Kirsten's musings...

Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) - 2012

It's SIFF time again, and even though Jim is out of town for some of it, we managed to find 12 movies to see.  Here's what's on the schedule:

Week 1

May 27
The Invisible War
This investigative and powerfully emotional documentary discusses the profound social consequences of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, exposing the institutions that perpetuate and obscure the abuses.

Liberal Arts
In this charming romance of intellects with a star-studded cast, a 35-year-old college grad returns to his alma mater and finds his life reinvigorated by a spirited sophomore.

May 28
Wonder Women! THe Untold Story of American Superheroines
This energetic documentary is an enlightening chronicle of the impact of the original superheroine, her multiple incarnations since the 1940s, and the generations of women she continues to inspire.

May 30
King Curling
In Norway's answer to The Big Lebowski, washed-up former curling champion Truls Paulson attempts a comeback to deliver the stones and pay for his former coach's operation.

The Art of Love
This bawdy, episodic romp through the lives and romantic woes of several Parisian couples is rendered in the spirit of Woody Allen and won the Best Screenplay Award at the Montreal World Film Festival.

June 2
Revisionaries
This galvanizing doc explores the Texas Board of Education’s controversial revision process for school textbooks as overseen by avowed creationist Don McLeroy, who champions rewriting history in the image of the Religious Right.

SIFF 2011 - Week 3 Reviews

The Off Hours          

Attention movie makers:  Real Life is BORING!  If you must make a movie about people living real lives then something needs to happen!  Something extraordinary or exciting or…different.  This movie was just a bunch of jumbled scenes that didn’t seem to have much in common.  It was dropping to a ‘2’ until the very end, when there was a glimmer of tension in the “plot”.  I admit I was mostly interested in the truck driver, to see what he would ultimately decide to do.  I ended up giving it a ‘3’, but it really wasn’t that good.  And by the end of the movie still nothing had happened.

Lys     

Seems like every year we miss one movie.  We had signed up to run in the Fremont 5k Briefcase Relay, and once that was over and we had dinner and got home we decided we didn’t want to go back out again.  We ended up watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets instead, as we’re trying to get through all seven movies before the final one is released.

Winnie the Pooh

This was a little strange, because Jim wasn’t feeling well so I went by myself.  Then as I’m watching the movie I feel like I’ve seen or read it already, which I probably have.  I had to remind myself that this was a children’s movie, so the structure was going to be a little different.  As it was Disney of course I wanted to give it a ‘5’ but ended up at a ‘4’.

Hayfever

I think I was expecting something different with this movie, but it was kind of cute.  Your basic mishaps and miscommunications, but enjoyable.  That is until the end, when I got so mad at the direction the movie took that I was going to give it a ‘3’ out of anger.  It mellowed by the end, so I gave it the ‘4’ I originally planned.

Toast  

An interesting look at the childhood of Nigel Slater, a British food personality.  Jim and I talked about the fact that he didn’t hide the fact that he was not very nice to his stepmother, but the more I think about it the more I think it was justified.  A 9-year-old boy has lost his mother, a new woman is introduced into his life as a “cleaning lady”, and then his father is dating her?  I don’t know how you expect a 9-year-old to process that.  Plus she was an adult; she should have acted like one instead of like a jealous child.  No voting since it was the final day.

Poupoupidou

Someday I may learn to like French films.  Or maybe not.  This was slow and predictable, and I even nodded off in the middle, but that may have been because this was my first double-header, with lunch in-between.  The main character’s interactions with the sympathetic police officer were amusing, and allowed them to get to the truth.

SIFF 2011 - Week 3

The final week of the festival - we really back-loaded our movies this time, with two on Saturday and two (back-to-back) on Sunday.

The Off Hours          

Francine has been working the night shift at a Pacific Northwest truck stop for over a decade, her life primarily consisting of casual quickies and ephemeral friendships. But the arrival of a new trucker with ties to the larger world provides Francine with flickers of a wider existence.

