REVIEW: HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
Posted by Cynthia Corral
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
It turns out that Morty IS the HELL IN OTHER PEOPLE. Morty embodies everything in ourselves that we dislike. And yet Morty, perhaps because he IS us, is someone we can’t quite help loving.
A clumsily manipulative loser, Morty shuffles through this film pissing off his friends, offending strangers, and generally making sure he never gets ahead. “Sounds like you’ve got some stuff to work out,” says one character to Morty. Don’t we all. And if we’re not working through things now, everyone has at some point in their life – which is why we all cringe as Morty lets himself be degraded by one of the crazier characters in the film after he has run out of people to manipulate on his own.
If this is a mumblecore film, it is most definitely a mumblecore of a different sort. The lilting Tennessee accents of the characters quickly drew me in, and even with the sometimes blurry handheld camera work the film has a beauty that director Jarrod Whaley’s incredibly touching short film PASSION FLOWER also exhibited. There was a clear path to the story (a downward spiral, but still), the characters had dialog of value to speak, and there was a great deal of humor amidst the sadness that is Morty.
I thought the acting was outstanding for a group of Chattanooga residents that Whaley sort of rounded up on his own. I think this is what separates this film from the typical “mumblecore” that I get stuck unhappily viewing. Morty and his ex-girlfriend were natural and believable to the point that I felt I was watching a documentary shot from a long distance lens. There are other crazily quirky characters who add a great deal of humor to the film and are invaluable to the film as a whole.
It is too bad that Richard Johnson (Morty) could not attend Cinequest as he would have added an incredible presence to the film festival and possibly drawn more attention to the film. The Repertory Theatre was not packed but should have been; this is one of the better (though quieter) films of the festival and you should put one of the future screenings on your schedule. As the camera focuses for one last time on the main character and the credits roll, one audience member shouted “Your life SUCKS, Morty!” Yes, yes it does, but this film is a beautiful winner.
Tags: COMEDY, DRAMA, Hell Is Other People, Jarrod Whaley, world premiere.
REVIEW: FrICTION
Posted by Cynthia Corral
FrICTION
FrICTION played to a packed Repertory Theater on Saturday afternoon, only to have director Cullen Hoback turn the audience’s heads inside out. Those of us who know Cullen and have seen his previous films were perhaps more confused than anyone, but in the best way possible. Billed as a feature film gone wrong, FrICTION will leave you scratching your head and wondering just exactly what was real and what was not, even after listening to the Q&A. FrICTION is simply an enigma wrapped in a mystery and then possibly wrapped in bacon. FrICTION is the kind of film that Cinequest is all about. Read more
Tags: COMEDY, Cullen Hoback, DOCUMENTARY, DRAMA, freedom state, FrICTION, Monster Camp, world premiere.
CINEQUEST DAY 4 – Full of Surprises
Posted by Cynthia Corral
Jarrod Whaley, Ginger Carden and Jason Wiener in the VIP Lounge
Definitely a day of surprises.
I introduced the World Premiere of my friends’ movie BABNIK. Although I love their previous films I totally understand why many don’t, as they are very difficult to get through. I was bracing myself for 90 minutes of excruciating confusion — and instead was presented with an accessible film which: 1) had a story! 2) had actual dialog! 3) went in a linear direction! 4) had an exciting ending! 5) was sometimes funny! And yet, still didn’t provide all the answers, and required the viewer to think. WELL DONE, Alejandro Adams and Marya Murphy. You have made a film to be proud of, to be sure.
Also at the Repertory Theatre: Rhett and Candyce Lewis from BILLY WAS A DEAF KID!!! They made a surprise trip from Utah just to say Hi to Cinequest. They are two of the nicest people in the world and I was thrilled to see them AND brand new baby Stella.
Was supposed to see DEEP IN THE VALLEY but instead ran into @HappyFunPaul and we went to see PEEPERS instead. Hilarious fun.
Word on the street:
GABI ON THE ROOF IN JULY is excellent.
