MSPIFF Preview!

One rom-com, one drama, and one documentary, each 95 minutes.

I really do need to build a home theater.

The Girl From Monaco (France)
Wolf (Sweden)
Food, Inc. (USA)

Just a List of Films So Far, No Dates/Times

As usual, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival is taking its time putting together its film program, just a short two and a half weeks away. However, they've put up some films and descriptions on their very clunky website.

Still not posted by MSPIFF: American Independent and Childish films. Here's a list of what I hope to see:

World Cinema

Dunya and Desie
Helen
How About You
Salt of the Sea
Stars on Earth
Song of the Sparrows
Heaven on Earth
Jerusalema
Lemon Tree
The Mermaid
Mothers and Daughters
My Marlon and Brando
One Man Village
Qadir-An Afghan Ulysses
The Girl From Monaco
Secrets of the Grain
Taarka
Fighter
The Necessities of Life
Lion's Den
Shall We Kiss?
Eldorado
Days and Clouds
Teddy Bear
Country Teacher
Wolf
King of Ping Pong
Ciao Bella
Bang-Bang Wedding (Director will introduce the film)
Rumba
Two Lives Plus One
The Kautokeino Rebellion
Moon
Liberation Day (Munyurangabo)
Rudo y Cursi
The Window
The Tour

Documentary

Trust Us, This is All Made Up
Wounded Knee
Corner Shop
School Play
In a Dream
Recipes for Disaster
Oblivion
Rough Aunties
Forgotten Transports: To Estonia
Food, Inc.
Blind Love
A Walk to Beautiful
What Remains of Us
Letters to the President

Minnesota Made

White Man's World
Pride of Lions
The Red Tail

Global Lens

Sleepwalking Land
Possible Lives
The Photograph
I Am From Totov Veles
Mutum

More March Madness...and a little February Film

Well, it turns out there are not two but THREE film fests in March. The third one, though, is teeny compared to the others.

Spirit in the House is a theater fringe fest of sorts, having to do with all things spiritual. This year they added a film festival component. Here are my choices, all happening at Hennepin United Methodist, at 511 Groveland in downtown Minneapolis:

Friday, February 27th

The Jesus Guy, 7:00 pm
Shorts Program 1, 8:30 pm

Saturday, February 28th

Shorts Program 2, 7:00 pm

Sunday, March 1st

Baptists at Our Barbecue, 7:00 pm

And I'm also going to this non-movie piece:

Monday, March 2nd

Saving Pagan Babies: Catholic Culture Clashes, 7:00 pm

Upcoming Film Fests

I can't quite believe that the Twin Cities film fest season is upon us. Even MSPIFF has announced its dates (though don't expect films to be announced until a few days before it's scheduled to begin in mid-April).

Here is my March wish list for the Twin Cities Jewish Film Fest and Women with Vision festival. Care to join me?

3 Women, Wed Mar 11, 7:30 pm, WALKER
Bridge Over the Wadi (link is to just the description, not the film fest), Thur Mar 12, 7:00 pm, SABES JCC
Queer Films at TCJFF: A Trip to Prague (short), Berated Women (short) and The Secrets (full-length), Sat Mar 14, 8:30 pm, HOPKINS MANN THEATER
Noodle, Sun Mar 15, 1:00 pm, WALKER (shown in conjunction with TCJFF)
7 Blind Filmmakers, Wed Mar 18, 7:30 pm, WALKER
Katia's Sister, Fri Mar 20, 7:30 pm, WALKER Directed by Mijke deJong, who directed one of my favorite films of the 2006 MSPIFF, Bluebird.
Stop the Re-Route, Sat Mar 21, 2:00 pm, WALKER
Snow, Sat Mar 21, 7:30 pm, WALKER

Waltz with Bashir

I knew I wanted to see Waltz With Bashir, mostly because I'd loved last year's Persepolis so much. Like Persepolis, Waltz With Bashir is an animated film exploring explicitly adult themes of war, guilt, regret and healing. Also like Persepolis, Waltz with Bashir is deeply autobiographical for Director Ari Forman, who deserves his Golden Globe nod. I sure do hope it makes the Oscar cut.

My rating: Worth $10. You have to see it on the big screen.

Doubt

There is no doubt that Doubt, starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis (who not only cries on screen, but gets her nose to run--how did she do that?), will garner lots and lots of award nominations. All the actors, in fact, received nominations for Golden Globe acting awards.

But I found the play-turned-movie to be too small for the big screen. On a stage, you're limited by the available space; in films, there are no such limitations. Unfortunately, the playwright, John Patrick Shanley, also wrote the screen play and directed the film. I think he forgot that film is expansive.


My review: Worth Renting or Worth a Matinee to see extraordinary acting skill from all the main actors, but especially Viola Davis. And the added bonus, if you're Catholic, you'll laugh throughout this heavy drama as a few women did during the screening Wednesday night. Definitely don't pay full-price for Doubt.

Last Chance Harvey

If you live in one of the lucky places that gets to see Last Chance Harvey when it opens for you on Christmas day, and if you like to see movies on Christmas like we do, don't dampen your spirit with some of the deeper, intense and morbid films that'll sweep the Oscars in three months. See Last Chance Harvey on Christmas. The rest of you will have to wait until late January, when it opens for those of us who live in less desirable markets.

Last Chance Harvey is an atypical romantic comedy that satisfyingly skirts some of the common Hollywood cliches. It stars Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, but instead of the director relying on their star power, such as it is, the actors pull off compelling and likable characters without manipulative music or splashy special effects. They've earned their Golden Globe nominations for their performances.

I don't recommend this movie to you lightly. I go to romantic comedies mostly because if I want to do something I love (go to movies) with the one I love (Liz), I'm most likely going to see a romantic comedy. I wouldn't typically go to such a chick flick without her prompting.

My rating: Worth a Matinee. You don't need to see this on the big screen, but you'll want to see it in an audience.