Whip It

Whip It is a perfectly enjoyable movie. A teenage girl living with her generally positive if imperfect parents in small town Texas is looking to find her niche. While she has a best friend, a job at a local diner she's clearly not fully at peace with her lot in life. She finds empowerment through roller derby where aggressive yet generally friendly overly tattooed women teach her the value of believing in yourself and knocking your buddies on their ass while skating around a banked track. What's not to like?

Truth be told I didn't love this film the way I was hoping to. Everyone was fine, and I thought the direction of Drew Barrymore was pretty solid (the first person shots of the skating worked well for me inter cut with the more traditional views). I think it's that while all the characters were solid, not many of them really popped for me. Though I did enjoy the role Barrymore gave herself of the slightly crazy Whole Foods employee (Smashley Simpson) who seemed to equally enjoy punching someone and getting hit in the face herself. Ellen Page's character took a long time to connect with for me, with the exception of one pool scene and its aftermath I never felt emotionally tied in. Though as with all the derby players gotta love her stage name - Babe Ruthless. There were other positives as well - the fact that they take the time to not treat the key characters as one-dimensional caricatures is definitely another plus. Taken as a whole while not for me a "great" film I definitely enjoyed the trip to the movies last night - and sometimes that's more than enough.

Screening Notes: I saw the film in less than ideal conditions with a bunch of college kids behind me who in the lead up to the film conducted a conversation longer on the merits of ketchup than I would have thought possible and then managed to continue chatting through much of the picture. The sound levels at the Uptown also felt way lower than appropriate for this film and I was occasionally grasping to understand the dialog. So it's possible my enjoyment of the film suffered as a result. Though the larger, sadder issue is that there's a second free screening (I chose the first of two) where it appears the Rat City Roller Girls will be attending, and then partying together afterwards. Now that's gotta be the way to see this flick - based on my viewing of the documentary Blood on the Flat Track: The Rise of the Rat City Roller Girls at SIFF a couple of years ago. Probably too much to dream of a double feature of Whip It and that documentary ...

More VIFF Info

If you're looking for more coverage of VIFF - either because you're planning on attending or just feel like torturing yourself - I submit for your consideration Row Three. Whereas I may not fully agree that the third row is the best seat in the house I would say they have some pretty comprehensive coverage. Their main coverage link has a good number of reviews already in place and they seem to be adding to it.

Starting to look forward to my mini festival this Sat/Sun in Vancouver. I've already selected my tix. But if folks are attending would love to hear what you're looking forward to on opening weekend.

Surrogates

I can't help but wondering if the genesis of the idea of 'Surrogates' came about with a bunch of writers brainstorming. 'Hey Michael, bet you can't write something where Bruce Willis wears an obvious hair piece AND it makes perfect sense as being centrally involved with the universe of the story.' Only to have added to it 'oh yeah, and make sure there are robots and a role for that creepy guy from Babe.' From that challenges arises a new Sci Fi flick that is better than I expected from the trailers but doesn't rise to greatness. Overall sort of a B I guess (yes, I'm experimenting with thinking about letter grades for some reason).

The universe of the film is as follows. Roughly 14 years before it starts technology is invented that allows people to control things remotely via their minds. What starts as devices for the military and the disabled gets driven down in price enough for regular folk. Next thing you know everyone has their own robot persona that they control from their apartment to experience the world without risk of death, dismemberment or bad hair days. The film of course explores and uses as a device the various ways folks reshape their public personalities to differ from their physical selves (giving new meaning to the whole on the Internet no one knows you're a dog thing). The more unbelievable aspect of the story, that cellular/wireless companies actually produce a working network without dead spots to control your avatar is sadly left unaddressed.

Bruce Willis, first seen as his "surrogate" (with the aforementioned hair) works as an FBI agent called in when a surrogate and its "operator" is found dead. Normally attacking the surrogate causes no physical damage to the owner, so this is a startling (and of course hushed up discovery). Before we know it Willis is speaking with folks as different as the inventors of the technology, "pro-human" anti-surrogate resisters and running around without the protection of his surrogate. This is a guy clearly ready to embrace change.

The film does the job of good sci-fi to bring up interesting questions and has at least a moderately complex story line. You can certainly hold your own little ethics of the future discussion around whether this is a good idea for the the evolution of technology or not after the film. It's always fun to make declarative statements of your intent to never use a technology that doesn't exist and likely won't anytime soon. The movie (at least for me ) was interesting if not enthralling to watch. Definitely better than what I'd have expected if I'd heard Will Smith (instead of Willis) + Robots. I wouldn't say to go for the action, though that's not horrible either. I'm not disappointed to have gone, but I can't say you're going to be super depressed if you miss it.

The Boys Are Back

Clive Owen appears in this film about learning lessons about yourself and child rearing in a based on a true story undertaking. At the start of things he's living what looks like a postcard existence in Australia working as a sports writer with a beautiful wife who he loves deeply cares for their adorable son. Once you see how lovely their home is, how good their friends are, etc. it's clear this will not last. His wife dies suddenly and he quickly faces the combined challenges of his grief and the demands of being a single father with a job requiring time away from home. Turns out he also has an older son from a previous marriage who lives in England and who's been an infrequent visitor. Not that long after the tragedy the other son (around 15 I think) moves in with them for a bit and the three males seek to find an equilibrium between each other and their individual pain. All are dealing with grief of slightly differing sorts - either the loss of their mother, wife, and father (as the older son has been a bit of a stranger to his). As is clear from the trailer there are ups and downs and everyone learns something.

This isn't the sort of film I'd normally run out to see. But SIFF held a preview screening of it as a fund-raising benefit so I decided to try it largely to be supportive. It's not entirely the tearjerker I thought it would be though unavoidably there's some of that. Just not the personal waterworks for me as in the case of Hachi. Not sure what that says about me - but won't dwell on that for now.

The performances are all good. Personally I tend to like Clive Owen - so I think that helped things. The cinematography is great - whether the sweeping views of Australia or the inside shots of their home clearly conveying the mental state of the inhabitants. Nothing to point to "wrong" with this film. But I have to put it in the 'OK but not great' category (is that a B- ?). Just never got me emotionally involved enough to really love it. And thinking on it, that's about all I have to say about that.

Jennifer's Body

Wow - I'm really running behind quite a bit. Saw Jennifer's Body last Sunday or so and just wasn't in the mood to write I guess. Or work was kicking my ass - or perhaps both.

Right, the movie...

