Shawn's Blog

FACTOTUM

2006-09-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

FACTOTUM

Calling all Bukowski fans, Matt Dillon fans, fans of great 'literary films,' and everyone else in between. Factotum is a work of art. Simple as that. A dirty, smoky bar, drunk in the afternoon kind of art to be sure, but art is art no matter how we arrive there. Before I saw it, I kept thinking it would be a Fear and Loathing kind of thing, taking us on a ride with a crazy author, to a place we secretly want to go, but maybe are a bit scared...? You know what I mean here? Well, Factotum is surprisingly (and happily) not a crazy ride through a personal hell like Fear and Loathing was - it's much more subtle than that. But it does bear semblance to Gilliam's film in the sense that Matt Dillon does justice to Bukowski, the same way Johnny Depp did to Thompson. We are also treated with long narratives, getting into his head as Dillon recites the master writer's work. But the big difference with the two films, as with the two writers I suppose, is that Factotum/Bukowski/Dillon takes on more of a slow pace, standing back a little and squinting at the world through an alcoholic blurr, whereas Fear and Loathing/Thompson/Depp was more of a roller coaster ride through every drug imaginable.

But don't let the booze put you off the film. The fact that Bukowski was drunk when he wrote his best stuff doesn't change the fact that it was good stuff. Just as we are all (hopefully) able to sit down on a nice Sunday afternoon and appreciate and enjoy Bukowski's writing without needing a drink to hear what he's saying, we can also enjoy Dillon's subtle and masterful portrayal of one of America's greatest and most profound writers ever. Factotum is not to be missed.

The Illusionist

2006-09-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, I sure have been lazy about this blog. I'm sorry.

I really do need to write the following, even though I already mentioned this film. "The Illusionist" is being talked about right now, as it is hitting theaters, and I have to say if you hear something good about this film, you heard right!!

Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti (of recent "Sideways" fame) play opposites of sorts in a 19th century period piece, where Norton is a stage illusionist who just might have magical powers. It's amazing to me how Norton makes his role seem real - it seems he is performing for us the audience, as though we were the audience in the film. Giamatti is fantastic. In a recent interview, Norton said that working with Giamatti was easy, that he gave him a lot to play off of, and that this was how acting ought to be. That's the feeling you get watching this film, that these guys are the top of the field, and that we're lucky to be seeing this.

The rest of the film is excellent as well, with great imagery and sound, and a screenplay that will make me want to rent it and see it again when I can, so as to rewind some of the scenes to be able to study them. But to be sure, this is one of the films you'll want to see in theaters - seeing it big will push it over the edge and you'll see why I loved this film so much at SIFF this year.

We most likely will not be getting The Illusionist at the Grand, so you're on your own with this one. Sorry.

Movies movies everywhere, and not enough time to see!!

2006-08-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, we're really moving along with the film festival, and I have been so busy that I haven't posted in a while. Sorry, if you've been looking for something. Here's a few great films I've seen recently, that you may want to check out, some of them on video, some onscreen. I promise I'll be more timely in the future!

V for Vendetta - amazing. Incredible job by both Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, who delivers from behind a mask. Not many actors could really do this, and he proves just how powerful he is in the craft. Also, an amazing script with dialogue that makes you just have to rewind and hear again.

Little Miss Sunshine - This film is hilarious, quirky, heartfelt and sometimes really weird. Steve Carell is my new favorite comedian, and I'm happy he did this role. I don't dare give anything away with this film, so you'll just have to come see it at the Grand. How's that for shameless advertising??

Who Killed the Electric Car? - Another film we've got at the theater, and something you really do need to see. What you may have suspected about car companies is shown to be all too true, and actually I got so mad when watching the film for the first time - I was alone at the theater before we opened for the day - and I was jumping up and down and hollering at the screen. It'll make you mad, and might make you want to do something different about energy consumption. I'm buying a bicycle today.

Syriana - I guess this just fits right in with Electric Car and Inconvenient Truth. If you haven't seen this one, go rent it. I've had it for a week, watched it three times, the video store is mad because I'm late with it. I'm bringing it back today, so it; will be there for you to rent!! Great film, and a must see for pretty much anyone.

