Online Film Guide
Victoria Day
With the long Victoria Day weekend signaling the end of school, and the Stanley Cup playoffs afoot, the summer of 1988 arrives in Toronto. Ben Spector, a smart, sensitive kid from a Russian immigrant family, hits the Bob Dylan show with his buddies and runs into Jordan Chapman, the class prick and Ben's tormentor on the ice-hockey rink. Jordan is five dollars shy of a nice bag of drugs, and Ben begrudgingly spots him the dough. But the next day, Jordan fails to show up at school or hockey practice. With days passing and Jordan's whereabouts a mystery, Ben finds himself in an uncomfortable predicament, especially when a romance with Jordan's sister tentatively blooms in the midst of the ordeal. First-time director David Bezmozgis, a celebrated prose writer, imbues seemingly spartan interactions with emotional complexity. There's a palpable tenuousness lurking beneath scenes as Ben becomes preoccupied with Jordan's disappearance in a more existentially unsettling way than he can fully grasp. As his friends play Hacky Sack and set off fireworks, he's entering that unfamiliar, liminal state between adolescence and adulthood, where consciousness of human vulnerability begins to surface. Bezmozgis' ability to capture that disorientation, along with Ben's awkwardly emerging sexual desire, in such a vivid, subtle, and moving way is the mark of a masterful storyteller, whether wielding pen or camera.
A'Mare
One day during a fishing excursion, Andrea and Felice's usual routine is disturbed when something unexpected appears from the water.
Tyson
A gritty and intimate portrait of one of boxing’s most polarizing figures, James Toback’s Tyson recounts Iron Mike’s rise to superstardom and subsequent fall from grace through the eyes of the man himself. Candid interviews with Tyson reveal an often-misunderstood persona that encompasses a broad spectrum of decidedly human instincts. He is at once gentle and animalistic, humane and violent, predator and prey.After a stint in a juvenile reform school, where his boxing skills took root, the 14-year-old Tyson was introduced to legendary trainer Constantine ""Cus"" D'Amato, who took the young fighter under his wing and served as one of the only positive figures in his life. D’Amato died before he was able to see his final protégé become the sport’s youngest heavyweight champion at 20 years old, an event that started a chain reaction in Tyson’s young life. His meteoric success in the ring collapsed under a sea of controversy—his ill-fated marriage to Robin Givens, who publicly maligned him as a violent beast; an arrest and conviction for the rape of Desiree Washington, a charge which he still denies; a highly publicized falling out with promoter Don King; and his infamous 1997 rematch with Evander Holyfield.Toback manages to crack Mike Tyson’s brooding exterior to expose both the best and worst of the most explosive and controversial enigma in the history of the sport.
Shorts Program V
Everybody’s looking for something: love, trouble, Sasquatch. And the best part about desire is that it’s all yours. He wants a rabbit, she’s looking to just grow up already, and they need another lost soul to bathe in the purifying blood of their God. Prom dates, butt sex, maybe a little damn human connection once in a while—it’s all the same here. So who cares if some romantic actuary says these modern quests lack the necessary grandeur and grails of a true epic? Flags fly forever, dude.
The September Issue
Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue for 20 years, is the most powerful and polarizing figure in fashion. Larger than life and more complex than fiction, Wintour embodies a fascinating contradiction of passion and perfectionism as she reigns over a dizzying array of designers, models, photographers, and editors. Director R.J. Cutler delivers a rare insider account of the nine months leading up to the printing of the highly anticipated September issue of the magazine, which promises to be the biggest one ever. He takes us behind the scenes at fashion week, to Europe and back, on shoots and reshoots, and into closed-door staff meetings, bearing witness to an arduous and sometimes emotionally demanding process. At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Wintour and Grace Coddington, incomparable creative director and genius stylist. They are perfectly matched for this age-old conflict between creator and curator. Through them, we see close up the delicate creative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the ever-changing fashion field. Cutler cleverly deconstructs the creative process as it plays out in the hollowed halls of Vogue, lined with racks of couture. In The September Issue, his access and insight are impressive and make us aware that he is offering us a privileged glimpse into a world many dream about but few see.
Recipient of the Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary.
GOOD: Internet Censorship
An informative look at the way different countries apply their rules of censorship through cyberspace.
Acting for the Camera
An acting class. Today's scene: the orgasm from When Harry Met Sally.
