2003 Foreign, Alternative and Independent Films

It's certainly a good film, but since it's the only one of the nominees I've seen, I can't say whether it was the right choice.

The only other film in the category to get a U.S. release (so far) was El Crimen del Padre Amaro, which I did not see (and it was horribly reviewed). The Man Without a Past opens here next weekend, but there's so much other stuff that I doubt I'll get to it. A trailer played before Nowhere in Africa, and the film looks interesting and very funny.

Part luck, part conscious decision. Film and theater are a big reason I'm still here.

M.

The Man Without a Past is a very, very good film, one of the top three from last year's New York Film Festival. The film's director, Aki Kaurismäki has a very distinct style, very, very dry and deadpan, which I absolutely love, but I can see that his style might not suite everyone -- but everyone should sample his work just to make sure. Again, The Man Without a Past is highly recommended.

And I don't know who wrote the "horrible" reviews of Padre Amaro, but my only real problem with the film was that the protagonist's bad behavior pales compared to recent press reports on the real life behavior of a multitude of priests, and thus one doesn't feel nearly as much revulsion towards him as the filmmaker no doubt intended. That quibble aside though Padre Amaro is beautifully made and acted film.

I haven't seen the AA winner -- I'm stuck at home with a broken leg and blown out knee, so now I know what it's like to live far from any good movie theater -- no fun at all

Ted

El Crimen del Padre Amaro is essentially a soap opera and a mostly entertaining one at that. Ted, I think the key is that Padre Amaro's crime has less to with his relationship with the girl and more to do with
Warning Spoiler! Click to show The film attacks the system as corrupt, which is probably far more controversial than the romance. I wouldn't have named it as one of the five best foreign films of the year, FWIW.

Mark,

I agree with you completely, and also
Warning Spoiler! Click to show was also far more the "crime" in question than the relationship itself.

Ted

I see that, when all the reviews were added up at Rotten Tomatoes, Padre Amaro did OK. I just happened to see bad ones (notably, Entertainment Weekly and the NYTimes).

Sorry to hear you're laid up, Ted. Get well soon!

M.

Cross-posted on the film list thread, since it’ll ultimately be deleted there.

Spun
Spun features some popular young actors (Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit) as a bunch of meth addicts. It’s littered with music video–style visuals, such as quick-cut closeups of dialating pupils and parts of car engines. Oh, and pornographic cartoons. Not really much need for things like “plot” or “character development” here. (Sounds a little like Moulin Rouge, ey?) You’ll never see Mena Suvari look so nasty, but her and the rest of the characters’ roughness seems too polished. The style and the unstereotypical performances from the cast are enough for me to recommend it.

Bend It Like Beckham
A relatively amusing coming-of-age story. The plot is not new (girls wants to play football/soccer, girl’s parents want her to get ready for marriage, girl rebels and plays football anyway), but the surroundings – a traditional Indian family in the UK – are new. It’s an entertaining feelgood movie, but too often it resorts to cheap mainstream tactics. It strives to be feminist, yet it presents numerous exploitative images and stereotypes. (The main character’s friend, who you might recognize as the decoy Amidala from The Phantom Menace, is a tall, stick-skinny white girl.) Also: If you don’t want to hear, “Mommy, what’s a lesbian?” on your way out of the theater, I don’t recommend taking young children. On one hand, highly enjoyable; on the other hand, not the new standard for coming-of-age comedies (see below).

À la folie… pas du tout (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not)
I walked into this one half-expecting a rehash of Amélie. I was fooled. The first half of the movie is farely typical romantic comedy fare. We’re see a young art student giddy about her relationship with an older cardiologist. In the middle of the movie, the perspective shifts, and we learn the doctor’s side of the relationship. Its best to go into this one without knowing much more than this. I hate sappy romantic movies, but this movie is a wolf in sheep’s clothes. Engaging and entertaining, if not innovative.

Русский ковчег (Russian Ark)
This movie has made history: The entire 96-minute film was shot in one take. We (in the form of an unknown twentieth-century Russian man, or maybe spirit) take a trip through the Hermitage with a nineteenth-century French diplomat. As we move through the rooms, the decades shift: In one room, we see Catherine II, in another, we see modern students viewing art, and in the film’s final scene, we witness a grandiose ball, which was the last to take place in the palace. What’s great about this film is the technique is inseparable from the story – this film would not be compelling if told in any other way. A few technical flaws, such as audio sync issues and the occasional anachronism, mar the film slightly, but it is still an amazing achievement and a compelling film.

任逍遥 (Unknown Pleasures)
Two nineteen-year-old Chinese boys are affected by a decidedly Western lack of direction. This movie has its moments, but it’s long and boring. Maybe it’s some sort of autobiography. Avoid.

Laurel Canyon
This film is an indy through-and-through, which is both good and bad. It’s edgy, but it pretends like it has some sort of deep message. It’s about the journey – and I mean that both literally and figuratively – that two recently engaged Harvard medical school graduates take when they stay with the groom’s hedonist, record producer mother in SoCal. A series of events unfold that cause the main characters to question their relationships and lifestyles. If you though Frances MacDormand was sexy in The Man Who Wasn’t There, check her out here. Entertaining, but pretentious.

Raising Victor Vargas
A coming-of-age love story of an adolescent player-in-training and a girl who’s sick of being no more than “Juicy Judy.” This movies best quality is its honesty. You will not find any emotional trickery. You will find honest, quasi-improvisitational performances that hit you with both humor and real emotion. Redefines the coming-of-age movie. Do whatever you can to see this one.

Irréversible (Irreversible)
Scenes are presented in reverse chronological order, and each scene is shot in a single, uncut take. There are two scenes of extremely graphic violence, which is taken to a Faces of Death–like extreme since the film doesn’t cut away. It’s hard to stomach the sight of a man being beaten to death with a fire extinguisher or nine-minutes of the violent rape and subsequent beating of a woman. This film batters you over the head with symbolism and connections. (I’ll take flagrant symbolism over a fire extinguisher any day, thanks.) It is contrived and polished. It constantly reminds you – almost apologetically – of its message, which is “time destroys all.” Too obtuse for me. I kept searching for something to justify the violence and the style, but I couldn’t find anything. Tries to push the envelope, but fails.

I think all "white people goes to Africa" movies are problematic, but Nowhere in Africa has less problems than the usual. There are still plenty of predictable items typical of this type of premise--we know the stuck up wife will grow to love the land and its people, for example--but the movie is engrossing indeed. As Michael pointed out, the center subject of the film is not the Holocaust; I look at it as the relationship between husband and wife. It works because their attitudes towards life is at the heart of their conflict. The photography and landscape is beautiful, the musical score delicate and soaring at times (a piece used in its trailer). Oh, can the little girl be any cuter? Very good.

I thought Nowhere in Africa was stronger than Padre Amaro, but I liked that one, too. As a combination of soap opera and criticism, it works very well.

Colin, I agree with you on Irreversible.

