MUST SEE
Being Elmo, A Puppeteer's Journey
**My Afternoons with MargueritteToast
GREAT
**Poupoupidou (and nobody else but you)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
GOOD
Page One: Inside the New York Times
OKAY
NOT RECOMMENDED
Poll Diaries (sorry that I have to put it here, I didn't finish it, so it's not a very legitimate ranking)
REVIEWS:
Above Us Only Sky: Germany. A disconcerting film wherein the characters make unusual choices in the face of tragic circumstances. Since the choices seem to be for love, or at least relinquishing all need to control the outcome, the slightly disturbing plot flow is mitigated. The main characters played by Sandra Huller and Georg Friedrich both perform their nuanced roles with extra skill.
Amador: Everything I love about movies is in this gem from Spain. A strong female journeying to her own heart, high tension and a seemingly unresolvable predicament, wise and unwise mentors to guide her, hope, amusing and witty resolutions, and a fantastic soundtrack. The star of this film has an amazing face through which a multitude of silent thoughts and a full range of emotions shine without the slightest change of expression. How does she do that? The photographer of this film knows very well her talents and sets the camera nice and close.
Another Earth US. This riveting film is beautifully acted with a magical script that uses a science fiction concept as metaphor to help two people move through a terrible tragedy. The art direction is particularly stunning, most notably the farm house setting with it’s peeling walls and multitude of cubbyholes holding memories. Brit Marling, who plays the young woman Rhoda, is stunning in her role, and she also co-wrote the script. Very impressive work, and a great, fulfilling movie.
Apart Together: China. This film is very well acted, and the story line involving a couple who were separated when the rebel soldiers were exiled to Taiwan after the civil war who now have a chance to be together again, is very intriguing. The catch, of course, is that the woman is still married and her family objects to her taking off with this fellow they haven't ever known. The interactions range from outrageously generous and polite to whiny and petulant. There are some lovely scenes with the reunited lovers quietly reminiscing, but the best moments are the ones between the returning lover, the husband and the woman they are both attached to. The behaviors and choices are not at all predictable, at least not to me, perhaps more so to someone from China. As things progress the three main characters start singing and that, alone, I think makes this movie unique and worth seeing. The downer, however, was the dreariness of Shanghai. I would have liked to have seen more of this city, but mainly it was socked in and raining. It felt too much like what was happening outside the movie theater in Seattle.
Beginners. US. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent (the French actress who starred in my favorite film from last year, The Concert). Sometimes the story isn't as important as how it's told. In this case, it's a fairly simple story, but the devices used to put it across are great, and make it a great movie. The dog, the flashes from the past, the replaying of scenes in alternate costumes, the unique and precious characterizations, and most importantly, the dog, are the reasons to see this movie.
Being Elmo, A Puppeteer's Journey: This is a very inspiring documentary about following your dreams and what a difference supportive parents make! The love that Elmo spreads falls off the screen into the audience. I looked around and saw many a grown man wiping tears away at various moments in this film (and afterwards when Kevin Clash showed up with Elmo and kissed and hugged many ecstatic littl'ns). It helps that most of us older folk attending get to be reminded of our own childhood experiences with Captain Kangaroo, Sesame Street, and the Muppet Show. All of that and then the added benefit of it's being a really well organized and well shot documentary.
The Bengali Detective India. This is a rather goofy presentation of a pretty heavy subject. Namely crime solving, or lack thereof in modern day India, in this case, the city of Kalkota. The director goes for some easy laughs which emphasized for me how easy it is to disrespect Indian men. It ends up being a condemnation of the current way law works - the poor taking the wrap and 70% of murders remaining unsolved, as well as a close up view into the personal life of an entrepreneur.
Bicycle, Spoon, Apple: Spain. Compelling doc about Alzheimer’s following (mainly), the very likable former mayor of Barcelona and president of Catalan. Very interesting and engaging, though ends too soon. It needs a sequel.
