Thursday, June 16, 2011
A movie worth putting on 3-D glasses for plus the Best of SIFF
Posted by the voice of reason at 12:21 AM 0 comments
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Oops--a couple more SIFF movies playing the last weekend
Posted by the voice of reason at 8:22 AM 0 comments
SIFF's last weekend--and some movies for the rest of the world
All Your Dead Ones--very good Colombian movie about a farmer who finds a pile of bodies in his field. Dealing with this is no small task. Absurdist, a little surreal, and definitely worth seeing.
The Life of Fish--a thirtyish Chilean man at a party with friends from his youth, friends he hasn't seen for a while. It's not bad, but TVOR got tired of everybody and their problems and just wished he'd leave the party.
Por El Camino--a lovely road trip movie through Uruguay. A young Argentinian man gives a young Belgian woman a ride and the narrative unfolds. Very enjoyable, and it made TVOR want to go to Uruguay.
Spud--taking place in 1990 at a south African boarding school, this film chronicles the adventures of Spud, a kid with a weird family and a body that isn't maturing fast enough to suit him. TVOR wanted to like this more than she did, especially since John Cleese plays the English teacher.
Posted by the voice of reason at 12:37 AM 0 comments
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fifteen days down, ten to go for SIFF 2011
6/3/11
There are ten days left in SIFF 2011, and many interesting movies to check out. Here are some of them:
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey--the man behind (or maybe TVOR should say inside) Elmo of Sesame Street fame. You don't have to have ever seen Elmo in action to love this movie. And get a little misty. The director, as well as Kevin Clash, Elmo's human part, will be in attendance at SIFF!
The Importance of Being Earnest--an HD recording of a live performance of the Oscar Wilde play, currently running on Broadway. Brian Bedford is superb as Lady Bracknell (yes, that's right), and the rest of the cast rises to his level. If you can't go to New York and see it, plant yourself at SIFF Cinema. These things tend not to ever show up on video.
Jucy--a womance about a couple of twenty-something BFFs in Australia. Tons of fun.
Kinshasa Symphony--a documentary about exactly that. These are not professional musicians, these are people who come together and make music, in spite of incredible difficulties. (They live in Kinshasa, after all, no bed of roses.) We meet several of the musicians, and learn about their lives. Very well done.
A Thousand Times Stronger--a Swedish film about young teen kids at school--the various cliques, who runs the school (the boys, FYI), etc.--and how that gets disrupted when a new student arrives. Entertaining for adults, good for kids as well. (Not tiny ones, as there are subtitles and some swearing.)
Sushi: The Global Catch--this movie makes you want sushi, then discusses some of the sustainability issues that you knew were coming. Well presented, thought-provoking.
The Empire of Mid-South--excellent documentary about Vietnam since the colonial era using amazing archival footage, and first-person narratives from various sources including the Vietnamese and the various people who have come through the country and attempted to run things. From the director who made Winged Migration.
The Names of Love--a French comedy that's actually funny, with some heart as well. TVOR liked it.
Norman--pretty good teen drama, shot in Spokane, WA of all places. The ending is a bit too tidy, but the acting and script are good. All in all a thumbs up.
Hot Coffee--you know how that lady got a huge award after spilling MacDonald's coffee on herself, that incident that became a poster child for the tort reform issue? This film tells the other side of the story. This is definitely a film with a point of view, and is good food for thought.
Flying Fish--TVOR liked this film, though it's not for everybody. It's a beautifully shot film from Sri Lanka (and when have you ever seen anything from Sri Lanka?), telling several stories happening in a small community. The downside is that it's hard to figure out the various stories, as there are few closeups, and sometimes it's hard to tell who things are happening to. The upside is that it does all come together in the end. And it definitely is beautiful.
Grandma, A Thousand Times--a documentary about the filmmaker's Lebanese grandmother, this film is a delight.
Now, go to the movies!
Posted by the voice of reason at 12:01 PM 0 comments