The Tillman Story, Cairo Time, The Spoilers, War Wagon

THE TILLMAN STORY is the perfect Labor Day Weekend film--something patriotic and thoughtful and surprising and sad--like the end of summer. This is a documentary about football hero Pat Tillman who gave up a great career in the National Football League in 2002 to join the armed forces going to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he did two tours of duty. He thought this was the right thing to do, but once there he realized that the war was misguided, and became rather critical about the political aspects. In 2004 he was killed by "friendly fire," and declared a hero by the Army, but slowly many aspects of his death became known to his family and there were many revealing instances where the facts were covered up by the Army and the Bush administration. If you think you know the story, you will be surprised, because so much was distorted and covered up and lied about. GRADE------ B+

Another film that played at the recent edition of SIFF is a very gentle mild "love story" of sorts, called CAIRO TIME and featuring Patricia Clarkson, who usually ends up in supporting roles. See her in great form in THE DYING GAUL, PIECES OF APRIL, and THE STATION AGENT, just to name 3 of my favorites. Her co-star is the city of Cairo, and she spends most of her time while waiting to be reunited with her husband, just strolling around the streets and viewing sights of this great city, discovering customs, traditions, moods and cultural importance. Occasionally she is accompanied by a friend of her husband who works in Cairo, and they develop a lovely though platonic relationship. Not much happens, and the feeling of time passing slowly for her is well presented. Cairo looks beautiful and exotic and mysterious. By the end, you will feel you have also been immersed in CAIRO TIME. GRADE-------B-

There is a long and impressive fight scene that ends THE SPOILERS (1942), and I guess that also ends the four other versions of the same story filmed in 1914, 1923, 1930 and 1955. The film is set in Nome Alaska where the gold rush has produced a lawless land where claim jumpers try to take over land worked by others for many months through the efforts of crooked lawyers and judges and violence. This one stars John Wayne and Harry Carey as the original owners of the land, and Randolph Scott as the evil lawyer, and Marlene Dietrich, wearing wildly stunning glitter gowns, is the saloon owner who is attracted to both of them. (And SURPRISE!!! She does NOT sing!) The story was engrossing, and there are a lot of funny lines with double entendres, some of the best from the actress playing the black maid of Dietrich, who is "tired of being mistaken for an Eskimo from Virginia." Fun. GRADE------- B

I realized fairly soon that we'd seen THE WAR WAGON less than a year ago, but it is just lively enough that we didn't bother turning it off. John Wayne plays a man just out of jail on good behaviour who is trying to get back land stolen from him during his jail time, and Kirk Douglas, at times dressed in a tight black leather pant suit (!) is the gunslinger who is hired to kill him, but instead goes to work with him to steal back the gold that has been mined on Wayne's property. There is a lot of tongue in cheek dialogue and fight scenes, and even though there is nothing here that you haven't seen before, it is an easy movie to watch. GRADE----B-

SIFF Report May 24th--27th

Looking for some good films this Memorial Day Weekend???--Here's a quick list of great films playing this long weekend--------I AM LOVE, THE CONCERT, WASTE LAND, FARSAN, TOPP TWINS-UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS, WINTER'S BONE, THE HEDGEHOG, LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB, MAO'S LAST DANCER, CAIRO TIME, ME TOO (YO TAMIEN), WHEN WE LEAVE, JOAN RIVERS-A PIECE OF WORK----these all received a grade of B or better--see above and below for more options and information.......


GRADE---A

CHILDREN OF DIYARBAKIR--(Turkey)--Excellent story of young children whose parents are killed and end up being thrown out onto the streets to live with other parentless children. Heart wrenching and thrillingly made.

