I have a couple DVDs of this documentary to give away; at least one each of the NC-17 and R rated versions.
All you need to do is comment here with your email address before October 31st ends on the Pacific Coast of North America. Winners will be announced on November 1, 2005.
Your comments aren’t made public - they’re held in moderation, so nobody will see your email address.
La Neuvaine wasn’t the worst Canadian film I’ve seen in this festival, but it’s the definitely not the best French Canadian one I’ve seen.
The primary characters are an odd couple; the boy relies on his God to perform a miracle in healing his ailing grandmother, and the woman appears to be trying to end her own life. There’s not much said with
which wasn’t bad. It was one of those French Canadian movies where one of three things happen; the logical doctor learns that miracles can happen, the boy full of faith learns that miracles are for babies and dying people, or both happen at the same time. See if you can call it before the film reaches the half-way point.
There’s something about this film that reminds me of the crazy inheritance comedies of the mid 80s that starred people like Dan Ackroyd, Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, Eddie Murphy, or John Candy.
Basically, the estranged relative dies, and the intended recipient of the money is required to perform some crazy actions in order to get to the millions of dollars of inheritance. This usually creates conflict with another goal that the heir has been trying to accomplish, which has an arbitrary due date that proves inconvenient to the will zaniness. Whether it’s finding a wife, or spending 10 million dollars and having nothing to show at the end, it can still be a recipe for success with the right actors.
The origin of the story lies with a family split by the Berlin Wall; a mother and one of her sons leave the East, leaving the other behind. One son grows up a Godless Communist ™ and the other grows up to be a somewhat Orthodox Jew. Mom dies, and wants the kids to sit Shivah for seven days; to talk and bury the proverbial hatchet. Nothing is allowed to interfere with sitting Shivah; not even an important pool tournament that could mean the difference between freedom and prison for the Godless Communist.
Zucker features the right mix of actors to pull this off, and as they say; hilarity ensues.
This is a film that could be served best with a running time of 45 minutes, leaving an hour more of footage on the floor. By the end of the film, I was still confused about what the film maker was trying to say. It felt like the film was wandering aimlessly in the desert as some sort of tribute to those who wandered for 40 years, as it took forever to develop into anything recognizable as a meaning.
A blind Samson kills a thousand Philistines in a suicidal maneuver not unlike a suicide bombing that is a common attack against Jews; but Samson did the right thing with his sacrifice. A thousand Jews are surrounded by the Romans, and they teach the Romans a lesson by killing themselves rather than allow the Romans to win… The answer could be that suicide is good and a way of winning a war, or that suicidal attacks are okay when Jewish people use them, but not Palestinians.
If you’re filming things from a great distance and will be using your MiniDV camera’s digital zoom, think about getting yourself a tripod, or even a mono-pod. When you’re zoomed all the way in, and tracking a distant vehicle as it moves, your every vibration and shake is going to be drastically magnified by the time your film is shown on a huge screen in glorious 35mm.
Well, what was that all about? There has to be some sort of contextual information that was conveniently left out of the subtitles when the translation was made from Russian into English. If the subtitles did justice to the story, then there’s something wrong with the film…
It’s a bit of a slice of life style movie where there is nothing that really develops significantly for the characters; their lives all continue on mostly as they started, nobody gets rich, and nobody dies. The most exciting thing that happens is the discovery of a contraband transistor radio, and there’s no drama involved there. The lead character does grow up a bit and learns that there is much more to the world than just his kitchen and the local pub; maybe this Soviet citizen learns that he can dream.
Part way into this film I realized just how much it felt like a documentary; it didn’t really occur to me that this was anything but a drama at first. The strength of 10 year old Winnie’s performance began to become apparent; this girl was either an incredible little actress, or she’s lived in a trailer her whole life. Winnie absolutely fit with everything around her.
This shouldn’t be a big surprise to judge by the cast listings at the end; two family names are predominant among those appearing in this film. While it’s not completely a documentary, it evokes much of the feel of one with such natural feeling characters.
I quite liked this film, though I wouldn’t be surprised to find that I was in the minority here. It’s slow with no real narrative to speak of, and no questions are asked or answered. One of the saving graces is that there are no metaphors or meanings ascribed to things; it’s primarily documenting some of The Travelers’ situation.
This is the first one that we’ve had a full bag search and a metal detector wand to go through to get to the screening. I don’t understand the belief that the movie industry is losing money to piracy in a world that produced The Dukes of Hazzard movie. It’s not that people are filming the movies from the audience that’s costing the movie industry; it’s a lack of content worth paying for. I use a scale for rating that includes “Pay to see it” as the highest possible score for a reason; it’s relatively rare to see something original.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang isn’t what I’d call original or new; Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. star as a gay detective and an actor respectively. Downey’s character is shadowing the detective in order to better understand the part he’s auditioning for. That said, the film feels much more fresh than the Cop Buddy Movie format would tend to. It’s amusing but not riveting. It’s a buddy movie, a romantic comedy, but not likely to become a classic.
With that said, the story is humorous and the acting is solid, and enjoyable to watch. It’s a buddy movie, a romantic comedy, but not likely to become a classic. It will perform well at the Box Office, and stylistic comparisons to the modern day remakes of Oceans Eleven and Italian Job will likely be made.
Those crazy Dutch and their accepting behaviour; gay marriage, liberal drug policies, euthenasia. Who do they think they are? I was a bit concerned going into this movie that it was going to simply be a goofy comedy about a guy and his gay friend in some crazy love triangle with girl. Okay, it was a bit of that, but it was a lot more. It was about death, anger, alienation, acceptance, love, Camiele and Simon nearly run into one another again. They pick up pretty much where they left off, just a little older and a little more set in their ways.
It’s a very funny, warm movie about some rather believable characters who deal with the bad and the good in stride.
William Keane is crazy; that much is a given. We’re left with a bit of a “Chicken and Egg” issue in that it’s not clear if the disappearance of his daughter caused, or was caused by his instability. For the first act of the film, I’m left with a bit of a question about whether the clippings of a missing girl are actually about his own daughter; maybe she’s a complete figment of his imagination. Maybe his mania extends to total invention of a daughter. Maybe he did lose a girl, but it wasn’t his daughter… It’s not entirely clear, and one of the things that I’m quite happy about in this film is that the ending ties nothing up; he’s still crazy and there are no answers.
Not so much a spoiler as it is an indication of at good film; no good film ties up all the loose ends; if you hear me say it’s a good film, you know that things don’t end well…
This is one of a handful of movies this year that I’ve left the screening with the feeling that it was a complete film, where I would change nothing even if I possessed the power to do so. There are a couple movies at VIFF 2005 that I felt approached perfect; Wake Up, Arezoo! and Look Both Ways come to mind in addition to Dear Wendy.