Summer Pirates

2006-07-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Summer movies are a species of film all of their own. Heros running around, daredevil heroics, big explosions, love affairs, not too much to think about. The new Pirates movie fits the bill just fine by me, and then some. It seemed to be less silly than the last one, though Cap'n Sparrow's entrance wasn't even close to being as cool as the original. Johnny Depp gets very high marks for drunken pirate swaggering - "Why is there never any more rum?" He gets up, stumbles drunkenly, "Oh, that's why." Unfortunately, the silliest lines in the film go to Cap'n Sparrow along with the good ones. The whole island cannibals thing wasn't very good, and didn't advance the plot either. But it's forgivable, as the good parts of the film outweighed the bad.

This Pirates seemed a bit more adult-themed than the original, with a little kissing betwixt (hey, I'm writing about pirates, so a little 18th c. English is certainly allowed) Mr. D and hottie Kiera Knightly. And a few of the pirate deaths seemed much more violently graphic that the first film.

Pirates 2 leaves the door wide open for Pirates 3, which is the best news of the year for me. A whole new generation of pirate-loving children are being taught the proper moral values of piracy on the high seas, which bodes well for the future!! HAarrgh. A pirate's life for me!

Scanner Darkly

2006-07-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

This film is amazing. The visuals are great, the performances are right on - sometimes hilarious and sometimes scary, and always weird. Perfect for this story. If you have any inclination for liking Phillip K. Dick's work, or you like these kind of visuals, or you like weird cyber-punk stuff, or you just like innovative cinema, you have to see this film!! I'm going to see it again.

Bollywood wrapup

2006-07-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Oops - I forgot to post this, and thought I already had. I guess that's old age for you.

The Bollywood series was a great success! We had an excellent discussion with over 60 people taking part, both before the Saturday evening film and several people stayed after for another half hour to talk about the film. Thanks to Amy Laly for being our discussion leader, and thanks to everyone who came to see the great films over the course of the week. I'd say this was our best series ever, with every screening of every film seeing a decent turnout, and with several screenings being a packed house. Our final screening, a Thursday night show of "Mistress of Spices," was actually sold out! Wow! Bravo to Tacoma for supporting this film series!

Also, special thanks to our new friends at Jhankar Productions and Totem Lake Cinema for supplying us with the films.

Local Documentary Rocks!

2006-07-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

"Heart of the Game"

This film is great on several levels. First off, it's NOT a chick flick (not that there's anything wrong with that!!). It's a great documentary about perseverance and fighting to succeed. These girls are fantastic athletes, and their coach is inspirational and really cool.

It's about the Seattle Roosevelt High School girls basketball team, fighting off lots of adversity and going to the state finals. One of the girls drops out of school, has a baby, and has what looks to be a pretty bleak future. Then she rallies back the next year, comes back to school, and fights a legal battle to be allowed to play basketball again as a fifth year senior.

Any of you who know my taste in films, might think I wouldn't like this film, but you'd be wrong! I LOVED this film. If I had a teenage daughter, I'd probably be putting up a hoop outside the garage right now!! And I really don't even like basketball, but I loved this film. See it before it's gone!!

Saturday Discussion

2006-06-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

What a great discussion we had yesterday for the Bollywood film series! Amy Laly, a local documentary filmmaker and Bollywood expert led an excellent and in-depth discussion on the films in the series, as well as the Bollywood film industry in general. About 60 people gathered in the Grand's lower lobby and took part in the discussion.

I'd like to thank Amy for her help with the film series, as well as offering her time and expertise to lead our discussion. The series runs through Thursday next week, so you still have time to see the remaining films!

My Bollywood Education

2006-06-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have been fascinated by Indian cinema, nicknamed "Bollywood", for several years now. The lavish song and dance scenes have always seemed so incredible to me, with a visual and audio over-stimulation of sorts that would leave me open mouthed and amazed. Some time ago, I decided to schedule a Bollywood series, where we would play a week of Indian films at the Grand. Well, here we are, ready to start our first ever Bollywood film series, with our first show tomorrow. It wasn't easy getting to this point, but it has certainly been a learning experience in many ways.

Bollywood films are not distributed in the same way that other films are in the US. I had to go through a totally different system to get these films. Luckily, I made friends with some great people in the local Indian community who have introduced me to the right people, and we now have four films which are either shown only in India, or exclusively in specialty theaters focusing on Indian cinema. So really, the Grand is peeking into a totally new world of film exhibition right now, and I'm so glad we have this rare opportunity.

