Act of Valor

The men who serve in the Navy SEALs are true American heroes. The same as the firefighters who ran into the burning towers on 9/11 or dedicated inner city schoolteacher who spend their own salary on materials for the kids. SEALs train for years and risk their lives to become the tip of America's spear. Have no mistake, we want them on that wall. It's certainly no deficiency of theirs that none of that rigorous training is focused on cinematic acting. As such it seems wrong to criticize their performance in a motion picture. I've seen better, but I've also seen far worse actors onscreen than the ruggedly handsome men of Act of Valor who perfectly channel the blank emoting skills of Keanu Reeves.
Anything negative to follow is squarely directed at the rest the folks involved in Act of Valor who decided that the way to give their straight to video script a marketing boost was cast active duty military members. Not to mention the decision open with a five minute explanation where the directors speak straight to the camera to set the expectation that if you don't love the film then you clearly hate America. Seriously. Though I could be paraphrasing. On the plus side the picture has at least one standout action sequence and a persistent yet implicit message that Bill Murray may be the America's secret weapon in the war on terror. So it ain't all bad.

Act of Valor would just be a stock action film with strong technical production and a single stand-out sequence if it wasn't for the halo effect of true soldiers being cast in the key roles. In the end these soldiers are a reason to make a donation to a worthy veterans group, not a reason to see this movie. Certainly stronger than that SEALs film with Charlie Sheen it's unlikely to persist in most viewers memory much beyond screening it. Except perhaps in the eyes of potential recruits, which is what I'd imagine the military is betting on with their significant investment in the production. Make your own choice about heading out to see Act of Valor, just please make an informed one. That's what American freedom is all about.

The full review with more details on why I felt the way I did, along with some questionable theories about the film can be read over at Three Imaginary Girls. 

The NY Times has an interesting story about the film and the use of active duty military members as key parts of the production.

Tumbleweed!

SXSW is approaching fast. While there's always a ton of attention paid to the narrative and documentary features some of the best bets at SXSW are actually the shorts programs. Due to outreach by the filmmakers I've had a chance to get a sneak peak at a few of the short film offerings. Some weren't quite to my taste - even if they were super memorable. For example, I don't believe I ever would have expected to describe a film to a friend as the "one with singing, costumed vaginas" (available online and pretty damn unsafe for work). Maybe I'm sheltered. In my defense I feel I could see that particular concept working, it's just this particular one didn't make me swoon. Anyways ... I'm sure each of the things I've seen has an audience somewhere, in keeping with one interpretation of the the thousand monkeys, a thousand years theorem. But until Friday night I hadn't found one that just floored me.

Friday is when I was contacted by Jared Varava the director of a little short called Tumbleweed! which was a dead on match for my own peculiar tastes. First off it's a film titled with an exclamation point - which regular readers may remember I have a soft spot for. That had me watching with higher than usual expectations. Could've gone badly but I'm super glad I checked it out, because it totally made my night.

Described simply as "The true and historically accurate tale of one tumbleweed that did not tumble," I'm confident it's going to be a high point in the Texas Short Competition at SXSW. I fully loved it. Funny and beautiful is pretty rare - but Tumbleweed! nailed it.

I laughed out loud. Only to be hooked at the end by its subtle meditation on individualism and optimism of the explorer mindset. Take that last part as ironic if one chooses - the film still works, but for once I decided not too. With a seamless vintage look Tumbleweed! (as promised) tells the entirely (perhaps not) historically accurate history of the discoverer of the tumbleweed and one of the species' dissidents. It's a tight seven minutes that I'm hoping will make it's way to a screening opportunity near you sooner rather than later. Seriously, how can one not be smitten by a film that while describing the definition of the tumbleweed genus remarks that a key feature is the tumbling? And as such "a tumbleweed that does not tumble is merely a weed. And as everyone knows the weed is the most despicable of all the good lord's vegetation." Given that it's no surprise that the single tumbleweed that is still has drawn the ire of the tumbleweed community.