Dear Wendy is not an easy film to nail down, but immediately after viewing in the theatre, I’m left with the feeling that the entire thing takes place in a world inhabited nearly entirely by crazy people. The only person who appears even a bit sane is the “outsider” Sebastian, and he’s the bad kid who allegedly shot somebody.
There’s the feeling from the start that we’re looking into an insane asylum that is completely enclosed in one town square; a town square that would appear to be impossible to leave. Electric Park Square is the whole of The Dandies’ experience, they have a feeling of being trapped in their town. The only escape from this square is down into the mines for the men of the square as well as for the Dandies.
These crazy people all live on the same block, and spend all day, every day doing the same things. The world doesn’t seem to extend past the edges of the pavement in the center of the block. The director has stated that this is some generic small town in the American Southwest, but I prefer to think of it as some sort of insane asylum with armed patients. Perhaps that’s the whole point that they are trying to make in their film; that what non-Americans see as the American idea of peace through superior firepower is a fool’s game.
It almost feels like a Dog Day Afternoon tribute toward the end, but with a coffee delivery instead of a bank robbery; well, that and there’s no obvious transsexuals. The idea of the climax of the film centering around a mundane task such as delivering ground coffee to a neighbour is interesting. Rather than choosing a noble task to accomplish, these crazy bastards risk life and limb for something pointless.
G-g-g-great f-f-f-f-film.
On the sixth day I rested; well, I was going to come down on Tuesday night for Yasmin and Georgi and the Butterflies, but after a day “off” (I had to spend a day in the office; it was relaxing), I didn’t feel much like heading down to the theatres for a pair of movies. It’s a bit sad that I won’t make the trip downtown for a “mere” two movies when I’ve been seeing between 4 and 6 shows each day.
So, on to the Seventh Day which hasn’t been bad to the point of this writing; I’m just waiting for Play to start, so we’ll see how that finishes off the day. Today’s lineup featured a Japanese drama, two music documentaries, a Czech comedy / social drama, and a Chilean film rounding out the evening.
Bashing is the fictionalized story of a Japanese girl taken hostage while volunteering overseas among The Others. She is said to have shamed her family by not dying at the hands of the terrorists, and suffers abuse at the hands of family, friends, and strangers. Not my favourite film, and it’s a rather foreign concept to my North American mind to see someone greeted in this sort of fashion; I find it hard to believe that anyone could be as cold as people are to this girl.
Punk: Attitude features people from a variety of punk, new wave, no wave bands talking about how they saw things happening in the 70s and 80s. Footage of The Exploited, The Dead Kennedys, X-Ray Spex, The Stooges, and more contemporary bands was included, and I was quite happy to see that the movie didn’t declare Punk dead in 1978 simply because many of the original bands had broken up or changed drastically.
Oddly, I expected that I would enjoy the punk documentary more, but the one that took me by surprised is the doc Five Days in September. This film is comprised of footage shot in one week in September 2004 as a new music director took over as head of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. I nearly skipped out on this because I’m just not a huge classical music fan; sure, I like some specific Vivaldi, Mozart, and Brahms, but it’s an extreme rarity in my musical rotation. I’m glad that I didn’t skip it; it was a really solid film, and much more interesting than Punk: Attitude. If you missed this one, you can catch it October 15 2005 on Bravo! here in Canada
Continuing a day that didn’t really have any duds so far, Wrong Side Up was an easy movie, with a couple excellent actors playing some interesting roles. Very amusing interplay between the characters…
Sadly I wasn’t able to keep from dozing during Play - it really seems like a fine film, but so tired… a long long day…
The day starts off with me over writing and destroying my running list of movies I’ve seen. As of last night, I recall that my last film last night put me at 50 total … of course I can’t seem to find the missing movies. I think it might be the screeners, and there’s one or two that have names that I don’t recognize, so I’ll be auditing the list of movies when I get home tonight and update it here.
The first program of shorts that I’ve sat in a theatre to watch was up first; I’m Sooo Over You? As a whole, the program would rank somewhere between a 2 and a 3 (scale is 0-4, remember); likely on the 2 end of the spectrum. There are a couple excellent shorts in there, but many of them are pretty generic; in fact, I can’t even remember what one of them was about after the screening. The stand out pieces here are the two Burnt Toast Opera pieces and Claude; BTO being opera pieces acted out by Colin Mochrie and Mark McKinney and Claude being a story of a rather dysfunctional relationship.
Dear Wendy was really good, and it’s one of those movies that I really need to think about before I can form a solid opinion. The one thing I’m sure of is that I really liked it, but the trouble comes in explaining it. The closest I’ve come is that this movie exists in a world that doesn’t extend beyond the close borders of this one block area. Everyone in this world is crazy, with one possible exception; Sebastian that “kid” that Dick dislikes so.
I skipped out of Shin Sung-Il Is Lost in order to go to the bank and to catch a Q&A session that I believed would be happening after the screening of Heart, Beating In The Dark (2005). There was no Q&A and I didn’t see the director in the audience, either.
It’s the break between matinee and evening shows, and I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to see. North Country and Accused are pretty close together (they overlap), and down the street from one another. Do I want to see a Worker Friendly movie as North Country appears to be, or do I want to see a movie about child abuse allegations in Accused?
Well, I let whatever passes for fate or random chance choose the “filler” movie that I would see before Accused; whichever tickets I first saw; be they for Le Grande Voyage or Wake Up, Arezoo. Well, I saw the tickets for Wake Up, Arezoo first, and I’m glad for it. It might be the most powerful, moving film I’ve seen in this festival; it hits you like a brick on the head and it keeps hitting you throughout. There are no answers given, and no stories are tied up; we see a period of reaction as people try to save friends and family over a period of a day or two, and a short epilogue shortly thereafter, but no tidy endings with answers.
Leaving the theatre, I spoke again with a man I’d been comparing movies with; I think people are much chattier this year than last. He provided a small insight into the title; “Arezoo in Persian means wish or hope.” Most definitely; wake up, Arezoo. Wake up.
I’m a bit confused by the motives in Accused and it’s another one I’ll have to think on.
A late start to the day on Sunday; being the day of rest and all that. There was a bit of a bonus in the day for me, as my cold had stopped being debilitating and moved into the merely inconvenient stage.
Started off the day with Why We Fight which was a rather well made documentary about the American war machine. It’s the sort of thing that plays well to a Vancouver audience it seems, as there was much audience commentary and reaction.
