SIFF Capsule Reviews to Catch Up
I'm woefully behind on my reviews of the films I've seen at SIFF partly because of work, partly because of fatigue, and partly because of my worry about Spanky which, frankly, is really preying on me. But this post is to be about movies, so to movies I go.
The Interrupters
Seen on Sunday, May 29 at 12:30 PM
Harvard Exit Theater
This documentary tells the story of a group of former gang members who are now part of a program called Cease Fire in the Chicago area; their subgroup is called the Violence Interrupters. It focuses on three key figures in the group, two men and one (very impressive) woman who get out into the streets, work to stop violence, and bring young people away from gang life. The work is challenging and dangerous and absolutely vital. Following the three Interrupters (Cobe, Ameena, and Eddie) over the course of a year, the movie shows their work from the inside and gets into their histories and their current lives. It's a remarkable chronicle of social change from the grassroots. In an exciting turn, one of the Interrupters, Cobe Williams, was present to answer questions, and to talk about his work and his part in the film. He described the Interrupters as being like firefighters, but based on what I saw in the film, they're much, much more than that: they're social workers, counselors, and role models. Williams, when asked about how people not living in or coming from gang backgrounds, could help, said that participating in mentorship programs was a great way to show kids that there are other ways of living and being. I definitely recommend this documentary.
Young Goethe in Love (or, in German, Goethe!)
Seen on Monday, May 30 at 4:30 PM
Neptune Theater
The title of the film pretty much says it all; this movie is Germany's answer to Shakespeare in Love and certainly owes a debt to that film--but this one has some basis in fact. We're introduced to Goethe as he botches his final university exams. Goethe Senior, fed up with his son's poetic aspirations, sends him to a small city to intern as a law clerk. There he meets the lovely Lotte . . . and we're off! Romance goes awry and great literature is born. Alexander Kehling, who plays the impetuous, inspired Goethe, is quite winning, very good indeed. (markbourne remarked on his resemblance to Matthew McConaughey.) Moritz Bleibtreu, who plays his less flashy but more mature rival for Lotte, was also excellent and in many ways far more sympathetic than such characters usually are in romantic comedies. The film's look is lush and golden. Overall, it's a fine way to spend a couple of hours. Recommended. (With thanks to kateyule for mentioning it on her LJ a while back.)
Amador
Seen on Thursday, June 2 at 6:30 PM
AMC Pacific Place Theater
Marcela needs a job. When she is hired to be the companion and caretaker of a dying man named Amador by his affluent daughter, Marcela jumps at the chance. Amador is irascible and wise . . . and terminal. When he dies, Marcela feels trapped: she desperately needs the money and she doesn't know how to tell the daughter that her father has died--and so she doesn't. With the help of Amador's longtime hooker friend, Marcella perpetrates a scheme that is bound to blow up in her face. The film is filled with both tension and light moments. I would love to see a separate film, actually, a prequel that explores Amador's history more fully, because he's a wonderful character, and what mysteries surround his life are compelling enough to make me want to know more. A scene in a church between Marcela and a priest who tries to comfort her may be the funniest thing I've seen on screen in a very long time. Despite this amusement, I felt as though the director stretched the tension too far in some parts, and Marcela's meekness and terror occasionally just made me impatient. The end included a twist I didn't see coming, however, that redeemed the film for me.
12 Angry Lebanese
Seen on Saturday, June 4 at 1:00 PM
Egyptian Theater
Several years ago, a documentary called Shakespeare Behind Bars came out, a film I really liked, about a program that helps inmates put on plays in prisons. When I read about 12 Angry Lebanese, it seemed like a perfect companion piece to that film and I had to see it. It tells the story of a group of inmates in Roumieh Prison in Beirut who, under the direction of Zeina Daccache, put on an adaptation of "12 Angry Men," accompanied by personal monologues, music, and dance. It also examines the effects of this “drama therapy” on the 45 inmates involved, and the enclosed world of prison society. Lastly, it tells about how the production influenced criminal policy in Beirut, a major development. The program itself is revolutionary in that part of the world. The documentary, directed by Daccache, is very good. Watching her make these men, some of the most violent offenders in their country, expose themselves emotionally and be willing to try new things is remarkable.
