by Sam Juliano
The 2015 installment of the Tribeca Film Festival has been moved in good measure downtown to the Regal Battery Park Cinemas directly across West Street from the majestic new Freedom Tower on the World Trade Center grounds in order to conform to the original specifications of the event’s founders. Yet, the old reliable 23rd Street Bow-Tie Cinemas and the School of Visual Arts Theater on 23rd Street are still hosting about 35 to 40% of the screenings, and it is at that location Lucille and I have done the lion’s share of our viewings. The downtown Regal is a beautiful place for sure, but for matters of parking, dining variety, accessibility and general convenience it cannot remotely compare to the 23rd Street theaters. The walking at Regal is prohibitive, and I am nursing what appears to be a slight misiscus tear on my left knee. Lucille and I managed ten (10) feature films in the first four days of the fest -Thursday night through Sunday- and my report is generally a most favorable one. But more on that and my star ratings in a bit. The rest of the festival (including tonight) will come down to eighteen (18) more films over the next seven days, as well as an acquired screener of the Tribeca film Good Kills, and a theatrical viewing at the IFC Film center on the day after of the festival ends of the Kurt Cobain documentary, which will bring the grand total to thirty (30). Last year I saw around 51, but I really wanted to get through this year’s festival without collapsing from exhaustion, so we set up a manageable itinerary. As it is I have made sure to include all the perceived ‘must-sees’ according to many in the know. There could well be a few last minute changes with the schedule as well. Lucille and I also attended the wonderful “An Evening with Jane Goodall” on Wednesday Evening at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, meeting up with Joanna Marple and other friends to listen to the iconic naturalist-conservationist 81 year-old author relate her experiences and continue crusade for the protection of endangered species around the world. Brief use of films on a stage screen lovingly enhanced this banner presentation with this remarkable, beloved woman, an emissary of world wide good will. My Tribeca Film Festival round-up:
Gored * 1/2 (Thursday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
The Survivalist ** (Thursday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
In My Father’s House **** (Friday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
The Birth of Sake **** 1/2 (Friday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
In Transit *** (Saturday) Bow Tie Cinemas
Autism in Love *** 1/2 (Saturday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
King Jack **** 1/2 (Saturday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
Democrats **** 1/2 (Sunday) Bow-Tie Cinemas
Palio ***** (Sunday) Battery Park Regal Cinemas
Tumbledown ** 1/2 (Sunday) Battery Park Regal Cinemas
The exhilarating Italian documentary PALIO, the adolescent American narrative film about bullying, KING JACK and the splendidly made and deeply felt Japanese documentary about the endangered future of sake production and a fascinating look at a brewery committed to it. PALIO too explores a tradition – an annual horse racing event in an Italian town that is at the center of many of the protagonists’ lives. KING JACK is a harrowing look at violent comeuppance among teenagers that results in near-tragedy. Perceptive, well-acted and emotionally resonant. IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE explores the effects of alcoholism on a family, between a successful African-American young man and his dead-beat, transient father. AUTISM IN LOVE sometimes loses focus, but still brings some touching revelations on how human handicaps can’t quite dispel the power of love. Albert Maysles’ last documentary yields mixed results, but there are certainly some inspired moments. The contentious political climate in the dictatorial African nation of Zimbabwe, and the iron-fisted rule of the unyielding Robert Mugabe – a superb documentary. The bullfighting documentary GORED is disturbing and a real turn off, what with the sadistic slaughter of bulls, and the film is all surface, with little by way of psychology; TUMBLEDOWN, a crowd pleassing “healing” film with some funny moments about the wife of an author and her the budding relationship with the man who wants to write a biography of the deceased husband, starts off well, but loses steam and is fatally cliched; THE SPIRITUALIST is a minimalist post-apocalyptic drama that becomes more and more tedious as it proceeds, though there is one memorable sequence in the tall grass.
And you call this “a manageable itinerary”? I don’t know where you and Lucille find the energy!
