SIFF report for a Monday morning
My first film, as previously noted, was Cuidad Delirio which I enjoyed quite a bit. Next up were:
Virtuosity: The Cliburn Competition is one of the world's most prestigious piano competitions. This documentary follows the 13th competition, the competitors and their stories. I thought the documentary very well made, full of interesting people and exactly the kind of interest and suspense that's wanted from a competition film. The movie, of course, is filled with wonderful music, and you can't help but get involved in each competitor's story, picking and choosing those you want and believe will win. The doc is scheduled to air on PBS; well worth looking for.
The Farewell Party: An Israeli comedy-drama about a group of seniors wrestling with age and infirmity, and their solution: the secret creation of a self-euthanizing machine. Word of the machine's existence gets around their retirement community, and choices must be made. The film had some truly human, truly funny moments, some wonderful characters and some very truthful insights into the challenges of aging and end-of-life issues. But I felt like the movie couldn't decide what it wanted to be: a comedy about the absurdities of being human and getting older or a drama about the agonizing choices we make for our loved ones. In the end, that uncertainty proved the film's great weakness, and we end on a note that is abrupt and poignant rather than celebratory or at least a satisfying resolution. I'm still on the fence about this once. It's complex, but I don't think it's hefty enough to support that complexity.
The Passion of Augustine: In the north outside of Quebec, in the wake of Vatican II, a small convent that specializes in educating girls in music struggles to survive sudden change. Mother Augustine fights a new administration that doesn't love or understand music and must come to terms with her own history, as opened up by the arrival of her niece, a musical prodigy, at the school. Celine Bonnier as Mother Augustine is beautiful in an austere way, smart and independent and admirable. Diane Lavallee as Sister Lise, a nun who has a hard time dealing with change, is excellent; you at once want to dislike her but find yourself sympathizing with her struggle. One of the most poignant (in a good way) sequences in the film is when the sisters must put off their classic black habits and change into their more modern blue-and-white habits. It's not something I ever thought of before, but it's a moving moment. Excellent film. Really enjoyed it and recommend it.
Animation4Adults: This was the adult animated short film program, and I walked out about 2/3 of the way through the program, something I've never done at a SIFF program before. I found almost all the shorts aesthetically ugly and many conceptually predictable (road rage, the mass production and commodification of people and society, and so on). One short--Pop-up Porno: f4m, about a woman dealing with her mastectomy--was frank and cleverly done. Another--Francis, about what happens to a girl on a camping trip, based on a Dave Eggers story--was good looking and creepy. But I walked out because I realized that I wasn't enjoying myself. There was no loveliness here. I felt like there was very little innovation. And I don't need misery in the movie theater given the challenges I'm dealing with myownself.
This morning I've got another documentary. Hoping it can take the bad taste of last night's experience away.
Virtuosity: The Cliburn Competition is one of the world's most prestigious piano competitions. This documentary follows the 13th competition, the competitors and their stories. I thought the documentary very well made, full of interesting people and exactly the kind of interest and suspense that's wanted from a competition film. The movie, of course, is filled with wonderful music, and you can't help but get involved in each competitor's story, picking and choosing those you want and believe will win. The doc is scheduled to air on PBS; well worth looking for.
The Farewell Party: An Israeli comedy-drama about a group of seniors wrestling with age and infirmity, and their solution: the secret creation of a self-euthanizing machine. Word of the machine's existence gets around their retirement community, and choices must be made. The film had some truly human, truly funny moments, some wonderful characters and some very truthful insights into the challenges of aging and end-of-life issues. But I felt like the movie couldn't decide what it wanted to be: a comedy about the absurdities of being human and getting older or a drama about the agonizing choices we make for our loved ones. In the end, that uncertainty proved the film's great weakness, and we end on a note that is abrupt and poignant rather than celebratory or at least a satisfying resolution. I'm still on the fence about this once. It's complex, but I don't think it's hefty enough to support that complexity.
The Passion of Augustine: In the north outside of Quebec, in the wake of Vatican II, a small convent that specializes in educating girls in music struggles to survive sudden change. Mother Augustine fights a new administration that doesn't love or understand music and must come to terms with her own history, as opened up by the arrival of her niece, a musical prodigy, at the school. Celine Bonnier as Mother Augustine is beautiful in an austere way, smart and independent and admirable. Diane Lavallee as Sister Lise, a nun who has a hard time dealing with change, is excellent; you at once want to dislike her but find yourself sympathizing with her struggle. One of the most poignant (in a good way) sequences in the film is when the sisters must put off their classic black habits and change into their more modern blue-and-white habits. It's not something I ever thought of before, but it's a moving moment. Excellent film. Really enjoyed it and recommend it.
Animation4Adults: This was the adult animated short film program, and I walked out about 2/3 of the way through the program, something I've never done at a SIFF program before. I found almost all the shorts aesthetically ugly and many conceptually predictable (road rage, the mass production and commodification of people and society, and so on). One short--Pop-up Porno: f4m, about a woman dealing with her mastectomy--was frank and cleverly done. Another--Francis, about what happens to a girl on a camping trip, based on a Dave Eggers story--was good looking and creepy. But I walked out because I realized that I wasn't enjoying myself. There was no loveliness here. I felt like there was very little innovation. And I don't need misery in the movie theater given the challenges I'm dealing with myownself.
This morning I've got another documentary. Hoping it can take the bad taste of last night's experience away.