Tribeca Film Festival
May 1-9, 2004, Lower Manhattan
Brianna Leigh Hansen
Photo Wendy R. Williams
In 2002, the Tribeca
Film Institute successfully launched the First
Annual Tribeca Film Festival. Created by Jane
Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, the mission of the
Tribeca Film Festival is to enable the international
film community and the general public to experience
the power of film by redefining the film festival
experience. The Tribeca Film Festival was founded
to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking
center and to contribute to the long-term recovery
of lower Manhattan.
For
information about tickets and package deals log
onto www.tribecafilmfestival.org.
The Other Tribeca Press
Photo Wendy R. Williams
Wendy R. Williams,
Diedre Kilgore and Brianna Leigh Hansen are reviewing
a select group of films for newyorkcool.com. We
really wish we were able to see every film but
cannot. We live in New York and are under court
order to see our therapists and have our nails
done. We encourage everyone to log onto the Tribeca
website for information about the many wonderful
films being shown this year.
John Turturro and (cousin) Aida Turturro
Photo Wendy R. Williams
Randel Cole's
2BPERFECTLY HONEST
Sunday May 2nd @ 8PM Pace University
Wednesday My 5th @ 3PM UA Theater 4
Starring: Adam Trese, Andrew McCarty, John Turturro,
Michael Badalucco, Aida Turturro and Robert Vaughn
Reviewed by Wendy
R. Williams
2B tells
the the surreal story of Frank (Adam Trese), a
young man who loses all the trappings of the good
life when the ad agency he owns with his partner
Josh (Andrew McCarty) fails and he is forced to
move home to live with his parents (Robert Vaughn
and Hayley Mills). Frank then embarks on a Kafkaesque
journey in his search to reinstate his standing
in the material world. He spends time with Sal
(John Turturro) the owner of a chess store who
dispenses a bizarre tossed salad of advice. Sal
then send Frank to see a she-wizard (Aida Turturro)
who uses a 8 ball to see the future and also to
decide whether she should sleep with Frank.
Then we come to the another part of the story,
where Frank seemingly falls through a rabbit hole
and enters a different world. Frank visits an old
acquaintance of his father to ask for some advice.
He is then sent off on a quest that culminates
in a scene that is a blood and guts send-up of
Scarface. There are three layers to this story
that seemingly fold in on each other and it is
not until the end that we can tell where we have
been.
2B is
fun. Everyone in the cast gives a great performance
(and what a cast it is) and the script is quite
clever. Telling spoofy non- linear stories is
the charming genre of independent film. And to
be perfectly honest myself, 2B is a jewel
of a little independent film. Good job!
Liz Mermin's
The Beauty Academy of Kabul
Tribeca Film Festival
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Beauty parlors have an historic place in the lives
of women as a haven where they can cheer themselves
up by getting a new haircut and as a sanctuary
where they are free to be their true selves.
Both during the Taliban reign in Afghanistan
and after the recent war, people everywhere were
very curious about the women of Afghanistan.
What was hidden under those burkas? What did
they look like? Who would be revealed when the
women finally threw off those shrouds.
Liz Mermin's The
Beauty Academy of Kabul is a documentary
about a beauty school that opened in Kabul in
July 2003 under the banner "Beauty Without
Borders." Staffed by a group of American
hairdressers, the school is funded by American
beauty industry giants like Vogue, Clairol, M.A.C.,
etc. The documentary follows the lives of the
first class of students, some of whom risked their
lives to feed their families by operating underground
beauty parlors during the Taliban regime. We see
them attending school and visit in many of their
homes. I was especially struck by how these Afghan
women were able to laugh when they told their
stories of deprivation and oppression, showing
their absolute determination to experience joy.
Beauty is a beautiful documentary. It
portrays the legendary physical and spiritual
beauty of the women of Afghanistan; but we also
view the gorgeous, war-ravaged country, and experience
the horrendous effects that so much devastation
had on the city and the land. There is one especially
poignant moment when the beauty school staff attends
a countryside picnic as guests of a student's
family. There a man shows the teachers the ruined
compound (similar to a fort or small castle) where
he used to live and points off into the distant
countryside to other ruins, where his neighbors
and other members of his family used to live.
Then, gesturing to all the children playing in
the ruins he says, "I am the only one left
with a memory."
One of the teachers states that her goal is to
heal, one woman at a time. By teaching the women
how to support themselves and enhance their natural
beauty, she is also helping to heal the country,
making future memories better.
Léa Pool's
The Blue Butterfly
Mariposa Azul
U.S. Premiere
Starring: William Hurt,
Pascale Bussières
and Marc Donato
Reviewed by Diedre Kilgore
The Blue Butterfly
is a wonderful family film that illustrates
the beauty of taking risks in the pursuit of life.
A fantastic cast of actors, each bringing incredible
dimension and emotional wealth to their characters
in this breath-taking journey through Costa Rica’s
rainforest and rare world of insects.
The Blue Butterfly
tells a metamorphic story about the quest for
answers in an unfair world, in the attempt to
gain a microscopic understanding of the true essence
of creation. Based on a true story, 10-year old
Pete Carlton (Marc Donato), suffering from terminal
brain cancer with only months to live, has one
dying wish. Watching with envy as his classmates
play outside without a care in the world, Pete,
who has found refuge among the insect world, wishes
to travel to Costa Rica with life-long hero and
insect specialist, Alan Osborne (William Hurt)
in search of the Blue Butterfly. His mother, Teresa
(Pascale Bussières) already having lost
her husband, and is now facing the imminent loss
of her son, will stop at nothing to give Pete
as much joy as possible during his time left.