The closest (and it's not really that close) thing to compare it to is the excellent short film by Ramin Bahrani about a plastic bag that's narrated by Werner Herzog. My only regret is that I don't have a clip to share at present. Jared related the difficulties in cutting a trailer for a 7 minute short, and I think that's a fair point. Please just trust me and checkout this film if you're at SXSW. Everyone else - I promise to post an update if and when the film makes it's way onto a more accessible platform. In the meantime you can watch some of the other films from the talented Varava brothers on their site. Bicentennial Curious is looking rather promising so far.

Local Seattle Kickstarter Documentary Project

If you're into independent film (or a lot of other things) the rise of Kickstarter and Indiegogo as mechanisms to fund creative enterprises via crowdsourcing has been hard to miss. If you're not familiar the approach is pretty straightforward. Those looking for funding from the universe document their idea, what the money will be used for and specify some thank-you perks (think public television donation gifts). It's an increasingly important way for artists to connect with fans and let the audience vote with their dollars. I haven't been super active in the process - with the notable exception of supporting My Sucky Teen Romance last year. There it was simple self-interest. I wanted to increase the chances I could view the final version at SXSW last year.

The other day I got a note from Cassidy Dimon the producer of a local documentary that's working through the Kickstarter process. I gave a few bucks and decided to post the details here. Truth be told I know little about those involved beyond the nice overview on their Kickstarter page. Except perhaps for a bit of additional detail shared by Cassidy when I asked about the folks behind the film (and featured in the video) who form 2/3 of the Common Language Project. After watching the overview of the story they're interested in telling (in which they still lthankfully left a lot to the imagination) I was intrigued enough to say to myself "I think I'd like to see that story told onscreen." Which is to me the whole point of these Kickstarter efforts - to connect to a potential audience and enlist them in the effort. Only time will tell if the bet paid off. But if you value interesting documentaries and a DYI spirit it's worth checking out their page to see if it appeals to you. At least half of a great documentary is unique access to an interesting subject. My bet is that Barzan has that - here's hoping the team can deliver the full package with a little bit of help.

A more detailed press release follows the video after the jump.

Italy - Love It Or Leave It

The SXSW film festival doesn't begin until March 9th. So it was very cool to watch Italy - Love It Or Leave It this weekend, a documentary making its US premiere at SXSW 2012. This feat of time travel was made possible by the generosity of the directors/stars of the picture who provided me an early peek. So first off I need to say thank you for that.

Italy - Love It or Leave It is a bright looking travelogue that's equal parts funny and sad and follows along as directors Luca Ragazzi and Gustav Hofer criss-cross Italy by road. They're a handsome and often adorable couple in the process of an extended debate over leaving Italy for more hospitable climates. Or at least the cheaper rents of Berlin. They seem to agree on the downsides of Berlusconi's Italy but not on the key question of should they stay or should they go. Their argument travels with them as they motor across the nation in a collection of vintage Fiats. 

The film begins as the pair are packing up their Rome apartment. It's a crossroads for them as Gustav argues in favor of a move to Berlin where rents are 1/3 the price of Rome. Many of their friends have already left for parts far and wide. Luca convinces Gustav to give him one last shot to convince him of the values of Italy via a six month tour. Piling into a small vintage car they head out to reacquaint themselves with what makes Italy great. Stops include a Fiat factory (where we learn Europe doesn't have perfect working conditions for everyone), the shuttered manufacturing plant for a famous coffee pot maker (since relocated to Romania), mafia controlled towns, illegal toxic waste dumps, corrupt and unfinished major construction projects, and George Clooney's house. Not the easiest sell to Gustav it turns out. Due to the cinematography and Italy's raw beauty the ugliness of the stories are contrasted powerfully by the travelogue's visual appeal. Even as we learn that should Clooney venture into the lake his famous retreat looks out upon he'd literally be swimming in the shit of the Italian people.

