Bad Teacher

I've got to admit I was super excited when I sat down to see Bad Teacher with a crowd full of people Wednesday night.  While I knew there was a risk that all funny bits were in the trailer the combination of Cameron Diaz playing an teacher with what appeared to be an "all children left behind" policy and the likable Jason Segel made me uncharacteristically optimistic.  Completing what I can only assume to be the conclusion of the trilogy of films started with Bad Santa and Bad Lieutenant focused on people failing in their chosen profession, Bad Teacher applies that formula to our education system.  It's a watchable comedy that provides a decent number of laughs and a good number of smiles.  What it didn't do for me is deliver the steady stream of belly laughs that a great comedy can/should.  It's possible (OK likely) that if I'd gone in without having seen any prior clips from it I might have had a much better time.  My suspicion is that this will become one of those things that you watch a piece of with nostalgic fondness when it's on TV - not quite an Animal House or Old School but perhaps somewhere in the Dodgeball range.

The rest of my thoughts can be read over at Three Imaginary Girls.  Or you can just not take my advice and checkout the trailer below. 

Superheroes

This weekend, fresh from the preposterously uninteresting Green Lantern I sat down to watch another film about standing up for the powerless and acts of daring performed by masked vigilantes. Except in this case rather than a comic book fantasy the costumed crusaders were subjects of a documentary filmmaker's lens. On the fringes of my awareness I knew that some folks were donning disguises and alleging to fight crime in Seattle. But much like the rebirth of hipster fedoras I assumed it was a trend sparked by a heady mix of Kick Ass and extreme comic book nostalgia that wouldn't last. But what I learned watching Superheroes is that there's a true movement underway, that of real life superheroes. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, occasionally with possibly borderline drinking problems. But what they have in common is a desire to help in some way, an active imagination and a complete lack of superpowers.

The film itself is well structured, mixing interviews with the superhereos, police representatives, a clinical psychologist and the world authority on super heroes Stan Lee. With comic representation of their patrols thrown in for good measure. Some of the heroes are directly focused on fighting crime, looking for muggers, clearing a park of drug dealers etc. Others seem more engaged on community relations, helping the homeless, running a kids toy drive and so on. One of the more memorably characters based in San Diego seems partial to mixing with the populace over a beer (being a hero can cause someone to have a mighty thirst we're repeatedly told). None are depicted as making an especially big dent on crime. But all have something personal at work that calls them to "patrol" the streets.  Elaborate costumes appear to be de rigueur - it seems we've come a long way from just throwing on a red beret and hitting the streets looking for baddies.

I liked that the film treated the caped crusaders with respect and not as a two hour punchline. That said there are definitely some funny moments - such as when one of the subjects admits the need for a costume isn't there but that frankly it looks cool. As I mentioned earlier it's not entirely clear that the folks targeted on fighting crime are making a measurable difference. I'm not saying they're not - it's just that the film doesn't really capture any dynamic heroics - and it's entirely possible their presence deters something.  Some do come across as misguided. But on the whole it's a neutral to sympathetic portrait of the cast of characters. And whatever you think of some of these guys for me it's hard to argue with folks who do homeless outreach on their own dime.

I would have been curious to a more quantitative assessment to what these folks have been up to. But that's a bit of a nit on my part.  Overall I found it pretty a pretty interesting film that's worth checking out. It hasn't changed me in a deep way or opened my eyes to a larger truth or anything like that - but it (mostly) delivers what it promises, an overview of some of the players in the real life superhero movement. I was able to review Superheroes due to the fine people behind the Seattle True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) who lent me a screener.  The film played during the festival in the first half of June but I wasn't able to watch it in time for a pre-fest review.  The good news though is that folks with HBO can checkout the film starting August 8th according to IndieWire.

My personal best of fest - SIFF 2011

With SIFF fully behind us all one can do is look back.  Which for me means taking stock as to what I've seen, and trying to remember each clearly enough to pick a list of ten favorites.  Towards that end I've chosen a top ten list and then an almost top ten list.  Both appear below - in alphabetical order.  I'm always a little uncomfortable with ordering films, so this is as close as I'm gonna get.  Even after listing 20 there were still a few interesting films I wanted to call out.  So out of the 94 things at SIFF I watched (at some point) I've narrowed it down to 27 favorites.  I'm not sure I'm quite as in love with any of them as I am with some of my prior SIFF "finds" (Au Revoir Tapei from last year comes to mind).  But it still was a pretty darn enjoyable year.  A histogram by country of what I watched (38 countries represented) is on the left - you can click on it for a more readable version if you're bored curious.

Hope everyone had some fun.  And now we can all start counting down to SIFF 2012.  Or at least to the next Harry Potter film in a few weeks.

