the voice of reason (on film)

Late November--time to release the good movies!

2011-11-22T16:28:00.000-08:00

11/22/11

TVOR hasn't had much to say about movies recently. She simply didn't see many over the summer and in the early fall. Now is the season for quality movies, though, and there are things to talk about.

There are two movies to be released soon that are so good and so beautiful to watch that they demand to be seen on the big screen. If you wait until they come out on video, you will miss much of the beauty and the magic. Both movies are by filmmakers who love movies and movie history, and the films pay tribute to their predecessors in tremendously entertaining ways. On top of everything else, these films are appropriate for a wide range of audience members, and suitable for holiday viewing with the family.

The Artist

Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius

This film is pretty unusual for 2011 America. It's in black and white, it's silent, and it has French people in it. The film takes place in Hollywood just as silent films were making way for talkies, and is a loving homage to that era and old movies in general. The types are familiar--the big star of the silent era (Jean Dujardin), the young girl who wants to make it big in the movies (Berenice Bejo), and the winners and losers of Hollywood. The look of the film is familiar as well--it's in the 4:3 aspect ratio used for old films, and it's beautifully shot. There's a lush score, appropriate for a silent film, and there are title cards for the dialog (so it's not like you can tell who's French). In spite of its French pedigree, The Artist was shot in Hollywood, and has a very good (and familiar) supporting cast including John Goodman as a studio chief and James Cromwell as the star's faithful chauffeur. There's a great dog in it, too. So go to a theater, take the family, and embrace a new (old) way to enjoy movies.

Hugo

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Screenplay by John Logan based on the book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick

Here's another movie you should really leave home to see in a big theater, and wear funny 3D glasses while you're doing it. Good movies take us into new worlds, and if we're lucky, we get lost in those worlds for a couple of hours. Hugo takes us into a particularly magical world, and the experience is enhanced by the fact that it's in 3D. Most 3D movies these days seems to be designed for no good reason other than to get a few more dollars out of the ticket-buying audience, and bad 3D can make films look dark and muddy, ruining the fun of going to the movies. This time, however, the 3D is beautifully done and really enhances the movie-going experience. The glasses (new, fancy-schmancy ones) are comfortable, and that third dimension lets the viewer experience the world of the film more fully. And it's a wonderful world. Hugo is a twelve year-old orphan who lives alone in the clock (really) in a train station in Paris in the 1930's. TVOR won't go into the story too much, but just know that he will meet people and things will happen and old films (and filmmakers) play an important part. The script is good, the acting (by Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, and Chloe Grace Moretz, among others) is excellent, and the film is a winner. And it's PG, but not the kind of PG that makes adults want to run out of the theater.

So there you have it. Two wonderful new movies by filmmakers who love old movies. If you know a lot about old movies, you'll see references to them. If you don't, you may sense you're seeing something similar to an older film, but you'll just enjoy it. Because that's what going to the movies is supposed to be about.

Video notes:

If you can't make it to a theater to see one of these new movies, you do have some options--

Michel Hazanavicius made a couple of very silly, very funny spy spoofs, and OSS-117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is the first and funnier. Jean Dujardin is a spy of the Maxwell Smart school--supremely confident, utterly clueless--and Berenice Bejo is one of the ladies who falls for him while he's making the world a safer place. Or trying to.

Beginners--Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer star in Mike Mills' film, one of the best of last summer, now available on video. There are a couple of stories going on in the film--one about a seventy-something father who comes out of the closet after his wife of many decades dies, and the other about his son's tentative start of a love affair. There's a wonderful dog in it too.

Super 8--another summer release now out on video, this J.J. Abrams film is sort of an ode to early Spielberg. There are kids who have time on their hands, some supernatural stuff, and character and story are more important than stuff blowing up. Although some stuff does blow up nicely. Be sure to watch through the credits and you can see the Super-8 movie the kids are working on throughout the film.

Buck--a documentary about a real horse whisperer. Although he really murmurs more than whispers. You don't have to be interested in horses to like this film, but if you do, TVOR suspects that you'll like it even more. The film shows us a lot about people as well as horses.

Page One: Inside the New York Times is another good recent documentary. If you care about the current state of journalism, it's good food for thought. David Carr, the paper's media columnist, is our very entertaining guide for much of the film.

Now go to the movies!

A movie worth putting on 3-D glasses for plus the Best of SIFF

2011-06-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

6/16/11

There are some things to be excited about in the world of movies this week, and that doesn't even include the new releases. TVOR can't comment on these, as she's been sequestered in film festival theaters and has been far away from the land of Hollywood and multi-plexes. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The first thing to be excited about is that there is an excellent reason to leave your home, go into a movie theater, don 3-D glasses, and stare at a big screen. And that reason is Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Werner Herzog's documentary about the Chauvet caves in France. These caves were discovered in 1994, after being sealed up and forgotten for 20,000 or so years, and contain the oldest known cave paintings, dating back 32,000 years. Access is extremely limited, as the site can be damaged by things as simple as people's breath, so luckily for all of us, Werner Herzog and a small crew were allowed to go in and film. They went with 3-D cameras, and took lots of footage of the beautiful paintings, which look quite modern and fresh. And because it's Werner Herzog, we listen to his very soothing voice say some pretty interesting, perhaps not-so-soothing things. He's no ordinary documentarian, that's for sure. This is also one instance where the 3-D photography enhances the viewing experience, allowing us to see how the paintings fit with the contours of the cave, and not surprisingly, given the director, it's beautiful. See it in a movie theater if you can.

If you're not familiar with Werner Herzog's documentaries, you're missing out. He directed Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World, among others--they're available on video.

A second thing to be excited about (if you're in Seattle) is that this coming weekend, June 17-19, is Best of SIFF 2011, when some of the top jury and audience favorites of this year's festival will be given an extra screening, so people can catch up with what they might have missed earlier. Here's TVOR's take on what she's seen:

Gandu--TVOR hasn't seen it, and can't comment. It won a jury prize but audience reactions were mixed.

Simple Simon--a very enjoyable Swedish film about a teenager with Asperger's who tries to find his brother a new girlfriend.

Best of SIFF shorts--TVOR has seen one of the shorts in this program, Cataplexy, and gives it a thumbs up. Given the high quality of the short films this year, this program is a good bet.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey--the man behind (and inside) Elmo of Sesame Street fame. This is a lovely film about a lovely man, and you don't need to have ever watched Sesame Street to like it.

To Be Heard--a documentary about a writing program in the Bronx and three teenaged participants. We spend quite a bit of time with these kids, at home and at school, and get to know them quite well. Very good.

Tilt--TVOR hasn't seen it, but would like to.

On the Ice--teenagers face some huge moral issues in a story set among native people in Barrow, Alaska. In spite of some inexperienced actors, the film works quite well, and is a look into a world most of us will never see.

Paper Birds--a vaudeville company in post-civil war Spain is the setting of this Golden Space Needle audience award winner. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser. TVOR found it somewhat manipulative and the music was definitely a bit much. She did get sucked in, though.

Circus Dreams--TVOR didn't see it, but the kids in the Films 4 Families jury gave it their top prize. It's a documentary about Circus Smirkus.

How to Die in Oregon--a big thumbs up for this documentary about patients, caregivers, and families, and Oregon's Death with Dignity law. It's not always easy to watch, but you come away with a lot of respect for everyone involved. It also follows a volunteer working to get a similar initiative passed in Washington.

Life in a Day--OK, basically this is the best YouTube video ever. 80,000 people submitted 4500 hours of video, all taken on July 24, 2010, to YouTube. 300 snippets from people in 192 countries were turned into a 90-minute movie. And it works. It's sort of chronological, but other than that, it shows all sorts of people doing all sorts of things. TVOR really liked it.

Old Goats--the story of three old guys who are friends. The script is largely improvised, the actors are inexperienced, and in spite of these things, the film basically works.

King of Devil's Island--this movie follows a group of young men and boys, and their warden and guards, in what was basically a reform school in early 20th century Norway. Hint: this was not a nice place. A very good, very entertaining film.

And finally, you can get excited even if you can't make it out to see any movies, but are an HBO subscriber. Some very good documentaries that that were just playing at SIFF are now available for viewing right in your own home.

Bobby Fischer Against the World--an excellent documentary about the fascinating and sad life of Bobby Fischer. There's a lot of footage available of the chess genius, famous at an early age, and this footage is put together into an excellent film. Check it out.

How to Die in Oregon--you can catch the film on the small screen as well as on the big one.

(FYI, TVOR is not getting paid for this plug.)

Now, go to the movies.

Oops--a couple more SIFF movies playing the last weekend

2011-06-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

6/11/11

Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians--this documentary is as the title says, a story of a card counting Christian blackjack team. We spend several years with them, and watch them in action as the team grows in size and success, attracting investors along the way--until things start going south. Will they pull things together again? TVOR won't say. We also get interviews from members of the team recounting their methods, the reasons why they do it (apparently they've made peace with God), and their management techniques. Fascinating, and recommended.

The Destiny of Lesser Animals--a drama from Ghana. The plot revolves around a policeman searching for his recently purchased fake passport, but the real story is about his travels through his country and the people he meets. The police procedural aspects are a bit difficult to follow at times, but the ride is worth it. Thumbs up.

Now you can go to the movies.

SIFF's last weekend--and some movies for the rest of the world

2011-06-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

6/11/11

It's the last weekend of SIFF now, and Seattle movie nerds are frantically trying to catch as many films as possible before the real world descends once again. Here are some comments on a few movies that will show this weekend:

Sound of Noise--a very hard-to-describe, very entertaining Swedish film about a group of people (musical terrorists? guerrilla percussionists?) on a mission to make music in illegal ways and the policeman who is trying to stop them. Delightful--and a toe-tapper.