Moon
Nearing the end of a three-year contract with Lunar Industries, Sam Bell is counting the days until his return to Earth. The lone occupant of a lunar mining base, Sam monitors the tractors that harvest the moon’s surface for helium energy. Buoyed by sporadic transmissions from his wife and young daughter, he combats monotony and isolation by tending to plants, continuing his predecessor’s woodcraft project, and interacting with the station’s robotic computer, Gerty. But Sam is beginning to unravel mentally. After a hallucination causes him to crash his lunar rover, he wakes up in the sick bay and soon realizes that his life at the base is not what it seems.Moon is a refreshingly philosophical and ultimately touching indie inflection on a genre that too often loses sight of character and story amid the wizardry of its special effects. In confining the story to one man (and his robot), director Duncan Jones and writer Nathan Parker create an intimate and insightful character piece about memory and identity anchored by Sam Rockwell's perceptive performance; he brings out the heartache, contradictory emotions, and existential terror of a man gradually stripped of the most fundamental sense of who he is. So for all the creativity of its visual design and technology, Moon is less about outer than it is about inner space.
Evolution of Fearlessness
In this profoundly evocative work, the viewer enters a dark room to learn about the stories of women who have survived war zones. The viewer can walk up to a threshold in the room where a moment of video meeting is made possible. In creating Evolution of Fearlessness, Australian artist Lynette Wallworth filmed portraits of several women residing in Australia but originating from countries such as Afghanistan‚ Sudan‚ Iraq, and El Salvador.
Humpday
It’s been a decade since Ben and Andrew were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife, and home. Andrew took the alternate route as a vagabond artist, skipping the globe from Chiapas to Cambodia. When Andrew shows up, unannounced, on Ben’s doorstep, they easily fall back into their old dynamic of heterosexual one-upmanship. After a night of perfunctory carousing, the two find themselves locked in a mutual dare: to enter an amateur porn contest. But what kind of boundary-breaking porn can two dudes make? After the booze and “big talk” run out, only one idea remains—they will have sex together…on camera. It’s not gay; it’s beyond gay. It’s not porn; it’s an art project. But how will it work? And more importantly, who will tell Anna, Ben’s wife? Judging by writer and director Lynn Shelton, it takes a talented woman to unearth the biggest ironies in the male ego. Humpday is a buddy movie gone wild. Shelton expertly mines this clever construct for every possible comedic and irreverent moment. The three lead actors deliver fine-tuned performances amidst postmodern patter and tight, crisp storytelling. Shelton’s command of her craft shines brightest when our two gentlemen finally get down to the task at hand: creating a classic “wriggle in your seat” moment of truth.
Recipient of A Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence.
Louise-Michel
Though times are tough, the women workers of a provincial toy factory are given new smocks to assure them of their company’s stability. But they show up the next day to find the factory empty, its machinery and management nowhere to be seen. Now "redundant," they decide to pool their paltry compensation money toward a common goal, suggested by Louise: hire a hit man to kill the company’s owner. Enter Michel, a paranoid security manager at a trailer park, who offers no credentials but has a formidable gun collection. Partners in crime, Louise and Michel work their way up the corporate food chain behind the factory closure. Aptly dedicated to nineteenth-century French anarchist Louise Michel, this quixotic revenge comedy from Gustave de Kervern and Benoît Delépine, makers of the wildly-surreal Avida, tosses decorum aside as it joyfully sifts through the underlying perversion of life. Propelled by rebellious humor, cartoonlike inventiveness, and an indie rock soundtrack, it’s also brutally dark. Michel, a killer who can’t even shoot a dog, much less a person, resorts to using terminally ill patients to do his dirty work. Downtrodden, mildly retarded Louise traps live animals for food and—unable to afford booze—buys lighter fluid. They may set out for revenge against capitalism, but their real oppressor is nature itself, which has cruelly twisted them.
Recipient of A World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Originality.
Theresa's Story
A depiction of four-year-old Jake Marshall Naef's world through two side-by-side takes.
The Vicious Kind
In his second feature film, director Lee Krieger presents a redemption tale focused on Caleb Sinclaire, a bitter construction worker whose life is turned upside down one Thanksgiving weekend. Estranged from his family, Caleb lives an isolated, but contented, life. Following a difficult breakup, he becomes scornful toward women and wears his disdain as a badge of honor. Caleb’s resolve is tested, however, when he meets his younger brother Peter’s new girlfriend, Emma. Immediately distrustful of her, Caleb warns Peter that she will only end up hurting him. Despite his efforts to protect his brother, he finds himself drawn to Emma and surprised by his growing attraction. Caleb’s unexpected feelings force him to finally confront the vulnerability he has struggled for so long to conceal.Adam Scott gives an inspired performance as Caleb, a misanthrope not only prone to angry diatribes but also susceptible to flashes of naked frailty. Superbly shot, and supported by a lush score and hip soundtrack, The Vicious Kind offers a glimpse into the soul of a damaged man whose obstinate defense mechanisms are laid bare by his fractured relationships.