I really had my hopes up for this film even though the reviews were pretty 'eh' overall. Clever dialogue, some horror (campy I hoped) and nice looking young folk. What could be wrong with that? This year I'm starting to realize that this sort of genre stuff, well done can really work for me. Even without vampires. Recent examples such as Sexykiller, ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction, and I Sell the Dead come to mind. Unfortunately, the film at issue didn't deliver for me. It has some clever dialog, and (I presume on purpose) campy acting but it just really didn't stick with me much beyond the theater.

The setup is pretty straightforward. Megan Fox plays Jennifer of the title. She's the hot girl in school adrift in the small town (something with Hell in the title - not Hell's Bell's but something equally subtle). Amanda Seyfried plays her best friend "Needy" (and you thought your parents naming you anything short of Lester was wrong...) the brains of the outfit, and the one with the steady boyfriend. Jennifer drags Needy out to see an indy band at the local bar. She ends up kidnapped, sacrificed to the devil and back in high school as a flesh eating vampire type thing. Turns out virgin sacrifice is supposed to involve a virgin for a reason.

OK, so now Jennifer is back and eating boys (literally) for sport. That's fine, except apparently every in town is exceedingly stupid, and to paraphrase the film's tag line - not just horror movie stupid. I mean running into an empty deserted area vs. calling the police and locking the door, asking the guy with the hood and mask on for directions - you can suspend disbelief about those sort of things in a film. But your friend takes off with a band who just seemingly burned down a bar full or people, then appears at your house covered in blood, pukes black stuff and disappears, only to show up at school the next day looking great? That seems like the sort of thing that even movie people should have a hard time accepting, regardless how many episodes of Buffy you've seen in your life.

Anyway - to recap. Objection number 1 - wasn't really that excited by the storyline/characters. Issue 2 - everyone is oblivious to their surroundings (and or overly accepting) to the point of brain damage. Nothing horrible, just not as engaging as I was hoping for. The dialog is more memorable than that of a lesser horror film, but didn't leave me with anything memorable in a Joss Whedon-y way. And that's sort of the vibe I felt they were shooting for.

There are points of light. The beginning and end sequences of the film were the standouts for me. And the buried insinuation that Indy rock bands are either inherently evil or only popular because they made a deal with Satan was I'll admit, pretty entertaining. I've had far worse evenings at the cinema.

Of course Ms. Fox didn't look unpleasant. Albeit a bit creepy at time - though I think that was intended. Minor quibble (last one I promise). There's something about making a film like this that's intended as horror/camp that, how can I say this? - cries out for getting an R rating for all the reasons - not just the violence. If you're going to be gratuitous, why limit yourself to just violence? - that's all I'm saying. A bit of extra sex never hurt anyone. It's sort of like the explanation of Pacino in Heat explaining why De Niro's crew had killed all the guards, "Once it escalated into a murder one beef for all of 'em after they killed the first two guards, they didn't hesitate. Popped guard number three because... what difference does it make? Why leave a living witness?" In this case, once you're stuck with the R rating - why limit yourself? Guess that's one of the questions I'll never get to ask in a Q&A anytime soon. Thinking back the best friends kiss, but then they try to kill each other, where's the fun in that? OK - it's a little fun. Hmmm, maybe the film will grow on me over time. Stranger things have happened.

I read in passing that there's various talk online about how the film is some sort of feminist manifesto. Perhaps that's the intent - but again I think Whedon has them smoked on that score as well. Or I'm too dumb to get it beyond the obvious and to me not so interesting surface level analysis. There is definitely some divergence of opinion out there on the film - and I can understand why folks might enjoy it more than I. Roger Ebert (who did seem to be one of those people) refers to the film as Twilight for Boys - though maybe I should be worried but I enjoyed Twilight significantly more than this one. Possible it just caught me in a less than receptive mood. As always, your mileage may vary.

The Informant!

I first learned about the price fixing scheme that's the crime at the root of this film while listening to This American Life some years ago. It was one of those moments that was so fascinating that I stayed in the car to listen rather than finishing my planned shopping (you can listen to it streaming online here). It is a completely fascinating story. The film did not pull me in the same way that broadcast did. Though I suppose it's possible that knowing some of the twists in the story beforehand hurt my enjoyment of the film. Though I really don't think that was the problem here where I think the movie version didn't quite rise to the expectations of the material.

I liked The Informant!, but I wouldn't see it in an absolutely must see film (not like other explanation pointed films such as Airplane! or perhaps Anvil! The Story of Anvil). I did though develop a deep sympathy for practically everyone in the legal and law enforcement community that had to deal with the main character. Who even when you understood he may have some psychiatric issues requiring rebalancing was nothing other than unbelievably frustrating to deal with for everyone around him.

The background of the story - Mark Whitacre an executive at ADM comes forward (for reasons not entirely comprehensible) in the early 90's to tell the FBI about an involved cross border criminal enterprise to fix prices on the world market for lysine. Which in the words of one of his FBI handlers, makes “Everyone in this country is a victim of corporate crime before they finish breakfast.” At their request he then goes undercover to document the entire case on audio and video recordings. Though as things develop you start to realize two things,
a. Whitacre has a delusional seeming belief that he's going to have a career within the company when everything comes to light. This is not helpful to the outcome of things for him
b. He's also not really being particularly truthful with anyone - and no one ever seems to know what they don't know when it comes to his wheeling and dealing.

Some of the marketing is sort of trying to put this into an 'Ocean's Eleven" category. It's really not that. There's a bit of 90's era tradecraft mixed in - but it's more of a groaning, tragic, occasionally comic story. I'll admit I did laugh at times, and Damon does a good job melting into the other character (I rarely said to myself - 'oh there's Matt Damon onscreen'). He doesn't really make him likable - though I don't think that's the filmmaker's intent. It is interesting to walk out of the theater and consider your feelings for a man who (onscreen at least) has almost nothing honest about him (perhaps save his feelings for his wife) yet really does do a great thing for the consumers of this country. That said - the whole endeavor was just a bit flat for me. Go back through and do listen to the episode of This American Life - I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Paris (France)

On Friday night I went to see a film set in Paris that's both a narrowly focused drama yet sweeping in terms of the number of characters. The story's center revolves around a sister (Juliette Binoche) and her somewhat estranged (and allegedly straight) brother (Romain Duris) who's coping with a serious heart condition and on the wait list for a transplant. Around them swirl a variety of Parisians going about their daily lives. These other characters pass by (or around) the brother who occupies his time home bound watching passers by out his window. Over the course of the film we get to follow along through snippet of each character's existence. The film is directed by Cédric Klapisch who you may know from the earlier films L'auberge espagnole and its sequel Russian Dolls.

