Yesterday I lamed out for the most part. Didn't feel like dragging myself out for press screenings, and nothing I really felt like going out to that evening either. It was really quite nice, actually, to just have a relaxing day at home doing nothing to cleaning and reading and napping. Ahhhhhh!

Today I awoke refreshed and ready to seize the day. Saw two press screenings and now I'm at work (la!) at the Neptune. Come by and say hi! ;)

Holy Rollers - The True Story of Card Counting Christians - The first half of this movie is quite simply AWESOME. Fast and funny, well-edited, stylish and clever, this film whisks you along on a gambling adventure that is part Rainman and part Ocean's 11. In fact they intersperse scenes from Rainman, along with other famous movies, to compare the Hollywood 'vision' of gambling with their reality. The film deals with the story of how this group of Christians came together and made a business out of blackjack and how they justify the means to themselves, their families, and their communities. Unfortunately the film simply goes on too long and makes some crucial errors by not following up on what is clearly an important interview, which makes me wonder if the director was perhaps a fellow Christian and friend of this group and, as such, biased in his choice of what to show and, more importantly what, not to show. Questions of greed, suspicion, discrimination, religious fervor, and morality begin to raise their ugly heads like a hydra; interesting and provocative but in the end something of a buzz-kill to the initial exuberance of the first half.

What I found surprising is that the SIFF write-up for the film is inaccurate. It claims that these people are using blackjack in order to fund their churches and communities. This is not the case, according to the film. It is, quite clearly, a business; there are investors, there are managers, and there are players (employees) and as far as the film depicts, they are all in this to make money for themselves. Basically, they "work" 40 hours a month playing blackjack to make a living rather than 40 hours a week in a regular job and "supposedly" put the rest of their time into their Christian faith. This is the only way their "work" gives back to the Christian community; their claim that they do it in order to have more time to dedicate to pastoring, their church, and their community. But this is something we are told in non-explicit terms and do not see. This movie clearly pushed some hot buttons in the people around me, as several individuals walked out during the press screening. Even though it was overlong and could have used some editing, overall it was entertaining and certainly very interesting. No matter what your stance or opinion on either gambling or Christianity might be, there's something of interest to take away from this film. I think any film that posits such controversial ideas and conversations is a film worth seeing.

USA, 2011 (93 minutes)
Director: Bryan Storkel

Director Bryan Storkel, producer Jason Connell, cinematographer Brian Liepe, and other cast and crew members are scheduled to attend

Festival Screenings
6:00 PM Sat, June 11 Admiral Theatre (Screening on STANDBY - advance tickets not available)
3:30 AM Sun, June 12 SIFF Cinema

Funkytown - Based on true stories, this Canadian film does an excellent job of capturing the changing of the times at the end of the 70s, from when Disco ruled to the point where Punk and New Wave start to make their move. Following a number of different characters - a highly successful radio DJ and TV celebrity, an up-and-coming model/starlet, a corrupt music manager, an aging singer whose career is on the rocks thanks to disco and poor management, a sexually conflicted young Italian dancer and restauranteur, a gay TV host and celebrity on his way down from success - we watch as their lives become intertwined, mostly for the worst, through the Starlight club, which boasts to be the first Disco dance club in North America. The music really makes the film, and it's not all disco, capturing not only the times but a suffusing the movie with a vivacious energy. Although the film is long, and you can feel its length, it's never boring or uninteresting. It's a fascinating look at how times change, music changes, and people change, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Some people shoulder adversity and manage to rise to the top; others are crushed and crumble beneath it. Even though only a few characters in the film are really likeable or deserve your respect, they're all interesting and engaging, whether they're rising like a phoenix or crashing like a burning car. Way more enjoyable and entertaining that I had expected. A really good film that I highly recommend checking out.

Canada (Quebec), 2011 (133 minutes)
Director: Daniel Roby
Cast: Patrick Huard, Justin Chatwin, Sarah Mutch, Raymond Bouchard, Paul Doucet

Director Daniel Roby scheduled to attend

Festival Screenings
9:30 PM Fri, June 10 AMC Pacific Place
3:30 AM Sun, June 12 AMC Pacific Place