Caught Shanghai Ghetto this weekend. It is a documentary of Jews who fled pre-war Europe for Shanghai, remaining there until well after WWII, when the all relocated elsewhere. For me, this was a fascinating film, because of its subject matter, about which I was completely unaware.

The film carters on interviews of a few who were young back then, cut with some still and WWII archrival film footage. There are also some interviews with a couple of historians, which helps to put the first person descriptions into perspective.

For me, by the time the film finishes I felt that there was a bit too much ‘the holocaust was bad’ and not quite enough on the displaced Jew’s life, interacting with the Chinese (and Japanese).

Still, this is a minor quibble, for a film that gave me insights that I had not had. Recommended for fans of documentaries or history.

Laurel Canyon - A moderately enjoyable film while watching it but a day later I really haven't thought about it. There were a couple of nice scenes (Bale & McElhone in the parking garage, and the resolution) but most of it was too formulatic and the characters not fleshed out enough for my taste. It is definitely not in the same league as Lisa Cholodenko's previous work High Art.

I also couldn't get past the fact that part way through I keep thinking that this is a reworking of the Hugh Grant / Tara Fitzgerald film Sirens. Another film that was more style over substance.


The Good Thief - I really enjoyed this fun film. This is all style over substance but it doesn't pretend to be anything else. It is a heist film much like Ocean's 11, which many people at the screening were comparing it to. In this film Nick Nolte creates a group of people to rob a casino in Monte Carlo of its art work the night before the grand prix. This is a reworking of the 1955 Bob le Flambeur.

The heist is secondary to this being a character film. Actually if you try and think too much about how the heist works you will begin not to like the film, just go with it. It has a very loose structure and a very good jazz/blues score. Because of this it plays more like a Mike Figgis film that being a Neil Jordan film. It might be one of his loosest films he has ever directed. And after the beautiful but claustrophobic The End of the Affair, that is a good thing. The photography is also very good, but it's hard to make the south of France look bad.

I'm not a Nick Nolte fan, so his acting and mumbling bothered me. But the rest of the cast is very good. Tchéky Karyo, who gets a much better film that The Core, Emir Kusturica, the Polish twins, Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Nino Kukhanidze all make this a enjoyable, fun romp.

Finally, someone else has seen this piece of mad genius. This may have been the funniest movie I saw all last year, promoted by the local theater as "Owing as much to The Evil Dead as to The Sound Of Music." When I told my brother about the exchange that includes the line "My daddy ran away with a high school girl!", his reaction summed it up:

"That is so very, very wrong. When does it come out on DVD?"

(It's out now, apparently. See it and find out why Chicago wasn't even the year's best musical)


À la folie... pas du tout (He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not)

Neat stuff is happening in the French film industry these days. Not that it has never been the case, but it seems like when you compare the French movies that managed to grab some notice five or ten years ago with what's coming out now, there seem to be more movies that you could show to an American audience that normally ignores subtitled movies and get a reaction other than walking out.

Part of this, I suppose, is that the younger generation of French filmmakers have been heavily influenced by Hollywood, or at least Hollywood's domination of the box office. What's neat is that even though movies like Amélie and Brotherhood Of The Wolf have the sort of polish expected of Hollywood movies, they still have a European feel to them. To someone who enjoys both American and European movies, it can be the best of both worlds.

I mention those two films because their respective stars - Audrey Tautou and Samuel Le Bihan are the two leads of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not which tells of the relationship between a young art student (Tautou) and an older cardiologist (Le Bihan) from both perspectives. The production values are Hollywood-slick; interior sets are clean and warm-looking, while location work is vibrant and colorful. The film is definitely French, though, treating adultery more casually than an American film probably would, for instance.

The actors do good work. I loved Amélie when it came out, but upon further reflection, the title character sort of creeped me out; Ms. Tautou harnesses that off-kilter, weird sensibility to good effect here, while also seeming more real (and sexy). M. Le Bihan doesn't have quite so colorful a character (or supporting cast), but he turns in a good effort.

The script has some problems, especially in the second half. Not "this doesn't make sense" issues, but it doesn't quite trust its audience enough - one scene is replayed in its entirety from a different perspective, even though you've probably caught the ironic bit about ten seconds in. There's also a recap that challenges the one in Signs in its... um... exhaustiveness, but isn't stitched together quite as well.

As a result, the movie falls just short of brilliance. But it's still quite entertaining, even if you don't normally go in for le cinéma français.

½


Laurel Canyon

This is an actor's movie, filled with actors who might not get me (or others) into movies on the strength of their names(*), but are generally charismatic and interesting once you're there - Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, and Alessadro Nivola. They all turn in good performances, as you might expect.

What makes Laurel Canyon work is that the characters are neither completely generic or too quirky, but are, for the most part, likable. A lesser actress might have made McDormand's Jane into a bunch of goofy tics, and Christian Bale's Sam could have easily become bland or unpleasant. The odd number of main characters adds an element of interest in that there's no way to pair them off without leaving someone left standing (and no minor characters that can be used to make it even).

McDormand is the standout - hopefully she'll be considered the next time awards season comes around. But everything, I found, was quite watchable.

½

(*) Okay, I'll see just about anything Kate does, she's so cute, but I was able to resist Pearl Harbor.

I've been meaning to participate in this thread for the longest time. At the beginning of this year, I thought "Heck, I'll wait. How many 'alternative-ish' movies am I gonna see in the next few months??"

Boy was I wrong. I worked myself into a very lucky situation in which I now frequent film festivals. And they're wonderful. After Sundance/Slamdance in January in South By Southwest last month I now feel like an erudite cinephile.

OK, no I don't.

But I figure that I've seen so many so far that I'd be foolish not to contribute to this excellent thread. I'll be attending two more film festivals in the next two months...but that leads me to a favor I'll ask after my list.

Here's what I've seen so far:

28 Days Later ( out of 5) (Horror, Sci-Fi, Action / Dir: Danny Boyle / Release Date: June 13th / Rated R / Fox Searchlight Pictures) - Brilliantly dark, stark and altogether unsettling, Danny Boyle's tale of apocalyptic flesh-eaters will become an underground smash - if I have anything to say about it. Genre fans take note!

Ali G Indahouse ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Mark Mylod / Release Date: TBD / Rated R / Universal Pictures) - Never seen this character's TV show but the movie had me laughing quite heartily. Raunchy and VERY silly in some spots but also laden with several solid bits. Nice to see a 'race comedy' that doesn't feel terrified and homogenized.
Assassination Tango ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Robert Duvall / Release Date: March 28th / Rated R / MGM) - Low-key and borderline slow in spots, but damn if Robert Duvall isn't one of the most watchable actors on the planet.

