Siff 2010 Film Rankings – alphabetical reviews follow.
Must See:
Get Low
Le Concert
Mao's Last Dancer
Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Cairo Time
Utopia in Four Movements
Hipsters
White Wedding
Winter's Bone
White Lion
Waste land
Ginny Ruffner: A Not So Still Life
Howl
Great:
The Wedding Cake
The Trotsky
The Eagle Hunter's Son
The Hedgehog
Blessed
Nowhere Boy
Farewell
From Time to Time
Disco and Atomic War
Carlitos and the Chance of a Lifetime
Turtle: The Incredible Journey
Bass Ackwards
Ondine
V.O.S.
Little Big Soldier
The Dancer and the Thief
Henry of Navarre
Good:
Rock Steady: The Roots of Reggae
Hidden Diary
The Two Horses of Genghis Khan
Meet Monica Velour
The Chef of South Polar
Bran Nue Dae
The Oath
For the good of Others
Ahead of Time
Castaway on the Moon
8: The Mormon Proposition
Loose Cannons
Okay:
Cargo
Soul Kitchen
Violet Tendencies
First of All, Felicia
The Extra Man
Farsan
I Am Love
Rejoice and Shout
I Kissed a Vampire
Not Recommended:
Samson & Delilah
Perfect 10
Agora
Under The Mountain
The Penitent Man
Shorts Programs I saw (Best of SIFF shorts showing at Siff theater, Sunday June 20th 11am) :
Straight from NPR
Northwest Shorts
3 Minute Masterpieces
Reviews Alphabetized (with 5 star system – 5 is Must See)
8: The Mormon Proposition*** This is an important film because it exposes very clearly the coercion by the elders of the Mormon Church requiring the followers to give their money to the cause that resulted in the huge, huge monetary saturation that tipped the balance and got prop 8 its victory as well as the church’s willingness to torture young people into straightness. It is not, in my opinion, however, a great documentary. It gets thin in many parts and doesn’t grab us where it hurts – there are too many facts to get out, perhaps, so the emotional impact is repeatedly sacrificed. Still, getting this information out is critical, so I’m glad it got made.
Agora*. How could this story have been so shallow? Such a great premise should have gone far, but instead, the filmmakers chose to focus on battle after battle without going down into why they were happening and who this most intriguing woman was. The production values were so high, I couldn’t help but be drawn in to this horrendous story and so, left it feeling homicidal.
Ahead of Time *** Yet another story of an incredible influential and brave woman who I’ve never heard of. This is a documentary about Ruth Gruber, and journalist who covered the middle east and the soviet arctic during the 40s and managed to get pictures from the Exodus ship out to the public among many other, very dangerous and near-impossible stories. She’s still alive so you get to hear her take on all of these events. Pretty amazing.
Bass Ackwards**** Charming road movie in its purest form. Quirky characters are met along the way and the driver learns to love himself in the process. I’m still thinking about these people (and the van, and the alpacas). This is on my must own list.
Blessed**** This is another hard, hard journey and not for everyone. A number of different families in working class Australia are represented first from the point of view of the children in the families and then from the Mothers’. Most of these characters are flawed, sometimes redeemable and sometimes not. Again, a very difficult ending keeps it from going higher up on my list, but the strength of the characters, the format and the woman-focused approach makes it a great movie, nonetheless.
Bran Nue Dae*** This one is slightly flawed, but still fun and enjoyable. It’s a musical about an aboriginal boy in the 60s in a small port town in Australia. The plot line is a bit thin and absurd, but that’s actually the point. It’s a fun fest, the songs are good (though sometimes extra goofy), and there are some really great moments that make it very much worth the effort.
Cairo Time***** Very romantic, soft and sensuous, a lovely piece. Lots of gorgeous Cairo shots with looming pyramids and vibrant market places and a perfectly underplayed performance by the two leads, actors I love - Patricial Clarkson and Alexander Siddig.
Cargo** A sci-fi out of Switzerland with elements of Alien and Soylent Green and The Matrix. This was almost a great movie, except halfway through they just let go of the plausibility and the science and had the characters start doing stupid things that didn’t make any sense and pretty much ruined it. Ah well. It’s still pretty good, just because it’s moody and the sets are really cool.