Lys     

In this exquisite cautionary parable, 15-year-old Lys is found inside the core of the new TERRA-Power Plant after a massive blackout. As scientist Karl Bardel tries to discover the connection between these two occurrences, Lys is plagued by recurring visions urging her to return to the reactor

Winnie the Pooh

Inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art style, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Winnie the Pooh reunites audiences with the honey-loving, philosophical bear and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and Eeyore in a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit.

Hayfever

An Italian Empire Records set in a kitschy vintage shop, Hayfever takes a sweet, touching look into the lives of a group of 20-something Roman misfits. During a breezy autumn, the store’s young clerks distract themselves with love triangles, misguided flings, and writing letters to Jude Law

Toast  

Based on the childhood memoir of Nigel Slater, Britain’s celebrated chef and food writer, Toast charts the early relationships that shaped his life and career. With Freddie Highmore as Slater and Helena Bonham Carter as his deliciously wicked stepmother in this delectable biopic

Poupoupidou

David is a best-selling author of detective novels. Candice Lecoeur is the blond spokesmodel for a cheese factory. When they meet in the coldest town in France, a few problems arise: 1) He has run out of ideas for his new novel; 2) She is already dead.

SIFF 2011 - Week 2 Reviews

The Whistleblower

Very powerful movie based on real events.  A couple of scenes are hard to watch, but mostly you find yourself getting frustrated by all of the corruption the main character encounters.  This is one of those movies that you hope enough people see so that maybe some real changes can be made.  I gave it a 4, mainly because I feel like I need to enjoy a good movie before I give it a 5.

Simple Simon

A very cute, funny, and predictable film, at least until the last 20 minutes.  Then it took a sharp left-hand turn to get to the scene you knew was coming.  Well done, well acted, was sitting solidly on a ‘4’ until that last shift, and it was so unexpected and funny that I ended up giving it a ‘5’ on my ballot, my first of this year’s festival. 

Fuck My Life

This sounded good in the festival guide, but it just fell short.  It was about Javier dealing with the end of a fairly long-term relationship, but it was very ragged, and the moving back and forth in time got old.  Nice that he did act like an adult eventually and really apologize to her before the predictable ending.  His mom, however, stole every scene she was in.  Gave it a ‘3’.

Being Elmo

Very nice, well-done documentary on Kevin Clash, from his early fascination with the Muppets to his current role as director/producer.  I’m happy that the Muppets are in such good hands.  (No pun intended, but it works, right?)  Couldn’t help but give it a ‘5’.

SIFF 2011 - Week 2

Hoping for movies I enjoy in the second week.

The Whistleblower

Based on a true story, this tough-minded and unsparing conspiracy thriller follows an American cop (Rachel Weisz) to Bosnia, where her job as a peacekeeper leads her to a ring of human traffickers that includes fellow U.N. workers.

Simple Simon

Eighteen-year-old Simon has Asperger’s syndrome. He likes space, science, and circles, but can’t understand emotions. When his brother breaks up with his girlfriend, Simon develops a scientifically perfect plan for finding a new one.

Fuck My Life

Javier’s having a really bad year. He lost his job. He's broke. He may have to move in with his mother. But the worst of all is that he can’t get over his ex-girlfriend Sofia when she keeps turning up online. A romantic comedy for the Facebook era.

Being Elmo

Everybody knows Elmo, the beloved furry monster from Sesame Street, but few recognize the man behind the googly-eyed Muppet. This remarkable documentary follows Kevin Clash’s inspiring journey from putting on his own neighborhood puppet shows to becoming the creative force behind one of the world’s most iconic children’s characters.

SIFF 2011 - Week 1 Reviews

Submarine

I sometimes have a hard time with British accents and colloquialisms, and the fact that the sound in the Neptune Theater isn’t great didn’t help.  I missed a lot of the dialogue, but what I did hear didn’t do much for me.  It was almost a French movie with a lot of purposeful looks and implied experiences.  I gave it a 2.

