Today is a first for me. I saw SIX movies! Yow. It was not an easy thing either. There were very tight intervals between two of them where I literally was coming in just seconds before the movies were starting. Much cursing on the road at slow drivers and praying for good parking. If that hadn't been vexing enough, this morning I lost a whole bunch of reviews that I had been working on because my computer decide to lock up on me. Grrrrr! Most vexing!
Ah well, hopefully I can write something halfway decent, though I'm vexed, because I like what I wrote before. Grrr!
Crossing Hennessey - This film is what I call a charmer. It is sweet, entertaining, amusing and, well, charming! A man of 40 is still living "at home" with his aunt, helping out at the family appliance store. Though perfectly content to remain the way he is, he is beleagured by all for his apparent inability to grow up. His mother is obsessed with getting him married and settled and as such she decides to try to arrange a marriage to a nice girl whose parents own a shop across the street. Problem is, neither he nor said girl are interested in getting married to each other. He's discovered that his childhood sweetheart is once again available and she has a boyfriend who is about to be released from jail. So they agree to play along with their parents arrangements to molify them for the time being. Ironically, however, it turns out that they are unexpectedly well suited for one another, with similar interests, humor, and opinions. The most problematic part of this film is that at first it is exceedingly confusing. The conversation is fast and furious and the subtitles simply can't keep up, often disappearing before they can be read. In addition, there is a whole cavalcade of characters whose relationships to one another are not always clear. For a long time I thought his 'aunt' was his wife! Between these two factors, it takes awhile to establish just how everybody is related and connected to one another, let alone what the heck is going on. Once it all falls into place, though, the story is easy to follow and a pleasure to watch.
An Ordinary Execution - Hey, hey, it's my first walk-out of the festival! Whoooo! As you might have guessed, I hated this movie. But I'll admit that it may just be me. Many other people found it well made and fascinating. And I can't argue those points - at least not the well made part. The problem with this film is that it is an endless cavalcade of disaster and despair. Don't get me wrong. I am fully capable of enjoying films brimming over with gloom and doom. But I find that you need to have a variation on the theme at least occasionally, otherwise it starts to feel like a skipping record which after so many repetitions becomes tedious and annoying. A young Russian doctor, with a most unusual ability, finds herself to be the focus of the jealous, lecherous, and cruel attentions of those around her. Her only joy in life is her husband and their passionate love for one another, but even that is marred by their inability to conceive a child. Then, to make matters worse, Stalin learns of her miraculous abilities and makes her his personal physician and, in the course of doing so, deliberately and selfishly destroys her life in the service of his own. His constant regalement of all the horrible things he was doing to those that she loved, supposedly for her benefit, delivered in a voice mild and almost cheerful, was just an endless litany of pointless pain and suffering. I honestly began to wonder just how Russia remained as populated as it did during that time. If most lives were as miserable as hers, I'm surprised that they didn't all commit suicide. Eventually I came to realize that watching this film was its own kind of torture and as such I finally left.
Miss Nobody - This is one of those totally fluffy, cute, silly movies. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less. A young naive woman, hoping to make her way up the corporate ladder by means fair finds that the competition and manipulation of her superiors requires her to lean toward ways foul. After an accident leads to her advancement, she soon discovers that the way to the fast track is to be a determined and conniving as your co-workers, but her faith in St. George, and his supposed support of her efforts, convinces her that even when she's doing wrong, she's doing right. It's the perfect mindless summer movie, with wacky wicked hijinks and murder abounding. I was pleased by the ending though, which is both ironic and up to the audience's interpretation to decide what actually happens.
Little Big Soldier - For all of you who watched Jackie Chan back in the day, before he had been truly 'discovered' and was making great movies with amazing stunt work, this film is a refreshing return to the good old days of yore. Alas, Jackie is older now and as a result his ability to do stunts is greatly reduced from what it was. But as acting stunt director for the film, that doesn't mean that there aren't some great stunts in this film. More importantly, however, is the return to Jackie's trademark sense of humor in his movies. A Liang soldier survives a terrible battle and managed to capture the Gao general who is, unbeknownst to him, also the eldest son of the king. Hoping for a great reward of 5 acres, he drags his unwilling captive back to Liang. But their way is hampered by a brother who wants to succeed to the throne, soldiers, thieves, wild warriors, and, of course, his captive. Though an action film with humor, there is no small amount of thoughtful concepts and serious moments as well, some of them quite beautiful and uplifting. Not the best Jackie Chan, or Hong Kong film, by a long shot, but the best Jackie Chan film to come along in a loooooong time. It is a solidly fun, interesting, entertaining, and engaging movie. It was a real treat to see the old-school outtakes and accidents during the credits. Siiiiiiiigh! Makes me nostalgic for the good old days, watching Jackie in his prime at the Varsity.
Reverse - Though the meaning of the title utterly eludes me, this movie was simply fantastic. A strange sort of mystery, thriller, adventure family film about three women - mother, daughter, and grandmother - living in Poland during Stalin's reign. Shot is exquisitely expressive black & white, the lighting, shadows, and look of the film flirts outrageously with the film noir style. Our heroine harkens to a sweet and fragile Mia Farrow, but sans her rather annoying voice. Desperate for love, she works at a periodical publisher in the poetry department, dreaming of meeting a wonderful man but despairing of it. Her mother and grandmother fret over her impending spinster-hood and try to hook her up with men of good standing character, but to no avail. All seems lost till one night, when a tall, dark stranger rescues her from some would be muggers. Swept off her feet by his charm and good looks, she doesn't realize until too late the trap that she has been ensnared within. The film is a bit odd at times, flashing back and forth occasionally to the future, though the past dominates the storyline. It isn't until the ending that the future flashes finally make sense and become an integral part of the movie. But all in all, the film is just a delight. Visually wonderful, delightfully dark, with amazing performances that are a testimony to the strength, power, and wit of women. Definitely in the top ten of the festival.
The Two Horses of Genghis Khan - Made by the same director as
The Story of the Weeping Camel this film is slightly more accessible as it follows a beautiful young Mongolian woman on her journey from Inner Mongolia to Outer Mongolia. Her quest is two fold - to have her grandmother's violin, dismantled during the Uprising, restored to its former glory and to track down the missing lyrics and song that was carved into the neck of her said instrument. But as she travels, visiting villages, cities, and yurts, she can only find people who have heard of this famous song, but know one who knows it. An accomplished singer herself, much of the film is filled with her beautiful voice, the perfect soundtrack for her search. It is a slow and patient film, reflecting in many ways the slow and patient world that these people live in. It is astoundingly beautiful on a multitude of levels - visually, musically, and emotionally. Urna's journey through places, her connection to the people around her, and her love and devotion to honoring her grandmother's last wishes are truly inspiring and heartwarming.