Favorites

If I was forced to choose a top ten - here's what it would be.  Ordered alphabetically - not by preference.  In the interests of time and what's left of my mental health I'm not going to write individually about each one today.  I'll probably come back and write on each of them over time. More details on each can still be found on SIFF's site.

• Another Earth
• Boy
• Hooked
• Mammuth
• The Names of Love
• Por El Camino
• Saigon Electric
• Simple Simon 
• Viva Riva!
• We Are the Night

If I was forced to choose a second top ten - again alphabetically

• Belle Epine
• Copacabana
• Littlerock
• The Future
• Poupoupidou
• The Service Entrance
• Small Town Murder Songs
• Surrogate Valentine
• To Be Heard
• Womb

Some more stuff that held my attention (occasionally in a really weird way) and thus would recommend. 

• Destiny of Lesser Animals
• Gandu
• Love Like Poison
• Pinoy Sunday
• Sound of Noise
• Troll Hunter
• Vampire

The worst of fest - well, I was actually pretty lucky.  I came up with four contenders, but none are really so bad that they're worth mentioning.

And for those who want way too much information you can review the full list of what I watched at SIFF this year after the jump...

Jig

Jig is a documentary that follows top contestants in the 40th Irish Dancing World Championship which was held in 2010 in Glasgow.  As one would imagine the world championship in any arena requires a huge amount of time and dedication for the participants to reach that level.  Jig spreads its focus across multiple age groups and intersperses interviews with participants, parents, and coaches with lots and LOTS of dancing.  If you like this style of dance you'll definitely want to catch the doc.  Those less impressed with the fast moving and rhythmic footwork will probably find something to enjoy - but maybe not something to love in the film.  I found Jig an interesting experience that in the end gets by due more to its access to a photogenic topic and some adorable competitors more than by building a narrative arc that transcends the dancing.  The first half had be excited, but the second half didn't quite deliver absolute greatness - even if the competitors onscreen did. 

I learned a lot from the film about the world of competitive Irish step dancing are.  Three of the most significant points include that

• there is a large international community of COMPETITIVE folk dancers.
• it is wicked expensive to compete - factoring in lessons, travel, costumes and wigs. Yes wigs - even for the little girls.
• many of the competitors don't have a lick of Irish blood in them

The film follows a really broad set of competitors participating in the equivalent of sport's world series. Ranging from young children and young adults from the US to Russia it's a serious melting pot of economic situations, genders and ethnic backgrounds. United in their obsessive love of the dance they devote what they often acknowledge to be an irrational amount of their time and energy into the pursuit. Many of the kids and parents have known each other for years - for example amongst there's a set of three women who have been alternating victory in worldwide competition for years as yet grew into adulthood.  It's a group of serious competitors that still seem to get along - which is nice to see.

The first half of the film is simply great.  We get to meet an almost overwhelmingly large number of kids, their parents, and occasionally their stuffed animal support systems.  Around 1/2 to 2/3 into the film everyone descends on Glasgow for the competition.  I think there's generally two ways a sports documentary goes at this stage.  Choice (A) is to really drag us along for the highs and lows of the competition, rooting for our favorites.  Option (B) is to show how there's some larger factor (or life lesson) at work in the competition that means more than the trophy.  Unfortunately in the case of Jig both are roads untraveled - which basically just leaves the viewer with a lot of dancing.  Mind you, I like Irish dancing, so there are worse fates.  But it's sort of like just watching the competition whereas I think for the documentary to be truly great it should enhance the experience somehow vs sitting in the audience at the game and/or dance.

A slightly larger quibble is that unless you come to the film with a pretty deep knowledge of the craft the arcana of the competition is likely going to be lost on you.  In the pivotal scenes when the teams are watching their scores I truly had no idea who won until someone jumped up and down screaming.  That's because the picture never really stops to explain the fine points of what makes a winning dance and only does a quick run through of the scoring.  More importantly, it's never to my mind adequately explained why they need to spend thousands of dollars on the dresses and wigs to enhance their dancing.  That last part I suspect is just me though.


All said and done though it's a behind the scenes look at a world I didn't realize existed.  And these folks can seriously dance - that's probably good enough reason to see it.  At times it appears they've entered into some pact with Satan to defy gravity.  I doubt that's how they do it - but hey - anyone who wants it is free to run with that idea for a fictionalized treatment of the competition. 

[ Jig opens on June 17, 2011 in LA, NY, Boston, Chicago, and Toronto, with expansion to follow. ]

Kirkland Opening Night & Bon Appétit (Spain)

This year I attended SIFF's Kirkland opening night film and party. I liked that the party was pre-film even though the fact that there was only one film screening on the eastside that night meant it was a single movie day. The food at the party wasn't the best I'd ever had but it was plentiful enough even given the huge crowd. For whatever reason the rum sponsor didn't make an appearance in Kirkland, guess us Eastsiders are a more mellow bunch.