Overall I enjoyed the film - the story, the performances are well put together and generally understated in a positive way. At times it seems as though the movie was shot by a tourism group representing Paris with tons of views that highlight the city's charm and beauty. Though to be fair it is a very photogenic place - and lingering shots of the architecture is not necessarily a bad thing. The movie manages to go through what in some ways is a pretty standard arc yet without really wrapping things up nicely with a bow. As a slice of life - make use of the time you've got sort of affair I think it works. Along with doing an admirable job teaching about the dangers of txting... (although what seems like a cautionary tale in that regard seems to work out pretty well). I shouldn't say to much more about this film's content - your experience learning about the characters and interpreting their actions is pretty much the whole point of the film.

Oh - almost forgot. In the pushing the boundaries of "suspension of disbelief" category - Fabrice Luchini recently seen in The Girl from Monaco reprises his role as bit of a nebbish with inexplicable luck with far younger woman. Maybe it's a French thing and I just don't understand, but it strains credibility in a way that Sean Connery's characters in every film from the past 15 years doesn't even begin to. Though at least he doesn't participate in the death of his 20 year old girlfriend here. Regardless, Luchini must be very happy with his agent. Maybe I'm just missing that he's the French Woody Allen. Ah, the things that distract me during a film...

Screening notes: I was lucky enough to attend the above film as a free screening through SIFF and the Pacific Place Mall as part of the latter's "All for Fall" multi-day event. It was a great night out for the grand total of $1 I spent on street parking. Just another little plug to join SIFF as a supporter if you haven't already as this was one of many free screenings I've caught in the last year. Though admittedly the only one that came with free soda and popcorn during the film and an afterparty at the overly fancy "7" salon. Is their name - a Seinfeld reference or a reference to the signs of the impending apocolypse? I'm pretty sure hair salons with their own DJ is right there on the list. Probably somewhere after "rivers of blood." Regardless didn't keep me from enjoying the spread (food, wine, coffee, chocolate, creampuffs and free haircut coupons). Nice night and fun catching up with fellow SIFFsters "off season."

Telluride Gondola Commuting

Just realized I had some video of the "commute" between theaters in Telluride from my trip that I never uploaded. Not terribly exciting, though perhaps more entertaining than Last Chance Harvey...

Zombieland

Ok, without delay I'll answer the most important question when it comes to understanding what kind of zombie movie this is. Fast moving zombies - not the classic plodding ones. Which leads us to the film narrator's first rule, "cardio." As explained at the start, due to the sprinting abilities of the undead, the overweight were the first to go. But the "no fatties" universe that you'd think would be every frat boys dream soon turns into something decidedly unpleasant as the contagion swiftly sweeps the world. Clearly these folks had not read the seminal (or at least the first) academic paper on fighting a zombie invasion. Though to be fair, that document I believe models strategy on the slow moving variety.

Our narrator's a bit of a closeted nerd who along with a mild strain of ocd and acquired skills with a double barreled shotgun has a series of rules for survival in Zombieland. These are slowly revealed to to us throughout the film (coupled with some clever titling work). As we learn the rules he meets up with Woody Harrelson and a pair of sisters (including the daughter from Little Miss Sunshine). They embark on a cross country voyage of discovery to reach a middle tier amusement park in California. Amusement, grossness, and personal growth among what may be the last four humans (excepting a cameo which briefly makes you want to check if Jim Jarmusch directed) alive.

Truth be told I'm not a serious zombie fan. More a vampire guy when it comes to genre movies. But I appreciate a good one from time to time. Zombieland was fun to watch - and I'm glad to have seen it. There's the requisite bit of horrific decomposition, zombie abuse, etc. mixed in with some black humor. All of the characters are generally fine for the roles - just don't expect deep character development or academy award performances. Production values are quite good - it's nice to see the genre not feeling like it's always gotta look cheap. Overall though just not quite in the league of great comedy/horror flix like Sean of the Dead, or the more recent ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction. In a short vulgar phrase, lacks the "fuck yeah!" joyous mayhem of the latter, and the deeper cleverness of the former. But is it worth watching? If you're in the mood for the undead and you're not wedded to team Edward or Jacob it'll likely scratch the itch.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Yes, yes, yes. I know this film was out something like two months ago. But I just started reading the Harry Potter books fairly recently, was busy, etc. Then I saw You, the Living and needed something considerably less arty and more fun to go see. Plus the ad said the beginning was in 3D...

I know some of the reviews were pretty mixed for this film. But I really enjoyed it - both the 3D and 2D parts. In the beginning there's a bunch of zipping, flaming, Death Eaters (BTW - great potential band name (ZFDE)) zooming around with trails of smoke, blowing up places they land that had a great 'Kneel before Zod' feel to it. After I got used to the 3D it worked for me - though I wasn't that disappointed when the opening sequence was up and I could remove the special glasses.

Again - I know some folks really complained about it, but being a bit sappy I enjoyed the relationship aspects between the book's two main "couples" onscreen (though I'll never get what Hermione sees in Ron Weasley). Technically I thought the film had a great feel to it, being considerably darker than the only other Potter movie I've seen all the way through (the first one) but still keeping a sense of true magic alive. The only complaint I do sort of have is that having sat through 2.5 hours of enjoyable film I was a little surprised to learn it was over at a point that seemed less like a conclusion and more like a setup for the next film. I suppose it's possible the book is the same (rapidly catching up to that one in the series) - but it still felt as though they should give me a discount on the next one as I sort of have to see it now.

In summary, good fun from a well made film - well worth the price of admission for me.

Can you enjoy it without having seen the other films? I'd say it at least helps to have read one of the books in the series. And if you haven't - you really should. I resisted trying it for a long time, but it turns out that was a mistake.

(Some) Vancouver Film Festival 2009 Recommendations

Even though I did a post a few days back mentioning everything I'd seen at the festival so far I never came out with a simple list of recommendations. So I thought I'd repurpose that earlier posting to be a bit more to the point. The full film guide for the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is now online. Both tickets and passes are available for purchase. I've only got two days to spend in Vancouver so I've already gone ahead and selected my personal list.

You might want to read a bit of the blog - or at least some of my favorites from past festivals (see sidebar to the right) to ensure my taste at least partially matches up with yours. With that caveat here are some of the things I wouldn't want to miss:

• A Prophet - See this movie. I repeat - you want to see this film. It is the only film I saw at Telluride where I don't believe I met a single person who didn't really like it. Oh - you care what it's about? A French rags to riches heartwarming tale of a young kid who goes into prison a weak, illiterate failure and leaves as an organized crime kingpin. The lead actor is great (along with everything else) and I can't imagine audiences of all kinds not loving this film. Sure a bit bloody at times, but pure cinematic entertainment.
  