Estemira was up next, and was the first movie that caused me to get up and walk out only half way through. It’s a film about a crazy woman who lives in a garbage dump in Brazil; that doesn’t exactly scream entertainment, but I thought that there’d be something to learn. Turns out that the primary voice you hear is that of the crazy woman, ranting, yelling, screaming throughout. She’s God; she’s the Devil; she’s Jesus; she’s Mary. Screaming and ranting… I couldn’t take it for the nearly two hours it was scheduled to run.
The evening shows brought Life With My Father and Crash Test Dummies. Life With My Father is a French Canadian film about a dying father, and his two sons; rather predictable, but a good film. Crash Test Dummies was an amusing little piece about relationships, politics, and drug-induced cows…
The day dawns very sunny, but since the sky lied to me that other day and lead to me being drenched, I have carted along my umbrella. That should suffice to keep the sun in the sky all day.
I’m loaded up with DayQuil to knock the edge off the annual VIFF cold, and I’m not the only one coughing during the screenings. Started off with Sleeper which was an exercise in deja vu; I began thinking that I had actually seen the film during the press preview screening, and had managed to completely forget about it. That wasn’t exactly the case; I saw the opening 5 minutes at the press screening, before having to leave for an appointment. I’m glad I caught it again.
Up next we had Measures to Better the World; the second German film of the day favourite pieces are the Rent-a-brother, the Active Health Insurance, and the Open Air Office… “I’ve left my resume under the hedge…”
District was third in line, with an animated class struggle and time travel. The animation style was unique in my experience, blending a cut-out feel with hand drawn elements and 3-D rendering. There was a life to it that reminded me of some of the cut-out work I’ve seen from the National Film Board of Canada, especially evident in the music numbers throughout.
The passholder tickets for the Vogue’s showing of Water were snapped up in pretty short order, so I headed for La Neuvaine which wasn’t bad. It was one of those French Canadian movies where one of three things happen; the logical doctor learns that miracles can happen, the boy full of faith learns that miracles are for babies and dying people, or both happen at the same time. See if you can call it before the film reaches the half-way point.
The last movie of the night was supposed to start at 9:15, but the show before it turned into a private party for the cast of The Score, and Linda, Linda, Linda didn’t start until 9:50. It was an entertaining show at least. VIFF volunteers need to learn how to clear a theatre…
While I was waiting around for the doors to open for Linda…, I watched the VIFF staff smuggle a person I recognized (but couldn’t recall the name of) into a movie that I can only assume was sold out, as nobody went anywhere near the ticket booth. Thought it was amusing, and let it go; I wasn’t going to remember who this guy was, and I didn’t care enough to ask.
I get home and check out the TV shows that my MythTV system recorded tonight, and figure I’ll relax with MadTV. In an odd bit of syncThe mystery guy at the VIFF was the guest star; Eric Balfour.
As is usual with the awards that are handed out at the Vancouver International Film Festival, I have not even seen the winner at the time of the announcement. Since this is the case, there’s a good chance that I won’t be able to score a ticket for it now.
The winner of the 2005 Dragons & Tigers Award is:
Ox Hide by LIU Jiayin from China
“A bold effort that shows astonishing confidence in both dramatic and stylistic choices made by the filmmaker. Ms Liu treats her own family life with insight, humour and clear-sightedness. Amongst other virtues, Ox Hide shows how formal experimentation can coexist with engrossing human drama and powerful emotion. The film has deservedly already won prizes in festivals elsewhere, but the strength and originality of this young filmmaker compelled the jury to acknowledge her achievement.”
The jury also listed three “Special Mention” winners that get little more than a nod and a smile in comparison. The Special Mention films are:
Hmm… of those I have only seen one of these. Looking back at the nominees, I realize that I’ve only seen two of them by this point in the festival. I saw Silent Holy Stones which I thought was rather long and boring, but I’m okay with it getting a mention - at least So Much Rice isn’t mentioned for any reason in the announcements.
This is a tough one, and I’m sure that the director would be happy that I walk away from this one confused. I’m not sure if the film makers were trying to say something specific about child abuse allegations with the story that they chose, or if they were merely telling one story.
There is some seriously good acting in this film, and the photography is rather bleak. The story unfolds rather naturally and as it progresses, I feel more and more empathy for the main character, even though I continue to ask myself if he really could have done what he is alleged to have done. Could he really have…?
The daughter is well played, spending most of her time completely absent from the screen; seen only in short bits in a car window as they drive away, or via closed circuit television in the court room. Her absence becomes almost a character on its own; the normal distance of a teenager, amplified by the restricted contact brought on by the allegations.
I mean, the daughter is obviously lying, and as a parent you should be able to forgive anything at all, right?
This isn’t based on a real story, as much as it’s inspired by one. It focuses mostly about how unfair people are to each other, taken to the next step by a cold, Japanese culture; that’s how I read it as a Westerner, anyhow. Apparently volunteering and charity are something that cause great familial embarrassment. It’s bad enough that you help other people, and an even greater shame when you help foreigners in a distant country.
This is the story of one girl who was taken hostage in a foreign land while volunteering. On acquiring her freedom, she returns to her native Japan and is greeted with open hostility, harassing phone calls, threats from strangers. Her family suffers along with her; her father has it ’suggested’ that he may wish to resign, she is barred from buying food in the local shop, old friends mock her and accuse her of shaming her family and them as well.
During the father’s chat with his superior, the boss brought along drinks that had English text on them (it’s cool and hip to put English on your product, after all); the word was “FIRE” which I found interesting. I wondered if it was a coincidence, but it’s always interesting to read meanings into things in films during a festival. What made it interesting as a symbol was that only the boss touched his; opening in and drinking it, as if he was the only one okay with the FIRING. I’m stretching…
I’m glad that I saw it, but at roughly 80 minutes in length, any more would have been too much.
Johannes Werner reminds me to a small degree of the featured character from Berlin Blues; the unshaven, under motivated, childlike figure. To a degree I thought that this might be a sequel of sorts, after he’d broken down and decided to head off to college to do something with his life.
Herr Werner is recruited to spy on Farid; a co-worker who is suspected of being a member of a Muslim sleeper cell. I’d have my doubts based purely on the amount of alcohol this guy puts away over the course of the film, though I suppose those really dedicated to a cause could camouflage themselves by eating pork and drinking alcohol.
Johannes and Farid are both attracted to the same woman, which is never a good thing; especially when one of the men is spying on the other. In a romantic triangle, with the power to turn in evidence; manufactured or otherwise; that could indict a friend, would you do it in order to get the girl? Would you? Well, that’s one of the things that faces Herr Werner in this film.
