Here's what I watched over the long Memorial Day weekend, taking Monday off from movie watching to do laundry, dishes, shopping, and lawn mowing.
MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO YO MA and the SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE---U.S.A.---- From the director of BEST OF ENEMIES 2015 and TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM 2013 comes this popular film about Yo Yo Ma, music and his building up the ENSEMBLE from different countries. Curiously, the film flips back and forth between different musician's stories, their sometimes very personal stories, and glorious bits of music being preformed in concert or on the street. The editing felt rather haphazardly scattered. Still, the stories are fascinating, the musicians are intriguing, the instruments are played with passion, and the music is fascinating to listen to. GRADE----B+
THE PEOPLE VS FRITZ BAUER---Germany---Bauer is a tireless Jewish attorney general who after WWII seeks to find and prosecute Nazi war criminals, and he gets a strong lead that Adolf Eichmann is alive and living in South America. He cannot arrest anyone in another country, so he seeks the help of the Israeli Mossad to take the credit, but personal moral corruption charges in his own office make this difficult. Based on a true story, this is a riveting film, full of suspense on several different levels--the strongest is the complicated Bauer himself, who drinks and smokes so much you think he might succumb at any moment to emphysema or heart failure. GRADE-------B+
BRAND NEW TESTAMENT--Belgium--Satire has angry man playing God, making horrible (funny) rules for people, like when toast drops, it always lands on the jelly side, and the line you get into will always move the slowest. His daughter rebels, sending out messages to the world telling how long you have left to live, then sabotages the computer so he can't fix it, then she runs from home to start a group of apostles (like her statue that comes to life, JC, advises her to). For the most part the jokes are amusing and sometimes a bit bizarre, but never sacrilegious. The film is filled with small stories of her characters that become her apostles ie. a lonely woman with a false arm, falling for a serial murderer who has tried but failed to kill her, and a young boy with only a few weeks to live wants to live life as a young girl. It is a completely original comedy. GRADE-----B+
LAST CAB TO DARWIN---Australia--Old Rex is dying of cancer, so he takes a road trip across country to find a doctor willing to euthanize him. Odd experiences along the way illuminate his character, and the people he left behind. One of a number of films with a "death or dying" theme, this one works the best because of the consistent humor and near lack of sentimentality. GRADE------B+
QUEEN OF IRELAND---Ireland---Documentary of a famous Irish drag queen who almost accidentally becomes a lightening rod for gay rights and marriage equality in recent Irish political history. GRADE-------B
THE FINAL MASTER---China----Plot wise it feels like this 109 minute movie was cut down from about three hours, but the cinematic technical skill is impressive, and for once it is amazing to actually see the well choreographed martial art fights that fill the film presented without shaking camera or special effects. GRADE------B
THE INTERVENTION--U.S.A.----Low budget comedy similar in spirit to THE BIG CHILL, but without the great music, of group of friends who gather for a weekend to encourage one couple to break up. Of course, things aren't always what they seem, and many issues and secrets unfold. Enjoyable script and skillful cast (including Melanie Lynskey, Clea Duvall, Natasha Lyonne and others) make for a pleasant 90 minute romp. GRADE--------B-
THE ARCHITECT---U.S.A.---Slight but enjoyable filmed in Seattle area satire about a couple trying to build a house with an architect who has a mind of his own. It was amusing at times, and nails the frustration, but it will probably evaporate from my mind in a week. Long time indie actor Parker Posey stars as the wife torn between spouse (Eric McCormick) and the attractive James Frain. GRADE-------C+
BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN---U.S.A.--Alternatively dull and fascinating, this documentary should have concentrated more on the 12 year old girls (and their parents) who are set to go to trial for the attempted murder of a third friend, and less on the urban myth Slenderman character--a made up creature tall and thin, with no face, and tendrils stretching from his back, who haunts kids. GRADE--------C+
PRETTY ONES----Argentina-----This extremely hand held (jittery) video diary features lots of talk talk talk about girl friendship and shows snap shots of earlier ages, but was so boring and unpleasant that I fled the theater after 20 minutes, along with about 30 other viewers. Biggest amount of walkouts I've ever seen at any SIFF screening. From what I did see, I'd rate it-------GRADE---D
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A BIGGER SPLASH---Not a SIFF screening, but I had some time to kill, so I watched Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts display copious amounts of naked flesh on a sunny Italian island which culminated in dangerous personal exchanges with a great degree of sexual tension. I liked it. GRADE--------B+
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