• Gigante - This was absolutely the best heavy metal themed stalking = love story I've ever seen. All kidding aside this was a very sweet (as long as you don't think about the likely outcome in real life) romantic film. A security guard falls for a member of his supermarket's cleaning crew. He starts to learn about her mainly through observation. First via the video surveillance system it's his job to monitor, and then by following her. A huge guy that also works as a bouncer and listens to metal he looks as though he could be a goon but of course turns out to be a sweet honorable guy. Again, except for the stalking. Very satisfying and likely made on a limited budget this is a director to watch.
  

• The White Ribbon - All I can say for now is "wow." Saw it in Telluride earlier this month. Easily in the top two films I saw there - and almost certainly will make my top 10 for 2009. Do not miss the opportunity to see this on a big screen. I know some folks at Telluride didn't care for it. But still. I think I'm correct on this one. ;-)
  

• Rembrandt’s J’accuse - A documentary about a painting? Yes - and for me the film was more or less able to cash the checks fest hype has been writing (though perhaps not the slightly that of the breathless programmer intro). Rembrandt's "Night Watch" gets the murder mystery movie treatment as the film explains the hidden story of the film. Occasionally a touch of "The da Vinci Code" except really good and without the bizarre Tom Hanks haircut. Part of the film's premise is that we're visually illiterate - afterwards it's hard not to cede the point. Even if I'm not sure of the veracity of everything said it was still interesting to watch and think about. If you're not a student of painting it'll surely get you to look at your next art exhibit differently. Oh - and you'll be glad to know that even 400+ years back everyone could appreciate the value of impugning another man's penis. Some humor is truly ageless.
  

• The Market—A Tale of Trade - One of my favorites from this year's Palm Springs festival. Set in Turkey it follows Mihram a wheeling and dealing trader who thinks he's found a big, legitimate business opportunity but lacks the capital required to make it work. Then he's asked to do work that's more about the honor (getting replacement medicine for a clinic) than about the money. Both the slice of life watching him make his living aspect as well as the later moral dilemmas had me enjoying the experience all the way through.
  

• ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction - A hoot and a half. combination commentary on post 9/11 paranoia and zombie movie spoof. Funny, very bloody - with tweaks at other genres/stereotypes ranging from "don't worry you'll be fine" to a gay couple coming out to a parent and it going very, very badly. A decent portion of the dialog is clever with a couple memorable soundbites including, "dad, haven't you ever seen a zombie movie. No son - you know I'm a vampire man" and "Jesus was the first zombie..." The sort of genre film it's hard not to really enjoy.
  

• The Maid - slice of life/character study about a family's live in maid. She's been there 20+ years having raised the children and keeping the house - largely at the expense of her own life. Getting older the mother of the house wants to hire help for the help, which is perceived as a threat. Various types of drama play out during the course of the film. Well acted it grabbed my attention and held it the whole way through.
  

And sort of in a different category - some interesting docs

• We Live in Public - engrossing documentary that also managed to get me pissed off enough to go into a bit of a rant on my original post. About a creepy guy who did some creepy things during the Internet boom/bust era and is credited in the film with creating the concept of reality TV. Which seems reasonable except from what I can tell plenty of things predated his vision - such as MTV's The Real World. The fact that he's said to base much of his thinking on his love of Gilligan's Island though nothing on that show seems to turn out well either made me question some of his other analysis. You won't be bored - so I'm leaving it on my recommend list.

• Afghan Star An interesting documentary about an American Idol style singing contest in current day Afghanistan. Disturbing yet interesting viewing. You can see it I suppose as a positive trend that there's at least a difference of opinions going on (much like Miscreants of Taliwood) but I think it's equally possible to see it as a sign of despair for the region. The topic itself is something I had not heard much about before and if you're the same probably makes it worth adding to your documentary schedule. Plus, anything that allows you to work the phrase 'could lead to dancing' into conversation afterward can't possibly be bad.

Update (10/6): After attending VIFF this past Sat/Sun wanted to update this post with two additional recommendations for Castaway on the Moon and Will Not Stop There.

You, the Living (Sweden)

You, The Living is one of the times where I think it pays to know what you're in for. That way you can go when you're in the right mood with the proper expectations. I didn't really read the description and I think it really hurt my viewing experience. For some reason I thought I was going to watch a dark comedic narrative film. The key disconnect is narrative. That's just wrong - at least if you're using the traditional definition. Instead I think of what I saw more as a series of wry if depressing vignettes about people experiencing aspects of life. At least that's what I think after reading others writing on it.

While I was watching it though I'll freely admit I was somewhat confused. Composed mostly of long lingering static shots of people behaving oddly it seemed to defy categorization. Some of them were indeed darkly funny (my favorite was the extended recreation of a man's dream at which he behaves badly at a dinner part resulting in his eventual execution) and some of the intended symbolism was graspable even by me. Other parts felt like bits of a character pieces of some morose folks. There's a bit of music and the occasional song to liven things up. And the occasional dog being dragged down the street by a man in a walker oblivious to its fate. Some of the observational stuff I liked but I went in the mood to go for a more guided ride and by film's end the need to connect the dots (after figuring out what the dots were and where they are) left me less than enthused.

I guess as I write that there's probably a ton of post film analysis/discussion to be had - which is not a bad thing. I liked some of the segments but just couldn't muster up a lot of interest for several of the others. Frankly, I was a bit tired when I saw it, but for whatever reason I didn't leave with the urge to think deeply about it. Hence, not an altogether satisfying experience. Main point - don't go when you're sleepy.

That said - fantastic to see SIFF Cinema open for business again! They seem to have a nice mix of things coming up. I was a little worried that they only have a handful (less than ten) folks attending the 8pm screening I attended. Hopefully things will pick up a bit as folks realize the theater is open again.

One more VIFF film I've seen

I just realized I'd seen one other VIFF film, Afghan Star, I'd not previously mentioned. It's an interesting documentary about an American Idol style singing contest in current day Afghanistan. Disturbing yet interesting viewing. You can see it I suppose as a positive trend that there's at least a difference of opinions going on (much like Miscreants of Taliwood) but I think it's equally possible to see it as a sign of despair for the region. The topic itself is something I had not heard much about before and if you're the same probably makes it worth adding to your documentary schedule. Plus, anything that allows you to work the phrase 'could lead to dancing' into conversation afterward can't possibly be bad.