Most interesting to me was that I recognized less faces than normal at a SIFF event. Meaning, I'm thinking, that the eastside opening night does attract incremental and unique audiences. So good for SIFF in opening up satellite venues. Figure at least some of these newcomers will get sucked into the full festival craziness.

Sadly, I cannot offer as much praise for the choice of the film - Bon Appétit. This Spanish film about chefs living and loving wasn't even the best Spanish romantic-comedy chef film I've seen in the last couple of years - which is in and of itself a low bar. I wanted to like this film, it's got cooking, cute people and interesting locations. But it was so uninteresting and the guy so annoying I was just rooting for no one to get together. And in some ways that's exactly what happens. I could talk more about the film but it's so meh it doesn't really seem worth the effort. Not even bad enough to rail against.

Hoping next year if SIFF is going to go the lowest common denominator route they'll at least choose something better. Like Kung Fu Panda 3.



Place was completely sold out (as was at least one other Kirkland screening I attended). Meaning I'm hoping that the great venue that is Kirkland Performace Center is a permanent member of the SIFF family. I've included some photos of the venue and snacks below.  Just click the photo for a better view.

A view from outside.

They can really cram a lot of people into the Kirkland Performance Center Lobby

Just a small sampling of the food fare pre-film

Even if you didn't like the theater too much, gotta love the concession options and prices at the Kirkland Performance Center

2011 Golden Space Needle Awards

Each year the results of the various competition sections of the Seattle International Film Festival are announced at the Space Needle Awards brunch.  Not surprisingly, held atop the Seattle landmark of the same name.  This year I attended allowing me to enjoy some free food, live tweet the awards and take more than a few pictures.  The results are sort of old news - but I re-present them below.  SIFF awards fall into two categories, audience awards decided by popular vote (aka Golden Space Needle winners) and awards presented by a variety of juries.  Some I agree with, some I don't - but honestly, I'm just going for the movies.  So if the audience wants to vote Paper Birds the best film in the festival that's entirely their business.

There's also a list of most liked films via the unofficial Fool Serious passholder organization.  They're substantially different than the "official" results.  I'll probably have those up tomorrow for folks who like to compare.

Here are some of the big SIFF 2011 winners.

• Best New Director - Grand Jury Prize - Gandu, directed by “Q” Kaushik Mukherjee (India, 2010)
• Best Documentary - Grand Jury Prize - Hot Coffee, directed by Susan Saladoff (USA, 2011)
• FIPRESCI Prize for Best New American Film - On the Ice, directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (USA, 2011)
• Best Film Golden Space Needle Award - Paper Birds, directed byEmilio Aragón (Spain, 2010)
• Best Documentary Golden Space Needle Award - To Be Heard, directed by Roland Legiardi-Laura, Amy Sultan, Deborah Shaffer, Edwin Martinez (USA, 2010)
• Best Director Golden Space Needle Award  - Larysa Kondracki, The Whistleblower (Canada/Germany, 2010)
• Best Actor Golden Space Needle Award - Bill Skarsgård, Simple Simon (Sweden, 2010)
• Best Actress Golden Space Needle Award - Natasha Petrovic, As If I Am Not There (Ireland/Macedonia/Sweden, 2010)
• Best Short Film Golden Space Needle Award - The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore, directed by William Joyce (USA, 2011)
• Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision, Presented by Women in Film/Seattle - Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, directed by Constance Marks (USA, 2011)
• Youth Jury Award for Best FutureWave Feature - Detention, directed by Joseph Kahn (USA, 2011)
• Youth Jury Award for Best Films4Families Feature - Circus Dreams, directed by Signe Taylor (USA, 2011)
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short - Time Freak, directed by Andrew Bowler (USA, 2010)
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short - Library of Dust, directed by Ondi Timoner and Robert James (USA, 2010)
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Animated Short - The Eagleman Stag, directed by Mikey Please (USA, 2010) 

Here's a short piece of Deborah Person and Carl Spence kicking off the awards program:



And of course here are some photos from the festivities.  You should be able to click on each for a higher resolution version.

A look at a ticket to the event.

The actual awards on display

Folks enjoying their brunch pre-award ceremony

Deborah Person and Carl Spence introduce the program

Dustin Kaspar introduces youth juries

Film4Families Youth Jury

Youth jury awarding Detention it's prize

Presentation of the FIPRESCI prize

Presentation of the Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision

Beth Barrett and Carl Spence

Clinton McClung gets into the action

The directors, producers, and one of the non-directing stars of To Be Heard receive their awards

SIFF's Best of Weekend

SIFF 2011 has come to a close. That basically means one important thing - SIFF's "Best of Fest" weekend is only days away.  For the last several years the Seattle International Film Festival has adopted the concept of having one last hurrah where they show award winners and audience favorites.  Or at least those they still have a copy of...

