Kirsten's musings...

SIFF 2009 - Week 3 Reviews

Home
Ugh, I really hate/don't get a lot of foreign films.  I guess it was supposed to be a metaphor for life somehow, but it was just long, slow and boring.  At one point I thought it might be close to over, but when I looked at my watch only a 1/2 hour had passed.  When I thought about my vote as the movie was really ending I just couldn't give it a 3, so it got a 2 instead.

Wonderful World
Well this was just about as long and slow as "Home", although not as depressing.  I think I was expecting more - Matthew Broderick's character to be more of a loser, the roommate's sister to be more of a free-spirit, more...something.  If this were a big Hollywood release there would definitely have been a different ending.  It got a 3 based mostly on Broderick's performance.

Swimsuit Issue
A cute if not predictable movie about some aging athletes who decide to become an all-male synchronized swimming team, which apparently used to be known as formation swimming.  Some laughs and some growing up done by adults and children alike, a solid 3. 

Every Little Step
"A Chorus Line” was the first Broadway show that I ever saw, and it's still one of my favorites.  This documentary about the casting of the revival was quite good, and it was interesting to learn more about how the original show began.  Original recordings and footage provided some interesting insight.   I got annoyed that it seemed to only feature the women in the auditions and none of the men.  Okay, one of the men, an incredible dancer with an even bigger ego.  That dropped it from a 5 to a 4.

Hachiko: A Dog's Story
Jim and I came to the conclusion that seeing a movie about a true and loyal dog maybe wasn't the best option this weekend, so we gave the tickets away.

SIFF 2009 - Week 2 Reviews

Baby Formula
Due to a scheduling conflict Jim and I gave our tickets for this show to one of his co-workers. 

Finding Bliss
This film was filled with some big names, which is unusual for film festival movies.  The plot was amusing in spots, overly long in other places, but had some interesting twists.  I wrestled with my vote up to the end and gave it a 4, although the full-frontal shot of Jamie Kennedy should have made it a 3.

(500) Days of Summer
When director Marc Webb introduced this film he described it as "what happens when the life you expect collides with the life you encounter."  I wrote that down because I wanted to remember it exactly, as it perfectly describes this movie.  This wonderful movie effortlessly bounces between days within the 500 days of the relationship of Tom and Summer.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel have amazing chemistry as we witness the highs and the lows of their time together.  The plot twist at the end of the movie is unexpected, but you still leave the theater smiling.  Jim and I both gave this movie an enthusiastic 5 on our ballots.  It gets extra credit from me for referencing one of my favorite bands that no one has heard of, Bananafish.

SIFF 2009 - Week 1 Reviews

The Adventures of Robin Hood
It's hard (for me, at least) to appreciate an old movie, especially since I'm so familiar with the storyline and subsequent incarnations.  Somehow I expect to see something 'new' in what was one of the first movies about Robin Hood.  Plus Jim's comparison to "The Princess Bride" had me looking for comparable characters.  Still I'm glad we saw it, and had a good time.

Paper Heart
I gave this movie a '4' on my ballot, but I'm still not completely sure I liked it.  Seeing in the description that it's a "psuedo-documentary" helped my appreciation for it a little bit, but I did find Charlyne Yi's approach to love pretty annoying.  Then again, if she was exaggerating her stance for the movie, it's not so bad.  There were some very funny bits and the ending was really cute, which probably influenced my vote.

I'm No Dummy
Very well done.  It answered all of the questions you might ask about ventriloquism, and featured several well-known ventriloquists, from Paul Winchell to Ronn Lucas to Jeff Dunham.  After the movie three ventriloquists, along with the film's director, were on hand to answer questions from the audience.  I enjoyed it quite a bit, and gave it a '5'.

Answer Man  (AKA Arlen Faber)
A story of redemption wrapped up inside a romantic comedy, this was quite enjoyable.  There were parts that made me laugh, parts that made me tear-up a little, and parts that made me think.  I really wanted to give this movie a 5 but it didn't quite make it, so it gets a high 4.  According to IMDb it will go into limited theatrical release this summer.

SIFF 2009

It's that time again!  The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Guide is out so it's time for Jim and me to check out the movies and buy some tickets.  Here's my schedule for the next few weeks.

