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20 Movies in 8 Days: The Philadelphia Film Festival, October ’21

06 Saturday Nov 2021

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

30th Philadelphia Film Festival, A Chiara, A Hero, Amira, Asghar Farhadi, Ballad of a White Cow, Belfast, Benedict Cumberbatch, Captain Volkonogov Escaped, Films, Hester Street, Luzzu, Mass, Memoria, Movies, Our American Family, Paper & Glue, The Braves, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, The French Dispatch, The Worst Person in the World, Three Minutes-A Lengthening, Wes Anderson

From Ellen & Richard Miller:

Following our third vaccine, we ventured to Philadelphia for one of our favorite pre-pandemic annual events – The Philadelphia Film Festival. A long-time and dear friend was involved in launching this film festival many years ago, and we’ve used the film event to continue and extend our friendship.

Over the years, we become friends with their friends, gotten to know a bit of Philadelphia beyond the movies, and decided that this is a festival for us.  The curating is superb, the logistics are easy and smooth, and the two major theaters where the films are shown are within a easy 20 minute walk of each other, giving us a chance to stretch our legs or get a bite to eat.

This year we stretched our usual four-day attendance to eight days, and  invited one of our friends to join us. Generally, we didn’t see more than three films a day…which was a pretty relaxed pace for us.

We saw a lot of very good films, as you’ll see below, and we’ve briefly noted what we liked about them.  We’re not writing overall reviews of each film — we have provided links to professional reviews — but we did have a few over all takeaways which we are happy to share:  not all movies have happy endings, in fact some movies seem to haves no endings at all. (At least one we saw was interminable.)  We saw a number of truly wonderful films produced in Iran, Palestine, Italy, featuring strong female roles; deeply acted dramas about families, and a number of really terrific films featuring nonprofessional actors. We saw films from “masters of cinema” and first time directors. The geography of the films spanned a good part of the world. It was an impressive experience.

And what a delight to be back in movie theaters– socially distanced and masked, and with vaccination and IDs required to attend.  It felt comfortable, familiar, and rejuvenating. 

(Note: A number of these films are already available in theaters or on one of the various streaming services. Click on the title of any film below to read a critic’s review.)

Best of the Best ( five stars from us both):

Belfast: Set in the city the title suggests, we see the impact of “the troubles” through the eyes of one family and particularly through the eyes and experiences of a nine-year old boy.  Shot in black and white, nearly everything about this film is perfect: acting, direction, story, and filming.

Amira:  This is a ‘small’ but moving film about a Palestinian girl coming of age who learns that her father is not a lauded terrorist who has been incarnated in prison for many years. It’s a story that shakes the entire culture of her family and how she moves forward in life.

Ballad of a White Cow: An Iranian drama about a woman whose husband was wrongly executed, having been blamed for a crime against the state which he did not commit. You’ll be riveted throughout the entire film.

A Chiara: An Italian drama about a teenager whose father is deeply involved in the world of the drug trade. Great story telling and good acting, largely with nonprofessional actors. This one is full of ethical questions and dilemmas the family and the teenager must face.

Paper & Glue: This is a remarkable documentary – truly a must see — about the work of the street artist JR and the impact of his art and activism throughout the world.  Perhaps our favorite film of the Festival.

Mass: Another must see. This is an incredibly acted four-person drama. Two couples meet together to discuss the impacts on both families of a school shooting by the son of one couple which led to the death of the other couple’s son. This is, as you can perhaps imagine, a highly emotional drama.

Hester Street: This is a restoration of this classic film about life on the Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th century.  This version maybe hard to find, but it’s not only a delight; it’s also relevant to today’s world.

The Braves: This is an inspiring story about the friendship of two young women struggling to become actresses, a story of mutual support, dedication, and friendship.

Almost as Good (four stars):

The French Dispatch: If you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you’ll love this.  We found the story hard to follow, but that’s not the point here. It’s superb film making.

Captain Volkonogov Escaped: A good story, with good acting, and a look inside Russia’s authoritarian and dark underbelly. Very usual subject matter, superbly filmed, and filled with suspense.

