In many cases, SIFF saved the best for the last weekend. Here's what I saw on the final weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All totaled, I saw 121 films this year, a bit lower than normal for me.
GRADE
A-
TIG-----US documentary that follows comedian Tig Notaro around the country in the year after her infamous comedy set that starts out with her telling the audience that she has cancer. What follows are breathtaking, harrowing events that include the sudden death of her mother, falling in love with her best straight girl friend, redefining her career, deciding to have a child alone and a double mastectomy. She still comes off as wryly funny and honest, and the film works as a celebration of her life despite the many challenging times. It's a fascinating and enriching experience.
B+
EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO----Director of THE PILLOW BOOK (1996), THE COOK, THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER (1989) and GOLTZIIUS and the PELICAN COMPANY (2012) among others, Peter Greenaway's latest extravaganza features his usual florid camera effects, stunning cinematography, stylish sets and costumes, over the top plottings, and hypnotic (if occasionally tiresome) pacing, peppered with the usual explicit nudity and sex. This story is based on the trip that the Russian director Sergei Eisenstein (BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN) made to Mexico in 1931, falling in love with the customs, scenery, people, and his young handsome tour guide, who tutors him on the glories of homosexuality. This in not a film for everyone, but for those familiar with Greenaway's style, it is his provocative best.
KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR---USA documentary about the late doctor, Oscar winning actor (for THE KILLING FIELDS 1984) and social activist for Cambodian people that clearly and vividly tells the story of his involvement with the changes that swept Cambodia in the 1960's through the 1970's. Using excellent video, pictures, animated drawings and expertly read from his diaries by his nephew, with interviews from those who knew him best, this becomes a moving story of survival during the tragic Khmer Rouge period.
TANGERINE--USA independent film shot almost entirely on an I-Phone on the streets of Los Angeles! Two transgendered prostitute trannies run all over West Hollywood, one trying to track down her pimp/boyfriend who may have been unfaithful during her month long stay in prison, and the other trying to drum up business for her 7pm cabaret debut that night, Christmas Eve. A friendly taxi driver is seen picking up fares (and some sex) and the three meet for a kinky, "dramatic" confrontation along with a few other characters at the local donut shop. Surprisingly effective, funny and sad and a bit curious too, this strange, low budget bit of camp gets it right most of the time, and the IPhone works well in creating intimate, crazy scenes that should be the envy of those dozens of hand held jittery productions that just make it hard to watch.
B
GHADI--From Lebanon comes this dramatic comedy fable of a father who tries to protect his Down syndrome son from bigotry in his small town by creating a religious ruse for him. It takes a while for this story to take hold, but the gentle comedy and charming characters make it worthwhile.
FOURTH MAN OUT---USA working class comedy about a 25 year old man who decides to come out as gay to his longtime childhood buddies, which throws the relationships into a flurry. The characters are effective and likable, and the laughs are not too cheap or predictable. It's a pleasant way to spend 90 minutes.
MARSHLAND--Spanish version of a mismatched pair of detective's on the trail of a serial killer in a small town during carnival time. The film is gritty and naturalistic and features intriguing aerial photos that add some style to the pessimistic proceedings.
MY SKINNY SISTER--From Sweden comes this drama about sibling rivalry. The older sister is an accomplished figure skater, the younger is chubby and feels a bit jealous of the attention her older sister receives. Still, the sisters share a tight bond, and when the younger one realizes that her sister is anorexic, she is conflicted about responding. Nicely done.
ALL THINGS MUST PASS--From US, the story of TOWER RECORDS origins, success, and finally the decension into bankruptcy. The film moves very quickly, with a lot of information, and for those of us who grew up with TOWER RECORDS and BOOKS, the film is nostalgic and engrossing. For those uninterested, the film will not appeal.
VIRGIN MOUNTAIN--Icelandic film about a very large, shy man who plays military games and keeps mainly to himself. His mother and friends encourage him to start dating, and when he does he becomes attracted to a woman with more problems than he has. Engrossing and touching.
