Coming up to the last weekend of SIFF 2012, another busy week of film-going.
Still at the top was Part 5 of the 15 hour marathon screening of THE STORY OF FILM and in spite of a few minor complaints (like occasionally declaring some film the BEST of it's kind for the decade--usually a film that no one in the auditorium had ever even heard of....much less seen) this thoughtful, epic film is a MUST SEE for any serious film fan, because it provides a much needed historical content against which to base film criticism. It also fills in the gaps of world wide historical film making, providing context and raising the "need to see" bar. GRADE-------A
Incredible icy landscapes and shocking time-lapse imagery prove beyond a doubt that the ice glaciers are melting at an amazing speed, and only humanity has the power to change this dangerous course. A must see for every sceptic, especially the doubtful cast of FOX News, CHASING ICE is proof positive that it is time to step up to save the environment. GRADE---------A
Very, very serious film LIPSTIKKA about the life long relationship between two women living in London, that flashes back to tell the life changing episode from their teen years in Ramallah that shapes their future. Intelligently told, with a strong, surprising conclusion. GRADE-------A-
HUNKY DORY juggles a dozen main characters from a high school in the mid 1970's in Great Britain who are trying to mount a modern musical version of THE TEMPEST. This is a lovable dramedy that plays like a more serious version of TV's GLEE. GRADE---------B+
Opening nationwide near the end of June, PEOPLE LIKE US features Chris Pine who discovers, after his father's death, that he has a half sister (Elizabeth Banks)--the film is surprisingly sensitive about the issues raised---definitely an anti-blockbuster type of film, but heartfelt and touching. GRADE----B+
Another intriguing Hollywood film opening this summer, and well filmed in Seattle, THE DETAILS tells of an amoral doctor who finds himself in a downward cycle of lies, infidelity and murder when he tries to get rid of a raccoon family that is tearing up his back yard. The film is actually that rarest of creatures--a very dark black comedy that works pretty well. Tobey Maguire is the doctor, Elizabeth Banks his wife, and Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert and Ray Liotta are also featured. GRADE------B
Nothing much happens on this beautiful, tranquil Indonesian island in THE MIRROR NEVER LIES. A young girl grieves for her missing and presumed dead father while she befriends a dolphin scientist who rents a room from her mother. But if you let yourself go while watching the beautiful scenery, the film has a moving, ethereal effect at times. GRADE------B
A small but tightly paced drama about the last 24 hours before a National Guard unit is RECALLED up to be deployed to Iraq in the mid-1980's The ethical dilemma appears when a soldier finds that he can't stay behind when it's discovered that his son has developed stage 4 cancer, and he considers going AWOL. The fine cast includes Seth Gabel, Aidan Quinn and Shad Moss, aka singer Bow Wow. GRADE-------B
Interesting film set in Kyrgyzstan, Russia and France, THE EMPTY HOME follows a very tough and resourceful teen who runs away after marrying a rich villager, but finds life a big challenge in the big city of Moscow. GRADE-----B
From Israel, the film POLICEMAN follows four brutish cops and a handful of would be revolutionaries who are planning an "event"--it shows us their ideals and relationships. Some unusual scenes include a naked massage that one cop gives his very pregnant wife. The film is not great, but it doesn't bore, either--just needs a bit of editing. GRADE------B-
UNIT 7 from Spain is another police thriller that follows four head banger cops as they try to clean up Seville of drugs before the Olympics in 1992. It appears that these four are also on the take. Haven't we seen this done before? Still, the action is compulsive and the film is stylish. GRADE-----B-
Here's a good looking film about a couple of beautiful male prostitutes in Saigon. A young gay man makes his way to the city and ends up falling in love with one, who just can't seem to quit the trade. It may be simplistic and rather shallow at times, but LOST IN PARADISE was easy to watch, with high quality production values for a Vietnamese film. GRADE---------B-
THALE from Norway is a would be science fiction thrillers about the discovery of a very strange woman who has been kept in captivity for many years. There is a very promising, intense twenty minute opening, but it seems the film makers lose their nerve and script along the way. GRADE-------C+
It's not a good film, but the indie production WHITE CAMELIAS about an aging, loveless ex-Hollywood player (an interesting Cybil Shepard) throwing the dinner party from hell, kept me engaged and entertained for 90 minutes. GRADE--------C+
Nice try, but this low budget sci-fi wanna be called EASTON'S ARTICLE was dull, dull, slow and dull. After 45 minutes nothing much happened and I walked out. GRADE--------D+
Another film where nothing happened for almost an hour, SIN BIN wants to be a "cleaned up" teen sex comedy, but I didn't laugh one time in 45 minutes, so I walked out. GRADE------D
I've liked her previous films, especially RED ROAD screening Saturday morning, but Andrea Arnold's newest, a "re-imaging" of WUTHERING HEIGHTS had me wanting to run from the theatre after 5 minutes, but I didn't want to crawl over 4 bodies that were blocking my exit. Done in extreme and aggressive hand held style, using "natural" lighting (think single candle, or fire place, or foggy, rain soaked scenes)---well, I couldn't make out any ones faces or names---the sound quality was very poor at my screening. It just kept going on and on, although the final 20 minutes tries to whip up some emotional intensity. Instead, it just looked to me like Heathclift was trying to have sex with a corpse. UGH. GRADE----------D
Friday, June 8, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
SIFF Report 1June-3June--CUBE OF SUGAR, BEASTS SOUTHERN WILD, STARBUCKS
SIFF is in full and frantic swing as we head into the final week This past weekend was pretty strong. Here's what played that I saw.
From Iran, A CUBE OF SUGAR may be the most unusual film from that country to play the west. Dozens of guests come to stay the weekend for the wedding of a young relative and her (as yet) absent groom in the military. The atmosphere is happy, celebratory, loopy, hopeful--and there are so many people coming into the house that it is difficult for the viewer to be certain exactly who is who. About half way through the film, ironic tragedy strikes one guest, and suddenly the mood becomes, obviously, more subdued and sorrowful, and yet the film, possibly seen as a metaphor for the country's history (past and future) remains beautifully hopeful. GRADE----------A-
I wrote about the French Canadian STARBUCK and THE BRITISH GUIDE TO SHOWING OFF back in October when I saw them at the Vancouver International Film Festival. They are both extremely likable and funny. GRADE for each-------------B+
Powerful and very unique, THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is filmed in the delta region of Louisiana and features mostly local people as it tells the story of a catastrophic hurricane devastating the dirt poor folks who must scrap and fight for every meal. (Hurricane Katrina is never named, but it is likely that this could be a personal story of that incident.) A driving force in the story is the dynamic relationship between an indigent father and his scrappy, resourceful, motherless young daughter---maybe near age 7, who manages to hold her own against the fierce elements and her drunken, desperate father (who is probably the only "professional" in the cast.) My biggest complaint is the nature of the film making itself. The camera work is aggressively hand held and becomes nauseating when viewed from up close which was where I ended up at the sold out screening. Still, I admired the concept and creativity the first time film-maker--a true tour-de-force of the human spirit. GRADE------B+
Smartly written and acted, this small film about two teens falling in love for THE FIRST TIME manages to escape the vulgarities of the usual teen comedy (like gross out jokes and crude sex talk, etc) to become very thoughtful and realistic in depicting first time sex. GRADE------B+
Beautifully filmed from the Gothic classic novel, THE MONK creates almost an other-worldly milieu where a pious monk becomes unknowingly tempted by evil in an insidious manner. Moody and fascinating and (for its time) lurid. GRADE-------B+
Made in Brazil, the mostly true story XINGU tells of three brothers who struggle to protect the indigenous rights of the Indians from progress, military and commercialism. The epic-lite film gallops through the decades, and at times seems to gloss over the drama, but it's an earnest and interesting story. GRADE---- B