Enlisting the reluctant help of Alan Osborne,
who is emotionally disengaged, due to his regret
for abandoning his daughter at an early age, finds
solace and peace in the non-human world of insects.
Seeking the mythical magic of the Blue Butterfly,
the characters ultimately discover that life itself,
in its simplicity, holds the magic that they’re
seeking.
The Blue Butterfly
is an inspirational film, showing that life’s
answers are more likely to be found in the journey,
rather than the eventual destination.
David Yarovesky's
A Funny Thing Happened at the Quick mart
(Film-block: Bedtime Stories)
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
Starring: Joey Kern and Rachel Nichols
Reviewed by Brianna Leigh Hansen
Of all the amazing
films I saw at the festival this year, the Bedtime
Stories film-block was undoubtedly my favorite.
Each one of these creative shorts kept me guessing
till the very end. Among the treats I got that
night were stories about; a demonic refrigerator,
an anonymous wheelbarrow, an adorable little Nazi,
a hit man with a heart of gold, a necrophiliac
with a gift for song and a secret admirer, and
an incident involving two brothers and a case
of glass eyeballs. I must say, however, that the
film that stuck most was one involving a taser,
an all night bodega, and a crowded car trunk.
(Should I be offended that I was sited as a member
of their target audience?)
Ladies, if you
are ever accosted on the street by David Yarovesky
(writer/director of A Funny Thing Happened
at the Quick mart) run for your life. I mean
this in the most flattering way possible, if such
advice can be flattering. I will explain this
later, but first the film.
Jay (Joey
Kern) is a really nice guy with a poisonous inner
monologue. While shopping for some late night
necessities at the quick mart, he encounters a
lovely young woman named Jennifer (Rachel Nichols)
who has set about the same task. Serendipitous?
Jay thinks so. He contemplates his options; should
he look at her, follow her, speak to her, help
her shop, tell her a joke about cancer, laugh maniacally?
Yes, he decides, all of the above. This succeeds
in making the now very frightened Jennifer run
from the store. Luckily for him he catchs up with
her outside the quick mart. Unfortunately for him,
she starts screaming. So he is compelled to gag
her. Unfortunately for him, she has a taser. Fortunately
for him. he turns the taser against her. Unfortunately
for him, he now has the limp body of an unconscious
girl on his hands. What is a poor dumb bastard
to do…but keep the nice girl in the car trunk
while until she comes to. However, when he later
on opens the trunk, Jay finds a little more than
he’d bargained for.
Shot on 16mm and,
in Yarovesky’s words, “a budget of
begs and pleads”, Quick Mart had
the most entertaining shenanigans I witnessed
all festival long. For a 10 minute short on a
shoestring budget, that’s not bad. Aptly
cut and fittingly cast, the film has flawless
comic timing. Just when you think you know how
things will turn out, in comes a low flying ball
from left field.
The cast seems
a particularly agreeable little bunch. Abductions,
tasers, car trunks, duct tape,
they survived it all. Kern turns in a colorful
performance as Jay. As creepy as he is charming,
Kern manages to make his inexpiable behavior seem
born of naiveté and ultimately justifiable.
Not to be forgotten is co-star Nichols as vulnerable
young Jennifer. We see a little bit of every woman
in her as the situation escalates from normal to
outrageous. Nichols captures that fear with uncanny
precision.
When asked where the hell he came up with the
idea for this film, Yarovesky did not plead insanity.
He simply gave a little chuckle and blamed his
ex-girlfriend. Perhaps I should be thanking her
for this wonderful piece of cinema.
So ladies,
do run for your lives, do be afraid, but don’t miss this film. After all, what’s
in your trunk?
Unsu Lee’s
Happily, Even After
World Premiere
Tribeca Film Festival
Do you believe in magic?
Starring: Jason Behr, Marina Black, Fay Masterson,
Michael Goorjian, Ed Asner and Kimberly Guilfoyle
Newsom.
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Unsu Lee’s
Happily, Even After is a charming ambiguous
fairy tale about Katie (played by Marina Black),
a down-on-her-luck writer/director in San Francisco
who has just lost her day job as a waitress. (Hey,
it’s hard to support yourself as an artist
even in beautiful San Francisco.) Katie has a
supposedly chance encounter with Elizabeth, a
successful ad executive (Fay Masterson), who is
searching for a fairy godmother to straighten
out her slacker brother Jake’s (Jason Behr)
life.
Katie accepts the job only to discover that she
and Jake have a history, an encounter in her former
restaurant/laundromat which ended when she threw
a plate of pasta with red sauce on his clothes
in a washing machine. This act of culinary defiance
resulted in Katie losing her job, becoming a muffin
delivery person and meeting Elizabeth.
But Katie
is a very persistent fairy godmother. She quickly
overcomes Jake’s resistance and
soon has him working for her theater company, building
and painting beautiful sets. Nature takes it course
and Jake is soon in love with Katie. Then just
as his life is turning around, Katie disappears
- but not before telling Jake the reason she cannot
stay. Katie actually is a fairy godmother, not
just an unemployed waitress looking for another
day job. Now that her job is done, she needs to
move on.
Of course,
Jake is devastated, even though just knowing
Katie has had a magical effect on Jake’s
life. In the end there is hope, like there always
is all good fairy tales. And there is redemption,
like there always is in all good love stories.
And ultimately there is magic - a good story told
by a talented director and cast.