I've been lucky enough to have seen a good number of the films making a return lap through SIFF Cinema this coming weekend. Some I've reviewed, some I haven't - but I'm gonna make a quick run through the lot to share some quick thoughts on many.  Thankfully there are still a few I haven't seen - so hope to run into tons of folks this weekend.  Tickets are onsale now at the SIFF website. If you're gonna spend some serious time at Seattle Center you'll want to checkout the Best of SIFF pass - at $50 for members ($75 for non members) it's a steal.

• Gandu (India) - Well, all I can reliably say about the jurors for the New Directors Competition (who chose this film for their Grand Jury Prize) is that they either love hard driving rap, experimental cinema, or pornography.  Perhaps all three.  The name of this film means "asshole" - so Winnie the Pooh it ain't.  This ain't no Bollywood film - which I strongly suspect is the point. It definitely earns it's "experimental" title in both the WTF? and the "I can't believe I brought my mom" sense of things. I liked the raw energy, the look and the music. But there's a deeper level I know I missed. Or maybe there's not a deeper level and director Q just wanted to get some fantasies involving big sunglasses wearing women pretending to be a cat licking cream out of a bowl onscreen. In which case he has gloriously succeeded. I'm still not really sure I "liked" it. But in the spirit of seeing something different I'm super glad I went. Held my attention much better than the experimental film with dudes wearing sheets in the afterlife. Personally I sort of think it's worth seeing - but I guarantee this is gonna be the most decisive film of the weekend.

• Simple Simon (Sweden) - On the exact opposite end of the spectrum from Gandu is Simple Simon a film about Simon, a teen with Asperger's who lives with his beloved older brother.  When his older brother's girlfriend leaves him, in part due to the rigors of living with Simon a solution needs to be found.  Simon takes it upon himself to find his brother a new girlfriend.  Which is complicated by his lack of understand of girls, and his difficulty reading people's emotions.  Though is made entertaining by the "scientific" scorecard he develops to find the perfect woman.  What follows is somewhat predictable, but still rather entertaining.  It could be (and was) called "fluff" by a less charitable soul - but I think if it is then it's well made (entertaining) fluff.  With a bright colorful look it's the lightest and most "fun" film I saw in Palm Springs this year.    

• Best of SIFF Shorts - I haven't seen all the shorts included in this package, and sadly some of my favorites aren't included.  But there's incredible breadth here with at least a few that I personally will vouch for.  This is probably the material you're most likely never to see again - and hence the film(s) I think are most imperative to catch during their run this coming Friday.

• Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey - Haven't seen it.  But it's about the man behind Elmo.  I didn't even grow up with Elmo, but I'm more than intrigued enough to be seriously waking up early to catch the film.  I've heard good thing.

• To Be Heard (USA) - yes, it's another documentary about high school aged poets.  And even more incredibly, I'm recommending this one too.  My full review just went up - so I'm just gonna direct you there.  Oh yeah, this film also won the audience award for best documentary of the festival.  So if you don't trust me - the masses liked it as well.

• Tilt (Bulgaria) - Skateboarding, pinball, love and broken dreams in 80's Bulgaria.  Snappy music and a kinetic style.  Lots to like here.  I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I thought I might from the description - though it's certainly not bad - even engrossing at times.  My less than 100% stellar reaction might only be because it's possible that the Bulgarian concept of a happy ending of a romantic drama may be bleaker than I'm used to from Hollywood and beyond.  Worth a look if you're in the area.

• On the Ice (USA) - As promised in the title this film takes place on the ice.  Set in Barrow Alaska something goes very very wrong on a hunting expedition.  Whether it's alcohol or drugs or just testosterone the end result is that someone is dead.  The other two teens on the trip take steps to cover it up - which is made harder by the freezing temperature and snowmobile tracks.  There's a lot going on here - from how teens deal with small town life, the nature of guilt, and just a good old fashion suspense ride.  I thought it was an interesting film, a solid if not personally amazing 96 minutes.  And many folks liked it far more than me.  So odds are you'll get something out of it - if nothing else a reminder that having amazingly self destructive friends often doesn't end well for characters in the movies.  Or more specifically - if your dumb friend is the sort of chap whom may set in motion events that cause another friend to be dead, he's unlikely suddenly to become a calm rational person who doesn't blab your secrets to everyone he meets.