Bernstein’s Wall:  Somewhat of a bio-pic (a portrait actually) of Leonard Bernstein as told through his own eyes and own voice via clips, photographs, his own writing, and letters. We found it engaging and learned much we did not know about Bernstein.

A Hero: This film –  with it sometimes confounding plot and multiplying  ethical choices — was disappointing. It does, however, give the viewer quite a bit to discuss to try to sort it all out, which we’re not sure we ever did! We had given Asghar Farhadi’s previous full-length features five stars, but this one didn’t match A Separation or The Salesman.

C’Mon C’Mon: A lovely, and already much praised film, superbly acted, about uncle and his nephew who form a bond with each other.

Luzzu: This is another ‘small’ film, with nonprofessional actors. The story involves a Maltese fisherman who struggles to hold on to his father and his ancestors’ old ways as they clash with modern life and his marriage.

The Worst Person in the World:  A strong female character searching for her way in life and love, beautifully filmed. But there might be only one likeable person in the entire film. The title of the film becomes very clear by the end of it.

Not on Our ‘Must See’ List (mostly three stars)

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: Wonderful acting by Benedict Cumberbatch can’t save this tale of Louis Wain, a British artist known for his drawings of cats. At times it seemed like a Disney-produced children’s film.

Our American Family:  This documentary is about five members of a Philadelphia family and their struggles with generational addiction. This film ends well.

Three Minutes-A Lengthening: This was an effort to create a larger story from a recently recovered three-minute segment of a 16mm homemade movie about a Polish town just before World War II. It’s an attempt to piece together the lives of its 3,000 Jewish residents just prior to their deportation and deaths (which they do not know is coming.)

Brother’s Keeper: This boarding school drama takes place in Eastern Turkey and illustrates the uncaring administration and staff of the school, when a boy becomes critically ill and his friend tries to save him.

Don’t Bother:

Memoria: Critics and curators unanimously loved this. Audiences not at all.  Ellen walked out half way through it.

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PFFWA: The Philadelphia Film Festival Wins Again

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

"A Long Day's Journey", "A Private War", "All Square", "Amin", "And Breathe Normally", "Birds of Passage", "Egg", "Everybody Knows", "Green Book", "If Beal Street Could Talk", "Overlord", "Roma", "Shirkers", "Shoplifters", "Sofia", "The Guilty", "Transit", "Treat Me Like Fire", "Widows", "Yommedine", A.B. Shawky, Alfonso Cuarno, Asghar Farhadi, Ben Is Back, Cannes Film Festival, Films, Gustav Moller, Isold Uggadottiir, Jakob Cedergren, Javier Bardem, Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Maha Alemi, Mahershala Ali, Marie Colvin, Mathew Heinerman, Meryem Benim'Berek, Movies, Penelope Cruz, Peter Farrelly, Peter Hedges, Philadelphia Film Festival, Rady Gamal, Rosamund Pike, Sundance Film Festival, The 27th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Viggo Mortensen, Yalitza Aparcio

Reviews by Ellen Miller:

We continue to enjoy everything about the October annual Philadelphia Film Festival (from which we returned recently): the selection of films; the ease of getting into them; the proximity of all the theaters for easy walking between them; and our long-time Philly based-friends and their friends with whom we have seen dozens of films over the years.

This year was no different. Over the course of the first weekend, we saw a total of 12 films (our goal had been 13, but I called “uncle” at the end of the 12th one!), and of this total five were outstanding; and four were very good. Only one or two didn’t seem to meet their own objectives, or, in one case, the film didn’t match the description. (And be sure to watch out for the late night films that operate under the genre of “Graveyard Shift.” You might just end up in a horror film!)

One of the things we’ve learned over the years, especially when we go to a film festival and see multiple films in just a few days, is that we enjoy many different kinds of films and that for us a five-star review can go equally to a big box office, big studio type film where the public appeal is obvious, to a small, independent, foreign film whose goal is small but compelling. And we use a set of criteria for our evaluations that we learned from a Washington Post film critic: What was the director trying to do? Did s/he do it well? Was it worth doing? All the films we rated four or five stars met each of the these criteria with flying colors.

Trust us on these films. When they come your way, and most of them will, go see them.