Ivy Meeropol’s
Heir to an Execution
Sunday May 2nd @ 8:45PM UA Theater
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Ivy Meeropol
has made a thoughtful and heartbreaking film
about the death of her grandparents, Julius
and Ethel Rosenberg. The Rosenbergs were executed
for treason in the 1950’s, at the heart of
the McCarthy era, for supposedly passing the secret
of the atom bomb to Russia. While stopping short
of proclaiming her grandparent's innocence, Ms.
Meeropol seems to ascribe to the present day “elevator
story” that her grandfather certainly did
not pass the secrets of the atom bomb to the Russians,
but it does look like something may have been going
on. Heir follows Ms Meeropol’s journey as
she tries to find to answer to a very perplexing
question about her grandparents: “Why would
they keep their silence, knowing that it might
lead to their execution, when they had two young
children (Meerool’s father and uncle) who
loved and needed them?”
Heir is
a very personal documentary. We watch Ms Meeropol
interview her father and uncle, two nicely spoken
middle class men who are obviously still suffering
from the loss of their parents. We also see Ms
Meeropol trying to reconnect with her extended
family, many of whom are still unwilling to talk.
Heir also tells a little about David Greenglass,
Ethel Rosenberg’s brother, the man who betrayed
his sister and brother-in-law to save himself
from execution. According to Ms. Meeropol, the
Greenglass family was so traumatized by this event,
they have changed their name. After all, no one
names their children after Aaron Burr.
I have always been fascinated by the way children
can be traumatized by family crises that occurred
long before they entered the world. Wars, untimely
deaths and scandals reverberate through generations,
changing the way we are raised and how we are perceived
by ourselves and others. We all need our stories
to know who we are, where we came from and what
we stand for as a family.
The execution
of the Rosenbergs is a prime example of how we
as a nation go on a collective “bender," such
as the Salem witch trials, McCarthyism, the internment
of Japanese citizens and on to the present day
incarceration of enemy combatants, the ones we
are today denying the constitutional right to counsel.
We go out as a group and “tie one on.” And
only years later do we sober up and say, “Whoa,
what was that all about?”. The answer always
is, “You don’t understand, you weren’t
there, we were afraid, there were witches, Communists,
Japanese, Arabs and on and on.” But we show
who we truly are, not by how we act when everything
is okay, but by how we act when we are scared.
Heir tells
the story of how Ethel and Julius were passionately
in love, both with each other and with their cause
- and how they so valued this love they refused
to “rat out” each other or anyone
else to save their own lives. We hear from many
of the Rosenbergs’ friends who tell the
story of how the Rosenbergs saved them by refusing
to give up their names. One of Ethel’s friends
keeps saying over and over, “She had no
choice.” This is the legacy the Rosenbergs
left to their granddaughter Ivy – a willingness
to be executed rather than betray their love for
each other and their cause. And this is the story
of Ivy Meeropol’s family - and how her grandparents
acted when they were very scared.
Brett C. Leonard’s
Jailbait
89-minute Feature Film
World Premiere
Featuring Michael Pitt (The Dreamers) and LAByrinth
cofounder Stephen Adly Guirgis (Our Lady of 121st
Street)
Reviewed by Diedre Kilgore
Jailbait is a
meditation on the unjust oppressive nature of
an American institutional concept; illustrating
the absurdity of the 3-strikes you’re out
law, in its elimination of freedom and its affects
on humanity. Jailbait is a gripping tale intertwining
the opposite lives of two sudden prison cellmates;
one, a murderer serving a life sentence; the other,
a naïve youngster serving 25 years after
committing 3 reckless crimes. The film acts as
a psychological microscope, peering into a desperate
human condition similar to that of a fly who unwittingly
gets caught in a spider’s web. Jailbait
tells the powerful story of Jake (Stephen Adly
Guirgis), a demented convict, who weaves a gradual
web of emotional, psychological and physical control
over frightened young Randy (Michael Pitt), facing
the horrific concept of becoming an adult in prison.
Nearly the entire
film is set within the claustrophobic world of
a prison cell, and therefore requires a well-written
script that could keep an audience’s attention.
Writer and Director Brett C. Leonard became so
engrossed with the subject matter; once he sat
down to write the first draft, he was finished
within 12 hours. This passion is apparent, in
a brilliantly composed script, filled with explosive
twists and moments of heart-stopping silence,
immersing the viewer in a suffocating trap of
the characters’ increasingly volatile emotions.
The cast of actors
is incredibly strong as well, all worthy of note
in their own right. Laila Robins, is worth considerable
mention in her powerful performance as Randy’s
mother. Although her scene is somewhat brief,
she allows you to enter her torment, worry and
heartbreak she’s desperately trying to hide
in her fight to stay strong. Michael Pitt delivers
an intensely subtle performance, masterfully revealing
a child-like vulnerability mixed with hatred and
despair.
Watching Stephen Adly is like riding on an emotional
rollercoaster in an explosive performance of unpredictable
levels that could make your head spin.
Jailbait
is a wonderful film that raises vital questions
surrounding America’s “correctional”
programs. After seeing this film, I am eager to
check out The Public Theatre’s production
of “Guinea Pig Solo” in May, also
written by Brett C. Leonard and starring Stephen
Adly Guirgis, in a politically themed piece about
a soldier coming home from the Iraq war.
Tricia Brock's
Killer Diller
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
Saved by the music!!!!
Starring: William Lee Scott, Lucas Black, Fred
Willard, W. Earl Brown, Niki J. Crawford and Mary
Kay Place.
Reviewed by Brianna Leigh Hansen
In a half-way
house in a sleepy little town down south, a group
of misguided youths is subjected
to a daily regimen of quiet prayer and choir practice,
in an attempt to both save their troubled young
souls and keep them out of prison. Ned Sears (Fred
Willard) is the proud head of this wayward household
and the director of their embarrassingly bad choir.