The message that's hard not to take away from the presentation style is that on the surface everything looks gorgeous in Italy. But there's a rot underway making its way through the nation's core. Shot in the waning days of the Burlusconi administration there's are both political and cultural concerns being aired throughout the film. Folks trying to make a difference are well highlighted at each stop, and on a few occasions the pair get out of the car to argue/speak with some rather colorful characters. In the course of the film a lot of ground is covered educationally speaking about Italy. Its politics, high unemployment, the casual corruption that results in project after project laying uncompleted in the South - just to name a few. Not to mention a fascinating bit about how the Italian media has way better more sexist television programming than the US. Kidding aside it is quite stunning.

Imagery is bright and colorful and mixes present day Italy with archival footage. Around midway through I began to wonder if they'd be able to pull it all together into a compelling narrative. Or if the pair will just spend 75 minutes crapping on Italy. I'm still not 100% sure there is a linear narrative arc at work, though the ride was interesting enough for me not to greatly care.

Luca speaks consistently about his goal to convince Gustav about the good of Italy. But you've got to wonder at points how Luca manages to convince himself. That last thought spent a lot of time competing in my head with a related question - Could you make this movie anywhere about any country? Most countries are far from the perfection pictured by nationalist cheerleaders. A day after seeing the film though I began to realize this broad a universality to Luca and Gustav's challenge. Struggle between things the they love and the things they hate about their nation and how to deal may be more familiar than it seemed at first blush. The fact that some people here could talk of a Sarah Palin or Gingrich presidency without laughter is enough to make me stop and contemplate similar what-ifs as well.  

Anyways...

If you're gonna be at SXSW I'd encourage seeing if you can fit in Italy - Love It Or Leave It. In a fest biased towards American indies some international flavor is good for the soul. It's near impossible to not enjoy the protagonists and their unique spin on the travel documentary mashed up with their take on the Italian dream. A lot of the problems uncovered by the pair are familiar to those paying attention to the world economy the last decade or so. But it's still a very engaging way to spend 75 minutes. Got to assume the post-film Q&A will be great as well.

Safe House

Safe House is the film equivalent of a beer soaked 20th anniversary high school reunion. In that everything feels comfortingly familiar, you're pretty sure who will turn out to be a jerk, and when you wake up the next morning you'll realize nothing was as deep or as good looking as it felt at the time. You're not upset you went, but it still feels like the evening could have been so much better. Leaving you only secure in the belief that Denzel Washington still rocks. That last part may not apply to your high school reunion of course.

Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is the keeper of a CIA safe house in Johannesburg. It's not an enviable post and he wiles away his time bouncing a ball against the wall and trying to get transferred to Paris. In the meantime he courts the woman he truly loves, even though that love results in him constantly lying to her. At the same time Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) is in town acting smooth and making a deal to buy some intel on the black market. Before long all hell has broken loose and he's on the run from a well armed group of badasses. Cornered, his only choice leads him straight into the arms of the US government. When they realize an infamous traitor/rogue operative has just wandered into the embassy he's scooted over to Weston's facility. Where more hell breaks loose leaving the future of jaded superspy Frost and idealistic Weston intertwined. Don't worry, this isn't Fled, at least they're not handcuffed together. Nonetheless, there's still a lot that's going to seem familiar at work here.

What happens next is the sort of treatment of espionage and government tomfoolery as moral gray area we've come to expect in spy films. Along with some solid action shot with purposeful grainy camera work, and some spectacularly obvious plot twists. Overall it held my interest most of the way through. The "gee, I knew that's where things were going," aspect is the largest negative. On the more positive side I'd by lying if I claimed at least some of the action didn't accelerate my heart rate. Until the finale that made it possible to settle in and enjoy without fixating on what a disservice the plot was to Washington and Reynolds. Who each do a more than reasonable job embracing the physicality of it the fight scenes.

Given all that I'd mildly recommend Safe House while suggesting folks keep their expectations in check. It's not a bad night out. Just won't leave you clamoring for the teased sequel. At least for me, sometimes a popcorn movie is enough. Though if you really want to try something a bit more original it's worth noting the Academy Award Nominated Shorts (animated and live action) arrive at the Varsity Theater this weekend as well.