THE BONE MAN is excellent.
HOUSE OF FOOLS is excellent.
World Premiere of FrICTION is today.
World Premiere of HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE is today.
More daily announcements can be found at the Cinequesting website.
REVIEW: BABNIK
Posted by Cynthia Corral
BABNIK
Writer/Director Alejandro Adams returned to Cinequest for the third year in a row to astound the SJ Repertory Theater audience with the World Premiere of his film BABNIK. After last year’s controversial CANARY, many in the audience last night were not sure what to expect from Adams third film, but BABNIK is a perfect blend of suspense and Adams’s trademark confusion. BABNIK is a winner.
Adams has a great gift for infusing an intense amount of drama and fear into one simple, dialog-free shot. The closing scene of CANARY was one example of this, but in BABNIK he has given us a film chockfull of these scenes, keeping the audience on edge until the final excitement filled conclusion. If you have a preconceived idea of what Alejandro’s third film will be like, you will be taken by surprise with BABNIK.
The film is ostensibly about Russian sex traffickers, however it really focuses on one particular character who has been laid off, has no insurance, and owes a great deal of money. You see, the economy has made it difficult even for these criminals. Our main character also has no real penchant for being a tough Russian gangster, so there are frustrations between him and his employers as they try to given him training in kidnapping so he can repay his debt to them. Meanwhile we watch as the bad guys give the most simple yet terrifyingly creepy instructions to the young girls who have come for what they believe is a modeling session, and we watch and wonder what is going on with other females in the movie who appear to be well aware of the business that supports them.
The film is quietly terrifying and many scenes are overlain with an intense sound somewhat like a heartbeat which gives the viewer a feeling of horrifying dread of what is to come. The sinister Russian characters make the viewer very uncomfortable as you watch them trying to be gentle and supportive of the new girls. And yet there is also a lot of humor in this movie, and the audience laughed several times.
Adams likes to leave as much as possible up to the imagination of the viewer, and he walks a perfect line with this film. Instead of leaving the audience scratching their heads in confusion and frustration, in BABNIK he gives the audience just enough information that we can follow along and yet still draw our own conclusions. After 75 minutes of quiet terror the film suddenly shifts into high gear and hurtles the viewer through its action packed final scene.
Alejandro and his cast were there for an engaging Q&A after the film, and everyone was extremely charismatic and charming. There was much excitement and relief in the Repertory Theatre last night as the film turned out to be not 90 minutes of drawn out confusion (as with CANARY) but instead an intense and enjoyable crowd-pleaser. Although Adams seems to take pride in making very complex, thought provoking films which are not suited for the average film viewer, this time he has turned in a complex, thought provoking film which anyone can enjoy. I am very confident in recommending this film, in fact I whole heartedly urge you to put it on your must-see list.
Tags: Alejandro Adams, Babnik, DRAMA, world premiere.
REVIEW: THE ROBBERS
Posted by Cynthia Corral
THE ROBBERS
Thursday was a great day at Cinequest. Although I didn’t enjoy GREEN WATERS at all (other people did), I did see two films that I thought were outstanding. My review of 1981 is below, but before that I had the great pleasure of introducing THE ROBBERS.
Quite the crowd pleaser, this film had everything: Comedy, Tragedy, political commentary, Chinese culture, beautiful feisty women, exciting battle scenes, romance, and a fabulous soundtrack (not available, to the audience’s disappointment).
Two robbers with hearts of gold come across a village in the middle of a Tang dynasty forest. After robbing one of the village families they are forced to step in and save the same family from some soldiers who were trying to rape one of the daughters. This sets off a domino effect of circumstances as the village chief must now hold the robbers responsible for killing a soldier – even though the robber was trying to save a villager. There is much talk of law vs. mercy and a lot of commentary on the political and judicial systems in China.
