historical content against which to base film criticism. It also fills in the gaps of world wide historical film making, providing context and raising the "need to see" bar. GRADE-------A
Incredible icy landscapes and shocking time-lapse imagery prove beyond a doubt that the ice glaciers are melting at an amazing speed, and only humanity has the power to change this dangerous course. A must see for every sceptic, especially the doubtful cast of FOX News, CHASING ICE is proof positive that it is time to step up to save the environment. GRADE---------A
Very, very serious film LIPSTIKKA about the life long relationship between two women living in London, that flashes back to tell the life changing episode from their teen years in Ramallah that shapes their future. Intelligently told, with a strong, surprising conclusion. GRADE-------A-
HUNKY DORY juggles a dozen main characters from a high school in the mid 1970's in Great Britain who are trying to mount a modern musical version of THE TEMPEST. This is a lovable dramedy that plays like a more serious version of TV's GLEE. GRADE---------B+
Opening nationwide near the end of June, PEOPLE LIKE US features Chris Pine who discovers, after his father's death, that he has a half sister (Elizabeth Banks)--the film is surprisingly sensitive about the issues raised---definitely an anti-blockbuster type of film, but heartfelt and touching. GRADE----B+
Another intriguing Hollywood film opening this summer, and well filmed in Seattle, THE DETAILS tells of an amoral doctor who finds himself in a downward cycle of lies, infidelity and murder when he tries to get rid of a raccoon family that is tearing up his back yard. The film is actually that rarest of creatures--a very dark black comedy that works pretty well. Tobey Maguire is the doctor, Elizabeth Banks his wife, and Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert and Ray Liotta are also featured. GRADE------B
Nothing much happens on this beautiful, tranquil Indonesian island in THE MIRROR NEVER LIES. A young girl grieves for her missing and presumed dead father while she befriends a dolphin scientist who rents a room from her mother. But if you let yourself go while watching the beautiful scenery, the film has a moving, ethereal effect at times. GRADE------B
A small but tightly paced drama about the last 24 hours before a National Guard unit is RECALLED up to be deployed to Iraq in the mid-1980's The ethical dilemma appears when a soldier finds that he can't stay behind when it's discovered that his son has developed stage 4 cancer, and he considers going AWOL. The fine cast includes Seth Gabel, Aidan Quinn and Shad Moss, aka singer Bow Wow. GRADE-------B
Interesting film set in Kyrgyzstan, Russia and France, THE EMPTY HOME follows a very tough and resourceful teen who runs away after marrying a rich villager, but finds life a big challenge in the big city of Moscow. GRADE-----B
From Israel, the film POLICEMAN follows four brutish cops and a handful of would be revolutionaries who are planning an "event"--it shows us their ideals and relationships. Some unusual scenes include a naked massage that one cop gives his very pregnant wife. The film is not great, but it doesn't bore, either--just needs a bit of editing. GRADE------B-
UNIT 7 from Spain is another police thriller that follows four head banger cops as they try to clean up Seville of drugs before the Olympics in 1992. It appears that these four are also on the take. Haven't we seen this done before? Still, the action is compulsive and the film is stylish. GRADE-----B-
Here's a good looking film about a couple of beautiful male prostitutes in Saigon. A young gay man makes his way to the city and ends up falling in love with one, who just can't seem to quit the trade. It may be simplistic and rather shallow at times, but LOST IN PARADISE was easy to watch, with high quality production values for a Vietnamese film. GRADE---------B-
THALE from Norway is a would be science fiction thrillers about the discovery of a very strange woman who has been kept in captivity for many years. There is a very promising, intense twenty minute opening, but it seems the film makers lose their nerve and script along the way. GRADE-------C+
It's not a good film, but the indie production WHITE CAMELIAS about an aging, loveless ex-Hollywood player (an interesting Cybil Shepard) throwing the dinner party from hell, kept me engaged and entertained for 90 minutes. GRADE--------C+
Nice try, but this low budget sci-fi wanna be called EASTON'S ARTICLE was dull, dull, slow and dull. After 45 minutes nothing much happened and I walked out. GRADE--------D+
