This is the last weekend of SIFF 2014 and I've seen 115 films so far. Here's what I've prescreened this week, in order of preference.
GRADE A
LIFE FEELS GOOD---The feel good movie of the festival, and starring likely winner of best actor Dawid Ogrodnik (who also appeared as the sax player in the popular film IDA), this Polish film is polished, smart and heartbreakingly humorous as it tells the life story of cerebral palsy victim who is declared a "vegetable" by some doctors, but is trying desperately all his life to communicate to others.
BOUND: AFRICANS VS AFRICAN AMERICANS---Thought provoking documentary of the tensions and differences between those born in Africa, and those Africans born and bred in the United States. It's mostly talking heads, but what a great, incisive discussion, including historians, psychologists, writers, poets, and normal folks of college age.
GRADE B+
MEDEAS--A lovely looking film based loosely on a Greek tragedy, but set in modern day on a poor, dry and dusty farmland, possibly southern Arizona or California. Some of the images will sear into your mind long after seeing this sad, moody film.
FOUR MINUTE MILE--Locally made film about teenager trying to run a 4 minute mile with the help of a cranky old coach, and he must also deal with a hoodlum brother and helpless mother. The film is blessed with excellent leads--new comer Kelly Blatz as the runner, and the amazing Richard Jenkins head a fine supporting cast including Kim Basinger, Cam Gigandet and Analeigh Tipton.
UNDER THE STARRY SKY--Three stories of people struggling to live in 3 different countries--USA, Italy, Senegal--are inter cut effectively to highlight the alien experience. A young Senegal woman ends up in Italy searching for her husband, who has gone on to New York City with the hope of a construction job. Another older woman leaves New York City to attend her husband's funeral in Senegal, and must deal with another wife. Low key but likable.
GRADE B
SIDDHARTH--Beautifully filmed in the urban centers of India, this tells the story of a man who sets out searching for his lost or kidnapped young son, against all odds of finding him amidst the masses.
THE WAY HE LOOKS--In Brazil, young blind middle class teenager seeks to break away from his overly concerned parents and live life on his own. He finds himself falling in love with a new male student from his class, who may or may not be gay, much to the distress of his BFF. The film manages to be disarmingly erotic and charmingly innocent at the same time.
FUTURO BEACH--Moody Brazilian film of two men from different countries who meet at a beach because of a tragedy, mate and fall in love, and then must decide to stay or go on to Germany in order to stay together...The film is in three parts, the middle being the least interesting, but the final third is both surprising and sad. This film really spit the audience of pass holders I saw it with. Some implied it was too "gay"--others said it wasn't "gay" enough, and some didn't understand what the hell was going on! But I liked the characters, the photography, the music, the contrast between the two living places, and the emotional surprise in the last third.
GRADE B-
LA MIA CLASSE--Documentary film with in a film, of students from a variety of countries, trying to study Italian in their country. Each student has a very intense or sad story to share, and there are many moving scenes. Hand held camera distracts from full emotional pull at times.
GOLD---Small Irish film about a homeless man who moves in with his ex-wife and his daughter and the new husband. The film is minor, but gets better as it moves along, as the teen daughter and father get to know each other.
BLACK COAL, THIN ICE---Slick looking Chinese film about a serial killer who cuts up his victims and sends them out on coal cars to different parts of the province. The film is intriguing most of the time, but the last 20 minutes sputters and sinks when it should shock and soar.
GRADE C+
TO KILL A MAN--A bullied Chilean family man takes the law into his own hands and finds it difficult to kill (and dispose of) the man who has tormented his family. Feels overly familiar, and a bit too much hand held.
GOD HELP THE GIRL--Charming but small British musical film featuring music from the group Belle and Sebastien. The tiresome plot has a teen girl into and out of a mental hospital--several times!, and trying to start up a pop band. I loved the music, and wish this had been a music concert film, but it plays more like a lame full length music video, with the tuneful songs not entirely appropriate to the action.
THE GREAT MUSEUM--Elegantly filmed documentary set in the sprawling Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) in Vienna, but the film soundtrack is full of political and historical discussions and it comes across as dry and dusty, and induced naps from many viewers. One great scene has a worker grab a scooter and scoot for what seems like 3 blocks down long hallways to pick up a paper sent to a copy machine.
GRADE C-
LEADING LADY--South African sitcom style comedy film about British actress who goes to South Africa to prepare for a role, but it's not so funny, and the film deals with cliches.
HELICOPTER MOM--TV sitcom style comedy is dominated by an obnoxious performance by Nia Vardalos (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING) as a mother desperate for her questioning son to be or become gay. Thankfully, the estranged father and the other high school students act more rationally than she. Some of the scenes make you wince with political incorrectness, and the film is not too funny.
INTRAMURAL--In the first 20 minutes of this silly comedy, there were jokes about broken penises, a football purposefully thrown to hit someones head (numerous times), excrement secretions and drunkenness. I will admit that I laughed a few times, but the humor is really, really low brow stuff, so be warned.
THE BETTER ANGELS--Artsy black and white photography is interesting, but rapid 3 second editing, and a camera that zooms every which way became distracting. No story and very little dialogue about a fictionalized account of a very young Lincoln living in the woods in a log cabin left me very bored from the beginning, and I left after 50 minutes.
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