Watching Ne le dis à personne (2007-06-01)

In November while Ryan and I were in Paris, we noticed the release of Ne le dis à personne/Tell No One, a thriller based upon a novel. Upon our return to the States Ryan bought the novel No se lo digas a nadie, thinking it was a translation of the novel that formed the basis of the film in France. No se lo digas a nadie is indeed the basis for a movie--a different movie, No se lo digas a nadie/Don't Tell Anyone (which, like any movie mentioned in this blog, I had seen).

I'm glad we went to see Ne le dis à personne, as it was quite good. It had action, romance, and plot twists.

Watching Death at a Funeral (2007-06-01)

A modern UK comedy, Death at a Funeral centers around sibling rivalry and secrets (almost) taken to the grave. Those familiar with "Firefly" and Serenity will recognize Alan Tudyk.

Watching Black Sheep (2007-05-31)

The tagline, "Get ready for the Violence of the Lambs!" and the trailer tell the viewer what to expect from this New Zealand film: gory black comedy. A number of scenes are deliberately gross, with the camera panning across the bloody stumps of limbs chewed off by killer sheep. The comedy, of course, comes from the fact that it's sheep doing the killing. Surprisingly, I found Black Sheep more gory and less humorous than Fido.

Watching Ein Freund von mir (2007-05-31)

After watching the trailer a friend in Berlin thought that A Friend of Mine/Ein Freund von mir would have no real story but nevertheless be humorous. Indeed, even though fast cars are part of the plot, so are conversations; the film is more striking for its tone than its sequence of events. It shows the development of friendship between two quirky characters, one of whom is played by Daniel Brühl. I'll recommend the film to my German friends.

Watching Fido (2007-05-30)

Yesterday I was seeking a break from serious conversation. What entertainment requires less energy than a zombie movie? Using online voucher redemption and Will Call--a combination almost as convenient as a pass--, I decided Wednesday afternoon to join friends at the Neptune Theatre for Fido that night. The crowd that appeared for this black comedy was almost like ones at Midnight Adrenaline films, or Paprika.

I was hoping for goofy fun, and I was not disappointed. Carrie-Anne Moss played her role well. The comedy--especially the Lassie allusions-- were so funny the audience laughed over many of the lines. I enjoyed the film.

Watching La Vida Homo (2007-05-27)

Sunday night at the Egyptian I introduced new friends to other friends with tickets and we all watched a series of short films. I'll list them in order of my enjoyment, from the film I enjoyed most to the one I enjoyed least:

1. Cowboy Forever. I especially liked the scene in which their cowboy coworkers jokingly hold Jones down for a kiss from Govinda. Without requiring serious discussion they conveyed humorous awareness of the feelings involved.
   
2. Heartland. For a suspenseful moment in this short film it's not clear if the main characters will fight or kiss.
3. signage. There can be many reasons two people stay away from one another. This short shows the real reason isn't always the "obvious" one.
4. Kali Ma. This was entertaining enough for a longer running time, even if the plot was improbable.
5. Serene Hunter. Sometimes it's the pursuit that's fun.
6. 41 Seconds. I liked the way this short film played with presentation on the screen.
7. I Just Wanted to Be Somebody. The photo for this film never appeared onscreen. Neither did Anita Bryant. Instead, we saw sheep shearing and what appeared to be a baby factory. I suspect there was a mistake in the reels and we watched the wrong film.
   

At Secret Festival #1 (2007-05-27)

For reasons I can't discuss, the Secret Festival started me thinking about emotional immaturity and maturity. Signs that suggest emotional immaturity to me include lack of empathy, managing moods with substances, refusing to talk about feelings, and tolerating any behavior in others.

In contrast, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People quotes Hrand Saxenian's definition of emotional maturity: "the ability to express one's own feelings and convictions balanced with consideration for the thoughts and feelings of others." In 7 Habits this balance between courage and consideration is necessary for Habit 4: Think Win/Win. This habit helps move people from independence to interdependence. This is part of Stephen R. Covey's broader maturity continuum (not merely emotional maturity), from dependence to independence to interdependence.

In How to Be An Adult, David Richo writes, "Adults learn that separateness is not an abandonment but simply a human condition, the only condition from which a healthy relationship can grow. With boundaries come interdependence rather than dependency." In films and in life, I see the value of these definitions of emotional and personal maturity.

At Muk Gong Saturday Gala (2005-07-26)

Two days after the Opening Night Gala we attended the first Saturday Gala, another film and reception. The film was Muk gong/A Battle of Wits and the reception was at the Hilton.