To Be Heard--a documentary about a high school writing program in the Bronx, focusing on three of the participants. Very well done, sort of like a less uplifting version relative of Louder than a Bomb.

Tabloid--another fascinating documentary by Errol Morris (The Fog of War), this one providing the details of a 1978 tabloid story about a kidnapped Mormon missionary. Stranger than fiction, sad and funny and amazing all at the same time.

Lys--a eco-sci-fi tale which demonstrates once again that you shouldn't mess with Mother Nature. Simultaneously predictable and incomprehensible. Very skippable, it felt longer than its 52 minutes.

All Your Dead Ones--very good Colombian movie about a farmer who finds a pile of bodies in his field. Dealing with this is no small task. Absurdist, a little surreal, and definitely worth seeing.

The Life of Fish--a thirtyish Chilean man at a party with friends from his youth, friends he hasn't seen for a while. It's not bad, but TVOR got tired of everybody and their problems and just wished he'd leave the party.

Por El Camino--a lovely road trip movie through Uruguay. A young Argentinian man gives a young Belgian woman a ride and the narrative unfolds. Very enjoyable, and it made TVOR want to go to Uruguay.

Spud--taking place in 1990 at a south African boarding school, this film chronicles the adventures of Spud, a kid with a weird family and a body that isn't maturing fast enough to suit him. TVOR wanted to like this more than she did, especially since John Cleese plays the English teacher.

Third Star--a very nicely done film about a group of longtime friends, one of whom is dying, who go on a camping trip. Not surprisingly, things do not go smoothly. Surprisingly, the movie avoids bathos and has some genuine humor along with the drama. The acting is good, too--thumbs up.

It has also come to TVOR's attention that not everyone is in a city where a film festival is happening. Fortunately for them, there are some good movies out in the rest of the world right now. Here are a few TVOR recommends:

Beginners

Written and directed by Mike Mills

This gets TVOR's vote as the movie to see right now. Beginners tells two stories. One is about Ewan McGregor as a guy whose 70-something father (Christopher Plummer) comes out as a gay man. The second follows a blossoming relationship between the McGregor character and an actress, played by Melanie Laurent. There is also a dog whose thoughts are indicated with subtitles, a gimmick which really shouldn't work but somehow does. This is a lovely, sweet film. Watching McGregor and Plummer together is bliss.

Submarine

Directed and co-written by Richard Ayoade

Submarine is a coming of age film about a 15 year old British boy who has two main concerns--trying to get himself laid, and saving his parents' marriage. He's a very busy guy. We really get a sense of the main character's world view and a very entertaining one it is.

Win Win

Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy

If by chance this film is hanging around in a theater near you, and you haven't seen it yet, go. It's another film by the writer-director of The Station Agent and The Visitor. Paul Giamatti plays a wrestling coach, with Amy Ryan as his wife, and Bobby Cannavale as his friend. You really don't need to know anything else.

Jane Eyre

Directed by Cary Fukunaga

This could also still be lurking in theaters, and it's another good one, even if you've seen every version of Jane Eyre out there. (And there are many.) Mia Wasikowska plays Jane, Michael Fassbender plays Rochester, and both are true to the characters as written in the book (although better-looking, of course). Fukunaga is two for two as a director. His first film, Sin Nombre, was a beautifully done film about people trying to get from Mexico and points south into the US, and was entirely in Spanish. That's what TVOR calls range.

Now, go to the movies!

Fifteen days down, ten to go for SIFF 2011

2011-06-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

6/3/11

There are ten days left in SIFF 2011, and many interesting movies to check out. Here are some of them:

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey--the man behind (or maybe TVOR should say inside) Elmo of Sesame Street fame. You don't have to have ever seen Elmo in action to love this movie. And get a little misty. The director, as well as Kevin Clash, Elmo's human part, will be in attendance at SIFF!

The Importance of Being Earnest--an HD recording of a live performance of the Oscar Wilde play, currently running on Broadway. Brian Bedford is superb as Lady Bracknell (yes, that's right), and the rest of the cast rises to his level. If you can't go to New York and see it, plant yourself at SIFF Cinema. These things tend not to ever show up on video.

Jucy--a womance about a couple of twenty-something BFFs in Australia. Tons of fun.

Kinshasa Symphony--a documentary about exactly that. These are not professional musicians, these are people who come together and make music, in spite of incredible difficulties. (They live in Kinshasa, after all, no bed of roses.) We meet several of the musicians, and learn about their lives. Very well done.

A Thousand Times Stronger--a Swedish film about young teen kids at school--the various cliques, who runs the school (the boys, FYI), etc.--and how that gets disrupted when a new student arrives. Entertaining for adults, good for kids as well. (Not tiny ones, as there are subtitles and some swearing.)

Sushi: The Global Catch--this movie makes you want sushi, then discusses some of the sustainability issues that you knew were coming. Well presented, thought-provoking.

The Empire of Mid-South--excellent documentary about Vietnam since the colonial era using amazing archival footage, and first-person narratives from various sources including the Vietnamese and the various people who have come through the country and attempted to run things. From the director who made Winged Migration.

The Names of Love--a French comedy that's actually funny, with some heart as well. TVOR liked it.

Norman--pretty good teen drama, shot in Spokane, WA of all places. The ending is a bit too tidy, but the acting and script are good. All in all a thumbs up.

Hot Coffee--you know how that lady got a huge award after spilling MacDonald's coffee on herself, that incident that became a poster child for the tort reform issue? This film tells the other side of the story. This is definitely a film with a point of view, and is good food for thought.

Flying Fish--TVOR liked this film, though it's not for everybody. It's a beautifully shot film from Sri Lanka (and when have you ever seen anything from Sri Lanka?), telling several stories happening in a small community. The downside is that it's hard to figure out the various stories, as there are few closeups, and sometimes it's hard to tell who things are happening to. The upside is that it does all come together in the end. And it definitely is beautiful.

Grandma, A Thousand Times--a documentary about the filmmaker's Lebanese grandmother, this film is a delight.

Now, go to the movies!

SIFF--one week in

2011-05-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

5/27/11

SIFF continues, as does the parade of good movies. Granted, there have been a few not-so-good ones too, but TVOR will try to steer you away from those if she can. And let's face it, we don't all have the same taste, so my big dud can be someone else's favorite. Although that person would be wrong.

Here are some films with upcoming screenings:

Small Town Murder Songs--one of TVOR's favorites of the festival so far. A little gem, a story of a flawed man trying to be a better man. And it has a wonderful soundtrack. See it.

Page One: Inside the New York Times--the documentarians were in the newsroom of the New York Times for a year, spending most of their time on the Media desk. If you're interested in how we get information and the quality and accuracy of that information, you should see this. Fascinating and very well done.

Steam of Life--another good documentary, this one from Finland. It's basically a lot of naked Finnish men of various shapes and sizes sitting in saunas of various shapes and sizes, talking about a lot of personal stuff. Amazingly, it's interesting and affecting and worth a look.

Killing Bono--first of all, no Bonos were injured during the making of this film. It's not a documentary--it's a narrative film based on the real story of a guy who went to school with Bono, and then spent years trying to have his (Bono's) life. Which is not easy if you have a knack for seizing defeat from the jaws of victory. Amusing and entertaining.

Treatment--fairly amusing Hollywood satire of the mumblecore genre. As most of us have no trouble believing that Hollywood is an insane place, there aren't a lot of surprises here. But it's not a bad way to spend 84 minutes.

Lesson Plan--a documentary about an experiment done in a Palo Alto high school in the 1960's, which basically turned a classroom of kids into fascists in less than a week. Not a great film, but an interesting subject. Worth a look.

Letters from the Big Man--the story of a girl, a sasquatch, and the forests of Oregon. First of all, TVOR must fess up: against all odds, she kind of liked this movie. Many others didn't. It's ridiculous in many ways--there's a guy in a furry suit after all--but for some reason TVOR enjoyed watching it. Even though it's not a particularly good movie. The scenery is nice, however.

The Rescuers--a documentary about a number of diplomats who saved Jews from the Nazis, often against the official policies of their countries. Not a good film, though--there's a Rwanda story which doesn't really fit in the structure of the movie, there are bad recreations of events, and an irritating score. If you can get past the film itself and focus on the information, it's interesting, though.

Viva Riva!--a movie from the Congo that may convince you (if you weren't already convinced) that things are a mess in the Congo, crime and corruption are rampant, there's little hope for progress, and you never want to go there. It's actually a fairly well put-together film, but it's filled with bad people doing bad things to each other. Be warned.

Now go to the movies!

SIFF 2011 opening weekend

2011-05-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

5/23

It's been a good first few days at SIFF 2011. Opening night was great fun, and although reactions on the opening night film (The First Grader) were mixed, the accompanying party got universal raves. TVOR had approximately 15 seconds of fame, appearing in the background of a red carpet photo of a person in a giant panda suit interacting with a television personality that appeared in the Seattle Times. Yes, it's true, Kung Fu Panda was the biggest celebrity in town for the event.

Once the festival got seriously underway, TVOR saw some very good films, and no people in panda suits. Here are some brief thoughts:

How to Die in Oregon--a documentary about Oregon's Death with Dignity law, telling the stories of people who made the choice to take some control over their deaths. This is not for everyone, but it's suprisingly watchable, filled with humanity and humor. It's very well made, and definitely worth seeing. It will show up on HBO shortly, so watch for it.

Submarine--the coming of age genre gets a bad rap these days, but this British take on it, with excellent performances and lots of deadpan humor, is a good one.

The Trip--Michael Winterbottom directs Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing fictionalized versions of themselves on a restaurant tour of northern England. It's not Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, but it's pretty darned funny. TVOR laughed a lot.