Week 1:
May 23 The Adventures of Robin Hood
In his most iconic screen performance, Errol Flynn, as Robin Hood, leads his band of Merry Men against the vile usurper to England’s throne Prince John, while simultaneously wooing the lovely Maid Marian and engaging in some impressive feats of archery and swordplay.

May 23 Paper Heart
Despite professing a belief that she's incapable of love, comedian and actress Charlyne Yi finds herself falling for Michael Cera in this utterly charming and intoxicating mix of documentary, improvisation, and romance.

May 24 I'm No Dummy
Informative, engaging, and funny, this insightful documentary explores the world of ventriloquism. Dissecting the history of “venting” through archival footage, photos, and interviews with legendary performers, the film allows a rare glimpse into the complex creative process that sustains this seemingly magical art.

May 26 Answer Man
Twenty years ago Arlen Faber wrote a best-selling spirituality guide, Me and God. Now a cantankerous recluse, his perfect, lonely life changes when he meets his new chiropractor Elizabeth and a recovering alcoholic named Kris—both of whom seek the answers that neither he nor God knows.

Week 2:
June 6 Baby Formula
A lesbian couple uses an experimental process to impregnate themselves with “female sperm” created from each others’ stem cells, but not everybody in their families is keen on the idea. Shot in a mockumentary style, this mildly funny, improvisational film celebrates love, acceptance and life in all its forms.

June 7 Finding Bliss
Jody needs a place to shoot her movies but all she can find is a porn studio. She starts to secretly film there but is discovered and forced to collaborate with an adult film director. Filmed in Spokane, this fun romantic comedy borrows plot lines from director Julie Davis’ own start in the industry.

June 8 (500) Days of Summer
Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t. Unusual in its outcome, (500) Days of Summer is a charming postmodern reflection on crushing unrequited love. The comedic tone, vigorous shots, nuanced performances, and effervescent music keep (500) Days light in the most satisfying way.

Week 3:
June 11 Home
Marthe and Michel live with their kids on the edge of a near-completed freeway. When the road is suddenly opened up to traffic, the noise and pollution threatens to destroy the family unit. Ursula Meier's absurd comedy—a “road movie in reverse”—redefines what “home” means.

June 12 Wonderful World
Joshua Goldin’s directorial debut stars Matthew Broderick as Ben Singer, a pot-smoking proofreader, failed children’s singer, lackluster weekend dad, and card-carrying pessimist. But when Ben’s roommate’s sister comes to visit, his usual misanthropy starts to give way as he realizes that inspiration can be found in the most unlikely places.

June 12 Swimsuit Issue
In the wake of a wild bachelor party, Fredrik discovers his passion for synchronized swimming. Convincing his floorball teammates to join him as Sweden’s only all-male team, they set their sights on the world championships in this oddball, comedic tale of courage, triumph and gender role reversal.

June 13 Every Little Step
“Dancing with the Stars” may be all the rage, but what of those who dance their little hearts out in obscurity? This documentary shines a light on that world as 3000 dancers audition for a Broadway revival of “A Chorus Line.”

June 14 Hachiko: A Dog's Story
The cherished, true story of a legendary Japanese akita comes to America in this modern reinvention by Lasse Hallström. Hachiko demonstrates the profound bond between man and canine with his unrelenting loyalty in this story of love, unwavering devotion, and the resounding impact one dog’s affection can make.

Movie Review - "Save Me"

omigodomigodomigodomigodomigodomigodomigod...he was there...omigodomigodomigod...

Okay, slow down.  Take a deep breath and start from the beginning.

Last night I FINALLY got the chance to see the movie Save Me  when it came to town as part of the Seattle Gay Film Festival.  I've known about this film for 3-4 years now, since one of the stars is Robert Gant from Queer as Folk, among other things.  It sounded so interesting and so well done that I was really looking forward to seeing it.

Unfortunately finding time to shoot a movie when you have to juggle the schedules of the three very busy main stars (Gant, Chad Allen and Judith Light) becomes tricky.  The movie was finally finished in late 2006 and premiered at Sundance in 2007.  I was hoping that it would come to Seattle in last year's Gay Film Festival, but alas it didn't.

This year's festival, however, did not disappoint.  As soon as I saw that 'Save Me' was going to be one of the films shown I bought two tickets, assuming that either my husband or gay best friend would want to come with me.  They both declined, stating that they felt that the subject matter would send their blood pressure to unhealthy levels, so I went by myself.  They ended up overselling the theater, so it's good that there was one less person in the audience.