Another film where nothing happened for almost an hour, SIN BIN wants to be a "cleaned up" teen sex comedy, but I didn't laugh one time in 45 minutes, so I walked out. GRADE------D
I've liked her previous films, especially RED ROAD screening Saturday morning, but Andrea Arnold's newest, a "re-imaging" of WUTHERING HEIGHTS had me wanting to run from the theatre after 5 minutes, but I didn't want to crawl over 4 bodies that were blocking my exit. Done in extreme and aggressive hand held style, using "natural" lighting (think single candle, or fire place, or foggy, rain soaked scenes)---well, I couldn't make out any ones faces or names---the sound quality was very poor at my screening. It just kept going on and on, although the final 20 minutes tries to whip up some emotional intensity. Instead, it just looked to me like Heathclift was trying to have sex with a corpse. UGH. GRADE----------D
Still at the top was Part 5 of the 15 hour marathon screening of THE STORY OF FILM and in spite of a few minor complaints (like occasionally declaring some film the BEST of it's kind for the decade--usually a film that no one in the auditorium had ever even heard of....much less seen) this thoughtful, epic film is a MUST SEE for any serious film fan, because it provides a much needed historical content against which to base film criticism. It also fills in the gaps of world wide historical film making, providing context and raising the "need to see" bar. GRADE-------A
Incredible icy landscapes and shocking time-lapse imagery prove beyond a doubt that the ice glaciers are melting at an amazing speed, and only humanity has the power to change this dangerous course. A must see for every sceptic, especially the doubtful cast of FOX News, CHASING ICE is proof positive that it is time to step up to save the environment. GRADE---------A
Very, very serious film LIPSTIKKA about the life long relationship between two women living in London, that flashes back to tell the life changing episode from their teen years in Ramallah that shapes their future. Intelligently told, with a strong, surprising conclusion. GRADE-------A-
HUNKY DORY juggles a dozen main characters from a high school in the mid 1970's in Great Britain who are trying to mount a modern musical version of THE TEMPEST. This is a lovable dramedy that plays like a more serious version of TV's GLEE. GRADE---------B+
Opening nationwide near the end of June, PEOPLE LIKE US features Chris Pine who discovers, after his father's death, that he has a half sister (Elizabeth Banks)--the film is surprisingly sensitive about the issues raised---definitely an anti-blockbuster type of film, but heartfelt and touching. GRADE----B+
Another intriguing Hollywood film opening this summer, and well filmed in Seattle, THE DETAILS tells of an amoral doctor who finds himself in a downward cycle of lies, infidelity and murder when he tries to get rid of a raccoon family that is tearing up his back yard. The film is actually that rarest of creatures--a very dark black comedy that works pretty well. Tobey Maguire is the doctor, Elizabeth Banks his wife, and Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert and Ray Liotta are also featured. GRADE------B
Nothing much happens on this beautiful, tranquil Indonesian island in THE MIRROR NEVER LIES. A young girl grieves for her missing and presumed dead father while she befriends a dolphin scientist who rents a room from her mother. But if you let yourself go while watching the beautiful scenery, the film has a moving, ethereal effect at times. GRADE------B
A small but tightly paced drama about the last 24 hours before a National Guard unit is RECALLED up to be deployed to Iraq in the mid-1980's The ethical dilemma appears when a soldier finds that he can't stay behind when it's discovered that his son has developed stage 4 cancer, and he considers going AWOL. The fine cast includes Seth Gabel, Aidan Quinn and Shad Moss, aka singer Bow Wow. GRADE-------B
Interesting film set in Kyrgyzstan, Russia and France, THE EMPTY HOME follows a very tough and resourceful teen who runs away after marrying a rich villager, but finds life a big challenge in the big city of Moscow. GRADE-----B
From Israel, the film POLICEMAN follows four brutish cops and a handful of would be revolutionaries who are planning an "event"--it shows us their ideals and relationships. Some unusual scenes include a naked massage that one cop gives his very pregnant wife. The film is not great, but it doesn't bore, either--just needs a bit of editing. GRADE------B-