Blinding: Canada. At this screening, the filmmaker, Steve Sanguedolce quasi-quoted Tom Waits, "...our eyes are like dogs, they keep returning to the same places", to explain that through his work in film he hopes to change our visual habits. I think he had an effect at least on me. This was the last film of the day for me, yet I was completely interested and focused throughout. We were listening to interviews from three different people and their perspectives on sight while we were seeing numerous 16mm film clips that had been altered and manipulated in various ways so as to evoke different feelings. This could have been nothing but irritating, and I'm usually irritated by someone screwing around with film, but in this case it totally worked. I was drawn into what the people were saying and my eyes looked deeply into what was being shown to me. Particularly because they were talking about seeing, I was all the more inspired to pay attention to how I was looking at this film. I was truly amazed by it.
Cairo 678: Egypt. Very compelling and empowering film that deals with the harrowing issues women face in Egypt head on and from all angles including class and self oppression. Really great and highly recommended. Stay for the credits, the ending song is particularly fantastic.
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff UK. This is a fantastic doc filled with great opportunities to explore the art of cinematography - particularly how it relates to painting, some really amazing movies spanning 5 decades, and some great behind the scenes moments with amazing filmmakers and actors. If you love movies, you'll love this. Watching this was like watching a food movie, it made me hungry to watch the movies portrayed.
Circumstance: Iran. Two young and stunningly beautiful women struggle with being in love with each other in a strangling culture. I had to keep reminding myself that this was present day as I watched horrified at what they had to deal with. Young folks in this truly risking their lives to rebel. There are many scenes in this film that are troubling and anger producing and pat answers are not forth coming. This film, of course, could not be shot in Iran and could not star Iranian actors, but you'd never guess it in either case.
Copacabana France. Real life mother (Isabelle Huppert) and daughter (Lolita Chammah) actresses come to terms in this film through a series of events that help us to see who they both are. In particular, we follow Huppert’s Babou as she attempts to toe the line and become more dependable. I was all for it when I met her at the start of this film, because she did seem rather hard to bear from a daughter’s perspective. Slowly, however, I fell in love with her and cheered when I saw that no matter how tight the truss, her very shiny life force wriggled free. So fun to watch, with a great, perfect ending.
Every Song is About Me : Spain. I found this to be a tedious 'love' story in which a man apparently has to sleep with every woman and girl he knows in order to discover that he still loves the woman he broke up with at the beginning of the film. Why she takes him back, I'll never know.
The First Grader: Kenya. A true story that does its part to bring home to us, through this emotion evoking medium, a part of history we might not otherwise have known of or considered on any but a superficial level. In this case, the story is about a man who fought the British rule in Kenya along with other Mau Mau fighters. These people and others were killed and imprisoned by the millions, but their sacrifice lead to the eventual liberation of Kenya. I'm guessing they would be called terrorists today. There's some hard stuff in this film, the main character has suffered from severe loss and torture at the hands of the British and we see many of these moments in flashbacks throughout. There is also a gentle attempt to present the issues Kenyan village people are struggling with now, issues around poverty, tribalism, and reconciling the difficult past. Mostly, though, there is joyousness and pride and heroism, large and small in breadth. The children in the film are precious and beautifully filmed, and, as the director informed us during the screening, they are not actors, but children from a school in the township where the story was filmed. In particular, watch for a little girl with a pronounced limp, the director told us she was very, very shy and kept out of the spotlight by her parents who were embarrassed about her disability, but she eventually came out of her shell and she shines in quite a number of scenes. The camera is close in emphasizing the personal and that works to create a very moving film.
Finding Kind: US. Two young women are on a mission to change the world and this documentary is their kick off. They are attempting to bring awareness about the very real problem of girl on girl bullying. Through creating a safe environment where victims and tormentors (often, they are the same person), can tell their story. The idea is to get a dialog going wherein the choices change for young girls on into adulthood and kindness starts being the first response rather than the wished for one. Hopefully this film will help to make a difference, though in itself it is a small thing and not representative of everyone's experience, (mine, for one). As a tool, though, presented in a classroom, I'm guessing it gets the ball rolling.
Flamenco, Flamenco. Spain. What an incredible piece of art this is! To take these fine performances and enhance rather than diminish them by filming them is nothing short of a miracle. You must see this in a fabulous theater with an excellent sound system.
