SIFF SCREENINGS Saturday 4 JUNE through Tuesday 7 JUNE------TOP FILMS----AMAMA: WHEN A TREE FALLS, SPY TIME, BETWEEN SEA AND LAND, NEWS FROM PLANET MARS, NUTS!

Here's what I saw from 4 Jun through 7 Jun,  starting with a terrific AMAMA

AMAMA: WHEN A TREE FALLS----Spain---This could be the surprise hit of SIFF---A basque family farm is headed for major change, as the eldest son has no interest in taking over the farm--he's already left the country.  The middle daughter, an artist,  is indifferent and challenges her father.  The younger son is considered "lazy" by the father.  This film is stunningly poetic, artistic and dramatic, and works on nearly every emotional level.              GRADE---------A

NEWS FROM PLANET MARS--France--Dry, extremely drool comedy of single father trying to steer through the daily grind with two precocious teens and a nut job co-worker.  The final 20 minutes looses some sting, but for the most part the film is a spot on look at the insanity of normality.       GRADE---------B+

SPY TIME--Spain--Goofy satire of spy films, with an older spy trying to protect his numbskull adult son from danger.  The jokes and gags come at a consistent                  rate, and if one doesn't make you laugh, the next one probably will, if you like that sort of thing.            GRADE--------B

BETWEEN SEA AND LAND---Columbia--Strong actors carry this familiar tale of man afflicted by distonia--a disease that degrades muscle tissue and limits movement.  Mother and son are extremely poor, and must deal with loneliness and frustration as they turn to each other for comfort.  Film becomes claustrophobic with extreme close ups and shaking camera by the devastating ending.           GRADE---------B

NUTS!--U.S.A.--Curious and entertaining documentary of life of a doctor in the early 1900's, who starts his surgical career by transplanting goat gonads into the testicles of men as a supposed cure for impotence among other things, then starts the largest radio broadcasting company in the United States, all the while peddling odd medical procedures and medicines.  Film is mix of news paper articles, pictures, video clips and animation.               GRADE----B

WE THE PEOPLE 2.0---U.S.A.---Depressing documentary exploring the death grip that big business and corporations have on the  physical health of all Americans who live in the vicinity of fracking, gas and oil drilling, ash dumping, pollution dumping, and suffer from deceiving political practises.  Well intentioned, but lacking the big push back solution that it needs.        GRADE-------B-

BITTER STEMS--Argentina 1956--Fine revival of film noir mystery looks and sounds excellent, although I will admit to unintentionally sleeping through more than half of it, a very unusual thing for me to do.
GRADE---------B-

BIG SONIA--U.S.A. --Well meaning documentary of one of the last remaining  Holocaust survivors.  She finds meaning working in the tailor shop that was started by her now deceased husband, although she is in her 90's, and spends much time telling her sad story to high school students and other groups including incarcerated men.             GRADE-------B-

 COCONUT HERO--Canada--Suicidal teen can't seem to follow through.  He finally meets his absent father. and a young woman who heads a class to raise his self esteem helps change his mind about living.  The film starts off as a comedy, but works better as a drama as it goes along, but film doesn't really jell completely.               GRADE---------C+

RED GRINGO---Chile--Bio picture of U.S. pop singer who finds a much bigger success in Chile and other oppressive regime countries in the the 1970's, but this lazy documentary is dull, and seems to steal quotes on whole sections of film from earlier films of his career.  We get a lot of political talk, although we learn little of the countries attitude towards the singer, and we learn nothing of his social life until the last two minutes, which briefly and awkwardly talk of his mysterious death in the mid 1980's.             GRADE-----C

TRIVISTA---- Hong Kong/China--The film looks good, but three separate stories told by three different directors, all inter cut together with seemingly no interaction make for a confusing viewing.  There are over 16 middle aged men to keep track of, and since I had no invested interest in these various gangster, I walked out after one hour.           GRADE---------C

YOU'LL NEVER BE ALONE---Chile--Gay teen who likes to dress in drag is beaten to a pulp by three homophobes, at least one of whom is his lover, but no one will come forward with the truth.  His clueless father is left with  major hospital bills and no answers.  This slow moving first film features a "musical score" that consists of single long held chords (up to five minutes), scenes filmed in near darkness and at other times pointing the camera towards light in a darkened room so that all people are back lit---you can't see their faces, and it is also constantly hand held--a major irritation to watch.   Despite a provocative theme (gay bashing) this film provides NO discussion, NO answers, NO context, and contains NO ending that makes any sense--logical or emotional.                GRADE--------D+