Everything seems like it will remain the same forever
until Sears takes in Wesley (William Lee Scott),
a former car thief with a fiery spirit and a kick
ass steel guitar. Wesley sees more than meets the
eye (and ear) in the kids from the halfway home
and covertly organizes a blues band while Sears
believes they are practicing playing hymns. There’s
just one thing missing…enter Vernon (Lucas
Black), an autistic kid who, to everyone’s
surprise, has a gift for the piano. Thus the Killer
Diller Blues Band is formed and takes this sleepy
little southern town by storm. And by forming this
band the kids are able to rescue themselves.
Killer Diller
is an utterly charming film and a joy to
watch. Under Tricia Brock’s skillful direction,
the film is both hilarious and meaningful. She
skillfully pushes the story to it’s conclusion
- where the kids are saved by the thing they love
the most. I hardly know where to begin with acclaim
for the cast, they were all so believable. Scott,
with his James Dean like quality, is subtle and
rebellious which creates an interesting dynamic
juxtaposed to Black’s unconvention clever
portrayal of Vernon. Willard is lovable and hilarious
as the Bible thumping, unwittingly duped house
master and the supporting cast of Niki J. Crawford,
Mary Kay Place, John Michael Higgins and Robert
Wisdom is absolutely wonderful.
The real treats,
though, were the hot Blues tunes that strung
the both the story and the characters
together. Crawford’s voice will blow you
away…can we say record deal? I hope to buy
the soundtrack soon. At the after party we were
graced with performances by Keb’ Mo’ and
the Killer Diller Blues Band themselves. This film
left me feelin’ good and ready to get down.
Jacob Gentry’s
Last Goodbye
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
Starring: Cast: Faye Dunaway,
David Carradine, Clementine
Ford, Liam O'Neill,
Chris Rydell, Sara Stanton, Chad McKnight, Alex
A. Quinn, Domink García-Lorido, Kansas Carradine,
and Maggie Blye.
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
There has been a
lot of press about this film. It was produced
by Pop Films, an Atlanta based film company formed
by Jacob Gentry and Alexander Motlagh, who have
a background in short films and rock videos. Here
is a quote from their website, http://www.lastgoodbymovie.com/
- Jacob Gentry, the twenty-four-year-old writer/
director of Last Goodbye, speaks of the Atlanta
underground film scene: “It’s really
a punk rock community of filmmakers who show movies
like bands play clubs…”
Here is the synopsis
from the press release: “A hot summer day
in Atlanta is the backdrop for the interweaving
lives of a famous TV actress, a rock band, a lonely
nobody, a young girl and her father. Roland's
alcoholic visions push him towards Jen, an ingénue
who has run away from home and longs for the singer
of the band, Peter. Peter and his band mate Seymour
struggle for the attention of Agnes, a hot young
actress on a Vampire TV show, "Southern Gothic,"
who has a hidden connection to Roland. As the
day unfolds a delusional Bible salesman (David
Carradine) and a pretentious film director (Faye
Dunaway) become guides in revealing the true nature
of these relationships. Told through the hallucinations
of alcoholism, the bravado of the band's music,
the camp of "Southern Gothic," the tenderness
of home video flashbacks, and the harsh reality
of these people’s lives, Last Goodbye
is a mosaic of young people struggling to make
an emotional connection.”
And here is
the hook: Faye Dunaway saw the script and thought
it would be a perfect vehicle for her
son Liam O’Neill, who plays Peter, the hot
lead singer of a local rock band. And there the
idea was born – cast the film with the children
of film stars. The theory was that the talent would
undeniably be there (and it was) and they already
have a name - so they also cast Clementine Ford
(Cybil Shepherd’s gorgeous daughter) and
Sara Stanton (Harry Dean Stanton’s talented
niece). And then it was on to more second generation
Hollywood talent: Chad McNight (Harry Dean Stanton’s
nephew); Chris Rydell (Mark Rydell’s son);
Alex A Quinn (son of Anthony Quinn); Dominik García-Lorido
(daughter of Andy Garcia); and Kansas Carradine
(daughter of David Carradine). This so called nepotism
casting created so much buzz, 20/20 did a segment
about the film on February 6, 2004.
The Last Goodbye
is a loosely constructed rock video of a movie
which features a rocking sound track by the band,
Altruistic. The movie is based on the book Last
Goodbye From Way Down Here by Patrick Kaye,
which was described in the Birmingham Star as
a group of interweaving stories. And in true rock
video style, multiple images and bits and pieces
of these stories are edited together to create
the mood and feel of a mosaic, giving the aura
of a story without an actual story line. Looking
at the end product is a similar to viewing a piece
of abstract art - sometimes you aren’t sure
just what you are looking at, but you do want
to see it.
Dick Rude’s
Let’s Rock Again
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Dick Rude’s
Let’s Rock Again is a fun rock-me-baby
documentary that follows legendary musician Joe
Strummer in the last year of his life. Strummer
died of a sudden heart attack in 2002 at what
was a very young age of 50. Let’s Rock
Again follows Strummer as he tours to promote
his second record with the Mescaleros, the group
he founded after he took a 13 year hiatus after
the breakup of the English punk band Clash. We
see him touring the world, wildly greeted in Japan,
ignored in Atlantic City and then playing New
York where he is visited in his dressing room
by fans such as Steve Buscemi and Jim Jarmusch.