Bend It Like Beckham ( out of 5) (Sports Drama, Comedy / Dir: Gurinder Chadha / Release Date: March 12th / Rated PG-13 / Fox Searchlight) - I can't forgive the painful familiarity of this one just cuz it's a gender-bending indie import. Not awful; nothing special.
Bookies ( out of 5) (Comedy, Drama / Dir: Mark Illsley / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Familiar yet entertaining tale of three college pals who unwisely decide to start the own bookie operation. Solid cast (Galecki, Haas, R.L. Cook) and a few stylish directorial touches save this one from potential tedium.
The Boys of 2nd Street Park ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Ron Berger & Dan Klores / Release Date TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Surprisingly gripping doco about a group of men from the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. I expected to be bored and absolutely was not.
Bubba Ho-tep ( out of 5) (Comedy Horror Sci-Fi Drama / Dir: Don Coscarelli / Release Date TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Stunning that a movie so plainly silly could also be so bizarrely touching. Bruce Campbell fans will devour this endearingly weird genre amalgam...if only a distributor would pick the damn thing up already!

Cinemania ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Angela Christlieb / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Winstar Worldwide) - Grating documentary about New York's five most obsessed movie freaks. I simply didn't enjoy spending time around these people.
Civil Brand ( out of 5) (Prison Drama / Dir: Neema Barnette / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Oh-so-earnest 'minority chicks in prison' drama, complete with unfair living conditions, sexual assault and riots.
Civilian Casualties: Fragments from the War on Terror ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Frances Anderson / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Families of WTC victims travel to Iraq to find some 'personal answers'. I was yawning throughout.
Controlled Chaos ( out of 5) (Drama, Comedy / Dir: Azita Zendel / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Ultra-low budget tale of a long-suffering assistant and her amazingly duplicitous boss - a Hollywood director. Worthy of note because writer/director Zendel worked as the personal assistant to Oliver Stone for several years. Armed with that knowledge the film is infinitely more entertaining.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie ( out of 5) (Anime, Action-Adventure / Dir: Shinichirô Watanabe / Release Date: April 4th / Rated R / Destination Films) - This was my first experience with the Bebop series and I had a ball with it. The jazzy music, the fluid action antics, the mild humor, the effective characterizations, etc. A few minor slow spots can't dampen my enthusiasm for this one and I look forward to checking out the original episodes ASAP.
Cremaster 3 ( out of 5) (Abstract Weirdness / Dir: Matthew Barney / Release Date: May 16th / Unrated / Glacier Field Pictures) - Freaky-ass weirdness. This stuff may be your cup of tea but all I saw was a 2+ hour Tool video with no music.
Culture Jam: Hijacking Commercial Culture ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Jill Sharpe / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Excellent doc about three groups of people who've taken it upon themselves to help liberate the masses from the onslaught of commercialism. Fascinating stuff here.

The Dance ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: John Darling Haynes / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Boxers-in-prison doc. Aternately compelling and tiresome.
Deathwatch ( out of 5) (Horror, War / Dir: Michael J. Bassett / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Not half bad British ghost flick/wartime thriller suffers from a languid pacing but there are a few solid twists and the movie looks wonderfully glum and gritty.
Detective Fiction ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Patrick Coyle / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Boring drama about a writer, his wife, their therapist, and a whole lot of self-important chit-chat.
Dummy ( out of 5) (Romantic Comedy / Dir: Greg Pritikin / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Curb Entertainment) - Fantastic romantic comedy has Adrien Brody (and his new ventriliquist dummy) wooing a comely single mom, dealing with a whacked-out best friend rocker grrrl, his lovably obnoxious sister, and two clueless parents. Hopefully Brody's recent Oscar win will help get this great little movie a distributor. (Milla J. is a revelation in this flick, fellas!)

The Education of Gore Vidal ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Deborah Dickson / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Dry and PBS-ish, though Vidal's always good for some good juicy soundbites.
EvenHand ( out of 5) (Comedic Drama / Dir: Jospeh Pierson / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Non-traditional cop-movie comedy/drama about two policemen dealing with the mundane crimes in a small Texas town. Surprissingly insightful in several ways, well-acted throughout.
The Eye ( out of 5) (Horror / Dir: Pang Brothers / Release Date: June 13th / Rating TBD / Palm Pictures) - Creepy Japanese thriller about a young blind woman who inherits haunted eyes. Good stuff.

Flag Wars ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Linda Goode-Bryant & Laura Poitras / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Homosexual land developers vs. inner-city poor folk. No kidding!
Flowers ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Kirven Blount / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Dimly-lit and wandering tale about one guy's descent into the world of late-night after-hours club. Well, one in particular. Intermittently entertaining but sails off the deep end in Act 3.
A Foreign Affair ( out of 5) (Romantic Comedy / Dir: Helmut Schleppi / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Very enjoyably romantic comedy about two farmboy brothers who travel to Russia to find a bride. Emily Mortimer is painfully cute, David Arquette shows some surprising chops, and Tim Blake Nelson steals the show.
Fulltime Killer ( out of 5) (Action / Dir: Johnny To & Ka-Fai Wai / Release Date: March 21st / Not Rated / Palm Pictures) - Very clever and poetically bloody tongue-in-cheek genre homage (from an American co-screenwriter no less) that should certainly please fans of self-referential action mayhem.

Happy Here and Now ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Michael Almereyda / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / IFC Films) - Bizarre and wholly tiresome New Orleans tale of missing sisters, internet love affairs, and a whole bunch of non-sensical babblings. I wanted to walk out but didn't.
The Haven ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Andrew Bowen / Release Date: TBD / Rated R / Dreadnought Films) - Worthwhile (if a little familiar) tale of four college pals struggling to 'fit' into adult standing. Benefits from a strong cast of unknowns and a handful of dramatic twists.
The Hard Word ( out of 5) (Crime Drama / Dir: Scott Roberts / Release Date: June 13th / Lion's Gate Films) - Profane and witty Aussie heist flick suffers a bit when it meanders off-course (and the movie suffers from about three endings too many) but when this one's 'on' it's really on. Guy Pearce redefines scruffy heroism and there's double-crosses and femme fatales galore.
The Hebrew Hammer ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Jonathan Kesselman / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / ContentFilm) - Jewxploitation comedy! The world's first? "Shaft" gets a Hassidic satire treatment and the brilliantly funny Adam Goldberg takes center stage quite capably. Sure to be a Passover favorite for years to come.
Hero ( out of 5) (Action Drama / Dir: Yimou Zhang / Release Date: May (?) / Rating TBD / Miramax Films) - Visually I was dazzled, awestruck, amazed. Story-wise: a little bored. I do look forward to seeing this one again though.
House of 1,000 Corpses ( out of 5) (Horror / Dir: Rob Zombie / Release Date: April 11th / Rated R / Lion's Gate Films) - Massive disappointment - and you all probably know what a horror freak I am.

Jon E. Edwards is in Love ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Chris Bradley & Kyle La Brache / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Boastful though interesting doc about the best soul singer you've probably never heard of.