But don’t take this to mean it is a serious, dramatic film. The first 3/4ths of the film are very reminiscent of a BLAZING SADDLES type slapstick humor, intercut with exciting sword fights set to 300 style rock music. The last quarter of the movie surprises with a switch to Tragedy, and then a final sweet ending to what has become clear is a great love between two friends.
Producer Cindy Lin came all the way from Beijing and was delighted that the black humor, which she said was heavily based in Chinese culture, seemed to translate to our American audience. And indeed, about 75% of the audience stayed for the Q&A and all had huge smiles on their faces. Her company looks for unknown talent in China and came across this director and his script – only his second film ever. They managed to get an A-list Chinese actor to play one of the robbers, and he adjusted his fee to get this film made. The film was positively delightful and the best I had seen this year up to that point.
I definitely suggest you do what you can to get this movie on your Must-See list.
Tags: ACTION, China, COMEDY, DRAMA, REVIEW, The Robbers.
REVIEW: 1981
Posted by Cynthia Corral
Jean-Carl Boucher in 1981
For some reason, 1981 was not really on my radar at Cinequest. I had seen it in the program but nothing really sparked my interest, so when I was assigned to be presenter for this film my reaction was: Meh.
I was won over within a minute of the film starting, and I believe the entire audience was. This is a film that belongs on your Must-See list if you were ever 11 years old and made it to adulthood. Think Neil Simon directs GOONIES or STAND BY ME without the adventure (No, really, go with me on this). Narrated from an adult point of view, it’s a look back at being a regular 11 year old kid and the trials and tribulations that we must go through to grow up.
Ricardo Trogi is not an outsider, not a loser, not a nerd or a dork. Neither is he the popular kid. He’s just your plain old average 11 year old boy. He has plenty of friends (who he found with the promise of some non-existent Playboys – as it is done in the world) and he has a loving, average family, which means that no one in it is either perfect or dysfunctional. Read more
Win Free Tickets To The Premiere of HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
Posted by Jarrod Whaley
Five free tickets for the 2/27 premiere of HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE are up for grabs! Call 423-300-MORT and leave Morty a voicemail. Vent your spleen, or air your neuroses, to everyone’s least favorite “psychotherapist.” The five funniest voicemails between now and 11:59 PM PDT on Friday, Feb. 26 will win free tickets. Winners will be notified by phone.
Get dialing!
REVIEW: THE ESCAPE
Posted by Cynthia Corral
THE ESCAPE
THE ESCAPE is easily going to be one of the best films at Cinequest. Just as in HURT LOCKER, we have another female director dealing with the troubles in the Middle East, and doing a masterful job. This film revolves around the Afghan occupation by European countries and the US. It is filled with suspense and a hundred twists and turns. In fact, I am not clear to which escape the title is referring: this film had easily 25 different escapes, at least, both literal and metaphorical.
It begins when Rikke, a Danish journalist in Afghanistan, is kidnapped by the Taliban. They want the Danish troops (and others) out of their country, and if it doesn’t happen they threaten to kill Rikke. But their deadline runs out and they realize that Rikke is “just another journalist” to the media and Europe, so they devise a new plan: ten days, ten fingers. Be warned, there are some violent scenes in this film.
Without revealing too many details, I will just say that she is given help to escape but must tell a lie to keep her savior safe. She gets back to Denmark and writes a book about her experience, but must weave the lie into her story. This all comes back to haunt her when her friend shows up in Denmark asking for help in return.
The movie is fast paced and very suspenseful, and also very complex and complicated. I have three pages of notes that I took while viewing it (many just stating “Escape AGAIN??”). Every one of these characters has their own escapes they must make, and Rikke alone must escape not only the Taliban but her own lies, the truth, the media spin on the whole event, the prejudice against her in her career due to being a beautiful woman in a man’s world, and her own personal demons.
I absolutely recommend this film. Iben Hjejle is beautiful and a wonderful actress who should be in more films available in the US. The supporting cast was also fantastic, especially Lars Mikkelsen who gives a little comic relief in his expressions when his mistress shows up on his doorstep. Kathrine Windfeld did an outstanding job in directing this film, and the film should definitely be on your must-see lists.