Yesterday I went with a friend to pick up our films, one of which had just arrived. Films normally come in metal film cans, wound up on reels. Our Bollywood films from overseas were shipped in cardboard boxes, reinforced with what's either burlap or hemp, and wound onto nothing. It's been interesting to wind them up onto big reels and get them ready to lay out onto the big platters so we can screen them. I guess all those editing classes with the flatbed editing machines is paying off! What I keep shaking my head at is how big two of these movies are. I'm taking a break from building up "Rang De Basanti" right now and it's a whopping 18 reels!! (Most films are 5 or 6). And looking at the frames as I go, the images are amazing!! Beautiful colors and scenes await to be threaded through our projectors. I can't wait to screen this film!

I look forward to Rang De Basanti in particular, as a way to better educate myself on Indian history. The film revolves around the Indian struggle for independence from England, and the new set of problems they inherit when one system is replaced by another.

If you have time this weekend and next week, I really urge everyone to check at least a few of these films out. Like I said before, this is a rare and amazing opportunity for Tacoma to see some films that are pretty much otherwise unavailable. Check the showtimes at www.grandcinema.com.

see you there -

Ozon's Masterpiece

2006-06-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Francois Ozon's new film "Time to Leave" (Le Temps qui reste) is, as I posted earlier today, the most beautiful film of the festival. When I first read about the film, it was described as a departure for Ozon. And I do agree that "Time to Leave" is very different than, say "8 Femme", but he has clearly left his mark on this new film, traces of which can be seen in his 2003 "Swimming Pool". An introspective look, with one or two fully developed characters who are realizing themselves in the short time we know them. But they are characters that we already know, in a way. (Isn't any well conceived story like this?)

In "Time to Leave", we meet a 31 year old man who finds out he has months to live. And we are with him as he comes to terms with this. He lives his few remaining months more fully than it seems he knew was possible, and not in some "Let's go to DisneyLand" kind of way either. This is rather a quiet meditation on death, but much more importantly, on what it means to be alive, how precious each moment is, and that even a few months can be realized as a lifetime. As with any work of true Art, the truth is sought, and found in this film.

My grandmother died last week, and I know I wouldn't have appreciated Ozon's film as fully otherwise, for in a profound way, the film has helped me accept the loss of someone I wish I could have known on a deeper level. The film is an amazing work of art on its own, but for anyone who has felt loss, be it the loss of another, of one's health, of lost time or opportunities, "Time to Leave" is a masterpiece, which will help. A lot.

Time to Leave

2006-06-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Oh my. I just saw the most beautiful film of the festival. "Time to Leave" by Francois Ozon is one of the most profoundly beautiful and deeply felt films I have ever seen. This film is still sinking in. I am almost in a state of shock. And I'm going into another screening, so I have to make this short. I'll write more later. Oh my.

Brothers of the Head

2006-06-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

British film from Director Keith Fulton

This is a fake documentary about conjoined twins who become punk rock stars. Joined at the chest, the two are unique and very different: one is sensitive, and plays guitar, while the other is abrasive and is the punk rock voice of the two.

The film avoids being too funny, and delves into the tragedy of the two boys, and while it is a fake documentary, it is still able to evoke feeling from the audience because at times it seems very (almost too much so) real. The story is clearly a tragedy, and a dark and sometimes creepy one at that. This isn't the kind of film I would recommend you go see; it is the kind of film I dare you to go see. If that doesn't explain it, no amount of words or explanations ever will.

Malas Temporadas

2006-06-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Malas Temporadas (Bad Times) from Spain is indeed well named. Three different lives are intertwined through circumstance, as well as from how miserable they are. I kept wondering who had it worse - as though it were a sick contest of sorts. I guess I had to do something to keep my spirits up. Their hard times don't so much come from bad occurrences, as from each character's inability to deal with the problems of their past.

The one story thread which had the most potential was that of the prisoner, newly released into the world, who begins tutoring chess for the 14 year old boy who has recently refused to leave his room. They are both prisoners in a way, but the boy has the choice to leave, where the chess tutor is still living in his cell, despite having been released.

The cinematography is appropriate for the film: bleak, desaturated colors, making everything feel like a gloomy overcast afternoon. The film ends with a hint of hope, but I felt too little and an hour too late for me to really care anymore.

