SIFF--one week in

5/27/11

SIFF continues, as does the parade of good movies. Granted, there have been a few not-so-good ones too, but TVOR will try to steer you away from those if she can. And let's face it, we don't all have the same taste, so my big dud can be someone else's favorite. Although that person would be wrong.

Here are some films with upcoming screenings:

Small Town Murder Songs--one of TVOR's favorites of the festival so far. A little gem, a story of a flawed man trying to be a better man. And it has a wonderful soundtrack. See it.

Page One: Inside the New York Times--the documentarians were in the newsroom of the New York Times for a year, spending most of their time on the Media desk. If you're interested in how we get information and the quality and accuracy of that information, you should see this. Fascinating and very well done.

Steam of Life--another good documentary, this one from Finland. It's basically a lot of naked Finnish men of various shapes and sizes sitting in saunas of various shapes and sizes, talking about a lot of personal stuff. Amazingly, it's interesting and affecting and worth a look.

Killing Bono--first of all, no Bonos were injured during the making of this film. It's not a documentary--it's a narrative film based on the real story of a guy who went to school with Bono, and then spent years trying to have his (Bono's) life. Which is not easy if you have a knack for seizing defeat from the jaws of victory. Amusing and entertaining.

Treatment--fairly amusing Hollywood satire of the mumblecore genre. As most of us have no trouble believing that Hollywood is an insane place, there aren't a lot of surprises here. But it's not a bad way to spend 84 minutes.

Lesson Plan--a documentary about an experiment done in a Palo Alto high school in the 1960's, which basically turned a classroom of kids into fascists in less than a week. Not a great film, but an interesting subject. Worth a look.

Letters from the Big Man--the story of a girl, a sasquatch, and the forests of Oregon. First of all, TVOR must fess up: against all odds, she kind of liked this movie. Many others didn't. It's ridiculous in many ways--there's a guy in a furry suit after all--but for some reason TVOR enjoyed watching it. Even though it's not a particularly good movie. The scenery is nice, however.

The Rescuers--a documentary about a number of diplomats who saved Jews from the Nazis, often against the official policies of their countries. Not a good film, though--there's a Rwanda story which doesn't really fit in the structure of the movie, there are bad recreations of events, and an irritating score. If you can get past the film itself and focus on the information, it's interesting, though.

Viva Riva!--a movie from the Congo that may convince you (if you weren't already convinced) that things are a mess in the Congo, crime and corruption are rampant, there's little hope for progress, and you never want to go there. It's actually a fairly well put-together film, but it's filled with bad people doing bad things to each other. Be warned.

Now go to the movies!

SIFF 2011 opening weekend

5/23

It's been a good first few days at SIFF 2011. Opening night was great fun, and although reactions on the opening night film (The First Grader) were mixed, the accompanying party got universal raves. TVOR had approximately 15 seconds of fame, appearing in the background of a red carpet photo of a person in a giant panda suit interacting with a television personality that appeared in the Seattle Times. Yes, it's true, Kung Fu Panda was the biggest celebrity in town for the event.

Once the festival got seriously underway, TVOR saw some very good films, and no people in panda suits. Here are some brief thoughts:

How to Die in Oregon--a documentary about Oregon's Death with Dignity law, telling the stories of people who made the choice to take some control over their deaths. This is not for everyone, but it's suprisingly watchable, filled with humanity and humor. It's very well made, and definitely worth seeing. It will show up on HBO shortly, so watch for it.

Submarine--the coming of age genre gets a bad rap these days, but this British take on it, with excellent performances and lots of deadpan humor, is a good one.

The Trip--Michael Winterbottom directs Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing fictionalized versions of themselves on a restaurant tour of northern England. It's not Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, but it's pretty darned funny. TVOR laughed a lot.

The Future--Miranda July, who directed Me and You and Everyone We Know, has made another odd yet appealing (at least to TVOR) film. This is in spite of the fact that it's narrated by a cat, which TVOR was surprised to find that she didn't hate.

