Saudi Arabian gem ‘Wadjda’ is a groundbreaker in more ways than one.
Documentary masterwork ‘Kiss the Water’ focuses on salmon fishing in Scotland. Eric Steel’s beautifully-crafted film is one of the best films at Tribeca.
by Sam Juliano
The Tribeca Film Festival concluded on Sunday night, and all told it was quite an event, and a real boost to the NYC cultural scene. The festival jury handed on their awards on Thursday, naming the popular Australian film set in Laos, The Rocket, top narrative film, while documentary honors were bestowed upon The Kill Team. Kim Mordaunt’s largely Lao-language The Rocket focuses on a 10-year-old tribal boy in Laos’ mountains who hopes both to build a rocket and find a new home for his family. It features a host of nonprofessional actors, including Sitthiphon Disamoe, who won the festival’s Best Actor prize. I managed to see the film on Sunday afternoon and found it utterly charming, though it will probably finish a bit lower on my own Ten-Best list of the festival to be published in a few days. The remarkable popularity of the film was confirmed on Saturday night when it also won first place in Heinecken’s audience award contest which means a $25,000 prize both to the top narrative film and documentary by exiting moviegoers who are asked to rip through the number of a 1 through 5 rating grid on the corresponding ballot given out by ushers at the film’s start. Rarely does the same film win both the audience and jury prizes, but this feat bodes quite well for the Australian film’s chances for a distribution in the major cities at least for starters.
Heinecken documentary winner Bridgegroom, which was largely funded by Kickstarter, explores the real-life story of Shane Bitney Crone and Tom Bridegroom, a same-sex couple who were aiming to marry in California when Bridegroom was tragically killed in a roof accident. Bitney Crone is then prohibited from attending Bridegroom’s funeral by the late man’s family, who disapproved of the union from the start despite some feigned short-lived cooperation. A subsequent video tribute to Bridegroom from Bitney Crone became a viral sensation, though as Crone mentioned in an emotional Q & A at the AV7 on Sunday, the film, directed by Hollywood veteran Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, has yet to gain distribution. Bridegroom is one of the most moving documentaries in recent years, a bonafide tear-jerker that left not a dry eye in the house. The tragedy recalled Dear Zachary: A Letter from a Son to His Father, but the issues here are about gay rights as they center around the same sex marriage issue. By any barometer of measurement it’s one of the best films of the festival, one that acutely resonates.
The jury awarded it’s best documentary prize to The Kill Team, which alleges a US army’s crimes against Afghan civilians. The startling subject matter of the film apparently trumped it’s conventional style, as I personally found it solid, but not among the best documentaries I have seen at the festival. I will be making my own cases for Kiss the Water, Bridegroom, Dancing in Jaffa, Cutie and the Boxer and the superlative Oxyana, about widespread drug addiction in a trailer town in West Virginia, a film that won it’s director Sean Dunne a well deserved jury prize as Best new documentary director.
I managed miraculously to see 22 more films over the past week bringing the final total to 37 for the event. I will be presenting an in-depth look at the festival’s best works later in the week. Lucille also saw a good number of films, while I purchased a some tickets so Sammy could attend several, as well as Melanie for two. Broadway Bob attended seven films. I will include Lucille’s round-up with my own. For now I have the star ratings for the films I saw over the past seven days. I was disappointed I didn’t have the opportunity to see the documentary on Elaine Stritch which was inexplicably replaced by Tribeca on Sunday in the slot that was supposed to feature the Heinecken documentary that finished second behind Bridegroom, and rightfully should have screened instead of Cutie and the Boxer.
Ali Blue Eyes *** 1/2 (Monday) CCC-7
Some Velvet Morning * 1/2 (Monday) SVA-1
Taboor * (Tuesday) CCC-5
Dark Touch * (Tuesday) CCC-8
Kiss the Water **** 1/2 (Wednesday) CCC-4
Cutie and the Boxer **** (Wednesday) CCC-9
Mr. Jones * (Wednesday) CCC-7
Big Joy **** (Wednesday) CCC-9
Wadjda ***** (Thursday) CCC-5
The Pretty One ** (Thursday) CCC-7
Oxyana **** 1/2 (Friday) CCC-6
A Birder’s Guide to Everything ** (Friday) CCC-7
Sunlight Jr. ** 1/2 (Friday) CCC-7
Aatsinski ** (Friday) CCC-5
Raze * 1/2 (Friday) CCC-4
Teenage *** 1/2 (Saturday) CCC-8
Dancing in Jaffa **** (Saturday) CCC-8
Hide Your Smiling Faces ** (Saturday) CCC-6
What Richard Did **** (Saturday) CCC-8
Bridegroom **** 1/2 (Sunday) AV7-1
The Rocket **** (Sunday) CCC-7
The Kill Team *** (Sunday) CCC-6
Lucille saw Prince Avalanche and The English Teacher on Sunday while I was watching The Kill Team and The Rocket. She really liked The English Teacher quite a bit.