The Future--Miranda July, who directed Me and You and Everyone We Know, has made another odd yet appealing (at least to TVOR) film. This is in spite of the fact that it's narrated by a cat, which TVOR was surprised to find that she didn't hate.

Beginners--Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer in Mike Mills' lovely film about fathers and sons and families and love. There's even an excellent performance by a dog. See it.

May 2011--time to go back to the movies

2011-05-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

5/18/11

TVOR has been away from her keyboard for a very long time. She didn't really plan it that way, but after frenetic movie-going (and blogging) during last year's Seattle International Film Festival, she spent the summer recovering and interacting with real people in the real world. The summer movies were, in general, a pretty sorry lot, so time spent away from them was especially appreciated. There were a few exceptions (like The Kids Are All Right, Winter's Bone, Cyrus, Get Low, and a few others), but they were few and far between.

Then fall and winter rolled around, and the end-of-the-year Oscar bait came along. Some of those were pretty good (The Fighter, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, True Grit, etc.), and some were not (The Black Swan and Inception). Since last year's SIFF, The Millenium Trilogy (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) has been good and gritty fun. There were a few smaller movies that TVOR enjoyed as well--films like Jack Goes Boating, Somewhere, Cedar Rapids, Win Win, Jane Eyre, and Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

But now SIFF 2011 is looming, and TVOR is ready for some serious movie-going. And blogging. And maybe a little tweeting. The 25-day festival starts on May 19th, but press screenings have been going for weeks already. TVOR has caught quite a few of those, and has seen other SIFF 2011 films in other festivals earlier in the year. Here is her take on what she's seen:

Young Goethe in Love—looks very Hollywood-like, all the people are pretty and seem to act in very contemporary ways. A biopic of Goethe that’s basically fluff. Strange.

Everything Will Be Fine—TVOR liked Boe’s first film, Reconstruction, but it’s been downhill from there. This just didn’t do it for her.

Silent Souls—thumbs up on this one. It’s slow, meditative, all sorts of things TVOR usually doesn't like, but this one worked for her.

The Poll Diaries—a historical drama of the not-so-pretty sort, it’s the kind of movie that makes you appreciate your own family. Well done.

Perfect Sense—a good, not great sci-fi love story.

Circumstance—Audience Award winner at Sundance—TVOR thought it was pretty good, but wouldn’t have rated it that high. Interestingly, at Sundance, they called it an American film—at SIFF, they’re calling it an Iranian film. It feels more like an American take on the story, even though it takes place in Iran.

Terri—very entertaining—John C. Reilly is great as usual.

The Bengali Detective—TVOR got a kick out of this one, although it’s not a great movie.

Bobby Fischer Against the World—very well-made and fascinating doc about Bobby Fischer—some of which was shot in Iceland. TVOR kept seeing places she'd been. Chess knowledge and/or interest not necessary.

Magic Trip—TVOR was predisposed to like this movie, and if you’re interested in those folks (Ken Kesey, Neal Cassidy, etc.) and the era, you’ll probably like it too. If not, it may not be for you. The film itself is a bit trippy.

The Off Hours—a pretty decent Northwest film, but not a must-see.

Mondays in the Sun (available on video)—Good actors (Javier Bardem for example), but not a very interesting film, at least to TVOR. Many others disagreed.

Amador--the newest one by the same director as Mondays in the Sun, and TVOR liked it a lot. Contemporary Spanish film about a young immigrant woman taking care of an old man.

Paper Birds--A Spanish Civil War-era historical drama made accessible and audience-friendly. TVOR didn't particularly like it, although some others did.

Win/Win--Pretty decent film about the downside of success in financial markets.

Venice--Yet another World War II drama where it is pointed out that Poland was not a good place to be. TVOR was not impressed.

Something Ventured--Very good documentary about the early (starting in the 1950's) venture capitalists.

The Most Important Thing in Life is Not Being Dead--Very weird movie about an insomniac piano tuner. TVOR liked it.

3--The newest film from Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run and The Princess and the Warrior), 3 tells the story of a love triangle, in his usual fairy-tale-like way. TVOR liked it.

A Barefoot Dream--A typical sports movie, with the ragged underdogs, led by a coach in search of redemption, playing the bigger and better teams, yet triumphing in spite of all odds. The twist is that the film is based on reality, the team is an East Timor youth soccer team, and the coach is Korean. Predictable but fun, and when else are you going to get a glimpse of East Timor?

Dance Town--North Korean woman escapes to the south, but life is still no bowl of cherries. Well done but grim.

Black, White and Blues--TVOR really didn't like this film. The look wasn't horrible, but the script was, and most of the actors, who, to be fair, had nothing to work with, were floundering. Unintentionally funny.

Microphone--TVOR liked this Egyptian film about the underground music scene in pre-Arab Spring Alexandria.

Buck--Very well done documentary about a real-life horse whisperer. Well, he doesn't exactly whisper, but it's the same idea. You don't have to be interested in horses to like this.

Touch--After a very shaky start (inexperienced actors, cheesy look), this film about a Vietnamese American manicurist and a mechanic with dirty hands has some decent moments. It's not too bad if you're feeling benevolent.

An African Election--a very interesting documentary about the 2008 Presidential election in Ghana.

On Tour--Mathieu Almaric is the star, director, and co-writer of this meandering film about an American burlesque troupe touring France. It's probably too long, and acting is not the strong suit of the burlesque artists, but TVOR enjoyed the slice-of-life aspect of the film, not to mention the burlesque. Almaric is very good as the obnoxious, tenacious, yet easily distracted manager. Thumbs up.

That should be enough to get you started. Go to the movies!

The Best of SIFF 2010

2010-06-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

6/16/10

SIFF 2010 is over, and TVOR had a great time. She saw a lot of movies, and enjoyed most of them. But before she moves on to other subjects, there’s one more very important thing to comment on, and that’s The Best of SIFF 2010, happening at SIFF Cinema from June 18-20. This is a chance to catch some of the top films of this year’s SIFF. Maybe you missed them during the festival, or maybe you were intimidated by the whole idea of a festival. Now you have a pre-screened collection of winners and popular favorites. You really can’t lose. TVOR has seen most of the films, and will give her two cents on them. They’re listed in order of when they’re playing.

Friday June 18, 2010
2:00 PM
The Reverse
(Winner Best New Director - SIFF 2010 Grand Jury Prize)
TVOR really liked this film, a darkly comic story of three generations of Polish women and what happens when the youngest of them meets a man. It’s quite a ride, with great visuals and wonderful use of music, especially at the end. See it if you can.

Friday June 18, 2010
4:30 PM
Castaway on the Moon
One of TVOR’s favorites of SIFF 2010, this film is sweet and funny and charming. Sometimes a suicide attempt gone wrong can turn out so right. SEE THIS FILM.

Friday June 18, 2010
7:00 PM
The Hedgehog
(Winner Best Film - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
TVOR fell asleep during this film due to severe jet lag and has no opinion. Obviously much of the non-sleeping audience loved it, as it won SIFF’s audience award.

Friday June 18, 2010
9:30 PM
Leaves of Grass
Edward Norton plays identical twins and does it brilliantly in this strange combination of pot comedy and crime drama. TVOR liked it.

Saturday June 19, 2010
11:00 AM
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girl
(Winner Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision, presented by Women in Film/Seattle)
A documentary about lesbian identical twin yodeling singer-songwriter-social activist-performance artist-sketch comediennes from New Zealand. What’s not to like about that? Answer: there’s nothing not to like about that. Go see this film.

Saturday June 19, 2010
1:00 PM
Ginny Ruffner: A Not So Still Life
(Winner Best Documentary (Tie) - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
TVOR missed this documentary about Seattle artist Ginny Ruffner, but plans to be in the audience on Saturday.

Saturday June 19, 2010
3:30 PM
Hipsters
This Russian musical is another one you have to see, even if you think you don’t like musicals. In mid-1950’s Moscow, the young and the hip are bumping up against the drabness of the Soviet system. The visuals are amazing, the music is fun, and the story and characters are engaging.

Saturday June 19, 2010
6:30 PM
Nowhere Boy
The story of John Lennon’s teenage years, his relationship with his mother and the aunt who raised him, and his early music career. Very good, with wonderful performances, especially by Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff.

Saturday June 19, 2010
9:00 PM
Cell 211
(Winner Best Actor, Luis Tosar - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
A Spanish prison riot drama that won loads of Goya Awards (the Spanish version of the Oscars) including Best Film, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s a good one.

Sunday June 20, 2010
11:00 AM
Best of SIFF Shorts
A selection of both Audience and Jury favorite short films from SIFF 2010. When shorts are good, they’re very very good, and these are likely to be good. TVOR plans to be watching.

Sunday June 20, 2010
1:00 PM
Waste Land
(Winner Best Documentary (Tie) - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards)
From SIFF’s description: “Photographer Vik Muniz returns to his Brazilian homeland to develop an art project in the world's largest garbage dump. An audience award-winner at both Sundance and Berlin.” TVOR heard very good things about this documentary, but missed it. Now is a chance to see it.

Sunday June 20, 2010
3:30 PM
The Concert
A lot of people loved this French film (which is about Russians and largely takes place in Russia), but TVOR was not one of them. It’s the story of a former Bolshoi orchestra conductor who gets a bunch of his buddies to masquerade as the current Bolshoi orchestra for a concert in Paris. She found the plot so preposterous that she couldn't get into it at all. One can only suspend disbelief so much. If you like uplifting films, you might like it a lot. TVOR doesn’t really like uplifting films as a rule.