Beginners--Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer in Mike Mills' lovely film about fathers and sons and families and love. There's even an excellent performance by a dog. See it.

May 2011--time to go back to the movies

5/18/11

TVOR has been away from her keyboard for a very long time. She didn't really plan it that way, but after frenetic movie-going (and blogging) during last year's Seattle International Film Festival, she spent the summer recovering and interacting with real people in the real world. The summer movies were, in general, a pretty sorry lot, so time spent away from them was especially appreciated. There were a few exceptions (like The Kids Are All Right, Winter's Bone, Cyrus, Get Low, and a few others), but they were few and far between.

Then fall and winter rolled around, and the end-of-the-year Oscar bait came along. Some of those were pretty good (The Fighter, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, True Grit, etc.), and some were not (The Black Swan and Inception). Since last year's SIFF, The Millenium Trilogy (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) has been good and gritty fun. There were a few smaller movies that TVOR enjoyed as well--films like Jack Goes Boating, Somewhere, Cedar Rapids, Win Win, Jane Eyre, and Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

But now SIFF 2011 is looming, and TVOR is ready for some serious movie-going. And blogging. And maybe a little tweeting. The 25-day festival starts on May 19th, but press screenings have been going for weeks already. TVOR has caught quite a few of those, and has seen other SIFF 2011 films in other festivals earlier in the year. Here is her take on what she's seen:

Young Goethe in Love—looks very Hollywood-like, all the people are pretty and seem to act in very contemporary ways. A biopic of Goethe that’s basically fluff. Strange.

Everything Will Be Fine—TVOR liked Boe’s first film, Reconstruction, but it’s been downhill from there. This just didn’t do it for her.

Silent Souls—thumbs up on this one. It’s slow, meditative, all sorts of things TVOR usually doesn't like, but this one worked for her.

The Poll Diaries—a historical drama of the not-so-pretty sort, it’s the kind of movie that makes you appreciate your own family. Well done.

Perfect Sense—a good, not great sci-fi love story.

Circumstance—Audience Award winner at Sundance—TVOR thought it was pretty good, but wouldn’t have rated it that high. Interestingly, at Sundance, they called it an American film—at SIFF, they’re calling it an Iranian film. It feels more like an American take on the story, even though it takes place in Iran.

Terri—very entertaining—John C. Reilly is great as usual.

The Bengali Detective—TVOR got a kick out of this one, although it’s not a great movie.

Bobby Fischer Against the World—very well-made and fascinating doc about Bobby Fischer—some of which was shot in Iceland. TVOR kept seeing places she'd been. Chess knowledge and/or interest not necessary.

Magic Trip—TVOR was predisposed to like this movie, and if you’re interested in those folks (Ken Kesey, Neal Cassidy, etc.) and the era, you’ll probably like it too. If not, it may not be for you. The film itself is a bit trippy.

The Off Hours—a pretty decent Northwest film, but not a must-see.

Mondays in the Sun (available on video)—Good actors (Javier Bardem for example), but not a very interesting film, at least to TVOR. Many others disagreed.

Amador--the newest one by the same director as Mondays in the Sun, and TVOR liked it a lot. Contemporary Spanish film about a young immigrant woman taking care of an old man.

Paper Birds--A Spanish Civil War-era historical drama made accessible and audience-friendly. TVOR didn't particularly like it, although some others did.

Win/Win--Pretty decent film about the downside of success in financial markets.

Venice--Yet another World War II drama where it is pointed out that Poland was not a good place to be. TVOR was not impressed.

Something Ventured--Very good documentary about the early (starting in the 1950's) venture capitalists.

The Most Important Thing in Life is Not Being Dead--Very weird movie about an insomniac piano tuner. TVOR liked it.

3--The newest film from Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run and The Princess and the Warrior), 3 tells the story of a love triangle, in his usual fairy-tale-like way. TVOR liked it.

A Barefoot Dream--A typical sports movie, with the ragged underdogs, led by a coach in search of redemption, playing the bigger and better teams, yet triumphing in spite of all odds. The twist is that the film is based on reality, the team is an East Timor youth soccer team, and the coach is Korean. Predictable but fun, and when else are you going to get a glimpse of East Timor?

