Final weekend of SIFF Screenings-- Fri June 9--Sun Jun 11-----Best Bets--GHOST STORY, THE NET, HANDSOME DEVIL, SONG OF COTTON------Plus BEST OF SIFF 2017

Here's what I saw the final weekend of SIFF......



GHOST STORY---USA--Coming soon to a theatre near you, this is a "ghost" story like nothing you've seen before.  Extreme long shots held any where from 1 minute to 5 minutes (!) punctuate this simple but moving story of loneliness and history--from a ghost's point of view!!!             GRADE---------A-

THE NET--South Korea--When a simple North Korean fisherman accidentally crosses the border  to South Korea, he becomes locked in a struggle to return to the North, when the South only want to liberate him or turn him into a spy.  Powerful and tragic.                GRADE---------A-

HANDSOME DEVIL---Ireland--A gay teen struggles to fit into an all male prep school, but finds an unusual friendship from within the boisterous rugby team.  Charming comedy/drama.          GRADE----------     B

SONG OF COTTON--China--After seeing at least 3 Chinese films that I didn't like at all, this drama about a young divorcee pregnant by her lover who becomes a caretaker to an old man with a mean and cranky daughter becomes an insightful experience.         GRADE------------B

FEATHER--Italy--Domestic comedy about a teen couple who become pregnant and feel pressure on all sides about what steps to take.  The parents and relatives are all wacky, the kids keep their feet mostly on the ground, and I enjoyed this weird trifle of a film.         GRADE------B-

THE FEELS--USA--A group of lesbians and some others gather for a pre-wedding celebration of two women from the group, and during the drinking the first night, some secrets pop up that disturb some of the friends.  This is light drama with some laughs thrown in, nothing too heavy.         GRADE-----B-

INLAND ROADS--New Zealand--While hitchhiking, a 15 year old girl survives a car crash that kills one older brother, and ends up staying on with the surviving brother's family, where she learns some ways to grow up.  Nice acting, but slight story has too much hand held camera work to keep me involved.            GRADE--------C+

THE KING'S CHOICE--Norway--Both the Fool Series and the Golden Space Needle awards put this epic historical story about Norwegian resistance to the Nazi invasion during WWII in the top 10 films of the festival, but this film had so much aggressively jiggling hand held camera work in EVERY scene that it made me nauseous to watch.            GRADE-----C+





MY TOP CHOICES FOR BEST FILMS FROM SIFF 2017

At the End of the Tunnel
The Bar
Brisby Bear
Date for Mad Mary
A Dragon Arrives
A Ghost Story
God's Own Country
Heal the Living
Hippopotamus
I, Daniel Blake
The Journey
Kills on Wheels
Lane 1974
Little Hours
The Net
Sami Blood
Small Town Killers
Soul on a String
Weirdos
Woodpeckers

There are about 40 more films that I enjoyed quite a bit (rated B+, B, and B-) and I will write about them if and when they open for some sort of regular run later in the year.


FAVORITE DOCUMENTARIES

Angry Inuk
Death and Life of Marcia P. Johnson
The Farthest
Paris Opera
The Quest
Roberto Bolle--The Art of Dance


TOP REVIVALS

Cabaret 1973
Maurice 1987


WORST FILMS

Beautiful Kokonor Lake
Boundaries
The Hero
Hello Destroyer
Infinity Baby
It's Only the End of the World
Struggle for Life
Wallflower


TOP FILMS FROM THE FOOL SERIOUS (Full Series) AWARDS

At the End of the Tunnel
The Journey
In Syria*
I Daniel Blake
King's Choice
Wind River*
Paradise*
The Net
Kills of Wheels
Bye Bye Germany*

 *I have not seen these films yet, but believe they will open up in the next few months.
 For the first time, the same film At the End of the Tunnel appeared as Best Film on both the Golden Space Needles Awards (audience balloting through SIFF) and the Fool Serious Awards (independent balloting by Full Series members.)