SIFF 2014 Reviews

2014-06-07T16:11:00.002-07:00

Ratings based on 5 stars. List is alphabetical. New additions are marked with >>>

>>>Begin Again****

A wonderful musician's fantasy with an incredible cast and great music and heart. This was made by the same people who created Once, and was equal to that if not just a bit better. I did pull a star off of this film as I began to write this because, simply looking at the title, I couldn't remember what the movie was. So. No long lasting impressions, but a pleasant experience, nonetheless.

Director:	John Carney
Principal Cast:	Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Hailee Steinfeld
Country:	USA
Year:	2013

>>>Belle and Sebastien****

A fantastic adventure, gorgeously filmed and satisfyingly told. For my mom's sake I must say that it can be a slightly unpleasant experience for anyone with a fear if heights. That said, the dizzying suspense is part of what helps this to rise above or at least meet the best of the existing boy and his dog films.

Director:	Nicolas Vanier
Principal Cast:	Félix Bossuet, Tchéky Karyo, Mehdi El Glaoui
Country:	France
Year:	2013

Beyond the Brick: a Lego Brickumentory***

Director:	Daniel Junge, Kief Davidson
Principal Cast:	Narrated by: Jason Bateman
Country:	Denmark, USA

This documentary, as the title suggests, is a little bit too cutesy at times, but it does end up giving you some compelling information about the history and the future of this “toy”. The most engrossing is the examples of innovative uses of Legos as tools for design and art. The most moving is watching people who love their Legos getting to fulfill their fondest dreams.

The Congress**

Director:	Ari Folman
Principal Cast:	Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Danny Huston, Jon Hamm, Paul Giamatti
Country:	Israel

I hate to say that I did not like the animated portion of this film. It’s such an innovative piece, and the idea of the animation is so right, but it just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t feel the heartbeat during that part - which is the second half of the movie - it just went silent. There was nothing compelling and no through-line. Anything could happen in this other-side world, and it did, so there wasn’t anything with which to get involved. That said, the ending of the film, which is a combination of animated and real-life as well as the whole first half is truly breath taking. Such an interesting and thought-provoking set up, with emotional punch and visual attractiveness really needed to be met with the same in the animated world and it just wasn’t. That world was flat and meaningless in comparison. Maybe that was the idea? I don’t think so, I just think the animator and the writer of the story that takes place there wasn’t up to the task.

Damnation*****

Director:	Ben Knight, Travis Rummel
Country:	USA
Year:	2014

Ben Knight tricked me at the beginning of this film when he said “Hi I’m Ben, I’ll be your narrator. Before I made this film, I didn’t really know much about dams except that the overflow chutes are great for skateboard tricks..”, or something close to that. I assumed I was going to see a fun, though probably not very compelling or well-done film. It’s a good thing to discover one’s own prejudices, so I will add that to the perks of this documentary about the movement toward removal of dams in America. This film is so very compelling, so very well composed and developed, I can’t say enough about it. Let me just say, simply, that it is an absolutely beautiful and moving story. The various angles on the story and people involved are abundant, important, and effective. That some of the events take place on our very own Elwa river, matters a great deal. That I had more than one quote from the movie come up appropriately in the two days since I saw the movie is notable. That I am now in love with a woman who spent time in Glen Canyon (and shot lots of spectacular footage), before it became Lake Powell, is life affirming. You’ll love her, too. Go see this movie.

Dear White People***

Director:	Justin Simien
Principal Cast:	Tyler Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell
Country:	USA

This is a fun movie with a good message. I didn’t get lots of references (I’m guessing more because of my age than my racial background), but the ones I did get went deep and the laughter and outrage I felt were genuine. That is despite the satire’s rather broad strokes. I was particularly taken with the lead actress, Tessa Thompson (who’s character has nightmares about being one of the Cosby kids). She’s an old friend from Veronica Mars.

>>>The Dune***

The acting and the photography of this mystery are both above the line, but it is just a one liner that's pretty easy to figure out. So, not suspenseful, but enjoyable.

Director:	Yossi Aviram
Principal Cast:	Niels Arestrup, Lior Askenazi, Emma de Caunes, Guy Marchand, Mathieu Amalric
Country:	France, Israel

>>>Elsa and Fred***

This is a very sweet love story with superstars for actors. It's also a bit cringe worthy, not because it’s old people being romantic, that part is fine, it's triteness and utter predictability that squashes it. Ah well.

Director:	Michael Radford
Principal Cast:	Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Marcia Gay Harden, Jared Gilman, Chris Noth
Country:	USA

>>>Helicopter Mom*

Okay story, terrible dialog and terrible acting.

Director:	Salomé Breziner
Principal Cast:	Nia Vardalos, Jason Dolley, Mark Boone Junior, Scott Shilstone, Skyler Samuels

Country:	USA

I, Origins****

Director:	Mike Cahill
Principal Cast:	Michael Pitt, Brit Marling, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Steven Yeun, Archie Panjabi
Country:	USA

A very neat story based on a great and perhaps quite feasible what if. Sci fi at its best. The filmmaker is currently working on "I". The movie this is the prequel to. Look for clues about that after the credits. The only reason I don't give this five stars is the scripting choice of a particularly brutal and focus jolting death. This felt unnecessary to me. Otherwise, a fantastic script, great cinematography, perfect performances. Particularly of note is the young Indian actress in the film's final act.