Aye, I hear ya John. But when it comes to ceaseless energy in reading, watching and writing, you my friend are in poll position. Thanks as always, and have a great week!
Happy B-Day — a pair of sixes — to Jessica Lange, so swell in ‘Tootsie’ and ‘Sweet Dreams.’ Seems like only yesterday she was writhing in the fist of no-dong Kong.
Ryan O’Neal, egregiously miscast (replace the blunderbuss with a surfboard, the 18th century sartorial finery with a wet suit, and he nails it) in the otherwise splendid ‘Barry Lyndon,’ turns 74 today.
Sam, I marvel at your festival zeal. Just amazing.
The time does certainly fly by Mark. I did especially love her work in TOOTSIE. Oooooo, we are in disagreement on O’Neal completely as far as his performance in BARRY LYNDON. That’s just it, his castling was inspired, and against all expectations he pulled that role off better than most. But fair enough, we can have different views here. 🙂 Hard to believe the young preppie jock on the Yale hockey team in LOVE STORY is 74. Unbelievable. Thanks for the supportive words about the festival, which is really starting to challenge our stamina. Have a great week my friend!
Yes, he only played the role when Malcolm McDowell proved unavailable – already committed to Royal Flash. To be honest, though, it was probably more of a Michael York part.
York would have been fantastic, I do agree with you there!
I thought it was all the fault of Hollywood powerhouse Sue Mengers, O’Neal’s agent at the time. Either O’Neal or no ‘Barry Lyndon.’
Only partly. Fact was Kubrick hade carte blanche, Warners let him because they just didn’t want him to make any film anywhere else, but he took so long to make up his mind. Originally he wanted to film Vanity Fair but gave up because he couldn’t get the plot into one film (plus you know he’d have obsessed over Waterloo after having to abandon his Boneparte film).
Wow Sam, you and Lucille are still viewing at an amazing rate by most standards! Hope your knee is better soon. I’ve been watching a few films at home recently (nothing on your scale!) and have just signed up to take part in the film preservation blogathon Wonders is helping to host.
This weekend I went and saw the latest Studio Ghibli offering, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, with Max – we both thought the animation was beautiful, made to look like water colour painting. I also went along to the new Suffolk Silents society, where we watched a few early Laurel and Hardy shorts.
Hope you have a great week – sounds as if you will!
Judy, thanks for the concern and kind words. I will be seeing a doctor on Friday morning, as I had my MRI last week. Similar to the right knee of eight years ago, I am thinking it is definitely a slight miniscus tear. The situation will really put me at a major crossroads for that three-day school Washington D.C. trip, where there is endless walking all day long. Ha! Thrilled to hear you will be participating in the Film Preservation blogathon!! I’ll be keeping watch for your work my friend. I still haven’t gotten to PRINCESS KAYUGA, but have heard nothing but great things. Nice to hear you and Max appreciated its artistry. The Laurel & Hardy shorts are of course an eternal delight. Have a great week!!
Kaguya is lovely, nice vocal work from Chloe Moretz and James Caan, but then there’s that ludicrous last act, which I won’t spoil. It’s on US Blu, Sam, so get it. Certainly a lot better flaws or nor than Miyazaki’s rather tepid The Wind Rises.
Aye Allan, the blu-ray of it will indeed be mine! 🙂
Sam – BIG on pain, a torn meniscus is no small matter. And while ICE doesn’t do anything to repair the damage, it goes a l-o-n-h way toward relieving the pain. And while it doesn’t feel nearly as pleasant to the touch as heat, use this easy-to-remember adage: ICE is nice, HOT is not.
It will come as no surprise to you — I admire and respect the bajeebers out of Jane Goodall, one of my all-time favorite female role models.