Why do we watch movies? I was wondering just after the show. Many reasons: inspiration, escape, to learn, to have fun, even just an excuse for a date; but to watch the misery of others, and simply leave it at that, seems to not be a reason for watching a film. I could see what the filmmakers were trying for, but the film ends up just being depressing, flat, and gloomy.

The King

2006-05-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Darn!! I missed the screening of "The King" and I really wanted to see it! Let me in!! Let me in!! But, there will be another screening, so I will be at that one, I hope! It's starring Mexico's Gael Garcia Bernal - "Motorcycle Diaries" - and looks to be something very different, in what I hope to be a good way. It's director James Marsh's first non-documentary film, so it will be interesting to see what kind of perspective he brings to the narrative. William Hurt stars opposite Bernal. Hmmm...Could be good...

If anyone reading caught this one, please let me know what you thought.

Pusher II

2006-05-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted to see another one of the films from Denmark that everyone is hopping up and down about, so I saw "Pusher II".

This is another dark film from SIFF. But where Nick Cave's "The Proposition" was dark in a Dead End Street kind of way, "Pusher 2" from Denmark is dark in an altogether different way. I won't get into too many comparisons here, for they really are different films; one being a Western genre flick, and the other a modern criminal/psychological study film. But both were indeed dark, taking the audience places that are uncomfortable to say the least.

The Good: First off, the cinematography totally fits the piece. If I had to guess, I'd say it was Fuji filmstock, shot in low light conditions and slightly underexposed, then corrected in color timing. I may be wrong about the fuji (I suppose it could have been Kodak, and I also suppose I could actually research it and find out, but I'm lazy today. Hey, it is a holiday, so I'm allowed a little bit of slack. But the underexposing is a trick photographers use to get that gritty look, where the film looks alive, and at times a character's face looks to be crawling around on the screen. It makes the image look dark, scary. So, great job with the photography here.

The Bad: I'd say they went a little too far down the road of showing us how much of a loser the protagonist was. I kind of stopped caring for the guy. I wanted to like him, so I suppose I was still rooting for him, but, almost two hours of following a total loser around is a little trying at best. The ending makes up for a lot though, so I think other viewers could have just as easily loved the guy. I gave up on him after about an hour.

The Ugly: Everyone in the film! Actually, this is the film's saving grace. Everybody is a gross screw up or a criminal. Even the big boss guy that everyone reveres is kind of a loser. In a way, it makes the story believable, because we aren't going along with the best super criminals in the world, but rather, the screw up criminals that the real mob probably laughs at during their mob BBQ's. Or, maybe this is the real mob. Maybe the Godfather mob doesn't exist at all, and all there is in the world of car-jackers is these guys. No "Gone in 60 Seconds" slicksters here. I don't know. Whatever the case, the world created by the filmmakers is true to itself, and this gives the story a foundation to stand on. I didn't see the first "Pusher", so I felt I was missing a lot of the jokes that obviously others in the audience were getting. But, that's ok: I was along for the ride.

Franke Potente

2006-05-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

German actress Franke Potente must be the hottest European actress right now. Amazing. Wait a second, let's get our definitions straight here. Because the French actress Ludivine Sagnier is the hottest as in hot-hot-hot & oo-la-la.

Whereas Franke is hot in a different way. Hard to explain really. Here's a few films, some of them great, that she has made possible, in the sense that any other actress couldn't have pulled it off like her. Check these out, a pretty decent cross section of her acting:

Run Lola Run (Of course)
Borne Identity (any American actress would have blown it)
I love Your Work (with Giovanni Ribisi - a great film, very strange, dark, and possibly Ribisi's best work)
Princess and the Warrior (amazing film!! - and often overlooked)
Anatomie (horror film - pretty creepy. Don't watch alone!)

If you are not familiar with this incredible actress, do rent a few of her films, and I'm certain you'll see what I mean!

The Proposition Review #2

2006-05-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I wrote my initial notes on this film just after I saw it, and I was very affected by the film's violence. Now that I have had the opportunity to get the blood out of my visual memory, and the buzzing of all those flies out of my head, I want to say one more thing.

Just as "Bonnie and Clyde"(1967), "The Wild Bunch"(1969), and "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) are now all seen as reactions to the graphic images coming out of Vietnam, I ask the question: does "The Proposition" have a modern equivalent? The violence in this film is gross, taken too far, with swarming flies living off the fresh corpses everywhere. In a decade or so, will we have other such examples like "The Proposition" to point to, as being the reaction in film to some of the things happening in the world right now? Does the frustration and fear and anger many people feel, brought on by acts of terror, have a reflection in this film? I don't know the answer, but thought I'd pose the question.