Tags: afghanistan, DRAMA, Iben Hjejle, Kathrine Windfeld, Lars Mikkelsen, REVIEW, suspense, the escape, THRILLER.
REVIEW: LOW LIGHTS
Posted by Cynthia Corral
LOW LIGHTS
The following review is written by a person who neither knows nor cares about fast cars (or slow cars, or vehicles in general). So keep that in mind.
That said, I am not really sure what to say about LOW LIGHTS. I think I kind of liked it, even though I mostly hated it until the halfway point.
Twenty minutes in, my first note says “I have no idea what’s going on.” And it was true, there were two men who just seemed to be chatting ABOUT NOTHING, and they were driving around. Chatting. About nothing. And then there was a woman who did not speak AT ALL and kind of just hung around the gas station snack shop until she got picked up by some young punks in one of those (lame) cars with the (really stupid) doors that raise up to open. Oh, did I say that in my out loud voice?
So then they were all driving around. And around and around. And they ran out of gas a LOT so they would drive to the gas station and fill up again – excuse me, they went to the gas station and put in a gallon of gas or less, because they were right BACK at the gas station just a few minutes later.
My twitter review said the following: “LOW LIGHTS: 5% pretty girl getting ogled, 10% driving around, 85% hanging out at various gas stations. NO JOKE”
So what finally turned it around on me? The girl steals cars. In the most boring fashion ever, like there were no car chases or anything, she just kind of drives off smiling at the cars’ owners. Who mostly just stand there watching her. It was sort of funny the first time, but when she stole the second car my notes read: “She TOLD YOU SHE STEALS CARS!!!” With the unsaid “dumbass” to be implied.
And then the end brings about the twist, which I totally should have seen and understood in the beginning but which went right over my head because the beginning was so damn slow I had forgotten this one detail. I liked the twist, and I liked the end. I’m not sure whether I recommend the movie.
When it ended the theater manager came in and asked what I thought. I just shook my head “no” as I wasn’t sure how to reply yet. “The first woman out of the theater said she hated it,” the manager said.
So there you have it. It may be a girl/boy thing. It may be a car thing. Or maybe the movie just really was bad. I’m not sure. I think I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I recommend it.
REVIEW: BUMMER SUMMER
Posted by Cynthia Corral
BUMMER SUMMER
Completely filmed in black and white, BUMMER SUMMER is a beautifully shot film. I can’t say this enough. Every single scene was brightly lit and interesting and could be used as a terrific advertising still for the film. There were scenes in this film that just took me unaware: a boy and girl filmed only from their mouths down making out in the back seat of a car, or a girl just running down the path in a sundress and boots. This is a black and white indie film, but it’s no Clerks… whether a shot of a couple sitting on the grass in the park, out on the porch at night, or waking across a bridge in the dark, every scene is beautifully lit and gorgeous.
The film is shot with a video DSLR camera, and though this means nothing to me, it has meant a whole lot of fantastic to my techie and photographer friends. I wish I knew if this type of camera was the reason for the beauty of the film, but unfortunately I am not that technically inclined. However, this is hands down the most gorgeous black and white film I have ever seen. If you are interested in this type of thing, you definitely need to see this film.
The amount of love I have for the appearance of this film cannot be overstated. The feelings I have for the film itself however are a bit more subdued. The movie is a little slow going and fits neatly into the mumblecore category which most people know is not my favorite. I’m going to issue a couple caveats to my opinion: 1) it is hard for me to pay attention to slower films when I watch them at home and 2) Morgan from Cinequesting liked it much more than I did and I respect his opinion.
So I’m not going to pan this movie – Very unlike me, right? But there was plenty about this film that I DID like and nothing at all that I hated. The story itself just did not hold my attention. I am going to recommend that you DO give it a try. You will be visually rewarded throughout the film and you just might enjoy the story too.