Beginners

This was a very sweet, slow, quiet movie, which is okay sometimes.  It just didn’t work very well for me.  I did like the interplay between Oliver and Anna, and of course Christopher Plummer was excellent as the father, but I think it jumped around too much for me to get lost in the love story.  The dog, however, definitely had the best lines.  I gave it a 3.

Pinoy Sunday

I guess the Taiwanese idea of a “comic journey” isn’t quite the same as mine, but there you go.  It was a cute movie, and I get that the couch represented the new life that the main characters were trying to achieve, both dreams eventually failing by the end of the movie.  It just wasn’t that funny, and they didn’t even find the couch until 1/3 of the way into the film.  I did actually giggle at a few of the lines, so it stayed firmly at a ‘3’ on my ballot.

The Bengali Detective

If this was a comedy then I’m the Queen of England.  It was more like a boring episode of CSI:Kolkata.  I guess I missed the ‘documentary’ part of the description, but I just found it depressing.  Plus the ‘first person’ filming made me dizzy.  I couldn’t sit through the entire movie, and since Jim wasn’t enjoying it either we left about 30 minutes in.  If he had been enjoying it I would have left anyway, and found some way to amuse myself until it was over.

SIFF 2011 - Week 1

Wow...really late with these posts - we've already seen two movies.  Here are the movies from our first week of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF):

Submarine

Based on the successful debut novel by Joe Dunthorne, Submarine is the hilarious coming-of-age story of 15-year-old Oliver Tate. Oliver has two summer objectives: to lose his virginity to pyromaniac bully Jordana before he turns 16, and to put an end to his mother’s renewed flame for her ex-lover.

Beginners

When Oliver meets an alluring and unpredictable actress, their budding love affair floods him with memories of his recently deceased father Hal, who came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized and wonderfully tumultuous gay life in this deeply funny and transformative movie.

Pinoy Sunday

After discovering a couch on the streets of Taipei, two Filipino migrant workers embark on a comic journey that includes bouts of accidental heroism, some truly Google Map-shattering shortcuts, and one of the more unexpected musical numbers in cinema history.

The Bengali Detective

This wildly entertaining documentary set in Kolkata follows a pudgy, middle-aged private dick. Rajesh Ji is a man of fierce purpose, whether it involves serious sleuthing, caring for his beloved family, or coaching a dance routine for a ragtag team of his own employees for a national TV talent show.

SIFF 2010 Week 3 reviews

Week 3

6/5 8: The Mormon Proposition

I knew that the Mormon Church was intolerant but I had no idea the extent they would go to impose their beliefs on our country.  The relentless campaign they waged in California to get Prop 8 pass was incredibly well-organized and a little frightening.  For a country that was supposedly founded on the idea of the separation of church and state the fact that they were able to get the state’s constitution modified based on religious beliefs is unsettling.  I certainly hope they lose their tax-exempt status and have to register as a PAC.  I gave it a 5 mostly to help its popularity.  More people need to see this documentary.

 

6/9 Bran Nue Dae  

An Aboriginal coming-of-age musical sounds like it should be a lot of fun, but it fell flat for me.  It seemed sloppy and uneven, and hard to follow in some places.  The musical numbers were excellent, especially seeing Geoffrey Rush doing his bit dressed as a priest.  I gave it a 3 based on the music.

 

6/10 Violet Tendencies  

Violet is the ultimate “fag-hag” for all of the gay boys in her neighborhood, but her love life is sadly lacking.  She meets a man who she thinks might be “the one”, but soon realizes that her soul mate is just around the corner.  I really wanted this movie to be hilarious, but it just fell flat.  Some bad acting, some bad editing, but I still enjoyed it more than some of the other movies this year, so I gave it a 4.