I’ve been really enjoying the German films this year; this one as well with its solid story, somewhat morose tone, and the fact that it’s straight forward with the audience. The acting is good, and the story is understandable, but there is a feeling of a need to watch it again once it’s all over; just to check on your memory of how events unfold.
The program as a whole is alright, though there are a couple of them that just don’t really seem to fit in style or theme; at least as far as I understood it. Esc is an example of one that just feels out of place.
Big Girl
Very nice, sweet, and amusing; if a bit predictable.
Death of Theodore Graham
Amusing, could do with an actor for the part of Theodore; Death’s part is well done.
Kata Practice
Another cute one, with a rather skilled little boy fighting off the bad feelings…
Noise
I didn’t really find this one funny or entertaining; it grated on my nerves a bit. Dad’s car was a piece of crap, and had the little vent windows; pop one of those and unlock the car; mission accomplished.
Esc
Cute, but I mostly enjoyed the idea of how the “Begin” menu was rendered with mechanical locks, etc… the hidden mechanics behind the software you see on your screen every day.
Fallen
Lead male actor was excellent, but the lead female was a poor choice; felt like she was made of wood. Amusing enough idea, had the big secret not been given away pretty much right off the start.
Jilted
I didn’t find the cake eating scene as funny as others in the audience did, but thought the bride’s exit from the tub was excellent. The story of a woman apparently left at the altar, and her lame attempts at self-injury. I found it hard to believe that anyone could walk into a bathroom this small and not see the woman in the tub until they were having sex or using the toilet. It just didn’t read as comedy for me.
Air Quality
I hate to say it, but I did not recall this short by the end of the program.
Claude
This was very funny, though the payoff is pretty much all at once, at the end. The story of a very dysfunctional relationship… a man and his car…
The Argument (A “Burnt Toast” Opera)
I’m Soooo Over You (A “Burnt Toast” Opera)
These are great; opera in English, voiced by real singers, and acted out by comedic actors. I especially enjoyed Colin Mochrie’s performance in The Argument
Here we have an animated class struggle and time travel. The animation style was unique in my experience, blending a cut-out feel with hand drawn elements and 3-D rendering. There was a life to it that reminded me of some of the cut-out work I’ve seen from the National Film Board of Canada, especially evident in the musical numbers throughout.
It’s a story with time travel, mammoth killing, pimps and whores, and horny grandpas who pick fights. It’s over the top in style, though the story leaves something to be desired; it’s a bit of fun, but I’d like to have had something more consistent and solid.
This movie did what any good piece of propaganda or documentary should do; it pissed me off. This is one of the smartest, and least biased pieces of documentary film work I’ve seen in some time. Sure, there’s an agenda that implies that the Americans are war crazy; that played pretty well to a Vancouver audience; the key thing is that it didn’t use the medium to suggest that everything is George W. Bush’s fault.
Instead, it goes with the theory that every President and Congress since Dwight Eisenhower is to blame for growing the military to current levels. The film does look at the current situation, but this is a document about current affairs, so talking about Cheney and Bush and Halliburton is a given.
Excellent film; light-hearted, fun, and some non-JPOP music in there as well. A high school band has gone through 4 or 5 generations of members; people having come and gone due to graduation, injury, or personal differences. We witness only the latest revival of the band as they prepare for a festival, and find that they need a singer.
Unable to convince one girl, the band opts to take anyone at all, and chooses Son; a Korean exchange student who knows very little Japanese. There’s not much time, and Son has to learn a handful of songs in a second language that she doesn’t fully grasp.
They practice and perform a couple songs from 80s J-Punk band The Blue Hearts, including “Linda Linda Linda”; which I’ve only just recently managed to get out of my head some 24 hours later. Will all the practice and all those sleepless nights be worth it? You’ll never guess; okay, you probably will, but it’s still a fun movie.
Imagine that you’re watching a movie, and you’ve given it ten minutes, and it still just isn’t working for you. Imagine that all of a sudden you find that the movie isn’t the thing you hate the most any more; you hate yourself for subjecting your mind, neck, and ass to this movie way more than you hate the film itself.
Time to get up and leave. So Much Rice may have been the worst fictional piece so far, but Estamira seizes onto the worst documentary piece and I expect it will hold onto it with a death grip.
It’s the ravings of a crazy woman who thinks she’s the devil, or Jesus, or Mary, or none of those, or invisible, or whatever else she envisions, There’s nothing to build compassion here, and any warmth, humanity, compassion or humour would appear to be completely accidental. There is some nice camera work, but that could be wholly accidental as well; given enough raw footage, a monkey could get some good shots too. A three minute close up of a ranting woman’s lips is not a good shot, however. I contemplated adding a negative ranking to my already expanded 0-4 numerical rating system, but opted instead to just stick with a 0. This film is in good company with So Much Rice, another film that insulted the viewer.
It was worth seeing this film on the night that I did, as the director, and one of the main people featured in this show about the Black Bear Ranch in the wilds of Northern California. Unlike many communes that sprung up in the 60s and died off just as quickly due to infighting and conflicting ideals, somehow Black Bear has managed to hang on.
There’s likely a good 10 minutes that could be ADDED to this film in order to really flesh out the story of just what has happened since the first generation of hippies have grown up and moved off. The history past the late seventies, with the short coverage of the legal documents that declare the land will never be sold. It’s rather interesting that not only are some of the people from the commune formed in 68 still speaking to each other, but that some people were married, and maintain relationships to this day; even if it’s not in a big communal house in the middle of nowhere.
I think that the director might need to go house-to-house with a copy of the DVD to allow people to properly screen the film… that or there should be a commentary track or two. Multiple audio tracks on DVD released documentaries are something that I have yet to see used to full advantage to really help flesh out a story.
The commune appears to have been very well documented, with some exceptionally good quality early video and film footage. I’d like to see more; a huge pile of still images, any audio-only recordings if they exist, and maybe some of those bands who supplied the cash to buy the land actually came out to visit sometime…
This feels like two different films; one about teen angst and one about a teenager’s quest for peace. As such, it feels a bit long, and I sensed at least a couple points that I would have been happy to see it end, but it kept flopping around like the proverbial fish out of water.
I left the theatre not really interested or caring about any of the characters; with the possible exception of the Janitor and his wife. I’d be more interested in seeing a film focusing on their relationship with Alessandro in the role of surrogate parents.
This is one of a handful of movies this year that I’ve left the screening with the feeling that it was a complete film, where I would change nothing even if I possessed the power to do so. There are a couple movies at VIFF 2005 that I felt approached perfect; Wake Up, Arezoo! and Look Both Ways come to mind in addition to Dear Wendy.