Here are those with five stars from both of us:

Ben Is Back *****

Most opening night films, such as this one was, tend to disappoint, but
not this time. This one is a tautly told story of a Mom (Julia Roberts) desperate to help her drug-addicted son (Lucas Hedges). It is as intimate portrait as you are likely to find on the ongoing opioid addiction and what it does to families. It’s a powerful story, brilliantly acted (though it took me a few minutes to “get over” Julia Roberts, the actress), tightly edited, and an emotionally searing film that leaves you gripping your seat until the end.

The film was written and directed by Peter Hedges, Lucas Hedges’ father. He spoke and answered questions at the end of the Opening Night screening, and it was clear from the audience’s comments that the film struck a powerful note for many of those in attendance, particularly individuals who had personal connections to the opioid crisis sweeping the nation.

Green Book *****

This film just makes you feel good, really good. It takes place in the early 1970’s and is a portrait of racial tolerance in the making. Mahershala Ali (as Dr. Don Shirley) plays a world class concert black pianist who hires the Bronx born, Italian-American, Viggo Mortensen (played by Tony Lip) as his driver for a concert tour in the Deep South. Together the pianist and his driver negotiate the racism they find along the way and emerge better people for it. This film will be compared to Driving Miss Daisy, but this version has more humor and quirkiness to it than its predecessor. It feels genuine, and both actors, along with the writer, are responsible for a heart warming and delightful viewing experience.

(Writer and Director: Peter Farrelly. USA – Many Audience Awards, including 2018 People’s Choice Award at Toronto)

Everybody Knows *****

When a film stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and the director is Asghar Farhadi (former films include A Separation and The Salesman), the likelihood that you have a winning film is strong. A family wedding in a beautiful rural Spanish town sets the  scene. Long held family jealousies and past history come to play is this compelling, complicated family drama, where deep secrets (or perhaps not so secret) are revealed in tantalizing fashion that will take several minutes and help from whomever joins you at the film, to sort out at the end. It’s both a “who done it” and a story about the larger human condition. The film is richly filmed and deeply satisfying. The acting is superb.

(Director: Asghar Farhadi, Spain)

The Guilty *****

This is a small Danish film that has the power of an atomic bomb. It’s only 85 minutes long and is shot entirely in the control room of a police emergency response center. Here we see sidelined Danish Policy Officer Asger (played by Jakob Cedergren) who has been assigned to this call center while he awaits a decision about his future. In trying to respond to an emergency call, he gets deeply into making assumptions and taking actions as he tries to find a missing woman and her assailant. It’s a nail-biting scenario for the viewer as the story unfolds in real time, with grim consequences. Phenomenal acting, filming, and direction.

(Director: Gustave Moller; Denmark, first feature film – Many awards, including the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize, 2018, Cannes.)

A Private War. *****

Based on the true story of the renowned war correspondent and
journalist Marie Colvin (played by Rosamund Pike), this film is a compelling,
gripping story that takes place in various war zones around the world, though principally in Syria. The narrative, filming, and acting combine to make a powerful case for Colvin’s reporting and is a tribute to reporters everywhere.

(Director: Matthew Heinerman, USA)

**               ***               **               **

Even though this next group of films received less than five stars from your rating duo (all these were four stars or four and a half stars), they are each in their own way compelling films that make it worth while seeking them out.

Roma ****1/2

Roma is a terrific black and white film that provides an intimate view of an upper middle class family (in personal crisis) in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City in the 1970’s. Core to the family’s story is the relationship with their two household servants, especially that of Cleo (played by Yalitza Aparcio), the nanny to the four children. Filled with luminous film-making and painstaking details, this film explores the ins and outs of family life in multiple dimensions.

(Director: Alfonso Cuarno, Mexico – Numerous awards, including Winner, Best Film, 2018, Venice Film Festival)

And Breathe Normally ****

This film is the second one we saw with an immigration theme: a woman from Guinea-Bissau tries to enter Iceland on a false passport and is detained. She is put into a holding center for months while her application for asylum is being considered. In a parallel story a young single mother is struggling with her own life in Iceland, living out of her car with her child. She eventually takes a training position as a Passport Officer. In the course of doing her job, she is, in part, responsible for the detention of the African woman. These two women — both living on the margins — form a kind of inter-dependency that is touching and gives meaning to both of them. Eventually, the Passport Officer insures that the immigrant gets on her way to her final destination.

