Now in theaters, plus SIFF part four

06/01/09

At last Summer Hours, one of TVOR's favorite recent films, is in wider release. This French film about a family dealing with a house full of possessions has real humans in it, who act like humans. It's wonderful.

TVOR also liked Departures, from Japan, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film earlier this year. It's not the best, but it's still worth seeing. It's a real crowd-pleaser, and somewhat emotionally manipulative, but TVOR went along with it and didn't mind being manipulated. It's also a film that's very audience friendly, even if some in the the audience are dubious about subtitles and foreign films in general.

And if you're in Seattle, Sita Sings the Blues is still playing! This is amazing and wonderful news, and anybody who can make it to the theater should do so.

And now for some brief blurbs on films coming up at SIFF:

Patrik Age 1.5--nice entertaining Swedish film about a gay adoption that does not go as expected.

Passing Strange--Spike Lee's film of the musical. Very nicely done, on beautiful HD video. It sounds great too.

Welcome--TVOR liked this French film about illegal immigrants trying to get across the channel to England very much.

Fear Me Not--TVOR also really liked this Danish film about a man participating in a drug trial.

Kabei--Our Mother--another nice Japanese film, a family saga.

Tahaan--A Boy With a Grenade--don't bother.

Black Dynamite--very silly, very funny parody of a 70's blaxploitation movie.

What's On Your Plate--good documentary targeted at kids about a couple of kids investigating what's in food, and where it comes from.

Il Divo--an Italian film about Prime Minister Andreotti, with wonderful visuals and sound.

Mommy is at the Hairdresser's--very good French Canadian film about a family under a lot of stress.

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies--a French parody of spy movies, free and outside at a park. What could be better?

Hooked--tough Romanian film about a couple and a prostitute who insinuates herself into their relationship.

Gotta Dance--a documentary about a group of senior dancers who do hip-hop at New Jersey Nets games. What's not to like about that?

With a Little Help from Myself--a portrait of an immigrant from Africa trying to survive in Paris and keep her family going. Very good.