Charles Bronson - 70's tough guy

2006-05-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned my fascination with Charles Bronson? He's awesome. He comes from the tough guy era of the 70's, where men were men and something... I'm not sure how that sentence ends. Anyway, I've always thought the best three way fist fight between 70's actors would be Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, and Steve McQueen.

So, I'm watching Murphy's Law, a Bronson classic, and marveling at how almost alien he is by today's standards. Nobody looks like this today. For instance - the way he squints. It's kind of like Clint Eastwood, but not quite. Eastwood looks like he's squinting into the sun, whereas Bronson looks like his brow has simply invaded his eyes. He's not squinting at all, this is how he looks at you.

Today I just noticed how he runs. It really is amazing. It sort of looks like he just ate a huge meal, and doesn't want to make his stomach ache worse. This is how a real man runs, well, in the 70's at least. You have to remember that feathered hairdo's on guys were cool, so a lot of things were different then.

In Murphy's Law, (which is actually from the 80's, but a lot of stuff from the 70's crossed over - that's really what the 80's were- weird 70's leftovers) Bronson approaches a known cocaine kingpin in a restaurant, doing the old, "We're on to you, buddy," routine that was also a big 70's thing in plot lines. The bad guy asks, "You ever heard of Murphy's Law?" and warns Bronson that a lot of bad things can happen to a guy, if they're not careful. Bronson (Murphy) replies in classic Bronson (and true to form 70's tough guy) fashion, "The only law I know, is Jack Murphy's law: don't f%#@k with Jack Murphy." Classic.

Oh yeah, fair warning on this one - there's more bad language than you can shake a stick at. If you can get past that, and the terrible way women are treated, and the somewhat predictable psychotic killer, and the stoopid bad language insults from Bronson's sidekick, well, actually the only reason to watch it is for Bronson. Murphy's Law isn't really a good film, but it's worth seeing as a kind of crazy time capsule of sorts. And to watch Bronson run.

The Proposition

2006-05-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

"The Proposition", which was written by Nick Cave, (who you may recall as the brilliant musician behind 'Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds') is truthful, real, dark, and horribly violent. Violent to such a degree, that the film suffers by it. On my way out I overheard someone say, "It could have been a great film," and they were right.

I was shocked by the violence, riveted to my seat, with my only defense being that I had my hand over my eyes during many scenes. But that wasn't enough. I probably won't sleep tonight. Seriously. If you are like me, and have a vivid imagination that holds images in your mind for a long time, then I suggest you don't see this film.

Now, I cover my eyes in most horror films too, so, admittedly, I'm a bit of a sissy. I suppose I just don't like seeing so much blood. But the saving grace of horror films is that it is all so obviously fake, and usually it's so overblown that it becomes somewhat comic. Jason or Freddie just can't be taken seriously at a certain point, and therefore the violence is, basically, unreal. Also, in horror films, the violence is usually a metaphor, for either something else or for another kind of violence. "Night of the Living Dead" has often been equated as a byproduct of the terrible images seen on TV from news footage of Vietnam. Even the Western genre, such as Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch", was influenced strongly by the images coming out of Vietnam. No longer could the cowboy in the white hat shoot the bad guy in the black hat, and conveniently leave no blood on Main Street. As 1970 approached, the violence in film was now the terrible violence of blood and pain and senseless cruelty. (Remember the scorpions thrown into the ant pit by the children in Wild Bunch?).

Books on writing will often say that the writer needs to be true to the story. To push the story as far as it can go. To not hold back. So many films, (and I would suggest most big Hollywood films) do not abide by this rule of storytelling, and instead of telling a real story, we are given some kind of formulaic story where we all know what's going to happen in the first five minutes.

Well, the one absolutely positive thing I must say about "The Proposition" is that as a storyteller, Nick Cave does not wimp out. He takes this story so far down the road, that there really is no coming back. The story is indeed true to itself, and the characters are true, doing what they have to do, driving the story forward. They are a mix of criminals, cowards and lunatics; abusive, vindictive and cruel; living in a hard, harsh Australia which is in so many ways like what we know from our own wild west. But where Peckinpah would cut, director John Hillcoat not only lingers, but moves in for a close-up. The scene where a young man is brutally whipped to near death is so real, and so much like a terrible rape scene that I wanted to run out of the theater screaming, but like I said, I was glued to my seat. The film has more flies in it than I think I have ever seen in my entire life, total, not just at one time. And the flies are happy, because there's so many dead bodies and blood everywhere, laying around in the hot sun, that I was itchy, and fidgety the whole time. The film gave me the creeps so bad that I think I may just have to rent a few Disney films tonight, just to even things out.