• Paper Birds (Spain) - They say the audience is never wrong. In the case of Golden Space Needle best picture winner of SIFF 2011 I'm going to have to disrespectfully disagree.  I'm still working on a top ten list for the festival - but I can assure you Paper Birds won't be on it.  I'm actually quite happy for anyone who enjoyed this film more than I did - but I can't personally suggest it with a clear conscience. The film is set in post-civil war Spain and follows a troupe of performers who are harassed to varying degrees by agents of the Franco government.  It's a hard, hard life and these people try to make the best of it through their virtual family of performers.  Dark as it is, that part of the film would have a lot to recommend it.  But something about the intense melodrama kept me from truly being pulled into the film's world.  Part of that, perhaps a large part of that is the overwhelming music that seemed ever-present informing me how to feel.  From the introduction in Palm Springs I recall mention that the music was composed by the director.  That's certainly an impressive accomplishment, but I think in this case less would be more.  The melodrama continues right through to the penultimate scene which I may have chortled a bit at.  That is I'm fairly sure not the reaction being sought.  Plenty of people I met really dug this film.  So your mileage may vary.

• Circus Dreams (USA) - Takes us behind the scenes of Circus Smirkus as we follow the touring youth group from start to finish.  The under 18 year old circus provides an opportunity for talented kids who are thinking of going into the business a chance for a live experience and great mentorship.  It seems to also provide a hands on lesson on how to run a business on the continued bleeding edge of financial insolvency by planning via hope and a prayer.  Putting that second part aside it was interesting to watch some of the kids - particularly the pair of female clowns who we get the most time with.  Beyond them coverage of any one aspect wasn't especially deep - just gives you some fly on the wall time.  I wouldn't say it's a very enthralling documentary but not an unpleasant one either.  It's likely targeted at a younger audience and the fact that it was awarded the best Films4Families prize by the SIFF 2011 Youth Jury seems to speak to that.  I think the takeaway is that your kids will dig it - and afterwards you can probably undue the bad business lessons imparted.

The rest of the films that air on Sunday 6/19 I haven't seen.  These include the documentary How to Die in Oregon about euthanasia, Life in a Day that boils down thousands of hours of YouTube submitted video documenting a day in the life of planet earth (that I'm assured features more than just cats doing cute things), Old Goats (which I'd heard good things about) and King of Devil's Island - a Norwegian drama about a youth prison that I'm assured is worth seeing by friends.  All in all I'll probably be stopping by SIFF Cinema myself on Sunday at some point - and hopefully Friday night to catch the shorts. 

I've had a great time, and I'd like to publicly thank everyone at SIFF professionally and as a volunteer for working your asses off to give this cinematic gift to the city of Seattle.  If you're heading over to SIFF Cinema this weekend please be sure to thank them in person.  We're very lucky to have such a great festival in our town.

To Be Heard (USA)

It's hard for me to believe that I'm reviewing two poetry related documentaries in just the last two months.  I'd have to really think about it, but that's probably two more documentaries about poets than I've seen in all my prior decades on this earth.  Perhaps more astounding is that both of them are pretty darn engrossing.  On one hand it's possible to think of the SIFF Golden Space Needle winning best documentary film To Be Heard film as a less uplifting version of last month's dynamite Louder Than a Bomb.  That's the documentary about a poetry slam contest for students in the Chicago area.  Though it might be fairer to view this as an unvarnished look within an inner city school about what can (and cannot) be accomplished by focused and dedicated educators (not to mention motivated teens).  The leaders of the program shown utilize words as their weapons of choice, but I have a hard time imagining one couldn't achieve similar results with science, engineering, or any number of other tools to engage and keep the kids focused on a goal beyond their day to day lives. What seems to work is that this is a group of incredibly hard working educators doing everything they can to give determined teens a way out of (seriously) challenging circumstances.  The fact that the directors and the teachers are at least 50% the same people (the film boasts four directors) only guarantees a level of total access that provides the viewer a sense they are living alongside the participants.

One of the directors along with one of the members of the Tripod

To Be Heard isn't about slam poetry.  It's about a class of students going through the "Power Writers Program" that gives students the chance to learn poetry and life lessons from teachers that use the experience both as therapy and an amazing support group.  More specifically it follows three students who within this framework establish an incredibly strong bond, terming themselves "the Tripod" - unable to stand without all the members.  Challenged by the program slogan "If you don’t learn to write your life story, someone else will write it for you" they fight to be successful and take the audience along for an emotional roller coaster.  This thing feels real, because of the style of film-making as well as the students pouring out their lives through their work.  Maybe you're a critic of America's education system and don't think a student's overall environment can be part of the problem or that the quality of the instructor doesn't make a huge difference.  In that case To Be Heard is going to make you rethink those positions unless you're not really watching. I know that the focus of the film is supposed to be in part on these three students.  But for all the courage that some of them display for me it's the teachers that are the absolute heroes of this tale.  Regardless, it's something to see.  Just don't skip Louder than a Bomb - think of it as a supplemental experience.