Here are some loose quotes
from Stummer about the creative process: Strummer
on being asked “Does
inspiration just come pouring into you?” “Hell
no, you beat of out of your head.” He then
goes into a riff about crossroad puzzles writers
and how those writers do the same kind of work
and there is no award ceremony for them. As he
says, “It’s work.”
And being asked about opinions
he says “I
don’t have opinions. Some guy said if you
have opinions you can’t see.” And “I
write the lyrics as late as possible so they can
be fresh – about what’s happening now.”
Watching the tour footage I was struck by the
music, how very sexy it was, yet during most of
the documentary I saw very few women. There was
only one hell-of-a-nice guy busting his ass to
make sure that his second record with the Mescaleros
made a profit for his record company. The documentary
follows Strummer and the band as they work, setting
up, handing our flyers in Atlantic City, banging
on the door of radio stations to ask for interviews.
If this was a sex- drugs-and-rock-and-roll-tour,
I sure did not see it on the screen. Those guys
were working it and working it hard.
What I did see
is a really great guy, one who loved the music
of both Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie (the song
Johnny Appleseed is his homage to Guthrie).
It was bittersweet for me to watch this documentary
because I was probably the only out-of-touch writer
who did not realize that Strummer was dead. So
I watched it and thought, boy they can really
play, I need to start following them, buying their
CD’s etc. etc. and then at the end of the
documentary there is the final screen - Joe Strummer,
1952-2002. Ouch!
Zak Tuckers's
Poster Boy
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
Starring: Karen Allen, Michael Lerner, Jack Noseworthy,
Matt Newton, Ian Reed, Kessler and Valerie Geffner.
Reviewed by Brianna Leigh Hansen
Henry (Matt Newton) has
spent the better part of his life playing the
part of his father’s
family icon and his father’s last priority.
His father (Michael Learner), a vehemently devout
right-wing Senator, needs someone to symbolize
the upstanding family values he’s dedicated
his life to promoting, but not upholding. His only
son is the natural candidate. But, there is one
problem, Henry’s father doesn’t know
that his son, whom he thinks is the all American
family poster boy, has only one desire in life
- to settle down with a nice boy and start an upstanding
family of his own. After running to the other side
of the country and attempting to corrupt the little
minions his father sent to fetch him, Henry ends
up being blackmailed. So Henry finally agrees to
introduce his father, when his father gives a nationally
televised speech at a local college.
The plot turns again when
Henry becomes involved with Anthony, an activist
with a track record of
one night stands, and Anthony’s mildly neurotic
best friend Izzie, who has contracted HIV from
her recently deceased boyfriend. In a subsequent
series of unfortunate events, Henry learns that
he can’t keep hiding from the truth and that
the truth can’t be hidden from the public
any longer.
Screenwriters Ryan Shiraki and Lecia Rosenthal’s
voices are heard very clearly throughout Henry’s
narrative. They are smart enough to give us lovable
characters, who we care about despite some of their
despicable deeds. Rookie director Zak Tucker provides
the film with a humorous outlook to a potentially
dark subject, resulting in wonderfully tender moments.
With actors like Michael Lerner, Jack Noseworthy,
Matt Newton, and Ian Reed Kessler. the cast is
outstanding. I particularly enjoyed watching Valerie
Geffner, who gave a manic portrayal of Izzy, and
Karen Allen, who portrayed Henry’s mother.
Their poignant relationship is the icing on the
cake of this remarkable cast. This film’s
humorous political banter is sure to hit home,
wherever your home might be.
Paulo Sacramento’s
The Prisoner of the Iron Bars – Self Portrait
Prisoneiro da Grade de Ferro – Retratos
123-minute Brazilian Documentary
Portuguese with English Subtitles
North American Premiere
"I Love Life, I Date Death” – A
tattoo shown on one of the inmates.
Reviewed by Diedre Kilgore
The Prisoner
of the Iron Bars is a visually disturbing
documentary of the world’s most notoriously
overcrowded and neglected prison in Sao Paulo,
Brazil, known as Carandiru. This is extremely
rare footage shot just months before the prison
was imploded in December of 2002, due to horrific
conditions.
The film is a bit too long, but certainly gave
me, as a viewer, the rather uncomfortable and dreadful
feeling that I myself was trapped with those inmates
inside of Carandiru. Since that seems to be the
intended affect, I am able to forgive the length,
but be warned, it is not an easy film to sit through.
Paulo Sacramento’s brilliant decision to
hand over the cameras to the inmates gives us a
rare glimpse behind the bars of prison life, at
it’s most extreme. There is graphically disturbing
footage of neglected medical conditions, grotesquely
overcrowded cells (sometimes up to as many as 14
people), and photographs taken of corpses stabbed
hundreds of times, some missing body parts, some
with slit throats.
Despite the unsettling
nature of this film, The Prisoner of the Iron
Bars is a fascinating view into prison life
and demonstrates how human beings that are placed
in unbearable conditions find ways to not only
survive, but band together to make the best of
a severely hopeless situation. Through this film
we become witness to the underlying emotional
need for these inmates to feel human again through
a unique look into their day-to-day activities.
We watch rap artists perform
various rap songs about the injustice of Carandiru
to a crowd of
followers. We listen to several inmates, some who
just want to be reformed. We see the ways in which
drugs and alcohol are secretly produced and sold.
We are shown the infestation of rats and the abusively
drunk prison guards. There are at times quiet moments
of loneliness and despair through poetry and song.
We are invited along on the simple journey one
inmate takes us, peering out the window at the
envied subway, past the boarding house of flirtatious
girls, to the rising sun of a new day, a new anxiety.