All that said, the film is very well done. For what it is, for the story being told, the film goes all the way, doesn't hold back one bit, and that seems to be such a rare thing that I have to give high respect points. But I'm afraid I have to ask the question (and I realize this would likely make the filmmakers really mad): could the story still have been told, and not been so horrific? Did it have to go so far?

I think that unfortunately for the film, the shockingly real, graphic nature of the violence takes such a front seat that the underlying stories of lost, broken men, misguided justice, and the complicated, twisted love and hatred between two brothers, all gets kind of lost. Which is too bad. It could have been a great film.

Water

2006-05-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today we open the acclaimed and controversial Indian film "Water." The film centers on the way widows have been traditionally treated in India, not allowed to remarry and considered bad luck and even shunned. By questioning these traditional values, the film has created an uproar from certain fundamentalist factions in India. The film set was protested during production, where in January 2000 Hindu nationalists claimed the film was anti-Hindu. The film set was ransacked and production was shut down for four years.

This is the third film of a triptych of films from director Deepa Mehta. "Water" completes the previous two films in the series, "Fire" from 1996, and "Earth" from 1998.

George Lucas took out an ad in Variety Magazine to lend his moral support to the director, because of the negative reaction she was receiving in her home country during production. "I think it's slightly naïve for me to think that films make a difference," says Ms. Mehta in a recent New York Times article. "But what it can do is start a dialogue and provoke discussion."

"The sorrowful film is nonetheless a triumph of conscience over blind faith, and a powerful message about how much, and how little, has changed in India," says the New York Times,- May 3, 2006.

"Water" is absolutely beautiful on so many levels. I hesitate to say more, for I feel that this film must be experienced first, then talked about later. I'm sitting watching the credits roll right now, and am truly in awe. And I need a tissue to wipe my eyes. Sob.

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"Water" comes to us with such timeliness too, because at the end of June, the Grand will have its first ever Bollywood film series!! Four great films from India, all of them recent releases and big hits in India, will be screening over the course of one week. Much more info to come, so stay tuned!!

A-Side, B-Side, Sea Side

2006-05-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really enjoy a film which doesn't tackle huge issues, but rather is a look into the relationship between a few people, how they relate. I dislike the term "slice of life" because it makes me think of apple pie, and then I get off track, and start looking for a diner. Mmm, apple pie. There, see how easy it is to get sidetracked? So, what could be the new term for "slice of pie", er, life? How about "personal look into the daily lives of individuals...?" Doesn't roll off the tongue very easily. Oh well.

"A Side, B-Side, Sea Side" is a film which shows us how two young-adult girls each have different experiences in a small seaside village. I particularly liked the dynamic between one of the girls who has been in the big city for a time, and a couple of her friends who have stayed behind in the little village. They start to realize their friendship has faded, that their different experiences have created a distance, and they find it difficult to realize they don't relate like they once did.

The film works for me because despite being about girls in a little village on the other side of the world, I felt the relationships were universally true, and that a boy in a big city thousands of miles away could recognize some of the same feelings about his own friends. By first time Hong-Kong Director Wing-Chiu Chan.

Grand Staff Blogs

2006-05-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Check out the newly created blog at the Grand. Everyone at the theater has a keen interest in film, and with so many points of view, we created a special blog for the Grand staff to discuss films. Just go through the Grand's website to find the link.

Denmark 's new films

2006-05-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

SIFF is bringing a great array of films from Denmark. A while back, we became used to equating Denmark with Dogma films. Of course, there is more to the country's film output than the dogma style. (Like the way the Pacific Northwest made more than Grunge music in the 90's). It just becomes easy to label a place with whatever becomes popular. So, SIFF's spotlight on other films from Denmark besides dogma films, is something to keep an eye on.