UNIT 7 from Spain is another police thriller that follows four head banger cops as they try to clean up Seville of drugs before the Olympics in 1992. It appears that these four are also on the take. Haven't we seen this done before? Still, the action is compulsive and the film is stylish. GRADE-----B-
Here's a good looking film about a couple of beautiful male prostitutes in Saigon. A young gay man makes his way to the city and ends up falling in love with one, who just can't seem to quit the trade. It may be simplistic and rather shallow at times, but LOST IN PARADISE was easy to watch, with high quality production values for a Vietnamese film. GRADE---------B-
THALE from Norway is a would be science fiction thrillers about the discovery of a very strange woman who has been kept in captivity for many years. There is a very promising, intense twenty minute opening, but it seems the film makers lose their nerve and script along the way. GRADE-------C+
It's not a good film, but the indie production WHITE CAMELIAS about an aging, loveless ex-Hollywood player (an interesting Cybil Shepard) throwing the dinner party from hell, kept me engaged and entertained for 90 minutes. GRADE--------C+
Nice try, but this low budget sci-fi wanna be called EASTON'S ARTICLE was dull, dull, slow and dull. After 45 minutes nothing much happened and I walked out. GRADE--------D+
Another film where nothing happened for almost an hour, SIN BIN wants to be a "cleaned up" teen sex comedy, but I didn't laugh one time in 45 minutes, so I walked out. GRADE------D
I've liked her previous films, especially RED ROAD screening Saturday morning, but Andrea Arnold's newest, a "re-imaging" of WUTHERING HEIGHTS had me wanting to run from the theatre after 5 minutes, but I didn't want to crawl over 4 bodies that were blocking my exit. Done in extreme and aggressive hand held style, using "natural" lighting (think single candle, or fire place, or foggy, rain soaked scenes)---well, I couldn't make out any ones faces or names---the sound quality was very poor at my screening. It just kept going on and on, although the final 20 minutes tries to whip up some emotional intensity. Instead, it just looked to me like Heathclift was trying to have sex with a corpse. UGH. GRADE----------D
Monday, June 4, 2012
SIFF Report 1June-3June--CUBE OF SUGAR, BEASTS SOUTHERN WILD, STARBUCKS
SIFF is in full and frantic swing as we head into the final week This past weekend was pretty strong. Here's what played that I saw.
From Iran, A CUBE OF SUGAR may be the most unusual film from that country to play the west. Dozens of guests come to stay the weekend for the wedding of a young relative and her (as yet) absent groom in the military. The atmosphere is happy, celebratory, loopy, hopeful--and there are so many people coming into the house that it is difficult for the viewer to be certain exactly who is who. About half way through the film, ironic tragedy strikes one guest, and suddenly the mood becomes, obviously, more subdued and sorrowful, and yet the film, possibly seen as a metaphor for the country's history (past and future) remains beautifully hopeful. GRADE----------A-
I wrote about the French Canadian STARBUCK and THE BRITISH GUIDE TO SHOWING OFF back in October when I saw them at the Vancouver International Film Festival. They are both extremely likable and funny. GRADE for each-------------B+
Powerful and very unique, THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is filmed in the delta region of Louisiana and features mostly local people as it tells the story of a catastrophic hurricane devastating the dirt poor folks who must scrap and fight for every meal. (Hurricane Katrina is never named, but it is likely that this could be a personal story of that incident.) A driving force in the story is the dynamic relationship between an indigent father and his scrappy, resourceful, motherless young daughter---maybe near age 7, who manages to hold her own against the fierce elements and her drunken, desperate father (who is probably the only "professional" in the cast.) My biggest complaint is the nature of the film making itself. The camera work is aggressively hand held and becomes nauseating when viewed from up close which was where I ended up at the sold out screening. Still, I admired the concept and creativity the first time film-maker--a true tour-de-force of the human spirit. GRADE------B+
Smartly written and acted, this small film about two teens falling in love for THE FIRST TIME manages to escape the vulgarities of the usual teen comedy (like gross out jokes and crude sex talk, etc) to become very thoughtful and realistic in depicting first time sex. GRADE------B+