Have a great week! (stay off that knee, so says Dr. Laurie)…
Laurie, I had a miniscus tear on the right knew about eight or nine years ago, and I never did forget the pain. It isn’t quite as painful this time ?(on the other knee) but I still suspect there is a tear of some kind. I will know for sure on Friday. Now they have other ways to resolve the problem without the arthroscopic surgery. Supposedly some kind of needle to the knee will do it. Thanks so much for that telling clarification–I will be sure to apply some ice indeed. Yes, I am hardly surprised you are a big admirer of the inspired Jane Goodall!! And I will always follow my doctor’s advice and favor the right when walking. Have a great week my friend!
Hello Sam and everyone!
You at Tribeca, and I am at BAFICI, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Let’s compare notes!
– Above and Below (2015, Nicolas Steiner) **** A wonderfully thought-out documentary that tells a complete story without failing and without any false pretense: a homeless couple that lives in the sewers, a lonely man that lives near them, a man who has gone to the desert to find his happiness and a woman and her team of astronauts that train to one day go to Mars. It’s clear that the theme of this is loneliness, as well as how every story seems to happen around the city of Las Vegas, which is the flashiest and at the same time the emptiest city of the world. I liked this one a lot, but at the same time I was thinking that maybe this is a bit too long, even though it seems that the arc that the characters go through is perfect, and they go through what everyone wants to see them go through, but at the same time the amount of time used for that is too much, at least for me.
– Actua I (1968, Philippe Garrel) **** I sell my review of this short to the highest bidder.
– Ben Zaken (2014, Efrat Corem) ***1/2 A drama without much teeth except for a small girl who is furious because of the way that she was brought up. Not truly unnerving as it supposedly wants to be, but for some reason I think that this was a honest film, as it doesn’t achieve greatness because it doesn’t want to be, it wants to be an honest portrayal of a certain kind of people that isn’t usually portrayed onscreen: the neglecting parent not because of his circumstances but due to his actual inabilities to work as a parent in the context of parenting. A couple of strong scenes make this a worthwhile watch for those who like the cinema of Israel.
– El Bosque de Karadima (2015, Matías Lira) **** Actually this was seen in Santiago, a press screening, a film that will premiere this week in Chile, I wrote a review of it in spanish.
– El botón de nácar (2015, Patricio Guzmán) ****1/2 Maybe with enough rewatches this might actually become my favorite Patricio Guzmán film ever. In the meantime I remain seated and wondering upwards to the great films that he has done so far, rating it even behind Nostalgia, that I rate behind The Battle of Chile, all masterworks from a master documentary filmmaker. Here he puts together concepts and images much more like in an essay film than in a pure documentary, facing facts, opinions and theories that are more akin with the mystic than with the real science world. Specially refreshing to see a director as old as him embracing the new technology, the computer generated imagery and the poetic montage of certain recent documentaries. The best of 2015 so far, by far.
– Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003, Ming-liang Tsai) **** I saw most of this movie on a plane, and I think it was kinda fitting. I had to avert my eyes from the tempting selection of filmed pranks from Quebec so I could concentrate on people watching a film on the big screen. Fitting also that I’m on the verge of the start of the Buenos Aires Film Festival, an occasion that will have me in front of the big screen for good part of the next 12 days. I think that every review of this film had ‘ghost’ in some part of it, so I’m going to avoid it, but at the same time it’s so unavoidable because it’s at the same time a beautiful concept and a tired one, any student of film has felt the presence of ghosts in the screen, and the act of silently look at the screen is also a sign of death more than life, and the cinema that we see is about to die, so yeah, the film is thematically sound, but at the same time it uses concepts that most of us have already thought about a lot. It’s interesting, I wonder if there’s a study of films about people watching films, what do they want to convey: I have this, Kiarostami, what else?
– She Comes Back on Thursday (2014, André Novais Oliveira) ***1/2 I said to myself: if this is a documentary it’s the greatest documentary ever. If it’s not, it’s not really that surprising. Turns out it’s a fictionalization of somewhat real events using the same characters that lived it, and it shows that there’s an unreal element in what the realism of the visual presentation can’t surpass. I believed the tale until it went too far, I guess it’s what I’m trying to say.