 

6/11 Father and Guns 

Police officers who also happen to be father and son go undercover in a Father/Son retreat that is meant to resolve issues between fathers and sons.  There are some hilarious moments as well as some unexpectedly tender moments, although this was one case where having to read the subtitles (it was in French) was distracting, especially when the father went on one of his rants.  I gave it a 5 mostly because it was the best movie (not documentary) I saw.

 

6/12 Miss Nobody 

So England’s Steve Gerrard scored early in the game due to a defensive breakdown, but the U.S. settled in and gave a stronger performance for the rest of the half.  When Clint Dempsey’s shot bounced off the England keeper and into the net the bar went crazy.  Both teams held serve during the second half, resulting in a tie score.  Note for 2014 – check the World Cup schedule when planning SIFF movies.

SIFF 2010 Week 3

A very busy week indeed:

Week 3

6/8 8: The Mormon Proposition

Unraveling the truth of how the Mormon Church orchestrated the movement to stop equal rights for LGBT citizens, this film plays like a political thriller. The film digs deep into the real scope of Mormon involvement in their support of California's Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. 

6/9 Bran Nue Dae  

In this wacky yet thoughtful song-and-dance-fest, Willie, a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy, is packed off to seminary school. But the harsh discipline of Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush) soon has him taking up with a rag-tag collection of companions who help him navigate the road to self-discovery.

6/10 Violet Tendencies  

In this sparkling comedy, vivacious Violet (Natalie or Mindy Cohn from The Facts of Life) acts as queen mother for her gay friends, offering gossip and support, but she wouldn't mind a little romance for herself. Through a series of blind dates, she realizes that true love was right in front of her the whole time.

6/11 Father and Guns 

Jacques and Mark are cops who just don't get along. Unfortunately they are also father and son. When they are assigned as an undercover team to infiltrate an outdoor adventure group-therapy camp for fathers and sons, hilarity ensues in the highest grossing French language film ever released in Canada.

6/12 Miss Nobody 

Reminiscent of 9 to 5 with a touch of Heathers, this twisted, black-humored fairy tale of murderous proportions follows mild-mannered secretary, Sarah Jane McKinney, who discovers her talent for murder is the fastest way up the corporate ladder

SIFF 2010 Week 2 reviews

Week 2

6/1 Mediterranean Food (Mediterranean Diet)

Sofia is a young woman who has skills and passion for both food and men.  Everything she cooks is a miracle and every man she loves is entranced with her.  She is torn between two men, and always seems willing to leave one for the other.  They eventually form a three-way relationship that seems to provide each with what he or she needs.  When this relationship is disbanded they all seem to suffer until it is restored.  Very European (Spanish) in terms of nudity and sex, and the plot always felt like it was on the verge of becoming very scattered.  Some amusing lines, but didn’t rate more than a 3 from me.

 

6/4 Waiting for Superman

A fairly eye-opening, if one-sided, look at the educational system in the U.S.  Seemed a little scattered in some spots and long in others, but great information to get out there.  Makes me really glad that I don’t have kids so I don’t have to deal with the school system first-hand.  Really paints the leaders of the teachers’ unions in a bad light, although I’m not sure they don’t deserve it.  Gave it a 4, mostly because they didn’t spend any time discussing the fact that parents are also a big part of the problem.

 

6/5 Cherry 

A cute little romantic comedy with some odd twists thrown in along the way.  Nice to see that Aaron was able to handle some difficult situations and help the mother-daughter team resolve some issues that were haunting them.  This was really one where I would have loved to give it a 3 ½, but no half-scores allowed.  I finally gave it a 4 based on a great line at the end of the movie.

 

6/5 Hugh Hefner : Playboy, Activist and Rebel

A great documentary following the life of Hugh Hefner from birth to current times, focusing on his activism in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.  I knew a lot of the information, but it was interspersed with clips from his TV shows and other news clips from the day.  Bonus points for including interviews from his detractors as well, although some of them ended up looking a little foolish to the audience.  I probably should have only given it a 4 but was feeling generous at the end and gave it a 5.