Wrenching ‘Bridegroom’ tells a tragic real-life story of injustice and gay issues that rightly bowled over Tribeca audiences.
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Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Sam,
Loved hearing your thoughts on the festival and look forward to your in depth recap to come. I am quite impressed by how many films you were able to attend, but perhaps I shouldn’t be! Ha! We have seen you tackle large numbers of films like this before. Again, like I said, looking forward to additional thoughts from you.
So I got back into the swing of things at work and at home after returning from vacation. I also caught up on some films….
To the Wonder: I caught this one on demand on HD at home and I’m really glad I watched it there as the film is very personal and a private sort of film. I must say I was rather blown away by it. I think it was even better than I was expecting and I had high hopes for it. I think I was rather startled by the darker tones in the film…..I think it’s in fact Malick’s “darkest” film. Here there is no “grace”, like in the last film, nor is there the comfort of the family bonds, nor is there the spiritual rebirth, like in Tree of Life. Gone also is the matter of factness that so characterized his early films, like Badlands and Days of Heaven. Even the uplifting poetry found in TTRL, or The New World is not really there. This is a story of doubt, of distrust, of loneliness, of longing for something that cannot be grasped. This is not the same final tone that his other films leave you with. There is something darker here that he is expressing. I think Malick is moving into more Bergman-like obsessions around Spirituality, although his POV is slightly different than Bergman’s. I also wonder whether Malick is working on some sort of trilogy or something. TTW seems like a close cousin to Tree of Life, and I’m wondering if the next film explores similar themes as well. TTW is not an actors movie though. The actors didn’t leave me with any lingering impression, like Hunter McCRacken, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain did in Tree of Life. There are really no exchanges at all in TTW….even conversations are muted to allow for the voiceovers. It is an impressive film and sure to be one of the best of year from my POV.
On the other hand, I watched The Sessions. Geez what a sappy, and needlessly melodramatic little pile of cinematic garbage! There is no sense of importance and the film seems really reaching for meaning that just isn’t there. I thought it was cheap (needless gratuitous nudity from Hunt and of course no nudity from John Hawkes which is sexist IMO). I think the film is one of the WORST of 2012. I think you liked it and I respect your opinion…..I just thought the film was very juvenile.
Up this week is Border Radio, Bright Star, and Age of Consent, and Olivier’s Hamlet. Have a great week!
Jon—
Thanks for the very kind words! Yes I will definitely be posting my top ten films of the Tribeca Festival in the coming days, and am quite excited to do so. I can only hope that all my favorites win full distribution, and I am reasonably confident that that this will happen. The total began to snowball after I targeted a number of titles as “must sees.” I much enjoyed your thorough and passionate insights into TO THE WONDER, which is absolutely one of the best films of the year so far in my view! Yes it is dark, and is imbued with lyricism. A real stunner, and I again commend you for those fantastic observations. Yes I did like THE SESSIONS more than you, but I will not go to the mat for it, and completely understand where you are coming from. I did however think Hawkes and Hunt gave exceptional performances. I especially look forward to your response to BRIGHT STAR and HAMLET. Have a great week my friend! Many thanks as always! And great to hear you are back, though I bet you will miss the great time you had.
Another amazing performance Sam. You must feel spent today, and deserve a long rest. But oh that’s right. Now you have to write an in-depth wrap! Sounds like there were a number of bad to worse films. But the number of very good ones makes the whole affair worthwhile. I bet everyone in the place got to know you and Lucille.
Yes I am spent Peter, and I do need to get some quality rest time. After that torrid run I can’t say I am eager to enter a theater anytime soon, though I can’t deny we had a great time, and managed to take in some wonderful works. As you say the highlights more than make up for the inevitable duds. It’s funny you mention the people who work there. One tall fellow spoke to me as I was walking down the elevator after the final film (THE KILL TEAM) and he immediately recognized me and asked how I did. I told him I saw “too many” films, and he came back with: “How many? 18?” When I told him 37 he simply couldn’t believe it. We were also regulars at Lucky Burgers next store, because we were given 1 15% discount. I always opted for “vegeburgers.” Thanks as always my friend!
Sam, I have read very good things about ‘Stand Clear of Closing Doors’ and hope it gets distribution. World cinema got excellent exposure at this year’s Tribeca. Your marathon is par for the course. But Lucille did some great work too.