Modern Turkish society is on view in story of an unwanted child called C A N. The film leaves some lingering questions, but the actors and story are compelling. GRADE-----B
Well filmed and acted Swedish film THE CROWN JEWELS has some unusual plot twists that at times are rather astonishing (in both good and bad ways), but it is not dull. An older teen girl accused of murder retells her story in flashback . The film is curiously likable. GRADE-----B
From South Korea comes MIRAGE---an unusual film which flashed back and forth in time to relate the friendship of two school mates. They are both fascinated by science fiction and worm holes, but the film takes you to places you had no idea you were going to. Interesting. GRADE-----B-
Odd film-noir from 1946, THE CHASE has been restored, and it was entertaining if rather bizarre. Robert Cummings plays an ex-soldier with mental problems who becomes involved with his gangster bosses wife--fleeing with her to Cuba. There's a major plot twist midway that left viewers scratching their heads, and the ending doesn't seem as happily resolved as the characters would have us believe. GRADE------B-
US independent comic film about a ball-busting new manager who barges her way into the lives of her co-workers, PRICE CHECK is nothing without the amazing queen of indie films herself--Parker Posey. The film feels much like TV's THE OFFICE, but focuses on the relationship the manager forces into between her newly promoted assistant (Eric Mabius) and his wife and child. Posey makes it fun, but there's nothing new here. GRADE---------C+
Mincing, cringe-inducing film from Philippines, REMINGTON AND THE CURSE OF THE ZOMBADINGS could have been a campy treat, but instead, this film of a gaydar gun that kills closeted gays and turns them into zombies is sloppy and chock full of the worst stereotypes. GRADE-------D
From Iran, A CUBE OF SUGAR may be the most unusual film from that country to play the west. Dozens of guests come to stay the weekend for the wedding of a young relative and her (as yet) absent groom in the military. The atmosphere is happy, celebratory, loopy, hopeful--and there are so many people coming into the house that it is difficult for the viewer to be certain exactly who is who. About half way through the film, ironic tragedy strikes one guest, and suddenly the mood becomes, obviously, more subdued and sorrowful, and yet the film, possibly seen as a metaphor for the country's history (past and future) remains beautifully hopeful. GRADE----------A-
I wrote about the French Canadian STARBUCK and THE BRITISH GUIDE TO SHOWING OFF back in October when I saw them at the Vancouver International Film Festival. They are both extremely likable and funny. GRADE for each-------------B+
Powerful and very unique, THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is filmed in the delta region of Louisiana and features mostly local people as it tells the story of a catastrophic hurricane devastating the dirt poor folks who must scrap and fight for every meal. (Hurricane Katrina is never named, but it is likely that this could be a personal story of that incident.) A driving force in the story is the dynamic relationship between an indigent father and his scrappy, resourceful, motherless young daughter---maybe near age 7, who manages to hold her own against the fierce elements and her drunken, desperate father (who is probably the only "professional" in the cast.) My biggest complaint is the nature of the film making itself. The camera work is aggressively hand held and becomes nauseating when viewed from up close which was where I ended up at the sold out screening. Still, I admired the concept and creativity the first time film-maker--a true tour-de-force of the human spirit. GRADE------B+
Smartly written and acted, this small film about two teens falling in love for THE FIRST TIME manages to escape the vulgarities of the usual teen comedy (like gross out jokes and crude sex talk, etc) to become very thoughtful and realistic in depicting first time sex. GRADE------B+
Beautifully filmed from the Gothic classic novel, THE MONK creates almost an other-worldly milieu where a pious monk becomes unknowingly tempted by evil in an insidious manner. Moody and fascinating and (for its time) lurid. GRADE-------B+
Made in Brazil, the mostly true story XINGU tells of three brothers who struggle to protect the indigenous rights of the Indians from progress, military and commercialism. The epic-lite film gallops through the decades, and at times seems to gloss over the drama, but it's an earnest and interesting story. GRADE---- B
Modern Turkish society is on view in story of an unwanted child called C A N. The film leaves some lingering questions, but the actors and story are compelling. GRADE-----B
Well filmed and acted Swedish film THE CROWN JEWELS has some unusual plot twists that at times are rather astonishing (in both good and bad ways), but it is not dull. An older teen girl accused of murder retells her story in flashback . The film is curiously likable. GRADE-----B
From South Korea comes MIRAGE---an unusual film which flashed back and forth in time to relate the friendship of two school mates. They are both fascinated by science fiction and worm holes, but the film takes you to places you had no idea you were going to. Interesting. GRADE-----B-
Odd film-noir from 1946, THE CHASE has been restored, and it was entertaining if rather bizarre. Robert Cummings plays an ex-soldier with mental problems who becomes involved with his gangster bosses wife--fleeing with her to Cuba. There's a major plot twist midway that left viewers scratching their heads, and the ending doesn't seem as happily resolved as the characters would have us believe. GRADE------B-
US independent comic film about a ball-busting new manager who barges her way into the lives of her co-workers, PRICE CHECK is nothing without the amazing queen of indie films herself--Parker Posey. The film feels much like TV's THE OFFICE, but focuses on the relationship the manager forces into between her newly promoted assistant (Eric Mabius) and his wife and child. Posey makes it fun, but there's nothing new here. GRADE---------C+
Mincing, cringe-inducing film from Philippines, REMINGTON AND THE CURSE OF THE ZOMBADINGS could have been a campy treat, but instead, this film of a gaydar gun that kills closeted gays and turns them into zombies is sloppy and chock full of the worst stereotypes. GRADE-------D
Friday, June 1, 2012
SIFF 2012 screened 5/29---5/31
Here are more press screenings and regular screenings that I was this week.
STORY OF FILM; AN ODYSSEY parts 3 and 4---I always know that I'll end even a crappy day of film going with this insightful, fascinating, exhaustive movie history experience. GRADE A
This dynamic French film GUILTY tells the true story of an innocent man and wife accused of molesting the children of people they didn't even know---and the nightmare that follows in prison and in the court system. The lead actor is excellent---gaining and losing weight throughout the story. GRADE----------A-
Small, subtle, surprising story from Argentina which shows how the middle class exploits its indigenous people. The ending of this gentle film called NOSILATIAJ BEAUTY is a whopper. GRADE--------B+
Charming Russian film MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV is quite funny and lively, mixing coming of age story with desire to dance. Unfortunately, the ending is rather low key, losing some of the earlier fizz. GRADE--------B
Modest story set at end of World War II, 4 DAYS IN MAY has some tension-filled (if unlikely) plot of Red Russian army trying to protect small girls in a German school from improprieties as the war is ending. GRADE------B
OTELO BURNING actually gets better as the film progresses---nothing like learning on the job. Three young poor black teens from South Africa discover the joys and "freedoms" of surfing, while their small township is going through some violent political changes. It is a tragedy, although nothing like it's namesake Othello. GRADE------B
Interesting documentary of an indigenous man who is probably "accidentally" killed 45 minutes after he is booked, THE TALL MAN shed light on the prejudice's that exist in Australia. GRADE----B-
The first 2 hours of the nearly 4 hour Russian film CHAPITEAU-SHOW are a lot of fun, with brightly filmed scenes set at a famous beach town, but it is down hill from there. First half is rated B but the second half gets a C-. Total GRADE---------C+
Brutal and exhausting to watch, I'm glad they made the film DIAZ--DON'T CLEAN UP THIS BLOOD to show us or remind us of an horrific incident of police brutality in 2000 Genoa. Unfortunately, it had audience members running from the theatre while the rest of us felt numb afterwards. GRADE-------C+
PRIME TIME SOAP from Brazil plays a lot like a soap opera, but with added bits of political intrigue and violent brutality. Too bad the subtitles were nearly unreadable--you can maybe read about 25% of them, so a lot details may have been lost to the non Spanish speaker. GRADE----C+