Burke & Hare
Seen on Saturday, June 4 at 9:15 PM
Egyptian Theater
John Landis' latest film stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as two (historically-based) ne'er-do-wells who need money, and fast. They find themselves pursuing what is perhaps the world's second oldest profession: grave-robbing and murder. Burke & Hare has received some pretty stinky reviews thus far, but the fact is that I enjoyed this film. Certainly, a movie that makes as its heroes a couple of jolly murderers must play on a certain amount of gallows humor, which this one does. But the quality of the cast certainly helps, including the likes of Tom Wilkinson and Tim Curry, who play two of London's most prestigious (and conniving) medical doctors in need of corpses for their academies. And Pegg and Serkis have a fine chemistry together, Pegg with his impeccable timing, and Serkis with his character actor's gift for clowning. A masterpiece? Certainly not. But I had fun.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
Seen on Sunday, June 5 at 11:00 AM
SIFF Cinema
I hadn't originally planned to see Being Elmo because I haven't really followed the Muppets much, but the film got such great buzz that I decided I'd see it. The buzz was totally on. The movie is about Kevin Clash, the man behind the Muppet, and follows him from childhood when he first became captivated by the Muppets, through adulthood, when he not only made Elmo the phenomenon he became, but when Clash himself became one of the primary torchbearers of Jim Henson's legacy. The story is really about an artist's journey--from inspiration to obsession to realization. Clash is a charming, self-deprecating man with an obvious gift for his work. Constance Marks, the director, got around the absence of some of the key figures in Clash's life--like Hensons's--with the clever use of collage and unobtrusive animation that knit seamlessly into the film. The documentary received the longest ovation I've experienced throughout the entire festival and left me feeling bouyant. In a delightful turn, not only was Director Marks present to answer questions after the film, but so was her husband, the director of photography, and Kevin Clash himself. Clash answered questions and Elmo came along to do a meet-and-greet with the audience. snarke, who accompanied me to the screening, was particularly delighted to meet both Marks and Clash after the movie and have his picture taken with them. The film's gotten national distribution in key cities (including New York and Seattle), and I definitely recommend it.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Seen on Sunday, June 5 at 1:30 PM
SIFF Cinema
This film is a presentation of the Broadway play filmed in high definition for the screen. It starts with an introduction by David Hyde Pierce, an interview with director and star Brian Bedford, and a discussion between the actor Alfred Molina and an Oscar Wilde scholar about the history of the play. And then the play commenced, a story about two gentlemen--Earnest (whose name is really Jack) and Algie, their social habits, their society, and their romantic entanglements. Brian Bedford plays Lady Bracknell, the doyenne of their circle, mother to Jack's beloved and auntie to Algie. He's quite remarkable (and earned lots of kudos for his performance when the play ran in New York). He plays the role straight which makes Lady Bracknell funnier and more serious at the same time--possibly the exact balance the character requires. For my money, the star of the show, however, was Santino Fontana, the actor who played Algie in a twinkling, witty turn as a scamp and charmer. I suspect he's Wilde's alter ego in the show and he plays it nicely. Overall it was a pleasant diversion indeed.
I've missed two films this week. One was the Egyptian classic The Night of Counting the Years, which I desperately wanted to see, but was too exhausted to manage. The second was tonight, The Whisperer In Darkness, mainly because I wanted to be here with Spanky. I have two more films on my docket this coming week, and that rounds out the festival for me. My goodness, this was a lot of films!
The Interrupters
Seen on Sunday, May 29 at 12:30 PM
Harvard Exit Theater
This documentary tells the story of a group of former gang members who are now part of a program called Cease Fire in the Chicago area; their subgroup is called the Violence Interrupters. It focuses on three key figures in the group, two men and one (very impressive) woman who get out into the streets, work to stop violence, and bring young people away from gang life. The work is challenging and dangerous and absolutely vital. Following the three Interrupters (Cobe, Ameena, and Eddie) over the course of a year, the movie shows their work from the inside and gets into their histories and their current lives. It's a remarkable chronicle of social change from the grassroots. In an exciting turn, one of the Interrupters, Cobe Williams, was present to answer questions, and to talk about his work and his part in the film. He described the Interrupters as being like firefighters, but based on what I saw in the film, they're much, much more than that: they're social workers, counselors, and role models. Williams, when asked about how people not living in or coming from gang backgrounds, could help, said that participating in mentorship programs was a great way to show kids that there are other ways of living and being. I definitely recommend this documentary.
Young Goethe in Love (or, in German, Goethe!)
Seen on Monday, May 30 at 4:30 PM
Neptune Theater
The title of the film pretty much says it all; this movie is Germany's answer to Shakespeare in Love and certainly owes a debt to that film--but this one has some basis in fact. We're introduced to Goethe as he botches his final university exams. Goethe Senior, fed up with his son's poetic aspirations, sends him to a small city to intern as a law clerk. There he meets the lovely Lotte . . . and we're off! Romance goes awry and great literature is born. Alexander Kehling, who plays the impetuous, inspired Goethe, is quite winning, very good indeed. (markbourne remarked on his resemblance to Matthew McConaughey.) Moritz Bleibtreu, who plays his less flashy but more mature rival for Lotte, was also excellent and in many ways far more sympathetic than such characters usually are in romantic comedies. The film's look is lush and golden. Overall, it's a fine way to spend a couple of hours. Recommended. (With thanks to kateyule for mentioning it on her LJ a while back.)
