Congorama
I have a weakness for films with a nonlinear storyline, going back and forth in time, revisiting scenes with a different camera angle, perhaps only gradually revealing what connections the characters have with one another. There were a spate of these following Pulp Fiction in the mid-1990s, and recently TV shows have been experimenting with the concept (notably Lost). A lot of times, however, the unconventional format just seems tacked on to compensate for a lack of substance. Congorama, however, has a complex plot (subtle but epic) that works well with its nonlinear style of storytelling. This film is simply excellent, the best I’ve seen at VIFF thus far. It is screening again this afternoon (October 7) at 4:00; I strongly recommend it. 10