The movie centers on a place called Genesis House, which is an ex-gay ministry where a husband-and-wife team help homosexuals "shine the light of Jesus" and "find a path to a healthy heterosexual" life.  Judith Light portrays the wife who is certain that all of the "boys" that come to live there will be successful in turning their lives around.  Her husband seems to be right behind her in this mission, but we come to realize that he understands that some of the "boys" will not be successful, convincing her to back off when it comes to Scott (Gant) and Mark (Allen).

Scott has been there for several months in an attempt to please his dying homophobic father, but he eventually realizes that the only person he needs to please is himself, so after revealing his feelings for Mark he leaves Genesis House. 

Mark was in a much worse state when he came to Genesis House, and for a while he really believed that his homosexuality was causing him all of the pain and suffering in his life and leading to his suicide attempts.  When Scott comes back to say that he is leaving town, Mark realizes that it wasn't homosexuality that was causing his problems, it was a lack of true love, which he has found in Scott.  As Scott and Mark leave the house a new young man is being brought in by his father to begin his journey.

This was a great movie, and very well done, but it suffered from huge expectations on my part.  I've been waiting for so long to see it, it had to be perfectly brilliant or be considered a let down.  I know that the audience enjoyed it, and the reviews have been very positive, so I have to make sure and judge it on its merits and not my unrealistic expectations.

Now, with all of that being said, Robert Gant was there for the screening!  He said that it was his first time in Seattle, and fortunately the weather cooperated, giving him a perfect Indian Summer day.  He talked about how the movie was made, and the preparations he did for his character.  He said that they tried very hard to not vilify either side in this debate, which I think they did very well.  He also passed along a story about some seminary students who saw the movie at Sundance.  One of them made the comment that the gay community has been more forgiving of the Christian community than they had been of the gay community, and that was a shame.  Someone else even offered an apology on behalf of hard-line Christians.  I believe that says more about the movie than anything I could offer.

The movie is set to go into wide release, at least in Seattle, on December 12.  If you want to support independent films and see a new take on this kind of story, I'd highly recommend that you check it out.

Shrek - The Musical

Last week a big group of friends went to see Shrek - The Musical at the 5th Avenue Theatre as it the producers put the final touches on the show before taking it to Broadway.  We had dinner at Palomino and then walked over to the theater for the show.

I wanted to enjoy this show, I really did, but it just came up short.  I liked the movies (except for Shrek The Third), and though I wasn't sure how well it would translate to the stage, I figured it would be fun.

Christopher Sieber did a great job as Lord Farquaad, especially when you consider that a performer who is at least six feet tall portrayed a character who was only three feet tall.  And Sutton Foster is always fabulous, and her portrayal of Fiona was no exception.

The character of Shrek was well done, Donkey was amusing, the nursery rhyme characters were funny....there was just no chemistry.  No real excitement, nothing to draw you in.  The songs were good, but not memorable.  Plus the show was really long - 2 1/2 hours.

There were some funny inside jokes if you were paying attention (thanks to Jim for pointing out the joke from Avenue Q), some great lines that made you laugh out loud, but there really wasn't enough entertainment to recommend it to other people.  Hopefully they did enough fine-tuning to make it successful in its Broadway run.

SIFF, week 2 reviews

6/13 Letting Go of God

Julia Sweeney's one-woman show that chronicles her journey from devout Catholic to atheist.  Excuse me, naturalist.  Bookended by visits from two different pairs of Mormon missionaries.  It was funny and heartwarming, and a little sad.  I can totally see how a person who doesn't like pat answers could follow this same journey.  I have to admit I felt compelled to give her a higher score since she's a local (Spokane) girl - I gave her my only 5 of the festival.

6/14 Leroy

I think I overlooked the word 'comedic' in the description of this movie.  I was expecting more of an exploration of human emotions and a real turnaround in the beliefs of the skin-head brothers, not something just a notch above slapstick.  I completely hated the hokey and ridiculous ending.  There were just enough funny moments to keep it from slipping to a 2.  I gave it a 3 on my ballot.