– Estampas 1932 (1932, José Val del Omar) ***1/2 Maybe the best companion piece to “Las Hurdes”
– Los exiliados románticos (2015, Jonás Trueba) ***1/2 Better than “Los ilusos” (2013), seen at the last BAFICI. At this rate I’m going to see all the filmography of this young director just going to this festival every few years. Whatever. Being the first review, I think, for this movie and I have to say something serious about it. It carries one great scene that might make it to the best scenes of the year, but for that to appear you must endure a slog of a starting scene and a couple of sequences that truly say nothing about the characters, while it thinks it builds them. Still, there’s a heart to this and a structure that kinda works most of the time.
– Fiestas Cristianas/Fiestas Profanas (1934, José Val del Omar) **** Duality well presented.
– In the Basement (2014, Ulrich Seidl) **** With the classic Seidl visual approach, this time his interest in the private world and beliefs of people turns to the documentary to portray a wealthy sector of Austria that does things in the hiding spots of their basements. It is also at the same time a visual representation of the current state of a repressed society in Austria, one that suffered under the Nazi regime and those people are the ones portrayed here, those who were kids and grew up with that ideology, and thus everything that seems wrong or dangerous to the rest of the people is sent underground, to their basements. There is creepy, funny and gross in this documentary, and yes, I think it goes just a tad bit beyond the “hey look at these crazy shit”.
– El incendio (2015, Juan Schnitman) ***1/2 Well performed and mostly forgettable, but this maintains some kind of tension and motion forward due to a constant emotional debacle from the two main performers. It manages to hit close to home in some moments, but the amount of violence and vitriol present in the discussions as well as the ending, trying to tie the whole situation together, feels fake and not really in line with what the rest of the film had to offer. I don’t know what we could’ve got, but I guess this is fine for a boring afternoon. Also, never see this with your loved one, you’ll end up fighting like motherfuckers.
– Hill of Freedom (2014, Sang-soo Hong) ****1/2 It’s been a while since I saw a movie that had made me make movies myself, and this was it. This is the perfect example of a filmmaker with enough experience so he can blast everything off and just focus on what he wants to do, he just goes ahead and gives us a simple story, a way of telling it, and he just sticks to it, editing when necessary, and not to show off, framing his characters in a precise way, he doesn’t give us too much information either, and just leaves us with what seems to be the most satisfying story of this entire festival so far. I mean, even though it has a neat closure and it kinda seems perfect, there’s always room for doubt and a room for the considerations that one wants to make, but that’s what works of art should do: give an space of wonder to the viewer.
– The Look of Silence (2014, Joshua Oppenheimer) ****1/2 “Past is past.”
Maybe the most powerful 1-2 combo in the history of recent cinema is the one that Joshua Oppenheimer has pulled off with his two films reiterating and surrounding the events of 50 years ago in Indonesia. Still an open wound, here he tries to find closure to the death of one man, but at the same time he seeks the closure for everyone else. Without the over-complex gimmick of The Act of Killing, but still with a fascination with the cameras and how people react tot them, this movie feels both similar yet different to the earlier movie, and in both we can feel a violence that is in the word, a menace that will finally be fulfilled, and when that happens, may the world and God help us all.
– The Lovers (2015, Roland Joffé) ** Is this what people see when they don’t like The Fountain or Cloud Atlas? Oh, God.
– Metal and Melancholy (1994, Heddy Honigmann) **** One of the most surprising documentaries that I’ve seen, yet I still think that I underrated it a bit because it overstays its welcome, even at 80 minutes of its length. The film is a portrait of a precise moment in the life and political ways of Peru in the 1990’s, hence we are given the approach that seems less obvious: taxis. It’s obvious pretty early that taxis are an important element of the city because practically everyone has turned their cars into taxis, and so the film explores more elements as it tries to go deeper into the characters.