We see the separated gay division of the prison,
where most of the men have found it valuable to
their survival to become whores. Cigarettes are
their currency. The parole officer listens to people
daily, and denies them in such a routine manner;
you have to wonder if he wears earplugs. It makes
HBO’s Oz (a dramatization of prison life)
look like a luxurious resort.
The Prisoner
of the Iron Bars is a shocking, disturbing
and compelling film that made me feel thankful
for my life. Afterwards, I found the need to take
a long walk to appreciate that little thing of
freedom that is so often taken for granted.
Jeff Lieberman’s
Satan’s Little Helper
World Premiere
His ass is fucking grass”
Starring: Amanda Plummer, Alexander Brickel, Katheryn
Winnick, Wass Stevens, and Stephen Graham
Reviewed by: Diedre Kilgore
Satan’s
Little Helper is a tongue-in-cheek, campy
slasher flick that can best be described as a
film which would pair nicely with a glass of chianti
and a good batch of brownies. I was pretty sure
what to expect, as the film’s synopsis calls
it a horror-comedy. I was, however, pleasantly
surprised in that unlike so many other films of
this genre, Satan’s Little Helper
is completely original, and the humor comes from
the absurdities of the individual situations,
as opposed to the now formulaic method of spoofing
classic horror films.
Satan’s
Little Helper tells the story of rather simple
characters in a sleepy New England town clumsily
stumbling along a path of bizarre misunderstandings,
naïve to their imminent danger. Amanda Plummer
stars in the role of Merril Whooly, an open-minded,
drug-induced, psychotic mother oblivious to the
potential dangers of exposing her children to
sex, drugs and Satan Worship. Merril and her husband
Dean (Wass Stevens) give their 9-year-old child
Douglas (Alexander Brickel) a video game called
Satan’s Little Helper, in which
the hero of the game runs around attacking innocent
people on the street. High scores can be obtained
from massacring blind people, old ladies with
canes, etc. Douglas becomes so obsessed with the
game that he begins to idolize Satan. Can you
blame him? I mean, as Douglas so eloquently puts
it, Satan “is cool”.
Having
a rather inappropriate crush on Jenna, his scantily-clad
older sister
(Katheryn Winnick),
that no one seems to find strange, Douglas’ jealousy
of Jenna’s new boyfriend Alex (Stephen Graham)
turns into hatred. Therefore, like any young Satan-worshipper
worth his salt, Douglas wanders the town on Halloween
day to find a Satan to kick it with.
As luck
would have it, Douglas finds a sex-starved serial
killer dressed
up for Halloween in a Satan
costume wandering around in broad daylight with
bloodied townspeople, propping them up as various
Halloween displays. Of course this is normal to
the townsfolk, and everyone just thinks that these
are elaborate special effects. In awe of Satan’s
utter cool “special-effect” work, Douglas
asks Satan if he wouldn’t mind killing his
sister’s boyfriend to eliminate his competition.
And as we all know, Satan just wouldn’t be
Satan if he declined such an offer, so the duo
embarks on a ridiculously funny and often-times
politically incorrect killing spree.
This is all well
and good until someone gets an eye poked out,
or in this case their guts pulled out. So Douglas
comes to the embarrassing realization that he
has placed his own family in grave danger. What?.
In a divine balance of humor and graphic violence,
Satan’s Little Helper is a decadently
fun yet suspenseful film, packed with laugh-out
loud situations and a plentiful buffet of blood
and guts to sink your teeth into.
Paolo Franchi's
The Spectator
A feature film in Italian with English subtitles
World Premiere
at the Tribeca Film Festival
Reviewed by Diedre Kilgore
The Spectator
is a story of voyeurism that intertwines three
solitary lives, each afraid to love, within their
own unique circumstances. Placing the viewer inside
the film as a voyeuristic fly on the wall, The
Spectator is a stunning film that leaves
a haunting affect of melancholy, vulnerability,
longing and aloneness. The actors do such superb
work, they make the viewer feel somewhat like
an emotional thief, invading their innermost thoughts.
The Spectator begins in
Turim, Italy with Valeria (Barbora Bobulova)
a young woman obsessed with
an older man, Massimo (Andrea Renzi). She spies
on him regularly, and, when he decides to move
to Rome, Valeria follows him there and befriends
his emotionally unavailable girlfriend, Flavia
(Brigitte Caitillon), gaining work as an assistant
in Flavia’s home. Through an eventual build
of friendship between Valeria and Flavia, Valeria
finally meets Massimo under a series of uncomfortable
circumstances. An underlying sense of intimacy
and jealousy among this potentially explosive triangle
is left to the interpretation of the audience’s
imagination. It is this room for interpretation
that acts as a key ingredient, making this film
so emotionally engaging. The tables eventually
turn in such a way that Massimo becomes obsessed
with Valeria to a degree that disrupts Valeria’s
comfortable sense of control and distance.
What makes The
Spectator so enticing is its complexity.
Celebrating the romance of a throbbing heart,
this film offers an abundant bouquet of sensuality
stemming from longing; meanwhile harboring a piquant
flavor of emotional chaos, resulting from the
fear to love.
Cinematographer
Giuseppe Lanci’s work is gorgeous, expertly
conjuring visually prevalent tones of sensuality
and despair. As The Spectator is Paolo
Franchi’s first feature, I have no doubt
that this film will be a launching point for a
successful career. Bravo.