Sunday June 20, 2010
6:00 PM
Mao's Last Dancer
Another film quite a few people liked—but not TVOR. In addition to not liking uplifting films (see above), TVOR doesn’t much care for inspirational ones, and Mao’s Last Dancer fits into the latter category. At least the plot doesn’t strain credibility (see above again)--it’s the true story of a young boy taken from his village in 1970’s China and trained by the state as a dancer. After traveling to U.S. through an exchange program to dance with the Houston Ballet, he decides he doesn’t want to return to China. This decision does not go down well with the Chinese authorities. It’s unfortunate when a fact-based film feels artificial, but that was the case with this one.

Sunday June 20, 2010
8:30 PM
Marwencol
(Winner Best Documentary - SIFF 2010 Grand Jury Prize)
TVOR really liked this documentary about a man, who after surviving a brutal beating that left him severely brain-damaged and without his memories, devotes himself to a project that becomes his art and his therapy and his life. Fascinating. Definitely one to see.

Heading into SIFF's last week

2010-06-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

6/7/10

TVOR is way behind on her SIFF updates, but to be fair, she has been tweeting. Here are some slightly longer blurbs. Most of these films have more screenings to come, so there's still time!

Cell 211--a gripping prison riot drama--definitely one to see. There are not nice people doing not nice things to one another, but the characters are interesting and it's totally worth it.

Run If You Can--German film about a guy in a wheelchair, the guy who is his assistant, and a woman they're both interested in. This sounds like it could be pretty bad, but it's actually quite good.

Reykjavik-Rotterdam--very entertaining Icelandic crime flick. Will the ex-con try to pull off one more job? And if he does, will he succeed? A U.S. remake is unfortunately in the works.

Gordos--the title means 'fat people' in Spanish, and it's about a group of them, the weight loss counselor who's helping them get thinner, and their families and the people around them. It's a strange movie, but if you're willing to go along for the ride, you may like it quite a bit. TVOR did. The ending is wild.

The Dancer and the Thief--TVOR liked this film a lot. Taking place in Santiago, Chile, it tells the story of two men who get out of prison on the same day, and weaves in some of the fallout of the Pinochet era.

For the Good of Others--pretty interesting Spanish film about a doctor who has a particular gift for healing.

Bride Flight--a fairly entertaining soap opera about a group of young women who emigrate from the Netherlands to New Zealand in the early 1950's, a hunky fellow passenger on their flight, and the directions their lives take in the following years.

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel--an interesting film about an interesting guy, this documentary focuses on the social changes in the 50+ years since the magazine was founded, and Hefner's involvement in them. And then there's the naked women. And the mansion. And the clubs.

Tsar--Russian biopic about Ivan the Terrible being really, really terrible. Religious fervor plus absolute power plus craziness does not make for good government. The visuals are great.

Patagonia--a very pretty film (it takes place in some particularly scenic areas of Patagonia and Wales) but ultimately a tough slog for TVOR. A yuppie Welsh couple go to Patagonia and act in an irritating manner, and an old Patagonian woman and a young man go to Wales, and are much less irritating. The Welsh people really needed to be told to shape up but unfortunately no one did.

Agora--did you know that in 4th century Alexandria, they spoke British English? Neither did TVOR. Everything seemed hunky-dory as long as the pagans were running things (well, there was that pesky slavery, but a lot of the masters seemed really nice to their slaves, except for when they weren't). Then there were the Christians--and the Jews, but mostly the Christians. They got riled up and then everything went awry. It turns out that sometimes religious leaders incite their followers to violence against people of other faiths. And that women have trouble getting respect for their abilities and achievements, other than those of caring for families. Hmmm, TVOR wonders if there are any modern parallels. There's nothing like being hit over the head with a 2x4 by a filmmaker trying to make a point. TVOR wonders about the possibility of much success for a film (in the West, anyway) in which the Christians are the bad guys. In addition to the fact that the film isn't very good.

Meet Monica Velour--actually, don't meet her. TVOR met her so you wouldn't have to. The film has some decent actors (Kim Cattrall does a nice job in the title role) but the lead character is an unappealing idiot and the story is ridiculous.

Blessed--this is a well-made film that TVOR really wanted to like a lot more. It takes place in one day in Melbourne, Australia. The first part tells the stories of several children, and the second covers their mothers. It would probably not reveal too much to say that life is not a bowl of cherries for any of these people. It may be that TVOR is just to shallow to fully appreciate this film.

Garbo: The Spy--fascinating and entertaining documentary about a double agent during World War II. The filmmaker adds a lot of clips from old movies and archival footage to balance out the requisite talking heads. (The guy was a spy, it's not like they could get a lot of film of him at work.)

Leaves of Grass--sort of a pot comedy, sort of an acting exercise for Ed Norton (he plays two roles), and sort of a why you should not get involved with criminals movie. Amazingly, it works pretty well, and Norton does a great job.

All That I Love--a nice little Polish Solidarity-era coming of age, punk rock film.

Double Take--an interesting film that's really more video art than film (TVOR saw it in a Chelsea art gallery last year) but plays well on the big screen. It's about doppelgangers, Hitchcock, and the cold war.

American Faust--Condi Rice sells her soul to you-know-who. If you're on board with that view of the world, you'll probably enjoy this film.

One more week of movies in SIFF 2010!

TVOR hearts film festivals

2010-05-31T00:47:00.000-07:00

5/31/10

Has TVOR mentioned recently that she loves film festivals? She does. This is how TVOR spent yesterday at SIFF. She started with a "secret" film, one whose title was not announced ahead of time and which cannot be revealed even after the screening (TVOR signed a pledge to this effect), then saw an archival presentation of a classic American film, and then two fascinating documentaries with the directors and subjects participating in Q&A sessions afterward.

This is what film festivals are all about. First, the "secret" screening. There's a special excitement in walking into a theater packed with people who are jazzed about seeing a movie when they don't even know what it will be. It's anticipation of the unknown and it is just plain fun. Sunday's film was excellent (they aren't always) so the place was buzzing afterward too. A great start to the day. Next she went to an archival presentation of Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront. Leonard Bernstein did the score for the film (it was his only film score) and his daughter Jamie introduced the film and did a Q&A afterward. It was great fun to see this wonderful old film on the big screen, and to focus a bit more on the score and the role it played in the experience of the film. Next was Marwencol, a documentary about a man who, after a terrible beating resulting in serious brain damage, started on an art project (a kind of do-it-yourself art therapy) that has become his life's work. The director was on hand to answer questions afterwards, and the subject (who doesn't travel) consented to be available by phone to answer audience questions. The audience took him up on it. The last film of the day was The Topp Twins, a documentary TVOR has raved about previously. The Topps were there to present the film, and they answered questions, sang, and yodelled. You really can't ask for more.

So that's what a film festival is all about. Yes, it's the movies. In the dark, on the big screen, watching with your fellow humans. But it's also the extras that make up the experience--the film guests and their interaction with the audience, and then the audience interacting among itself.

All that was one day. In the last few days, there has been even more variety, from the outrageous to the hilarious to the quietly affecting.

Cane Toads: The Conquest--in 3D--Sadly, there was only one screening of this documentary at SIFF. TVOR was lucky enough to be there, and she was amazed and amused by this cautionary tale about the perils of introducing species into new parts of the world. The toads are prolific and on the move, and the humans (and other animals) who encounter them are hilarious. Really. The 3D is the icing on the cake. If anyone ever offers you a chance to see a documentary about cane toads in 3D, run, don't walk to the theater and put on your glasses. Even if you're thinking "Huh?" or "I'm not really interested in cane toads.", do it. You will find out that you are interested. And you'll think twice about messing with Mother Nature.

Stolen--Sometimes filmmakers start out making a documentary, and then their plans get hijacked by reality. What started out as a documentary about reuniting families in a refugee camp in North Africa ends up being about something far less happy--modern slavery. Fascinating.

Mao's Last Dancer--Bruce Beresford directed this true story of a young Chinese boy who is taken from his family as a child in the 80's to be trained as a ballet dancer. A crowd-pleaser.

Hideaway--Francois Ozon's latest, a good but not great film about the aftermath of a junkie's death and its affect on his pregnant girlfriend and his brother.

Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar--a portrait of Candy and the whole Warhol scene, the story of a person who created a persona to find herself.

Farewell--an entertaining French cold war spy film with excellent performances by film directors Emir Kusturica and Guillaume Canet.

OK, now it's time for more movies.

SIFF updates/TVOR tweets!

2010-05-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

5/27

TVOR, not the most technologically savvy person in the world, accomplished several amazing things in the past few days. She succeeded in: 1) setting up an account on Twitter, 2) tweeting successfully, and 3) linking her Twitter feed to her blog. She is very proud. She learned many things in this endeavor, among them that tweet is both a noun and a verb. The purpose of this exercise is to provide quick updates when she doesn't have the time or the bandwidth to do a blog update, not to give anyone a minute-by-minute account of TVOR's day. Frankly, it's just not that interesting. The Twitter updates show up on the right side of the blog page.

Now for some updates:

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work--fascinating and funny documentary about a comedy icon. If you're a fan, you need to see this film. If you're not a fan, you'll probably become one when you see it.

The Oath--excellent documentary about two brothers-in-law who both worked for Osama bin Laden and ended up in radically different situations. See it.

Imani--a portrait of a group of varied characters over the course of a day in contemporary Uganda. Very good, definitely worth seeing.

Me Too--this Spanish film telling the story of a guy with Down Syndrome falling in love with a "normal" woman sounded like it would be pretty bad, but TVOR was pleasantly surprised. It's actually very good, with interesting, well-developed characters doing and talking about interesting things. See it. Really.

Farsan--a slight but sweet Swedish multicultural comedy.

Like You Know It All--if you have any illusions about film directors, you can put them aside now. This film from Korean director Hong Sang-soo has his protagonist, a critically acclaimed but financially unsuccessful film director, behaving badly in various parts of his home country. Quite funny.