My first Danish recommendation at SIFF is "Voksne mennesker" ("Dark Horse") from director Dagur Kari. I cannot help but love this film, with its black and white 'tribute' to New Wave films from the 60's, and reminding me at times of one of my favorite directors, Jim Jarmusch. I also liked the film's humor, and the almost improv feel to many of the scenes. One of those films where good writing and acting combine to make believable characters that you can't help but like, even though they are such losers!

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What are Dogma films? - Established in 1995 as the "Dogme 95" group, several Danish filmmakers put together a set of 10 rules, to be followed in the making of these new films. The basic premise behind Dogma is to produce films without all the trappings of a big budget Hollywood production. Hand-held cameras give a documentary feel to the cinematography. The classic three light set-up established in Hollywood productions is disregarded, and only "available light" is used, either using daylight or the lights already on location.

Dogma films fall into the realm of 'Realism,' a theoretical approach to filmmaking established very early in Cinema history, (which I outlined in a newsletter essay from last year, called 'Realism vs. Formalism'). The clear similarity between Dogma and Realism is that they both approach filmmaking by 'respecting' reality, believing that lights, rigging, color correction, dialogue replacement, several takes on set, etc. would take away from the integrity of the film. By treating the film almost like a documentary, Dogma films are believed by some to be the most 'honest' style of filmmaking.

A very practical aspect of Dogma films is that they are much more cost effective, and filmmakers are able to shoot considerably more scenes by not having to move the cumbersome camera crew and lighting set ups for each shot. This saves time, streamlines the crew, and saves money.

Director Lar von Trier is a most notable Dogma filmmaker, and Denmark's most recognized filmmaker. For more info on Dogma, and for the 10 rules as listed by the Dogme 95 group, follow this link:

http://www.dogme95.dk/the_vow/index.htm

Al Gore the Entertainer?

2006-05-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Last night on Saturday Night Live, Al Gore was on 'Weekend Update.' And it was really him, not an actor playing him. Coincidentally, he is starring in a soon to hit theaters documentary called “An Inconvenient Truth,” delving into the subject of global warming. Now, some people may remember Mr. Gore as the not-so-exciting fellow running for President a while back, and my first thought of him as the driving force behind a film was that it would be, well, kind of boring to watch.

Not so with this film. He really does present a compelling, engaging and not-at-all boring case on global warming and what we need to do about it. But Saturday Night Live?

Actually, this isn’t his first time on the show – he hosted in 2002. He’s not the funniest guy in the world, but it looks like he’s making a serious effort at changing his image. I thought his segment last night was pretty good, though I suppose it must be difficult to be on stage, competing in a way, with comedians who are doing this every week, and whom we have become used to laughing with (at).

Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up a few more times in the media, as the promotions for the film gear up for it’s release. We are scheduled to play the film right after the Seattle release in mid June.

Classic Films at the Grand

2006-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Today was our screening of the classic Marx Brother’s “Duck Soup” from 1933, as part of a collaboration with the Tacoma Art Museum. What a great film, listed as #5 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 funniest films. It’s funny on the surface, and if you look a little further and put the historical context into the mix, you can see some of the deeper implications of the humor. I wasn’t there during the depression, as far as I can recall at least, but they tell me it was a pretty tough time. A kind of desperation emerged in the comedy during this period – the light-hearted gaiety of the 20’s didn’t really apply anymore.

An interesting story element in “Duck Soup” is that the country of “Freedonia” is bankrupt, and Groucho is brought in as the president/dictator. Of course, bankruptcy was a common subject of the time, but what is also of note is that Freedonia declares war, almost flippantly against their neighbors. A few years later, towards the end of that decade, Germany is building up for war. I wonder if this is just a coincidence, or if the future political climate was being anticipated in a way.

I have always appreciated the humor of the Marx Brothers, despite living the better part of a century later. Perhaps the humor is universal enough to still apply to today.

“Modern Times” (from 1936) is playing next week – Charlie Chaplin’s classic comedy, where he tries his best to fit in with the quickly evolving modern era. We see this quite a bit in films of the first few decades of the 20th century. Within such a short time, people went from riding a horse to driving cars and flying in the sky. Many films of the time show people almost getting run over by cars in the city, or the frantic pace of the assembly line.

“Modern Times” is hilarious, and I think one of the better surviving silent films. It’s interesting to note that the film was made after the advent of talkies. Maybe this was Chaplin’s final defiant gesture in favor of silence. The film has a great score, and lots of sound effects to help out the humor onscreen. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see classic Chaplin on the big screen!!