B-
I KISSED A GIRL---French fluff about a gay man who in the first scene is leaving the scene of a young woman with whom he has just had sex for the first time. His long time male partner becomes bewildered at his change of personality just before their planned wedding. He pursues this new relationship nonetheless, and becomes infatuated with her, in spite of not being honest with his male partner or his new female lover. The film is bright, and funny, and the actors are all attractive and effective. For me the problem lies with the fact that we never quite see what the attraction is---for example, his excuse for the first scene is extreme drunkenness. Heaven knows we've seen plenty of films where a heterosexual man becomes homosexual, but this comic variation seems unconvincing, and the final scene felt downright bewildering and icky.
C+
THE MUSES OF BASHEVIS SINGER--From Israel comes this documentary of writer and Nobel Prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Yiddish writer who had a bevy of female translators who helped bring his writing to America, and with whom he had many extra marital affairs. He comes across as a "dirty old man" and the surviving translators all seem to concur, despite his brilliance in writing such stories as ENEMIES: A LOVE STORY and YENTL THE YESHIVA BOY, both books made into popular films. This film should appeal to fans of SINGER only.
C-
THE NEW MAN--From Uruguay comes this documentary of a transsexual man to woman character who sets out trying to connect with his brother and parents after nearly 15 years of separation. His family seems happy to see her, and no one is particularly upset at her sex change. The film doesn't have much more to say than that, and unfortunately, her hairline is quickly receding as she ages, which makes her appearance startling at times without a scarf or wig.
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Here's my TOP FILMS OF SIFF 2015
More info can be read in previous blogs. Watch for them to be released in the coming year....
TOP 25 FILMS including documentaries
CORN ISLAND
DARK HORSE
CITY OF GOLD-doc
MISTRESS AMERICA
BEST OF ENEMIES-doc
3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN BULLETS-doc
FOR GRACE-doc
TIG-doc
THE NEW GIRLFRIEND
TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL-doc
THE KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR-doc
LOVE AND MERCY
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED-doc
MR. HOLMES
FLOWERS
EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO
54: DIRECTOR'S CUT
TANGERINE
AUTOMATIC HATE
BOSS, ANATOMY OF A CRIME
ELEPHANT SONG
DEAREST
FRAME BY FRAME-doc
GRUMP
OTHER GOOD STUFF FOLLOWS
ROMEO IS BLEEDING, MARSHLAND, FOURTH MAN OUT, GHADI, MY SKINNY SISTER, SHREW'S NEST, SHORT SKIN, OUR SUMMER IN PROVENCE, LISA THE FOX FAIRY, 7 CHINESE BROTHERS, CHARLIE'S COUNTRY, THE CUT, A FEW CUBIC METERS OF LOVE, FRONT COVER, HENRI HENRI, I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, KIRSHA, INVISIBLE BOY, THOSE PEOPLE, END OF THE TOUR, VIRGIN MOUNTAIN, XENIA, SNOW ON THE BLADES, A LITTLE DEATH, GUIDANCE
I really loved the revivals I saw, especially all three films in THE APU TRILOGY (coming in July to SIFF UPTOWN) and THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES, BLACK GIRL, and THE OLD DARK HOUSE.
My Favorite.......
FILM---CORN ISLAND
ACTOR---Cliff Curtis in DARK HORSE
ACTRESS--Adelaide Clemens in AUTOMATIC HATE
SCRIPT--Noah Baumbach for MISTRESS AMERICA
DIRECTOR--George Ovashvili for CORN ISLAND
CINEMATOGRAPHY--Reinier van Brummelen for EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO
MUSIC--for LOVE AND MERCY
DOCUMENTARY---3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN BULLETS
GUILTY PLEASURE--54: DIRECTOR'S CUT and GUIDANCE
TEAR JERKER--ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, and FLOWERS
PLOT TWISTS--in TIG, THE NEW GIRLFRIEND, AUTOMATIC HATE, ELEPHANT SONG
MY LEAST FAVORITE FILMS
NOT ALL IS VIGIL, COOKING UP A TRIBUTE, EXCUSE MY FRENCH, THE FIRE, THE BODA BODA THIEVES
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