Last updated: January 16, 2006
Copyright 2006
Michael R. Colford. All rights reserved

Film Festival Reviews

Independent Film Festival of Boston, 2005

by Michael Colford

I have often felt that a festival’s third year makes or breaks them, and judging from the high-profile films, strong attendance, increased number of exhibition spaces, and growing organizational power, the Independent Film Festival of Boston is going to make it. Boston deserves a world-class film festival, and for years the city has been saddled with the uninspired Boston Film Festival, which most film buffs avoid by heading north for the Toronto International Film Festival. (To be fair, the Boston Film Festival has been showing some signs of attempting to do something about this sad state of affairs… too little, too late.) What started as a conversation between two guys at the Sundance Film Festival has blossomed rapidly into the most exciting thing to happen to independent film in
Boston in the new century.

Last year a few Chlotrudis members volunteered for the IFFB, and a few more took in the films. This year we knew that CSIF needed to be more involved. Beth Curran and I began talking with Festival Coordinators Brian Tamm and Nancy Campbell early in 2006, about ways Chlotrudis could help out. We had originally decided that the volunteer organization
of the festival had been overwhelming for the IFFB staff last year and thought we could help out. Working with Brian and Nancy, CSIF offered up four team captains (Beth, Hilary Nieukirk, Diane Young and myself ) as well as a handful of additional volunteers, Caitlin Buckley, Beth Caldwell, and Carolyn Ziering. Brian, Nancy, and Christine Harbaugh did a wonderful job and orienting the volunteers and keeping things organized, and we had a great time helping out.

More importantly, CSIF felt it important to be more visible at the festival, which is certainly the highest profile event related to independent film in Boston. I spoke with Executive
Director, Jason Redmond, and Program Director, Adam Roffman, about co-presenting a film with the IFFB. Fortunately, a perfect candidate was “out there,” in the form of Don McKellar’s CHILDSTAR. An official partnership was born.

Despite the fact that I spent about half the time volunteering/ working the festival, I was still able to catch four films and attend one party. The IFFB started for me with a lively screening of SAME SEX AMERICA, a documentary about the coming of legalized gay marriage in Massachusetts. Director Henry Corra does a great job mixing up his subjects so that we see that gays and lesbians of all walks of life have an interest in this issue. The audience was clearly invested in the topic as well, with at least one profile couple, a pair of older lesbians, in attendance with their families. 4 cats

Jessica Sanders’ AFTER INNOCENCE was an emotional and inspirational documentary about men who were wrongfully convicted of horrific crimes, then exonerated 15 - 20 years later due to the emergence of DNA testing. The horror of being innocent and convicted of crimes such as rape and murder is eloquently conveyed by these men as they are finally released from their incarceration only to face criminal records that prevent them from getting good jobs, suspicion from people in their hometowns, and little money to help them get back on their feet. Life has moved on and passed them by, yet they receive no compensation from the government, in fact, some receive anger and resentment from the system that incorrectly imprisoned them for crimes they did not commit. In addition to Sanders and the film’s producer, several of the people featured in the film, including two of the exonerated, were in attendance, partaking in a powerful Q&A session after the film.

I attended Hal Hartley’s THE GIRL FROM MONDAY with much anticipation, being such a fan of the director’s deadpan wit, and wry observations on relationships. Hartley goes the science fiction route in Monday to tell the story of a society in our near future where sex appeal is one of the highest commodities in the marketplace. Monday is a planet orbiting a star lightyears away from Earth, and one of its inhabitants arrives here, wraps its consciousness in a body, and joins the human race in search of one of its own kind who came to Earth years prior and has become so human that he has not been able to return. As the Girl from Monday searches for her fellow alien, Hartley takes a hard look at the direction our society is headed with regard to commercialism and marketing. While Hartley is in good form with his themes and dialogue, this exposition-heavy film is more of an extended idea rather than a fully-realized story. It’s gorgeously shot though, and if you’re a Hartley fan, it’s recommended.

I ended the festival with the second screening of Don McKellar’s CHILDSTAR. I had introduced both screenings of CHILDSTAR, but joined several Chlotrudis members to watch the film Sunday evening. McKellar’s satire on the entertainment business, particularly in Hollywood, worked much better upon second viewing. I was better able to understand what he was saying in this story of a pre-pubescent, Hollywood superstar who runs away to find a different life. Playing to two packed audiences, and getting great reactions from both, it’s clear that there are some fans of McKellar, or at least his quirky, humorous style.

I also attended the Friday night party at the Artists for Humanity building in South Boston. The party was a little slow to get started; it started at 9:00 p.m., but the movies were
running until after 11:00 p.m., but the musical entertainment was provided by The Blind King, former members Josh Boughey and Beth Daly’s band. Their mellow, rootsy style
was perfect for the party. It’s just too bad that the echoey acoustics of the room didn’t enhance the band’s sound.

I was also pleased to read about the Audience Awards announced on Monday after the Festival closed. AFTER INNOCENCE was chosen by the audiences as the Best Documentary, and Susanne Bier’s BROTHERS, which I enjoyed in Toronto last September, took the best narrative prize. If you missed the IFFB this year, mark your calendar for next year!

by Diane Young

LIKES:

Are You The Favorite Person Of Anybody? (Short) And what better person to conduct this survey than the earnest and gentle John C. Reilly, brow furrowing when faced with responses he suspects are incorrect? Good turn for Mike White, too. A very simple film, done in b&w. Loved the idea, the execution and the cast. Director: Miguel Arteta. 5 cats.