Grandma, A Thousand Times: This is a truly charming documentary/home movie from Lebanon. The director is in the picture, but never pulls the focus from the woman who steals his show. She's beautiful, wistful, funny and gratifyingly grouchy. Luckily, as often as she poses for the camera (which is always amusing and never obnoxious), she also forgets the camera is there. Go see this if you're looking to uplift your spirit.
Happy, Happy: Norway. Pretty formulaic story, couple meets couple and the mess that ensues ends up resolving otherwise irresolvable issues. However, I rather like this formula, and I rather liked this version of the formula. The actors are strong, the characters have some depth, and there's a little disturbing subplot involving the children of the couples examining issues of race in a rather unique way. This is a gentle film well worth seeing.
Further notes on happy, happy: another disturbing oddity, this one not so compelling in my opinion is the use of an a cappella white gospel group in between scenes. The songs were in English - adding to the incongruity of it all. I've seen this device in many movies and the only time it worked for me and didn't actually take away from the film was the slug numbers in the animated film Flushed Away.
Heading West: Netherlands. This is a slice of a woman's life, presented as a series of days throughout one year. It's a gentle and bittersweet story, yet the images linger. The way it's filmed and the acting, particularly on the part of the lead actress, brings you in deep and leaves a lasting impression.
Honey: slow paced in that good way like the story of the weeping camel and its ilk. It's a little difficult to follow at times, not enough clarity of place and time, and that's a problem, but it's a nice opportunity to be transported to another world. In final note, it's a bit of a downer, but the little boy as a character and actor are charming and bring the movie up from just a sad and disjointed story.
Jucy Australia. An enjoyable story about friend love with some scenes (a love making scene with inter spliced shots of the woman jumping for joy, for instance), that particularly stand out. The two characters in this film are brimming with chemistry. The director tells us they are actually close friends and that explains it. This, however could have resulted in a very false feeling movie, but just the opposite happens and that is commendable.
Late Autumn: A Korean film shot in Seattle. It's worth seeing, just for the Seattle love song it is, though the fog machines were maybe overused. However, even without the familiar settings, the story stands on its own with a perfect blend of pathos and humor. The soft, though never slow pace is marred at the end, in my opinion, by some abruptness, but it finishes on a gentle dangle.
Lope. Spain. A great epic film. Life, as usual, in period pieces, sucks for women and it's no different in this film. That being said, this is still a very enjoyable historical film about a Spanish writer and the women he loves. Scenes at the theatre, sword fights, daring escapes across windswept grasslands, the Spanish Armada and some very sexy lovemaking - hard to go wrong with these.
Love Crime: France. I found this to be a so so crime thriller. The script went for the easy choices too often. Still, it's fun to watch revenge be had. More importantly, it's always wonderful to watch the ever talented and beautiful Kristin Scott Thomas do her thing and in fluent French no less.
Mama Africa. South Africa. They call Miriam Makeba mama Africa because she was the voice and hope of South Africa during apartheid and because upcoming female singers from all over Africa are direct musical descendents of her style and approach. As you watch this film, you know right away that she was a fantastic singer. As you get to listen and watch a surprising abundance of recorded material of her performances, you are then led through her decades of activism, straight into the heart of her family and finally to her triumphal return to her home in South Africa from which she was exiled for 40 years. Her deep beauty emanates throughout and is the blood and bones of this stunning documentary.
The Mountain. Norway. A lesbian couple take a four day hike, which is truly a
pilgrimage and the last hope for their relationship. Very brightly shot, with lots of color you feel the hope they both are striving for as they climb slowly to their destiny. You also feel the despair as the snow whips around them and their oatmeal turns solid. It’s a good journey, and the only flaw, for me, was that the catharsis was just not quite cathartic enough. Perhaps that is the American in me (and Sylvia, who agrees with this assessment).
My Afternoons with Margueritte: France. Gerard Depardieu reminds us why he's a star as he flexes his acting chops in this delightful little story in which two people raise each other up, not from the depths, their lives are fine, but into a more enriched place. And so, we are taken there, too. Lucky.