Although based upon a novel and manga, Muk gong was live action rather than anime (whereas Paprika was anime). I went expecting strategy and stunts, and was not disappointed. The score for films I liked versus films I disliked is 3 to 0.

At the reception our group of a half-dozen guys noticed a SIFF guest that one of our friends suggested had been in Paris, je t'aime, in the segment "Le Marais" directed by Gus Van Sant. I consulted the full cast and crew on the Internet Movie Database on my phone. Since Ryan was sure it wasn't Gaspard Ulliel, we decided it was Elias McConnell.

As he walked away for a cigarette break, I intercepted him and verified his identity. "This party is lame," he said, "there's no one my age." I pointed to two of our friends and said they were his age. "There are no girls my age," he amended. Nevertheless the five of us talked--about Portland, his past and present photography, his role in Elephant, his ongoing friendship with Gus Van Sant (and the roles Elias hopes to play), clubbing in Paris around the filming of Paris, je t'aime, and the Luxembourg filming of House of Boys--until it was time for our friends to leave the party.

Watching Paprika (2007-05-25)

I vividly remember an experience from one summer in college. I was living with a friend's parents and working a night shift. Early one afternoon I awakened and walked sleepily into their dining room for breakfast. In their dining room I looked up and noticed that the walls were now covered in colorful Arabic tapestries. In fact, the walls were wider than before. It looked like I was inside a Bedouin tent. I placed my hand on my chin in thought, and then shook my finger at the tapestries. "This is a dream!" I said. Shortly afterward I truly awakened.

This experience of false awakening may be the closest experience I've had to reality testing lucid dreaming. As I mentioned before, I like stories and movies in which it is difficult to distinguish appearance and reality. The first film with a dream theme I remember seeing was Dreamscape, but I liked Richard Linklater's rotoscoped Waking Life better. In fact, I recommend Before Sunrise, Waking Life, Before Sunset, and A Scanner Darkly by Richard Linklater. As I noted elsewhere, the first three films in this list have a lot of conversation. The first three films also have Ethan Hawke as Jesse and Julie Delpy as Celine, although they have only a cameo appearance in Waking Life. (The relationship between Jesse and Celine in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset is one of the most realistic romances I've seen in film, including the awkward silences and conversational corrections that happen when two people are getting to know one another. Equally interesting is the decade between the two movies, in both reality and the lives of the characters.) Both Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly address the differences between perception and reality, Waking Life through conversation and A Scanner Darkly through action.

A Scanner Darkly is also the latest I've seen in a similar series of movies influenced by Philip K. Dick short stories or novels--a series that includes my favorite Blade Runner as well as Total Recall, Abre Los Ojos and Vanilla Sky, Minority Report, and Paycheck. Of the associated stories--Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Ubik, Minority Report, Paycheck, and A Scanner Darkly--I remember reading all but Ubik.

False awakenings, lucid dreaming, difficulty distinguishing dreams and reality, animation (although not rotoscoping), and dreams driving reality--all these themes are present in Paprika as well. We saw this film--the second for us in SIFF 2007--at 21:30 at the Neptune Theatre with friends and what appeared to be anime fans. (I'm glad I got our tickets from Will Call before the printer broke!) While we enjoyed the film and the effects of dreaming, I was somewhat confused by multiple false awakenings and collective dreams.

At Opening Night Gala (2007-05-24)

The SIFF Opening Night Gala is not merely a movie. It's an entire evening event, from disorganized line to interminable introduction to delightful screening to dancing reception.

Disorganized Line

The back of my Gala Pass says, "Passholders will be allowed preferred entrance into theaters up to 20 minutes prior to showtime, or until passholder allotment is reached." Usually this means separate pass holder's and ticket holder's lines, the former entering first. The staff at McCaw Hall were not aware of this convention, however.

As a group of pass holders gathered, I explained the existence of pass holders who hadn't upgraded to VIP to a half-dozen people: to McCaw Hall staff guarding the door upon my arrival, to SIFF staff directing foot traffic inside, to SIFF staff entering the building, to SIFF staff about to clear the area for ticket holders, to two McCaw Hall additional staff directing foot traffic inside. Finally feature programmer Maryna Ajaja approved our entrance.