>>>Kumiko, Treasure Hunter***

This is a fascinating and suspenseful parable of a story with amazing photography and a fantastic cast of characters. The overwrought score and downward spiral of the film, bring it low, but it’s still worth watching.

Director:	David Zellner
Principal Cast:	Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Shirley Venard, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Country:	USA, Japan

>>>Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed****

Recognize the lyric? A very sweet road trip and young boy coming of age flick that's all heart and a joy to watch.

Director:	David Trueba
Principal Cast:	Javier Cámara, Natalia de Molina, Francesc Colomer
Country:	Spain
Year:	2013

>>>Love and Lemons***

A very enjoyable romantic movie. Perfect for date night. Definitely see it before dinner as it is the perfect appetizer. A very unique and enjoyable soundtrack tops it off.

Director:	Teresa Fabik
Principal Cast:	Rakel Wärmländer, Dan Ekborg, Josefin Bornebusch, Sverrir Gudnason, Tomas von Brömssen
Country:	Sweden
Year:	2013

Lucky Them*****

Director:	Megan Griffiths
Principal Cast:	Toni Collette, Thomas Haden Church, Oliver Platt, Ahna O’Reilly
Country:	USA

This, for me, is the very definition of a perfect movie. Compelling. Funny. Poignant. Beautifully shot. It’s unpredictable, but follows a satisfyingly evolutionary course. The characters are deeply written and so you are pulled deeply in. There is a brilliance in the script that uses audience assumptions and then blows them away. Toni Collette’s portrayal is typically amazing, so if you go to the movie for her, which I did, you will not be disappointed. If you go to the movie because it's shot in Seattle and environs, you will not be disappointed. If you go because you love music, you won’t be disappointed. If you go because you love a good story, you will not be… If you go to the movie because it’s directed by our local rising, no, rocketing, star Megan Griffiths you won’t be... I can’t actually figure out any scenario where you would be disappointed. Go see it.

Mood Indigo (L‘ecume des jours)***

Director:	Michel Gondry
Principal Cast:	Audrey Tautou, Omar Sy, Romain Duris, Aïssa Maïga, Philippe Torreton
Country:	France

The second half of this movie, particularly the ending gets two stars. The first half gets 4. So, it averages to 3 stars, but not really. I would recommend this movie to everyone, if they are willing to get up and leave after the doctor comes to the house and gives a lousy prognosis. Perhaps Michel Gondry’s goal was to lift his audience up in a gentle, cartoonish cloud, bounce them around in quirkiness and charming innovation, dazzle them with hyper carnival colors and then tip the cloud car upside down so they plummet into dingy dark murk and hopelessness. Lousy goal, if so. Let me say, though, that the whimsical creative genius in the first half of this film is mind-blowingly wonderful.

Muse of Fire****

Director:	Giles Terera, Dan Poole
Principal Cast:	Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Ben Kinsgley, Ian McKellan, Rory Kinnear, Ralph Fiennes
Country:	United Kingdom

This fabulous documentary serves its expressed purpose by inspiring its audience to stop fearing Shakespeare. The filmmakers make themselves part of the film and bring you along on their crazy journey to explore the reason Shakespeare seems to scare people. They're just a couple of guys who like to act and decided to make a film. Why not follow them as they explore? This works, not only because you see them sparsely, just enough to remind you that there's nothing to be afraid of, but also because their goofy hope filled approach belies their exceptional skills as actors, filmmakers, interviewers, editors and musicians. Clearly, they obviously also have exceptional social skills, not only because of great interactions they have with people everywhere they go, but also who they know and who they convince to share their thoughts in this film. A short list, Judy Dench, Ian McKellen, Ralph Fines... Gets very long, very fast. And what these people have to say isn't cursory. Judy Dench, after a perfect rendering of the sleep text from Macbeth turns to the camera, breaths a bit and says, 'if I had written that, I'd stay up and look at myself in the mirror'.

Obvious Child***

Director:	Gillian Robespierre
Principal Cast:	Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross, Gabe Liedman
Country:	USA

Despite what some might find to be too many fart jokes, this is actually a lovely little romantic comedy. Gender role reversal and an example of the hardships only women face from one-night stands freshen the well established structure. Add to that a number of pleasant surprise reactions from the various characters, a compelling performance from Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern, and a perfectly choreographed love making scene set to the song upon which the movie's title is based and you've got a real charmer.

Regarding Susan Sontag****

Director:	Nancy Kates
Country:	USA
Year:	2014

Nancy Kate - "the question of what you should be looking at is a very complicated one". In reference to the graphics in her film while Patricia Clarkson is reading Sontag's words. The question, in the case of Susan Sontag, is always complicated, it seems, yet this film about her, her works, and her lovers is quite accessible and enjoyable. I came away feeling that the answers weren't near as difficult as I might once have thought. Not to mention an even larger crush than I already had for this astounding woman.