Amador
Seen on Thursday, June 2 at 6:30 PM
AMC Pacific Place Theater
Marcela needs a job. When she is hired to be the companion and caretaker of a dying man named Amador by his affluent daughter, Marcela jumps at the chance. Amador is irascible and wise . . . and terminal. When he dies, Marcela feels trapped: she desperately needs the money and she doesn't know how to tell the daughter that her father has died--and so she doesn't. With the help of Amador's longtime hooker friend, Marcella perpetrates a scheme that is bound to blow up in her face. The film is filled with both tension and light moments. I would love to see a separate film, actually, a prequel that explores Amador's history more fully, because he's a wonderful character, and what mysteries surround his life are compelling enough to make me want to know more. A scene in a church between Marcela and a priest who tries to comfort her may be the funniest thing I've seen on screen in a very long time. Despite this amusement, I felt as though the director stretched the tension too far in some parts, and Marcela's meekness and terror occasionally just made me impatient. The end included a twist I didn't see coming, however, that redeemed the film for me.
12 Angry Lebanese
Seen on Saturday, June 4 at 1:00 PM
Egyptian Theater
Several years ago, a documentary called Shakespeare Behind Bars came out, a film I really liked, about a program that helps inmates put on plays in prisons. When I read about 12 Angry Lebanese, it seemed like a perfect companion piece to that film and I had to see it. It tells the story of a group of inmates in Roumieh Prison in Beirut who, under the direction of Zeina Daccache, put on an adaptation of "12 Angry Men," accompanied by personal monologues, music, and dance. It also examines the effects of this “drama therapy” on the 45 inmates involved, and the enclosed world of prison society. Lastly, it tells about how the production influenced criminal policy in Beirut, a major development. The program itself is revolutionary in that part of the world. The documentary, directed by Daccache, is very good. Watching her make these men, some of the most violent offenders in their country, expose themselves emotionally and be willing to try new things is remarkable.
Burke & Hare
Seen on Saturday, June 4 at 9:15 PM
Egyptian Theater
John Landis' latest film stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as two (historically-based) ne'er-do-wells who need money, and fast. They find themselves pursuing what is perhaps the world's second oldest profession: grave-robbing and murder. Burke & Hare has received some pretty stinky reviews thus far, but the fact is that I enjoyed this film. Certainly, a movie that makes as its heroes a couple of jolly murderers must play on a certain amount of gallows humor, which this one does. But the quality of the cast certainly helps, including the likes of Tom Wilkinson and Tim Curry, who play two of London's most prestigious (and conniving) medical doctors in need of corpses for their academies. And Pegg and Serkis have a fine chemistry together, Pegg with his impeccable timing, and Serkis with his character actor's gift for clowning. A masterpiece? Certainly not. But I had fun.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
Seen on Sunday, June 5 at 11:00 AM
SIFF Cinema
I hadn't originally planned to see Being Elmo because I haven't really followed the Muppets much, but the film got such great buzz that I decided I'd see it. The buzz was totally on. The movie is about Kevin Clash, the man behind the Muppet, and follows him from childhood when he first became captivated by the Muppets, through adulthood, when he not only made Elmo the phenomenon he became, but when Clash himself became one of the primary torchbearers of Jim Henson's legacy. The story is really about an artist's journey--from inspiration to obsession to realization. Clash is a charming, self-deprecating man with an obvious gift for his work. Constance Marks, the director, got around the absence of some of the key figures in Clash's life--like Hensons's--with the clever use of collage and unobtrusive animation that knit seamlessly into the film. The documentary received the longest ovation I've experienced throughout the entire festival and left me feeling bouyant. In a delightful turn, not only was Director Marks present to answer questions after the film, but so was her husband, the director of photography, and Kevin Clash himself. Clash answered questions and Elmo came along to do a meet-and-greet with the audience. snarke, who accompanied me to the screening, was particularly delighted to meet both Marks and Clash after the movie and have his picture taken with them. The film's gotten national distribution in key cities (including New York and Seattle), and I definitely recommend it.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Seen on Sunday, June 5 at 1:30 PM
SIFF Cinema
This film is a presentation of the Broadway play filmed in high definition for the screen. It starts with an introduction by David Hyde Pierce, an interview with director and star Brian Bedford, and a discussion between the actor Alfred Molina and an Oscar Wilde scholar about the history of the play. And then the play commenced, a story about two gentlemen--Earnest (whose name is really Jack) and Algie, their social habits, their society, and their romantic entanglements. Brian Bedford plays Lady Bracknell, the doyenne of their circle, mother to Jack's beloved and auntie to Algie. He's quite remarkable (and earned lots of kudos for his performance when the play ran in New York). He plays the role straight which makes Lady Bracknell funnier and more serious at the same time--possibly the exact balance the character requires. For my money, the star of the show, however, was Santino Fontana, the actor who played Algie in a twinkling, witty turn as a scamp and charmer. I suspect he's Wilde's alter ego in the show and he plays it nicely. Overall it was a pleasant diversion indeed.
I've missed two films this week. One was the Egyptian classic The Night of Counting the Years, which I desperately wanted to see, but was too exhausted to manage. The second was tonight, The Whisperer In Darkness, mainly because I wanted to be here with Spanky. I have two more films on my docket this coming week, and that rounds out the festival for me. My goodness, this was a lot of films!