Dear Wendy is not an easy film to nail down, but immediately after viewing in the theatre, I’m left with the feeling that the entire thing takes place in a world inhabited nearly entirely by crazy people. The only person who appears even a bit sane is the “outsider” Sebastian, and he’s the bad kid who allegedly shot somebody.
There’s the feeling from the start that we’re looking into an insane asylum that is completely enclosed in one town square; a town square that would appear to be impossible to leave. Electric Park Square is the whole of The Dandies’ experience, they have a feeling of being trapped in their town. The only escape from this square is down into the mines for the men of the square as well as for the Dandies.
These crazy people all live on the same block, and spend all day, every day doing the same things. The world doesn’t seem to extend past the edges of the pavement in the center of the block. The director has stated that this is some generic small town in the American Southwest, but I prefer to think of it as some sort of insane asylum with armed patients. Perhaps that’s the whole point that they are trying to make in their film; that what non-Americans see as the American idea of peace through superior firepower is a fool’s game.
It almost feels like a Dog Day Afternoon tribute toward the end, but with a coffee delivery instead of a bank robbery; well, that and there’s no obvious transsexuals. The idea of the climax of the film centering around a mundane task such as delivering ground coffee to a neighbour is interesting. Rather than choosing a noble task to accomplish, these crazy bastards risk life and limb for something pointless.
G-g-g-great f-f-f-f-film.
August 15, 1998 in Northern Ireland, a car bomb explodes, killing 29 people. Though the Real IRA claims responsibility, and the police know the membership of the organization, and have witnesses who were undercover in the organization, no charges were pressed. In viewing this dramatization, one can’t help wondering if the police leadership weren’t on the side of the Real IRA…
It’s a stunning film… It appeared that all the colour drained from the film right after the bomb blast; very nearly black and white; perception of the world changed dramatically. Colour comes back in, slowly it seems. I’m not entirely sure if this is a trick of memory on my part, or if this was an intentional device used by the film makers…
Today brought no real potential to accidentally embarrass myself in front of any film makers or actors, which is a good thing. I rearranged my schedule a bit in order to get home a bit earlier, as this cold thing is getting a bit annoying, and dragging me down a bit.
The first movie of the day was Dark Horse which was a poor choice; it’s a movie that doesn’t really know where it wants to go; buddy movie, relationship movie, mid life crisis movie…
I followed that up with the excellent Death of Mr. Lazarescu which did not feel anything like the nearly two and a half hours that the program reported. This is a bit surprising considering the title character spends much of his time semi- or unconscious in hospital exam rooms.
Followed with the dramatized story of a bombing in the Irish town of the same name; Omagh. It was a sensitive portrait of families struggling to come to grips with the deaths of those close to them; also of fighting the police and political figures for answers about why nobody had been tried for the crime.
The last show of the night would have been Manderlay if I could have sat through another 2 hour long film this evening. I opted instead for the much shorter doc by the name of Commune about a bunch of hippies who bought and created the Black Bear Ranch Commune nearly 40 years ago, on land that they still own, and have legally declared as community property that may never be sold or developed except for the purpose of living on the land yourself… Interesting doc, made a bit more complete by having one of the instigators present at the screening in addition to the film’s director.
This is a lot quicker feeling than two and a half hours in a real waiting room is. If you work in healthcare, it might hit a bit close to home - you’re likely to recognize each and every one of these doctors and nurses; from the uncaring to the downright hostile. At least the paramedic knows what’s wrong, and makes an effort to see he gets the proper care.
Mr. Lazarescu is shuffled off to a new hospital, and a new doctor or nurse who insists on asking the same questions and on making the same nagging comments that they can smell alcohol. They suggest that he stop drinking and then his headaches would stop; despite they symptoms that show that the right side of his body isn’t working properly…
It may not be the fanciest, prettiest movie you’ve seen, but it’s one of the more compelling.
I went to this on what was contained in the film guide, and I have to say that while they had the general pieces outlined, the synopsis as a whole was a lie.
It starts out well enough as a light comedic film about two buddies, one of which (Grandpa) is hopeless with women. His utter failure with one particular beauty means that his partner (Daniel) will succeed, straining their relationship.
That’s all fine up to that point, but then Daniel gets caught in some odd graffiti sting operation and receives a slap on the wrist in the form of a 60 day suspended sentence. Then we begin to see clips of the Judge’s miserable life for some reason that I haven’t deciphered; he feeds his young kids alcohol, shoplifts, and avoids his wife for the weekend. It’s basically a separate film that might be there to contrast against Daniel’s miserable life, or it might be there to pad the film. I’m just not sure.
What is real and what is imagined; who is alive, and who isn’t? Present or past? It’s a bit of a muddied view of memory; someone who has lost theirs, and who isn’t able to make new memories, and someone who isn’t able to forget. So unable to forget, that they are drawn again and again to the same people and places; stalking the living.
This isn’t likely a film to watch late in the day, but it’s likely not a bad one to start off the day with. It’s slow and doesn’t really “go” anywhere; it’s a story instead a father’s failings, and how his son repeats these; sins of the father being visited upon the son.
“Schlomo”, at 8 years old, is forced to go undercover in order to save his life. His family is Christian, and the Chosen People are the only ones being evacuated from the camps as part of “Operation Moses.” His mother makes a sacrifice in order to save him. He leaves under the care of a Jewish woman who lost her child earlier that same day.
Under complete secrecy, Operation Moses launched on November 19, 1984 and ended six short weeks later on January 5, 1985. During that period, some 8,000 Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel via Sudan. The mission was not without its complications. Media leaks were partially to blame for the premature ending of the mission. As a result, the Sudanese government was pressured by the Arab nations to stop support for the program. Because of the premature ending to the Operation Moses, almost 15,000 Jews, or two thirds of the Beta Israel, were left behind in Ethiopia. - Operation Moses
Schlomo loses his second mother quite quickly, and is eventually adopted by a French Israeli family. From there, it’s a trip through his entire life; attending Hebrew School, his Bar Mitzvah, falling in love with a white Jewish girl, going to medical school, getting married, and using his skills to help others.
It’s a long movie, and it does go on a bit at the end, but as a whole, the film was very good, with a genuine sense of humour living hand-in-hand with exceptional lose and tragedy.
This was the first sold out screening of the Vancouver International Film Festival, and I was relegated to a seat right up against the wall, right up front; my neck still aches, but it was worth it.