WASTE LAND--(United Kingdom)--Thought provoking and moving documentary on artist who creates art/portraits of working class people by using objects from the subject's life--in this case garbage collectors of Brazil.
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GRADE---A-

HIDEAWAY (AKA The Refuge)--(France)--Francois Ozon's new film about the unlikely friendship of a pregnant heroin addict and her dead boyfriend's gay brother.
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GRADE---B+

ME TOO (YO TAMBIEN)--(Spain)--A smart man with Downs Syndrome falls for a "damaged" woman who has never been loved--it's a mature and thoughtful film.

THE TILLMAN STORY--(USA)--Solid and informative documentary on football star Pat Tillman who gave up a promising career in sports to join the Army, but then was killed due to friendly fire, which the US government tried to suppress.

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS--(USA)--Moody and intimate low budget project filmed in Portland Oregon and the coast about low income workers struggling with loneliness.

STIGMATA--(Spain)--Like the definition of "stigmata," audiences will super-impose their feelings and opinions of the brutish man whose hands keep bleeding towards their reaction to this fascinating black and white wonder. Definitely a one-of-a-kind film.
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GRADE ---B

CAIRO TIME--(CANADA)--A less majestic version of I AM LOVE, but the acting (by Patricia Clarkson) and the Cairo setting (with glorious photography and lovely music) all cast a spell.

JOAN RIVERS--A PIECE OF WORK--(USA)--Love her or hate her, this year in the life documentary (including her amazing work on last year's CELEBRITY APPRENTICE) is very funny and entertaining.

CHERRY--(USA)--Nearly refreshingly free of silly college-comedy slapstick, this earnest dramedy feels accurate and personal as it explores the freshman year of very smart, shy student who develops a crush on an older woman and her teenage daughter.

STOLEN--(Australia)--Documentary about a filmed family reunion in a Saharan refugee camp that turns into a highly charged expose of modern slavery and inherent racism in Northern Africa.

THE OWLS--(USA)--A nervy, experimental film about Older Wiser Lesbians, but are they really Wiser??????? The film tries to cover some new sexual identity issues in different ways, but the ending is an abrupt let-down.

DRIFTING--(Spain)--The "heroine"--a U.N. type worker who seems to be suffering from post traumatic syndrome when she returns home from war-torn Africa, makes a lot of bad choices (including much sex and nudity with a "client") as she "drifts" through her life.
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GRADE----B-

MARWENCOL--(USA)--An alcoholic man who survives a serious beating photographs and displays World War 2 tableau's using GI Joe and Barbie dolls as his therapy to great artistic success, but is it art??? The current film EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (see previous blog) is a better and more entertaining exploration of this subject, but this does maintain interest.

ANGEL AT SEA--(Belgium)--Tiresome and frustrating due to suicidal depression subject matter (father imposes his secret desire to commit suicide to his 12 year old son, who tries to become his guardian angel)--this film is not likable, but I've found it to be haunting.

CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH--(China)--Depicting the Rape of Nanking by the Japanese in 1937, the film piles on scene after scene after scene of wartime violence and atrocities, and the total effect is numbness, no matter how well made or artfully directed. This is one grim film--(see also ANGEL AT SEA above.)
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GRADE---C+

CRAB TRAP--(Columbia)--Scenes of garbage on the beautiful remote beach dull the effect of a newcomer in a small village on the run from---what? Too many unanswered questions.

NIGHT CATCHES US--(USA)--Nice try, as low budget film tries to capture the anger and drama of ex Black Panthers in the late 1970's trying to live down the past.

THE OATH--(USA)-- Mostly dry, dull, double-talking heads about two brothers in law who may have been involved in varying degrees with the 9/11 attacks.
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GRADE -- C-

IMANI--(Uganda)--Three different stories never mesh and all end abruptly without resolution (or sense) in disappointingly ambitious Uganda film.

FROM BEGINNING TO END--(Brazil)--Two step brothers develop a sexual relationship in a simplistic and dreadfully melodramatic film that is drowned out by a trite and obnoxious film score. I give a C minus for the fact that the film (and sometimes nude actors) looked good. Note: I give all films an extra half a grade for quality nudity and sex! See DRIFTING above.