Interminable Introduction

Once inside our friends guessed how long the introduction would require, from "Good Evening" to the dimming of the lights for the film. Would it be 13 minutes? 17 minutes? 20 minutes? In "The Price Is Right" format I chose 21 minutes, confident from previous opening night experience that the introduction would require more than 20 minutes. The proceedings began 15 minutes late and lasted longer than 35 minutes.

Surprisingly, parade of sponsors by Gary Tucker (Director of Communications and Community Programming) was one of the more enjoyable parts, complete with a picture of a cat with a bottle of vodka. In lolcat style Ryan and I were working on the caption "I Bought You Vodka, But I Drinked It" when a person behind us said, "I Can Has Vodka?". (Later "i'm in ur likker, drinkin ur vodka" occurred to me.)

Delightful Screening

SIFF opening night films often premier elsewhere; Son of Rambow showed at the Sundance Film Festival. This screening was a crowd-pleaser like The Notebook or The Illusionist rather than a surprise like Me and You and Everyone We Know.

It reminded me most of Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys from SIFF 2002, though not opening night. (As I mentioned previously, I met Jena Malone from The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys--and Saved!--when she was in town for Donnie Darko.) Both films contain animated sequences based sketches drawn by one of the film's characters. In Dangerous Lives the religious element is Catholic, while in Son of Rambow it's Plymouth Brethren. Dangerous Lives is set in the 1970s, while Son of Rambow is set in the 1980s. Dangerous Lives has mid-teen characters while Son of Rambow has early teen characters.

The improbable plot of Son of Rambow makes good comedy and tolerable sentimentality. The goings-on are goofy, especially with the addition of a French foreign exchange student. The sentimentality, most prominent in the blood brother scene and several rescue scenes, stands in the literary tradition of innocent romantic friendships among boys at English schools.

Dancing Reception

Finally, the evening ended with a reception. The reception was huge and included a dance area, long lines of food and drink, floors of different music, and films projected on the walls. We danced with friends into the night.

At SIFF Ticket Office (2007-05-24)

Each year the start of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is faster for me. Prior to this blog and in 2005 I purchased passes and tickets at the main box office. In 2006 I had purchased passes and tickets in advance and redeemed vouchers at the member box office. In 2007 I not only purchased passes and tickets in advance but I can also redeem the vouchers individually online. For my two Film Buff 20 Packs this means I don't have to determine all twenty screenings in advance. I've already redeemed 16 vouchers for 2 tickets each to 8 screenings; the tickets will be at Will Call. Consequently this year potential screenings are shared events in Google Calendar rather than public lists in Blogger.

Yesterday Ryan and I still visited the Pacific Place ticket office for my SIFF Gala Pass photograph and our Secret Festival passes--and to avoid the $3.50 service fee on Web purchases for which I can't use my vouchers. While we were there they printed Ryan's Opening Night Gala and Closing Night Gala tickets. Next year I may send in a digital photograph in advance as well and avoid the wait.

Eating Like a Thin Hobbit

Aragorn: Gentlemen, we do not stop till nightfall.
Pippin: What about breakfast?
Aragorn: You've already had it.
Pippin: We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?
[Aragorn turns and walks off in disgust]
Merry: I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.
Pippin: What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?
Merry: I wouldn't count on it.

--The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Lately I eat frequent small meals--a sort of hobbit diet, except perhaps smaller portions and healthier food choices. I find that the Seattle restaurants we frequent serve meals literally twice the amount I eat in one sitting. I'm glad that restaurants in Seattle, unlike restaurants in Paris, will provide a doggy bag.

I've heard from my doctor and read that frequent small meals aid alertness, improve digestion, increase metabolism, lower cholesterol, maintain weight, and--more important to me--reduce heartburn from large meals and reactive hypoglycemia from blood glucose and insulin variation. Consequently I think my half-meals and snacks throughout the day at home and the office are healthy.

Reading An Inconvenient Truth (2007-04-03/08)

In 1995/1997, when my graduate research on rainfall predictors for reservoir models required analysis of climate data, friends would frequently request my opinion on global warming. I would reply that there was too much natural variability for me to conclude there was a warming trend.

Global warming wasn't directly related to my research--and my research, as it happened, wasn't directly related to my life. Therefore I was recently interested to see the scientific consensus and new information in the decade since I encountered climate data. Like my friend who wanted footnotes to the nightly news, I wanted footnotes for the film An Inconvenient Truth. I wanted to check the scales of graphs shown in the film (Are they logarithmic?) and the sources for the quotations (Are they peer-reviewed?). Consequently I purchased the book.

