Heading into SIFF's last week

6/7/10

TVOR is way behind on her SIFF updates, but to be fair, she has been tweeting. Here are some slightly longer blurbs. Most of these films have more screenings to come, so there's still time!

Cell 211--a gripping prison riot drama--definitely one to see. There are not nice people doing not nice things to one another, but the characters are interesting and it's totally worth it.

Run If You Can--German film about a guy in a wheelchair, the guy who is his assistant, and a woman they're both interested in. This sounds like it could be pretty bad, but it's actually quite good.

Reykjavik-Rotterdam--very entertaining Icelandic crime flick. Will the ex-con try to pull off one more job? And if he does, will he succeed? A U.S. remake is unfortunately in the works.

Gordos--the title means 'fat people' in Spanish, and it's about a group of them, the weight loss counselor who's helping them get thinner, and their families and the people around them. It's a strange movie, but if you're willing to go along for the ride, you may like it quite a bit. TVOR did. The ending is wild.

The Dancer and the Thief--TVOR liked this film a lot. Taking place in Santiago, Chile, it tells the story of two men who get out of prison on the same day, and weaves in some of the fallout of the Pinochet era.

For the Good of Others--pretty interesting Spanish film about a doctor who has a particular gift for healing.

Bride Flight--a fairly entertaining soap opera about a group of young women who emigrate from the Netherlands to New Zealand in the early 1950's, a hunky fellow passenger on their flight, and the directions their lives take in the following years.

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel--an interesting film about an interesting guy, this documentary focuses on the social changes in the 50+ years since the magazine was founded, and Hefner's involvement in them. And then there's the naked women. And the mansion. And the clubs.

Tsar--Russian biopic about Ivan the Terrible being really, really terrible. Religious fervor plus absolute power plus craziness does not make for good government. The visuals are great.

Patagonia--a very pretty film (it takes place in some particularly scenic areas of Patagonia and Wales) but ultimately a tough slog for TVOR. A yuppie Welsh couple go to Patagonia and act in an irritating manner, and an old Patagonian woman and a young man go to Wales, and are much less irritating. The Welsh people really needed to be told to shape up but unfortunately no one did.

Agora--did you know that in 4th century Alexandria, they spoke British English? Neither did TVOR. Everything seemed hunky-dory as long as the pagans were running things (well, there was that pesky slavery, but a lot of the masters seemed really nice to their slaves, except for when they weren't). Then there were the Christians--and the Jews, but mostly the Christians. They got riled up and then everything went awry. It turns out that sometimes religious leaders incite their followers to violence against people of other faiths. And that women have trouble getting respect for their abilities and achievements, other than those of caring for families. Hmmm, TVOR wonders if there are any modern parallels. There's nothing like being hit over the head with a 2x4 by a filmmaker trying to make a point. TVOR wonders about the possibility of much success for a film (in the West, anyway) in which the Christians are the bad guys. In addition to the fact that the film isn't very good.

Meet Monica Velour--actually, don't meet her. TVOR met her so you wouldn't have to. The film has some decent actors (Kim Cattrall does a nice job in the title role) but the lead character is an unappealing idiot and the story is ridiculous.

Blessed--this is a well-made film that TVOR really wanted to like a lot more. It takes place in one day in Melbourne, Australia. The first part tells the stories of several children, and the second covers their mothers. It would probably not reveal too much to say that life is not a bowl of cherries for any of these people. It may be that TVOR is just to shallow to fully appreciate this film.

Garbo: The Spy--fascinating and entertaining documentary about a double agent during World War II. The filmmaker adds a lot of clips from old movies and archival footage to balance out the requisite talking heads. (The guy was a spy, it's not like they could get a lot of film of him at work.)

Leaves of Grass--sort of a pot comedy, sort of an acting exercise for Ed Norton (he plays two roles), and sort of a why you should not get involved with criminals movie. Amazingly, it works pretty well, and Norton does a great job.

All That I Love--a nice little Polish Solidarity-era coming of age, punk rock film.

Double Take--an interesting film that's really more video art than film (TVOR saw it in a Chelsea art gallery last year) but plays well on the big screen. It's about doppelgangers, Hitchcock, and the cold war.

American Faust--Condi Rice sells her soul to you-know-who. If you're on board with that view of the world, you'll probably enjoy this film.

One more week of movies in SIFF 2010!