Frank, you have read correctly as far as I am concerned. STAND CLEAR was one of the most memorable films of the festival, and it will surely be placing on my Top 10. World cinema and documentaries were the real gems in this year’s fest. Lucille caught 28 films herself! Thank you my friend!
Looks like Tribeca was hit or miss with you, Sam, but I suppose the thrill of discovery makes up for whatever duds you encountered. As for me, I cleared Pierre Etaix off my DVR queue with a look at Le Grand Amour, which was admirable as an effort to get out of his comfort zone but often left me cold. I think Yoyo will stand up as his best work. Current on my site is Makhmalbaf’s The Cyclist, an intriguing mix of influences with a flair of its own. Continued my personal Jess Franco retrospective with The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus; the title notwithstanding, it’s fairly tame in content but also one of Franco’s most pictorially disciplined and accomplished films. Also saw Sam Wood’s Hold Your Man, with Harlow and Gable in peak Pre-Code form. They gave M-G-M a raw sexuality despite the tiffany sheen that no studio could really match, and this tale of grifters in love is cool until it goes soft toward the end. Saw more, but those are the ones worth mentioning right now. Will most likely see my first 2013 theatrical release this weekend; to my slight embarrassment, it will be Iron Man 3. But we don’t get all the cool film festivals you get down there, Sam, so forgive me.
Samuel– You really did size up the Tribeca 2013 experience perfectly! In the end it was the thrill of discovery that made the weaker entries tolerable. I’d say the “horror” films and a few American movies with commercial potential were the weak links in the festival. I am still trying to figure out what the hubub was about A BIRDER’S GUIDE TO EVERYTHING, WHITEWASH and two listless indes called HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES and BLUEBIRD, and I was not among the internet disciples for a cat movie called LIL BUB AND FRIENZ (and I am a cat lover!) I liked Etaix’s LA GRAND AMOUR considerably more than you but I definitely see that as the kind of films that will divide. I will see YOYO soon and appreciate the assessment. That’s a pretty strong recommendation of Franco’s THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS, and one that will have me seeing it in the future. I have a few requests here to see IRON MAN 3, so I’m sure I’ll be there too. And I am pretty much with you on the Sam Wood pre-coder HOLD YOUR MAN. Have a great week my friend.
22 more films, that’s like 3 a day! You’re a stone cold maniac, sir.
All I’m doing right now is reading ‘Dead Souls’ because Sontag said ‘Satantango’ reminded her of Gogol. Though I will be checking out the multiplex this week to see Ryan Gosling, that most Bressonian of major American actors, in ‘The Place Beyond the Pines.’
Mark, what a great way to describe Gosling’s performance.
Mark, that’s a polite way to put it for sure! Ha! Wow, looks like to are indulging into some heavy reading there, and I’d love to hear all about it. SATANTANGO is a masterpiece. Great point to assert that Gosling is Bressonian! He’s a remarkable actor and he was stupendous in PINES. The film loses when he departs, but all in all I do still rate it highly. Have a great week my friend!
Just wanted to let you know that I watched ‘The Master’ last night with a WTF!?!, quizzical look across my face for over two hours. I’ve no idea what to make of it yet, but 38-year-old Joaquin Phoenix ages like a tormented septuagenarian throughout — he becomes the most demonically ugly actor I’ve seen outside the horror genre, and his performance must be some kind of tour-de-force for serious film dramaturgy. His mixology, pouring paint thinner into the hooch, reminded me of the freak-swill in ‘Geek Love.’
37?? 37!!!!!
Incredible Sam. I look forward to your Tribeca round-ups as you list names I have not heard about. Will keep my eye out for these titles. And indeed, it is rare that Jury & Audience awards go to the same film. I have not seen that happen for any of our local festivals.
Please get some rest this week 🙂
Thanks so very much Sachin, and yes I will definitely be staying clear of movie theaters until next weekend. I will also try and unwind, though I do have to pen the round-up this evening. (The round-up is basically a top ten composed of capsules with photos) Yes I don’t think the audience and jury awards have ever matched up before at Tribeca (or as you note probably not anywhere else) Have a great week my friend!
“I managed miraculously to see 22 more films over the past week…”
HOLY COW! My hat is off to you Sam, I could never do it! I desperately want to see BRIDEGROOM and WADJDA.
I’m looking forward to your in-depth thoughts on Kiss the Water, Bridegroom, Dancing in Jaffa, Cutie and the Boxer, and Oxyana.