The Actresses--a mockumentary about a group of Korean actresses getting together for a photo shoot. There are lots of in-jokes which non-Koreans probably won't get, but it's still pretty entertaining.

Cairo Time--Patricia Clarkson is wasted in this very pretty film as she spends time in Egypt behaving like an idiot. She has a bad case of Stupid Tourist Syndrome, compounded by an underlying condition of basic dumbness. But that's just TVOR's opinion.

Some Days Are Better Than Others--northwest indie (from Portland) about young people searching. For whatever. You've seen much better, you've seen worse.

Night Catches Us--former Black Panthers in Philadelphia in the 70's. Some very good actors (Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Jamie Hector, Wendell Pierce) are caught in a not-so-good movie. It's not terrible, but it could have been so much better.

Brotherhood--well-made Danish movie with a somewhat ridiculous premise. Make a note: if you're self-hating homosexuals engaged in a passionate affair, it's probably best not to spend all your time with gay-bashing neo-Nazis. Just a thought.

Now, TVOR is off to the movies.

A quick update from SIFF--and a few video suggestions

2010-05-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

5/23/10

Ah, variety. Film festivals have a lot of it. TVOR started the third day of SIFF with a fine family-friendly film and ended it with the latest by the Duplass brothers, the makers of The Puffy Chair (truly a great title and pretty good movie) and Baghead. And here's what she saw--all films have at least one more festival screening.

From Time to Time--Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, and that cute kid from Millions in a British film appropriate for grade school kids that their parents can enjoy too. Most of the action takes place in the waning days of World War II, with occasional forays back a century or so courtesy of some mostly benevolent ghosts.

The Robber--A well-done Austrian film about a guy equally dedicated to marathon running and bank robbing. It's all about the endorphins, TVOR supposes. Based on a true story.

Cyrus--An appealing American indie from the Duplass brothers about the perils of dating people with adult children who won't leave home. John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener, and Jonah Hill are in it.

Video notes:

If you're not in Seattle, or don't want to leave the house, here are some of the better movies of 2009 now available on video--a veritable potpourri of cinema. You probably know of or have seen most of them, but there might be a new idea or two.

Crazy Heart
The Young Victoria
An Education
Bright Star
The Messenger
The Informant!
District 9
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Up in the Air
A Serious Man
Precious etc.

The long silence ends

2010-05-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

5/22/10

TVOR has really dropped the ball these past few months. She did attend the Sundance and Palm Springs festivals--and saw tons of movies--but decided to wait until people might actually have a chance to see them before posting her comments. In retrospect, perhaps that was not the best plan. She did see a few interesting films in her local theaters, especially A Prophet and Mother, but all in all, it was a less than inspiring winter for moviegoers.

Now it is time for the silence to end. The Seattle International Film Festival, TVOR's hometown extravaganza, opened on May 20th, and her movie-going life as well as her blogging frequency will be picking up. If you're not in Seattle, she apologizes, but don't worry. A number of these films will get released at some point, and many will eventually make their way to DVD.

TVOR's first full day of the festival had a couple of gems in it, and she recommends seeing these in later screenings:

Castaway on the Moon--see it, see it, see it. Sweet and wonderful.

Soul Kitchen--another good Fatih Akin film (and TVOR does like her Fatih Akin films), lighter than his past two, a comedy with some heart.

Because of her festival travels and some time spent in SIFF press screenings, TVOR saw a number of SIFF films before the festival started. Here, briefly, is her take on them, in no particular order (sorry about that):

Bilal’s Stand
Done on a very low budget and a little rough around the edges, this family/coming of age story has a lot of heart, clever graphics, and is a nice little flick. Made by a very young filmmaker, who substituted creativity and community involvement for dollars.

Bran Nue Dae
Australian musical that may make you want to be an aborigine. Entertaining but not spectacular.

Double Take
TVOR missed this at Sundance but caught a good chunk of it at a gallery in New York last year. It was enough to convince her to see it in its entirety at SIFF.

The Dry Land
Ernest, pretty well put-together and acted, but not great movie about Iraq war veterans.

I Am Love
Beautiful, but there’s no there there. Even Tilda Swinton can’t make this film interesting. To be fair, though, a lot of people liked this film, so maybe it’s just TVOR.

Nowhere Boy
Polished, well-done biopic about John Lennon’s early years with wonderful performances by Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff.

Restrepo
The closest you’re likely to get to life in a U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan. Very powerful, see it.

Winter’s Bone
Very good—definitely one to see, a highlight of my Sundance.

Undertow
Beautifully filmed, it doesn’t entirely work, but sort of does. Interesting idea.

My Year Without Sex
Not as good as this director’s earlier film Look Both Ways, TVOR still liked this one.

Mugabe and the White African
Perhaps not the best-made film, but definitely one to see. Fascinating subject matter.

Reverse
This was one of TVOR’s favorites at Palm Springs. You don’t really know where you’re going until you’re there. Great final scene, with wonderful use of music.

Altiplano
Beautiful, but not really TVOR’s style.

I Killed My Mother
Very good first feature by a young French Canadian filmmaker who wrote, directed and starred in it.

The Topp Twins
A must see! And the actual twins will be at SIFF! A film for everybody—gay, straight, male, female, yodelers and non-yodelers.

Hipsters
This Russian musical is a feast for the eyes and a total hoot.

The French Kissers
Kids being kids in France. Well done, but it made TVOR glad she doesn’t have to be young again.

Excited
Way better than it sounds, TVOR actually liked this one. The people in it are intelligent!

Letters to Father Jacob
Pretty predictable, but less goopy than you might fear.

The Concert
TVOR supposes that this one is uplifting, but she found it so preposterous she couldn’t get into the film at all.

Skeletons
Prepare to be confused for a while as you sort out what’s going on, but if you’re like TVOR, you’ll enjoy the way it plays out.

Amer
No, no, no. A very long 75 minutes, an homage to/parody of a genre of film TVOR has no intention of ever seeing an actual example of.

When We Leave
Very powerful story of a woman caught between two cultures. Flawed, but worth seeing.

Skateland
American youth in the early 80’s. TVOR didn’t think this was very well done and didn’t really care about anybody in it. Bad hair, clothing, and music were heavily featured, of course.

Ondine
TVOR had hoped for more from Neil Jordan but it was not to be.

Countdown to Zero
Nothing new here.

Southern District
This is definitely worth seeing, a wonderful Bolivian film (and how many of those have you seen?). It’s about class and race and social change and human beings.

December is movie month

2009-12-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

12/4/07

Ah, December. The holiday season is in full swing, and now that you're getting really busy, there are actually some movies you might want to go to in your very scarce free time--everything from quality films seeking award attention to holiday blockbuster wanna-bes to kiddie films. So don't fight it, go to the movies.

An Education
Directed by Lone Sherfig

See this film! It's a coming of age story about Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a young girl in the in early 60's England. Her family is focused on getting her into Oxford (mostly so she can marry well) and she is focused on growing up as quickly as possible. An older man (Peter Sarsgaard), who is appealing to Jenny but pretty obviously bad news, enters the scene. That's not an original situation, but the film has interesting and complex characters who live in a real world and do not behave in predictable ways. The performances are universally good, and the script (by Nick Hornby) and direction by Lone Sherfig are just right.

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Directed by Lee Daniels

Here's another of those movies that falls into the "quality" category. And it is good. There's been a lot of discussion about exactly how good--it has passionate defenders and detractors--but it's definitely worth seeing. Precious (TVOR will dispense with the rest of the title at this point) tells the story of an African American teenaged girl who has about the worst life imaginable, and how a few folks try to help things get better for her. Beyond that, TVOR won't say too much. No matter what your opinion of the film (TVOR thought it was good, not great) you would probably agree that the performances were excellent. Gabourey Sidebe, as Precious, works with an unlikely group of performers in supporting roles, people like Mo'Nique, Lenny Kravitz, and Mariah Carey(!). Mo'Nique, in fact, does Oscar-worthy work. It's tough to watch at times, although considering the subject matter, that's not surprising. It was sad, but not one of those depressing films that you crawl out of in a funk.

The Messenger
Directed and co-written by Oren Moverman

This is a war movie. Not one that takes the viewer into a war zone, but one that deals with some of the aftermath of war. The two central characters, played by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson, are soldiers whose job it is to inform the next of kin when their soldier/family members are killed. There are firm rules for doing this. TVOR won't say too much about the film, other than that it's very well done, with excellent performances. Samantha Morton and Steve Buscemi are among the supporting cast. Obviously it's a tough subject--but it's a good film.

2012
Directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich

In case you hadn't heard, the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. In telling us all about it, corporate Hollywood demonstrates what it does very well (spectacle and devastation) and what is does very badly (credible characters in a credible story uttering credible dialog). But you can't have everything. You'd think, with all the money being spent, that you could, but you can't.

In this film, as noted above, the world is coming to an end. The reasons aren't worth articulating here, even if TVOR could, which she can't. As required by the disaster movie handbook, there is a group of people we're supposed to care about, trying to survive. As also required, some will not survive, although we know they are expendable from the moment we meet them, so it doesn't really matter. Also taken from the handbook, there are gobs of people who won't survive, but we don't know them, so we don't have to be bothered about that either. The movie consists of all of the characters uttering absolutely ridiculous dialog, behaving in idiotic ways (except for the people who don't survive, who tend to be more reasonable) and and things blowing up, falling down, sinking, burning, shaking, or otherwise being destroyed. This movie goes the extra distance by having some decent actors (John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Chiwetel Eljiofor, etc.) uttering the ridiculous dialog and doing the idiotic things.

If you like silly disaster movies, this one is for you. As the genre goes, it's fairly well done, and its excess is part of what works in the film. Billions of people die. Stuff is destroyed. What good fun!