I didn't buy into the premise that a shallow blind 30 year old girl could "have any man she wanted" and I didn't care for any of the characters in the tedious Spanish film 6 POINTS ABOUT EMMA. GRADE------C
US independent film THE MOST FUN I'VE EVER HAD WITH MY PANTS ON has some lovely photography that features the South West cross country trip that two 20-something childhood girl friends take in the car. Unfortunately, someone forgot to provide a story/scrip for them---the dialogue is banal. GRADE--------D+
I couldn't become engaged with the black and white, TOTALLY abstract script/story/film ---the newest from Guy Madden (MY WINNIPEG, SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD). This new film called KEYHOLE was total chaos and absurdity for the first hour, so I left. GRADE -------D
STORY OF FILM; AN ODYSSEY parts 3 and 4---I always know that I'll end even a crappy day of film going with this insightful, fascinating, exhaustive movie history experience. GRADE A
This dynamic French film GUILTY tells the true story of an innocent man and wife accused of molesting the children of people they didn't even know---and the nightmare that follows in prison and in the court system. The lead actor is excellent---gaining and losing weight throughout the story. GRADE----------A-
Small, subtle, surprising story from Argentina which shows how the middle class exploits its indigenous people. The ending of this gentle film called NOSILATIAJ BEAUTY is a whopper. GRADE--------B+
Charming Russian film MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV is quite funny and lively, mixing coming of age story with desire to dance. Unfortunately, the ending is rather low key, losing some of the earlier fizz. GRADE--------B
Modest story set at end of World War II, 4 DAYS IN MAY has some tension-filled (if unlikely) plot of Red Russian army trying to protect small girls in a German school from improprieties as the war is ending. GRADE------B
OTELO BURNING actually gets better as the film progresses---nothing like learning on the job. Three young poor black teens from South Africa discover the joys and "freedoms" of surfing, while their small township is going through some violent political changes. It is a tragedy, although nothing like it's namesake Othello. GRADE------B
Interesting documentary of an indigenous man who is probably "accidentally" killed 45 minutes after he is booked, THE TALL MAN shed light on the prejudice's that exist in Australia. GRADE----B-
The first 2 hours of the nearly 4 hour Russian film CHAPITEAU-SHOW are a lot of fun, with brightly filmed scenes set at a famous beach town, but it is down hill from there. First half is rated B but the second half gets a C-. Total GRADE---------C+
Brutal and exhausting to watch, I'm glad they made the film DIAZ--DON'T CLEAN UP THIS BLOOD to show us or remind us of an horrific incident of police brutality in 2000 Genoa. Unfortunately, it had audience members running from the theatre while the rest of us felt numb afterwards. GRADE-------C+
PRIME TIME SOAP from Brazil plays a lot like a soap opera, but with added bits of political intrigue and violent brutality. Too bad the subtitles were nearly unreadable--you can maybe read about 25% of them, so a lot details may have been lost to the non Spanish speaker. GRADE----C+
I didn't buy into the premise that a shallow blind 30 year old girl could "have any man she wanted" and I didn't care for any of the characters in the tedious Spanish film 6 POINTS ABOUT EMMA. GRADE------C
US independent film THE MOST FUN I'VE EVER HAD WITH MY PANTS ON has some lovely photography that features the South West cross country trip that two 20-something childhood girl friends take in the car. Unfortunately, someone forgot to provide a story/scrip for them---the dialogue is banal. GRADE--------D+
I couldn't become engaged with the black and white, TOTALLY abstract script/story/film ---the newest from Guy Madden (MY WINNIPEG, SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD). This new film called KEYHOLE was total chaos and absurdity for the first hour, so I left. GRADE -------D
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Weekend Films at SIFF 2012
A newly minted revival of Stanley Donan's TWO FOR THE ROAD (1967) was the highlight this weekend, with the very attractive leads Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney in their prime. I saw this as a teenager when it came out--it was the bottom half (!) of a double bill at the time, and I don't remember what the main feature was, but I remember thinking that this was BY FAR the superior film, and seeing it again after nearly 10 years reconfirms my feeling that this is perhaps one of the most succinct films on marriage that cinema has ever produced. (Other films that spring to mind may be SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, UP, KRAMER VS KRAMER and JULIE and JULIA) The film cuts back and forth between four or five different time periods when the couple is traveling through Europe: the trip when they first meet, another trip on their honeymoon, a trip with another couple with an obnoxious child, a trip when they first meet his demanding boss, and another trip where they seem to be on the brink of divorce. The film is sophisticated, witty and very perceptive, with some great sight gags thrown in for good laughs. One of the great ones.......... GRADE---------A
It may not be great art, but THREE QUARTER MOON certainly hits all the right emotional notes. A six year old Turkish girl is abandoned in Nuremberg Germany after her grandmother ends up in the hospital and ends up bonding with a cranky old German taxi driver with problems of his own. There's an amazing long tracking shot that covers the emotional shock the taxi driver receives at a retail store that follows him out to the street, where another jolt of reality rocks him. And if the final resolution scene (ironically in a taxi) doesn't give you an emotional jolt, you don't deserve this lovely little film. GRADE--------A-
This was the SHORTS weekend, with a half dozen shorts programs. I saw the GROWING UP GAY program, and felt they were all quite good--clever, funny, insightful. Especially good was the last short called LITTLE ONES, a sardonic look at a gay couple and straight couple swapping home renovation stories and efforts to have children, over cocktails and a dinner that includes some dolls that the gay couple talk to like real children. GRADE-------B+
The Belgium film NORTH SEA TEXAS covers about 6 years in the life of a child who is growing up gay from an early age. The film starts when he is about 12 and discovers the pleasures of wearing his mother's jewelry and clothes. He also starts an affair with a neighbor boy about 3 years older, which lasts for several years. The subtle film is very serious and romantic in a way---he doesn't feel shame or abuse in this relationship, yet feels the sting when the older boy discovers girls. It's a film about the joy, heartache and frustration of first love, with some lovely actors really filling out the 1960's small town cast of characters. GRADE---------B
OVERHEARD 2 is a gripping thriller from Hong Kong that moves along at break neck speed. (This is a stand alone film---you don't need to have seen the first version.) A stock broker's car and home and office have been bugged by someone, and the police want to know who and why. There is a lot of discussion about financial markets, insider trading and dirty dealings, which mainly work like a McGuffin for what is basically a mystery chase thriller. GRADE-------B
It felt like the lush period drama BEL AMI was screened with the wrong lens, because it appeared extremely light and bright--with washed out colors. I talked to some who saw it on pay per view recently and they swore the film looks GREAT! The novel, by Guy de Maupassant, probably goes into much more detail--the film seems to rush through plot points. It is basically about a poor young man in 1895 Paris, who sleeps his way to wealth and power by seducing several wives of powerful men. The plot mechanics entertained me, and the cast including Robert Pattinson, Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas, was fun to watch. GRADE------B
Covering a dozen years, starting from 1939 up to about the early 1950's, this epic Swedish/Norway film SIMON AND THE OAKS explores the relationship between two Swedish families, Gentile and Jewish, and their friendship during the Nazi years and beyond. The first half centers on the two boys, one Jewish, the other (we soon find out) is half Jewish who struggle to find themselves, often in conflict with their two fathers. After the war, when the boys are young men, the film becomes more interesting, focusing on Simon, the half Jew, who struggles to discover his roots, as he reacts angerly toward his adopted family. I wish this had been directed by a stronger director--the film panders and wanders at times, when it should be juicing up the melodrama. GRADE------B