Beautifully filmed from the Gothic classic novel, THE MONK creates almost an other-worldly milieu where a pious monk becomes unknowingly tempted by evil in an insidious manner. Moody and fascinating and (for its time) lurid. GRADE-------B+
Made in Brazil, the mostly true story XINGU tells of three brothers who struggle to protect the indigenous rights of the Indians from progress, military and commercialism. The epic-lite film gallops through the decades, and at times seems to gloss over the drama, but it's an earnest and interesting story. GRADE---- B
Modern Turkish society is on view in story of an unwanted child called C A N. The film leaves some lingering questions, but the actors and story are compelling. GRADE-----B
Well filmed and acted Swedish film THE CROWN JEWELS has some unusual plot twists that at times are rather astonishing (in both good and bad ways), but it is not dull. An older teen girl accused of murder retells her story in flashback . The film is curiously likable. GRADE-----B
From South Korea comes MIRAGE---an unusual film which flashed back and forth in time to relate the friendship of two school mates. They are both fascinated by science fiction and worm holes, but the film takes you to places you had no idea you were going to. Interesting. GRADE-----B-
Odd film-noir from 1946, THE CHASE has been restored, and it was entertaining if rather bizarre. Robert Cummings plays an ex-soldier with mental problems who becomes involved with his gangster bosses wife--fleeing with her to Cuba. There's a major plot twist midway that left viewers scratching their heads, and the ending doesn't seem as happily resolved as the characters would have us believe. GRADE------B-
US independent comic film about a ball-busting new manager who barges her way into the lives of her co-workers, PRICE CHECK is nothing without the amazing queen of indie films herself--Parker Posey. The film feels much like TV's THE OFFICE, but focuses on the relationship the manager forces into between her newly promoted assistant (Eric Mabius) and his wife and child. Posey makes it fun, but there's nothing new here. GRADE---------C+
Mincing, cringe-inducing film from Philippines, REMINGTON AND THE CURSE OF THE ZOMBADINGS could have been a campy treat, but instead, this film of a gaydar gun that kills closeted gays and turns them into zombies is sloppy and chock full of the worst stereotypes. GRADE-------D
From Iran, A CUBE OF SUGAR may be the most unusual film from that country to play the west. Dozens of guests come to stay the weekend for the wedding of a young relative and her (as yet) absent groom in the military. The atmosphere is happy, celebratory, loopy, hopeful--and there are so many people coming into the house that it is difficult for the viewer to be certain exactly who is who. About half way through the film, ironic tragedy strikes one guest, and suddenly the mood becomes, obviously, more subdued and sorrowful, and yet the film, possibly seen as a metaphor for the country's history (past and future) remains beautifully hopeful. GRADE----------A-
I wrote about the French Canadian STARBUCK and THE BRITISH GUIDE TO SHOWING OFF back in October when I saw them at the Vancouver International Film Festival. They are both extremely likable and funny. GRADE for each-------------B+
Powerful and very unique, THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is filmed in the delta region of Louisiana and features mostly local people as it tells the story of a catastrophic hurricane devastating the dirt poor folks who must scrap and fight for every meal. (Hurricane Katrina is never named, but it is likely that this could be a personal story of that incident.) A driving force in the story is the dynamic relationship between an indigent father and his scrappy, resourceful, motherless young daughter---maybe near age 7, who manages to hold her own against the fierce elements and her drunken, desperate father (who is probably the only "professional" in the cast.) My biggest complaint is the nature of the film making itself. The camera work is aggressively hand held and becomes nauseating when viewed from up close which was where I ended up at the sold out screening. Still, I admired the concept and creativity the first time film-maker--a true tour-de-force of the human spirit. GRADE------B+
Smartly written and acted, this small film about two teens falling in love for THE FIRST TIME manages to escape the vulgarities of the usual teen comedy (like gross out jokes and crude sex talk, etc) to become very thoughtful and realistic in depicting first time sex. GRADE------B+
