On SIFF '08

It's now a couple weeks after the close of the festival, so the immediate fatigue has passed. This was my third attendance at SIFF. I saw 60 movies, including the Secret Festival entries. There were some great pictures, and plenty of things I feel privileged to have a chance to see in this setting.

Was it better or worse than last year? Tough question. It feels like the edge has come off the festival a bit. There were less really awful movies, but there were less amazingly good ones as well (or I've just become more jaded). There were more decent and good movies than last year, so overall it may be an improvement. I hope this isn't a sign that the programmers are drifting away from taking chances, though, because getting to see stuff that's more out of the ordinary is one of the best things about the festival.

The mechanics of SIFF itself are worth mentioning, and there seems to be a decline there. Under-staffing problems seemed to crop up more often, and the volunteers that were there weren't trained quite well enough to really handle the crowd. Which probably just means that I should volunteer myself next year.

The really odd change, though, was the change in focus at the festival. The SIFF Cinema, the festival's year-round theater at the Seattle Center complex, was brand new last year. They mentioned it before each screening, certainly, but there was a definite focus on external support, and mentions of sponsors was much more prominent.

They've always had self-promotional advertisements before every screening, but they've been funny, and short, and focused on the festival. This year there were three (3) advertisements before the festival, and the two longer ones (45 seconds each) were for the exact same thing -- the year-round activities of the festival. This is irritating off the bat, since nobody likes to be told the same thing multiple times as if they're too dense to get it the first time, and makes not a whole lot of sense since the amount of out-of-town attendance is high. And the focus on their own income generation rather than sponsors seems like it could easily be a sign of financial trouble.

The theaters in rotation changed this year. The Neptune and Lincoln Square in Bellevue are out, and The Uptown Cinema and a week of the Cinerama added in their place. All in all this seems positive; the Neptune was close to exactly nothing, while The Uptown is in easy walking distance of SIFF Cinema. And the Cinerama is easily the best screen in town, so no complaints there.

Maybe it's just me, but the whole thing felt a bit subdued. Less energy, less extremes, less attendance (that one is probably not just me). Let's hope this is a temporary slump, or at least that the slump doesn't become a trend. Because SIFF is a hell of a lot of fun.

Donkey Punch

Some slasher movies feature a menacing evil presence hunting down defenseless vacationers. Much rarer, but usually more interesting, are movies like Donkey Punch, where everyone is an innocent victim and a psychotic killer at the same time.

The plot's nothing special, and there's plentiful nudity to appeal to that crowd. But the direction is solid, and the actors hold their own to a degree not usually found in B movies. With plenty of surprising and gory deaths, this is a damn good slasher for fans of the genre.

Sleep Dealer

Sleep Dealer is an interesting but unfocused attempt at a pretty rare category (Mexican sci-fi). The science fiction elements could be compelling; bio-feedback interfaces allow day-laborers in Mexico to run construction robots and other unappealing jobs in the USA by remote, and poor quality electronics and working conditions leave many blind or worse.

On the other hand, the acting is not great, and the second half of the story turns pretty milquetoast. The ending packs no punch, and the science aspect could have been left out almost entirely without the plot changing, which makes its inclusion a bit confusing.

Towelhead

SIFF always seems to save a couple of the best movies of the festival for the closing weekend (mostly it's random junk), and this year it's Towelhead, a story of a young Lebanese girl growing up in Texas.

The story is slow, mostly about her difficulties finding acceptance with her friends, family, and herself, and that could be blandly generic if not for excellent writing and amazing cast and direction. Every performance is perfect, and there's an immense power behind the story, script, and direction.

When it gets a wide release, some people are certainly going to be offended by the fact that it contains frank examination of young teenage sexuality, and that it contains plot elements of abuse without making the abuser out as a total monster. But the honesty in every character is rare for a film about such touchy subjects, and it's absolutely worth watching.

Visioneers

Employees of the Jeffers Corporation, the biggest, friendliest company in the world, salute each other each morning with a friendly middle finger, happily complete their work handed down from Level 4, and dutifully ignore the fact that people around them are exploding from pent up frustration.

In a wonderfully twisted modern fairy tale with more than a touch of Brazil, the perils of boredom and facile distraction are presented as very real, and very fatal. The story follows the head of one division of the Jeffers Corp as he starts to realize that his life is not everything he thought.

There's a hint of Indie bareness under the surface, but it's totally excusable since the plot is just so damned original. Perfectly understated, perhaps even slow at times, but never boring. There are a few really great visual moments, and plenty of social commentary against everyone and everything. Don't expect jokes, or car chases, or anything resembling modern Hollywood's traditional output. But Visioneers is great anyway.

Summer Heat

It seems the director was trying to make an erotic thriller of sorts; all the elements are present: ruggedly attractive Nordic stars, guns, drugs, and a mysterious figure behind the scenes. But while the cinematography is beautiful, and the events seem like they could be suspenseful, a lot of it comes off as detached or just strange.