Long Gone ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: David Eberhardt & Jack Cahill / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Brilliant doc that brings us into the lives of various homeless 'train riders'. Honest, sad and even kinda funny in spots.
Lost in La Mancha ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Keith Fulton & Louis Pepe / Release Date: Jan. 31st / Rated R / IFC Films) - As a huge Gilliam fan, I found this doc both hilarious and heart-breaking. If there's one silver lining to the filmmaker's La Mancha tragedies, it's that this fascinating documentary sprung from the madness.

May ( out of 5) (Dark Comedy Horror / Dir: Lucky McKee / Release Date: Feb. 7th / Rated R / Lion's Gate Films) - Best movie I've seen so far this year. I loved loved loved this film!
Melvin Goes to Dinner ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Bob Odenkirk / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Crisp dialogue and juicy gossip delivered by likable performers in this adaptation of the play of the same name. A few cool cameo appearances add some color, but the bulk of the entertainment lies in eavesdropping on four particularly fascinating diners and their lascivious banter.
A Midsummer Night's Rave ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Gil Cates Jr. / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Filmtrax Entertainment Inc.) - Gah. Not good. The title says it all.
Missing Peace ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Karin Hayes & Victoria Bruce / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - A presidential candidate in Columbia is kidnapped by one of the political factions she was hoping to assist (and eventually dissolve). Informative and likely to provoke a response.
The Murder of Emmitt Till ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Stanley Nelson / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Memories and facts from the 1955 Mississippi case in which a 14-year-old boy was lynched by an angry mob. Excellent fact-based documentary.

The Nature of Nicholas ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Jeff Erbach / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Odd and frequently off-putting parable about one boy and his struggles with a missing father, a disaffected mother, and his own newfound homosexuality.

Only the Strong Survive ( out of 5) (Musical Documentary / Dir: Chris Hegedus / Release Date: May 2nd / Rated PG-13 / Miramax Films) - The concert footage of Nancy Wilson and Issac Hayes are worth the admission price alone, but the in-between anecdotes grow wearisome in short order.

The Real Old Testament ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Curtis & Paul Hannum / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Hilarious cheapie that presents characters from the Old Testament as if they were participants on MTV's "The Real World". Proof that you don't need a budget to make with the effective yuks.
Robot Stories ( out of 5) (Drama, Sci-fi, Anthology / Dir: Greg Pak / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Anthology movie with each tale centering on robots in some way. Like most anthologies, some of the tales are very effective and others are not resulting in a whole that doesn't really gel.
Rolling Kansas ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Thomas Haden Church / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Stoner buddies go looking for a legendary Field of Weed. Running gags, slob humor and consistent weed references can't overshadow a handful of truly amusing moments.

Security ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Brien Burroughs / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Low-budget and all-improve indie about two clueless (and hilariously self-important) security guards who find themselves embroiled in a simplistic mystery involving janitors, missing chocolates, and a plant that always smells like pee. Funny stuff.
Sexless ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Alex Holdridge / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Same old-same old tale of whiney twenty-somethings unable to commit yet more than able to chat about it for twenty minutes at a time. I thought this indie trend died about 5 years ago.
Shaolin Soccer ( out of 5) (Sports Comedy, Action / Dir: Stephen Chow / Release Date: Aug. 8th / Rated PG / Miramax Pictures) - I can't speak for the upcoming American version, but the original (with English subtitles) is nothing less than a bizarre little treat. Quite funny and loaded with ultra-slick "Matrix on the soccer pitch" action moments, this is an import that Miramax needn't monkey with all that much.
Spun ( out of 5) (Druggie Drama / Dir: Jonas Akerlund / Release Date: March 14th / Unrated / Newmarket Film Group) - Worst movie I've seen so far this year hands down. I've no aversion to cinematic ugliness, but this festering snotball of a film is nothing but nasty for nasty's sake and it gets real old real fast.

Three and a Half ( out of 5) (Drama / Dir: Boris Mojsovski / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Three characters are brought to life by artists sharing the same subway train. Told in an 'unrelated artsy anthology' kinda way, it's technically impressive and effective in some spots; as a whole it's too icy and clinical to really enjoy.
Tom Dowd and the Language of Music ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Mark Moormann / Release Date: TBD / Not Rated / Distributor TBD) - Funny, warm and fascinating doco about one of the world's all-time great Sound Editors. Creator of the 8-track recording system, and technician behind dozens of this centrury's most beloved musicians, Dowd unfortunately passed away right before the film was complete. All the more reason you should pay him a visit.

Valley of Tears ( out of 5) (Documentary / Dir: Hart Perry / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - Enlightening doco about a huge Onion Workers' strike in mid-70s Texas. Full of the kind of sorry history that you wish had never happened, but since it did let's hear the story!

You'll Never Wiez in this Town Again ( out of 5) (Comedy / Dir: Pauly Shore / Release Date: TBD / Rating TBD / Distributor TBD) - I can't believe I'm actually saying this about a Pauly Shore movie, but this flick had me laughing my ass off. Part broad farce, part winking satire on the sad nature of 'has-been-ism', Shore's flick pokes fun at everyone who's enjoyed precisely 15 minutes of fame before being relegated to the Imbecile Rack. Check out IMDb for the massive list of cameo appearances; most of 'em prove damn funny indeed.
---

Whew! OK, that's all I got for now. Here's where that favor comes in:

Clearly anyone visiting this thread regularly has an eye out for the smaller flicks. Take a look at the schedule for next week's Philadelphia Film Festival and tell me which movies you think I should see.

http://www.phillyfests.com/pff/templ...ha_listing.cfm

There are a few there I've already seen, and a few others I'm definitely seeing (The Secret Lives of Dentists, Confidence, 800 Bullets, The Good Thief, The Magdalene Sisters), plus (oddly enough) there are two upcoming DTV titles that will be premiering: Beyond Re-Animator and Mimic: Sentinel...and you KNOW I'm gonna see those two!

Your assistance is much appreciated. I figure if one or two of these titles rings a bell with you guys (and you've heard good things) that helps make my scheduling a lot easier.

Bye for now.

Whoa, that is a big list Scott. After a quick scan make sure that you see Spellbound, a documentary following some of the contestants and their parents as they prepare for a spelling bee.

Very funny—it was one of the nominations for best documentary in this year’s Oscars and would have been my pick (a better documentary than Moore’s very fine film, IMO).

By the way Scott, I think that you are in major danger of moving from ‘erudite cinephile’ to ‘obnoxious cineaste’.

What I say obnoxious?

Nothing at all Scott. It was a joke, because (protestations aside) you were already an erudite cinephile: ‘erudite’ because of your clear writing skills and obvious educational background and ‘cinephile’ since you are a ‘lover of cinema’.

Now with your massive (and growing) list of indy films, you will be in a position to expound at boring length on the symbolism of the (an example) picture on the desk as the camera lingers over it in several disconnected scenes.

As with most jokes, it does not seem so funny when its explained. I’ll delete the text if you prefer.

Delete nothing! I just thought maybe I said something unintentionally smug or stupid!

And I'd never expound on symbolism or metaphor. Sure I could, but those are the critics I hate!