Beautifully filmed from the Gothic classic novel, THE MONK creates almost an other-worldly milieu where a pious monk becomes unknowingly tempted by evil in an insidious manner. Moody and fascinating and (for its time) lurid. GRADE-------B+
Made in Brazil, the mostly true story XINGU tells of three brothers who struggle to protect the indigenous rights of the Indians from progress, military and commercialism. The epic-lite film gallops through the decades, and at times seems to gloss over the drama, but it's an earnest and interesting story. GRADE---- B
Modern Turkish society is on view in story of an unwanted child called C A N. The film leaves some lingering questions, but the actors and story are compelling. GRADE-----B
Well filmed and acted Swedish film THE CROWN JEWELS has some unusual plot twists that at times are rather astonishing (in both good and bad ways), but it is not dull. An older teen girl accused of murder retells her story in flashback . The film is curiously likable. GRADE-----B
From South Korea comes MIRAGE---an unusual film which flashed back and forth in time to relate the friendship of two school mates. They are both fascinated by science fiction and worm holes, but the film takes you to places you had no idea you were going to. Interesting. GRADE-----B-
Odd film-noir from 1946, THE CHASE has been restored, and it was entertaining if rather bizarre. Robert Cummings plays an ex-soldier with mental problems who becomes involved with his gangster bosses wife--fleeing with her to Cuba. There's a major plot twist midway that left viewers scratching their heads, and the ending doesn't seem as happily resolved as the characters would have us believe. GRADE------B-
US independent comic film about a ball-busting new manager who barges her way into the lives of her co-workers, PRICE CHECK is nothing without the amazing queen of indie films herself--Parker Posey. The film feels much like TV's THE OFFICE, but focuses on the relationship the manager forces into between her newly promoted assistant (Eric Mabius) and his wife and child. Posey makes it fun, but there's nothing new here. GRADE---------C+
Mincing, cringe-inducing film from Philippines, REMINGTON AND THE CURSE OF THE ZOMBADINGS could have been a campy treat, but instead, this film of a gaydar gun that kills closeted gays and turns them into zombies is sloppy and chock full of the worst stereotypes. GRADE-------D
Friday, June 1, 2012
SIFF 2012 screened 5/29---5/31
Here are more press screenings and regular screenings that I was this week.
STORY OF FILM; AN ODYSSEY parts 3 and 4---I always know that I'll end even a crappy day of film going with this insightful, fascinating, exhaustive movie history experience. GRADE A
This dynamic French film GUILTY tells the true story of an innocent man and wife accused of molesting the children of people they didn't even know---and the nightmare that follows in prison and in the court system. The lead actor is excellent---gaining and losing weight throughout the story. GRADE----------A-
Small, subtle, surprising story from Argentina which shows how the middle class exploits its indigenous people. The ending of this gentle film called NOSILATIAJ BEAUTY is a whopper. GRADE--------B+
Charming Russian film MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV is quite funny and lively, mixing coming of age story with desire to dance. Unfortunately, the ending is rather low key, losing some of the earlier fizz. GRADE--------B
Modest story set at end of World War II, 4 DAYS IN MAY has some tension-filled (if unlikely) plot of Red Russian army trying to protect small girls in a German school from improprieties as the war is ending. GRADE------B
OTELO BURNING actually gets better as the film progresses---nothing like learning on the job. Three young poor black teens from South Africa discover the joys and "freedoms" of surfing, while their small township is going through some violent political changes. It is a tragedy, although nothing like it's namesake Othello. GRADE------B
Interesting documentary of an indigenous man who is probably "accidentally" killed 45 minutes after he is booked, THE TALL MAN shed light on the prejudice's that exist in Australia. GRADE----B-
The first 2 hours of the nearly 4 hour Russian film CHAPITEAU-SHOW are a lot of fun, with brightly filmed scenes set at a famous beach town, but it is down hill from there. First half is rated B but the second half gets a C-. Total GRADE---------C+
