A Comment About Comments

Kris just dropped me a line wondering about why the comments do not post immediately. It's because without the approval-delay (I see and release each comment before it is publicly posted) the host computer would lock up under the weight of thousands and thousands of 'bot generated spam postings.

I'm not rejecting comments unless I think they are spam--so far, I have not seen any that were. However, I am the sole determinant of what might or might not be spam, based on my experience with it on other blogs.

Kris hopes you will gleefully talk smack at one another, and that's just fine. Snipe away!

SIFF 2005: Opening Night Come and Gone

I missed last year's soiree, so I'm unable to make any comparisons, but I definitely had more fun in 2004.

You see, every year I go to the Axman's Alternate Opening Night Party, or I have for the past three years or so. (The Axman is local film crit extraordinaire Sean Axmaker.) This annual event takes place at a nearby watering hole during the opening night film, which Sean and the rest of the gang have usually already seen or don't have tickets for or don't wanna see. In this case, most of us had caught Me and You and Everyone We Know at the press launch or, like the IMDb's Keith Simanton, at Sundance. (I didn't have any interest in last year's selection The Notebook--and still don't). 

So there was only a small group of us at the Six Arms--six at the most--but a fine time was had by all. Last year, we met at the Elephant and Castle, and the year before we met at the late, great Cloud Room. 

But back to 2005. Around 9:30pm, we headed over to the old library with the rest of the after-movie throng. I started to miss the well-lit coziness of the Six Arms the minute we got there. It was too dark, there weren't enough places to sit, and there was something kinda "cold" about the vibe.

Granted, I ran into a wide variety of fine film folks--Tom Tangney, Mark Rahner, Moira Macdonald, Robert Horton, Shannon Gee, Andy Spletzer, Jen Roth, etc.--but didn't really get the chance to chat with anyone for very long and, for me, that's what parties are all about, so my friend and Seattle Film Blog compatriot Steven and I took a pass around midnight or so. 

On the plus side, Sean and I got to ask Paul Provenza a few questions about The Aristocrats when we ran into him in the elevator. That was a nice surprise. I asked him if Eddie Izzard was really as clueless about "The Aristocrats" joke as he appeared to be, and Provenza said he wasn't and that he was just taking the piss (that was a relief as I tend to think of Izzard as a pretty bright chap, but he seemed a little off in this film). 

I also asked Provenza how come he never tells or talks about the joke on screen while his co-producer, Penn Jilette, does. "Penn and Teller," he corrected. The point being, I guess, that Jilette appears as part of an act and/or character and not as regular old Penn Jilette. 

As for the rest of my Tablet co-conspirators, I ran into Karla and Gillian, but never saw Kris. And although I only had one drink at the party--and one at the Six Arms--I definitely had a hangover the next day. Gillian wasn't joking about the strength of those Bombay G&Ts! Alas, the food had pretty much disappeared before I had the chance to partake of any it, though I wasn't that hungry anyway. So that was about it for my night. 

The Six Arms gets an A-, the Opening Night Party gets a C+.

The Aristocrats poster image from LateReviewer.com.

SIFF 2005 Quick Hits: Murderball, Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds, Dying Gaul, The Aristocrats

MURDERBALL
(Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, USA, 2005)  

Inspired by Dana Adam Shapiro's Maxim article, Murderball is a lively, surprisingly funny, ultimately quite moving documentary about the burgeoning sport of quad rugby. 

To play "murderball," mobility-impaired athletes use customized wheelchairs on a basketball court. At 86 minutes, the film seems short, but the directors don't waste any time. The US team competes in Sweden and then at the Paralympic Games in Greece. Along the way, Rubin and Shapiro introduce Canada's fiery coach Joe Soares (a former US player, considered a traitor by many), most of the US team, and even prospective player Keith. To a man, they're likable, engaging fellows--and three of them will be coming to Seattle, along with Shapiro and Henry-Alex Rubin, to support the film: Scott Hogsett, Andy Cohn, and team captain Mark Zupan. Don't miss 'em.  

