Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film - Provincetown International Film Festival

Film Festival Reviews

4th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival, Stars at the Beach!

by Michael R. Colford

Scot and I spent a week in P-Town, obstensibly to attend the 4th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival. This star-studded event was of particular interest to us because Scot had never been to that lovely resort town at the tip of the Cape, AND we were staying with my good friend Susan who lives in P-Town.

Scot and I had a very good experience at the Festival... unfortunately we were evidently the minority. Plagued with technical difficulties and cancellations, frustration was high among the volunteers and staff, although the laidback festival goers seemed fairly unruffled. The only problem we encountered was the selling out of two films we'd hoped to see... particularly The Business of Fancydancing, directed by Sherman Alexie, which had terrific buzz at the festival. Instead we had a great weekend for documentaries... seeing 7 out of the 9 films we saw. Now, on to the films we did see...

Notorious C.H.O.
directed by Lorene Machado
Opening night Scot, Susan and I in hysterics to the antics of Margaret Cho. This follow-up concert film to her terrific I'm the One That I Want, was more outrageous and funny... but a little less well put together. Obviously, if you like Cho, you'll enjoy her films, if you don't... stay away. Notorious C.H.O. gets a little fancy, including a couple animated bits, and interviews with Cho and her parents, but it's her stage show that makes the film. While her first film had an undercurrent of seriousness as she addressed her body image problems and the story of her short-lived television show, Notorious C.H.O. went for the bawdy humor. None of us will think of C.C. Bloom (Bette Midler's character in Beaches) the same way again... 3 1/2 cats

Daughter From Danang
directed by Gail Dolgin and Vincente Franco
This heart-rending film looks at a Vietnamese-American girl, taken from her mother at the age of 7 and air-lifted to the United States near the end of the VietNam War. She is adopted by a single woman in Tennessee, and raised as an American girl. While her birth-mother spends the subsequent years regretting the loss of her daughter, Heidi becomes estranged from her adopted-mother during college and starts to think about her birth mother. Finally, after 22 years, mother and daughter are reunited in Viet Nam. The results, at first joyous and rewarding, swiftly and suddenly become a case of cultural differences and misunderstandings. This amazing film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance this year. It will air on PBS. 4 cats

Cowgirls
directed by Sally Clark
This 30 minute short documentary looks at women in rodeo, through a series of portraits from trick riders to elderly barrel racers to rodeo queens. Director Clark defines what it means to be a cowgirl, even as all her subject deny that they are feminists. Cowgirls is an entertaining and enjoyable film. 3 1/2 cats

The Laughing Club of India
directed by Mira Nair
Monsoon Wedding's Mira Nair explores the power of laughter as this 35-minute documentary introduces the viewer to a new alternative health trend in the form of laughing clubs. Founded by a medical doctor in India, these clubs bring hundreds of people together, crossing class boundaries, to laugh for 40 minutes each day. This is a charming and engaging film. 3 1/2 cats

Elvira's Haunted Hills
directed by Sam Irvin
Who knew Elvira was coming out with a second feature film? And who could have guessed that I would get to exchange words with Cassandra Peterson, Elvira herself? Elvira's Haunted Hills is a true independent film, with Cassandra and her husband Mark Pierson handling all the distribution tasks themselves. And Elvira film is an Elvira film, filled with sight gags, bad jokes and innuendo... but this one is pretty clever as well. Spoofing the Vincent Price/Edgar Allen Poe films of the '60's, as well as the British Hammer Horror films, we are treated to lush atmospherics, cheesy effects, and a good dose of fun as Elvira and her maid ZouZou travel through 1851 Carpathia, on the way to perform her act in Paris. Co-starring Rocky Horror Picture Show creator/actor Richard O'Brien. This film won P-Town's Best Feature Audience Award! 3 cats

The Weight of Water
directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Completed in 2000, this schizophrenic film starring Sean Penn, Elizabeth Hurley, Sarah Polley and Catherine McCormack has yet to score a distributor, and although it's pretty uneven, I'm at a loss as to why. Based on a best-selling Anita Shreve novel, and directed by action lenser Bigelow (Near Dark, Point Break), Water jumps between the present and a 1873 Smuttynose Island (off the coast of New Hampshire.) Photojournalist Jean (McCormack) travels by yacht with her Pulitzer-Prize winning poet husband (Penn), his brother (Josh Lucas) and his girlfriend (Hurley), to the island site of a double murder in 1873. As her research draws her in and away from the sexual tension of the present-day yacht antics, she begins to unravel a deeper mystery... that the man hung for the murder may have been innocent. Sarah Polley is magnificent as a Scandinavian immigrant with a disturbingly trouble past, and Katrin Cartlidge (Breaking the Waves) is a hoot as her uptight sister. Breathtakingly shot off the coast of Nova Scotia, Bigelow does a good job with the historical story, but the present-day tale is awkward and doesn't tie in very well. Basically a mixed bag. 3 cats

Venus Boyz
directed by Gabriel Baur
Baur's documentary looks at a group of women who dress as men, whether for entertainment or as a way of life. These "drag kings" are varied and complex ranging from Dred, a smooth, sexy African-American whose popular with the ladies, to Danny King, an abrasive man's man. Each woman tells their story, and we see parts of their act as they gather together for one night at Club Casanova in NYC. While each woman's story is fascinating in their own right, the film gives each one the focus for too long, creating a meandering whole. With tighter editing, or a series of short films, these stories would have been better served. Dred King was present, and we chatted with her at the Opening Night party. She is a charming and delightful woman. 2 1/2 cats

John Flansburgh & John Linnell of They Might be Giants in Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)
directed by A. J. Schnack
Surprisingly, the highlight of the festival for me was this top-notch documentary about the band, They Might Be Giants. John Flansbrugh and John Linnell met in Jr.High in Lincoln, MA. Together they formed alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. Interviews with the two Johns are mixed with dynamic performance footage, video clips and words of admiration from friends and business associates. The pair's genius is highly evident, and even those with a casual, or no knowledge of the band will find this documentary a rewarding experience. Boston-area doc-buffs won't want to miss this terrific film during its run in August at the MFA. Producer Shirley Moyers and director AJ Schnack were enthusiastic, friendly people. 4 1/2 cats

Mai's America
directed by Marlo Poras
The final film of our P-Town extravaganza comes from Boston filmmaker Marla Poras. Mai is a Vietnamese girl who comes to America... more specifically rural Mississippi to spend her Senior Year in High School as an exchange student. While struggling to fit in with her white Pentecostal host family, she befriends Christy, a drag Queen who opens her eyes and her own natural independence. Mai's struggles with American life a poignantly presented, and while some of the documentary seems staged, Mai's natural exuberance and good humor make Mai's America a rewarding film. Poras and Christy were present for a Q&A. 3 1/2 cats

We also attended the Opening and Closing Night parties where we chatted with filmmakers and guests. The star-studded CONVERSATION WITH THE STARS featured awards presentations and interviews with directors Gus Van Zant, John Waters, B.Z. Goldberg (Promises) and actor Marcia Gay Harden. The P-Town festival seemed a little star struck, but the visiting celebs, especially Harden and Waters (who interviewed Van Zant), were entertaining and enlightening. Director Mira Nair was also present at the Opening Night part to accept an award.