– Nova Dubai (2014, Gustavo Vinagre) *** I don’t really get into post-porn at all, it’s like porn but devoid of any of the pleasure that implies it. And it adds a lot of plot and structure and elements of cultural discussion that just makes this a drag. A drag I say!
– Passion (1982, Jean-Luc Godard) ****1/2 Godard is good at many things:
· Making movies about people getting on cars and running around cars, chasing cars or driving cars.
· Putting gorgeous naked women on the screen.
· Putting great actors in great roles doing absolutely nothing but pissed off at the fact that they’re there (Belmondo, and in this one, Depardieu).
· Text.
– Queen of Earth (2015, Alex Ross Perry) ***1/2 Ok, I guess. I mean, mostly he just tries to emulate a bunch of filmmakers that he admires, or “homage” them as he has said in interviews and even in its IMDb page. Mostly this is a movie that seems so calculated and stuffed with double meanings and depth that it doesn’t allow anything truly transcending to appear. Though, throwing that aside (as well as the truly gorgeous cinematography, maybe its only shining and innovative element in terms of craft) the acting of the two female leads is really the most impressive thing in this movie, truly a wonder to see Moss and Waterson do what they do here. The chemistry and lack of it in the later parts of the film is what makes this a watchable film and one that must be interesting enough for the casual viewer.
In the meantime put me in the “eeeeeh” side of the ARP debate.
– Single Stream (2014, Ernst Karel, Toby Lee, Pawel Wojtasik) **** This film is trash. hah, get it? lolz.
– Stinking Heaven (2015, Nathan Silver) **** The score, the cinematography and the entire structure around the corrupted moments of addicted people is maybe the most hellishly accomplished film Nathan Silver has made yet. It carries both a sadness of what could and can change in someone’s body and life, as well as the ridiculous effect that self-help has had in people from all over the world. This is kind of a close subject matter for me, but I think that there are elements both of right and wrong in terms of how the subject is tackled. Still, formally ambitious with its use of Betacam, but it sells its concept, as if these are the tapes that were turned up from hell.
– Theeb (2014, Naji Abu Nowar) *** Without an identity this film feels completely bare and uninteresting for a viewer that tries to get into other cultures. It gives a passing view on what certain rules of the Bedouin culture are, as well as certain specific elements here and there, but in the end it’s like seeing one of those movie that wants really hard to be nominated or even win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Picture. A shame, because there are interesting elements here and there, but the first hour or so is a bore and a slog to watch through (I even fell asleep here and there) but when it finally came to the gist of it, it went through swiftly, even if the over melancholic score and the overly precious cinematography, inane editing and everything that visually accompanied it, kinda gave away its intentions. And the director needs to stop choosing the shots where people get flies in their mouths, it’s really annoying.
– Tiempo de valientes (2005, Damián Szifrón) ***1/2 Weird that I didn’t even notice that this was from the same director as “Relatos salvajes” until I came into IMDb to check it. That is a fault on the director in terms of how plain this looks visually, it looks like a well executed TV series pilot, and maybe that’s what the script was, and the chemistry works between the cop and the psychiatrist, and it’s really entertaining and laugh out loud funny, but there’s an element of implausibility in terms of how fast they merge together and how willing is the psychiatrist character to go out and do the stuff that he ends up doing: impressive and surprising, but at the same time highly implausible of someone that seemed to be so connected with his own dull reality.
– Transeúntes (2015, Luis Aller) **** Godard infliuenced spanish film.
– Uncertain Terms (2014, Nathan Silver) **** Nathan Silver is really the New Hope of Independent American Cinema, and not Alex Ross Perry. While he still has a masterpiece in the brewing, he really manages to bring home his own obsessions and quirks in his own original way, without a visual pattern that repeats from one movie to the next, so he doesn’t lose freshness and at the same time he doesn’t become boring as a filmmaker to watch, so you can see a bunch of his movies piled or one after the other and one doesn’t really feel a boredom setting in, even though one can recognize the clear signs of an auteur in the making.