Jim de Sève’s
Tying the Knot
Tribeca Film Festival
The Union that’s
Dividing America
A feature documentary about same-sex marriages
“
Homosexuals…have freedom to behave in the
way that they do, but they cannot be a family”
-James Dobson, President of Focus on Family
Reviewed by: Diedre Kilgore
Tying the Knot
is a politically charged film that questions the
unnatural selection of freedom in America. A disturbingly
intimate look into the civil rights issues of
homosexual couples fighting for the right to legally
marry, Tying the Knot is a vital film
that takes us on an emotional and political journey
surrounding an increasingly volatile civil rights
movement in our country about same-sex marriage.
It educates us as well, by using actual footage
of both sides of this issue, thereby making this
film less biased than might otherwise be. The
prevailing theme for Tying the Knot is
stated in the form of a question from the following
quote by Steve Gunderson, Republican congressman
from Wisconsin. “Why shouldn’t my
partner of 30 years be entitled to the same health
insurances and survivor’s benefit that individuals
around here, my colleagues with second and third
wives, are able to give to them?”
Good question. The film
shows an upsetting series of rebuttals to that
basic question by politicians
that believe that allowing same-sex marriages will “destroy
western civilization” as we know it. It sounds
like a dramatization, but actually hearing these
politicians utter such bizarre statements raises
a few eyebrows, at the very least. What makes this
film so fascinating is the manner it jumps from
real life struggles to political platforms and
debates. The arguments seem to be motivated by
two separate things, one of humanity and love,
the other of power and fear.
In the following speech
from John Lewis, African American Democrat from
Georgia brought up in the
segregated South of the 40’s and 50’s,
it is pointed out to us just how this is a basic
human rights issue. “We are talking about
human beings, people like you, people who want
to get married, buy a house, and spend their lives
with the one they love. They have done no wrong.”
Amidst the political debates, we are invited into
the very vulnerable lives of two people, embarking
on a life-struggle for equality. We witness the
absolute pain and anger of Tampa Police officer
Mickie Mashburn, married to recently deceased Lois
Marrero, trying to collect on a pension that she
feels is owed to her, and would certainly belong
to her, if she were in a heterosexual marriage.
We also find ourselves in a similar though more
dismal situation in the decaying home of Sam, a
farmer in Oklahoma, who suffers the aftermath of
recently deceased husband of 22 years, Earl. Through
prejudice and fear, Sam is a constant victim of
financial sabotage, vandalism, theft and ridicule.
Tying the Knot
interviews common citizens, as well, all with
varying opinions and sexual preference. Although
varied in opinion, they appear to care far less
than the government, about whether or not it should
be legal for homosexuals to marry, which brings
a most poignant comment by a legally married gay
citizen of Holland, Adjied Bakas. “In Holland
we have a saying that a civilization can be judged
on the way it treats it’s minority. If it
treats it’s minorities well, then it’s
a civilized country.” Ouch. But painful
in the right place.
Luna's 'Whore'
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Whore,
produced by Delores Pictures and directed by Luna,
is a staged "documentary" about the
world oldest profession. The movie is based on
a novel by Isabel Pisano (Yo Puta) which is a
bestseller in Spain and Italy. There are two parts
to the story; very believable sounding practitioners
and customers are interviewed in their native
languages (with English subtitles) and then there
is a loosely constructed cover story woven throughout
the interviews about a doctoral student in Los
Angeles (Denise Richards) who is supposedly conducting
this research about prostitution. The character
played by Ms. Richards also receives advise about
the ins and outs of the profession from her call
girl next door neighbor (Daryl Hannah). And when
Denise Richards leaves her LA apartment to conduct
research, everyone she interviews speaks a foreign
language, slightly unusual even for today's Los
Angeles. There are also some compelling scenes
where a pornography producer, played by Joaquin
De Almeida, interviews prospective actresses,
including the character played by Ms. Richards.
But dramatic convention
aside, Whore is a provocative and compelling
movie - very stylish and cool. The cinematography
is beautiful and so are Ms. Richards and Ms. Hannah.
During the "documentary" portion of
the film, the practitioners describe their lives
in vivid and fascinating detail and seem quite
happy with their choice of profession. After all,
prostitution is the world's oldest profession
so it has to have something going for it to make
it last this long (sorry, I couldn't resist).
John Schultz’s
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
Based on the award-winning novel by Kimberly Willis
Holt
New York Premiere
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
“It’s not the
end of the World, it just feels like it”
Principle Cast: Jonathan Lipnicki, Eric Stoltz,
Kevin Fitzgerald Corrigan, Jane Krakowski, Sasha
Neulinger, Cody Linley
Reviewed by Diedre Kilgore
A valuable lesson
of the heart, When Zachary Beaver Came to
Town is a charming story about three young
boys who unwittingly embark on a spiritual adventure
in a sleepy Texas town. With several fantastic
camera angles, many of which were shot upward,
the viewer is given a sense of the wonder and
challenges of being a child in the world.
Toby (Jonathan Lipnicki)
and Cal (Cody Linley) are 12-year old best friends.
Toby’s mother
(Jane Krakowski) runs away to pursue her dreams
of being a famous country singer, leaving Toby’s
father Otto Wilson (Eric Stoltz) at home to care
for Toby by himself. Through a gradual build of
denial, pent-up anger and rebellion, Toby does
all he can to escape his dwindling family life,
through his friendship with Cal. Toby and Cal’s
lives change when 12-year old Zachary Beaver (Sasha
Neulinger), accompanied by legal guardian and business
partner Pauly (Kevin Corrigan), suddenly arrive
from New Jersey. The duo makes a grand entrance
in an air stream trailer, setting up a roadside
attraction, showcasing Zachary Beaver as the “Largest
Boy in the World”. Keeping Zachary Beaver
in the trailer, the town pays money to come inside
to catch a glimpse of him. The townspeople’s
reactions vary from shock, disgust, disdain and
pity. Eventually Toby and Cal befriend Zachary
Beaver despite his seemingly tough exterior. Through
suspenseful, humorous and tragic moments, Zachary
Beaver becomes the fertilizer that enriches the
heart and spirit of a mundane town.