My point and the crucial difference between ‘cinephile’ and ‘cineste’.

I’m ok with that kind of discussion by a film historian or professor in a DVD commentary, but otherwise. I mean we all leaned to do this kind of thing in a comparative lit class somewhere along the line. I’d only trot that kind of thing out, if someone were really missing the pont.

I would just like to say, as the guy who maintains the index, that I'm hating Scott right about now.

I’m just jealous of all the film festivals Scott is attending.

So would you classify Scott's reviews as "micro" or "mini"?

M.

Nowhere In Africa

One of the things I like about Nowhere In Africa is that it's a family movie. Not in the obnoxious "written down to kids with some double-entendres thrown in" way, but a quality film about a family that can appeal to audiences of all ages.

(Of course, if its US distributor had submitted it to MPAA/CARA, it would have gotten an R for some nudity and two love scenes. It got the equivelent of a PG in Germany, and I figure any American kid willing to watch a 140-minute movie with subtitles can probably handle it.)

It starts out like an old Disney "wilderness adventure" movie - a city-dwelling family must, due to circumstance, move to a farm and begin a new life. For the daughter, it will be an exciting adventure; the mother become less a spoiled person of privelege; the father must change as well. But it's more mature than that: Though Walter and Jettel love each other, the move to Kenya tests their love, and the adjustment causes them to grow apart in some ways.

Also, the specter of the Holocaust casts a shadow over everything. Not too dark of one - the story is mostly told from the point of view of young Regina, who is about 6 when the movie starts and about 15 when it ends, and never encounters the situation directly. There's not exactly darkness to this movie, but there is sadness to temper the adventurous aspects.

Writer/director Caroline Link has a sure hand; not only is this is a longish movie at two hours and twenty leisurely minutes, it is rather episodic, and could potentially be a drag. Fortunately, it doesn't, and it also gives a good feeling of time passing, with only one big, obvious jump when they switch actresses for Regina. The acting is good all around, and Karoline Eckertz and Lea Kurka are very believable playing the same character as a small child and a young teenager (which is tricky; rent An American Rhapsody to see it the disconnect hurt an otherwise good movie). And the cinematography is beautiful.

This movie is getting a bump in visibility here because of the Oscar win, and it's deserved. Well worth your time to see.

½

Mostly mini, since "micro" usually means one sentence, and the majority are two sentences long. But they really skirt the border.

Actually, it could be worse - they're all in one post, so I can just create the one "Mini-Review by Scott Weinberg (#101)" and copy and paste. A lot.

Shanghai Ghetto - With Holocaust films being in vogue these past few years I’m really interested in seeing new angles. The Pianist was able to do that and so is this documentary.

Simply presenting this part of history make this film worth seeing for anyone interested in the subject. I had no idea that some Jews were able to survive the war by fleeing to Shanghai. The material is presented in an interesting manner. The best part is everything seems to be tied to the personal accounts of the survivors. The back story of how horrible life was for them in Germany, which we’ve all heard before, serves to put in perspective their live in Asia. I was also struck by how candid the interviewees discussed their views and feelings.

Overall a moving and interesting film.


The Guys – This is a filmed stage play of a writer (Sigourney Weaver) helping a fire captain (Anthony LaPaglia) write 4 eulogies for his fallen men. This never really overcomes the limitations of the stage. The dialogue, while interesting, doesn’t have a natural feel to it and loses some emotional impact. It seems to rely on the impact of the actual event to carry the film. LaPaglia, who it is always nice to see, and Weaver are good. This is a must since they have 99% of the dialogue.

This is not the film for everyone. The one room, two people talking (shades of My Dinner with Andre) will bore some people. The screening I was at had 5-10 walkouts. I did enjoy the film while I was watching it. Yet it has a "film of the moment" feel to it that doesn’t provide any deep meaning, like Andre, that will linger with me for a long while.

I concur with the raves for "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not", which played at the Hawaii International Film Festival last year.

Open Hearts -

What a fabulous film! The Dogme "principals" of filmmaking helped showcase the raw, honest emotions on display. While the viewer may not condone some of the character's reactions, we fully empathize with the confusion and despair which lead to them. There are no "villains", just flawed human beings trying to cope with life circumstances the best they can. The emotions ring so true, from the effects of guilt to the self-pity and bitter anger of a life turned upside down. All is not hopeless despair, however, as the film is infused with the dark humor which arises from the human spirit's quest for hope.

I did find the use of music over the credits and through a character's headphones surprising, as it doesn't seem to follow the Dogme "rules". (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being shot)

I enjoyed and admired this film more than "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" or "City of God".

Okay, taking a cue from fellow-2003-Film-List participant Scott Weinberg, I figured I'd chime in to this thread as well since I've seen a good number of already-released and yet-to-be-released titles that qualify. This might be a little long, so bear with me (or don't, doesn't matter to me )...

(All ratings out of **** stars)

Amen: Costa-Gravas directed drama about a Nazi Lieutenant who begins secretly attempting to save Jews once he learns about the onset of the genocide. I was consistently involved, but the whole thing is pretty by-the-books as far as politically-centered Holocaust dramas go.
**½

Angela: I'm sure there'll be a lot of people who couldn't give a crap about this slight, meandering Mafioso pic, if one can even include such a spare distillation of that genre as a part of it. Even during the screening I saw there were a number of walk-outs. It never bored me though, and I thought it afforded a nice opportunity to view mob goings-on from a different angle. Think of it as a movie that shows what Kay Adams might have done with her day after the door closed on her at the end of The Godfather. Nice cinematography, and nice use of sounds and music. What can I say? -- me liked. Recommended only for the adventurous moviegoer though; BE WARNED, lots of shots of title character walking around in the rain with nothing much to do.
*** (Has a distributor; no release date set)

Autumn Spring: Funny little morbid geriatric dramedy. Lotta wit, good acting. Recommended.
*** (Opens July 11th, NY)

Avalon: Stupid-ass Japanese manga-turned-live-action. Okay, so there's a couple of nice shots, but the thing doesn't make a lick of friggin' sense. And it's poorly edited and acted tuboot.
** (Has a distributor; no release date set)
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Blue Car: Would be a mild non-recommendation based on the progression of the rather rote story, but the solid performances won me over. Definitely coulda done without the little Lily character though; one of those annoying precocious little kids whose overwrought depression and existentialist pontificating grew weary fast.
*** (Opens April 25th, Limited)

The Boys of 2nd Street Park: Post-Dogtown documentary that feels like what that film would've been had the skateboarding been excised and the focused shifted to a portrait of a group of guys that didn't skate "back then". Or do much of anything except for drugs and adultery and stuff. Right. Like most nostalgia documentaries about fellow human beings that've been through a lot in life, it grows on ya, but it's nothing to write home about as they say.
**½ (Bought by Showtime; should show later this year on the channel)
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Chihwaseon: A minor film, but one that I really kinda sunk into as it wore on. Great photography, terrific natural atmosphere really helped in forming a serviceable portrait of an artist whose inspiration arises from the world. Grows a little tiresome and repetitive, but I'd still recommend it to people who like art and the process of its creation.
***