– O Velho do Restelo (2014, Manoel de Oliveira) ***1/2 Swan song.
– Vibración de Granada (1935, José Val del Omar) **** Surprising formal experimentations from a mostly amateur filmmaker, that had made over 40 documentaries, apparently.
– Wonderful World End (2015, Daigo Matsui) **** Maybe the most colorful and pop film made with a low budget that we will see in 2015. It’s beautiful what a small story like this about fanatics, modeling and the flow of the internet can be so filled with an identity and a culture that feels completely normal inside of that world. Then the surrealist elements kick in and it just keep getting better and better as a movie. It’s funny, it’s charming, it’s compelling, and more than anything, it’s a movie about how we live in a world like ours and how we move around in this era, and what types of totally free relationships can turn into. This is Japanese Punk Cinema via Otaku Pride.
– World of Tomorrow (2015, Don Hertzfeldt) ****1/2 Maybe the most accurate representation of my biggest desire and dream about the future, but turned into a complete nightmare of unimaginable consequences. So, standard Hertzfeldt reaction for me.
That’s all, have a great week Sam!
That’s all? Bloody part-timer, next time must try harder.
they only let me watch three movies a day allan.
Sam, please take care of that knee problem. As you get older healing does not come quickly ( I know). 31 films is utterly amazing and that is a cut back. wow! The Jane Goodall lecture sounds fascinating. Would have like to have been there for that.
On my own film front I watched the following…
Executive Suite (***1/2)
Comanche Station (****)
Woman on the Beach (**1/2)
Also a few rematches…
Manhattan Murder Mystery (****)
When Harry Met Sally (****)
Where th Sidwalk Ends (****1/2)
Gunfight at th OK Corral (***1/2)
Have a great week and hope you feel better!
John, that is very sage advice on the knee and the healing time as we age. I am thinking 32 now, but I must add the four more that will be at at the Montclair Festival the very next week (they are also at Tribeca, but I can’t get them in as they conflict with the time of others), so I will wait to see those before my final Top Ten of Tribeca list. 36 then will be the grand total. I do like WOMAN ON THE BEACH a bit more, am with you on COMMANCHE STATION, and am not a bit fan of EXECUTIVE SUITE. But aside from HARRY MET SALLY (which I still like to some degree) I will with you on all the other re-viewings. Thanks again for the very kind words my friend, and I wish you and Dorothy a great week and upcoming weekend.
Looks like Mr. Grijalba is also going hog wild over movies this week. I am looking forward to yout Best of Tribeca list Sam.
What an event seeing Jane Goodall.
Jaimie is indeed in full gear Frank! His report alone here is just staggering. Things are really starting to shape up at Tribeca, and I am am anticipating a worthy Top Ten list. Thanks as always my friend–have a great week!
As usual you and Lucille are making the Tribeca rounds with more than a little energy and determination. Any festival will have its share of downers, but from the looks of your first report you have seen a fair sure of good to great ones. Enjoy the rest of the festival! You have me very interested in ‘Palio’ and ‘King Jack.’
Indeed Peter. That is precisely the mind-set one needs to bring along to such an all-consuming mission like this. In any case, all the demands aside, we are still having fun. The two films you mention are of the very first-rank. Many thanks, and have a great week my friend! 🙂
He is the Tribeca PacMan, eating dots and the occasional egg whites and spinach before hobbling onto the next level.