Laurie—I can offer you the certainty that you will love BRIDEGROOM and WADJDA and probably all the others here you are interested in hearing more about. I know you will be charmed by the documentary set in Scotland, which is beautifully crafted, but CUTIE, DANCING IN JAFFA and OXYANA are first-class docs. I do need a bit of a rest though (ha!) and do feel I may have gotten a bit carried away. What else is new? Have a great week my friend! Many thanks as always.
Sam, twenty two films is utterly amazing! I don’t know whether to salute you or worry about you (LOL). Anyway looking forward to you wrap up on the festival. On this side of the fence, I finally have my photos organized on line from the two exhibits currently going on. For anyone who is interested click on the attached link and then go to the upper left hand corner where it says “sections” and you will find sections on both the “Honeymoon Island Exhibit and Ruth Eckerd Exhibit.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JohnGrecoPhotography
On the film front this week…
The Company You Keep (****) You can’t run away from you past seems to be the running theme of Robert Redford’s new film. I’m sure there are folks who will be put off by the film, but I found it an intriguing workand certainly better than most of the Dwayne Johnson/Tom Cruise crap that passes today as filmmaking.
Killer Joe (****) A dark, disturbing, dangerous in your face black comedy of errors. Unsettling to say the least but nicely done by William Friedkin.
Fort Apache (****1/2) Henry Fonda’s arrogant Colonel Owen Thursday reminds me of so many self righteous leaders who deemed themselves superior by position and birth. Thursday sees his transfer to Fort Apache as a slap in the face. He is insensitive to everyone; the Indians, showing no respect to the Indian chief Cochise, to his daughter who is in love with a young Lt. He is no better with his own men including calling John Wayne a coward! He’s a demanding and unsympatheic character. Some may give him credit, and see it as heroic, for going back to his troops and dying with his men, but it was his stupidity and arrogant behavior that led to their deaths. A marlevous nasty performance by Fonda.
The Entertainer (****1/2) John Osborne’s allegory on the fall of the British Empire as seen through the lives of three generations of the Rice family. Laurence Olivier as Archie Rice, a third rate Vaudevillian, is brilliant in one of his most lauded role. The rest of the cast (Joan Plowright, Roger Livesley, Brenda de Banzie, Alan Bates and Shirley Ann Field and Albert Finney) are all excellent. The realistic locations, the sharp direction all add the power of this grim story.
Which Way is the Front Line? Life & Times of Tim Hetherington (****) Very good HBO doc. on photographer/filmmaker Tim Hetherington who died in Libya from shrapnel during an attack. Hetherington was co-director of “Restrepo.”
Hold Your Man (***1/2) Third of five films Gable and Harlow made,. It’s a mix of romance, comedy and drama. The film is filled with elements of sex and unmarried pregnancy that just one year later would be banned due to the implement of the production code. Also notable are some of the female characters, one a socialist who is constantly spitting out propaganda and a black inmate who is pretty much treated as an equal.
The Girl From Missouri (***) Sort of an early version of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES. Both of these works were written or at least co-written by Anita Loos. Blonde gold digger Jean is looking to snag herself a millionaire sugar daddy. Entertaining enough.
Decision at Sundown (***) Decent enough Budd Boetichetter western with R. Scott as a revenge seeking husband out to kill the man who stole his wife.
John—
You hit it on the head! It was quite an exhausting time, and last night as I was starting to respond to you here I literally konked out and had to immediately retire for the evening. I do look backed on this experience fondly and appreciate the opportunity to run hog wild two years consecutively. I will have the wrap up on either Thursday or Friday. I am thrilled that your photos are up, and I will be taking a comprehensive look at the presentation today! I’m sure it will be magnificent. And hope others here avail themselves of your link today and beyond! As always you saw a brace of films, noted for their genre and time release diversity. Like you I appreciated the black humor in KILLER JOE and rate it precisely as you do, though I know there are some here who were somewhat repulsed by the proceedings Wonderful discussion of Ford’s near-masterpiece FORT APACHE, which I al;so agree with you on, and I might rate that Boetticher slightly higher but we’re not far apart. I haven’t seen the Redford film yet, but Lucille does want to check it out, so I appreciate the solid assessment. Yes THE ENTERTAINER is classic stuff and I again appreciate the great framing!. Don’t remember seeing THE GIRL FROM MISSOURI nor WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE, but am in complete rating agreement with you on HOLD YOUR MAN. Thanks as always my friend and have a terrific week. Will definitely respond to you on the photos!
Sam,
You must be feeling exhausted after attending all those screenings. Many of films you mention here seem quite interesting, but I’m afraid very few will reach here even in DVD format.
