Here's what I saw over the long Memorial Day Weekend-----and everything was better than average.....
I, DANIEL BLAKE--Great Britain--I saw this 8 months ago in Vancouver BC and FINALLY it will be getting a well deserved release in July, but for now, it was the best of VIFF 2016 in my opinion, and I think it will be the Best of SIFF 2017. It plays SIFF on June 2nd and June 5th. DON'T MISS IT! GRADE---- A
THE BAR---Spain--One of my favorite over the top directors Alex de la Iglesia is back in fine form with this horror comedy that had the youngish audience moaning, laughing and squealing with discomfort from nearly first to last. When a young woman stops at the bar to charge her phone, she is suddenly and mysteriously trapped with others in what becomes a whirlwind conspiracy of murder and government control. I loved this wild ride which indeed goes over the top with nasty thrills.
GRADE--------A-
ORIGINAL BLISS--Germany--Martina Gedeck excels as an unhappy wife seeking to renew her relationship with God and her husband, but she counsels with a famous doctor who has his own set of sexual problems, resulting in a disturbing and shocking finale. GRADE-------B+
LITTLE HOURS--USA--Based on a story from THE DECAMERON, this smart, consistently funny comedy has a wonderful comic cast (who mostly play it "straight") including Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Riley, Molly Shannon, Fried Armisen, Nick Offerman and others. Filmed on location in Italy, this raunchy plotted film tells of a servant who must hide out in a nunnery because he was caught with his master's wife. Unfortunately, this convent is full of horny, nubile nuns. When I wasn't giggling, I had a big stupid smile on my face. GRADE------B+
THE ORNITHOLOGIST--Portugal/France--Beautifully photographed and kinky and flawed, with lots of sexual and religious and profane imagery, this odd film is certainly not boring. Not for the timid festival film goer, but many will find this film memorable in a salacious way. GRADE------B
FERMENTED--USA--A smart, informative, fast paced documentary about fermented foods and drink from around the world. GRADE------B
MAY GOD SAVE US---Spain--The first 45 minutes of this fast paced detective cop thriller has an annoying shaking camera going in many scenes, but the photography becomes calmer by the end. During a hot summer when the Pope is visiting Madrid, a serial killer is attaching old women. GRADE-------B
THIS IS OUR LAND--France--A naive woman is seduced into running for local politics of a small town on a ticket of racism and fascism, just as she's falling in love with an old boy friend with an unsavory past. Well acted and engrossing. GRADE-----B
THE ODYSSEY--France--The pedestrian plotting of this Jacques Cousteau bio pic is overwhelmed by fabulous photography--above and below the ocean surface, and first rate technical prowess. The cast is also beautiful. GRADE------B
PENDULAR--Brazil/Argentina/France--Intriguing art installations and personal interpretive modern dance movements are interspersed with explicit yet artistic sexual scenes between two artists who live in a unique, huge warehouse. There's not much dramatic plotting, but it is intriguing to watch. GRADE------B-
TOM OF FINLAND--Finland--Bio pic about the world famous gay artist known for his erotic and sexual drawings of hyper-masculine muscle men, drawn at a time when such drawings were considered pornography, and illegal. For such a dynamic and controversial subject matter, the drama is rather restrained, despite better than average film making. GRADE-------C+
ZIP AND ZAP AND THE CAPTAIN'S ISLAND--Spain--The continuing adventures of two brothers who become trapped on a strange island and their parents disappear. The film making is full of creative special effects and photography, but the plot feels predictable and becomes tiresome and overlong. GRADE--------C+
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