VIFF '09 - My Personal Mini Fest

This year I'm planning to make only a brief appearance at VIFF. Last year though I didn't stay the whole time I spent enough time in Vancouver to warrant a full series pass (an especially good value with the "special" Visa one that throws in a program, t-shirt and a special seating section). With just one night scheduled in Vancouver that seemed like serious overkill. Hence the decision to just buy individual tickers. On one hand it's very freeing in that I can simply pick the shows I want to see knowing I'll get in. On the other hand I suspect I'll be slightly worse off I'm terms of seat selection - though that's the advantage of festival-ing alone. Though - seriously, what's with the fetish of sitting with the person you're with? Are you planning on talking through the film? ;-)

It was a bit painful to commit so many weeks before screenings began. But below you'll find my list of what I eventually bought. There's actually one spot where I just couldn't decided between 'Taqwacore' (related to a book I've been meaning to read for at least a year - albeit no way to tell if the documentary is any good) and 'Tales From the Golden Age.' Like a true nut I bought tix to both with the goal of figuring it our later. If anyone has seen either would welcome suggestions.

So with hotel secured (free thanks to promo from visiting my brother over the summer) and tix (virtually in hand) guess that just leaves a program, and t-shirt for when I get there. :-)

Lots of great choices this year at VIFF. Want to remind folks to keep an eye out for 'A Prophet', 'The White Ribbon', 'Gigante' and 'ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction' - all very good in their own special ways.

My 2-day festival plan (in no particular order):

• Taqwacore--The Birth of Punk
• Antichrist
• Nymph
• Castaway on the Moon
• The Young Victoria
• Will Not Stop There
• Like You Know It All
• Air Doll
• Shameless
• Bare Essence of Life
• Tales from the Golden Age

VIFF 2009 - By the numbers - preview edition

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) 2009 preview guide is now available. There's a description of many of the films that will be screening starting in October - as well as a pretty involved list of films per country. From that list I've produced a quick and dirty guide to the distribution of films by country. With 68 countries representing (by my count) that's a pretty good claim to being "international." That said, any analysis from this list will be a little limited. First off, it's the preview guide so things may change. Second, the graph above will add up to more than the total number of films screening in the festival, as it seems to me they've included short films in the summary list by country - at least based on a few of the film names that I recognize from Palm Springs Shortsfest. Finally, the films "by country" are listed once for each country involved. So if a film was a joint production of Turkey and the US it's listed twice. All minor issues to be sure - but if VIFF releases some official counts and they're slightly off the above I've now provided some excuses for myself up front. ;-) BTW - you can click on the chart above for a closer look at the data.

Perhaps more importantly to reader who'll be at VIFF this year I've seen 16 of the offerings already so can offer some things to seek out. Given how many films there were to go through it's entirely possible I missed a few. Below is a list of what I've got so far. I've linked my original notes - though in the case of Telluride films I plan to post more complete reviews over the next week or so. Beyond sort of alphabetical - no particular order in how they're presented.

In short though - I think you can't go wrong including A Prophet, The White Ribbon, Gigante, Rembrandt's J'accuse, The Maid, The Market - A Tale of Trade, and ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction in your schedule.

• A Prophet - See this movie. I repeat - you want to see this film. It is the only film I saw at Telluride where I don't believe I met a single person who didn't really like it. Oh - you care what it's about? A French rags to riches heartwarming tale of a young kid who goes into prison a weak, illiterate failure and leaves as an organized crime kingpin. The lead actor is great (along with everything else) and I can't imagine audiences of all kinds not loving this film. Sure a bit bloody at times, but pure cinematic entertainment.
• Amreeka - Fish out of water story about a mother and son from the west bank who move to Illinois. Yes, it has the actress who's apparently mandated by law to appear in every film in the region (Lemon Tree, Paradise Now, Syrian Bride, etc). But it's a supporting role so some other good actors and actresses do get to work too. ;-) Funny, with a light touch it's an entertaining film that I think will have broad appeal even though it does hold an uncomfortable mirror up at times. Plus the director apparently has a thing for funny signs - which I think is always a plus.
  
• An Education - A 16 year old senior trying to graduate and go to Oxford. Book smart she seems frighteningly naïve about the world when she meets an older man who sweeps her off her feet. Her parents also seem remarkably laid back about the man's intentions and whether this relationship will be good, bad, or life wrecking define the questions answered over the course of the film. Apparently things were truly different in the 60's - in the sense that common sense was far from common. The whole thing reminded me a bit of a British version of the Gilmore Girls, if they kept Rory but she was without the benefit of having Lorelei around. There's a lot of buzz around this film - it's not that I didn't like it - just it didn't quite live up to the hype level for me. Perhaps just couldn't get past the deep seated need to smack the entire family.
• Be Calm and Count to Seven - The VIFF description lists this as "exciting." All I will say is that is pretty far from my perception of an accurate description. I generally like Iranian festival fare. Which is why I remember so clearly that this was not one of those times. More details from the link.
  
• Bluebeard - Didn't much care for this stylized, artistic take on the Bluebeard tale. I'm not super fond of the director and have been liking each of her film's a bit less than the last. As always technically and visually proficient - just not my cup of tea.
• Defamation - Examination of modern antisemitism. Or perhaps more an evaluation by the filmmaker (in a Michael Moore style) as to the cost/benefits of seeing anti-semitism as a force of nature in the universe (though given the horrible news today his premise looks a bit different a day later). Often funny and provocative the film makes you stop and think if nothing else. At least about the clear fact that most groups could use better PR people. Quick tip if you can't afford one. It's almost NEVER a good idea to have your group followed around by a guy with a camera if you want to come out looking good. At least for me some very reasonable observations mixed in with the laughs. I expect this film will be a bit polarizing.
• Gigante - This was absolutely the best heavy metal themed stalking = love story I've ever seen. All kidding aside this was a very sweet (as long as you don't think about the likely outcome in real life) romantic film. A security guard falls for a member of his supermarket's cleaning crew. He starts to learn about her mainly through observation. First via the video surveillance system it's his job to monitor, and then by following her. A huge guy that also works as a bouncer and listens to metal he looks as though he could be a goon but of course turns out to be a sweet honorable guy. Again, except for the stalking. Very satisfying and likely made on a limited budget this is a director to watch.
• Johnny Weir: Pop Star on Ice - Documentary about the figure skater of the title. If you're interested in him or figure skating I'm sure you'll want to go. Otherwise, maybe not as compelling.
  