I saw LOVE, BE WITH HUMANITY (1931), a Shochiku silent epic directed by Yasujiro Shimazu (not Ozu). It is 3 hours long @ 24fps. Live piano accompaniment by Mie Yanashita (who also played at Pordenone Silent Film Festival a few years ago for this film premiere) was excellent. The film is dynamic, visually stunning and arguably the most vivid specimen of prewar modernism. I will write up the post in a few days.
Maybe I should write up the post about pathetic environment surrounding Japanese film industries in recent years…
MI
MI—-
As I also just explained to John (above) that exhaustion took hold of me last night and I was forced into the horizontal position sooner than I had planned. It’s true that a lamentable number of festival films do not see the light of day on DVD or even theatrical release but I am figuring a solid proportion of this year’s crop will see the light of day in the coming months. BEFORE SNOWFALL, HARMONY LESSONS and CUTIE AND THE BOXER already have release estimations, and we can be fairly sure that films like BRIDEGROOM, WADJDA, OXYANA and THE ROCKET are imminent. Your planned post has me extremely interested, and your sterling regard for this rare epic will not go without response I can tell you that much! Seeing the film with piano accompaniment is as Allan would say ‘the dog’s bollocks’ and I hope the film will eventually be picked up for DVD release. And sadly what you say about the stagnant state of the Japanese film industry in sustaining their rich heritage is dead-on and well-worth an examination! There is no better or more scholarly astute person than you to take this on my friend! I have been away to long, but I m ready to dive in to the hallowed halls of VERMILLION AND ONE NIGHTS! Have a great week my friend. Many thanks as always.
Sam that is one heck of a lot of movie watching! Wow! I see a few that you gave a good solid high rating too 🙂 Well I have a couple to offer up this week:
MOTHER OF MINE (2005) A Finnish-Swedish film directed by Klaus Härö and is based on a novel by Heikki Hietamies. With the power of this child-remembered experience I can only imagine what the book would be like to read. I had no idea that 70,000 Finish children were taken to Sweden during the World War II. The main character’s life-long struggle with his primary bond to mother and all the confusion that this displacement for his own safety caused is heart wrenching. I cried my eyes out at one point.
GUILTY (2011) French drama film directed by Vincent Garenq about the Outreau trial. I know! Another heavy, almost unbelievable but true story about a sex crime investigation that jailed the innocent along with everyone else. My fellow viewer was sure such a thing would not have happened in Canada but I am not so convinced. We know that people are found guilty of crimes that is later determined they didn’t commit call the time. I know nothing about the actual Outreau trial other than this film but I might just go find out. The authenticity of this film gives it a subtle tension which almost goes unnoticed until about halfway through the film. Then, like the lead character, I just wanted the pain of it all to be over.
Well this is it for Mayne Island. All the best of the week to you Sam and the Wonders in the Dark crew!
Terrill—
As I did explain to others it was an exceedingly exhaustive run, but Lucille and I agreed we would give it our all. You have me extremely intrigued by MOTHER OF MINE!!! I am not familiar with this film, but the subject is squarely within my wheelhouse of interest! The material would certainly be emotionally wrenching as you attest to, and I will do some research on it this morning. Displacement of course is a major concern/theme during the second world war, and even with all the films and literature we still haven’t scratched the surface. Yes GUILTY is harrowing and riveting, and you size up it’s artistry quite perfectly there. The injustice at the center is a theme that will always boil the blood of viewers (we go all the way back to THE OX-BOW INCIDENT and I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG to see this theme enacted with power and outrage, and it still resonates today, as this film among other excellent example proves. As always you have watched some quality stuff Terrill, and I thank you for the great response! Have another terrifically creative week my friend! Many thanks as always!
Sam, I bow to your navigation of the Tribeca tribulations. 37 films in so short a time would seem a trial, but for you I’m sure it was heaven. Looks like there were some real stunners in the group too.
As for me, all I will say is MUD is a must see (naturally there is a review on The Spin). With To the Wonder, The Place Beyond the Pines, 42 and now Mud…this April was abnormally strong and felt more like a Sept/Oct. I could easily imagine all four of these films making my year end best list.
David—
It was still a trial in the sense that there was some pressure moving from one theater to the next, keeping our fingers crossed that we wouldn’t be shut out for arriving too late. That unfortunate circumstance did happen three times during the fest sad to say. But much of the marathon was thrilling, and as you rightly note, having five or six stunners made the fest completely worthwhile. Yes there were some clunkers, but that’s usually the case with most festivals. I will have my Top Ten of Tribeca post up on Thursday or Friday. I have heard much about MUD, and great to hear you are firmly with the yay-sayers. And I will surely be checking out that review and adding my two cents! I hope to see the film over the weekend after a break for the next several night. I agree that we’ve had some very good films over the past five weeks or so. Thanks as always my friend. Have a great week!