Director Marc Levin heads out to find out if people really still believe that the Elders of Zion really existed, and if there really is a massive Jewish conspiracy. Anti-semitism is found in many places, with many people having seen or heard of the book The Protocols of The Elders of Zion. The book has even been dramatized and played on television in Egypt and other countries recently.
A number of the items that are listed in the Protocols could apply to any corrupt body that is trying to maintain control of the people. Governing bodies such as the Russian Czars under which this document was creates, or even modern day administrations in the USA. That these ‘rules’ are ascribed to the Jews is simply a way to distract a population; to have them direct their animosity at anyone other than their own government.
At one point, Levin tries to gather a number of Jewish entertainment figures in order to discuss Mel Gibson’s new film, and nobody will come. “It’s like the Jews are hiding” he says; perhaps it’s not alright to talk about the successes of the culture for fear of attracting more hate and fear.
It’s been a pretty mellow day here at the Vancouver International Film Festival as far as the films go. I was picking up my tickets this morning and in my confusion in digging for my pass, I delayed just long enough to run into Nagasaki Shunichi; director of Heart, Beating in the Dark; and his entourage. They were picking up their tickets for The Duelist, and I saw their tags, which list the film they’re affiliated with. Well, I had to take that moment to mention how much I enjoyed the film; which to tell by his reaction was completely wasted; I think he understands zero english. His escort / interpreter was surprised that I had seen the film already, as it hasn’t officially premiered yet… I hope they enjoyed The Duelist though.
I skipped out of Dog Nail Clipper and Skritek in favour of leaving home late. Instead I saw This Divided State which was okay, for a documentary about things I already know; that George W. Bush is evil. I then saw Memories in the Mist which was… convoluted, and while not something that I’d watch again, it’s not something I regret seeing.
I tried to watch To the Other Side, but the projector wasn’t working, and it was 10 minutes behind schedule and I’m nearly overlapped on my schedule, so I opted to leave in favour of taking a half hour to write things down and grab a slice of pizza. Up shortly are Protocols of Zion and Live and Become; I may watch another screener this evening; Hamster Cage or A Perfect Fake. I’m not sure if I’ll manage that, as I’m really looking forward to sleep; just like last year’s festival, my sinuses are flared as if I have a cold coming on…
Time to go line up for the next film…
In true propaganda fashion, this is a film that picks a side and you should be on that side or you’re going to hate it. If you can accept that Sean Hannity is a jerk, and a mostly useless talking head, and that Bush is evil, then you’ll definitely enjoy this movie; I know I did.
This isn’t a story about Michael Moore or about George W. Bush; it’s the story of what happens when a college in Utah tries to bring in speakers who are anything but Republican. It’s about what happens to the student leaders who try to represent all of the students, and not just most of them.
There’s something about this film that makes it feel a bit like Best in Show with the biggest difference being that the dogs in this movie are dead. I enjoyed Best in Show and Mighty Wind, and I enjoy this documentary; even though Lifelike is the only serious documentary out of the three, it fits in in style.
Janie is the one that really sells the mockumentary feel, as she appears over the top in her portrayal of herself, with her doting attention to the corpse of her dog. It gets creepier when she takes Wonder the Freeze Dried Dog home to meet the replacement dog… the live dog seems a bit freaked out; “You’re going to do this to me too, aren’t you?”
In addition to the drying of Wonder, we see two novice taxidermists preparing their exhibits for their first competition at the Canadian Taxidermy Championships. Taxidermy jokes are about as funny to non-taxidermists as math jokes are to most of the world, this is a funny little film.
It’s a bit creepy, and a bit strange, but an excellent hour long doc. Makes for an interesting pair, as it’s screening with A Perfect Fake which is a film about sex dolls.
Three teenage girlfriends force themselves on an early 32 year old, married Keith (David Boreanaz). Threats of exposing him to his wife keep him playing along with the schedule for a bit, because we know any 32 year old being molested by three cute teenage girls would want out.
I’m a fan of Caroline Dhavernas’ work in Wonderfalls, and was a bit disappointed by the voice-over narration that she was providing in the first little bit of the film; almost as if the film maker was trying to turn her into the same character from the TV show. Speaking of TV actors, Boreanaz isn’t entirely convincing as a knife-wielding drug dealer; bandanna or no. I’m not sure if it’s the residue of his years playing the wimpy vampire, or if it’s an affectation called for by the role, but he’s pretty mopey for a drug dealing “bad guy”.
It’s a decent little film, and quite good as far as it’s one of those movies where Everything Works Out Just Fine(tm) and everyone moves on, richer for the experience. It’s definitely worth watching, though if you’re in Canada it will undoubtedly show up on the Movie Channel in short order.
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This is not always an easy movie to watch with the violence and a central theme of child abuse and murder. There are also a couple of scenes that could easily be defined as rape, or at least very violent, not explicitly consensual sex. Even with all that, it’s a film full of beauty, and even kindness.
This is somewhat of a sequel, something of a remake, tied together with a bit of a documentary. Naito Takashi played the young man, Ringo, in the original version of the film, and he appeals to director Nagasaki Shunichi to play the part again, if for no other reason than to be able to punch his younger self really hard.
There are multiple tracks in play here; the documentary surrounding the remake itself; the scenes from the original Super 8 production from 1982; the pair of new runaways; the space in which everything comes together, and the four runaways all meet at one place and time. The use of the old footage is well done, showing the new and the old mirroring one another. The film transitions well between the tracks, almost as if the entire film was shot on the different formats recently, for effect.
It’s a beautiful film about ugly things, and it’s a must see film at this festival. The 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival plays host to this film’s World Premiere, and we’re very lucky to have it. I plan to see it at least once more. Sunday October 2, 7:00 pm at the Visa Screening Room (The Vogue), or Monday October 3, 2:00 pm at the Granville 7.
Sometimes it proves best to not pay attention to what the neighbours are up to; those noises might not be something you want to know more about. Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that Elizabeth covers everything in plastic sheeting immediately after she returns from the hospital.
It’s amusing that they treat brain surgery as an out-patient procedure, sending her home as soon as she wakes up, and that her allergies really start up so soon after surgery, but the best pieces of the film defy explanation; they’re based on action and sounds; a kiss gone over-the-top-bad, a string quartet, and the plot device of the French Guy next door. This is a film that has to be seen.
This is a story of political abuses from all points in the spectrum between the 80s and the year 2000 in Peru. Complaints that the government before the rise was responding only to the needs of its rich, white citizens, lead to the rise of a movement known as “The Shining Path.” Lead by Guzman and inspired by Mao, Lenin, and Marx sprung up to right these wrongs. Their plan? Violent guerilla maneuvers against the government, using the poor rural people as the soldiers.