Casting About. A montage of auditions of about 50 women for three roles. Much of its strength comes from the editing and camerawork. As another woman in the audience said, you come in expecting to see a movie about acting and you see the beauty of women. Another woman I consulted in the bathroom was struck by the limited features in women’s faces. The film was really strengthened by keeping to one gender. Monologues, personal stories, interaction with offscreen director (of this film and the one they are auditioning for) are interspersed with footage of hands, hair, etc. set to powerful music. Some incredible acting, too. Director: Barry Hershey. 5 big cats.

Carmen. A 3-minute minimalist animation of the opera, written, drawn, and sung by Nestor Angeles. 4 cats. You can see it at http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2663076 and hopefully in our next Short Film Festival!

Filmic Achievement. Mocumentary about a bunch of students entering UNY Film School. Hits all the stereotypes among profs and students. I laughed a lot. Director: Kevin Kerwin, who actually learned something in film school. 4 cats.

DISLIKES:

Childstar. McKellar’s latest about exploitation of kids by Hollywood. Another instance where I got stuck on tone, also found the characters unlikeable and their relationships uninteresting. This topic may have been better explored in a letter to the editor. 2 cats.

Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley. All the fans of this “tragic musical maverick” whom I spoke to loved the film. I didn’t know anything about him; was put off by the fact that the film was, as the director acknowledged, “a tribute,” indeed, worshipful--the only film approved by Buckley’s mother. A pleasant enough concoction of interviews, concert footage, tour bus videos....I wasn’t blown away. But I am listening to Buckley’s album now... 3 cats.

Young Rebels. Another docu that I expected to draw me in to something I knew nothing about: here, Cuban hip hop. Maybe it was because I was so tired.... By the directors of last year’s IFFB fabulous short Gowanus, Brooklyn (now being made into a feature). Not sure about their decisions of what to keep and how to make a story out of it. 2 cats.

by Amanda Weir-Gertzog

Like all of you, as I imagine, I’m a bit crazed about movies. But as I have lived in Boston over the past seven years and taken advantage of the Boston Film Festival, The Boston Women’s Film Festival (Where did that end up? I used to see it at the Brattle), and the
Independent Film Festival, I have never had any luck picking what movies to attend. With one exception: I did see Sofia Coppala’s Virgin Suicides at the Women’s Film Festival at the Brattle several years ago. Otherwise, I will not name too many names except to say that I try to go to films where actors and directors are present, but always fell for the “big names.” What a trap! That led me to … One Eyed King at the Boston Film Festival starring Billy Baldwin and Chazz Palminteri who were to attend. They did not, but Armand Assante did. Wow. The movie went straight to video. And my husband has never attended a festival with me again.

Too bad for him! I saw four stellar movies at the third Independent Film Festival this past weekend and Steve Buscemi’s third directorial outing was my least favorite. And it was pretty damn good. I am just not one for main characters with not many redeeming qualities. At the Q and A afterwards Buscemi answered an audience inquiry as to how he could work with a lead character who was 90% a jerk and he said that he liked to work with characters with problems. I suppose that my main issue was that in Lonesome Jim, Jim wished he had some “real world” problems. And I kept waiting for something to be revealed. (Wait! He came home to his parents from NYC because he was attacked? He is taking drugs? Someone stole his drugs? Nope; just an ass.)

Jim Cole’s Sundowning was the epitome of an independent film. Sometimes I forget and think that if it’s at Sundance and has a budget of $500,000 then that must make it independent. I chose this movie because it dealt with Alzheimer’s and looked depressing. What can I say? I’m a big Breaking The Waves and The Hanging Garden fan. The theatre was filled with cast members and their relatives, which I found out because the couple sitting next to me asked who I was related to in the movie. Turned out he was the paternal lead - which made for excellent conversation, but made watching the movie a little precarious, especially when I got a tad emotional. It turns out their budget was $15,000 and the entire thing was shot in Maine. And when they took the film to a festival in San Jose they were told it would do well in Scandinavia since it was “very Bergman.” No distributor yet, but they’re hoping word-of-mouth and the festival awards they keep receiving will help them along.

I then went to Childstar although I’ll admit to never having seen Last Night, which apparently leaves me quite alone in Chlotrudis. (And it appears to not be on DVD yet?) I
found Childstar to be rather entertaining and a good bash at the Hollywood studio system although I wasn’t quite sure what direction I was supposed to be led by McKellar. Was Jennifer Jason Leigh really an evil wench mother taking advantage of her son’s acting abilities? Or was she setting him up financially for a time when the industry would eventually toss him aside? Was “Driver” expected to intercede more than he did? And, seriously folks, was Alan Thicke the voice of reason?

Of all of the movies I wanted to see this festival it was Murderball. And I kept hearing how crowded it was going to be so I went over to the Brattle at 6pm to line myself up for
the 7pm showing-and was all on my own for about 20 minutes. (I think it eventually sold out?) But I thought for sure that it would be THE movie! And I don’t even know where
to begin. I only knew that Murderball was about wheelchair rugby, but it also integrated several stories about the players, the competing teams, rehabilitation, and recruitment. The best part for me was the very beginning when the camera was jumping from player to player and they were talking about their “don’t pity me” experiences. (For example, being asked if they need help into their car after they’ve already driven someplace
or being congratulated for simply for getting out of the house.) That no-holds-barred mental attitude was a perfect introduction to the physicality needed to play “murderball.”

Needless to say, all four of the films were incredible. I wished that I could have seen about 10 more. I did attempt to attend one party, but the one night I could go was the one night they had limited space (very sad). I was always able to get any questions I had answered. Movies started pretty much on time. What more can you ask for? And it’s only
year number three!

Boston International Festival of Women's Cinema • High Falls Film Festival • Independent Film Festival of Boston • Provincetown International Film Festival • Sidewalk Film Festival • Sundance Film Festival •Toronto International Film Festival • Tribeca Film Festival • Venice Film Festival