This is a documentary about growing up in the Bronx, not a work of fantasy. So you shouldn't go expecting everything to come up roses. It doesn't - change from where these kids started from is hard and often incomplete.  But I think it's well worth seeing on its return showings at this week's SIFF Best of Fest (or later on when I believe it'll be on public TV stations in some locations).  I challenge you to leave not at least a little inspired.  In the meantime you can learn more about the organization at their website.

Below is a section of the post Q&A from the film followed by a trailer. The Q&A footage isn't complete but I think it gives a decent sense of the post-film discussion.

The Destiny of Lesser Animals (Ghana)

It's not often one gets to see a film from Ghana. And it's not often one gets to see a film that is both emotionally engaging and suspenseful. So it was a real treat to attend a screening of The Destiny of Lesser Animals. The story is pretty simple, yet complex. Inspector Boniface is a police officer with a serious hankering to travel to the United States. He has been there before but what happened is clouded in some mystery. His application for entry denied he resorts to the purchase of an illegal visa. Unfortunately the fates have a cruel sense of humor because once he's laid out a small fortune for a forgery it's promptly stolen. Worried about being caught he concocts a story of his gun being stolen as a cover for his search for the thieves. At his second stop along the way he falls in with a superior officer who's chasing the same guy for an altogether different recent.  The older man is both a father figure and a proponent of stopping the young and ambitious from leaving the country. As Boniface's tension of finding the thieves before his crime is discovered we're taken along for the ride. I'm grateful to have gone along for the trip.

The Destiny of Lesser Animals screens on 6/11 at the Harvard Exit at 7pm and on 6/12 at the Admiral Theater at 3:30pm

Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians

Up front I've got to say that this film may have the been the most anticipated film based solely on title for me playing at SIFF this year.  Making an appearance during the fests closing weekend, Holy Rollers rides along for a few years a Christian blackjack card counting team. They're not counting cards to directly fund ministry activities (as I suspected from description) but instead beating casinos as a low time commitment career that allows them to give more time to preaching and family. So this group of young Christian hipsters are really just following the American dream of making as much money as possible with the least possible effort. To which I personally have got to say, Amen.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself - aren't Christians against gambling? Best as I can tell you'd be right. The difference here is that they don't consider it a wager if the odds long term are on their side. And technically if you are counting cards the player does have an advantage over the house. Though as it turns out the key qualifiers of that are to not to make technical mistakes and to avoid getting thrown out by the casino so quickly the trip isn't worth the effort. That second part is a big thing as an individual player counting in blackjack is pretty readily detectable due to varying the pattern of their wagers with the count. Nevertheless these guys put together a group and corporate structure to make a go of it.  For me one of the biggest dramas of the film is whether they'll go bust in the end - taking all their friends and family's "investment" down with them.

The company members seem to be recruited by word of mouth through small ministries. They feel this gives the group as an advantage as they believe they can fully trust each other. Which isn't an insignificant issue as it's an all cash business with "employees" regularly traveling with up to a hundred thousand dollars taped to their bodies.  Not surprisingly this trust is tested at times.  Most notably with an ugly incident later in the film when one of the few non-believers is accused of theft based on (I am not kidding) the direct voice of the Lord.

The film itself is interesting and surprisingly pretty to look at. The basic mechanics of counting cards and running the business side of the effort are effectively communicated. On the negative side the footage of young hipster folks saying over and over how they lived Christ and wanted to make money without a lot of work became repetitive. Without any judgement as to whether or not that's a reasonable expectation it definitely gets old eventually. What I was super-curious about but remained unasked was whether they has tried some of the team play techniques publicly written about by MIT blackjack team members. No one on-screen seemed not to focus on what seemed like the most important optimization point - extending the time one gets to play before the casino boots you. It's a pretty well documented area so I was surprised they always seemed to play as individuals. But maybe that's the difference between world class engineers and a bunch of youth pastors.

Also - I'm sort of curious to what extent they paid taxes on all that cash. But hey, they're Christians so I'm sure they're on the up and up.

The film is considerably better than recent Hollywood treatments such as the horrible 21. Holy Rollers isn't perfect but it's definitely got enough going for it that I think it's worth seeing if the subject matter is intriguing to you.  Or if you're looking for a bunch of folks to rob with large amounts of cash on hand - while the filmmakers take some steps to obscure locations I doubt it would be that hard to figure out.

The film screens during SIFF June 11th at the Admiral theater at 6pm and SIFF Cinema on June 12th at 3:30pm.  More details about the film and a trailer (sorry not embeddable) can be found here at their official site.