The government responded with heavy arms, sending the Marines into the Mountains to seek out the terrorists. Sadly, they weren’t able to identify who was a member of the terrorists, as they refused to wear uniforms or signs identifying them as such; so the military treated everyone as guilty, and many were killed. These abuses lead to the rise of a dictatorship with the election of President Fujimori, who dissolved the senate, and with the control of all media, maintained a reported 70% approval rating.
It’s an interesting film, and a disturbing one. The film does not mention anything of the US involvement in the Peruvian conflicts, and no connections are made to foreign involvement. However, when the film gets to covering Fujimori, I can’t help but notice an implied connection to the current American administration. It’s not subtle, but nothing is said; it’s a skilled piece of work to accomplish that.
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I’m a fan of the art styles used in propaganda; the studied use of colour and line, along with the use of mythic story to inspire the people. I expected more of a focus on the actual performances, but this was as much a documentary on how China has changed since the Cultural Revolution as it was a story of the 8 Model Works
This is a story about what has happened to selected cast and crew from the movies and, to a lesser degree, a story of contemporary youth in China. We’re treated to a couple modernized dance numbers by the kids, inspired by the were interesting; a hip hop Yang Ban Xi of sorts. Talking heads tell stories of fame, of arrest and imprisonment, and of the downfall of Madame Mao.
I would have liked to see more footage of the operas themselves, as they’re visually quite astounding. It’s an interesting piece, though I could have down without the rock video at the end, and maybe a bit tighter focus.
I’m a fan of any movie that has an opening scene that causes people to walk out of the theatre, so I would recommend this film strongly. However, this is one of those movies where I could have done without the last scene; especially when the song Moon River begins to play. No, that won’t ruin any of the movie for you, but maybe it will help prepare you for the shock.
The story, at its most basic is that of Odete, one of the least qualified people for the job she does at the supermarket. She desperately wants a baby of her own; someone who will love her unconditionally; she’s a child herself. She finds the best father for her future child; the recently deceased upstairs neighbour and she plays the grieving widow well; breaking down at the funeral, cleaning the tombstone, and sleeping on the grave of the dear departed. She performs these actions not simply to convince others, but for the simple reason that she believes that the dead man is the father of her unborn child.
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Oh boy, metaphor. There are levels and levels of metaphor and symbolism at play in this stunning example of film making solely with the aim of seeing the movie play at 3:00 AM on the Women’s Network. Okay, the symbols may as well have “THIS IS A SYMBOL” written on them in large, friendly letters. Gosh, that wounded bird that the Japanese woman keeps in a peach crate; that wouldn’t represent her own situation where she’s trapped in a remote fishing village, alone.
The stereotypes and the film clichés are everywhere; the woman collapsing on the beach into a closeup shot, followed by the tide trickling up past her head; an Asian woman who only finds happiness and freedom through sex with as many people as possible; the scene with the two lovers lying in the grass talking about ‘where we all come from’; the small town consists solely of drunks and racists, with only one person who really understands her.
It’s so predictable and trite, it’s like watching an episode of ABC’s After School Special, but with better cameras and sound equipment.
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Herr Werner has a firm grasp on the dreams that The West brings with it when the two Germanys reunited. He knows what he wants, but he’s not at all sure how to get there; he dreams big, but he has no idea what he has to do in order to get to the point where his dreams stand any chance. He plans and plans, and like the boy who cried wolf, those closest to him stop listening and believing. When there’s the faintest hint of success, he becomes almost manic as if he’s suddenly rich and successful, and everything is already his.
I really enjoyed this dramatic bit of comedy, in a somewhat similar fashion to movies like Berlin Blues or Goodbye, Lenin!, which have no trouble flipping between honest comedy and disturbing drama, as the situation dictates. No surprise at all that it was awarded Best German Film at this past Berlin Film Festival, as the whole package is exceptional.
The most amazing bit of information is that this film is not only Robert Thalheim’s first feature film, but he directed it while he was studying. That’s right; it’s a student film.
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This is the movie that all others will be judged against in the VIFF 2005 program. It’s the best movie that I’ve seen to use as a marker for exactly how good any other movie is. It sets the mark for film rating in the same way that Absolute Zero sets the base against which degrees Kelvin are measured. This is the worst movie I’ve seen during this festival, and I simply can’t imagine anything worse… well, I choose not to.
The synopsis, and the poem about Mr. Mao and his bag of rice is great, and it sets your expectations to somewhat higher than they should have been. Along the way, I saw a couple potential short films that could have been broken off as good 3-6 minute shorts, but as a whole it doesn’t work. It’s slow, and the whole thing would appear to be done improv; not always good in comedy, and rarely any good in drama.
I’ve decided to expand my rating system that was going to simply be 1-4 to include a 0. I didn’t want to start from 0, but this film has given me no choice. If anyone you know suggests going to see this film, punch them right in the nose and walk away.
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Well, here’s a film that was on my list anyhow, but I haven’t managed to see yet during the advance screenings. Looks like that might be some amount of fighting for seats when C.R.A.Z.Y. screens here during the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Earlier today, Telefilm Canada announced that this rather popular Canadian film was being submitted to the Academy for consideration as Canada’a entry in the Oscar category for Best Foreign-Language; I’ll comment more on its chances when I’ve seen it
Montreal, September 20, 2005 – Telefilm Canada, Chair of the Canadian selection committee for the 78th Annual Academy Awards, is proud to announce that Jean-Marc Vallée’s C.R.A.Z.Y. has been submitted to represent the country in the bid for a nomination in the Best Foreign-Language Film category.
C.R.A.Z.Y. shows during VIFF 2005 at Mon, Oct 10 at 3:20 pm and Thu, Oct 13 7:00 pm.
You died. You’re dead. Welcome to Heaven. NEXT!
Everything is just fine until Will shows up at MILO 55160’s desk, and pulls out a yo-yo. This isn’t in the rule book. Milo; played by Patrick McKenna (The Red Green Show); finds out more about the nature of his job, and that this isn’t the Heaven that he thought it was.
Milo finds out that this isn’t actually Heaven, but only a bureaucratic exercise in keeping the dead calm, lulled into a DMV style coma. People who don’t miss life on Earth get recruited into the forces of the grey-clad bureaucrats. Somehow benefits and vacation time are important in the afterlife as well; bureaucrats are the same all over.
I saw this short film last year during the 2004 Vancouver International Film Festival, and since then it’s picked up a Leo award in Best Short Drama. It aired recently on the Canadian version of IFC, and it remains an excellent film.