Hello Sam and everyone!
Well, I did came back to Chile and I’m happy to see how much you’ve taken advantage of seeing all the movies that you could at Tribeca, I’m looking forward to that report!
I came back to meet all the people and it was amazing, but I also continued seeing films, as always, haha. Well, here’s what I saw:
– Acá adentro (In Here) (2013, Mateo Bendesky) **** This is an accomplshment, a film where the protagonist talks the entire time in a voice over and it never gets boring or obnoxious. It’s an argentinian film that follows one character as he thinks about his life and work during one day and how everything turns out. It’s funny and interesting to see and hear at many times. This was part of the competition lineup at BAFICI, but I got access to an online screener.
– Figures de cire (1914, Maurice Tourneur) *** A short film that has some reputation, for some reason, in the early horror community, and we don’t even get inside of the protagonist’s head for one second! I could and would understand its reputation under the prospect that something scary actually happened, but besides being the first example of Grand Guinol, and that the only surprising and actually good thing happens in the last seconds of the film surprises me. There’s still some good moments when the main guy is trapped (or so he thinks) in the Wax Museum, and the film at the same time, due to deterioration starts to black out his face and his sorroundings, almost as if madness itself was represented in the physical aspect of the film and it was swallowing the scenery and the protagonist. In the end, not worth it.
– The Host (2013, Andrew Niccol) **1/2 What can I say? It looks good, the special effects are way more descent than those found in the Twilight films, the acting is kinda decent, the whole endeavour goes to the ground is trampled by big animals because the story is so bad. There must be a staple for the Meyer adaptations, that its female lead must be always with a blank stare, but even if Ronan is much more expressive at times, its alien incubated inside of her makes her much more emotionless than the performance may allow her to be. The story evolves from being an enormous conspiracy to be a chamber drama with sex and love triangles involving different consciousness inside our lead’s mind, and while it sounds interesting on paper, it’s so plagued with violence toward women, unjustified and sudden love (a Meyer staple, again) as well as hot hunky men kissing furiously our main woman. Also, it’s so long that it can’t hold anyone’s interest beyond it’s first half hour, which starts pretty decently, except for some horrible flashbacks.
– Diary of a Country Priest (1951, Robert Bresson) ****1/2 Impressive in terms of how just agonizing it is to watch it, to see this main character suffer for all the wrong reasons, see his pious face when resisting to say, to do, because of how people would react if a priest would do or say something like that. It’s filled with great moments, and while I don’t think it’s on the same level as ‘L’Argent’ o ‘Au hasard Balthazar’, I still think this is an amazing level for a third feature, for someone who was still searching for his style and later denied these christian themes so he couldn’t be encapsulated inside that ‘genre’ or set of themes or characters, he didn’t want to be called a christian auteur. Nevertheless, the film just leaks of that pure religious power that is the one of ‘facing’ and ‘leaving behind’ oneself because of love for others, and as he tells in the movie: God is Love. It has a great message and it’s deep, what else can you ask for? Oh, sure, for it to be a little shorter, but what can we do?
– Movie 43 (2013, Various Directors) ** A complete piece of trash. It never gets a joke that doesn’t aim at complete and absolute misoginy. I don’t know how certain actors agreed to appear in something like this, it’s demeaning and they should really know better, and for the look of the film, it doesn’t seem to have a really high budget, so I’m guessing that either they blew all the money on the big names so they’d be willing to do the shit they do here, or maybe they just (and here’s my worst fear) agreed to do it on a lesser budget because they thought they were doing a favour to the movie, that they were doing something good. That will haunt me this night, and I hope it will haunt yours as well. There are one or two moments that are really inspired… yet, the overall hatred towards women is just unbelievable, they get shit on (literally almost), hit, spit and demeaned. Eugh.
– Theses on a Murder (2013, Hernán Goldfrid) *** Argentinian thriller that tries to repeat the success of Darin, the main actor, but fails because even if the plots keeps it interesting for a long while, it fails just at the end to give us any meat at all as to what was really happening. The murder and what sorrounds it isn’t particularly interesting, and the suspicious behaviour of some characters was laughable.
– Top of the Lake (2013, Jane Campion, Gareth Davis) ****1/2 Impressive. I mean, how can we have something like this in television and not make everyone crazy? It’s a miniseries, sure, it’s maybe the only reason why I watched it and followed it every week: because I knew it was going to be a narrative that would end after 5 weeks. Why are we praising things like Mad Men or Breaking Bad when they aren’t narratives that have been set since the beginning but that they’ve been given the chance to expand and grow upon its original conception thanks to the extension of the contrats via the television networks. This is a mystery that has a clear answer, yet at the same time it gives its mysterious vibe throughout the series and it continues its charm even after it ended, it’s one of those that you can’t really comprehend why but you shiver and enjoy every second of it. Sure, it’s a bit episodic, but it’s because it was thought that way beforehand, and there’s always an advance in some way or another regarding the mystery or the characters who conform it and form part of it. This is one of the best experiences of 2013.