• Rembrandt’s J’accuse - A documentary about a painting? Yes - and for me the film was more or less able to cash the checks fest hype has been writing (though perhaps not the slightly that of the breathless programmer intro). Rembrandt's "Night Watch" gets the murder mystery movie treatment as the film explains the hidden story of the film. Occasionally a touch of "The da Vinci Code" except really good and without the bizarre Tom Hanks haircut. Part of the film's premise is that we're visually illiterate - afterwards it's hard not to cede the point. Even if I'm not sure of the veracity of everything said it was still interesting to watch and think about. If you're not a student of painting it'll surely get you to look at your next art exhibit differently. Oh - and you'll be glad to know that even 400+ years back everyone could appreciate the value of impugning another man's penis. Some humor is truly ageless.
• Tetro - Francis Ford Coppola's very personal, very beautiful to look at in inky black and white film. He did a great Q&A in Seattle - so if he's there in Vancouver worth going just for that. The story is about a younger brother who arrives at the doorstep of an older brother in Argentina. The older one left home years ago severing his ties with the family over reasons not initially disclosed. They come from an artistic family, the specific arts and conflicts I won't disclose as it's all slowly revealed over the course of the film. The older brother clearly does not want the younger one there and lots of family drama ensues. For the first half I struggled a bit to be interested in the characters. By the end I still didn't have a great interest in the characters but enjoyed enough of the surrounding story (particularly the staging of a play within the story - and not a good play) to stay with it. So sort of a mixed experience for me. I do think it's worth seeing for the cinematic experience - and on a large screen for sure.
• The Kimjongilia - Horrifying stories from North Korea. Plus interpretive dance. A documentary. I wouldn't say you absolutely need to see it - technically solid, but still.
  
• The Maid - slice of life/character study about a family's live in maid. She's been there 20+ years having raised the children and keeping the house - largely at the expense of her own life. Getting older the mother of the house wants to hire help for the help, which is perceived as a threat. Various types of drama play out during the course of the film. Well acted it grabbed my attention and held it the whole way through. I do recommend it.
  
• The Market—A Tale of Trade - One of my favorites from this year's Palm Springs festival. Set in Turkey it follows Mihram a wheeling and dealing trader who thinks he's found a big, legitimate business opportunity but lacks the capital required to make it work. Then he's asked to do work that's more about the honor (getting replacement medicine for a clinic) than about the money. Both the slice of life watching him make his living aspect as well as the later moral dilemmas had me enjoying the experience all the way through.
  
• The White Ribbon - All I can say for now is "wow." Saw it in Telluride earlier this week. Easily in the top two films I saw there - and almost certainly will make my top 10 for 2009. Do not miss the opportunity to see this on a big screen. I know some folks at Telluride didn't care for it. But still. I think I'm correct on this one. ;-)
  
• We Live in Public - engrossing documentary that also managed to get me pissed off enough to go into a bit of a rant on my original post. About a creepy guy who did some creepy things during the Internet boom/bust era and is credited in the film with creating the concept of reality TV. Which seems reasonable except from what I can tell plenty of things predated his vision - such as MTV's The Real World. The fact that he's said to base much of his thinking on his love of Gilligan's Island though nothing on that show seems to turn out well either made me question some of his other analysis. You won't be bored - so I'm leaving it on my recommend list.
  
• ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction - A hoot and a half. combination commentary on post 9/11 paranoia and zombie movie spoof. Funny, very bloody - with tweaks at other genres/stereotypes ranging from "don't worry you'll be fine" to a gay couple coming out to a parent and it going very, very badly. A decent portion of the dialog is clever with a couple memorable soundbites including, "dad, haven't you ever seen a zombie movie. No son - you know I'm a vampire man" and "Jesus was the first zombie..." The sort of genre film it's hard not to really enjoy.

Update (10/8) - noticed I've also seen North from Norway. A guy recovering from depression/anxiety goes on a road trip. Except without a road - instead using a snowmobile, skies, etc. on trip to meet the son he didn't know he had, meeting quirky characters along the way. Very pleasant to watch, maybe not in my top ten of the festival but a solid film. Just don't leave the main character alone in your domicile with a stove...

Telluride 36 - By the Numbers

Well, I know you've all been waiting for it, my Excel pivot table treatement of the 36th Annual Telluride film festival. Apologies if I missed anything - but I tried to put the data together on the plane ride back home. I put together a list of all the films that I believe screened (51 - not including Paranormal Activity which I just realized I forgot to add in). This doesn't include mixed packages such as Great Expectations, student films, or the two documentary packages. Including such packages as "films" I ended up watching 18 "shows" at the festival (19 if you include Bright Star which I saw prior to my arrival). Then for each of the 51 films I labeled it with the main country of origin from the festival guide. Using this set I produced the above graph showing the distribution by country. Countries where English is generally what appears in their films is in darker blue. The left axis (and bar height) represents the count of films from that country at Telluride, the right axis is a cumulative percent of the total. 13 unique countries represented, with the bulk going to the US and western Europe. I suspect if I take out the archival materials the bias goes even more English language focus - but I probably won't go that far. Nothing of any great important in any of this - but I do enjoy my charts and graphs. You can click on the image of the chart to see it more clearly.

Also on the way back I put together my personal top 5. Not quite in order (I hate ranking movies), and subject to change on a whim. But wanted to get it out there so as I post reviews you can make your own guess as to whether your tastes might correspond to mine or

• A Prophet
• The White Ribbon
• Gigante
• Red Riding Trilogy
• Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

And yes, I know I'm cheating by listing a trilogy as a single film. But it's my blog so I can do as I please. ;-) In exchange I'll point you to a link where you can recreate the Telluride experience at home by ordering Red Riding on DVD. Just be aware it's region encoded so be sure your DVD player can handle that (most US ones cannot) before ordering.

OK - that's all for today. Turns out I need more than 2.5 hours sleep per day.

That's All Folks - Telluride Day 4

Well, the Telluride film festival is now behind me. Still a lot of writing left, both reviews of the films in more depth and also my other thoughts on the festival experience.

For now I'll just wrap up how I spent the second half of the last day. After the picnic I ended up seeing three more films - bringing the total for the festival to 18.

First up was Werner Herzog's other film at this year's fest, 'My Son My Son What Have Ye Done.' It's billed as produced by David Lynch, though Herzog indicated he didn't think Lynch had even seen it yet. It was introduced as an older project he'd wanted to do and they'd reactivated it after a conversation with Lynch about doing a project together as a manifesto that quality film can be produced on a budget of $2 million. What you get is a hard to describe but unusual film. I found it interesting looking for sure. But even dressed up by some quality filmmaking and unusual techniques it's still a story about a mentally ill man who steadily loses it and kills his mother with a sword. Even if he's currently working in a stage production of a Greek tragedy of the same theme it's still a problem if I'm not really interested in the characters. Perhaps as one of the later films would say I'm just bourgeois that way. So I can see how some would like it, but not my cup of tea.

Prior to the reimagined Greek tragedy they played a very interesting short film about the life of a plastic bag, narrated by Herzog.