Director John Schultz was so positive Jonathan
Lipnicki (Ray Boyd in Jerry Maguire) would be the
perfect choice to play Toby Wilson, the production
halted for a year so young Jonathan could grow
into the role.
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is a wonderfully
fun film for children and adults alike.
Josh Sternfeld's
Winter Solstice
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
Starring: Anthony LaPagia, Aaron Stanford, Mark
Webber, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Michelle
Monaghan
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Winter Solstice
is a slice of life story, a window into the life
of a very ordinary family, one with all too ordinary
problems. Here is the press release "In this
poignant family drama made in the tradition of
Ordinary People, Jim Winters is a suburban
widower in his early 40's struggling to raise
two sons. While dealing with his older son's decision
to leave home and his younger son's delinquent
behavior, he becomes increasingly attracted to
his new neighbor, Molly."
Solstice is
blessed with very good actors who give beautifully
subtle performances. I totally believed them as
they told their story of loss, both the loss of
a mother to a sudden early death and the loss
of a son who desperately feels the need to just
move on.
Solstice
has a small town feel to it, it gives us an intimate
look into the lives of the kind of family that
could be anyone's next door neighbor. But neighbors
and stories like this are lost in the vast world
of cities, where we walk on by and never see.
And telling these simple intimate stories is where
Independent Film excels. Here we can see and hear
the stories that are always around us but unheard,
the kind of stories we used to hear when we returned
home and said "So, tell me, what's going
on in town?"
Reverge Anselmo’s
Stateside
May 2004 Tribeca Film Festival
Opens Nationwide on May 21, 2004
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Reverge Anselmo’s
film Stateside is a charming quirky love
story, set in the early 80’s. A rebellious
rich kid, Mark Deloach (played by Jonathan Tucker),
turns his life upside down one night when his
drunken high school prank results in a car crash
that injures both his friend Sue Dubois (played
by Agnes Bruckner) and the headmaster of his school
(Ed Begley, Jr.). Mark is angrily assaulted by
his father (Joe Montegna) and prosecuted by Sue’s
equally angry mother (Carrie Fisher), who discovers
her daughter’s promiscuity when she learns
about the circumstances of the accident.
Mark is sentenced either to join the Marines or
go to jail. Choosing the former, Mark dutifully
arrives at Paris Island, where he is whipped into
shape by a sadistic drill sergeant, Skeer (the
marvelous Val Kilmer playing the usual Ed Harris
role).
Marks returns home to discover
that when Sue’s
mother confronted her about her promiscuity, Sue
became so hysterical that her mother had her committed
to an insane asylum. Mark visits Sue and has a
chance meeting with Sue’s roommate, Dory
Lawrence (played by Rachel Leigh Cook). He promptly
falls in love.
A kooky romance begins.
Dory is suffering from schizophrenia, which has
derailed her budding career
as a rock and movie star. Mark drifts in and out
of Dory’s life, returning on leave and then
being shipped out to fight overseas (Lebanon, etc.).
His behavior disrupts Dory’s life and angers
her therapist, who ask Mark to let her go so Dory
can get better. But love wins in the end, as it
always does in true love stories.
But in the end,
war and schizophrenia aside (are these words synonyms?),
Stateside is a traditional love story
told by a talented director and a charming, talented
cast. After all, what could be more traditional
than falling in love with the roommate of an old
high school friend? Good Job!
Stateside recently won the Best Independent
Film Award at the 2004 Sonoma Film Festival.
Takeshi Kitano’s
Zatoichi
Japanese with English Subtitles
Tribeca Film Festival
Miramax
US Opening
Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams
Zatoichi,
written and directed and acted by the very talented
Takeshi Kitano, is a spoofy fun romp about a blind
masseur who is both a skillful gambler and a deadly
swordsman. According to the press release, films
about this blind swordsman ruled Japanese cinema
from the 60’s through the 80’s. Takeshi
Kitano, who has worn many hats as a stand-up comic,
actor and director, has now revived the story
of Zatoichi, a monk-like nomad who travels the
countryside carrying a cane which conceals a hidden
sword.
Here is the synopsis from the press release:
“Zatoichi
is a 19th Century blind nomad who makes his living
as a gambler and masseur. However, behind this
humble facade, he is a master swordsman gifted
with a lightning-fast draw and breathtaking precision.
While wandering, Zatoichi discovers a remote mountain
village at the mercy of Ginzo, a ruthless gang-leader.
Ginzo disposes of anyone who gets in his way,
especially after hiring the mighty samurai ronin
Hattori as a bodyguard. After a raucous night
of gambling in town, Zatoichi encounters a pair
of geishas – as dangerous as they are beautiful
– who’ve come to avenge their parents'
murder at the hands of Ginzo. As the paths of
these and other colorful characters intertwine,
Ginzo’s henchmen are soon after Zatoichi.
With his legendary cane sword at his side, the
stage is set for a riveting showdown.”
This story
is both ancient and modern, a myth populated
by quirky characters like a cross-dressing
geisha who enjoys a dip in a communal hot tub.
Blood squirts and dismembered arms and legs fly
but even the most sanguine scenes are hysterically
funny, so who cares? It doesn’t seem real,
and that is the charm. Bravo!