SIFF in 60 Seconds

Yikes, a lot of film behind me with a limited number of posts. Gonna try to so something about this here and now.  I got a complaint yesterday my coverage has been a bit delayed, so gonna try and power through a bunch of quick capsule updates. And yes, I still have a bunch of films I've seen I haven't mentioned - so if you're curious about my thoughts on something not yet mentioned feel free to ask in the comments or hit me up on twitter.

The High Road - I went to see this "stoner" comedy with seriously low expectations. Mainly due to the presence of two terms in the description "Saturday night live" and "improv." Given those initial expectations it wasn't bad. I did laugh, though not enough to really recommend it as a must see. The best parts for me was when the characters were sitting around talking in the absence of drama. Which was basically in the beginning which does have a pretty great stream of consciousness dialog/train wreck from a SNL player receiving undisguised looks of disgust from his female friends as he throws around terms such as "high end trim." Once the story gets started though I had a little less fun. Stoner who is accidental drug dealer goes on the run and accidentally is perceived to kidnap good looking (we're repeatedly told) 16 year old neighbor boy along on road trip to see his long lost cross dressing dad. Enjoyed the actors (mostly) more than the arc. But decent entertainment as long as you're not expecting to lose bladder control due to uncontrollable laughter. And when you put it that way...

Gandu (India) - possibly my biggest disappointment with Gandu is that there wasn't a Q&A after this film. That's because I had a LOT of questions. In full fairness if one carefully parses the guide description the viewer is totally briefed as to what to expect. So it doesn't really seem fair to complain if you were taken aback by the non-linear storyline, random rap numbers, in your face language (the title does mean 'asshole') and explicit (non-simulated) sex scenes or the rickshaw driver friend obsessed with Bruce Lee. This ain't no Bollywood film - which I strongly suspect is the point. It definitely earns it's "experimental" title in both the WTF? and the "I can't believe I brought my mom" sense of things. I liked the raw energy, the look and the music. But there's a deeper level I know I missed. Or maybe there's not a deeper level and director Q just wanted to get some fantasies involving big sunglasses wearing women pretending to be a cat licking cream out of a bowl onscreen. In which case he has gloriously succeeded. I'm still not really sure I "liked" it. But in the spirit of seeing something different I'm super glad I went. Held my attention much better than the experimental film with dudes wearing sheets in the afterlife.

Lys / Roman's Ark - one short full length film and one longer short combine for a sci-fi double feature. I really liked Roman's Ark even given its absence of dialog. In my view that's enough reason to see the set of films. Lys is ok - but if you've seen the trailer you've got pretty much 100% of the story. A girl is discovered in the core of a newfangled power plant built to tap a previously unknown source of spiritual green energy. What could go wrong?

Fire in Babylon (UK) - a movie about the West Indies cricket team who dominated the sport mercilessly for many years after humble beginnings. Fairly fun - my main criticism is I don't understand cricket and still don't get how it's played after seeing the film. Subtitles wouldn't hurt either. But I'm glad I saw it and definitely learned things I didn't previously know. Such as for example that throwing the ball at players as a strategy is all part of the game. Lots of catchy music in the mix keeps things lively.  And of course it's near impossible not to root for the underdogs fighting back against a history of colonial impression using the former ruler's own game against them.  I'm easy that way.

The Service Entrance (France) - Entertaining comedy about rich French stockbroker who becomes re-invigorated after starting to hang out with the Spanish maids the live above his apartment. Which may have something to do with the hotness of a specific one. Or maybe it's just the cultural awakening.  Either way there's an entertaining "It's good to be the King" undercurrent for me that had me laughing in an unintended way afterward.  But I liked it all the same.  Not as much fun for me as Names of Love but still worth a look when it comes back to town.

Absent (Argentina) - Described in the catalog as a "Hitchcockian thriller with a compelling twist, this tale of forbidden desire focuses on a teacher’s stifled lust and a manipulative teenage boy who unravels both their lives with a single act."  Perhaps a better written turn of phrase than the film itself it's mostly accurate.  Except the part about how the film seems so predictable that you know it can't turn out exactly as you'd expect.  Except that the twist is so underwhelming it makes one feel cheated - especially after being subjected to the unrelenting SUSPENSEFUL music. Lot of people I saw it with found it annoyingly pretentious - I thought it was a bit much but would put it more in the OK category.  Technically well done (except for the score) I was curious enough where it was going to stick around.  But I wouldn't skip another film to see this one.

The Whisperer in the Darkness (USA) - Cool retro looking and occasionally tongue in cheek telling of a HP Lovecraft story.  A more literate friend sent me this amusing summary of  of all Lovecraft stories that seems to cover this one as well.  The creative look makes it both suspenseful and fun. 