Egyptian Theater: Fri, May 27, 9:15PM and Mon, May 30, 11AM.

BOATS OUT OF WATERMELON RINDS / Karpuz Kabugundan Gemiler Yapmak
(Ahmet Ulussay, Turkey, 2004) 

The title of this rambling little picture refers to dreams not grounded in reality. The action centers around talented, if impoverished teenager Recep (Ismail Hakki Taslak), who works at a watermelon stand, but dreams of running a theater with his pal Mehmet (Kadir Kaymaz), while nursing a crush on the beautiful Nihal (Boncuk Yilmaz). I've only seen a few Turkish films in my time, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's excellent Distant being the most recent.  

Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds isn't at that lofty level, but it's an entirely different creature. For one thing, it's set in the country, rather than the bustling city of Istanbul. It's also lighter in tone, but Ahmet Ulussay could've tightened things up a bit. Overall, it's entertaining, amusing--even enlightening--but not as emotionally engaging as it could have been.  

Harvard Exit: Sat, May 28, 11AM and Fri, June 3, 7:15PM.

THE DYING GAUL
(Craig Lucas, US, 2005)  

Adapted from his play, Craig Lucas's debut gets off to a promising start and boasts a first-rate cast, but it's pretty chilly going (Steve Reich's score definitely contributes to that effect). 

The always-watchable Peter Sarsgaard, who will be in town for the screening, plays Robert, a gay screenwriter. While shopping a script based on the death of his lover, Robert becomes entangled in the lives of studio executive Jeffrey (Rodger Dodger's Campbell Scott), who agrees to buy it--if he'll make one significant change--and his wife, Elaine (The Station Agent's Patricia Clarkson, who has a show-stopping bikini scene). In short order, Jeffrey and Elaine fall for the screenwriter ... and chaos ensues. Lucas ably captures the day-to-day lives of spoiled Hollywood denizens, but I'd rather hang with the movie-mad kids from Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds.

Egyptian: Sat, May 21, 7PM (Gala) and Sun, May 22, 1:30PM.

THE ARISTOCRATS
(Paul Provenza, US, 2005)  

With an assist from Penn Jillette, Paul Provenza explores what may be the dirtiest joke in the world. The punchline goes like this: "What do you call your act?" Answer: "The Aristocrats." The joke? If you don't already know, you'll just have to watch the film to find out. Several comedians compare it to a jazz standard in that everyone riffs on it in their own way. Since it's the kind of bit comedians mostly share with other comedians, the approaches are pretty profane--some exceedingly, disgustingly so. Participants include Drew Carey, George Carlin, Martin Mull, Paul Reiser, and Sarah Silverman. You may be surprised as to who tells the best and/or filthiest version, but potential candidates include Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, and...Bob Saget.  

Neptune Theater: Fri, May 20, Midnight.  

Images from Collider (Mark Zupan in Murderball), Reeling Reviews (Campbell Scott, Patricia Clarkson, and Peter Saarsgard), and the IMDb (Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds and Bob Saget in The Aristocrats).   

SIFF 2005 Quick Hits: Kim Ki-duk, Daniel Auteuil, and Miranda July

Just a few comments while these films are fresh in my mind. 

3-IRON / Bin-jip

(Kim Ki-duk, South Korea, 2004, 88 minutes) 

3-Iron is another winner from the prolific Kim Ki-duk (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring). Those who enjoyed Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's Last Life in the Universe with Tadanobu Asano--one of my favorite films of 2004--will probably like it, too. On the surface it's quite different, except for the fact that it revolves around an unlikely relationship, and there's an odd, supernatural tone to the proceedings.

And yes, the 3-Iron of the title, a kind of golf club, does get used--several times, in fact, but the movie isn't half as disturbing as Kim's 2000 fishhook fairytale The Isle. It's almost as if Japan's Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Bright Future) had directed a love story. Some may see the ending as a cop-out or a betrayal or what-have-you, but I was happy to go along with it. 

