Screenings this week were varied and most were thoughtful and well done. Here's what I've seen in the first part of the week in the order I prefer.
GRADE A-
LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (1961)--A finely restored memory/dream film about rich folks living in the purgatory of an ultra ornate grand hotel, where people speak in monotone voices, and dialogue is repeated in loops of banality. This classic, iconic French film is a fascinating, frustrating, enigmatic puzzle, and I can't wait to see it again.
TOM AT THE FARM--Chilling French Canadian psychological thriller where a gay man (writer, director, actor Xavier Dolan) goes to his lover's funeral only to find that Mom didn't know her son was gay, and the cruel older brother has a disturbing homophobic agenda.
GRADE B+
STANDING ASIDE, WATCHING--I didn't enjoy watching this bruising Greek film which follows an aggressive young woman who travels back to the small town she grew up in, only to find passive, indifferent friends, corrupt authority and major economic depression. But when I realized (afterwards) that this is a micro vision of modern day Greece society and politics, the film takes on new meaning. AND, it is not boring.
TO BE TAKAI--Excellent documentary about actor/activist George Takai, who was featured for many years as Lt. Sulu on TV's STAR TREK and later became known for his equal rights and gay rights stands. Here he tells of the horrific treatment at Japanese internment camps, and shares stories about family and his longtime husband Brad.
DESERT RUNNERS--Excellent documentary about determined/stubborn athletes who participate in extreme desert marathons. The film captures the mental and physical endurance of these torturous experiences.
LAND OF STORMS--Hungarian/German film of a gay soccer player with a cruel father who quits the team to live in the country, where his sexuality antagonizes the small town. The ending seems predictable and unnecessary, but the film captures young love and passion in intense ways.
GRADE B
MY LAST YEAR WITH THE NUNS--Fine, funny, filmed performance piece retelling the 8th grade adventures of a boy in a Catholic school in the late 1960's on Seattle's Capitol Hill.
VICTORIA---This at times interesting three hour Bulgarian film about a spoiled girl living with a hateful mother could be even better with about 90 minutes of l o n g, d u l l takes edited out.
QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM--Also known as QED. It took me about 30 minutes to sort out the characters and "plot" of this Romanian film, set in the mid 1980's in an academia setting, but the film is smoothly directed and photographed and acted. By the end, it reminded me somewhat of THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
A TOUCH OF LIGHT---From Taiwan and based on a true story. A blind pianist college student struggles through his first year finding friends and overcoming fears of performance. A constant shaky hand held camera diminishes the film's considerable charms.
GRADE B-
RIGOR MORTIS--Hong Kong horror film with great effects and art/set design. A suicidal, washed up actor moves into a mammoth apartment building which is filled with odd tenants, including a vampire and a set of evil twin spirits. Often convoluted, but usually engaging. Matter of taste.
10000 KM---Spanish film about a long distant love affair, this film features two sexy, attractive actors but the progression becomes predictable by the end.
A BRONY TALE--A fascinating documentary at times about adult men who have a fascination with all things MY LITTLE PONY, a popular child's animated series. Unfortunately, I don't really care about MLP, or the fans--so this would be a matter of taste for viewers.
GRADE C+
SEEDS OF TIME---Informative but bone dry documentary about the storage of millions of different types of seeds to keep them safe from disease, natural disaster and holocaust situations, in a Noah's Ark type of underground facility.
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I do look forward to your reports each year!
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