The island scenery itself is almost enough to make the film worth seeing, and the acting and writing isn't bad by any means. But it's hard to feel any real fear (or any emotion) from the characters, and without that it's impossible to really get into the film. It all feels a bit abstract; interesting, but not compelling.

It's Hard to Be Nice

A low-level crook in Eastern Europe tries to go straight, to the dismay of his wife, friends, and cohorts.

Surprisingly relaxed considering the number of times the main character is beaten up, the film is a sometimes-funny look at the difficulties in breaking peoples perceptions. While the plot doesn't have a particularly strong arc, the gradual progression of the main character is fun, as are the vain and comically pompous side characters. The movie finds a lot of dry humor in the culture of the city that would be hard to replicate if the story were set anywhere else.

The cinematography is gritty and realistic, and the direction lets the actors stay understated but still seem strong as the focus. And although the pacing feels very laid back, there are enough twists that it stays interesting throughout. In the end, definitely worth seeing.

Chrysalis

Surprisingly slick for an indie film, Chrysalis is a mix of martial arts, hard-boiled French cops, and mind-bending sci-fi.

The production values are great, with tons of detail devoted to the futuristic feel and fight scenes. The plot is good if slightly confusing due to a lot of back and forth in who's good and who's bad. The whole thing feels a bit like Equilibrium, except it's lacking the really standout performances.

Not great, but a lot of fun, and pretty impressive considering we don't see much French sci-fi at all.

Jolene

Jolene is a movie that is quite obviously carried by the lead actress. On its own, while well shot, it's a relatively meandering story of ten years in the life of a young girl filled with one horrible relationship after another. But newcomer Jessica Chastain does a fantastic job of breathing life into the character, and in the end makes this film absolutely engrossing.

When I say meandering, I mean really absolutely no point. Nothing is learned by any character, and it's a little hard not to be frustrated at them when looking back on it. But this thought doesn't have a chance to surface until hours after the strength of the performances has faded, which is quite a feat.

Female Agents

Despite the extremely unfortunate translation of the title, Female Agents is actually quite good. A cheesier-than-Charlie's-Angels premise (a nun, a prostitute, a stripper, and a jilted lover go behind the lines in Nazi occupied France) is instantly forgivable when it becomes clear that the characters are written with great care, and the outcome will not be cheerfully banal.

The overall look of the film is bright and colorful, and a good contrast to the events unfolding within it. The direction is good, if not very imaginative, and the plot is excellent. The acting is quite good as well, although hidden behind intentionally fakey personalities for the first part of the movie. Not for the squeamish, but a great story based on true events for any spy or war buff.

Triangle

The second Johnnie To film of the festival (this time with two other directors as well) is arguably better than the first. Three low-level crooks are handed a business card by a mysterious figure in a bar, just before dying under strange circumstances. A heist ensues, with plenty of ill-fated romance and double crossing.

Dark and gritty like the rest of his work, Triangle certainly stands up next to the rest of the pantheon. Unfortunately this means that a number of plot points are reworked here, as several original scenes devolve into a madcap road trip and zany shootout in the third act. The beginning is good enough that this is definitely worth watching, and the ending is satisfying if somewhat formulaic.

Possibly not as good as Exiled, but definitely worth a look.

Apollo 54

If you've ever wondered what four sci-fi fans can do with a couple years, a camera, and a basement, wonder no more. Apollo 54 is delightfully cheesy, and a perfect retro sci-fi experience.

Shortly after strange symbols begin taking over television screens across the globe, a lone hero stumbles upon a cable, anchored to the ground and stretching off into the clouds. Naturally he builds a rocket-ship, attaches to the cable, and heads off into space to see where it leads.

Alien planets, fierce space monsters, and intergalactic toll-booths make for an epic journey, all done in fantastic blue-screen, homemade CGI, and cardboard. Thankfully the film takes itself even less seriously than the viewers will, so the effect is just fun, rather than bad. And it's helped along by a plot that's legitimately creative, which gives an extra push.

Not for people looking for serious science fiction, but lots of fun.

Fields of Fuel

It's hard to come in to a documentary about such an important and interesting subject and be so badly disappointed. Bio-fuels have a nearly endless amount of material to talk about, but from the first minute Fields of Fuel launched head-on into a glowing biopic of "a lone bio-fuels champion fighting against corporate America." Which might not be too bad, except the lone hero is also the director of the film. Ridiculously indulgent scenes such as staring straight into the camera and exclaiming in a shocked voice, "I'd been back and forth across the country educating people, and nothing had changed!" made me want to throw things at the screen.

The focus broadened out a bit in the second half, but never seemed to get beyond "Documentary Light." Easy on the facts, heavy on the "think of the children" rhetoric, and not particularly good at either. Since the director was present people had a chance to ask about the recent media backlash against bio-fuels, and his responses to those questions were far more interesting than anything in the film itself, which is really a shame.

Seachd: The Crimson Snowdrop

Another film that seemingly cribs blatantly from Hollywood, Seachd is essentially a Gaelic version of Big Fish. The first feature film shot in the language, big budget special effects and a just-vague-enough story keep it moving along well.