Next up was 'An Education' a story of a 16 year old senior trying to graduate and go to Oxford. Book smart she seems frighteningly naïve about the world when she meets an older man who sweeps her off her feet. Her parents also seem remarkably laid back about the man's intentions and whether this relationship will be good, bad, or life wrecking define the questions answered over the course of the film. The whole thing reminded me a bit of a British version of the Gilmore Girls, if they kept Rory but she was without the benefit of having Lorelei around. Most people I met throughout the weekend seemed to greatly enjoy An Education. I did like it, but not as much as the buzz. Couldn't get past the deep seated need to smack the entire family.
An Education screened with a cute short called 'The Kinda Sutra' about kids perceptions of how reproduction actually works.

Last I decided to sacrifice sleep in the service of one more film and I rode the gondola back into Telluride to watch 'El Verdugo.' An archival black comedy from Spain it was certainly more than worthy of being resurrected for the festival. It's the story of a man who's "forced" into following in his father in law's footsteps as the municipal executioner. Very funny in both direct and subtle ways it was a treat to see.

On the way down to the last movie I also had the pleasure of meeting some new film friends. A nice last minute surprise as well.

Then tired and a bit hungry (having skipped dinner in favor of black comedy) I headed back to the hotel to prepare for an early morning back to Seattle.

Some Random Telluride Photos

realized I can post these directly from my phone. Since I've got some free time figured why not...

z

Telluride Day 4 - The Start of the Day

This morning I started off strong with a screening of Gigante from Uruguay. This was absolutely the best heavy metal themed stalking = love story I've ever seen. All kidding aside this was a very sweet (as long as you don't think about the likely outcome in real life) romantic film. A security guard falls for a member of his supermarket's cleaning crew. He starts to learn about her mainly through observation. First via the video surveillance system it's his job to monitor, and then by following her. A huge guy that also works as a bouncer and listens to metal he looks as though he could be a goon but of course turns out to be a sweet honorable guy. Again, except for the stalking. Very satisfying and likely made on a limited budget this is a director to watch.

Next I went over to the picnic. I actually had time to stay and linger so I enjoyed a sit down meal for a change. This is where having Omaha Steaks as a sponsor came through with what was a surprisingly tasty lunch (given my festival "free" food expectations - SIFF opening night cupcakes excepted). The highlight though was the ice cream sundays. With at least 5 flavors of ice cream and 5+ hot chocolate sauces (and every other topping you can imagine including fresh fruit) it was hard to avoid going back for seconds. Enjoyed some nice conversation, listened to some of a panel about comedy with some of the actors and filmmakers then started off to the next film (photo from a distance below). Currently waiting on line for 'My Son My Son What Have Ye Done.'

Telluride - Day 3

Well, it's Labor Day the final day of the 36th annual Telluride Film Festival. As things wind down I continue to try and catch up with an overview of Sunday. Again, fuller notes on each film will follow over the next week.

I started out the day with a film I had very low expectations for - The Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call New Orleans. Yes, it's connected (though mostly in name and surface details) with the older film, 'The Bad Lieutenant' starring Harvey Keitel. This one was directed by Werner Hertzog and stars Nicholas Cage in the title role. Happily, to my surprise, I really enjoyed this film. Cage's (ahem, cough) exuberant acting style works fairly well in a film that can probably be viewed either as a serious meditation on the bliss of evil and how the bad can be rewarded in life, or as over the top campy farce. Either way - it's worth checking out. And Val Kilmer steals his scenes as a possible owner of a role in a (hoping) sequel 'The Worst Lieutenant.'

Red Riding - 1983 - This was the third of the trilogy I wrote about yesterday. This delivered in a very satisfying way pulling most of the strings together for the patient viewer.

The Last Station - A biopic on the last year of Tolstoy's life. With a coming of age/romantic subplot between his male secretary and a carefree follower. I felt I learned a reasonable amount about Tolstoy's social movement and watched an enjoyable relationship film. Helen Mirren is wonderful as Tolstoy's wife who loves his even though she violently disagrees with him on almost every one of his social principles.

Fish Tank - Hmmm, sometimes it pays to read all the way to the end of film's description. A coming of age story about a 15 year old girl from what I guess you can call an 'at risk' background. Raised often neglectfully by her single mom her only refuge is her personal time with hip hop dance. When a man comes into her mom's life and offers some positive reinforcement she seems to be on a more positive track. Will things go dark - well that's pretty clear if you read the description or have ever seen a movie with a 'nice guy' and a sexually awakening teen in the house. Well played across the board it's a pleasure to watch. Except when it's not. Can't say I "enjoyed" it, but even though it's not quite what I was in the mood for it worked for me.

The Miscreants of Taliwood - Australian multi discipline (and judging by the film and his personal intro overly chatty) artist heads to the Pakistan frontier to hang out. Ends up hooking up with the local independent film scene which is hard at work cranking out popular Bollywood style films while local more extremist elements seek to crush the entertainment business. It's an interesting conflict as the two groups live intertwined and parallel existences. Over the course of the shoot he ends up getting roles in two feature films. There's definitely interesting and horrifying material here. But I felt there was way too much repetition on what was bad (most of it if presented doesn't require a label as such for Western audiences) and a less than deep treatment of the people he was working with. A dramatic feature like 'Son of a Lion' shot in roughly the same part of the world seemed to give a more complex treatment. Or maybe he just annoyed me once too much with the use of the word 'artist' while discussing the unique tragedy of creative types in that area. Seems all had it pretty bad. Stayed through the end, but after the first 30 minutes not sure there's a big incremental benefit.

All that plus a cool encounter with a deer who was out for a post midnight snack as I made way back to the hotel. Quite a weekend so far.

Day 2 - Or when I really started to dislike standing on line

Saturday was my second day, and first full day of screenings at Telluride. I saw five films, so honestly not much to complain about. A quick recap, more to come later.

First up was "A Prophet" which could easily be my favorite film of the festival. Though it's close with "The White Ribbon." See 'em both. A French rags to riches heartwarming tale of a young kid who goes into prison a weak, illiterate failure and leaves as an organized crime kingpin. The lead actor is great (along with everything else) and I can't imagine audiences of all kinds not loving this film. Sure a bit bloody at times, but pure cinematic entertainment.

Next I tried to see "Up in the Air" which was announced as a sneak preview. I got there 2 hours early but after standing in the pouring rain a bit it became clear I wasn't getting in. Sadly I spoke to a lot of folks who waited another hour and a half to reach that conclusion. Anyway, I then tore down the mountain to catch "Coco Before Chanel" which was pleasant but not earth shattering for me. I've met a lot of folks who feel more positively, but maybe a B or so for me. As a calibration exercise I'd say I liked it somewhat better than Bright Star.

Then I saw a set of three short docs. As the kids say I'd rate them as officially meh. I'll write more on them later as one was an interesting idea and one is a great example of a moving topic I felt made for a poor documentary.