Brutal and exhausting to watch, I'm glad they made the film DIAZ--DON'T CLEAN UP THIS BLOOD to show us or remind us of an horrific incident of police brutality in 2000 Genoa. Unfortunately, it had audience members running from the theatre while the rest of us felt numb afterwards. GRADE-------C+
PRIME TIME SOAP from Brazil plays a lot like a soap opera, but with added bits of political intrigue and violent brutality. Too bad the subtitles were nearly unreadable--you can maybe read about 25% of them, so a lot details may have been lost to the non Spanish speaker. GRADE----C+
I didn't buy into the premise that a shallow blind 30 year old girl could "have any man she wanted" and I didn't care for any of the characters in the tedious Spanish film 6 POINTS ABOUT EMMA. GRADE------C
US independent film THE MOST FUN I'VE EVER HAD WITH MY PANTS ON has some lovely photography that features the South West cross country trip that two 20-something childhood girl friends take in the car. Unfortunately, someone forgot to provide a story/scrip for them---the dialogue is banal. GRADE--------D+
I couldn't become engaged with the black and white, TOTALLY abstract script/story/film ---the newest from Guy Madden (MY WINNIPEG, SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD). This new film called KEYHOLE was total chaos and absurdity for the first hour, so I left. GRADE -------D
STORY OF FILM; AN ODYSSEY parts 3 and 4---I always know that I'll end even a crappy day of film going with this insightful, fascinating, exhaustive movie history experience. GRADE A
This dynamic French film GUILTY tells the true story of an innocent man and wife accused of molesting the children of people they didn't even know---and the nightmare that follows in prison and in the court system. The lead actor is excellent---gaining and losing weight throughout the story. GRADE----------A-
Small, subtle, surprising story from Argentina which shows how the middle class exploits its indigenous people. The ending of this gentle film called NOSILATIAJ BEAUTY is a whopper. GRADE--------B+
Charming Russian film MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV is quite funny and lively, mixing coming of age story with desire to dance. Unfortunately, the ending is rather low key, losing some of the earlier fizz. GRADE--------B
Modest story set at end of World War II, 4 DAYS IN MAY has some tension-filled (if unlikely) plot of Red Russian army trying to protect small girls in a German school from improprieties as the war is ending. GRADE------B
OTELO BURNING actually gets better as the film progresses---nothing like learning on the job. Three young poor black teens from South Africa discover the joys and "freedoms" of surfing, while their small township is going through some violent political changes. It is a tragedy, although nothing like it's namesake Othello. GRADE------B
Interesting documentary of an indigenous man who is probably "accidentally" killed 45 minutes after he is booked, THE TALL MAN shed light on the prejudice's that exist in Australia. GRADE----B-
The first 2 hours of the nearly 4 hour Russian film CHAPITEAU-SHOW are a lot of fun, with brightly filmed scenes set at a famous beach town, but it is down hill from there. First half is rated B but the second half gets a C-. Total GRADE---------C+
Brutal and exhausting to watch, I'm glad they made the film DIAZ--DON'T CLEAN UP THIS BLOOD to show us or remind us of an horrific incident of police brutality in 2000 Genoa. Unfortunately, it had audience members running from the theatre while the rest of us felt numb afterwards. GRADE-------C+
PRIME TIME SOAP from Brazil plays a lot like a soap opera, but with added bits of political intrigue and violent brutality. Too bad the subtitles were nearly unreadable--you can maybe read about 25% of them, so a lot details may have been lost to the non Spanish speaker. GRADE----C+
I didn't buy into the premise that a shallow blind 30 year old girl could "have any man she wanted" and I didn't care for any of the characters in the tedious Spanish film 6 POINTS ABOUT EMMA. GRADE------C
US independent film THE MOST FUN I'VE EVER HAD WITH MY PANTS ON has some lovely photography that features the South West cross country trip that two 20-something childhood girl friends take in the car. Unfortunately, someone forgot to provide a story/scrip for them---the dialogue is banal. GRADE--------D+
I couldn't become engaged with the black and white, TOTALLY abstract script/story/film ---the newest from Guy Madden (MY WINNIPEG, SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD). This new film called KEYHOLE was total chaos and absurdity for the first hour, so I left. GRADE -------D
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