As in Big Fish, a man visits his dying father and reminisces about the stories he was told as a boy, and his eventual rejection of the fantasies. But in this case the fantasies are drawn heavily from Scottish tradition rather than Tim Burton's messed up brain, and they're told with enough feeling that the film stays honest.

The writing and acting are good, but the vignettes and landscapes seem to steal the show from the actors. And that's definitely not a bad thing, as they're very well done. The stories felt almost a bit like the fantasy sections of The Fall in their level of uniqueness, which is saying a lot.

The Island of Lost Souls

Evil wizards, dead spirits inhabiting the living, and fearsome creatures. Island is probably a kids movie, but it's plenty of fun for adults too.

The comparison to Harry Potter is inevitable, since some themes are pretty similar, but Island more than stands on its own (especially since it's the better of the two). Hollywood-level special effects mix well with the murky Danish landscape, while competent acting and direction fill things out nicely.

The plot is a bit simple, but this isn't meant to be a thinking movie. And even when you can see what's coming, it's done well enough that you can appreciate it anyway.

Tulia, Texas

Fortunately the documentary genre quickly redeemed itself with Tulia. A fascinating and personal account of a DEA "special task force" in a small Texas town which demonstrably falsified evidence against black suspects.

The directors were undoubtedly lucky that events played out so well, as they arrived very early in what could have been another bland fuckup of the American justice system. Fortunately they arrived before the undercover agent was revealed to have outstanding warrants for theft, and a number of convictions were overturned.

The direction itself is quite good, leaving out narration and outside opinion, and letting the people involved speak for themselves. Each participant is featured in a series of interviews as the events progress, and it's pretty shocking to see the disconnect between the people being charged and the undercover agent, and an interview with one of the members of the jury is even better.

There's not much balance in the story they tell, but then it's hard to see how there could be much balance in the actual events. And it's extremely entertaining to see some smug racist southerners get their plans turned upside down, even if it's obvious that the directors had picked a side from the start.

Stalags - Holocaust and Pornography in Israel

You'd think there would be some easy subject material in the fact that for 30 years the only pornographic literature you could buy in Israel was Nazi dominatrix themed. And while there are a couple interesting interviews, this documentary mostly falls flat.

The main problem seems to be a lack of focus. The film jumps around to different events and time periods in direct contradiction of basic causation, leaving the viewer disoriented. Even worse, the subject of the film seems to switch halfway through from the Stalag publications of the title to a since dis-proven account of sexual slavery of Jewish women in concentration camps.

Both potentially interesting subjects, but the change in subject is jarring and disorienting, and the film seems to make no point upon reaching its conclusion, nor even really provide the raw material with which the viewer can draw their own moral.

Baghead

There have been way too many attempts in the "realistic horror" genre since Blair Witch convinced people that any random person with a camera equals art (or at least profit). But with similar production values and a bit more scripting, Baghead does a decent job of creating something new.

One couple and one pseudo-couple, starving actors all, go off to a cabin in the woods to write a movie in which they can star to break in to the industry. After one of them has a dream about a mysterious figure in the woods with a brown paper bag over his head, they decide that they've found their plot. But was it really a dream? (cue dramatic music)

The shooting, dialog, and direction all have an extremely realistic style, which accentuates the fact that the characters are all average to the point of being mildly comical. Some might find the pacing a bit slow, but I think it heightens the few startling moments, and in the end it's worth it.

Phoebe in Wonderland

It's easy to go handle a movie about children badly. Either making them more childlike than they really are, or more cute, or even more adult. And I think there's a tendency to tone down the drama of the adults in the picture because children might see it and not understand.

Fortunately Phoebe has none of these problems, but delivers a touching and very believable story of a young girl coping with a difficult home life and finding out that she is different from other kids (I'll leave the details a surprise).

The cast is top notch. Felicity Huffman is fantastic as always, and Elle Fanning is, if possible, even more adorable than her sister. The writing and direction are great, miking fantasy and reality, adult drama and childlike confusion so that the entire thing has a wonderful flow. The story has some good twists, but this is very much a character driven movie, and the execution there is perfect.

Sukiyaki Western Django

Absolutely incredible, and yet amazingly hard to describe. What Kill Bill tries to be to the samurai movie, Sukiyaki does with the spaghetti western. Except it's set in California, which is in Japan, and stars an entirely asian cast with the notable addition of Quentin Tarentino.

It's extremely stylized, to the point of absurdity. The actors all speak in hilariously cliched English phrases, and sound like they're reading their lines phonetically. I choose to think that both the quality of the dialog and the delivery are conscious decisions by the director, because even though the plot, dialog, and acting are badly stilted, they fit together into something amazing.

The costumes and sets are intricate, brightly colored, and very beautiful. The music is great. The plot is typical, a lone gunman roles into town and immediately gets between two feuding clans. The joy is in watching the story unfold in its inevitable fashion, and watching all the little awful pieces fall into place in the master plan of insane fantastic glory.