In an effort to stay current, I'll try to briefly review all films I'm seeing at SIFF at least twice a week, probably on Mondays and Thursdays. Since many are advance press screenings before appearing on the regular schedule, this might hopefully give SIFF goers a heads up on what to see or avoid.
From Austria comes the intriguing THE WALL, symbolical metaphor for ---life, politics, humanity, God...!!!???? A woman finds she cannot get past an invisible wall in the forest and must learn to live with animals and herself in order to survive. GRADE-----B+
US documentary FUREVER deals with the lengths that people will go to to keep their pet animals close to them, even after they have died. These include, but are not limited to Freeze dried, stuffed, mummified, encapsulating DNA in jewelry or art, holograms, and many many other actions. Mortality and grief are also covered in this occasionally moving, often funny, always lively film about our relationship with our pet dogs and cats. GRADE-------B
THE SUMMIT tells of the 2008 mountaineering tragedy that claimed the lives of 11 climbers from different countries as they tried to scale K2. There are interviews, filmed footage and some eerie reenactments of events to tell the harrowing story. The film raises questions and leaves many of them unanswered. Still, fascinating viewing. GRADE------B
AFTER TILLER is a US documentary of life after the murder of Dr. George Tiller, one of only a handful of physicians who continue to perform late term abortions. It's a controversial, thought provoking, sad documentary, but however you feel on the subject, it is riveting viewing. GRADE---------A-
ERNEST & CELESTINE is a French animated film, geared for sophisticated children and interested adults, with whimsical, impressionistic anime, lovely music, and a challenging plot having to do with a world where bears live above ground, and mice below, but they learn to tolerate and love each other through the relationship between Ernest a crabby, grumpy bear and the artistic Celestine, a sweet, adventurous mouse who only wants to collect teeth (!) and live her life making Ernest happy. GRADE---------B
THE AFRICAN CYPHER chronicles a dozen young street dancers from the slums of a South African township who see street dancing as a way out of their struggles. Lot's of dancing, which is very choreographed and lots of music, but this felt like very familiar stuff. Twenty years ago in the slums of major US cities, youngsters did their "break dancing" and held similar views of freedom and life--all with the same macho posturing and bloated egos. See it only if interested. GRADE----C
------SOOOO, heading into the first weekend, I'd highly recommend the following films, rated B or better------WE STEAL SECRETS: STORY OF WIKILEAKS, 5 DANCES, CONCUSSION, GOLTZIUS and the PELICAN COMPANY, FRANCES HA, DOCH (THE DAUGHTER), and WHAT MAISIE KNEW, and ERNEST & CELESTINE See previous blogs for more details.
Coming this Monday--Thursday, I'd highly suggest the PARADISE trilogy (PARADISE LOVE, PARADISE FAITH and PARADISE HOPE) which play separately TUE, WED and THUR night, respectively, and repeat all in a row starting early next Saturday 5/25. Also playing mid week are UNA NOCHE and AUGUSTINE. (Again, refer to earlier blogs for more details.)
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