6/14 Girl by the Lake

Snore.  Except it's hard to sleep through a movie with subtitles because you might miss something important.  Maybe I've been been spoiled by crime dramas on U.S. television, but there seemed to be no real process to finding the killer, and there was no interest in the surrounding cast.  The woman who introduced the movie called it "compelling," but the only thing compelling about it was staying awake long enough to find out who did it and why.  The theater was so crowded we went out the back door, so no voting.  Probably would have given it a 2.

6/15 Five Senses

Double Snore.  The ONLY reason I didn't walk out of this one was because I wanted to know if the little girl was found alive.  This was boring to the point that I was angry enough to poke myself with a sharp object just to feel something.  A missing girl and five COMPLETELY boring and unrelated stories do not a movie make.  I somehow thought that the five "senses" stories were going to tie into the missing girl, helping the audience determined what happened to her.  I was wrong.  Voting was over by this point, but I'm guessing it would have gotten a 1.

SIFF, week 1 reviews

(originally posted June 2, 2008)

5/27 Breakfast with Scot

It sounded like a cute premise for a movie, and one of the stars was Tom Cavanagh, who I like very much.  The movie was...okay.  The director had a penchant for ending a lot of scenes 75-80% of the way through, leaving it to the audience to assume the final outcome, which got a little old, as did one joke that was beaten into the ground.  On the other hand, it was heartwarming to see the "coming of age" of not one but two characters.  Plus the movie had the full backing of the NHL, with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a focal plot point.  I gave it a 3 out of 5 .

5/28 Camille

I really wanted to like this movie, but it just fell flat.  It was a sweet idea, but the movie never figured out what it wanted to be.  It was too light to be a serious drama, too gross to be a love story, too slow to be a comedy.  I generally start every movie at a '3' and then adjust accordingly.  By the end of the movie it had dropped to a 2 out of 5.

5/29 Bigger Stronger Faster*

What a powderkeg this film is going to be when it goes to wide release this summer.  Regardless of your stance on steroid use, this documentary will leave you with more questions than answers.  The director covered so many topics, from Arnold Schwarzenegger and professional wrestlers to an AIDS(HIV) patient and musicians who use beta-blockers to calm down before a performance.  Unfortunately this made the film a little bit long and slightly chaotic.  Still I gave it a 4 out of 5.

5/31 Young People F'ing

The couples in this film are two best friends who both just need to get laid, exes who hook up for just one night, a man and woman on a first date, a couple who have allowed their sex life to get into a rut, plus there is the threesome that is really an odd pairing with a third person cheering from the sidelines.  As we follow them from Prelude to Afterglow there are some hilarious lines and laugh-out-loud scenes, plus a couple of unexpected developments.  You really can't give a film like this a 5, so I gave it a 4.

6/1 Shall We Kiss?

A very sweet story-within-a-story that came to a fairly predictable, though satisfying, outcome.  Still it was enjoyable, although there were some technical difficulties at the theater that interrupted the flow of the movie.  Unfortunately not quite enough to give it more than a 3.

SIFF, week 2 movies

And here's the line-up for our second week of SIFF:

6/13 Letting Go of God

When two Mormon missionaries knock on Julia Sweeney's door one day, they have no idea what they're getting into. With one seemingly simple question about God, they unwittingly precipitate a soul search of cosmic proportions. The result is a friendly, funny, intelligent chronicle of one lifelong Catholic's conversion to atheism.

6/14 Leroy

Leroy is young, German, and black. Blond Eva falls for him and introduces him to her five nasty skinhead brothers and right-wing parents. Leroy has a lot to learn…about Eva, sex, and black power. With tongue-in-cheek dialogue and charm to burn, Leroy is refreshing in its romantic comedic approach to racism.

6/14 Girl by the Lake

The "Norwegian Queen of Crime," Karin Fossum's award-winning novel Don't Look Back is adapted to modern Italy in Andrea Molaioli's debut feature. An idyllic town is shocked by the murder of young and beautiful girl. Inspector Giovanni Sanzio is called in from the capital, but the victim proves as mysterious as the crime itself. Winner of the Italian Oscar (Donatello Award) for Best Picture.

6/15 Five Senses

This ingenious drama examines the ways in which seemingly unconnected lives run parallel to each other and even intersect. A little girl disappears in the park, forcing the tenants of a nearby apartment building into contact with one another. The story follows five of these neighbors, each of whom struggles with issues related to each of the five senses.