I've always enjoyed the films of Alex de la Iglesia (EL CRIMEN PERFECT 2004, DAY OF THE BEAST 1995) because he's often willing to go over the top in his direction. His new film AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT is also over the top in many ways, but I found it to be too unbelievable and, at times, too cruel to enjoy. When an unemployed ad man suffers an injury accident from which he cannot be moved, the whole event becomes an overblown (and a bit tedious) media circus. I got the point early on, but it is pounded home again and again. Watchable but unpleasant and distasteful. GRADE--------B-
Every couple of years, someone remakes LA RONDE in a different way, where multiple characters have sex, than interconnect with other lovers, until the drama comes full circle back to the first actors we have seen. (See CIRCLE OF LOVE, CIRCLE OF DESIRE, LA RONDE and others.) The sex in this new film called 3 6 0 is dominated by a prostitution ring that affects the lives of various characters, including Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Ben Foster and Anthony Hopkins, although I'm not sure what the Hopkins subplot --he's searching for his runaway daughter--was doing here. In spite of good production values, it becomes rather grim and depressing stuff, and I was unmoved. GRADE------C+
JOSHUA TREE, 1951: A PORTRAIT OF JAMES DEAN is a fictionalized account of what might have been the life of Dean before he became a big iconic star. It takes the more extreme view that he was a gay hustler, and seduced his way to the top with a producer, director and his gay writer roommate. There is a lot of low budget, soft core gay sex scenes and nudity, and it sort of threw me. Some of the dialogue is stilted and pretentious, and some of the actors are not so convincing. What this film does have, in spades, is style, atmosphere, cool cinematography, and a great, authentic looking actor as Dean. Interesting try. GRADE---------C+
From Canada comes EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, which starts out awkwardly, with weak actors saying unconvincing lines and platitudes, then goes down hill from there. Could just as well be called NOTHING AND NO ONE. GRADE--------D
It had better production values than the above E & E, and the actors were better spoken and prettier, but the Spanish film COUSINHOOD was so manic and unfunny and illogical, that it literally drove me out of the theatre after a long, tedious hour, along with a dozen or more audience members. GRADE--------D
It may not be great art, but THREE QUARTER MOON certainly hits all the right emotional notes. A six year old Turkish girl is abandoned in Nuremberg Germany after her grandmother ends up in the hospital and ends up bonding with a cranky old German taxi driver with problems of his own. There's an amazing long tracking shot that covers the emotional shock the taxi driver receives at a retail store that follows him out to the street, where another jolt of reality rocks him. And if the final resolution scene (ironically in a taxi) doesn't give you an emotional jolt, you don't deserve this lovely little film. GRADE--------A-
This was the SHORTS weekend, with a half dozen shorts programs. I saw the GROWING UP GAY program, and felt they were all quite good--clever, funny, insightful. Especially good was the last short called LITTLE ONES, a sardonic look at a gay couple and straight couple swapping home renovation stories and efforts to have children, over cocktails and a dinner that includes some dolls that the gay couple talk to like real children. GRADE-------B+
The Belgium film NORTH SEA TEXAS covers about 6 years in the life of a child who is growing up gay from an early age. The film starts when he is about 12 and discovers the pleasures of wearing his mother's jewelry and clothes. He also starts an affair with a neighbor boy about 3 years older, which lasts for several years. The subtle film is very serious and romantic in a way---he doesn't feel shame or abuse in this relationship, yet feels the sting when the older boy discovers girls. It's a film about the joy, heartache and frustration of first love, with some lovely actors really filling out the 1960's small town cast of characters. GRADE---------B
OVERHEARD 2 is a gripping thriller from Hong Kong that moves along at break neck speed. (This is a stand alone film---you don't need to have seen the first version.) A stock broker's car and home and office have been bugged by someone, and the police want to know who and why. There is a lot of discussion about financial markets, insider trading and dirty dealings, which mainly work like a McGuffin for what is basically a mystery chase thriller. GRADE-------B
It felt like the lush period drama BEL AMI was screened with the wrong lens, because it appeared extremely light and bright--with washed out colors. I talked to some who saw it on pay per view recently and they swore the film looks GREAT! The novel, by Guy de Maupassant, probably goes into much more detail--the film seems to rush through plot points. It is basically about a poor young man in 1895 Paris, who sleeps his way to wealth and power by seducing several wives of powerful men. The plot mechanics entertained me, and the cast including Robert Pattinson, Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas, was fun to watch. GRADE------B
Covering a dozen years, starting from 1939 up to about the early 1950's, this epic Swedish/Norway film SIMON AND THE OAKS explores the relationship between two Swedish families, Gentile and Jewish, and their friendship during the Nazi years and beyond. The first half centers on the two boys, one Jewish, the other (we soon find out) is half Jewish who struggle to find themselves, often in conflict with their two fathers. After the war, when the boys are young men, the film becomes more interesting, focusing on Simon, the half Jew, who struggles to discover his roots, as he reacts angerly toward his adopted family. I wish this had been directed by a stronger director--the film panders and wanders at times, when it should be juicing up the melodrama. GRADE------B
I've always enjoyed the films of Alex de la Iglesia (EL CRIMEN PERFECT 2004, DAY OF THE BEAST 1995) because he's often willing to go over the top in his direction. His new film AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT is also over the top in many ways, but I found it to be too unbelievable and, at times, too cruel to enjoy. When an unemployed ad man suffers an injury accident from which he cannot be moved, the whole event becomes an overblown (and a bit tedious) media circus. I got the point early on, but it is pounded home again and again. Watchable but unpleasant and distasteful. GRADE--------B-
Every couple of years, someone remakes LA RONDE in a different way, where multiple characters have sex, than interconnect with other lovers, until the drama comes full circle back to the first actors we have seen. (See CIRCLE OF LOVE, CIRCLE OF DESIRE, LA RONDE and others.) The sex in this new film called 3 6 0 is dominated by a prostitution ring that affects the lives of various characters, including Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Ben Foster and Anthony Hopkins, although I'm not sure what the Hopkins subplot --he's searching for his runaway daughter--was doing here. In spite of good production values, it becomes rather grim and depressing stuff, and I was unmoved. GRADE------C+
JOSHUA TREE, 1951: A PORTRAIT OF JAMES DEAN is a fictionalized account of what might have been the life of Dean before he became a big iconic star. It takes the more extreme view that he was a gay hustler, and seduced his way to the top with a producer, director and his gay writer roommate. There is a lot of low budget, soft core gay sex scenes and nudity, and it sort of threw me. Some of the dialogue is stilted and pretentious, and some of the actors are not so convincing. What this film does have, in spades, is style, atmosphere, cool cinematography, and a great, authentic looking actor as Dean. Interesting try. GRADE---------C+
From Canada comes EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, which starts out awkwardly, with weak actors saying unconvincing lines and platitudes, then goes down hill from there. Could just as well be called NOTHING AND NO ONE. GRADE--------D
It had better production values than the above E & E, and the actors were better spoken and prettier, but the Spanish film COUSINHOOD was so manic and unfunny and illogical, that it literally drove me out of the theatre after a long, tedious hour, along with a dozen or more audience members. GRADE--------D
Friday, May 25, 2012
SIFF Report May 21 through May 24
SIFF is in full swing, so much to catch up on. Here are my watched films, in descending order. Still, anything rated B- or higher is worth a look.