I wasn’t really sure what we were in for in this film, and I made the mistake of going after I’d read the synopsis and discovered that one of the characters would reveal a Terrible Secret. That never ends well. In reading the description on the VIFF web site after having seen the film, I’m left with the feeling that the writer never did see the whole film before submitting their outline.
The chameleon like performance of Hélène Joy as Laurel offers a haunting portrayal of a women trapped by life’s circumstances and struggling to accept her true self. Leo Award-winning cinematographer Randal Platt captures the moody forested wilderness and dark watery depths of Desolation Sound to dramatic effect in this chilling thriller.
I’m assuming that the aspect of a chameleon that the writer was referring to was the ability to change colours, but that’s not the one I’d choose to highlight; cold, slow-moving, and predictable would be fully in line, but I’d apply it to the plot, not the acting.
The movie isn’t unenjoyable, and was in the top half of the films I saw this day (see So Much Rice just after this if you want this film to seem even better). The actors did about as well as could be expected with the material they were given to work with, but the characters simply have no motivation and nothing to compel any compassion. There’s a stereotypically strong and silent police officer, a wise beyond her years child, a neglected and long suffering wife, a crazy friend from The Big City and, of course, there’s that Terrible Secret.
The actors were fine, but they could have really used a script to work from that provided natural dialogue and a plot that wasn’t transparent.
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This may not be the easiest movie to watch for many people, mostly due to the way in which it’s filmed; the camera shakes pretty much continually in an attempt to show the agitation of our main character. It gets worse as time goes on and the pressure grows.
A bored and disillusioned muslim youth, living in California, is called to attend his father’s funeral in the Philippines. Adam isn’t happy with his job as a marina security guard, nor with his American girlfriend. He’s distancing himself from his language, culture, homeland, and even his family. Before his flight out of LAX, Adam calls his girlfriend from the terminal to say goodbye; a perfect time for her to pick to break up with him. Facing a long and lonely flight, made much worse by seeing yourself as truly alone, Adam even tries to kill himself with a handful of his medication (trying to overdose with Xanax for all we know). He doesn’t know lonely at this point.
On landing, his family isn’t waiting at the airport as agreed. Instead, Adam receives a phone call that makes him even more alone. In a plot vaguely reminiscent of an early season of 24 or of that from the movie Phonebooth, Adam is forced to perform a variety of tasks in order to save his mother and sister. His family is being held hostage and any failure to comply with demands is promised to result in death for his loved ones.
I could have lived without the last 5 minutes of the movie; it tried to tie thing up and spell out what happened a bit more than I like. I would have much preferred to see things fade to black as Adam crossed back over that rickety bridge. I’d rather have made up my own mind about what happened to Adam, his girlfriend, his family, and anyone else than have to deal with an ending that feels like a cop-out. Regardless, it’s a good movie if you’re not prone to motion sickness.
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The general look and feel of this movie is that of a mid-80s mini-series; the colours are a bit on the yellow end, and the pacing and structure of the film would lend it to being split into four or six episodes.
Overall it’s a fine film that deals with the story of João de Carmago, a former slave who has been freed in exchange for a short term of military service. Soldier, merchant, and drunkard were not occupations that typically lead to riches, but with a vision or two, and some hard work, saint was something that he was able to pull off.
Each of the film’s acts could easily have evolved into a movie in its own right, such is the volume of information that’s put forth. For a non-Brazilian it might serve to have more information going in to the film. For example, a knowledge of the religious aspects of Brazilian life in the 19th century or even a bit on general African spiritualism; it would help you to understand more about the gods that are dealt with and who that crazy laughing guy is. Also handy would be knowing something about how a religion such as Candomble (often misidentified as “Voodoo” or “Santeria”) survived for so long, hiding behind the “permitted” Roman Catholicism.
Infidelity, murder, violence, war, greed; it’s all here. This is war in Mozambique in the 1960s. Portugal is trying to assert its military might and failing miserably; a perfect place for a new bride to start her new life; alone, as her husband fights a pointless war.
The movie is slow, taking its time to fill in the pieces and develop the parallel stories of Helena and Evita, who experience similar troubles with their husbands away. The ending of the film is relatively ambiguous and lead to a number of interesting theories in the lobby following the screening, though I took things at face value.
It’s a character piece, with very little background music or wasted dialogue. As such, there are decent periods of time that pass with no talking and little but ambient noise to be heard. I could have stood to see the story develop a bit faster with more detail by the 60 minute mark; in its current cut I wouldn’t be likely to watch it again, though I’d recommend one viewing. Just make sure that you bring a cup of coffee and an open mind into the theatre with you.
A documentary is best when it tells me something that I didn’t know, and here we have a great example of how to do this. In 1965, North Vietnam’s communist government evacuated the Hanoi Music Conservatory, relocating the teachers, students, and truck loads of instruments to a remote village.
In the countryside, working with the local villagers, the musicians worked to build a truly undergroiund music academy, complete with a 500 seat music hall. Built like a bunker, with tunnels between homes and studios, the students practiced and perfected their craft while Hanoi was attacked.
We get to meet students and villagers who are reunited after nearly 40 years, and see how music has helped shape their lives. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more film at the end of the hour, but it’s a tight film, and absolutely worth watching.
Who is writing these entries in the film guide? “you’ll leave the theatre contemplating these kinds of inquiries while still humming fun-loving tunes like Ladder of Love and Collaboration make this film a uniquely entertaining treat.” As it is, I feel a bit cheated having had to witness the Novex Delivery guys’ song and dance; I want an apology from the screen writer.
The movie begins in a way that’s pretty familiar to people who have seen any amount of Canadian cinema; it begins well and quickly introduces quirky characters who are gruff yet fun. We’re lead to believe that we’re dealing with a light comedy about life in a genetics lab, and then all of a sudden the movie changes course, running full-tilt goofy with the biological clock references and the gyrating delivery guys’ song and dance.
I liked Big Meat Eater and other full-on goofy movies made here like Terminal City Richochet and Phil The Alien. None of those films dared pretend to be anything but goofy, fun movies. Here in The Score you’re never sure when things are supposed to be funny. Things progress from funny to goofy to tragic to funny to tragic and then to sappy and then back to funny and tragic; I see two different movies here, and I think I would have liked each of them individually. Watching them both at once isn’t something I’d recommend. If a viewing is unavoidable, Vancouver residents might enjoy playing a game of Guess the Skytrain Station while waiting 80 minutes to get to the one lonely joke that made the audience laugh; it was a Surrey joke.
It might be that some people are meant to write and direct plays, but not movies. I know I’ve seen that before in Naked Frailties which you may have seen in the 3:00am slots of TV stations looking to fill their Canadian Content quotas.
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