Carlitos and the Chance of a Lifetime**** A total guilty pleasure. Utterly predictable, and yet you cry in the end anyway. If you love soccer, that’s a bonus.
Castaway on the Moon*** Great and goofy plot. My American sensibilities were slightly assaulted by all the shitting and spewing that I think Korean audiences might be more comfortable with (or pleasantly shocked by). Aside from that, it was pretty funny and enjoyable in its oddness. Note to be aware that there are a couple of suicide attempts in this film for those of you who might be sensitive about this kind of thing.
The Chef of South Polar*** Another charming film. This one just wants you to watch, so sit back and enjoy these kooky men as they grow kookier down at the bottom of the world. It’s hard to say exactly why this is such a pleasurable movie, but most everyone who’s seen it agrees. There is lots and lots of eating, perhaps that’s it.
Le Concert *****. Feel good movie from France and Russia. The best use of music to tell a story I’ve ever seen. It’s sappy, but that’s a recommendation, in this case. Fun to see Miou Miou (remember Entre Nous?). For a moment, you can maybe get offended at some stereotyping of particular ethnic groups, but then it goes a little deeper and you get why the filmmakers go there. Lots of laughter in this one, but the payoff is the last 20 minutes – incredible music and editing turn this into a true gem.
The Dancer and the Thief**** Very good, moving story. I enjoyed this, particularly because of the soundtrack. Maybe the best of the festival for me. There are quite a few priceless moments in this movie, particular one near the end with a condor. Definitely worth seeing.
Disco and Atomic War**** Hilarious documentary out of Estonia worth seeing just because it’s from Estonia. During the 50s and 60s, the northern part of Estonia was able to access radio and tv programming from Finland and therefore provided a leak through which Western culture was able to sneak in to the Soviet Union and created one of the wedges that resulted in Estonia’s independence from the USSR. That said, this particular presentation of how that happened is just as funny as it could be, from weekly letters sent to the bleak southern provinces depicting the latest antics of JR Ewing and clan in Dallas to the innovative home-style antennas going up and coming down this one is a great and unique experience.
The Eagle Hunter's Son**** A slow burn tale out of Mongolia that keeps even young watchers riveted (I went to this with my friend Dabo). This one starts slow, but pretty soon you’re utterly involved with a young boy, his new, more jaded friend (a girl), and his ever present, wise eagle guardian on an evolutionary journey through light and darkness across breath taking country.
The Extra Man** Truly unique film starring Kevin Kline and Paul Dano, plus a number of great cameos. A script with a somewhat bizarre through-line, yet characters like no one you’ve ever known, or maybe like everyone you know. When we came out of this film into a rather huge crowd at the Benaroya, I kept finding myself looking at every face and seeing a depth I know I wouldn’t have seen without first having watched this movie. It created a kind of high. It was so unique, that I can’t really recommend it wholeheartedly, yet it was an experience I enjoyed…I think.
Farewell**** Complex spy movie in the mode of a John Le Carre. You’re brought in deeply to these seemingly normal people who could be you and me who end up in very big trouble. Gripping border crossing escape and anguishing sacrifice make for a very satisfying experience.
Farsan** Funny, sweet story about a man trying to get back on the dating game, but not very savvy about the modern world. The man’s son is lying to him about his wife’s pregnancy, and that artifice is hard to take. It’s a bit too goofy, and the lead character almost too unlikeable, but it almost works.
First of All, Felicia** Somewhat excruciating day at the airport between Mother and Daughter who don’t communicate well. I would never see this again, but it was kind of interesting and compelling.
For the good of Others*** A Spanish fantasy film that asks the question What price would you pay to be able to heal by the touch of your hands? A somewhat dark contemplation, but well acted and executed. The lead actor in this is a perfect cross between George Clooney and Pierce Brosnan, so there’s that.
From Time to Time**** Everything you want in a movie: ghosts, great costumes, hidden treasure, an old English mansion, time travel, Maggie Smith. Ending is almost too cheesy, but that’s the only off-tune moment. Otherwise, it’s just the thing for anyone who wants to go on a fun film adventure.