– Upstream Color (2013, Shane Carruth) **** I know how people can fall in love with this film: it’s beautiful and it can surely be complicated on a first look, but at the same time it has a straightforward story if we take everything we see as real (except in the moments in which the conscience of the characters is altered), which I won’t bother explaining here, but it’s quite interesting in its repercusions and its power to alter someone’s mind thanks to a drug/living organism. The cinematography is something out of this world, completely worth any future nomination in any competition in the future, specially in my favorite part: when we see the decomposing pigs and we return to the beginning of the film and we see how everything in the movie is just a small fraction of something much more important: a circle of life, a movie about biology is ok, I guess.
– Day of Wrath (1943, Carl Theodor Dreyer) ****1/2 Among those films that when you see them again you remember more things that you actually thought you had, and I actually remembered a lot of this film, specially since it made quite the impression on me when I saw it two or three years ago. Now it’s even more evident the whole witchcraft thing, that to some must be the initial reading, but for me it was much more powerful this time, I can even begin calling it a fantasy movie, like pretty much any other Dreyer film that plays with the elements of magic, witchcraft, miracles and all that stuff. The performances are all great, of course, but the woman playing the witch who gets burned in the first minutes of the film is so good that I don’t know how I couldn’t notice it before, she is my favorite thing of this movie, easily, a shame that she died so early on.
That’s all, have a good week Sam!
Thanks as always Jaimie for the incomparable and exhaustive report. As everyone knows you had your own exhaustive event over the past two weeks, and en consed in a trip you’ll remember for the rest of your life I’m sure. Your follow up reports were most impressive and your resilience is really a model for movie lovers. To boot you saw some high profile films and made some remarkable discoveries. As to your report here on the recent films you hhave watched (again, amazing!) I will say I do think COUNTRY PRIEST is greater than L’ARGENT and on the same level as BALTHAZAR–in fact for me it’s one of the greatest films in the history of the cinema—still your c omparative reasoning is quite sound. Similarly DAY OF WRATH is one of the greatest of films–and yes, the old woman was unforgettable and was missed when departed. She was my choice as Best Supporting Actress of 1943, and as I recall she did carry the vote here at WitD. All your other capsules are excellent including that early Tourneur short! Have a great week my friend, and thanks as always for the fantastic wrap!
Sam, I’m amazed by the number and range of films you managed to cram in at the festival, and look forward to reading your top ten post. I hope you have a great week, and a more relaxing one! Must admit that by contrast I’ve seen no films at all over the past week – but I did go to a poetry reading which my daughter was taking part in, in a tower on the beach at Aldeburgh, which was a great evening.
Also I have finished reading ‘The Balkan Trilogy’ by Olivia Manning, which I loved, based on her experiences during the Second World War living in Romania and Greece. I now aim to go on to ‘The Levant Trilogy’ before watching the 1980s TV adaptation of the two trilogies, ‘Fortunes of War’, which starred Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.
Judy—
Thanks for the support and kind words as always. I plan to have that post up on either Thursday or Friday of this week (no later) and am figured to deal with my Top 10 list (as usual to my style it will include a tenth-place tie making for a list of 11) I will have a relaxing week in comparison but I have a major chore to complete—I must cut the grass in front and in back of the house–as it grew profusely while I sat in darkened movie theaters over a ten-day period. Ha! I can imagine what the neighbors must be saying. The poetry reading sounds fantastic and in such a scenic setting as well, which greatly embellishes the experience. No wonder such a memorable evening was enjoyed! As usual your immersion in literature and great television makes for one fantastic week after another. Talk about exhaustive engagement, you are tops in that department my friend! THE BALKAN TRILOGY really sounds terrific though. I am assuming Allan has seen FORTUNES OF WAR. Have a great week my friend! Many thanks as always.
I am so impressed with all your movie watching and I printed off your review at took it to my friend on our new film society board. A new arrangement has been made with the film festival in Seattle ( it started because of all the road work being done on I-5) and for a fee we can purchase tickets at see 15 of the movies at our performing arts center here in town. That will help the center while it is remodeling and it is hard to get performers here. We have had this arrangement before with National Geographic LIVE lectures and documentaries and I think this will be a great solution and keep so many folks off the roads – cut carbon emissions? So far it looks like about 200 people are purchasing tickets in hopes of getting this to happen.