Angel of Evil (Italy) - One of those films from Italy that covers the rise and fall of a criminal mastermind that captured the attention of the nations men and (especially) it's women.  I was unfamiliar with the target of the biopic, so educational in the specifics - but didn't really bring anything to the genre that I hadn't seen before.  Guess next time they'll switch back to a politician.  Speaking of which - not nearly as dynamic as Il Divo regardless of how hard the festival guide attempts to implicitly draw that comparison.

Small Town Murder Songs (Canada) - Beautiful and very tight production that follows a small town sheriff dealing with a murdered woman and his own demons.  The sound is great, the look is great, and the acting dialed in.  I will say no more than I doubt you'll get more bang for your buck with this 75 minute flick too many other places.

Our Home (Brazil) - This fantastical treatment of the afterlife from Brazil felt like the longest, most boring Star Trek film ever.  Lots of people materializing contributes, but more it's the dreamy backdrops I think.  Doctor wakes up dead in a rather unpleasant version of purgatory then slowly evolves over what seemed like a much longer film than I watched.  According to the film guide this was "an adaptation of a novel by spiritualist medium Chico Xavier, who claimed that all of his 412 books were channeled." That sort of explains a lot.  Nice enough looking film, but nothing really that much happens - except for the explaining the mysteries of the universe of course.  Just don't go sleepy and your enjoyment may be higher than mine was.

Norman - Billed as a dark comedy I didn't exactly see the comedy part too. An eighteen year old boy whose mom died years earlier has a dad dying of cancer.  So in a moment of something he tells his friend he's the one dying of cancer - so of course the entire school knows the next day. Complications ensue.

Cute love interest (Emily VanCamp) makes it bearable but generally I wasn't especially engaged by this depressing piece. Richard Jenkins is the dad - so of course that performance is great. But I wasn't planning on seeing a film about him dying - so it felt out of place. That was likely just me.  At least be sure you see this when you're in the mood for something other than American Pie. Almost forgot - film also has Adam Goldberg playing a beyond annoying teacher - which may be reason enough to avoid it.

Mammuth (France) - I was absolutely shocked during the screening of this film to realize I was seriously enjoying a film starring Gérard Depardieu.  This definitely isn't for everyone but I had a great time at this black comedy road movie that follows Depardieu as a recent retiree from the pork processing trade forced to travel back through his personal history to acquire pay-slips from all his previous jobs in order to qualify for full government benefits.  He rides his vintage motorbike which seems ill suited to his humongous frame and encounters a string of disgruntled youth (who are unsympathetic to his plight over benefits they'll never receive) and odd family members.  How not for everyone? Well - if the thought of a sex scene more uncomfortable than The Room featuring Depardieu engaged in mutual masturbation with a male (and equally fit) relative strikes you as possibly funny then I encourage you to give it a try.  Even if not, it only lasts a couple of minutes - you can always close your eyes.  Probably likely to make my top list for the fest - though possibly the surprise factor is helping.  I have not enjoyed a film with Depardieu in a really long time.

Juan (Denmark) - From this English language (yet still subtitled) modernization of Don Giovanni I learned a couple of things.  First off the storyline of Don Giovanni. Second, that one can still get some pretty crude language into an opera.  And third - that opera is not my thing.  I went largely to see about that last one, and best I can tell my general lack of interest in non vampire and/or puppet musicals extends to the more classic works as well.  I think there's probably something to recommend Juan in the looks and score of the film, but even though I found it interesting to watch it truly wasn't my cup of tea.  Characters just didn't really hold my attention.  Puts the whole Congressman Weiner thing in perspective though, don't it?

The Sandman (Switzerland)

Bright, beautiful, romantic, and incredibly bizarre The Sandman is a must see film. It would easily be one of my top films of SIFF 2011, except for the fact that it's playing at STIFF instead.  Main character Benno is an ultra-uptight neat freak who works in a stamp shop. When he's not ripping off the gullible he obsesses about his weight each morning, provides brutally critical feedback to friends about their life's work and gives untold grief to a young woman who works in the coffee shop below his apartment.  All in all a real mensch - or perhaps not. Then out of nowhere he develops and unusual affliction. He begins to leak sand. And nor just regular sand but magical instantaneous sleep inducing sand. Which similar to normal sand tastes horrible in pasta.
This explosion of essentially dirt doesn't really fit in with his other lifestyle choices. Especially when it causes his hot girlfriend to think he's bedding the coffee shop girl (it makes perfect sense in context). Even his earnest protest that it can't be true that he's hooking up with the presumably frumpier woman because "looks are important to me" fails to mollify her. Oh, almost forgot. In the meantime he's also beginning to share a recurring dream with the waitress he professes to hate.  This is a strange film - in a very colorful visual way that reminds me of a Michel Gondry creation, though more fun for me than his recent work.  My full thoughts (which now that its screening at STIFF has passed would include a suggestion to add it to your Netflix queue) on the film can be found over at Three Imaginary Girls.