Get Low***** This was the last show of the festival for me, Le Concert being the first. I’m thrilled they are my first and second favorites. This movie does everything right. A perfect script – lines, characters and story. Fantastic actors – Robert Duval, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, Bill Cobbs. Beautiful camera work. Heart breaking music. This is a close-in story that opens your heart wide. Not much more to say than that.
Ginny Ruffner: A Not So Still Life***** This is a life story definitely worth telling. Compelling and mind boggling, but most importantly, inspiring. Inspiring to artists and inspiring for any human spirit. Again, the story was good enough, but then the production moves this into my top picks, namely amazing editing and camera work that brings you deeply into the picture and story arcs that keep you engaged and satisfied. As usual at SIFF, the fact that the filmmakers and subject were at the screening heightened the experience tenfold.
The Hedgehog**** From the point of view of a precocious young girl and a middle-aged plain apartment super, this is just a fantastic, moving film. I found the ending a little too harsh to put this film on top of my list, but even so, it’s worth seeing.
Henry of Navarre**** Almost unbearable battle scenes keep this from being a fully recommendable film for me, but it certainly is a great depiction of a particular time in history. The characters and the actors who play them are particularly compelling. As is typical of movies from this period, one finds themselves thinking ‘what a hideous time to have been alive’.
Hidden Diary*** Interesting story, though the mystery presented is not too tough to figure out. Catherine Deneuve is her usual fantastic self as a pent up angry mother and doctor forced to consider her relationship with her daughter who comes to visit and inevitably upends things.
Hipsters *****. Inventive and fantastically shot musical version of a very grim time during Stalin’s Russia. Film Musicals just don’t work without great music and great filmic choreography and here we have it in abundance. There are many things that happen in this film that just seem odd and nonsensical to an American (this one, anyway), but that, of course, it part of what makes this an extra wonderful experience.
Howl*****. How do you make a movie about a poem? This is how. I can’t really say much more about this film, other than that it is a unique and moving moment, combining words, animation and a compelling court hearing from 1957. I’m guessing you would have to have some preference for and knowledge of Allen Ginsberg to fully enjoy this movie, but I could be wrong about that, you tell me.
I Am Love** Lush film starring Tilda Swinton about a junior matriarch and her feelings of entrapment in an upper class Italian family. This is almost a foodie film, so much of the action takes place in the kitchen and at the dining table – sumptuous, amazing fare. The meals are actually a very important character in this movie. The cinematography is amazing and probably gets a lot of attention from reviewers. However, there are many gorgeous shots that get in the way of the movie, I felt, especially the roving ones. A bit like Mariah Carey’s singing – never willing to just go straight to the note. Also a sour note for me was the score. It pretty much ruined the film for me, very cold and repetitive most of the time, and then way too melodramatic for the action. It actually made the audience laugh inappropriately more than once. Yet, when the camera was still and the sound only natural ambience, which happened at least half the time in this film, it was an incredible thing to behold. How much more amazing and moving it would have been without the other half full of distractions that moved us outside and away from the depth of these people’s lives.
I Kissed a Vampire** Judging by the audience for this film, I’m thinking one needs to be a thirteen year old girl to really enjoy this. The music was very bland, the choreography was almost nonexistent and of course the plot was silly. I could have been fine with the silly plot, but no music and no choreography, of course, just ruins it. Ah well. Still, I don’t utterly not recommend this because all those little girls in the audience seemed to have a really good time. I think some of the songs were pretty okay.
Little Big Soldier**** This one is a bit of a guilty pleasure. Ever since I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I was smitten by the Chinese fantastical style. This movie is less magical, but still amazing in it’s physical feats and very, very funny while making a strong anti-war statement. This is a war movie, so be ready for fairly violent scenes, though they are tamer than some. Jackie Chan continues to be an astounding athlete and a great comedian. Stay for the outtakes in the credits, which lessens the blow of the rather sad, though inevitable, ending.
Loose Cannons*** Funny, strange story of an Italian family of means. Some interesting food themes, great gay moments, and a very odd not unpleasant suicide. Ghosts dance with the living at the end – I’ve seen that in other Italian films – is it a cultural thing?