The book presents status of the scientific consensus as it appears in the popular press in a style similar to Harper's Index:

• Number of peer-reviewed articles dealing with "climate change" published in scientific journals during the previous 10 years: 928
• Percentage of articles in doubt as to the cause of global warming: 0%
• Articles in the popular press about global warming during the previous 14 years: 636
• Percentage of articles in doubt as to the cause of global warming: 53%

Those who have read Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions will be aware that there are sociological forces at work in scientific consensus. Nevertheless, I suggest we should act upon the best available information, and apply the precautionary principle when future consequences are severe. I also note that the graphs throughout the book suggest ongoing global warming in the decade since I paid attention to climate data.

Of course, there are debates in scientific circles on particular points that the book and film present only in the form of a summary conclusion. The aim of book and film appears to be to present the basic scientific facts in a visual and memorable fashion. The complexity of the relevant thermodynamics is hidden behind the full color and large type.

At the end of the book there is a call to action, particularly to reduce carbon emissions. One of the ways is to "get around on less." Driving less is already one of my 2007 goals, as I noted when writing about simplicity and time savings.

Another of my goals related to An Inconvenient Truth is to spend six days in forest or wilderness. Several of the autobiographical sketches interspersed throughout the book and film show Al Gore's very personal appreciation for the environment. This, and his motivation for public service, have increased my respect for Al Gore while reading this book.

Listening to Melissa Etheridge (1991/2007)

I don't care what they think.
I don't care what they say.
What do they know about this love, anyway?
--Melissa Etheridge, "Come to My Window"

Along with more than 50 other people at Pete's Oscar Party I heard "I Need To Wake Up" by Melissa Etheridge win at the 79th Academy® Awards. I had heard the song when I watched An Inconvenient Truth, but had forgotten. (Perhaps I had been too preoccupied with finding the footnotes to the science the film presented.)

Perhaps twice a decade I experience with someone what I describe, not as affection, not as being "in love", not as desire, not infatuation, not lust, but limerence. I experience limerence over an extended time as periods of pleasure and of pain that correspond with my internal perceptions and are inconsistent with my rational evaluation of the situation. (On one hand, for me infatuation is principally pleasurable and relatively short. On the other hand, being in love is consistent with my rational evaluation of the situation, and its pleasures and pains correspond to the events in our lives.) At its worst, I feel anxiety in the other's presence, watching them for small cues that--by giving them the benefit of the doubt--I can interpret positively. I think of the other daily, and even wake up in the early hours of the morning.

In moments like these I love to listen to Melissa Etheridge. Hearing her longing lets me relax. Why? Because her lyrics describe a life more obsessive than mine ever is, and I see myself as normal again. My favorite is her self-titled album. Songs titles like "Precious Pain," "Don't You Need," and "Watching You" convey the thrust of this album. The lyrics continue the theme:

• "Don't you need? Don't you want?/Can't you taste it when you're alone?"
• "Silence is the steel that pierces and cuts me to the bone./In dreams the hand that touches you is mine, and mine alone."
• "If I can't love you/I don't want to love you./If I can't hold you/I don't want to be thinking of you."

At the Oscars I was happy to hear the passion is still present in Melissa Etheridge's voice, nearly two decades after her debut, and more than fifteen years since another passionate Melissa introduced me to her music.

Considering Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films (2007-03-01/04-22)

Films

What films shall I watch? In January I placed my online "Early Bird" order for Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) 2007, but that doesn't start until May 24. In the meantime, March 1 through April 22, there is a series of art house films acquired by Janus Films.

I'd like to see some good films by famous directors. At least one film by Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, and Truffaut might be good. Below are my top picks for each (with links to the films showing for each director, and to the Internet Movie Database description of the films):

• Bergman
  
  
  1. The Seventh Seal
     
  2. Monika
     
  3. Fanny & Alexander
     
  
  
• Fellini
  
  
  1. La Strada
     
  
  
• Kurosawa
  
  
  1. The Seven Samurai
     
  2. Rashomon
     
  3. High and Low
     
  
  
• Truffaut
  
  
  1. The 400 Blows
     
  2. Antoine & Colette
     
  3. Jules and Jim
     
  
  

I'm asking film buffs for recommendations so I can schedule. Which films shall I see?