Ha! You framed that quite right there Allan!! 🙂
Hi Sam,
Look like it was a very busy week for you! King Jack looks amazing and I hope to get to see that one sooner than later. Our weather was beautiful over the weekend but today we’re getting snow flurries! eesh. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside on our gardening/landscaping as I have grand plans but of course it takes a lot of work! Ha. I was busy over the weekend as I attended a raucous concert in Detroit seeing Metz and my wife and I went out on Sunday. I didn’t manage many viewings. However I did see a reviewing of the classic masterpiece Shoeshine, which surely should make the cut for the Childhood Countdown. In addition I saw Whiplash. I didn’t find it to be terrific filmmaking, nor was it very original but it had a fair share of pitch black humor which was kind of funny to me. Overall though, it seems just like a sports movie type film that is switched to music instead of sports with the “coach and players” scenario playing out much the same as predicted. I didn’t hate it but I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone either. It’s just kind of middle of the road for me I guess. I’ve got lots of viewings lined up this week, namely Wrony and Bag of Rice. Hope you have a great week Sam!
Jon, I am pretty sure you will regard KING JACK highly! I’m sure it will get a theatrical run at some point in the near future. I simply can’t believe that snow is heading your way in late April!! Just unbelievable. We had some rain here today. But yes, generally we’ve had some terrific weather Yes SHOESHINE is certainly a neo-realist masterpiece, and for sure it will land on my own childhood ballot as well. I did like WHIPLASH more than you, but all things considered I will not be going to the mat for it. I know you will find many of the childhood-themed films outstanding! Have a great week my friend! And let’s just hope there won’t be much of the white stuff. 🙂
Looks like another great Tribeca effort, Sam. I’m glad to hear you’re finding some good films. Looking forward to your wrap-up. Also, as a life-long admirer of Jane Goodall, I’m pleased that you had the opportunity to hear her speak.
As for myself, I continue to sort through last year’s films working on best of 2014 list. I think I’m just about there.
Obvious Child, Gillian Robespierre, (***1/2)
Happy Christmas, Joe Swanberg, (***1/2)
Listen Up Philip, Alex Ross Perry, (***)
Snowpiercer, Bong Joon Ho, (**1/2)
While We’re Young, Noah Baumbach, (***1/2)
Locke, Steven Knight, (***1/2)
Still Alice, Glatzer and Westmoreland, (***)
Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón, (***1/2)
Some good films here and some not so good. Certainly none that would make my top ten. Might be a couple of runner-ups though. Oh well, back to work.
Thanks so much Duane!!! Yes, while there are some duds like always, we have been delighted with the good share of worthwhile films. I do believe I’ll be able to get together a solid Top Ten list when the smoke clears. You have yourself done a great job tying up all the cinematic loose ends with your fabulous report. I am absolutely with you on WILD TALES and STILL ALICE as far as those ratings, but I do like SNOWPIERCER more than you, and LOCKE less. Pretty much in accord on OBVIOUS CHILD, but still haven’t seen the Baumbach, Perry and Swanberg. But yes, there doesn’t seem to be any Top Ten films here, and I’m in agreement on that perception. Many thanks as always my friend!! Have a great week.
Sam was really happy to have your report from Tribeca and to hear you are being a little more kind to yourself this year in terms of managing number of viewings. I look forward to hearing about the second half of your experience.
This week was a little slower for me but I did manage to watch the entirety of THE JINX with my wife Julie. Although I would probably not label it required viewing. It certainly is entertaining and worth a look if you have interest and some extra time.
Hope your knee is feeling better. Thanks so much Sam!
Thanks so much Jeffrey!!! My apologies for the late response, but I am now finally starting to play catch up. Still, I will be attended four of five films at the Nearby Montclair, New Jersey Film Festival, and three of those are films that showed at Tribeca. I offered up the ratings on the second hald on the most recent MMD, but the main post will be this coming Tuesday morning’s Best of Tribeca 2015, which will feature capsule reports on the Top 10. As far as THE JINX, very happy to hear you and Julie liked it. I’ve been getting some very favorable reports (here at the site from Allan and Jamie) and in other quarters. I did picked up your reserved recommendation though. Thanks again for the very kind words my friend, and I wish you a splendid upcoming weekend.