GOOD: Atomic Alert
An examination of nuclear arms: who has them, what are their intentions, and what will happen if a nuclear weapon hits New York City?
Paper Heart
Charlyne Yi does not believe in love. Or so she says. At the very least, she doesn’t believe in fairy-tale love or the Hollywood mythology, and her own experiences have made her—at minimum—a modern-day skeptic. But this inquiry into love and its present-day manifestations suggests she hasn’t entirely given up hope. As she and her friend (and director), Nicholas Jasenovec, together search for answers and advice, you get the idea that this new generation’s cynicism isn’t the whole story. And when she meets a man after her own heart…well, you can guess the rest. Yi, a Los Angeles–based artist and comedian, certainly has an interesting array of friends and acquaintances. They offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does love really exist? But is this all for real? Is it fantasy? Or is it a just a filmmaker’s quest?This is a wonderfully imagined journey of one girl’s search for love. This self-conscious and self-reflective film leads us all down a “rabbit hole” of emotion, hope, and confusion that give this poignant, funny, and intelligent film its…heart. Only people as aware and knowledgeable about their craft as Yi and Jasenovec can make a film as entertaining and absorbing as Paper Heart.
Recipient of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.
The Queen and I
When Nahid Persson Sarvestani, an Iranian exile, set out to make a documentary about Farrah, the wife of the shah of Iran, she expected to encounter her opposite. As a child, Persson Sarvestani had lived in dire poverty, watching Farrah’s wedding as if it were a fairy tale. As a teenager, she joined the Communist faction of Khomeini’s revolution that deposed the shah, sending him and his family volleying from country to country. When Khomeini betrayed his promise for democracy, imposing more violent measures than the shah had, Persson Sarvestani was also forced to flee. Thirty years later, she needs key questions answered and goes directly to the source. Surprisingly, Queen Farrah welcomes her as a fellow refugee from their beloved homeland, granting unprecedented access. Over the next year and a half, Persson Sarvestani enters the queen’s world, planning to challenge the shah’s ideology; instead, she must rethink her own. When Persson Sarvestani’s prior opposition to the shah surfaces, the queen shuts down filming. Yet, in the struggle to understand each other’s experiences, an unlikely friendship has blossomed. Confronting Farrah about the shah’s repression has become not only a political conflict but a personal one, and Persson Sarvestani’s objectivity is shaken.In this gripping, poignant consideration of subjectivity as truth, we learn that people write history. And can also heal it. The Queen and I couldn’t be more relevant as we reach across our own political aisles.
Spread
Los Angeles is often the customary site for mythmaking in the American cultural iconography. It is a place, for instance, where the legend of the sexual exploits of the male gigolo seems perfectly at home in the decadent universe of Hollywood dreams and nightmares. Surely inspired by the classic tradition of American Gigolo and Shampoo, Spread is such a perfectly tuned, contemporary depiction of the trials and tribulations of sleeping your way to wealth and success that, guilty pleasure or not, it’s irresistible. Especially so since it’s driven by the iconic persona of Ashton Kutcher, who plays Nikki and breathes the charged sexuality, fashion and hipness, and sense of entitlement of the sexual grifter as if he were born to it. Stylishly directed by David MacKenzie (Hallam Foe, Young Adam), Spread is a moral tale in a very-modern sense with its characters of a young man and his middle-aged, well-to-do client (played by Anne Heche), his various associates and conquests, and a waitress whom he begins to really care about (unbeknownst to him, she is playing the same game). The world of money, sex, and privilege is an ephemeral one, and the fall can be as sudden as the ascent. Spread is a finely crafted vision of ambition, indulgence, vanity, and self-realization that epitomizes the lifestyle of a fabled Mecca.
Dare
Dare follows three very-different teenagers through the last semester of high school. There are Alexa (Emmy Rossum), the overachieving good girl who longs to break out of her shell; Ben (Ashley Springer), the melancholy outsider confused about his sexuality; and Johnny (Zach Gilford), the rich kid who has everything, including good looks, but hides behind his bad-boy persona. This unlikely trio fall into each other's lives and each other’s arms, making a last-ditch effort to shake things up before they actually have to start living as adults. Director Adam Salky and writer David Brind takes us into some uncharted territory with fresh eyes and matter-of-fact authority. Sweet and sexy don’t always go together, but they work beautifully in this instance because the sexuality of the film is cleverly woven into the fabric of the story. You can ask why the kids are in such a hurry to experience adult feelings, especially when their parents, comically enough, are afraid to get in the way. All is answered in the nuanced performances of this exceptional cast. They capture perfectly a generation with nothing to rebel against except their self-imposed inhibitions. By being keenly perceptive, director Salky stacks up countless priceless moments in crafting teen romance with a decidedly modern spin. In Dare, the kids do what they need to do to become the adults they should.