Neptune: Sat, May 21, 6:30PM and Sun, May 22, 4:15PM.

APRES VOUS... 

(Pierre Salvadori, France, 2003, 110 minutes) 

I love Daniel Auteuil (Un Coeur en Hiver, Caché), and he's quite good in Apres Vous..., aka After You..., but this romantic comedy is nothing special. I was mildly entertained, but the film evaporated from my mind before the end credits even finished un-spooling. 

As a general rule, I feel the same about Auteuil in comedies as I do about Jean Reno--who, coincidentaly enough, was also born in Algeria--or American lookalike Robert De Niro, which is to say, I prefer them in dramas. It's not that Auteuil can't handle comedy--2001's The Closet was pretty funny--just that his dramatic work has more sticking power. And his very physiognomy suggests drama, though I'm not sure that's a fair critique. 

To get even more discursive, I was thrilled to see Reno and De Niro in a picture together, the late John Frankenheimer's underrated 1998 Ronin. And I'm still waiting for Auteuil and De Niro to do the same--I mean, they have the same nose, although Auteuil's has a cool Gallic twist to it. 

Egyptian: Wed, May 25, 9:15PM and Neptune: Fri, May 27, 5:00PM.  

ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

(Miranda July, USA, 2005, 91 minutes) 

Like Kris Monroe, I really enjoyed Me and You and Everyone We Know. I'm tempted to say I loved it, but I need to think about it some more. 

I ran into The Everett Herald's Robert Horton after the screening, and he proclaimed it "lovely," so there really are other critics in town who liked it. Kris and I were sitting in front of The Seattle PI's Sean Axmaker , and he was laughing as hard as us--if not more so. That said, I ran into yet another critic, The Seattle Times' Jeff Shannon, and he found it merely okay. 

If I had to describe the film--not easy to do--I'd say that it takes the multi-character format of Rose Troche's The Safety of Objects or Jill Sprecher's Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, and has some fun with it. In other words, those films are dark, but Me and You is suffused with light, love, and humor. I apologize if that sounds saccharine; I swear the movie isn't. 

The action revolves around several people, including a single father played by a soulful John Hawkes, who live in the same suburban So-Cal neighborhood, and the ways they affect each others lives. At its core, it's a love story...and I have a thing about unconventional romances. And it has some of the biggest laughs of the year, one of which is an instant classic. 

I found Me and You and Everyone We Know funnier than Napoleon Dynamite, which shares a similar sort of deadpan sense of humor. Actor/writer/director Miranda July, who recalls a younger, brunette Laura Dern, underlines one of the film's most amusing scenes with Spiritualized's transcendent cover of the Troggs' "Anyway That You Want Me." Beautiful. 

Paramount: Thurs, May 19, 7:30PM. Opening Night Gala. 

Images from UCLA, Rotten Tomatoes, and indieWIRE.

Agent Cooper on SIFF Venue Changes

SIFF aficionado and long-time LiveJournaler Agent Cooper is not pleased.

"Pacific Place and the Cinerama aren't participating in SIFF this year! Instead SIFF is expanding to the Neptune (in the U District) and the Uptown (lower Queen Anne). ARGH!"

 

Image from STG Presents. 

Kathy Fennessy: 2005 Bio

Let's see...I was born in Connecticut, raised in Alaska and have lived in Seattle since 1988. First SIFF film I ever saw: Penelope Spheeris's The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. I've been volunteering for SIFF since 1994; for the past four years, I've written for the program guide. Since 1988, I've also volunteered for KCMU/KEXP, the Hugo House and, of course, Tablet, for which I reviewed CDs, films, and books. I quit my day job and am now doing the freelance thing full-time. My main gig is reviewing CDs and DVDs for Amazon. I also write and/or have written for The Anchorage Times, Seattle Sound (later to become City Arts), Resonance, All Music Guide, Film.com, Microsoft Cinemania, SIFF Cinema's Reel News, and Trouser Press. Oh, and I was a DJ/voice talent for almost 20 years at KWHL, KNDD, and Microsoft, but I'm currently on hiatus. And I have two crazy cats.