City of God: I figured people would really love this one. I liked the cinematography and the entertaining (though definitely sadistic) shotgun storytelling, but, I mean, is there really anything beyond that here? Nothing changes, kids get killed for entertainment, wee-hee. Way too long also. Like I said though, if you can get over the fact that there's not really much of any humanity or point here whatsoever (which I can), then there's some entertainment value to be had.
***

Confidence: Third-rate group heist flick bereft of a single iota of charisma; lacks the smarts of a Mamet or the suavity of a Soderbergh (two directors palely imitated here). Also remains a cipher on the tonal front as it's never very funny (Giamatti tries his best, but the script is mostly awful) or never really intense/edgy. Utterly moronic third act during which, I might add, about halfway through, I wanted to walk up a few isles and strangle Ed Burns for agreeing to record so much wankish voice-over. Not much to say about this one ... if you've seen any heist movie, you've probably seen something better than this.
** (Opens April 25th, Limited)

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door: Okay, who in the hell gave these damn anime creators the license to completely ignore story cohesion? Such vivid, striking animation -- the sense of movement is particularly stunning -- in service to completely arbitrary and utterly weak plot. The breezy, pointless montages are grating, the cheesy pop songs almost unbearable. Pretty stupid for the most part, though there are a couple of fairly involving action scenes. (I find myself repeatedly spewing nearly the exact same criticism of almost every anime of late with the exception of Miyazaki, so either they do something about it or I'm just gonna be a curmudgeon and give the hell up.)
** (Opens April 4th, Limited)

The Cuckoo: Riveting, nearly dialogue-free first half is dampened by a more lackadaisical, talky second and a climax that seems somewhat out of place, but I was never bored and usually involved. It's nothing special as a sociopolitical item (the divisional markers here, mostly of the miscommunication variety, are routine: soldiers wearing enemy uniforms; people speaking to each other in tongues only the speaker can understand) but the general absurdism on display makes it really watchable and often times damn funny.
*** (Opens June 27th, NY/LA)
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Dirty Pretty Things: This was a festival favorite that I [unsurprisingly] disliked. Supposedly about an illegal organ-selling ring operating out of a hotel, but there's so much bunk and filler in the plot that the synopsis only becomes relevant during the last fifteen minutes or so. There's also some stuff with a miscast Audrey Tautou as a Turkish immigrant suffering from the hardships of living a life on borrowed time and blah blah blah. Bad script makes it all worthless.
** (Opens August 1st, NY/LA)

Divine Intervention: You know those things called Piñatas that just kind of hang there for a while and are neat to look at but you kinda want to hurry up and get to what's inside? Then they get whacked to shit and explode in a beautiful mess that's definitely more interesting but also, you know, in complete chaos and strewn all over the place? Yeah, this is kind of like that.
***

Don't Tempt Me (aka No News From God): A who's-who of contemporary Spanish actors in a fun metaphysical comedy. The definition of guilty pleasure.
*** (Has a distributor; no release date yet)

Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary: Guy Maddin directed this 73-minute mostly silent screen-adaptation of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's program of the same name (accompanied by music from Mahler's symphonies), and it's my pick for current best film of the year. If it sounds at first a little too arty or self-conscious, there's nothing to fear: I think it's almost impossible for any film fan who has an interest in either classic film or experimental film (or both) not to love this. Basically, if you've ever been enamored by a silent films' capacity to bowl you over on the mere combination of gestures and music and the unique aesthetic of a movie that's been worn down by spinning through countless projectors, this tribute is a perfect representation. And Maddin's ever-present updating through transcendent moments of sound or sparse, expressionistic color or dry, gaudy humor only add to the appeal. Don't be tricked into thinking this is something only for those with experimental tastes: this should be right down the alley of anyone who loves film. Fantastic stuff.
**** (Opens May 16th, NY)
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The Eye: A Hong-Kong ghost movie that's been kind of falling in-and-out of my favor. There are some things I love, and others that I think are dumb and unnecessary. If you like horror movies though, you could do worse.
**½ (Opens June 6th, NY/LA)
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Gerry: Completely lived up to my expectations -- see it any way you can. Can't believe people are saying that nothing happens in this movie; everything happens in this movie. Particularly loved the pacing of tone, with the hilarious first half juxtaposed against the eerie, mostly silent shuffling dirge of the latter. The films very first line, upon utterance an incomplete sentence, seems like the most complete, telling one in the entire film once it reaches its ironic end: "The trail, Gerry."
****

The Good Thief: Certainly has style in abundance, and Nick Nolte is fantastic here, but the whole heist aspect didn't get me goin' like I felt it should've. Maybe an overload of "lets craft an airtight plan to steal lots of this expensive [insert item here] only to watch the plan fall to shit" movies? Guess it's worth seeing for the alternately sexy/contemptuous relationship between Nolte and Nino Kukhanidze, though.
**½ (Opens April 2nd, Limited)
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Hero: A more vibrant, but more stoic, less involving version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that nonetheless has its own advantages. Call it the continued artification of an already arty martial arts movie. The acting is all very good (except for maybe Ziyi Zhang who hasn't convinced me yet that she can play anything but a pouty love interest in Chinese period movies ... but yeah, she's pretty good at that) and there are a handful of truly spectacular (anti?)action scenes, but the final act goes on way too long for me to call this anything more than really good. I'd say that about least 75% of it plays out in slow-motion (and about 50% of that is in the last act), which might seem like a plus, but trust me buds, it isn't.
***½ (Opens November, Limited)
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Irreversible: I'm one of those that thinks there's more going on here than mere exploitation. There are too many Kubrickian elements of structure relating to cosmic universals (Man from Savage to Enlightened? from Chaos to Civilization?) for me to walk down that path. Oh, and there's no denying that it's also as exhilarating as any movie watching experience you've ever had, whether it, err, exhilarated you good or exhilarated you bad. C'mon, admit it.
****
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Leo: If Sam Mendes and Billy Bob Thornton had sex (stay with me), then one of them got pregnant somehow and birthed a few movie-reels instead of a child, this is what would be on those movie reels, more or less. Sorry, I can't really explain it further, except maybe to say it's a psuedo-art film about a slightly-retarded guy who once murdered a person out of compassion for another, was imprisoned, and, well, he's out now and Gollee-gee, he might just do it again, he reckons!
**½ (Has a distributor; no release date yet)

Light of My Eyes: A nice fusion of science-fiction lore with a modern-day love story. Melancholy and poetic, but a tad pretentious at times. Starts to go off the deep-end near the conclusion, but wasn't enough for me to dislike it. Really aided by a perfect, simple score.
*** (Has a distributor; to be released on DVD in April; dunno about a possible theatrical release)