On the top of most cinephiles lists has got to be the incredibly long (total of 15 hours!), ambitious, insightful movie called THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY, and this week I saw Parts 1 and 2 (out of 5). This creative documentary tries to tell the history of world cinema from its beginnings in the late 1800's somewhat chronologically, but does so by comparing, for example, early editing features with those in more current films, so that you don't just get bogged down in one era. It shows the influences that all these different films (lots of clips!) have on other directors. In spite of its length, the film still seems to gloss over many famous directors, actors and styles. It is so dense that at times it feels like too much of a good thing, and is probable best seen in 3 hour or less segments, which is the way it is being shown at SIFF. Word has it that it will be released on DVD in December, and I've also heard that SIFF may show it this summer after the festival. It is certainly a magnificent effort. GRADE------A
Effective, low budget film on a decade long love relationship between two men, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON is Ira Sachs' semi-autobiographical story of the problems and friendship and intimacies of a long term relationship. It feels very personal and honest, and the film making is solid. GRADE------A-
Inspiring, moving documentary about efforts of a high school in a disadvantaged, poor Compton community that tries different ways to motivate (with much success) kids to learn, including the opportunity for someone to win a $40,000 scholarship at the FREE THROW line. You get to know the 8 kids involved and some staff---- this surprising "little" film had the audience crying and cheering by the end. GRADE--------A-
Strong, powerful story of a single day--OSLO AUGUST 31-- in the life of a drug addict, as he visits friends and family, in search of something to keep him alive. Unfortunately, the shaky camera annoys the proceedings about half the time. GRADE--------A-
Another great documentary, WINTER NOMADS follows two shepherds as they move 800 sheep through the country side of Switzerland, encountering friends and antagonists along the way. There are some amazing shots of scenery, weather, sheep, donkeys, dogs and people---the film really transports you. GRADE--------A-
Somber yet hopeful story called BREATHING, from Austria, of a teenager living in a detention home, who gets a job working for a funeral home. This triggers feelings and questions about the woman who abandoned him as a baby in an orphanage. GRADE-------B+
Lively Korean comedy/drama/thriller of man with limited time to live due to liver failure who struggles to find a donor. He is a debt collector, but he (improbably) acts more like James Bond than a dying man. COUNTDOWN is immensely entertaining. (This marks the third time that Downs Syndrome is an important aspect of the plot at SIFF 2012. See also GOODBYE and ANY DAY NOW.) GRADE--------B+
Kristin Scott Thomas and Ethan Hawke add a touch of class to WOMAN IN THE FIFTH-- a moody, enigmatic mystery. Don't expect too many answers to the questions raised, but just enjoy the ride. GRADE------B
Director Thom Fitzgerald (THE HANGING GARDEN, BEEFCAKE, THREE NEEDLES) is back with an entertaining film called CLOUDBURST, a salty story of two older lesbians trying to stay together. Fortunately, they are played with great charm and enthusiasm by Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker. The story has them on the lam from the law---Dukakis has broken Fricker out of an old folks home---hoping to get married in Canada before returning home. To help, they pick up an aimless young man, an ex-dancer who is hitch hiking. The plot is thin and at times very awkwardly progressed, but these two old pros get in some great lines, insults, dirty potty mouth language, and there is a surprising dose of amusing, full frontal (male) nudity. A whole lot of genuine feeling is generated between these three. GRADE-------B
Cheerful, lively documentary about the struggles of three would be star headliners on Broadway who instead work as THE STANDBYS--understudies for the stars who almost never call out sick. This film is a must for those interested in Broadway (or any other type) of theatre. GRADE------B
French film COTEAU ROUGE starts awkwardly, until you realize that this is a twisted satirical comedy (think TWIN PEAKS) that for me grew very likable and hilarious as it progressed. This film DID, however, split the audience between those who loved it and those who hated it. GRADE------B
I wanted to like the modest US comedy HELLO I MUST BE GOING more than I did. A 30 something, newly divorced and jobless woman finds herself living with her parents and finding solace in a handsome 19 year old. The film is slickly made and charmingly acted, but it feels a bit familiar. GRADE------B-
It's a close call on the charming indie comedy BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST, about a rag tag trio who hit the road, touring with their gentle songs and children's toy instruments. There's a cleverness about much of the proceedings, but there's a lot of coincidences to swallow here, and the production values are marginal. Top billed Melissa Leo has one scene with maybe 2 lines. GRADE-------C+
The low budget science-fictionEARTHBOUND tries hard, but this Irish film just can't find the right tone, and the lines by the young actors are hard to hear. The special effects budget feels like $100 total, and the plot is familiar. Yawn. GRADE------C
Another film I wanted to like, but the documentary musical WELCOME TO DOE BAY plays like a llllooonnnnggg commercial for the Doe Bay music festival in the San Juan Islands. There were some nice musical interludes, but the talking heads kept repeating how wonderful it is to play in the San Juan Islands and be closer to their fans, and the film felt like double it's 75 minute running time. Might have worked better as a 20 minute short film. GRADE-------C-
Some shots of old movie palaces and urban streets in Cambodia are fascinating, and there is an intense 10 minute unbroken,emotional interview near the end with a director who survived the Khmer Rouge's deadly regime, but the film GOLDEN SLUMBERS, supposedly about Cambodia's hey day of film from 1960-1975 is a mish-mash of ideas and interviews that go no where. No archival materials exists of these films, so we listen to a dozen cinephiles and/or survivors tell us the plots and try to describe how wonderful these 40 years old films were. This is frustrating and tedious. GRADE-------D+
_____________
On DVD I watched the latest film from Richard (LOVE ACTUALLY, NOTTING HILL) Curtis called PIRATE RADIO (2009). His camera style in this one is chaotic and busy (hand-held), and many characters are over the top, making the film hard to enjoy. But it was fun to see the sinking of the pirate radio ship near the end, some of the laughs work quite well, and there is a liberal dose of great rock and roll tunes from the 1960's. GRADE-------B-
On the top of most cinephiles lists has got to be the incredibly long (total of 15 hours!), ambitious, insightful movie called THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY, and this week I saw Parts 1 and 2 (out of 5). This creative documentary tries to tell the history of world cinema from its beginnings in the late 1800's somewhat chronologically, but does so by comparing, for example, early editing features with those in more current films, so that you don't just get bogged down in one era. It shows the influences that all these different films (lots of clips!) have on other directors. In spite of its length, the film still seems to gloss over many famous directors, actors and styles. It is so dense that at times it feels like too much of a good thing, and is probable best seen in 3 hour or less segments, which is the way it is being shown at SIFF. Word has it that it will be released on DVD in December, and I've also heard that SIFF may show it this summer after the festival. It is certainly a magnificent effort. GRADE------A
Effective, low budget film on a decade long love relationship between two men, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON is Ira Sachs' semi-autobiographical story of the problems and friendship and intimacies of a long term relationship. It feels very personal and honest, and the film making is solid. GRADE------A-
Inspiring, moving documentary about efforts of a high school in a disadvantaged, poor Compton community that tries different ways to motivate (with much success) kids to learn, including the opportunity for someone to win a $40,000 scholarship at the FREE THROW line. You get to know the 8 kids involved and some staff---- this surprising "little" film had the audience crying and cheering by the end. GRADE--------A-
Strong, powerful story of a single day--OSLO AUGUST 31-- in the life of a drug addict, as he visits friends and family, in search of something to keep him alive. Unfortunately, the shaky camera annoys the proceedings about half the time. GRADE--------A-
Another great documentary, WINTER NOMADS follows two shepherds as they move 800 sheep through the country side of Switzerland, encountering friends and antagonists along the way. There are some amazing shots of scenery, weather, sheep, donkeys, dogs and people---the film really transports you. GRADE--------A-
Somber yet hopeful story called BREATHING, from Austria, of a teenager living in a detention home, who gets a job working for a funeral home. This triggers feelings and questions about the woman who abandoned him as a baby in an orphanage. GRADE-------B+
Lively Korean comedy/drama/thriller of man with limited time to live due to liver failure who struggles to find a donor. He is a debt collector, but he (improbably) acts more like James Bond than a dying man. COUNTDOWN is immensely entertaining. (This marks the third time that Downs Syndrome is an important aspect of the plot at SIFF 2012. See also GOODBYE and ANY DAY NOW.) GRADE--------B+
Kristin Scott Thomas and Ethan Hawke add a touch of class to WOMAN IN THE FIFTH-- a moody, enigmatic mystery. Don't expect too many answers to the questions raised, but just enjoy the ride. GRADE------B
