Movies

The Ghent International Film Festival in Flanders, Belgium is underway. Has a selection of around a hundred films, many unreleased in these parts of the world. Saw a bunch this past week, and though I'd share some short thoughts. Two movies already were released stateside, three more from this list are now trading on HSX.

Poulet Aux Prunes (2011, D+): Visually inventive fairytale lacking universal appeal. This personal story doesn't resonate as Persepolis did.

JEYRE  -  Jane Eyre (2011, C): This prototypical, Gothic flavored romance shies away from feminism & social stratification, favoring Guignol instead.

We Were Here (2011, C): AIDS doc goes for the emotional jugular with account that favors loss & love over sociological & political analysis.

Meek's Cutoff (2010, B-): Beguiling, allegorical western with biblical & racist undertones. Ignorance & fear prove dangerous bedfellows.

The Mountain (2011, D-): Visually and emotionally monotonous yarn of a lesbian couple clambering towards a predictable revelation. Shallow.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, B+): Beautiful allegory on mortality transforms into (less engaging) moral tale on duty and fatherhood.

She Monkeys (2011, D+): Swedish study of female (preteen & teen) sexuality and empowerment. Well-intentioned but lacks texture and depth.

Gandu (2010, C-): Brash visuals can't hide the moral void of this drug fueled trip. Frustration & self pity are mistaken for viable protest.

MMMM  -  Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011, #Durkin, A-): Smart, morally complex commentary on conditioning & conventions, in cults as well as society. Commercial prospects: akin (in feel and smart handling of a difficult theme) to We Need to Talk About Kevin, and therefore not an easy sell to a broad audience. But one of the best movies I saw this year.

Oslo, August 31st (2011, #Trier, C+): Pedestrian road movie with the city of Oslo as mental memory palace. Disciplined character study.

LIDAY  -  Life in a Day (2011, B): Compulsively optimist collage of life on planet YouTube. Global nation building through curated co-creation. Already released in the States, thought this might have done better…

Jess + Moss (2011, B-): Two teenagers lose memories & gain independence. Wistful pic with Instagram aesthetics & nice associative editing.

PressPausePlay (2011, D-): More human interest & product placement than critical analysis. A bland & superficial doc about the digital age.

L'hiver dernier (2011, C+): #Shank's slow cinema ponders personal idealism and hubris, but the worn out societal themes fail to resonate.

TTSS  -  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, A-): Supremely stylish & assured, #Alfredson's cerebral thriller is all about execution, not conclusion. Commercial prospects: a very brainy movie that had the premiere audience I saw it with puzzled at times… This won’t appeal to younger viewers (the youngest character on screen is a barely recognizable Tom Hardy) or to thrillseekers (the most thrilling sequence involves the theft of a notebook from a library...) Older viewers who crave well-made cinema will however find plenty to love here. And Oscar noms for photography, set and costume design, and for Gary Oldman, are practically assured.

ARTST  -  The Artist (2011, #Hazanavicius, B): This silent & sentimental film is a feast of references to the classics of cinema. A cure for cynicism. Commercial prospects: a true crowd pleaser that has lots of crossover appeal to audiences that are not strictly film buffs. Might do respectable business if handled well.