Details

If you would like to join me, the films show at the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle Center. (This hall was funded by Seattle in November, started in December, and completed in January.) There is a discount for SIFF members and students. For my top picks, below are the times that look good to me (with links to the schedule):

• The Seventh Seal: 2007-03-23 21:30
  
• La Strada: 2007-03-16 19:30
  
• The Seven Samurai: 2007-04-21 19:30
  
• The 400 Blows: 2007-03-02 19:00
  

Watching Das Leben der Anderen/The Lives of Others (2007-02-11)

Das Leben der Anderen/The Lives of Others contains both empathetic character development and entertaining plot twists. Set in East Germany before (and a little after) the fall of the Berlin Wall, the story follows the main characters, a Stasi officer and the playwright-and-actress couple he surveils, in a way that shows their humanity.

Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck said after a preview screening that the film has special meaning to many of those in Germany that viewed it or participated in its creation. In the cast one example is Sebastian Koch, who plays Georg Dreyman, the playwright: he experienced Stasi intimidation himself. In the crew another example is the property manager, who went to great lengths to assure the authenticity of the props in the film. In the audience many were reminded of their experiences in the GDR.

It sounded like Germany has some lack of constructive methods for its citizens to relate to former Stasi informants and officers, and to address the memory of the arrests, suicides, surveillance, and threats the film shows. Some Seattle audience members suggested the model of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I was reminded of Red Dust. However, the goal of the TRC was truth rather than justice. It's possible that since the Stasi files are available for review by those who were surveillance targets, the truth is sufficiently available.

Das Leben der Anderen is an engaging film due not only to the people, place, and time it portrays, but also for the suspenseful sequence of events. I recommend those near Seattle's Harvard Exit Theatre go see it when it opens there February 16.

Watching Stranger Than Fiction (2007-01-12)

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
--The Beatles, "Taxman"

Appropriate to my needed renewed empathy for those who aren't "neurotypical," the friend who showed us the existential comedy I Heart Huckabees recently invited us to see Stranger Than Fiction. After dinner in the nearly-empty Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro, we walked to Meridian 16 for the movie.

Will Ferrell describes his character, Harold Crick--an IRS auditor--, as "slightly OCD." If the distinction is "those with OCD know their behavior is problematic where the symptoms of OCPD are part of a person's personality," I would describe Harold as OCPD.

I like movies with multiple levels, stories within stories, and interaction between form and content, so I found the film enjoyable. It's "a movie about a guy who has a narrator." Especially entertaining were the numbers and thin white schematics in scenes emphasizing Harold's counting and alignment.

The appearance of Tony Hale ("Arrested Development") was amusing. The performance of Maggie Gyllenhaal--as the happy and lively love interest--was delightful. (I wonder, Did she give Ryan's message to Jake?)

Harold Crick's life looks boring. Nevertheless, he wants to live it. The movie centers on his efforts to do so despite his "imminent death."

Watching El Laberinto del Fauno/Pan's Labyrinth (2007-01-20)

An old friend says he doesn't read fantasy because he read The Lord of the Rings and few--if any--authors match J.R.R. Tolkien's ability. While I'm not as exclusive in my reading of fantasy or other speculative fiction, reading the Inklings has led me to expect of fairy tales the feel of something real. Glimpsing and overhearing the wider world beyond the story are part of that feel.

Roger Ebert calls El Laberinto del Fauno "a fairy tale for grown-ups." Despite the young girl as a protagonist, the tale is definitely for grown-ups: the movie is gory. However, the fairy tale elements go no further than the story, and the realistic elements (1944 Spain) contain implausible evil. (Here's a minor spoiler: one character suffers puncture wounds to the back, chest, and face; drinks an overdose of a sleeping drug; and then chases and catches another character.) The evil was intentionally unpleasant, but a good tale would make the movie enjoyable. While I wanted to enjoy the fantasy, the fairy tale wasn't sufficiently coherent to make a movie I enjoyed.

Watching Boy Culture (2006-05-26)

The first of three films spawned in Seattle--a total of four local films--that I watched, Boy Culture was a witty adaptation of the book. The hot "boys" included Darryl Stephens, who we would later see in Another Gay Movie.

Watching Wah-Wah (2006-05-26)

Wah-Wah needs a trailer that emphasizes its drama more than its comedy. While the SIFF web site describes it as a "dramedy", the comedic aspects are more apparent in the trailer. In one scene Ralph and his father, Harry Compton (played by Gabriel Byrne), block his mother's entrance and gesture the maid away. In the film the scene is sad while in the trailer it appears funny. Alternatively, the movie could end before his father drops and breaks the china cup; there is sufficient tragedy in the earlier parts of the film.