Director Thom Fitzgerald (THE HANGING GARDEN, BEEFCAKE, THREE NEEDLES) is back with an entertaining film called CLOUDBURST, a salty story of two older lesbians trying to stay together. Fortunately, they are played with great charm and enthusiasm by Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker. The story has them on the lam from the law---Dukakis has broken Fricker out of an old folks home---hoping to get married in Canada before returning home. To help, they pick up an aimless young man, an ex-dancer who is hitch hiking. The plot is thin and at times very awkwardly progressed, but these two old pros get in some great lines, insults, dirty potty mouth language, and there is a surprising dose of amusing, full frontal (male) nudity. A whole lot of genuine feeling is generated between these three. GRADE-------B
Cheerful, lively documentary about the struggles of three would be star headliners on Broadway who instead work as THE STANDBYS--understudies for the stars who almost never call out sick. This film is a must for those interested in Broadway (or any other type) of theatre. GRADE------B
French film COTEAU ROUGE starts awkwardly, until you realize that this is a twisted satirical comedy (think TWIN PEAKS) that for me grew very likable and hilarious as it progressed. This film DID, however, split the audience between those who loved it and those who hated it. GRADE------B
I wanted to like the modest US comedy HELLO I MUST BE GOING more than I did. A 30 something, newly divorced and jobless woman finds herself living with her parents and finding solace in a handsome 19 year old. The film is slickly made and charmingly acted, but it feels a bit familiar. GRADE------B-
It's a close call on the charming indie comedy BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST, about a rag tag trio who hit the road, touring with their gentle songs and children's toy instruments. There's a cleverness about much of the proceedings, but there's a lot of coincidences to swallow here, and the production values are marginal. Top billed Melissa Leo has one scene with maybe 2 lines. GRADE-------C+
The low budget science-fictionEARTHBOUND tries hard, but this Irish film just can't find the right tone, and the lines by the young actors are hard to hear. The special effects budget feels like $100 total, and the plot is familiar. Yawn. GRADE------C
Another film I wanted to like, but the documentary musical WELCOME TO DOE BAY plays like a llllooonnnnggg commercial for the Doe Bay music festival in the San Juan Islands. There were some nice musical interludes, but the talking heads kept repeating how wonderful it is to play in the San Juan Islands and be closer to their fans, and the film felt like double it's 75 minute running time. Might have worked better as a 20 minute short film. GRADE-------C-
Some shots of old movie palaces and urban streets in Cambodia are fascinating, and there is an intense 10 minute unbroken,emotional interview near the end with a director who survived the Khmer Rouge's deadly regime, but the film GOLDEN SLUMBERS, supposedly about Cambodia's hey day of film from 1960-1975 is a mish-mash of ideas and interviews that go no where. No archival materials exists of these films, so we listen to a dozen cinephiles and/or survivors tell us the plots and try to describe how wonderful these 40 years old films were. This is frustrating and tedious. GRADE-------D+
_____________
On DVD I watched the latest film from Richard (LOVE ACTUALLY, NOTTING HILL) Curtis called PIRATE RADIO (2009). His camera style in this one is chaotic and busy (hand-held), and many characters are over the top, making the film hard to enjoy. But it was fun to see the sinking of the pirate radio ship near the end, some of the laughs work quite well, and there is a liberal dose of great rock and roll tunes from the 1960's. GRADE-------B-
Monday, May 21, 2012
SIFF Report 18-20 May
I'm seeing a lot of films now that the festival has kicked into gear, so comments may be briefer than usual---I'll write more when these films open for regular runs.
Certainly the funniest, and sure to be one of the most popular films from SIFF 2012 is a smash hit from France called THE INTOUCHABLES, the unlikely but true story of a poor Senegalese immigrant from the Parisian projects who becomes the live in care-giver to a wealthy quadriplegic man. This odd-couple story delivers consistent laughs, while maintaining a strong humanistic point of view. Since I first saw him in TELL NO ONE, I've thought Francois Cluzet could be Dustin Hoffman's twin brother, and visions of an inevitable Hollywood remake would cast Hoffman with a youthful up and coming Eddie Murphy type. This one should be seen before it is Americanized. GRADE-------A-
A beautifully creative documentary on the iconic fashion editor and personality, DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL is a revealing and entertaining look at the her life and friends and family with interviews and clips featuring Dick Cavett, Ali McGraw, Anjelica Huston, Diane von Furstenberg and many others. GRADE-------A-
Epic looking film SACRIFICE from Chinese director Chen Kaige (FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE) featuring big Shakespearean themes of betrayal, revenge, respect and loyalty. The first 30 minutes is a violent swirl of characters and several babies (!?!), and it is difficult to sort through all the chaos, but once the air clears, the focus becomes centered on four characters, and the film becomes a very strong, if slightly melodramatic, journey towards tragic revenge. GRADE--------B+
From Great Britain comes an intense, gripping MY BROTHER THE DEVIL set in the London housing projects, as an older brother involved with drugs and guns through his gang tries desperately to keep his younger brother out of that life-style. When his best friend is violently killed, he tries to break out of the gang life, but finds himself compromised by his political and sexual awakenings. This is a smart, effective thriller that benefits from the strong relationships between brothers and their family and friends. An impressive feature film debut for Sally El Hosani, it is marred only by the strong accents and slang that sometimes made it difficult to understand. GRADE--------B+
From Iran comes the solid drama GOODBYE, about a young pregnant woman whose husband is a political dissident in hiding. Her career as a lawyer has been politically stalled, she must endure indignities of continual harassment from a repressive government, she's thinking of (an illegal) abortion, and she desperately wants to leave the country. The film builds tension with a number of scenes that detail her struggling existence---she's not allowed to make any medical decisions without consulting her absent husband, her pet turtle's container keeps developing slow leaks, even her mother's nagging seems ominous. GRADE-------------B
I could have used less politics and more music in the infectious documentary UNDER AFRICAN SKIES about the creation and success and then backlash around Paul Simon's classic album GRACELAND, but this is still an intriguing and toe-tapping experience. This film is scheduled to show on TV's A&E channel this month. GRADE-----B
He may have impressive muscles, but the body builder's mother seems to have an eerie control over his "manhood" in the Danish film TEDDY BEAR . It's a sweet natured film about a 38 year old man very timid in his attempts to find a girlfriend, so he travels to Thailand to meet someone, like his uncle did. Simple, straightforward, pleasant. GRADE-------B-
Haunting documentary with interviews and dramatic reconstructions, this is the true story of a single 38 year old woman who mysteriously died in 2003 while wrapping Christmas presents, and whose body was not discovered for OVER 3 YEARS, all the while her apartment stank, bills piled up, and her TV was on the whole time. DREAMS OF A LIFE raises questions on why someone would not be missed for 3 years in this society filled with technology. The film asks more questions than it answers, and should be shortened by 20 minutes--mostly from staged scenes of her singing and dancing alone in her apartment---still this raised lots of discussion after the screening. GRADE--------B-
Granted I was rather sleepy watching the French/German film KILL ME about a depressed teenager who runs away with an escaped convict and dragged throughout the country side trying to escape capture by authorities, but nothing very engaging seemed to be happening whenever I'd open my eyes to watch some more. GRADE-------C+
No narration, plot or special effects or fancy editing, BESTIAIRE (French Canadian) is straightforward shots of animals in a zoo looking mostly head on into the camera for sometimes minutes at a time. The film is sometimes meditative and fascinating. At other times the camera placement seemed awkward---only the legs are seen, or only the sky, with the heads occasionally coming into view. It's running time is only 72 minutes, but at times it seemed like the animal version of JEANNE DIELMAN (1975). GRADE----C+
Actress turned director/writer Sarah Polley's first film was the moving exploration of dementia with Julie Christie called AWAY FROM HER (2007). Her new film, while intriguing at times, is not nearly so good. TAKE THIS WALTZ, which features the Leonard Cohen song by the same name in a montage of sexual proclivities (!), is a familiar, leisurely story of a seemingly happily married woman (Michelle Williams) who becomes fascinated by the attentions of her hunky neighbor. I just couldn't get a grip on what made her want to leave her marriage, what was so attractive about this new man when her loving husband (an underplayed Seth Rogan) seemed like a good match. There are some charming/effective scenes: a full frontal scene in a woman's shower is bold; she and her husband sit on opposite sides of a window, yet much is communicated between them, and in another scene, she and her would be lover swim like dolphins in a public pool--twirling around each other in synchronized beauty. But there were other scenes that were just plain stupid---she tries to distract her husband's business call by playing with his lips and sticking her fingers in his mouth--and in another scene she's called home because her (estranged) sister-in-law has been out on a drunken binge (!?!). Better luck with the story next time , Sarah. GRADE---------C