I have also added a number of these names to my list and I am getting to be quite the documentary hound. I saw a new one this week about the WAR ON FOOD – it is as awful as congress these days….Greed and Money and anything anti Obama…yikes (NRA and MONSANTO keep winning)
I read 3 books this week and still have 11 more on my shelf to review between now and the middle of June. I had another 3 authors contact me to do a review of their work and as flattered as I am, I am feeling like I am giving away my work for the free book (now PDF or Kindle file) I still am not marketing my reviews well enough. The south has it with some exceptional books and one saga about Harvard and Boston 1960s to 2010….
Carole Remy has a new book out called TWELVE NIGHTS and it is free on Amazon this week. Picked up by a movie studio already…..and the top 5 reviews say “better than 50 shades of Grey” and very funny. That is in my queue already…just haven’t got to it yet…
Now I need to stop writing here and getting writing reviews for Patricias Wisdom and posts for WISE EARS and BIKING ARCHITECT….Big day and the sun is shining again.
Thanks for you good words….
Last weeks short stories book HALF AS HAPPY…. is short stories about men….and they are quite something else… I think BEQUEST OF BIG DADDY will be movie material too
Patricia—
Thanks as always for the very kind words and invaluable support! It certainly was quite a ten-day run for Lucille and I, and we do need to catch our breath a bit. Ha! Sounds like a great game plan for the Seattle Festival, and great to hear people are buying multiple tickets! I’d love to know how that all will work out my friend. And I also look forward to your upcoming book reviews at PATRICIA’S WISDOM. Th Remy book does indeed seemed to have excellent advance word. Yes, the NRA continue to exert a stranglehold on Congress, and even with Obama ripping into the results he will be blamed for not coming out with more venom towards those who betrayed their own philosophies. Your own reading habits are inspiring and I will be checking up on your findings. Thanks as always my very good friend, and have a terrific week!
Sam-
I’m going to have to go through all your Tribeca coverage to see how it matches up with mine. Its nice to know that there is someone out there as crazy as myself
-Steve
Steve, thanks so much for stopping in! Likewise I feel much more secure now that I know there is a bonafide Tribeca heavyweight crossing town from Chelsea to 3rd Avenue! Your coverage at UNSEEN MOVIES is impeccable and incomparable! I’m afraid that so far I only have two weekly MMD reports, but I will have a comprehensive ‘Best of’ post up on Friday morning. Thanks again my friend!
Wow, 22 films! You really stepped on the accelerator last week, Sam!!! And since you’ve rated quite a few films highly, I reckon it was a really satisfying Tribeca Film Festival for you & your family.
In the meantime I managed to watch the following films:
– Bunuel’s Tristana, his second marvelous collaboration with Catherine Deneuve
– John Carpenter’s engaging sci-fi horror, The Thing
– Jia Zhang-ke’s masterful exploration of post-Cultural Revolution China, Zhantai (Platform)
– Claude’s Sautet’s brilliant exploration of a love triangle, Heart in Winter
– Imamura’s devastating chronicle of the fallouts of the Hiroshima atomic explosion, Black Rain
– Sautet’s fabulous examination of disappointments & heartbreaks among Parisian bourgeoisie, Vincent, Francoise, Paul & Others (I seem to be on my way to becoming a Sautet afficionado as well)
By the way, today happens to be Satyajit Ray’s birth anniversary, and Google recognized that with a wonderful Doodle celebrating the most iconic scene (the 2 kids running in a field upon watching a train for the 1st time) in his most iconic work, viz. Pather Panchali.
Shubhajit—
We did indeed go into high gear over the final six days of the festival, being driven equally by obsessive-compulsive disorder and the nutritional regimen of “vegeburgers.” Ha! Despite the exhaustive nature of the event, I must say I miss it in some ways, and returned to the theaters tonight, seeing a very fine ’42’ and one of the very best films of the year in Jeff Nichols’ MUDD. TRISTANA is another Bunuel treasure, and I look forward to your CINEMASCOPE capsule! I have always been a fan of Carpernter’s THE THING and have very high regard for PLATFORM and BLACK RAIN. And UN COEUR EN HIVER is another I have strong feelings for!
That was wonderful that google honored the great Satyajit Ray on this anniversary of his birth! Fabulous and well-deserved gesture! And yes, PATHER is his most iconic and most deserves the acknowledgement!
Thanks as always my friend, and very sorry for this late reply.. Have a great wekend.
Sam, your stamina and dedication continue to inspire. Still quiet on the movie front for me right now. But loved reading about your Tribeca experience.
Thanks for all that you do, Sam. Hope you had an awesome week!