Inglourious Basterds
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino

This one may still be floating around in a second-run theater near you, so TVOR will write a bit about it. She has very conflicted thoughts on this one. First of all, she's a stickler for spelling and grammar, so the title makes her cringe. It's an homage to an earlier film, as are many other bits of this movie. Unless you're a real cinephile, you won't pick up on all the references--TVOR certainly didn't. Tarantino has made an absurd, cartoonish, offensive, history-manipulating oddity which is sometimes entertaining in kind of an icky way and just plain weird. The question is, what exactly is this film, other than a strange thing made by a clever and talented bad boy who loves movies? TVOR doesn't insist on films being serious--she likes a good silly flick from time to time--but it does seem that if you're making a World War II film with killing going on, it's not a bad idea to actually have an idea. Maybe it's buried in there somewhere, but if so, she missed it.

Bright Star
Written and directed by Jane Campion

This film may also still be hanging around in the discount theaters, and if you can find it playing somewhere, go see it. It tells the story of the poet John Keats and his love affair with Fanny Brawne, a seamstress. It's very nicely done, with good performances by Ben Whishaw as Keats, and especially Abbie Cornish as Fanny and Paul Schneider as Keats' friend and patron.

The Maid
Written and directed by Sebastian Silva

TVOR saw this Chilean film at SIFF 2009 and is glad to see it's getting released in the U.S. If it comes to a theater near you, it's definitely worth checking out. It tells the story of a maid who has worked for a family for years, and her complicated relationship with them and with her world in general. You don't know where this one is going until you finish the ride, and it's worth it.

Video notes:

Humpday
Yay! Humpday is out on video! TVOR thought Lynn Shelton's story about two straight guys attempting to make a gay porn video was a hoot. It manages to be very funny and say a lot about friendship at the same time. And, yes, it's safe to watch.

Il Divo
This Italian film was one of TVOR's faves from SIFF 2009. It tells the story of Giulio Andreotti, the Italian prime minister who reached new heights of teflon, and continues to reach them to this day. The movie is a piece of bravura film making--the visuals, the music, everything. If you know something about Italian politics, it would certainly be helpful, but if you don't, just relax and enjoy the ride.

I've Loved You So Long
This French film is one of those movies TVOR kept meaning to see, but just didn't get around to. Her loss. It's really good. Kristin Scott-Thomas (and yes, she's speaking French) plays a woman released from prison after 15 years. She is to stay with her sister and family and attempt to re-integrate into the world. It's very nicely done, and the actors and filmmakers show us real people behaving like humans. Very refreshing.

Management
This strange little indie comedy flew completely under the radar. Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn play an unlikely couple--unlikely partly because the Steve Zahn character is the only one interested in being a couple. It's slight but enjoyable. Woody Harrelson, who seems to make thousands of movies a year, is a lot of fun as Zahn's competition.

Run, Fat Boy, Run
TVOR would just like to warn you about this one. You might think because Simon Pegg, who wrote and starred in the highly enjoyable Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, did the same for this movie, that it would be funny and worth seeing. You would be wrong. It is neither of those things.

Strangers in Strange Lands

2009-10-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

10/12/2009

People who fit in do not often make it as the protagonists in movies. The character who's just like a bunch of other people (or aliens, or mutants, or cartoon creatures, or whatever) isn't particularly interesting. TVOR was particularly reminded of this when she considered the movies she's going to blurb about in this post.

District 9
Directed and co-written by Neill Blomkamp

Here's a science fiction film that's much less about machinery and more about character than is usual in the genre. In telling the story of a group of aliens who have landed outside Johannesburg, South Africa and spend the next couple of decades held in camps, Neill Blomkamp shows us a lot about humanity--and the lack of it. Sharlto Copley is a mid-level bureaucratic type, totally inadequate for the job, who is charged with relocating the aliens. The movie is produced by Peter Jackson (who made the Lord of the Rings films) so the special effects are very well-done, but not overpowering. They support the story instead of taking it over. Even non sci-fi fans can enjoy this one.

The Informant!
Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Usually movies about whistle-blowers are a very serious, often with a little inspiration thrown in. The idealistic protagonist takes on the big bad company, which shows how big and bad it is by wreaking havoc on the lives of the little people in its way. The company is dreadful and sinister as it tries to prevent the good guy from exposing the crime and corruption at its core. And should the audience not be following along closely enough, there's some helpful music and a few supporting characters who help the hero demonstrate his goodness and the bad guys their badness. It's all very nicely laid out. The good guy is very, very good, and the bad guys are very, very bad. You leave the theater knowing that you've seen a film about an important subject.

The Informant! is not at all like this. The film starts out with a very different feel from what you might expect. You might even call it perky. With perky credits and very perky music, the film just doesn't have a serious feel to it. The whistle-blower guy doing the voice over seems to be going off on tangents. And it proceeds to get weirder as it goes along. It would be great to go into this film knowing nothing and just let it unfold, but given that the film has been around a while, it's probably too late for that. Even so, TVOR won't add much else, other than her recommendation. Matt Damon plays the whistle-blower, and Scott Bakula and Joel McHale are his FBI handlers. TVOR loved the narration, the music, and even the perky credits. And about that seriousness. It's not evident as much of the film unfolds, but if you're not pretty angry about corporate bad behavior by the end of the film, you probably haven't been paying attention.

Still Walking
Written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

One of TVOR's favorite films of the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival is working its way around the county. This Japanese film is definitely one to catch, in a theater if you can, or if that's not possible, later on video. The film takes place over a 24-hour period, as a family gathers at the parents' home to commemorate the death of the oldest son fifteen years earlier. This dead son is the most important character in the film, certainly to the parents, and in some ways to the second son, who cannot begin to measure up to the dead man, or at least, the idea of him. As the family eats and spends the day together, a whole lot is going on, mostly pretty quietly. It's a wonderful film.

Video notes:

Michael Mann's The Insider is a much more typical example of whistle-blower movie, and it's a good one. Russell Crowe shows us how bad those big tobacco companies are.

Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich, although not a whistle-blower, is an unlikely person to expose the evil that a utility company does. Yet she does, looking about as trashy as Julia Roberts could--which, frankly, is not that trashy. The movie is fun, though, and the good guys win.

Tulpan was another film TVOR enjoyed at SIFF 2009, and now it's available on video. It takes place on the steppes of Kazakhstan, and face it, when have you ever seen what that part of the world looks like? Asa, the central character of the film, is a young shepherd recently returned from serving the the Russian navy. He needs to find a wife in order to get a flock of his own, and make his way in the world. Unfortunately, there is only one bridal candidate around--Tulpan. This is a beautiful film about a harsh way of life.

Also from SIFF 2009 is Kabei, a family saga taking place in 1940's Japan. It's a little sentimental, but not overly manipulatively so, and TVOR liked it.

And for something completely different, yet another film from this year's SIFF is Every Little Step, a documentary about casting a revival of A Chorus Line. It also has film and interviews from the original production. And singing. And tap dancing. It's very nicely done.

Flicks by chicks

2009-08-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

8/7/09

TVOR doesn't ordinarily expend much mental energy pondering this sort of thing, but it's interesting that some of the best movies in theaters right now are made by women directors, and are not about what might be considered "girl" subjects--how to land the right guy, relationships, shopping, that sort of thing. Well, maybe they're about relationships, in that the characters in the films are relating in various ways to other characters, but the films are not about "relationships" as defined by popular culture and women's magazines.

The Hurt Locker
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Iraq war movies have not been very successful artistically or financially so far. Too often they've been full of simplistic politics and stereotypical characters, too obvious and not credible, even if individual performances and situations have been well-presented. Well, here's an Iraq war movie that works, at least artistically, and TVOR hopes, financially. The creators of a film this good should make some decent money.

The makers of The Hurt Locker left politics out altogether. This is a war movie about the people fighting the war, going about their lives, day after day. And since the soldiers in this movie make up a three-man bomb squad, their lives are a series of very tense situations. Bigelow is such a skillful director that the audience feels the tension along with the characters. The performances are excellent, especially that of Jeremy Renner as the squad's leader. TVOR won't say much more, except that the film is engrossing and thought-provoking, allowing the viewer to think his or her own thoughts, instead of being pointed in a certain direction. It's one of the best American films of the year.

Humpday
Written and directed by Lynn Shelton

If you feel like doing some laughing at the human condition without turning off your brain, Humpday is your movie. You've probably heard the set-up. Two guys, friends in college who have since lost touch, get together when the free-spirited one drops in unannounced on the married-with-a-regular-job one. They go to a party, and during the course of a drunken evening, decide to enter an amateur porn contest by making a gay porn film together. Not surprisingly, this does not seem like a good idea the next day, what with their heterosexuality and all. It is also very difficult to explain to the married guy's wife. The film plays out beautifully, hilariously, and unexpectedly. Shelton and her three principal cast members do a wonderful job in this film about male friendship, our expectations for ourselves, marriage, and probably some other things too. See it.

It's not too late to enter HUMP! 5, this year's edition of the real amateur porn festival sponsored by Seattle's The Stranger, which is happening on October 9-10, 2009. And if you just want to watch, tickets go on sale on September 15.

Cold Souls
Written and directed by Sophie Barthes

This movie has a great premise, that people with troubled souls can have them easily extracted, frozen, and stored. No soul, no worries. This appeals to Paul Giamatti, an actor struggling with the role of Uncle Vanya in a New York production of Chekhov's play. Fortunately for us, the character Paul Giamatti is played by the actor Paul Giamatti, and he does a great job. The movie isn't as good as the premise--things aren't developed the way you'd hope--but the film is worth seeing for Giamatti's performance. You see him rehearse Vanya pre-and post-extraction, and that alone is worth the price of admission.