Norman: Teenage angst presented with great honesty, but very angsty. Were I in high school, I think I'd have lots to say about the two young leads and their characters, instead I must go on and on about the superior moving performance of Richard Jenkins as the dying father. Absolutely heart deep plunging work.
On Tour: France. This is in the great category because of how I felt when it was all over. The film is pretty rough and a bit all over the place, but it’s so full of heart. I’ve talked this movie up a bit to people in movie lines and I liken it to a Stevie Nicks song, the voice is not trained and unusually basso, the lyrics don’t seem to make any sense when you pick them apart, but all in all you are moved by it anyway. This movie does involve quite a bit of burlesque stripping performances, just so you know…
Page One: Inside the New York Times. US. A very thorough investigation of the issues involved with where our news comes from. Is printed media on the way out and with that are we going to lose our opportunities to view the hard news, the stuff that doesn't pay, and the stuff that costs time, money and commitment to get? These questions and others are considered as well as demonstrated through the eyes of a number of varied characters from the New York Times. These characters make the movie and the history and future presented here very fun and important to watch.
Paper Birds: Spain. A lovely, though sad film about a group of performers during Franco’s regime. This is from a young boy’s point of view, and he’s quite a charmer. It’s good all around. Great characters, intrigue, danger, performances, bad guys.
Perfect Sense: Great acting and a very creepy premise. The director/cinematographer draw too much attention to themselves, I think, with numerous trick shots. There are, however, many really cool montages in this film depicting the whole world in various stages of rage, despair, joy, wonder, and more. There are also some particularly gross moments that won't leave my memory soon. The love story does not rise up out of the parable, which I think is intentional and probably good, so don't go for that. The parable, as I have noted is pretty creepy and can't end well, so don't go for that. Go for the acting, Ewen McGregor and Eva Green dig deep, and go for the visuals, disturbing, mind blowing, and in the end quietly hopeful.
Pinoy Sunday Taiwan. This is a great road movie for as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough and fades out to just a couple of ruts by the end. It's nonetheless interesting to see culturally as it involves people from the Philippines trying to make money in Taiwan to send back to their families. They live in dorms and are kept to a curfew and are generally discriminated against. This actually works as a great comedy premise and is almost enough, but not quite, as the ball (or in this case, the couch), gets dropped before the end.
Poll Diaries: Beautiful cinematography is a big problem here since what is being filmed is mainly gruesome. Lots of people who saw this film remarked that it was a great ride and consider it one of the best of the festival. I can see why, the artistry is there in spades. That the emphasis is upon a very strong young woman who is destined to become a poet, also makes seeing this film very compelling. I however left after an hour because I knew what I'd seen already was going to haunt me unpleasantly and that was enough.
Poupoupidou (and nobody else but you): France. This is a great and funny murder mystery with some really lovely sexiness sprinkled (or maybe poured), in. I marked it as my guilty pleasure for this year's festival. It's also an ode to Marilyn Monroe which works mainly because the film's female star (Sophie Quinton), has exactly the same magnetism that Marilyn had, uncannily so.
Revenge of the Electric Car: This was okay and certainly informative, but it seems like having access to the planning meetings of Nissan and GMC came at the price of removing all controversy. Unlike the Chris Paine's first film which looked with a clear eye at all the many fronts of resistance to a new technology, this film seems to have put the shades on. Surely everything is not as neat and tidy as this film suggests. Big oil has just backed off? The whole problem with the EV1 was simply that Bob Lutz at GMC made a stupid decision? What happened to the revolutionary battery technology that was disappeared (bought up and shelved)? Perhaps it's true that the only way to move forward, as Nelson Mandela has taught us, is to forgive and forget. But then, we can't call that revenge, can we? A final note: this film had one of the best opening title sequences of the festival. It got applause.
Rothstein’s First Assignment: A very poorly executed documentary about an intensely interesting subject. There was nonsensical filler: scene repetition with inaudible words, not just a few times, but over and over, insertion of the filmmaker driving and looking through a little square out the rear view mirror, or at the interior of his car with his camera, reusing scenes from the past already described to represent completely different events - all to no effect other than to irritate the viewer . The slowly emerging conclusions which are rather shocking and damning of the people in charge are pretty consistently unsupported by the footage. Using scenes (quite often), from the Beverly Hillbillies may have made sense for the filmmaker in regards to condemning the perspective that the people of Appalachia should have no say about their own lives since they are so backward, but for me it was the last straw in this meaningless narrative. It did make me want to look further into the eugenics movements in America - quite chilling.