Mao's Last Dancer***** (Extra Showing at SIFF Theater, Sunday, June 20th, 6:00) Feel good, and it's a true story. Beautifully shot, great dancing, satisfying tears.
Meet Monica Velour*** Not a pretty picture, but really funny. Kim Cattral reminds us that she’s a great actor. Here she is, yet again a sexpot, yet not even slightly like the one she plays in Sex and the City (and again, not a thing like the one she played in “Live Nude Girls”). She’s not a caricature – her heart is not gold – and that’s why this is a good movie. Funny and poignant, it’s an enjoyable film.
Nowhere Boy**** Great, though somewhat narrowed-down portrayal of John Lennon during his teen years. I think this would have been a compelling story even if it weren’t about John Lennon. The real stars and story line focus are the two sisters, John’s Aunt and Mother, and their conflictive relationship. Anne-Marie Duff and Kristen Scott Thomas play indulgent and stuffy to perfection and their story is strong and very moving. John forming his band and meeting the future Beatles then becomes a rather anticlimactic, though fun part of the movie.
The Oath*** See Meredith’s notes on this one. Mesmerizing and moving. An example of how things could go if we paid attention to the gray and left the black and white to old television sets. It was really great hearing from the filmmakers (both women who’ve already had experience filming in the middle east – the director is already renowned for My Country My Country) as well as some of the lawyers who defended the questionably arrested man who drove for Osama Bin Laden.
Ondine**** This is just a good old Irish love story with lots of drinking and vengeance and bad decisions, but everything comes around in the end. The characters are good, the lovers are pretty and the little girl in the wheel chair is a charmer.
The Penitent Man* Great germ of an idea. Since the movie is pretty much two interweaving long conversations with a final, critical short one, the dialog is key. The dialog pretty much made me squirm all the way through. The silly farces I’ve noted above expected much more of me and didn’t feel the need to spoon feed me (and then do it again a few more times, and then point the camera directly at what I just saw at a different angle, just to make absolutely sure I got it), like this film did. Squirming and insulted, not a great movie experience.
Perfect 10* This movie was well intentioned, but so, so shallow. The acting was sub par, I hate to say, and the lines being recited were tough for even seasoned actors to pull off. The arc of the story line didn’t go near far enough to have any impact, and I felt pretty insulted, in general by this film.
Rejoice and Shout** This is a documentary about gospel music in America. It starts out quite strongly presenting the religion part of gospel, with various preachers and pastors discussing the importance of God in people’s lives. This made me nervous, but at least got my attention. Then, after this set up, the movie splits off presents the musical history of gospel going year by year and group by group methodically and boringly through time and leaving God behind. Too bad. It’s hard to imagine how someone could take gospel music and make it dull, yet that’s what happens here. It also feels like lots of groups were passed over in the methodical process. There is, however, some incredible archival footage that I’m guessing was quite a coup to find.
Rock Steady: The Roots of Reggae*** Strangely paced, but a great opportunity to hear and see the originators of some great, great songs. We get to walk through the time and place in the world that brought us Bob Marley and Peter Tosh with Rita Marley (including a look at the bed in a kitchen where Bob and Rita used to make love), as well as spend time in the studio with many of the old timers, many of whom still tour. I felt like I got a bit more understanding of the oh-so-slight (to me) differences between Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae and the history that created these styles. The experience at the festival was a fun one as the audience was full of many Rastafarians (and appreciators), who were respectful, but somewhat wild. At one point, someone got up from the audience and came up and sang his song, handed the producer his CD and sat back down. Both the producer of the film and the programmer handling the microphone were rather meek and it kept feeling like they were going to be overwhelmed by the crowd, but somehow everyone was able to express themselves without incident, just pure joy. Rather like what the music is trying to convey. The soundtrack is available on Amazon, definitely worth buying.
Samson & Delilah* Beautiful cinematography, but the plot was beyond a bummer.
Soul Kitchen** This is a fun farce, though the real fun seems to be the party scene – lots of dancing, making lots of noise, drugs and public sex. Hard to get into that without the voyeuristic need, which I didn’t have. I liked the music.
Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls***** This could have been really badly done and still have ranked high for me because I adore the Topps. Instead, it's a very well done and moving documentary. How great is that?