Julie & Julia
Written and directed by Nora Ephron

Meryl Streep, Meryl Streep, Meryl Streep. And Stanley Tucci, with a soupcon of Jane Lynch. These are the reasons to see Julie & Julia. The parts of the film they're in are interesting and fun, because they play interesting people, people you want to spend time with, and they do and say interesting things. Unfortunately, they're in only half of Julie & Julia. We meet Julia Child (Streep), her husband, and briefly, her sister in 1940's France, and she's casting about for something to do. Those are the fun parts of the film. The rest of the movie takes place in 2002 New York, where a wanna-be writer named Julie (Amy Adams) is also casting about for something to do. She decides to cook and write about every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the cookbook that was the eventual result of what Julia Child decided to do, in one year. It's a tidy idea, but the problem is that Julia and her gang are fun and interesting and Julie is not. This is not Amy Adams' fault. She's a good actress--maybe not Meryl Streep, but nobody's Meryl Streep, except possibly Meryl Streep. Adams also has to do silly, predictable things, which is unfortunate. (Gee, I wonder if that aspic set properly. Hey, let's see what happens when she flips it over on a plate. Oops!)

TVOR never met Julia Child, and hasn't seen much of her TV show, so she can't say whether the portrayal in the film is accurate. It's a lot of fun, though, so she really doesn't care. The film did make her consider buying Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and maybe trying some of the recipes. Like the boeuf bourguignon, or the lamb stew. Not the aspic.

The Girl from Monaco
Directed and co-written by Anne Fontaine

This strange little film looks at first like it might be your standard French romantic comedy, the kind where a regular, middle-aged guy gets together with a pretty young girl. Fortunately, it is not that. The film doesn't entirely work, but it does succeed in being unpredictable, a romantic comedy which turns into a film noir covering issues of class and friendship as well. The always wonderful Fabrice Luchini is the middle-aged guy, Louise Bourgoin is the girl, and Roschdy Zem is the middle-aged guy's driver and bodyguard. TVOR saw the film among a bazillion others at SIFF, and it has stayed in her mind, so that says something. It probably shouldn't be at the top of your list, but it's definitely interesting.

Video notes:

Sita Sings the Blues
Written and directed by Nina Paley

Whoopee! At long last, TVOR's favorite film that couldn't get released is available on video. You may not be able to see it on the big screen in all its animated glory, but you can now experience a TV-sized Sita Sings the Blues over and over in the comfort of your own home. TVOR has written about this film at some length already, but here's the abbreviated version: it's an animated retelling of the Ramayana, with commentary by three Indians trying to remember the details of the story, plus a depiction of the filmmaker's own disintegrating marriage, all set to the music of the forgotten 1920's blues singer Annette Hanshaw. What's really amazing is that the film comes together as a wonderful, entertaining, delightful whole. You have no excuse now. See it. TVOR means it.

Life after SIFF

2009-06-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

06/18/09

SIFF ended on Sunday, and TVOR, after spending almost a month reveling in an excessive number of films, is coming down from her cinematic high. Apparently movies have continued to be released while she was in film festival land, and she has some catching up to do. But in the meantime, here a few films she's seen and can recommend:

Moon
Directed by Duncan Jones

This nicely done science fiction film is all about character and ideas, and not about technology. If you want intergalactic battles, you can go elsewhere. Sam Rockwell plays a corporate employee finishing up a three-year stint operating mines on the moon. It's a one-man operation, and his only companion is a computer with the voice of Kevin Spacey. Interesting stuff happens, but TVOR doesn't want to reveal much because it's fun watching it unfold.

Summer Hours
Written and directed by Olivier Assayas

TVOR wrote a bit about this in earlier posts. She won't rehash things, but it's a wonderful film and you should go see it.

Departures
Directed by Yojira Takita

This year's foreign film Oscar winner is a sweet story, guaranteed to please crowds. TVOR has talked about this one previously as well, and recommends it.

Food, Inc.
Directed by Robert Kenner

This comprehensive documentary explores the many ways that multinational corporations determine what we eat. It just ain't pretty, and it's mighty scary. If you're fairly well informed, there won't be much new in it, but it's a well-presented summary that'll get your dander up, if not more.

And for those of us in Seattle, SIFF is having a series of screenings this weekend called "The Best of SIFF '09". The best? Depends on your point of view. But the weekend is full of movies that people enjoyed and/or responded to. Here's TVOR's take on the ones she's seen:

Humpday
Directed by Lynn Shelton
A hoot, definitely one to see. Old friends decide to enter an amateur porn contest. And no, they're not that kind of friends.

Black Dynamite
Directed by Scott Sanders
This year's Golden Space Needle award-winner for best film, voted on by the audience. It's an hilarious parody of '70's blaxploitation films.

OSS 117: Lost in Rio
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
And speaking of parodies, here's a French take on the spy parody genre, set in the '60. Maxwell Smart and Austin Powers' Gallic counterpart is just plain stupid and appalling in every way, but the movie is pretty darn funny.

Morris: A Life With Bells On
Directed by Lucy Akhurst
OK, here's an original concept--a mockumentary about Morris dancing. TVOR was only dimly aware of actual Morris dancing, and she's not too sure how different the real thing is from the mock thing. In spite of her lack of background knowledge, she had a good time watching this movie. It's also fun to watch wonderful English actors participate in a film of supreme silliness, and do it well.

tallhotblond
Directed by Barbara Schroeder Sherman
This true crime documentary about cyber-romance gone bad is fascinating, sad, and a little bit creepy. Who knew people lied about themselves on the internet? (FYI, TVOR, a past winner of both the MacArthur genius grant and the Nobel Peace Prize, is stunningly beautiful and sings opera at La Scala in her spare time.)

Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle
Directed by David Russo
TVOR won't even try to describe the plot of this one, but it's pretty wild and pretty interesting. There's a little animation thrown in (although it's not an animated film), and it's fun to look at and listen to. The soundtrack is by "Awesome", TVOR's favorite Seattle band.

The Cove
Directed by Louie Psihoyos
This documentary on the dolphin trade in Japan is very tough to watch (TVOR had to avert her eyes) but powerful and well put together.

There are more films playing at SIFF this weekend--TVOR is planning to catch the Georgian (the country, not the state) jury prize winner The Other Bank and Peter Greenaway's Rembrandt's J'accuse. And of course, she's very intrigued by Swimsuit Issue. Who can resist a Swedish film about a male synchronized swimming team?

Quick SIFF Update--#5

2009-06-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

6/1/09

Mid-August Lunch--TVOR loved this Italian film about a sixty-ish guy living with his ancient and demanding mother, who finds himself dealing with and caring for several other old ladies as well. It's delightful and charming and you will be smiling as you leave the theater.

Rain--this movie is mostly interesting because it was made in the Bahamas and shows us lives being lived there that we would never get to see in person. Unfortunately the story and the acting don't really measure up to the look of the film.

The Market - A Tale of Trade--This is theoretically a British film, but it takes place in Turkey, is in Turkish, and looks and sounds like a Turkish film. It's about a guy who is trying to get himself set up in the cellphone business, and is wheeling and dealing any way he can to raise the money he needs. A nice look at a community, a road movie, and a film about capitalism as it works its way into poor communities. TVOR liked it a lot.

Buick Riviera--a Bosnian and a Serb meet up in the U.S. in this Croatian movie. Yes, really. And parts of the film do take place in a Buick Riviera. It's interesting but not as engaging as TVOR would have liked. Not bad, not great.

In Your Absence--this Spanish film looks great, and starts off interestingly, but then there are some developments that could make you groan and roll your eyes. This happened to TVOR and she cannot recommend the movie. Really stupid plots are hard to overcome.

Now in theaters, plus SIFF part four

2009-06-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

06/01/09

At last Summer Hours, one of TVOR's favorite recent films, is in wider release. This French film about a family dealing with a house full of possessions has real humans in it, who act like humans. It's wonderful.

TVOR also liked Departures, from Japan, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film earlier this year. It's not the best, but it's still worth seeing. It's a real crowd-pleaser, and somewhat emotionally manipulative, but TVOR went along with it and didn't mind being manipulated. It's also a film that's very audience friendly, even if some in the the audience are dubious about subtitles and foreign films in general.

And if you're in Seattle, Sita Sings the Blues is still playing! This is amazing and wonderful news, and anybody who can make it to the theater should do so.

And now for some brief blurbs on films coming up at SIFF:

Patrik Age 1.5--nice entertaining Swedish film about a gay adoption that does not go as expected.

Passing Strange--Spike Lee's film of the musical. Very nicely done, on beautiful HD video. It sounds great too.

Welcome--TVOR liked this French film about illegal immigrants trying to get across the channel to England very much.

Fear Me Not--TVOR also really liked this Danish film about a man participating in a drug trial.

Kabei--Our Mother--another nice Japanese film, a family saga.

Tahaan--A Boy With a Grenade--don't bother.

Black Dynamite--very silly, very funny parody of a 70's blaxploitation movie.

What's On Your Plate--good documentary targeted at kids about a couple of kids investigating what's in food, and where it comes from.

Il Divo--an Italian film about Prime Minister Andreotti, with wonderful visuals and sound.

Mommy is at the Hairdresser's--very good French Canadian film about a family under a lot of stress.

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies--a French parody of spy movies, free and outside at a park. What could be better?

Hooked--tough Romanian film about a couple and a prostitute who insinuates herself into their relationship.

Gotta Dance--a documentary about a group of senior dancers who do hip-hop at New Jersey Nets games. What's not to like about that?

With a Little Help from Myself--a portrait of an immigrant from Africa trying to survive in Paris and keep her family going. Very good.

Yet more SIFF--volume 3

2009-05-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

5/27/09

Some upcoming films at SIFF--

TVOR particularly liked the Danish film Fear Me Not, which is showing again. She also thought Kathryn Bigelow's Iraqi war film The Hurt Locker was excellent.