Certainly the funniest, and sure to be one of the most popular films from SIFF 2012 is a smash hit from France called THE INTOUCHABLES, the unlikely but true story of a poor Senegalese immigrant from the Parisian projects who becomes the live in care-giver to a wealthy quadriplegic man. This odd-couple story delivers consistent laughs, while maintaining a strong humanistic point of view. Since I first saw him in TELL NO ONE, I've thought Francois Cluzet could be Dustin Hoffman's twin brother, and visions of an inevitable Hollywood remake would cast Hoffman with a youthful up and coming Eddie Murphy type. This one should be seen before it is Americanized. GRADE-------A-
A beautifully creative documentary on the iconic fashion editor and personality, DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL is a revealing and entertaining look at the her life and friends and family with interviews and clips featuring Dick Cavett, Ali McGraw, Anjelica Huston, Diane von Furstenberg and many others. GRADE-------A-
Epic looking film SACRIFICE from Chinese director Chen Kaige (FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE) featuring big Shakespearean themes of betrayal, revenge, respect and loyalty. The first 30 minutes is a violent swirl of characters and several babies (!?!), and it is difficult to sort through all the chaos, but once the air clears, the focus becomes centered on four characters, and the film becomes a very strong, if slightly melodramatic, journey towards tragic revenge. GRADE--------B+
From Great Britain comes an intense, gripping MY BROTHER THE DEVIL set in the London housing projects, as an older brother involved with drugs and guns through his gang tries desperately to keep his younger brother out of that life-style. When his best friend is violently killed, he tries to break out of the gang life, but finds himself compromised by his political and sexual awakenings. This is a smart, effective thriller that benefits from the strong relationships between brothers and their family and friends. An impressive feature film debut for Sally El Hosani, it is marred only by the strong accents and slang that sometimes made it difficult to understand. GRADE--------B+
From Iran comes the solid drama GOODBYE, about a young pregnant woman whose husband is a political dissident in hiding. Her career as a lawyer has been politically stalled, she must endure indignities of continual harassment from a repressive government, she's thinking of (an illegal) abortion, and she desperately wants to leave the country. The film builds tension with a number of scenes that detail her struggling existence---she's not allowed to make any medical decisions without consulting her absent husband, her pet turtle's container keeps developing slow leaks, even her mother's nagging seems ominous. GRADE-------------B
I could have used less politics and more music in the infectious documentary UNDER AFRICAN SKIES about the creation and success and then backlash around Paul Simon's classic album GRACELAND, but this is still an intriguing and toe-tapping experience. This film is scheduled to show on TV's A&E channel this month. GRADE-----B
He may have impressive muscles, but the body builder's mother seems to have an eerie control over his "manhood" in the Danish film TEDDY BEAR . It's a sweet natured film about a 38 year old man very timid in his attempts to find a girlfriend, so he travels to Thailand to meet someone, like his uncle did. Simple, straightforward, pleasant. GRADE-------B-
Haunting documentary with interviews and dramatic reconstructions, this is the true story of a single 38 year old woman who mysteriously died in 2003 while wrapping Christmas presents, and whose body was not discovered for OVER 3 YEARS, all the while her apartment stank, bills piled up, and her TV was on the whole time. DREAMS OF A LIFE raises questions on why someone would not be missed for 3 years in this society filled with technology. The film asks more questions than it answers, and should be shortened by 20 minutes--mostly from staged scenes of her singing and dancing alone in her apartment---still this raised lots of discussion after the screening. GRADE--------B-
Granted I was rather sleepy watching the French/German film KILL ME about a depressed teenager who runs away with an escaped convict and dragged throughout the country side trying to escape capture by authorities, but nothing very engaging seemed to be happening whenever I'd open my eyes to watch some more. GRADE-------C+
No narration, plot or special effects or fancy editing, BESTIAIRE (French Canadian) is straightforward shots of animals in a zoo looking mostly head on into the camera for sometimes minutes at a time. The film is sometimes meditative and fascinating. At other times the camera placement seemed awkward---only the legs are seen, or only the sky, with the heads occasionally coming into view. It's running time is only 72 minutes, but at times it seemed like the animal version of JEANNE DIELMAN (1975). GRADE----C+
Actress turned director/writer Sarah Polley's first film was the moving exploration of dementia with Julie Christie called AWAY FROM HER (2007). Her new film, while intriguing at times, is not nearly so good. TAKE THIS WALTZ, which features the Leonard Cohen song by the same name in a montage of sexual proclivities (!), is a familiar, leisurely story of a seemingly happily married woman (Michelle Williams) who becomes fascinated by the attentions of her hunky neighbor. I just couldn't get a grip on what made her want to leave her marriage, what was so attractive about this new man when her loving husband (an underplayed Seth Rogan) seemed like a good match. There are some charming/effective scenes: a full frontal scene in a woman's shower is bold; she and her husband sit on opposite sides of a window, yet much is communicated between them, and in another scene, she and her would be lover swim like dolphins in a public pool--twirling around each other in synchronized beauty. But there were other scenes that were just plain stupid---she tries to distract her husband's business call by playing with his lips and sticking her fingers in his mouth--and in another scene she's called home because her (estranged) sister-in-law has been out on a drunken binge (!?!). Better luck with the story next time , Sarah. GRADE---------C
Thursday, May 17, 2012
3rd Week Report from SIFF 2012
Here are some new screenings that are coming to SIFF 2012.
Wes Anderson's new film is very much like his other quirky, funny films. Called MOONRISE KINGDOM, it is set on a New England island that is used mostly for campers and in this case, scouts and their masters. When one young scout "resigns" from his post and runs away with the daughter of the island lawyers, they become the hunted as the whole island turns out to find them. As in the earlier films which include ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001), FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009) and LIFE AQUATIC w/STEVE ZISSOU (2004), music plays a key role, and the dead pan actors are all excellent--they include Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton. A unique, odd world is created, with much offbeat humor, pratfalls and heartfelt passion. You've never seen anything like this society in the movies before. It is a triumph of direction, style and humor. GRADE------A
The triumphant directorial return to form of Australian Fred Schepisi is quite evident in the new melodrama THE EYE OF THE STORM, based on a novel by Patrick White. Charlotte Rampling is the dying matriarch who summons her difficult adult children (Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis) to her side--she is manipulative and, as illuminated in flashback, rather heartless. Rush and Davis struggle to escape from her hold. The film is flush with witty asides and terrific one liners, and the photography is lush, the music and editing all first rate. But it is the story that really holds us--a seemingly stereotyped situation becomes a microcosm for all of modern societies struggles. Over 30 years ago, Schepisi films were eagerly awaited for their intelligent and unique take on society. They include THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1976), CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH (1978), PLENTY (1985), A CRY IN THE DARK (1988) and in my opinion, his last really provocative film, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (1993). He's back BIG TIME with this very intelligent, funny, entertaining melodrama. GRADE--------A
Director, actor, and writer Josh Radnor really scores with LIBERAL ARTS--his story of a 35 years old grad who returns to his Alma-mater and becomes infatuated with a young student. The charming actors, which include Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney and Zac Efron, score big points in likability and subtlety--the film becomes a moving meditation on friendship, responsibility and the difficulty of "moving on." GRADE-------A-
Interesting French/Italian "adult" film about an older writer with a block, who quickly marries a younger bisexual woman and gets involved with her family and friends. The title UNFORGIVABLE refers to, I think, the fact that he is quite jealous--at one point he has her followed, and it could also refer to the wife's inability to really trust in her loving capabilities. It may also refer to his runaway daughter's actions, as well as the actions of many other characters. There's a lot of nuance and undercurrent that sometimes gets resolved.. Venice is an intriguing back drop, and the characters are complex, dramatic, and the film kept me off guard through out its running time. GRADE-------B
A well meaning, touching drama based on a true story, ANY DAY NOW has a closeted gay couple in the early 1970's trying to care for a neglected young teen with Down Syndrome. Alan Cumming gets to sing (he's the more flamboyant, artistic one of the couple) and the setting is effective. Now if we can just get that camera to stop flitting about....... GRADE--------B
THE IMPOSTOR plays like a longer version of the CBS show 48 HOURS MYSTERY---here the mystery story is everything. Four years after a young boy has disappeared, a stranger in Spain claims to be the the now teen aged boy, in spite of the fact that his eyes are brown and his hair is dark, unlike the blue eyed, blond haired boy that went missing. Everyone, even his family, believes this lie. Entertaining, but hardly earth shattering documentary, it will be fine to watch on TV, and A&E network actually produced this film. GRADE--------B
HEMEL uses sex as a weapon, as therapy and as gratification, in this modern looking film from Netherlands. At times it was confusing to distinguish some of the supporting characters, and the busy camera work doesn't help, but the film is propelled by the dynamic (but pathetic) lead. GRADE---------B-
If you cut out all the swear words that started with F in this extremely profane urban film called GIMME THE LOOT , the 80 minute running time would have been cut down to less than 30 minutes, which is about how long it should be. Two teens obsessed with graffiti writing try to raise money for a big (defacing) job, mostly by stealing from others. I admired the inner-city spunk that is captured here, but the film ends abruptly and rather subtly. GRADE-------C+
The South African film HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION ends up looking like a dark lens was placed over the camera, I think in an effort to look noirish, but it just made me squint a lot. The characters are all attitude--the men especially do a lot of macho posturing, and the film is slow until the plot/blood-letting starts to kick in after the first hour. By then I didn't really care. GRADE------C
The Spanish film YEAR OF GRACE had a consistently wiggly camera (trying to be edgy or annoying????) and the characters actions and comments were tedious and boring. A young college aged student moves to Barcelona, boarding with a lonely older woman, but I didn't believe their early hostility or their eventual friendship, and there is nothing of interest featured in this Barcelona---supposedly one of Spain's most beautiful cities. What a waste!! GRADE-------C
The potential is wasted in STEP UP TO THE PLATE, a documentary from France---a father is turning over the reins of his haute cuisine restaurant to his son, but numerous scenes include father jogging, and son jogging, and many shots of the sun rise throughout the year, and of father/son pawing through vegetable bins, and pointless ruminations on the sadness and uncertainty of the transfer. Only a few shots of actual recipes being created are of much interest. Mostly quite dull. TOP CHEF this is not. GRADE--------C-
HAIL from Australia, has characters that speak such poor, accented English, that it was easier to try to read the Italian subtitles that were distracting displayed on screen. Add to that an AGGRESSIVELY hand held camera that couldn't hold still, and couldn't stay in focus, so I ran from the theater after 30 minutes, behind a dozen that beat me to the door. There was a steady stream of walk outs---about half the audience escaped before the final credits. Those that came out looked shell-shocked and disgusted that they'd stayed. GRADE on first 30 minutes------D-
Wes Anderson's new film is very much like his other quirky, funny films. Called MOONRISE KINGDOM, it is set on a New England island that is used mostly for campers and in this case, scouts and their masters. When one young scout "resigns" from his post and runs away with the daughter of the island lawyers, they become the hunted as the whole island turns out to find them. As in the earlier films which include ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001), FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009) and LIFE AQUATIC w/STEVE ZISSOU (2004), music plays a key role, and the dead pan actors are all excellent--they include Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton. A unique, odd world is created, with much offbeat humor, pratfalls and heartfelt passion. You've never seen anything like this society in the movies before. It is a triumph of direction, style and humor. GRADE------A
The triumphant directorial return to form of Australian Fred Schepisi is quite evident in the new melodrama THE EYE OF THE STORM, based on a novel by Patrick White. Charlotte Rampling is the dying matriarch who summons her difficult adult children (Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis) to her side--she is manipulative and, as illuminated in flashback, rather heartless. Rush and Davis struggle to escape from her hold. The film is flush with witty asides and terrific one liners, and the photography is lush, the music and editing all first rate. But it is the story that really holds us--a seemingly stereotyped situation becomes a microcosm for all of modern societies struggles. Over 30 years ago, Schepisi films were eagerly awaited for their intelligent and unique take on society. They include THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1976), CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH (1978), PLENTY (1985), A CRY IN THE DARK (1988) and in my opinion, his last really provocative film, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (1993). He's back BIG TIME with this very intelligent, funny, entertaining melodrama. GRADE--------A
Director, actor, and writer Josh Radnor really scores with LIBERAL ARTS--his story of a 35 years old grad who returns to his Alma-mater and becomes infatuated with a young student. The charming actors, which include Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney and Zac Efron, score big points in likability and subtlety--the film becomes a moving meditation on friendship, responsibility and the difficulty of "moving on." GRADE-------A-
Interesting French/Italian "adult" film about an older writer with a block, who quickly marries a younger bisexual woman and gets involved with her family and friends. The title UNFORGIVABLE refers to, I think, the fact that he is quite jealous--at one point he has her followed, and it could also refer to the wife's inability to really trust in her loving capabilities. It may also refer to his runaway daughter's actions, as well as the actions of many other characters. There's a lot of nuance and undercurrent that sometimes gets resolved.. Venice is an intriguing back drop, and the characters are complex, dramatic, and the film kept me off guard through out its running time. GRADE-------B
A well meaning, touching drama based on a true story, ANY DAY NOW has a closeted gay couple in the early 1970's trying to care for a neglected young teen with Down Syndrome. Alan Cumming gets to sing (he's the more flamboyant, artistic one of the couple) and the setting is effective. Now if we can just get that camera to stop flitting about....... GRADE--------B
THE IMPOSTOR plays like a longer version of the CBS show 48 HOURS MYSTERY---here the mystery story is everything. Four years after a young boy has disappeared, a stranger in Spain claims to be the the now teen aged boy, in spite of the fact that his eyes are brown and his hair is dark, unlike the blue eyed, blond haired boy that went missing. Everyone, even his family, believes this lie. Entertaining, but hardly earth shattering documentary, it will be fine to watch on TV, and A&E network actually produced this film. GRADE--------B
HEMEL uses sex as a weapon, as therapy and as gratification, in this modern looking film from Netherlands. At times it was confusing to distinguish some of the supporting characters, and the busy camera work doesn't help, but the film is propelled by the dynamic (but pathetic) lead. GRADE---------B-
If you cut out all the swear words that started with F in this extremely profane urban film called GIMME THE LOOT , the 80 minute running time would have been cut down to less than 30 minutes, which is about how long it should be. Two teens obsessed with graffiti writing try to raise money for a big (defacing) job, mostly by stealing from others. I admired the inner-city spunk that is captured here, but the film ends abruptly and rather subtly. GRADE-------C+
The South African film HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION ends up looking like a dark lens was placed over the camera, I think in an effort to look noirish, but it just made me squint a lot. The characters are all attitude--the men especially do a lot of macho posturing, and the film is slow until the plot/blood-letting starts to kick in after the first hour. By then I didn't really care. GRADE------C
The Spanish film YEAR OF GRACE had a consistently wiggly camera (trying to be edgy or annoying????) and the characters actions and comments were tedious and boring. A young college aged student moves to Barcelona, boarding with a lonely older woman, but I didn't believe their early hostility or their eventual friendship, and there is nothing of interest featured in this Barcelona---supposedly one of Spain's most beautiful cities. What a waste!! GRADE-------C
The potential is wasted in STEP UP TO THE PLATE, a documentary from France---a father is turning over the reins of his haute cuisine restaurant to his son, but numerous scenes include father jogging, and son jogging, and many shots of the sun rise throughout the year, and of father/son pawing through vegetable bins, and pointless ruminations on the sadness and uncertainty of the transfer. Only a few shots of actual recipes being created are of much interest. Mostly quite dull. TOP CHEF this is not. GRADE--------C-
HAIL from Australia, has characters that speak such poor, accented English, that it was easier to try to read the Italian subtitles that were distracting displayed on screen. Add to that an AGGRESSIVELY hand held camera that couldn't hold still, and couldn't stay in focus, so I ran from the theater after 30 minutes, behind a dozen that beat me to the door. There was a steady stream of walk outs---about half the audience escaped before the final credits. Those that came out looked shell-shocked and disgusted that they'd stayed. GRADE on first 30 minutes------D-
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