SIFF Screenings Monday May 22----Thursday May 25-------Best Bets--A DATE FOR MAD MARY, ROBERTO BOLLE ART OF DANCE, ANGRY INUK, THE WEDDING PLAN, MELLOW MUD, COME TOGETHER, LAST ANIMALS

Here's all I screened during the last four days----

CABARET (1972)--Incredibly, there are some people who've never seen this masterpiece--my favorite movie musical of all time  The presentation was excellent and the loud crowd made the 50 minute drag show before the film a lot of fun.             GRADE-------A

MAURICE (1987)--England--Excellent restoration in 4K (coming soon to art houses and Blu Ray) of film made of E.M. Forester's novel about sexual repression in the early 1900's.   Directed by James Ivory, and featuring a very young Hugh Grant, James Wilby, Rupert Graves and Ben Kingsley.         GRADE--------A-

A DATE FOR MAD MARY--Ireland--Mary tries desperately for a date to her best friend's wedding;  Sounds typical, but a mid film twist, while not unexpected, adds a new dimension to the romantic/comedy genre.              GRADE--------A- 

ROBERTO BOLLE--THE ART OF DANCE--Italy--Beautifully photographed dance film with world famous male ballet dancer who tours world dancing in antiquity locations.  Sometimes his narration seems too grandiose, so I just thought in my mind---Oh shut up and dance, and he usually did, to stunning effect.  A must for dance and music lovers.           GRADE--------A- 

ANGRY INUK--Canada--Well made, brightly photographed documentary about Inuk culture, and how much they suffer when money groups try to destroy their history and livelihood when they try to use histrionics and sentiment to stop the killing of seals, of which the Inuk use 100% of the animal, while hypocritically ignoring the extinction of elephants, rhinos, and other vanishing species.             GRADE---------B+

A WEDDING PLAN--Israel--A bride plans her wedding, including cake, dress and banquet hall, but without a groom, trusting that God will provide that with in the next 28 days.....a charming, humanistic romantic comedy even if the plot is a chick flick fantasy.  A bit of hand held camera work.         GRADE-----------B+

THE LAST ANIMALS--USA--Strong documentary with lovely photography details the shocking slaughter of elephants and rhinos that are causing extinction at dangerous levels due to ivory and tusks.       GRADE--------B

MELLOW MUD--Latvia--A teen and her younger brother must learn to survive without adults in the rural area of a small town after grandma dies suddenly.  Sensitively done, even thought it is a bit familiar.  I wish there was less hand held camera work.  Much hand held camera work.     GRADE--------B

DINA--USA--Intimate and charming documentary of two autistic adults who are planning a wedding and their struggle to find sexual satisfaction.  Much hand held  camera work.             GRADE-----------B-

BECOMING WHO I WAS--South Korea-- I'm not sure if this is fiction or documentary--this tells the story of a Buddhist boy in India who is a reincarnation of a Tibetan monk, so his aging teacher takes him on a long trip to find the village he grew up in in his previous life.  Lovely scenery and photography, with a bit of hand held distractions.              GRADE--------B-

BAD INFLUENCE--Chile--An indigenous Mapuche teen meets a delinquent urban teen who is sent to the country in an effort to change his behavior.  Their friendship helps both in certain ways, but hand held camera detracts from nice story.           GRADE----------B-

COME, TOGETHER--South Korea--Curious drama about stress in an urban family and how it affects their relationships--each member has issues that seem to take forever to resolve.  About 15 minutes too long,  but well acted and directed.             GRADE-------B

WHOSE STREETS?--USA--Chaotic, hand held documentary about an unarmed black man in Ferguson Missouri killed by a white policeman generates some power as the community reacts.
         GRADE----------B-

PERSON TO PERSON---USA--This feels like a low grade Woody Allen film, with a dozen characters followed through the urban jungle of New York City in one day, but not much of importance happens, and the characters, though pleasant at times, do not generate our sympathies.  If this was on TV I'd turn the station.               GRADE----------C

THOSE REDHEADS FROM SEATTLE--USA--Reissue of a 1953 musical that has been restored in beautiful 3-D, and the sound track sounded good.  Unfortunately, the story/plot is an old chestnut--if this  was on TCM I'd watch for 10 minutes, then turn the station.             GRADE------C

THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE IS......--Italy--These attractive looking actors talk and scream so fast that I could literally not keep up with the subtitles that flashed across the screen.  This is a manic, unfunny comedy, and I wanted to walk out after 10 minutes, but I lazily stuck it out.   Ugh.
   GRADE----------D+

THE REAGAN SHOW--USA--This dull documentary focuses on the Reagan relationship with Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980's, but misses any chances of wit, humor, and flubs by
avoiding any current similarities between Trump and his  Russian counterpart.  The film is incredibly flat and boring.              GRADE-----D