La MISSION
Set in the colorful, seedy streets of the San Francisco district that bears its name, La MISSION is a story of redemption imbued with the curative power of Aztec tradition. Feared, yet respected, as the baddest Chicano on the block, Che (Benjamin Bratt), a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, resorts to violence and intimidation to get what he wants. A bus driver by day, Che lives for his beloved son, Jesse, his lifelong friends, and his passion for lowrider cars. Che and the “Mission Boyz” salvage junked cars, transforming them into classics.Che’s macho world is crushed when he discovers that Jesse’s been living a secret life. In a violent rage, Che pummels Jesse and throws him out of the house. Lena, an attractive neighbor and a force to be reckoned with, is a woman with a few secrets of her own. Mutual attraction percolates as Lena challenges Che to reconcile the life he thought he had.Sundance veteran Peter Bratt (Follow Me Home) returns with a powerful second feature. Propelled by commanding performances from Jeremy Ray Valdez as Jesse and Erika Alexander as Lena—and featuring an exceptional turn by Benjamin Bratt—La MISSION is a haunting story of healing and transformation: the healing of a broken man, of a father’s relationship with his son, and of a neighborhood struggling to break the chains of violence.
This Way Up
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble.
It Might Get Loud
There are guitar players, and then there are rock stars. It Might Get Loud is an epic, exhilarating backstage pass into the world of the latter. Over the course of one day, three generations of electric-guitar phenoms come together, crank up their amps, and let it roll.
Documentarian Davis Guggenheim gives us so much more than an all-star jam session (that would make even the gnarliest of rock geeks giddy); he leads us to these artists' inner sanctums and illuminates the paths each one traveled to forge a sound all his own. We begin to understand how a one-time furniture upholsterer from Detroit, a London studio musician, and a Dublin schoolboy redefined the horizons of guitar playing. Meanwhile, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), the Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes) seem genuinely to enjoy each other's company while sharing riffs, swapping stories, and divulging their distinct philosophies of craft.
This soulful opus is at once a portrait of each artist and a captivating examination of the creative process. It Might Get Loud does get loud, and in the process, opens up our minds and hearts to a whole new way of listening to and enjoying what it means to rock.
Pomegranates and Myrrh
Dancer Kamar’s joyful wedding to Zaid is followed almost immediately by Zaid’s imprisonment in an Israeli jail for refusing to give up his land. Free-spirited Kamar wants to support her husband and be a dutiful wife but struggles with the idea of giving up dance and her own dreams. Matters are complicated when a new dance instructor, Kais, returns to the studio after many years in Lebanon and takes a special interest in Kamar. She struggles to deal with the weight of Kais’s attention, which brings to the surface her attempts to balance her own desires with her duties as the wife of a prisoner.Like the character of Kamar herself, Najwa Najjar’s filmmaking (in her debut feature) is matter-of-fact about Kamar’s situation. Instead of manufacturing melodrama, Najjar stays focused on her protagonist’s insistence on seeing her life, like anyone else’s, as an opportunity for joy. The constant interference of the external conflict—her husband’s arrest, the squatters on her land, and the soldiers filling the streets—is an unavoidable aspect of Kamar’s existence but one that she will not allow to deter her. Najjar’s intimate storytelling and Yasmine Al Massri’s sensitive portrayal of Kamar create a film that addresses honestly the way a woman might face the realities of life in modern-day Palestine while refusing to be defined by them.
Everything Strange and New
Wayne has a job, a wife, two kids, and a house. He's living the American Dream. There’s a fine line, however, between a dream and nightmare, and Wayne finds himself at odds with the life he has and preoccupied by the life he thinks he wants. He floats passively in a swirling sea inhabited by his emotionally unpredictable wife, his out-of-control young children, and his embattled friends, who have demons of their own. As things change for others, Wayne's life takes emotional turns, which are sometimes subtle and sometimes violent but never enough to shake him off the track he doesn't remember choosing. Writer/director Frazer Bradshaw returns to Sundance (his short, Every Day Here, played at the 2000 Festival) with an exquisitely rendered, but challengingly bleak, examination of daily life. He focuses the story in unique ways that draw attention more intently to the emotional and psychological interplay of ideas, rather than following a narrative arc. Bradshaw, an established cinematographer, frames the world in beautifully composed shots that emphasize Wayne's trapped existence. To underline the moral anomie of the disturbingly familiar universe, he utilizes a jarring, dissonant score at times and moments of silence in others.Everything Strange and New is the kind of transcendent filmmaking that develops a cinematic language all its own, and in doing so opens viewers up to themselves.
Love You More
Two teenagers are drawn together by the Buzzcocks' single 'Love You More' in the summer of 1978.
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