Lilya 4-Ever: I fully expect this movie to be included in many-a-cinephile's suicide letter as a culprit that worked towards pushing them over the edge. So bleak and morbid it's flabbergasting to think this is the Moodysson that directed the adorable Fucking Amal and the reaffirming Together, both of which include melancholy stretches but are at least balanced by some measure of hope. Lilya is exceedingly well-made and acted (Oksana Akinshina's lead performance is amazing), but offers no respite, starting like a pain-capsule you're forced to swallow only to dilute the nerves before the stool is kicked out from underneath your feet and your lifeless movie-watching body is left dangling from a rough noose. Anyways, see it if you're not feeling depressed.
*** (Opens April 11th, Limited)

Lost in La Mancha: Pretty much so exactly what I expected. Not impressive or distinctive artistically in the least, but if you're a fan of watching the movie-making process, or a fan of Terry Gilliam, it's essentially required viewing.
***
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The Magdalene Sisters: Fantastic opening scenes give way to a prison melodrama so goofy and over-the-top it can't really be taken seriously (though it tries its best to get you to). Its' stabs at Catholicism would've been much more effective if the blade wasn't like seven feet long with a big line of text plastered over the side reading, "Catholicism is the devil." If you're into nun exploitation flicks though, this is the movie for you.
** (Opens July 18th, NY)

The Man Without a Past: Snore...hey, that was kind of funny!....snore....snore....snore.....that made me smile a bit!....snore....snore, et al.
**½ (Opens April 4th, Limited)

Millennium Actress: Now here's a good anime. Though Kon's film deals much with childish innocence, it's actually quite a mature film, and it filters a history of Japanese live-action film through animation as if it'd always existed that way (images like the classic white witch from Kurosawa's Throne of Blood make appearances within new contexts). It's a unique anime in that it doesn't envision a science-fiction world, but instead distant pasts and near-futures. Surprisingly poignant and emotionally affecting as well; really a very nice movie.
*** (Opens Sometime late this year, Limited)

Mondays In the Sun: Lazy and hazy, plotless, meandering, sometimes boring. But hey, it's about unemployment. In this case, it's a matter of the art imitating life. So yeah, it's pretty boring at times, but it looks at an important facet of contemporary life and features good acting. Not that I would really recommend it, though...
**½ (Opens April 18th, NY/LA)
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Open Hearts: Kinda like Breaking the Waves, only not very good: not incredibly affecting, not unique or refreshing, not well-written. So just think Breaking the Waves only not and you're almost there. This one does have some fine performances though.
**½
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People I Know: One of those movies where the director just kinda lets the camera sit there and soak up Al Pacino's ham, this time playing a popular-but-aging publicist. It's unfortunate, then, that Pacino's ham ain't quite as tasty this time as it has been in the past; I'd had enough after his second or third rant. Pacino is really really bad here, worse than I've seen in a long time (leagues below his admirable performance in Insomnia last year). Ending shot seems to wanna act as some kind of summative ribbon, but since there's nothing worth noting to tie together it comes off as incredibly fucking stupid instead.
*½ (Opens April 23rd, Limited)
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Respiro: Thought this beautifully-shot fishing-villiage drama was gonna be something really special for the first fifteen minutes or so, then it goes down a route that I definitely didn't want it to and plain doesn't know how to end, choosing one of those psuedo-allegorical endings that basically translates to Ouch Get This Damn Tack Out Of My Back. I can't say enough about the cinematography though, which isn't especially amazing from a compositional or highly stylized standpoint, but rather from a "I didn't know ocean's and eyeballs could get that freaking blue" standpoint. At its best when said images are paired with unexplained, almost surrealistic activities of the locals.
*** (Opens May 23rd, NY/LA)

Rivers & Tides: Balances a pretty fine line between beautiful art-docu and pretentious art-docu in my opinion, occasionally slipping into that last category for a few minutes. But watching Andy Goldsworthy "work with time", as it says, is fascinating. And watching his sculptures crumble and by nature transform into different works of art is even more fascinating.
**½

Robot Stories: Four short stories about robots and robotic things evolving in contemporary life. I find it hard to dislike this movie even though it doesn't amount to much. The third story is kind of cute and sweet I guess. Hmm. Yeah. Moving along...
**½ (Has a distributor; no release date yet)
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Samsara: Starts off okay as a quiet, meditative look at Tibetan culture, but upon the emergence of the first boner (yeah, I mean erect penis) on-screen, things unravel and get stupid fast. To follow: lots of pretty vistas, lots of searching stares into the sky, lots more Tibetan monks with zipper-tents. I will say this with assurance though: It's by far the best Buddhist soft-core porno I've ever seen or ever hope to see.
**½ (Has a distributor; no release date yet)

The Sea: Family reunion drama that's just too mannered and quirky to be an enjoyable watch, with characters that do drastic things without much motivation. Avoid, unless you have to do a research paper on an Icelandic film or something. I know there aren't many of them.
** (Opens May 23rd, NY/LA)

The Secret Lives of Dentists: I'm not quite as enthusiastic about this, Alan Rudolph's best film by a mile, as some have been, but I still recommend it firmly. Lots of things really work here, including Campbell Scott in another fantastic turn, and his characters' mid-life crisis visualized via a week of horror in the household with the dreaded flu making its way around to all the members (the child actors are all fan-frigging-tastic and convincing). Only a weak ending and kind of cheesy music keep this one from going up a half-grade. Oh, and Denis Leary as Tyler Durden? Naw, doesn't really work, but isn't really awful either.
*** (Has a distributor; no release date yet)

A Soldier's Girl: Competent but drab true story about the relationship between a soldier and a transgendered nightclub dancer that ends, of course, tragically. There are some really strong performances here that lift it outta the Lifetime-Movie-of-the-Week category, but this is mostly routine stuff.
**½ (Bought by Showtime; to show on the channel later this year)

The Son: Not quite as good as the Dardenne's Brothers previous film, Rosetta, so it qualifies as a minor disappointment, but a damn fine film nonetheless. Jean-Pierre and Luc's rigorously claustrophobic atmosphere is fairly similar to their previous film, but this one contains a catharsis at the end in deep contrast to Rosetta's grim abruption. The final shot is stunning in so many ways. One of the best of the year so far.
***½

Spellbound: I guarantee that anyone who says they don't like this movie is either lying or lost a spelling bee at some point and has been scarred in terrible ways that we peasants can only imagine. Not only an insightful and hilarious look at the kids involved in these spelling bee's, but also a sometimes flabbergasting look at their parents and the methods they force upon their children in order for them to succeed (one of whom has an eight step plan for learning words, which he begins to state innocuously only to finish like ten-minutes-and-my-furrowed-brow later). That's not to say this movie is a subversive look at child abuse or anything though. It's mostly innocent fun. Shoulda won Best Documentary, dammit.
***½ (Opens April 30th, NY)