Route Irish: Here are the same bad guys from Whistleblower, but this time they are in Afghanistan. And this time the message is even harsher, presenting the act of revenge from the lone hero as no different from the corporate killers and the terrorists they profess to be fighting. Fairly depressing, and not necessarily worth seeing. One interesting note, this film was in English, yet used subtitles - a very, very good idea, since so many of us in the states have a very hard time discerning words through the accents of the UK Northlands.
Salvation Boulevard: USA. A star studded farce and very satisfying for those of us needing to see fundamentalism get poked. I particularly loved Marisa Tomei's performance as a stoner sex pot. There are a few dropped points, and a seeming confusion by the filmakers in regards to the direction and mood of the film - Scathing social commentary? Fun romp? Semi-violent shocker? The same lack of clarity shows in Pierce Brosnan's accent - Australian? Liverpudlian? Midlands? The audience had the hugest response I've seen at the festival so far, both during and after the film, so despite it's untethered quality, the movie successfully evokes rollicking laughter. That seems a good thing.
Service Entrance: France. The first scene of poop in a stopped up toilet, cannot darken this very sunny, vibrant and satisfying movie. The numerous characters are all unique and fully drawn, not a caricature in the bunch. A great, heart warming pleasure cruise.
Silent Souls: Russia. This odd road movie is about a funeral rite of a woman performed by her husband and his employee. It is quite a journey and very much outside any of my own experiences - a definite glimpse into another culture. Where these men go on this journey is out of this world…
Simple Simon Sweden. A young man with Asperger's syndrome attempts to find his brother a new girlfriend after disrupting the current relationship. This could have been trite and insipid and could, as usual have presented this currently popular mental health issue incorrectly as has often been done recently in movies and on tv. But not so, here. It is definitely romantic, but the writing never trips over itself and the characters have honest reactions to their situation. It is a sweet and very moving film. I was sobbing at the credits - nothing new, i know, but it was my first tears this festival. This movie finally confronts issues around this subject in a real and honest way. Truly a must see.
Small Town Murder Songs: Canada. This movie asks more than usual of its audience and the payoff for that is rich. After the screening, director, writer and editor Ed Gass-Donnelly spoke about not wanting to show too much of the backstory because then even more would be called for and the movie would tip over into the past rather than focusing on the present. It was very fine edge to strike, he said. Yes, I think, I and a number of other attendees were wishing for a bit more information, yet a few hours later I'm very much affected and continuing to carry feelings and thoughts from this very compelling film. I know that would not be true had the film been longer than it's very tight and pithy 77 minutes. This is a meditation, really on violence and choice and faith. At the final, I must commend this movie as truly brilliant. **Additional Note: The writer says he was inspired by an album. That album is not in this film, but the soundtrack is particularly powerful and notable, playing a very, very important role in the plot.
Spud: South Africa. Despite the fact that you can't help but continuously consider the main character's willy, this film maintains it's innocence throughout. It's not an untypical coming of age story at a boy's boarding school, but the main character, played by Troy Sivan, is not even slightly typical. He is luminescent with a haloed singing voice that gets put to use quite often in this almost-musical.
Submarine UK. Sweet smart coming of age. I loved the two main characters and the witty dialog, when I could hear it. Unfortunately, the sound quality in the theater I saw it in was quite poor and so I only heard about two thirds of the movie. However, mom and I agreed that the visual dialog was fun and compelling even without audio. This film is nothing new, but it's a fun way to spend a few hours.
Summer Coda. Australia. Beautiful scenery and heartfelt performances don't really keep this from being a somewhat forgettable film. The chemistry between the two lovers is nonexistent, and so it doesn't really end up working. It is great to see the orchard country in inland Australia, however.