P.S. I look nothing like Barbara Stanwyck, but can't imagine a better avatar!

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement

In late November, Viv and I were happy to attend a Cinema Seattle preview screening of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's newest film, A Very Long Engagement. 

The film stars Audrey Tatou, who also had the lead in Amèlie. The film concerns a young woman's search for her fiancé, missing in the trenches of the First World War. Based on a novel, the film is long and ambitious, and generally succeeds. The nostalgia that Jeunet winked at in his depiction of a lovers' Paris in Amèlie is in full flower. Nearly every frame of the movie tenderly dotes upon the glories of France. Picturesque country farmhouses, the magnificence of Paris in the early twentieth century, and the valor and inventiveness of the French poilu on the lines on the Great War unspool with self-assurance.

All this viewing en rose would be insufferably--ah--cheesy in the hands of any other exponent of Gaul. When he resurrects a demolished Parisian public market, or one of the city's four great train stations on screen, it's like a visit from a loved one who perished in flame and fire. Americans may not be familiar with the landmarks, possibly undermining the appeal Jeunet is shooting for. As for me, I’m a certified cheese-monkey, and gleefully nibbled every stinky slice.

The film is structured as a mystery. After the war’s end, Tatou's polio-lame slip of a girl marshals facts and finds clues to the fate of a group of condemned prisoners among which was counted her beau. As she closes in, Jeunet flashes back to the trenches. The prisoners are all soldiers who have either deliberately or accidentally been shot in the hand and found guilty of the capital offense of self-mutilation. The method of execution chosen is to send the group into the teeth of German fire, alone and unarmed.

The film explores the personal stories of each of the men. The trenches themselves are rendered, as one might expect from Jeunet, with broad scale and muddy, half-flooded relish.

Jeunet intends to offset his nostalgia by slamming us into the trenches, looking at the cost of the Great War. He effectively relates the brutality and filth of the experience. Yet, Jeunet and Caro’s Delicatessen and City of Lost Children gleefully explored fantastic, failed worlds in which the brave face of beauty still managed to face the day, and his trenches are reminiscent of these dystopias. Therefore, the horrors he presents are blunted and easily taken for fantastic exaggeration. Unfortunately, he does not help his cause when a German biplane appears over the lines in a crucial plot point. The plane is verbally identified as a specific model of German machine with an unmistakable resemblance to a certain animal, which I won’t name so as not to spoil a minor plot point. The airplane seen on screen appears to be a postwar model, and is clearly not the plane spoken of.

It’s a quibble, surely; but in a postfilm appearance, Jeunet emphasized the verité of his trenches, the lengths to which he and his crew went to achieve an historicist presentation of the halls of mud. If that was indeed his primary goal (something I am skeptical of) he’s failed. I think it’s a forgivable oversight.

The plot's structure is clearly mythic. Our heroine journeys to each of the cardinal directions, departing on each quest from each one of the great train stations of Paris: the Gares du Nord, du Sud, de l'Est and de l'Ouest all make appearances. She journeys to a farm called the End of the World. Eventually, a character descends to the underworld before returning to the surface of the Earth.

From this unlikely set of elements--a nostalgic look at things past; a missing-persons mystery; a gritty war film; and myth--Jeunet has constructed a lovely, sad, and hopeful film that may well appeal to audiences that first saw his work with the justly celebrated Amèlie. As for me, well, I loved it.

I must note, however, that I am a certifiable Francophile, even against my better judgment. As I watched the film, curious, misplaced feelings strongly akin to patriotism stirred in me. Furthermore, I deeply admire Jeunet's films, even the generally dismissed Alien: Resurrection, and so I would say I am likely to find something to admire in anything he does.

Image of Audrey Tatou from Unifrance.