6/16/11
There are some things to be excited about in the world of movies this week, and that doesn't even include the new releases. TVOR can't comment on these, as she's been sequestered in film festival theaters and has been far away from the land of Hollywood and multi-plexes. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
The first thing to be excited about is that there is an excellent reason to leave your home, go into a movie theater, don 3-D glasses, and stare at a big screen. And that reason is Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Werner Herzog's documentary about the Chauvet caves in France. These caves were discovered in 1994, after being sealed up and forgotten for 20,000 or so years, and contain the oldest known cave paintings, dating back 32,000 years. Access is extremely limited, as the site can be damaged by things as simple as people's breath, so luckily for all of us, Werner Herzog and a small crew were allowed to go in and film. They went with 3-D cameras, and took lots of footage of the beautiful paintings, which look quite modern and fresh. And because it's Werner Herzog, we listen to his very soothing voice say some pretty interesting, perhaps not-so-soothing things. He's no ordinary documentarian, that's for sure. This is also one instance where the 3-D photography enhances the viewing experience, allowing us to see how the paintings fit with the contours of the cave, and not surprisingly, given the director, it's beautiful. See it in a movie theater if you can.
If you're not familiar with Werner Herzog's documentaries, you're missing out. He directed Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World, among others--they're available on video.
A second thing to be excited about (if you're in Seattle) is that this coming weekend, June 17-19, is Best of SIFF 2011, when some of the top jury and audience favorites of this year's festival will be given an extra screening, so people can catch up with what they might have missed earlier. Here's TVOR's take on what she's seen:
Gandu--TVOR hasn't seen it, and can't comment. It won a jury prize but audience reactions were mixed.
Simple Simon--a very enjoyable Swedish film about a teenager with Asperger's who tries to find his brother a new girlfriend.
Best of SIFF shorts--TVOR has seen one of the shorts in this program, Cataplexy, and gives it a thumbs up. Given the high quality of the short films this year, this program is a good bet.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey--the man behind (and inside) Elmo of Sesame Street fame. This is a lovely film about a lovely man, and you don't need to have ever watched Sesame Street to like it.
To Be Heard--a documentary about a writing program in the Bronx and three teenaged participants. We spend quite a bit of time with these kids, at home and at school, and get to know them quite well. Very good.
Tilt--TVOR hasn't seen it, but would like to.
On the Ice--teenagers face some huge moral issues in a story set among native people in Barrow, Alaska. In spite of some inexperienced actors, the film works quite well, and is a look into a world most of us will never see.
Paper Birds--a vaudeville company in post-civil war Spain is the setting of this Golden Space Needle audience award winner. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser. TVOR found it somewhat manipulative and the music was definitely a bit much. She did get sucked in, though.
Circus Dreams--TVOR didn't see it, but the kids in the Films 4 Families jury gave it their top prize. It's a documentary about Circus Smirkus.
How to Die in Oregon--a big thumbs up for this documentary about patients, caregivers, and families, and Oregon's Death with Dignity law. It's not always easy to watch, but you come away with a lot of respect for everyone involved. It also follows a volunteer working to get a similar initiative passed in Washington.
Life in a Day--OK, basically this is the best YouTube video ever. 80,000 people submitted 4500 hours of video, all taken on July 24, 2010, to YouTube. 300 snippets from people in 192 countries were turned into a 90-minute movie. And it works. It's sort of chronological, but other than that, it shows all sorts of people doing all sorts of things. TVOR really liked it.
Old Goats--the story of three old guys who are friends. The script is largely improvised, the actors are inexperienced, and in spite of these things, the film basically works.
King of Devil's Island--this movie follows a group of young men and boys, and their warden and guards, in what was basically a reform school in early 20th century Norway. Hint: this was not a nice place. A very good, very entertaining film.
And finally, you can get excited even if you can't make it out to see any movies, but are an HBO subscriber. Some very good documentaries that that were just playing at SIFF are now available for viewing right in your own home.
Bobby Fischer Against the World--an excellent documentary about the fascinating and sad life of Bobby Fischer. There's a lot of footage available of the chess genius, famous at an early age, and this footage is put together into an excellent film. Check it out.
How to Die in Oregon--you can catch the film on the small screen as well as on the big one.
(FYI, TVOR is not getting paid for this plug.)
Now, go to the movies.
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