Surrogate Valentine: This is a sweet meditation on extra- and intro- version shot in black and white and self distributed by choice. A true indie. The music is fabulous (we were treated to a live performance by the movie's lead, Goh Nakamura, after the screening), and the story is charming. Having seen quite a few stories at this year's festival about a guy trying to find a girlfriend (which is really just a portion of this one), I'd have to rank it at the top of the list, at the very least for it's honesty.
Tabloid: US. A disturbing portrayal of a woman who is at worst very delusional and at best only slightly delusional. As the movie's title indicates, this film shows how differently various media can represent someone's story, so the truth becomes moot. Coincidentally, even the movie itself is exploitative, if we're to take seriously the star of the film's current rants (on the Internet and standing outside the theater after the screening). Of course, after seeing the film, most audience members were not inclined to take her seriously. Fair? Hard to say. For me, it was heartbreaking to see someone reach such a state of victim-hood. I wondered what happened to her to bring her to this state in the first place. That was not covered in this film...
Terri: USA. A pretty squirmy, though unique take on being unpopular in high school. There are enough unpredictable and oddball moments in this funny film to make it a good movie. Jacob Wysocki is especially notable for his very real performance as Terri.
These Amazing Shadows: Film buff porn. Also some interesting information about how the library of congress created a film registry in 1989, (thanks, in part, to Ted turner's arrogance), into which 25 films are added and restored every year.
Treatment. US. local actor/musician Sean Nelson co-directs and co-writes this examination of commitment (in all respects). He also costars with Joshua Leonard, of Humpday. They each, amusingly, use their last names as their characters' names. I definitely felt Lynn Shelton's (Humpday, My Effortless Brilliance in which Nelson co-starred), influences in this satire. Nelson admitted after the screening that, though he attempted to make this an all-improv film, he ended up with a script two weeks before shooting. There were some lines that just had to be said. That attitude shows in the film and, despite the true brilliance of the dialog, it does get a bit wordy at times, chewing too heavily on it's own wit. This is a witty film, and mostly fun to watch, particularly because of the fabulous acting.
The Trip UK. Michael Winterbottom directs. The two actors from Tristram Shandy, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are at it again jousting with comedic gems in the lakes region of Britain. What makes this a must see, in my opinion, is that these sometimes acerbic, often witty and always a bit over the top interchanges occur mostly at meal times at incredibly gourmet restaurants in abundantly lovely inns. We are treated to shots in the kitchen of culinary art as we listen to these two and then to the lovely items being delivered and dispatched. With a tiny undercurrent of pathos, and compelling scenery, the full experience is as good as it gets.
Venice. Very beautifully shot, an absolutely gorgeous film full of sepia tones and soulful children’s faces, with a real bummer of an ending. Depending on what you care about in a movie, you may want to see this one. It takes place in Poland during World War II, but in a rather out of the way farm North of Warsaw, so quite a different take on the whole mess. It’s a child’s point of view, which a lot of movies are at SIFF this year, and like the others I’ve seen so far, a lovely and deep perspective it is. The boy is quite beautiful. It’s a bit tricky to put together who all the characters are as they are added in to the plot, and that is a bit frustrating – I think there may just be too many characters with too many story lines. So that, numerous deaths, and the bummer ending are the drawbacks for me to this one, while the visuals and moving interactions between the characters are the reasons to see it.
The Whistleblower Canada. This is a great and riveting drama about a real woman who took on a large and powerful group of human traffickers in postwar Bosnia. The subject matter is difficult, rape and murder are definitely part of the story, but presented in a decidedly non-exploitive way. Rachel Weisz is hard and soft as the cop who follows the rules until she must not. A real thriller.
Winds of Heaven: Canada. The images from this film continue to float up into my consciousness. In this case, that's a good thing. The complexities of Emily Carr's career are explored with eyes open. Most amazingly, her art is depicted in such a way so as to create what seems like a three dimensional experience of it. Staged scenes presenting, among other activities, Carr's paintings in process, her campsite in the woods, and her pen meeting paper add to the depth of this film rather than drawing the viewer to the outside. Narrations and readings from Carr's books are also varied and deepening. It is a very rich experience for the senses.