While this film has a slow start, midway it catches on. It presents yet another interesting look at today’s immigration crises through excellent acting, a strong narrative, and subtle filming. If the topic interests you, see if you can find the film.

(Director: Isold Uggadottir. Iceland – Winner Best Directing – World Cinema – Dramatic at 2018 Sundance)

Yomeddine ****

This movie is a perfect example of a small and meaningful foreign film. Indeed, it felt rather like the foreign produced films that we saw 20 years ago. It is the story of a middle age man (Beshay, played by first time actor Rady Gamal) who has been cured of (but deformed by) leprosy and who sets out on a journey to find “his”  people. He travels the length of Egypt in this quest and is joined by a young boy. It’s a road film, following the adventures and misadventures of Beshay and his young friend and their perseverance to the end.

It’s a sensitively portrayed film with a rich rewarding end.

(Director: A.B Shawky – Numerous awards including at Cannes and Philadelphia)

Sofia ****

Another small but powerful foreign film, this one is about a young Moroccan woman, Sofia (played by Maha Alemi) who to her surprise gives birth to a child in a society where having an out of wedlock child is severely punishable and results in great disgrace to her upper middle class family.

The film is intended to be a commentary on the old fashioned mores of the country, but it is more. The not so naïve Sofia plots her way out of the situation with unflinching dishonesty and betrayal of her family’s values, even as she tries to protect them.

There are number of very interesting characters in this film, not the least of which are the boy accused of being the father of the child, his family members, Sophia’s cousin who helps her through the birth, and her own parents. This film is a very thoughtful presentation of a society mired in outdated mores.

(Director: Meryem Benim’Barek – Best Screen Play, 2018 at Cannes)

**               ***               **               **

The films we saw that just didn’t work for us included Overlord (a horror film that appeared to be a heart pounding thriller about the Allies invading France on D Day); Transit, a modern day immigration story which hearkened back to the days of French Jews fleeing the Nazis; and Shoplifters, a quirky Japanese film about grifters who made up a most unusual modern family.

There were several others films that we missed that we look forward to seeing in the theaters, including Widows, If Beal Street Could Talk, Cold War, Birds of Passage, and The Favorite.

Finally, we just received an email from our Philadelphia friends with recommendations for films that they saw, and particularly recommend, over the second week of the festival.

The Favorite
Amin
Treat Me Like Fire
All Square
Shirkers
Butterflies
Birds of Passage
Egg
The Biggest Little Farm

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Fall Movie ‘Reviews’ – 15 Films

02 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

"A Man Calleld Ove", "A Separation", "About Elly", "Do Not Resist", "Fire at Sea", "Graduation", "I, "I Am Not Your Negro", "La La Land", "Moonlight", "OJ: Made in America", "Queen of Katwe", "The Oath", "The Past", "The Unknown Girl", "Things to Come", 25th Film Festival, Adrian Titieni, Andre Holland, Asghar Farhadi, Barry Jenkins, Best Documentary - Tribeca Film Festival, Craig Atkinson, Cristian Mungiu, Daniel Blake", Dardenne brothers, Dave Johns, David Oyelowo, Emma Stone, Ezra Edelman, Gianfranco Rosi, Hannes Holm, Haylet Squires, Iceland, Isabelle Huppert, James Baldwin, Janielle Monae, Ken Loach, Lupita Nyong'o, Madine Nalwanga, Mahershala Ali, Malcolm X. Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, Mia Hansen-Love, Mira Nair, Modern Musical, Naomie Harris, PFF, Philadelphia Film Festival, psychological thriller, Rolf Lassgard, Ryan Gosling, Samuel L. Jackson, Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoorti, Tarell McCraney, Trevante Rhodes

For this post, you’re gonna need a pencil and piece of paper (or whatever you use these days to jot things down, i.e., movie titles that you want to remember or want to add to your ‘to see list.’)

Of the 15 films mini-reviewed below, almost half of them are now out in the theaters or will be out within the next month or two. Most of these we saw recently at a film festival in Philadelphia.

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