The Trotsky**** Charming portrayal of nerd youth angst from the perspective of a young Quebec smarty who believes he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. We were all cheering out loud for him by the end. Great cast including Genvieve Bujold. The lead, Jay Baruchel is destined for extreme fame after this one considering the big-hype movies he’s in that are about to open, so catch him now!
Turtle: The Incredible Journey**** Yep, it’s incredible. There is some baby turtle death at the beginning of this, but our star turtle gets her revenge in the end. There’s some heavy handed commentary about man in this, but it’s called for. Mainly, you get to see the many thousands of miles these little creatures must travel and the many perils they must face in order to become full grown. You can see why so few of them actually make it. Some really gorgeous moments make this one a cut above – including a nighttime scene in which the luminous, galaxy-like creatures of the deep come up and show themselves.
The Two Horses of Genghis Khan*** Made by the “Weeping Camel” folks, this is another of those gorgeously shot films from Mongolia that moves slowly and suddenly moves you when a seemingly unreachable quest is fulfilled. In this case, the quest is a song. A young woman travels in various ways through the country attempting to find the lyrics to an ancient song referred to in the title, so she can restore a treasured violin to its original, carved condition. Where she finds the song and how she gets there is epic, though you won’t think so until it happens as you are lulled through her tough and seemingly undirected steps. Surprisingly lovely.
Under The Mountain* Again, incredible production values. How do these people get their money? Great, great special effects and the absolute most insipid script. Utterly laughable lines throughout the film are just part of the problem. Kids running from mucousy octopus zombies with no help from their parents who think completely melted metal doors are somehow the results of said kids having misbehaved. Mucousy octopus zombies who can easily kill people by sticking their tentacles through their eyes, but who somehow cannot move fast enough to catch the heroes. In other words, this is a B horror film. Why make a B horror film at this point in history? Maybe there’s a reason. I’d like to hear it.
Violet Tendencies** A fun romp and an opportunity to see Mindy Cohn from the facts of life all grown up. She plays a fag hag, and I use that term on purpose because there no attempt here at political correctness. It’s a bit too over the top raunchy for me, but still has its points.
Waste land***** (Extra Showing at SIFF Theater, Sunday, June 20th, 1pm) Just a fantastic example of the documentary as active and intervening in the world being portrayed. Art and people and a great opportunity to go somewhere you've never gone before.
The Wedding Cake**** Fantastic French comedy featuring a large cast and a bungled wedding. You can’t go wrong with this one.
White Lion***** For overloading on cuteness - a must see. I mean there are just tons of baby lion moments. The whole audience was moaning in delight. It was like we were all eating a really good meal. Hmmm, perhaps an unfortunate metaphor. Ah well. It’s quite a good movie, all told with a good story and a great opportunity to view the wild beauty of South Africa. One tiny bad moment where the narrator refers to the most dangerous creature of all…Man. Since a tribesman has been protecting the lion throughout the film up to this point, and the camera is focusing on a white man, the insinuation is that the tribesman is not part of ...Man. Hmmmm.
White Wedding***** Warm, funny, enjoyable comedy of errors from South Africa. Totally worth it for uplifting your spirits. Fantastic music. I'm looking for the sound track.
Winter's Bone***** This film wins my award for toughest female lead ever. Though very gritty, and exposing a true underbelly of America in the Ozarks, there is a strange warmth that bleeds through this hard, hard journey, that makes it a must see. Every scene in this film is a tour-de-force of acting. It’s truly an amazing movie and deserves the accolades it is getting.
Utopia in Four Movements***** A strong film, made stronger by its live narration and musical accompaniment. Wonderful takes on the concept of Utopia. Very moving. I was quite teary by the end, but that's just me.
V.O.S.**** This is one of those films that experiments with breaking down the fourth wall by pulling out over and over again and letting you see the sets and the crew. It sounds awful, but every time the pull out happens we gasp anew. I don’t know why, but this totally worked for me. Rather than keeping the emotions of the love quadrangle at bay with this artifice, they are magnified. The characters being played and the actors playing them are all involved and it rather doubles the commitment. Very enjoyable.