Next up "Life During Wartime" directed by Todd Solondz (written too I suppose) as a sequel to Happiness. Not a huge fan of his work. Some entertaining performances, but occasionally (ok often) trying a bit too hard for my taste. But the film will remind you that your family is way less fucked up than they could be.

Before the film there was a short called Hulahoop Soundings that was commissioned by (if I recall correctly) the Rotterdam festival. Who apparently are a seriously pervy bunch. You know what they say though - it's all fun and games until someone is hit in the head with a hula hoop. During sex. Or at least I'd imagine from the film. Fun though - I will admit. Make of that what you will. (update: seems it's a tribe of sort to a film made by one of the Coen brothers)

Last was "Samson & Delilah" which was an interesting near silent film from Australia following the (mostly) horrific trials of a teen aboriginal couple. Liked it - and I stayed awake all the way through. :-) Played with a short called Vem (I Know) which features an incredibly complex Rube Goldberg device that probably would leave it's builder better off if it was a bit less successful. A tad dark for my taste but the machine was very cool.

Ok. More later, apologies for any typos, can only do so much from a Blackberry. Back to the movies...

VIFF 2009 Sneak Preview Guide

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) typically puts out an abbreviated "sneak preview" guide a week or so before they announce the full schedule. It's available here.

As I'm tied up at the Telluride festival (I know, how horrible) I probably won't get a chance to take a look at it for a couple of days. But I plan to keep an eye out for any films I've already seen that might appear at VIFF this year and highlight any things folks might want to seek out.

Telluride - Impressions on Day 1

Yesterday was my first day attending the Telluride film festival. I saw 4 shows, got shut out of one and caught a quick dinner at their "Feed" on mainstreet. So a pretty full day.

I'm going to try and post more mature thoughts after it's all said and done but will just jot down a few impression here and there during down periods.

So far (including the first show of Saturday) the worst film I saw would still fall into the pretty darn good category. Not too shabby. Love riding the gondola to shows (not that I love it so much I'd turn down a great hotel deal in Telluride proper) and have enjoying chatting with folks on line and before shows.

On Friday I started with the first two films in a three part series called "Red Riding." It's an extremely dark take in Yorkshire England, original made for UK TV. It's sort of like an amped up Prime Suspect and I kept waiting for Helen Mirren to make an appearance. Based on a series of books each film was made by a different director so the look and feel varies. I liked the second better, but the first was very well done too. Hoping to catch the third before heading home.

I made the "mistake" of stopping to eat dinner at the outdoor group "Feed" that takes over the main street serving mexican fare this year with what looked like wine and beer (with my waning cold I stayed away from it). Everything was tasty enough and there was plenty to go around. But it put me too far down the line for the next film to get it. A lot of the venues at Telluride are pretty modest and it seems the first couple of days it's easy to get shut out there. That's a part of the fest I'm not super thrilled with, though I had a most interesting discussion with a couple from NYC.

Next I went to a package of shorts from up and coming filmmakers called "Great Expectations.". As has been my experience with collections of shorts some were great, some just good. It was a well chosen set for the most part and I'll do a more complete write up of each hopefully over the next week.

Final film of the night was my favorite of the day "The White Ribbon" from the director of (amongst other things) Cache. I need to think more about it, but it was beautiful and fascinating. So do see it if you're at the festival.

Daylight in Telluride

Arrived in Telluride last night (technically this morning) after two flights, including possibly the first I've ever taken with propellers. On the good news side every seat's a window seat.

Hotel seems nice, though of course when you pick randomly it's not quite as centrally located as it seemed online. But the bed was comfy and I slept soundly after 12 hours of traveling. Realized towards the end it's taken me less time to get to Tokyo. Of course there were less films to see there on that trip.

After having a simple breakfast I'm packing up to head down to the events. I think they don't start up for a while. So the main goal is to get a lay of the land, figure out where theaters are, where one can buy some supplies for the hotel's full kitchen (nice) and perhaps catch the pre film kickoff tweet up. Unless I go for the surprisingly early 2pm trilogy they're kicking off this year with.

Telluride - The list v1.0 - hyperlinks added at no charge

This afternoon the first batch of films were announced. Sitting in the Denver airport I thought I'd take a closer look. You can find the full list and updates on the festival's main page. I've recopied the main list below with links to IMDB where possible. Have fun...

• A PROPHET (d. Jacques Audiard, Germany/Austria/France, 2009)
• AN EDUCATION (d. Lone Sherfig, U.K., 2009)
• BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS (d. Werner Herzog, U.S., 2009)
• BRIGHT STAR (d. Jane Campion, U.K./Australia/France, 2009). Some thoughts from my screening of this one that seems to be appearing on a lot of Oscar potentials lists.
  
• COCO BEFORE CHANEL (d. Anne Fontaine, France, 2009)
• FAREWELL (d. Christian Carion, France, 2009)
• FISH TANK (d. Andrea Arnold, U.K., 2009)
• GIGANTE (d. Adrián Biniez, Uruguay, 2009)
• HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOUT’S INFERNO (d. Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea, France, 2009)
• LIFE DURING WARTIME (d. Todd Solondz, U.S., 2009)
• LONDON RIVER (d. Rachid Bouchareb, U.K./France/Algeria, 2009)
• RED RIDING – three-part series: 1974 (d. Julian Jarrold, U.K., 2009); 1980 (d. James Marsh, U.K., 2009); 1983 (d. Anand Tucker, U.K., 2009)
• ROOM AND A HALF (d. Andrey Khrzhanovsky, Russia, 2009)
• SAMSON & DELILAH (d. Warwick Thornton, Australia, 2009)
• SLEEP FURIOUSLY (d. Gideon Koppel, U.K., 2007)
• TERRA MADRE (d. Ermanno Olmi, Italy, 2009)
• THE JAZZ BARONESS (d. Hannah Rothschild, U.K. 2009)
• THE LAST STATION (d. Michael Hoffman, U.K., 2009)
• THE MISCREANTS OF TALIWOOD (d. George Gittoes, Australia/Pakistan, 2009)
• THE ROAD (d. John Hillcoat, U.S., 2009)
• THE WHITE RIBBON (d. Michael Haneke, Germany/Australia/France, 2009)
• VINCERE (d. Marco Bellocchio, Italy, 2009)
• VISION (d. Margarethe von Trotta, Germany, 2009)
• WINDOW (d. Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India, 2009)

Oh, and don't forget - if you'd like to participate via Twitter in publishing your thoughts on each film would love to have you in the experiment. Looking forward to meeting many of you in real life. Feel free to email or hit me on Twitter @seattlefilmblog