The Headless Woman, La Cienaga, Snow, The Firm Land, and Captive were interesting and also good.

Melodrama Habibi and Carmo, Hit the Road are pretty decent as well--not great, but not a bad time at the movies.

You can skip La Mission. It's not terrible, but not particularly interesting either.

She's already warned you off a few others, and won't repeat herself.

Those of you not in Seattle are on your own right now. Just try to make good decisions.

SIFF 2009--part 2

2009-05-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

5/25/09

Here are a few more quick comments from the trenches for upcoming SIFF screenings--

TVOR's top choices: Still Walking, Quiet Chaos, Il Divo, Welcome, The Market--A Tale of Trade, OSS-117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, Kabei--Our Mother, The Hurt Locker, Snow

TVOR also thought these were worthwhile: The Headless Woman, La Cienaga, Mommy is at the Hairdresser's, Hooked, Captive, The Cove

Not bad: Terribly Happy, Melodrama Habibi, My Dear Enemy, Carmo, Hit the Road,

Teetering on the edge: My Suicide

And the ones that didn't work for TVOR: Bluebeard, In Your Absence, El General, Tahaan--A Boy With a Grenade

There are more wonderful archival films coming up at SIFF too--like Coppola's The Conversation. Wow.

SIFF 2009--part 1

2009-05-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

5/23/09

The Seattle International Film Festival has just begun, and already TVOR is way, way behind with her comments. First, the non-festival related stuff for non-Seattle people:

If you live in a city where the lovely French film Summer Hours is playing, go see it. It's the best thing TVOR has seen for a while. And if you've already seen that, try Kabei: Our Mother, from Japan. It's not quite the film the first is, more melodramatic, but still worth seeing. If these films haven't come to where you live yet, make a note of them.

Now, for the SIFF notes. Here's what TVOR knows about what's playing the first few days of the festival, all based on her own viewing:

Top choices: Summer Hours, Departures, Quiet Chaos, Still Walking, Treeless Mountain, The Hurt Locker, Snow

Also good: We Live in Public, Captive, Hooked, The Cove, Tulpan

Not bad, but missable: Terribly Happy, My Dear Enemy, Melodrama Habibi, The Higher Force, Carmo, Hit the Road

Flawed, but you probably won't hate yourself...then again, you might: Tahaan-A Boy With a Grenade

TVOR hasn't seen any real stinkers showing in the first few days, although they could be lurking.

And then there are those archival choices, wonderful old films on the big screen during SIFF: Sunset Boulevard, The Third Man, etc. You could always do a lot worse than watch an old classic like one of these.

More later.

Sita is singing in Seattle

2009-05-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

5/14/09

TVOR is very excited. Her favorite little lost movie, the film that just couldn’t get distributed because of copyright issues, has somehow managed to get a brief run in her very own city. People of Seattle, go to the Central Cinema from May 14th to 20th and watch Sita Sings the Blues! You’ll be glad you did.

TVOR went on at length about this film in her April 4th blog entry. She won’t go through the whole thing again so here’s an abbreviated version: 1) she really liked the film and thinks you should see it and 2) it’s not getting distributed and 3) you need to grab your chances to see it whenever you can.

If you aren’t in Seattle or can’t get to the Central Cinema, you can go to the film’s website and get various links to stream it, download it, or burn it on a DVD. You can even buy a Sita T-shirt. There’s a good chance you’ll want one after seeing Sita Sings the Blues.

Here's the link to the film's website: http://www.sitasingstheblues.com/

Good movie alert!

2009-05-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

5/7/09

There are some things worth seeing in theaters! You may have to look a little, but if you're lucky, you'll find them.

Revanche
Written and directed by Gotz Speilmann
This Austrian movie (and really, how many of those have you seen?) was nominated for an Oscar, but has taken a while to get released in the United States. TVOR liked it a lot. It's sort of a moody thriller and sort of a low-rent heist story, but mostly it's a movie that goes in unexpected directions. TVOR went into the film not knowing much about it, and recommends you do the same. She thinks you'll be glad you did.

Sin Nombre
Written and directed by Cary Fukunaga
This is the first feature-length film by Cary Fukunaga, a young American director. To make things more interesting, he made a film taking place in Mexico and a couple of Central American countries, entirely in Spanish, using nonprofessional actors. This is not a guy who's afraid of a challenge. And the film works. The two central characters are both traveling north through Mexico on the roofs of freight trains--a young woman trying to make it to the United States from her home in Nicaragua, and a Mexican gang member running from his former "homies" who are now out to kill him. Sin Nombre covers a lot of ground, both geographically and thematically, with these characters, and does it really well. The film looks great too. Fukunaga managed to get some money to make it, and it's beautifully shot on 35mm film.

Il Divo
Written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino
As is frequently the case, New Yorkers get to see really wonderful foreign films before the rest of us--except, that is, for those of us lucky enough to spend time at film festivals. Il Divo opened there last week, and we can only hope that those of us in smaller cities get to see it before too long. (In the mean time, TVOR recommends that you attend your local film festival.) Il Divo tells the story of Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti who held office off and on in the 1970's and 1980's, and is generally assumed to be corrupt, and responsible for the deaths of many. Naturally, in 1991, he was appointed senator for life. This is no standard biopic, however. The film looks like an American gangster movie, in the tradition of The Godfather or Goodfellas, and is one wonderful piece of cinema. It's very stylized (in a good way), and is wonderful visually and in its use of music. There are many characters--government ministers, victims, bad guys (or combinations of all three). You're unlikely to know who many of these people are, but don't worry, just go with the flow. You'll have a ton of fun.

Sleep Dealer
Directed and co-written by Alex Rivera
This time, filmgoers in Los Angeles as well as New York get a jump on the rest of us (except, of course, for those film festival die-hards). This little under-the-radar film is a Mexican science fiction movie that non-fans can enjoy. No spaceships, no androids, no intergalactic battles. Just a futuristic story with a great idea. It takes the idea of Mexican workers doing the United States' dirty work in fascinating directions. Not everything about this film works (this is the director's first feature), but it's definitely worth checking out. When (or if) it comes to your city, of course. Or, eventually, on video.

Goodbye Solo
Directed and co-written by Ramin Bahrani
This guy is the current big deal in American cinema, which is interesting because most people have never heard of him. TVOR really likes his movies--if someone is going to be anointed the savior of American film, he seems like a good choice. It helps that he's articulate, seems nice, and does good Q&A's--TVOR has seen him in action. He also seems unlikely to sell out to Hollywood any time soon. Now, about Goodbye Solo. It's the story of a charming Senegalese immigrant, working as a cab driver in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the relationship that develops between the cabbie and one of his fares, much to the displeasure of the other man. It's also about the world (and world view) of the cabbie and a bunch of other things too. This really is a lovely film. TVOR doesn't want to say too much more. Just see it.

Adventureland
Written and directed by by Greg Mottola
Here's a film you can probably actually find playing all over the country, but you'd better act fast--it's been out a while and theater operators will probably push it out of the few remaining theaters it's playing in soon, in order to make room for the big summer movies. This story, set in the 80's, follows a recent college graduate who, because of family financial problems, ends up working in a sorry-looking amusement park instead of spending the summer traveling in Europe with his buddy. Needless to say, he is not happy about that development, and only reluctantly gets drawn into the world of the park and the lives of the other employees. It's a sweet (but not icky-sweet), gentle film and you should see it.

The Soloist
Directed by Joe Wright
TVOR has mixed feelings about this one. The movie is based on the true story of the relationship between Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist, and Nathaniel Ayers, a schizophrenic living on the streets of LA. Mr. Ayers was once a talented musician, but his disease forced him to drop out of Julliard and give up the cello. This type of movie is just a recipe for disaster--you would expect it to be some sappy thing with a phony, uplifting, feel-good ending. Well, it's not that. It doesn't entirely work, but it's not that. First of all, it has Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Lopez. Thank God. TVOR would watch him do just about anything, and true to form, he elevates his material and is wonderful in the role. Jamie Foxx is good as Mr. Ayers, although not nearly as interesting to watch. A superb actor playing a regular old flawed human is so much more interesting than a good actor playing a disabled character. At least that's what TVOR thinks, although the people who give out awards tend to disagree. Anyway...the film treats people with schizophrenia more realistically that some movies (A Beautiful Mind) but some of its segments trying to show what Mr. Ayers is seeing and/or feeling just don't seem to work. Ultimately, it's not a bad film, but not that great either. See it if you want to. Especially if you're a Robert Downey Jr. fan. But keep your expectations in check.

On video:

Earlier films by Ramin Bahrani are Man Push Cart, about a Pakistani immigrant and Manhattan street vendor, and Chop Shop, about young parent-less Latino immigrants, living and working in Queens. These two movies and Bahrani's new one are all about immigrants, striving to get along and improve their lives, but don't think they follow a pattern. The three films are very different, and each has its pleasures.

Gret Mottola's earlier films include Superbad and The Daytrippers--very different from each other, but both entertaining and well-made. Superbad is the rare adolescent male comedy that even grown up people (including grown-up women) can enjoy. The Daytrippers is a road movie in which an entire family, plus hangers-on, piles in a the family station wagon to investigate suspicions of one daughter's husband's infidelity.

Jesse Eisenberg, very good as the lead in Adventureland, has a couple of earlier films that TVOR really liked. In The Squid and the Whale, he's the older of two sons whose self-absorbed parents' marriage is crumbling, and in Roger Dodger, he's a kid whose absolutely sleazy uncle (Campbell Scott) takes him out, looking for sex. Really.

The Wrestler and Frost/Nixon are out on video now. Both are nicely done films, with wonderful lead performances.