Dance Town--North Korean woman escapes to the south, but life is still no bowl of cherries. Well done but grim.

Black, White and Blues--TVOR really didn't like this film. The look wasn't horrible, but the script was, and most of the actors, who, to be fair, had nothing to work with, were floundering. Unintentionally funny.

Microphone--TVOR liked this Egyptian film about the underground music scene in pre-Arab Spring Alexandria.

Buck--Very well done documentary about a real-life horse whisperer. Well, he doesn't exactly whisper, but it's the same idea. You don't have to be interested in horses to like this.

Touch--After a very shaky start (inexperienced actors, cheesy look), this film about a Vietnamese American manicurist and a mechanic with dirty hands has some decent moments. It's not too bad if you're feeling benevolent.

An African Election--a very interesting documentary about the 2008 Presidential election in Ghana.

On Tour--Mathieu Almaric is the star, director, and co-writer of this meandering film about an American burlesque troupe touring France. It's probably too long, and acting is not the strong suit of the burlesque artists, but TVOR enjoyed the slice-of-life aspect of the film, not to mention the burlesque. Almaric is very good as the obnoxious, tenacious, yet easily distracted manager. Thumbs up.

That should be enough to get you started. Go to the movies!

The Best of SIFF 2010

6/16/10

SIFF 2010 is over, and TVOR had a great time. She saw a lot of movies, and enjoyed most of them. But before she moves on to other subjects, there’s one more very important thing to comment on, and that’s The Best of SIFF 2010, happening at SIFF Cinema from June 18-20. This is a chance to catch some of the top films of this year’s SIFF. Maybe you missed them during the festival, or maybe you were intimidated by the whole idea of a festival. Now you have a pre-screened collection of winners and popular favorites. You really can’t lose. TVOR has seen most of the films, and will give her two cents on them. They’re listed in order of when they’re playing.


Friday June 18, 2010
2:00 PM
The Reverse
(Winner Best New Director - SIFF 2010 Grand Jury Prize)
TVOR really liked this film, a darkly comic story of three generations of Polish women and what happens when the youngest of them meets a man. It’s quite a ride, with great visuals and wonderful use of music, especially at the end. See it if you can.


Friday June 18, 2010
4:30 PM
Castaway on the Moon
One of TVOR’s favorites of SIFF 2010, this film is sweet and funny and charming. Sometimes a suicide attempt gone wrong can turn out so right. SEE THIS FILM.


Friday June 18, 2010
7:00 PM
The Hedgehog
(Winner Best Film - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
TVOR fell asleep during this film due to severe jet lag and has no opinion. Obviously much of the non-sleeping audience loved it, as it won SIFF’s audience award.


Friday June 18, 2010
9:30 PM
Leaves of Grass
Edward Norton plays identical twins and does it brilliantly in this strange combination of pot comedy and crime drama. TVOR liked it.


Saturday June 19, 2010
11:00 AM
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girl
(Winner Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision, presented by Women in Film/Seattle)
A documentary about lesbian identical twin yodeling singer-songwriter-social activist-performance artist-sketch comediennes from New Zealand. What’s not to like about that? Answer: there’s nothing not to like about that. Go see this film.


Saturday June 19, 2010
1:00 PM
Ginny Ruffner: A Not So Still Life
(Winner Best Documentary (Tie) - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
TVOR missed this documentary about Seattle artist Ginny Ruffner, but plans to be in the audience on Saturday.


Saturday June 19, 2010
3:30 PM
Hipsters
This Russian musical is another one you have to see, even if you think you don’t like musicals. In mid-1950’s Moscow, the young and the hip are bumping up against the drabness of the Soviet system. The visuals are amazing, the music is fun, and the story and characters are engaging.


Saturday June 19, 2010
6:30 PM
Nowhere Boy
The story of John Lennon’s teenage years, his relationship with his mother and the aunt who raised him, and his early music career. Very good, with wonderful performances, especially by Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff.


Saturday June 19, 2010
9:00 PM
Cell 211
(Winner Best Actor, Luis Tosar - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
A Spanish prison riot drama that won loads of Goya Awards (the Spanish version of the Oscars) including Best Film, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s a good one.


Sunday June 20, 2010
11:00 AM
Best of SIFF Shorts
A selection of both Audience and Jury favorite short films from SIFF 2010. When shorts are good, they’re very very good, and these are likely to be good. TVOR plans to be watching.


Sunday June 20, 2010
1:00 PM
Waste Land
(Winner Best Documentary (Tie) - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
From SIFF’s description: “Photographer Vik Muniz returns to his Brazilian homeland to develop an art project in the world's largest garbage dump. An audience award-winner at both Sundance and Berlin.” TVOR heard very good things about this documentary, but missed it. Now is a chance to see it.


Sunday June 20, 2010
3:30 PM
The Concert
A lot of people loved this French film (which is about Russians and largely takes place in Russia), but TVOR was not one of them. It’s the story of a former Bolshoi orchestra conductor who gets a bunch of his buddies to masquerade as the current Bolshoi orchestra for a concert in Paris. She found the plot so preposterous that she couldn't get into it at all. One can only suspend disbelief so much. If you like uplifting films, you might like it a lot. TVOR doesn’t really like uplifting films as a rule.


Sunday June 20, 2010
6:00 PM
Mao's Last Dancer
Another film quite a few people liked—but not TVOR. In addition to not liking uplifting films (see above), TVOR doesn’t much care for inspirational ones, and Mao’s Last Dancer fits into the latter category. At least the plot doesn’t strain credibility (see above again)--it’s the true story of a young boy taken from his village in 1970’s China and trained by the state as a dancer. After traveling to U.S. through an exchange program to dance with the Houston Ballet, he decides he doesn’t want to return to China. This decision does not go down well with the Chinese authorities. It’s unfortunate when a fact-based film feels artificial, but that was the case with this one.


Sunday June 20, 2010
8:30 PM
Marwencol
(Winner Best Documentary - SIFF 2010 Grand Jury Prize)
TVOR really liked this documentary about a man, who after surviving a brutal beating that left him severely brain-damaged and without his memories, devotes himself to a project that becomes his art and his therapy and his life. Fascinating. Definitely one to see.

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!

TVOR hearts film festivals

5/31/10

Has TVOR mentioned recently that she loves film festivals? She does. This is how TVOR spent yesterday at SIFF. She started with a "secret" film, one whose title was not announced ahead of time and which cannot be revealed even after the screening (TVOR signed a pledge to this effect), then saw an archival presentation of a classic American film, and then two fascinating documentaries with the directors and subjects participating in Q&A sessions afterward.

This is what film festivals are all about. First, the "secret" screening. There's a special excitement in walking into a theater packed with people who are jazzed about seeing a movie when they don't even know what it will be. It's anticipation of the unknown and it is just plain fun. Sunday's film was excellent (they aren't always) so the place was buzzing afterward too. A great start to the day. Next she went to an archival presentation of Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront. Leonard Bernstein did the score for the film (it was his only film score) and his daughter Jamie introduced the film and did a Q&A afterward. It was great fun to see this wonderful old film on the big screen, and to focus a bit more on the score and the role it played in the experience of the film. Next was Marwencol, a documentary about a man who, after a terrible beating resulting in serious brain damage, started on an art project (a kind of do-it-yourself art therapy) that has become his life's work. The director was on hand to answer questions afterwards, and the subject (who doesn't travel) consented to be available by phone to answer audience questions. The audience took him up on it. The last film of the day was The Topp Twins, a documentary TVOR has raved about previously. The Topps were there to present the film, and they answered questions, sang, and yodelled. You really can't ask for more.

So that's what a film festival is all about. Yes, it's the movies. In the dark, on the big screen, watching with your fellow humans. But it's also the extras that make up the experience--the film guests and their interaction with the audience, and then the audience interacting among itself.

All that was one day. In the last few days, there has been even more variety, from the outrageous to the hilarious to the quietly affecting.

Cane Toads: The Conquest--in 3D--Sadly, there was only one screening of this documentary at SIFF. TVOR was lucky enough to be there, and she was amazed and amused by this cautionary tale about the perils of introducing species into new parts of the world. The toads are prolific and on the move, and the humans (and other animals) who encounter them are hilarious. Really. The 3D is the icing on the cake. If anyone ever offers you a chance to see a documentary about cane toads in 3D, run, don't walk to the theater and put on your glasses. Even if you're thinking "Huh?" or "I'm not really interested in cane toads.", do it. You will find out that you are interested. And you'll think twice about messing with Mother Nature.

Stolen--Sometimes filmmakers start out making a documentary, and then their plans get hijacked by reality. What started out as a documentary about reuniting families in a refugee camp in North Africa ends up being about something far less happy--modern slavery. Fascinating.

Mao's Last Dancer--Bruce Beresford directed this true story of a young Chinese boy who is taken from his family as a child in the 80's to be trained as a ballet dancer. A crowd-pleaser.

Hideaway--Francois Ozon's latest, a good but not great film about the aftermath of a junkie's death and its affect on his pregnant girlfriend and his brother.

Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar--a portrait of Candy and the whole Warhol scene, the story of a person who created a persona to find herself.

Farewell--an entertaining French cold war spy film with excellent performances by film directors Emir Kusturica and Guillaume Canet.

OK, now it's time for more movies.

SIFF updates/TVOR tweets!

5/27

TVOR, not the most technologically savvy person in the world, accomplished several amazing things in the past few days. She succeeded in: 1) setting up an account on Twitter, 2) tweeting successfully, and 3) linking her Twitter feed to her blog. She is very proud. She learned many things in this endeavor, among them that tweet is both a noun and a verb. The purpose of this exercise is to provide quick updates when she doesn't have the time or the bandwidth to do a blog update, not to give anyone a minute-by-minute account of TVOR's day. Frankly, it's just not that interesting. The Twitter updates show up on the right side of the blog page.

Now for some updates:

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work--fascinating and funny documentary about a comedy icon. If you're a fan, you need to see this film. If you're not a fan, you'll probably become one when you see it.

The Oath--excellent documentary about two brothers-in-law who both worked for Osama bin Laden and ended up in radically different situations. See it.

Imani--a portrait of a group of varied characters over the course of a day in contemporary Uganda. Very good, definitely worth seeing.

Me Too--this Spanish film telling the story of a guy with Down Syndrome falling in love with a "normal" woman sounded like it would be pretty bad, but TVOR was pleasantly surprised. It's actually very good, with interesting, well-developed characters doing and talking about interesting things. See it. Really.

Farsan--a slight but sweet Swedish multicultural comedy.

Like You Know It All--if you have any illusions about film directors, you can put them aside now. This film from Korean director Hong Sang-soo has his protagonist, a critically acclaimed but financially unsuccessful film director, behaving badly in various parts of his home country. Quite funny.

The Actresses--a mockumentary about a group of Korean actresses getting together for a photo shoot. There are lots of in-jokes which non-Koreans probably won't get, but it's still pretty entertaining.

Cairo Time--Patricia Clarkson is wasted in this very pretty film as she spends time in Egypt behaving like an idiot. She has a bad case of Stupid Tourist Syndrome, compounded by an underlying condition of basic dumbness. But that's just TVOR's opinion.

Some Days Are Better Than Others--northwest indie (from Portland) about young people searching. For whatever. You've seen much better, you've seen worse.

Night Catches Us--former Black Panthers in Philadelphia in the 70's. Some very good actors (Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Jamie Hector, Wendell Pierce) are caught in a not-so-good movie. It's not terrible, but it could have been so much better.

Brotherhood--well-made Danish movie with a somewhat ridiculous premise. Make a note: if you're self-hating homosexuals engaged in a passionate affair, it's probably best not to spend all your time with gay-bashing neo-Nazis. Just a thought.

Now, TVOR is off to the movies.