Stevie: The flip-side of Spellbound is this, one of the most depressing documentaries ever made about growing up. The film documents the reunion of filmmaker Steve James to a now-grown and extremely troubled Stevie, to whom he had once served as a Big Brother. The films' best moments are those when Stevie's family or friends offer bits of extraordinary advice or condemnation, like a moment when, referring to a heinous act Stevie has committed, one of his closest friends unexpectedly unleashes a shattering line like (paraphrasing), "If that were my daughter, you'd be dead right now. I would've killed you."
***½

Sweet Sixteen: Gritty kitchen-sink kind of drama that Loach is known for. Nothing fantastic, but see it for the lead performance.
*** (Opens May 16th, NY/LA)
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Ten: Hoo-boy, this one's a-gonna be much-maligned for sure. I found it to be a fascinating and, save for a few dry patches, consistently involving experiment. I know that when I'm watching a Kiarostami, everything's done for a strict purpose, so part of the fun of watching it was deciphering why he's training the camera on the passenger here, and why the driver here. Why is she backing up during this conversation, why stopping here. The inside-the-car idea is an ingenious one for a film dealing with the current state of female freedom in Iran, as it provides one of the few true liberated settings for individuals but also requires a camera that must be locked down in one position. Yeah, lots of interesting contrasts like that here. Didn't expect to like it much (90 minutes inside a car seemed like pushing the envelope a little too far), but it surprised me much.
***½

This Is Not a Love Song: You see, when you're shooting on ugly looking digital video, it's good to have the goal in mind to distract the audience with good acting and a compelling story since, well, you're not gonna impress them with the ugly looking digital video. This Bille Eltringham guy apparently didn't know that. Whoops.
*½ (Has a distributor; no release date yet)

The Tracker: Actually wasn't very fond of this Aussie film immediately after watching it, but it's really grown in my mind since. It's a very, very odd film, and I assume that if there's lots of movies about Tracking people through the outback in the annuls of Australian cinema, this would be a revisionist entry to the genre, much like McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a revisionist western here. And the comparison is apt, since The Tracker actually reminded me a lot of Altman's film, both with their highly abstract way of telling typical stories; anachronistic music; and pessimistic worldviews. I really really really want to see it again. I think there might be a lot to mine from this one.
*** (Has a distributor; no release date yet)

Morvern Callar is a harsh, jarring movie. I attended a screening last night (thanks, Chris Richard) and left feeling as though I’d been through a wringer.

The film is about a young woman (Morven) with no family in a dead end job whose boyfriend kills himself on Christmas Eve. She is so disconnected from this event (and perhaps all reality) that when asked later in the evening where her boyfriend is, she replies, ‘In kitchen’, which is correct as his body is still lying on the floor.

As the film progresses, we come to understand that Morvern has few intellectual or emotional resources on which to draw. She is unable to cope with her boyfriend’s body or even arranging a funeral. She uses money from his account to book a holiday in Spain for her and a friend. Even as they stay in a resort designed solely for European 20-somethings to drink, meet and have sex, she mostly remains as disconnected from this life as she was in Glasgow. She is given a second chance in life, but seems unable to cope with this too, in any meaningful fashion. AT the end of the film we have no reason to believe that things will ever be any better for Morvern.

This film, like so many made recently in the UK has little to like in a conventional sense. The sounds, even of birds singing or young women laughing are jarring. The film has more grain than sand on the beach. The camera movements are jerky and move without apparent plan. The few quiet moments in the film are concerned with decay, the camera closely focused on worms, insects and other symbols of despair. There is little to like about any of the characters in the film, though we often feel a bit sorry for Morvern. She has nothing and even when given something is unable to make anything out of what good comes her way.

Technically, there is no doubt that Lynne Ramsay (who also directed Ratcatcher) has achieved what she set out to accomplish. Whether this intent is worth seeing is another matter altogether. For me, the answer is no.

I’ve now had a few days to consider [I[Morvern Callar[/i] and have to admit that I reacted far too negatively in my initial thoughts.

I still find this a difficult film, but I believe that Ramsey’s achievement is praiseworthy indeed. I find her message most depressing, but she has delivered it very effectively.

Morvern Callar – I caught the preview here last Thursday with a lot of friends. Most didn’t like it. I liked it. This is due to Samantha Morton’s amazing performance and I was interested and engaged with the film the entire way throught.

Many friends hated the film due to Morvern’s actions. I agree she is not a very likable character but I found ways to justify the choice she made. She is not very emotionally stable or did it seen she had a high degree of intellect so this is how she copes when faced with a tragedy that causes her to shut-down. That and maybe she just watched a certain episode from The Sopranos from last season.

The film does not explain everything fully. Much like Taste of Cherry, you are like a voyeur witnessing a couple of hours our of another person’s life. Not everything outside of this time frame is explained. Some of my friends wanted to know, for instance, why did the boyfriend kill himself? While that might have explained things, it would have made a longer and less interesting film.


Spun – Visually interesting, as most films from directors with a music video background are. Not the worst film I’ve seen this year but not very good. It goes on far too long and it only lasts 100 minutes. According to IMDB it is based on three days driving a meth cook around Eugene. This is its most interesting part. The paranoia and uselessness of these people’s lives is well told.

The film loses itself when it tries to become another Requiem for a Dream. Much of the jump cuts, fast motion, and close-up when people were snorting up seemed a direct copy with nothing insightful added.

It has been a few weeks now since I have seen Phillip Noyce’s The Quiet American but just haven’t posted my thoughts. I found the film to work more at the informative and intellectual level rather than as an effective, emotional and powerful piece.

In my view, Noyce’s Rabbit Proof Fence achieves a delicate balance to be both and is a more compelling human interest story.

The film is well acted by both Michael Caine and Brendan Frasier with some very effective visual rendering to transport the audience to a different time and place much like that in Fence.

~Edwin

Stone Reader

In the film Mark Moskowitz is told "You're way past an ideal reader." How true.

Moskowitz's film is about his journey to search for Dow Mossman, the author of a little known or read book The Stones of Summer. The movie is about Moskowitz attempting to find Mossman. When a clue pops up, the anticipation for it leading to Mossman is great. It is also about the love for reading and writing. On his way to finding Mossman, Moskowitz has many conversations with those in the literary circle; it's fascinating. Moskowitz's enthusiasm for The Stones of Summer is so great that I believe every audience member who sees this movie will want to read the book (the film tells us at the end that the book is still out of print). The search for Mossman is still amazing, but as the film progresses, it becomes more and more an appreciation for what one person truly loves. The trailer had a tagline that proclaimed Stone Reader is for "anyone who ever loved a book." True, but I think it's also for anyone who ever loved anything. I loved Stone Reader.

Bend It Like Beckham

I can't in good conscience give more to a movie which while charming, is so utterly cliche and predictable. Why has this received so much acclaim? I usually dislike the critics love foreign movies theory, but in this case it seems to be true: Make this about basketball, set it in the US, and you have the next film enthusiast/critic whipping boy, the quintessential formulaic Hollywood crap that we hate so much.

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Holadem