Seeds of time**

Director:	Sandy McLeod
Country:	USA
Year:	2013

The arguments and urgency presented in this film about preserving the seeds of crops that are going extinct are very strong and important, but it's hard to get that message from this uneven film. Beautifully shot footage and compelling stories from around the world are lost in a jib jab of editing with way too much emphasis placed on the dull camera angles in stuffy offices. If the filmmakers had edited those meetings and talking heads out and just let actions speak (in a story telling order), it would have been something to see. Instead, it was something to sleep through.

The Skeleton Twins****

Director:	Craig Johnson,
Principal Cast:	Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook
Country:	USA

This is a very sweet, funny/sad fantastically acted heart tugger about siblings and suicide and how much we need each other. All the actors are known for their comic chops - here we get to see, again, how great comedians can be at drama.

The Sunfish***

Director:	Søren Balle
Principal Cast:	Henrik Birch, Susanne Storm, Lars Topp Thomsen, Jacob Hauberg Lohmann, Mikkel Vadsholt
Premiere Status:	North American Premiere
Country:	Denmark

This is a charming love story. The characters are diverse and interesting and the setting brings some good tension. The city woman/country man device is a familiar one, but I enjoyed how this one played out.

>>>Tangerines****

A very good, quietly seething anti-war film. This one has stuck with me and earned an extra star for its impact.

Director:	Zaza Urushadze
Principal Cast:	Lembit Ulfsak, Elmo Nüganen, Zhanri Lolashvili, Mikheil Meskhi, Giorgi Nakashidze
Country:	Estonia, Georgia
Year:	2013

Tracks****

Director:	John Curran
Principal Cast:	Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver, Emma Booth, Rainer Bock, Roly Mintuma
Country:	United Kingdom, Australia

Finally! The book I read in my twenties that altered my life and continues to affect my thinking has been brought to the screen. And, it doesn’t disappoint. Gorgeous settings, a real feeling of the grueling, mind bending journey this woman went on, and some of the complexity as to why she did it is presented. Not much narration, so it’s really about the visual experience, whereas the book is about the inner thoughts created and expressed through that medium. This is how it should be. When movies try to read to you, they fall short. Just show it. A very satisfying experience. Warning - If you’re sensitive to these things (which I am), harm to animals is depicted, necessarily so.

Trip to Italy***

Director:	Michael Winterbottom
Principal Cast:	Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Rosie Fellner, Claire Keelan, Marta Barrio
Country:	United Kingdom, Italy

I loved the first one, called "The Trip” and taking place in the Lakes District so much, I bought the DVD when it came out. The problem with sequels is that you go in with expectations. When these are met, rather than exceeded then the movie is just good. Such is the case here. Delicious setting, Italy this time. Rich and unusual food. Tasty banter. Piquant and poignant moments and some bad behavior sprinkled over the top. Just what one would expect.

>>>You Must Be Joking***

This comedy is pretty choppy, the story telling is often neglected for a so so joke. It's mostly enjoyable though, and in the end, and I do mean the final act and how it's wrapped up, it's truly funny.

Director:	Jake Wilson
Principal Cast:	Sas Goldberg, Jake Wilson, Margaret Colin, Hannibal Buress, James Wolk
Premiere Status:	World Premiere
Country:	USA

SIFF 2014 - Let's get the reels rolling!

2014-05-02T18:06:00.003-07:00

SIFF Press screenings have begun. My opinions will be in the next note. Here are the upcoming movies I’m extremely excited about (I’ve added links so you can read SIFF’s descriptions):

Absolute Must See

Saw these this week and they are fantastic!

Damnation

The Skeleton Twins

Opinions about these and three others coming up next.

Entertainment Value: Movies I Saw This Week 8/5/13

2013-08-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

(descriptions and information gathered from IMDB. The opinions rendered below these, however, are mine. Using a 5 star rating system.)

Match Point ** 2005

At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for a femme-fatal type who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Director/Writer

:
Woody Allen,
Stars:
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer

This is an absolutely brilliantly written and executed pure bummer of a movie. The plot is basically a simplified Great Gatsby without nuance. I'm a lifelong fan of Woody Allen's, and I certainly can't fault his work here, but I also can't understand why he made this movie.

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

** 1999

A young girl receives a vision that drives her to rid France of its oppressors.

Director:
Luc Besson,
Writers:
Andrew Birkin, Luc Besson,
Stars:
Rab Affleck, Stéphane Algoud, Milla Jovovich

This is certainly A story, but it's a strangely told one, with a rather cynical root. It presents Her as not a visionary, but just a mad girl. The strangeness is the odd humor amidst extreme and grotesque violence. At moments operatic and others hyper real. It's hard to know where to settle while watching. It's also hard and amazing to watch Milan Jovovich's screechy yet compelling performance. Finally, as you might imagine, the thing doesn't end well.

Diana's Movie Opinions

SIFF 2014 Reviews

SIFF 2014 - Let's get the reels rolling!

Entertainment Value: Movies I Saw This Week 8/5/13

Director/Writer

:

Stars:

Director:

Writers:

Stars: