Watching The Circus (2005-06-05)

The Circus was hilarious. The version we saw had a score and some singing by Chaplin as well. Rent it if you can!

At Secret Festival #3 (2005-06-05)

The third Secret Festival this year was the best so far, in my opinion. I haven't enjoyed the Secret Festival films this year as much as I would have liked. They are, however, enjoyable social events. I see that the Seattle Channel has footage of Nancy Guppy's attempt to learn the secrets of the Secret Festival the previous week.

At Argentine Gala (2005-06-04)

SIFF rescheduled Bombón, el Perro, so I didn't attend the replacement film from Argentina, Avellaneda's Moon. I did, however, attend the gala, staying into the early morning with Diana, Poppe, and others.

Watching Die Nacht der lebenden Loser (2005-06-03)

Like UK's Shaun of the Dead but less serious, or USA's American Pie with more zombies, Die Nacht der lebenden Loser was great horror-comedy, precisely the kind of movie I expect for Midnight Adrenaline.

The Night of the Living Dorks was one of a half-dozen or more screenings I see with my friend Teague. Those who like black comedy, cult, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and thrillers might be interested in his entire schedule:

• --05-21 21:30 Layer Cake
• --05-22 21:00 Marebito
• --05-24 19:15 Absolut
• --05-25 16:45 Summer Storm
• --05-25 21:30 Ronda Nocturna
• --05-26 16:15 Three...Extremes
• --05-26 19:00 Adam & Steve
• --05-27 23:55 Godzilla: Final War
• --05-30 21:15 Geek Love
• --05-31 18:45 Inlaws & Outlaws
• --06-01 19:15 Nightmare
• --06-02 21:30 Strings
• --06-03 16:45 Rice Rhapsody
• --06-03 23:55 The Night of the Living Dorks
• --06-09 14:00 El Crimen Perfecto
• --06-09 16:30 Seriously Gay
• --06-09 19:00 Heights
• --06-10 16:45 Banlieue 13
• --06-10 19:00 Howl's Moving Castle
• --06-11 21:30 Dreamship Surprise - Period 1
• --06-12 14:00 Lonesome Jim

Watching Rice Rhapsody (2005-06-03)

While the ambiguity of the sexuality of the youngest of three sons is decently done, Hainan ji fan/Rice Rhapsody was ultimately too contrived for me to like much. Sabine's transition from self-assertive student to source of family wisdom was not plausible. As the three imaginary girls site notes, however, the boys were nice to watch.

Watching Mysterious Skin (2005-06-02)

Not watching television--or even having one in the house for many years--means I missed "3rd Rock from the Sun" and wasn't familiar with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. His portrayal of Neil in Mysterious Skin is amazing. He fills the role with talent and energy. Gregg Araki tastefully directs a film with uncomfortable scenes and disturbing subjects without giving simple resolution. The film is a dream/nightmare in a Kansas town that is rewarding viewing for those that can tolerate the disturbing scenes.

(Minor spoilersfollow.) The male characters carry the complexity of sexual development. Neil identified his preference for men prior to his illegal experiences with his coach, and recalls the events as a love affair--not connecting it with his current self-destructive lifestyle. Brian appears asexual, for reasons he can't remember and the audience guesses. The coach disappears mysteriously after his crime. The female characters are less clear and sometimes caricatures.

Missing Hawaii, Oslo (2005-06-02)

Caitlin and Randy give Hawaii, Oslo two 5s (out of 5). I was watching other films.

Watching Le Clan (2005-06-01)

They scheduled Ryan to work when he would see Le Clan/Three Dancing Slaves with me. I had to watch half-naked--sometime all-naked--French guys alone.

The film has three parts, each focussed on one of three brothers. (Some viewers walked out after a dog was killed in the first story.) The audience was most sympathetic to story of the youngest. The progress of his friend from buddy to lover is beautifully told. The Seattle crowd cheered when their love affair was consummated. On the way out of the theater, I overheard comments similar to my thoughts: It was sad when he broke off the relationship with his first love; why did he do that? Perhaps he did it out of fear of his brothers.

Watching Inlaws & Outlaws (2005-05-31)

Production problems, some perhaps due to a format translation, marred my viewing of Inlaws & Outlaws. It was tolerable as long as I watched the eyes of those interviewed, and not the out-of-synchronization lips. The most moving stories were those of long-time partners, particularly one had been together 50 years. The love each had for their partner was clear in the interviews.

Oh, no! I'm seven film reviews behind. I'll try to write shorter reviews.

At Secret Festival #2 (2005-05-29)

This week's Secret Festival involved many meetings. I again weaseled my way to the front of the line with Steven and Dan, Bic, and Diana. I'm envious that Diana will attend Wired News Nextfest 2005. I left to get coffee when the Seattle Channel television camera appeared for "Film Fanatic" Diana .

I was approached by the first friend of buhrger, ironymaiden, thankfully not carrying an embarrassing sign. Later frabjousdave introduced himself as well. After the Festival on Broadway I encountered butterflydrming with ironymaiden. (I hope I don't have their faces and their online identities confused.) Together we all watched...

...a movie I'm still not going to name, even though I know someone who would have liked it. Before the Festival the Seattle Channel was testing those in line to see if anyone would name the film. I doubt anyone did.

Watching Red Dust (2005-05-28)

Red Dust uses the subplot of the return of Sarah Barcant (Hilary Swank from the thrilling Insomnia and the improbable The Core) to her South Africa hometown to facilitate the dramatization of amnesty hearings. The plot centers one fictional decision of the Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commision (TRC) in the late 1990s. The TRC under Archbishop Desmond Tutu eased the transition from apartheid to representative democracy under Nelson Mandela. The hearing in the film involved the interrogation of Alex Mpondo and his friend Steve Sizela, African National Congress (ANC) members, by a local police officer Dirk Hendricks and his supervisor.

Red Dust includes flashbacks to beatings and torture, including wetting a bag placed over the head of the detainee to simulate drowning. When asked why he showed little remorse for his participation in the widespread human rights violations under apartheid, Dirk replies, "It was war." Beatings, indefinite detentions, torture, using war to justify human rights violations--these were part of the crime of apartheid.

It consequently troubles me to contemplate these actions in support of our representative democracy. A Church Report summary includes 71 "substantiated cases of detainee abuse involving 121 victims and six deaths." Department of Defense documents released to the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act describe placing a bag over the detainee's head and beating him. News articles describe "water-boarding" as a technique the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) uses for interrogation. This is the same wet-bag technique portrayed in Red Dust. The military requested permission to use this technique, but the Secretary of Defense authorized almost all techniques except this one. Numerous citations are available to those concerned about torture.

What answer will this administration give? "It was war"? South Africa, too, considered itself involved in a war on terror; indefinite detention without trial was permitted under the Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 (the Act that permitted the arrest of Steve Biko). Such a war does not justify human rights violations.

Watching Ronda Nocturna (2005-05-27)

I liked Ronda Nocturna/Night Watch better when it was over. That is, I like the film's concept, but the telling of the tale took too long, leaving me a little bored.

The film observes the protagonist through one night as he wanders the streets of Buenos Aires. (The film is part of SIFF's "¡Viva Argentina!" program.). It is a gritty city, hit by economic hardship that leaves many of its citizens collecting trash for survival. The protagonist survives by making money as a prostitute and drug dealer.

A small spoiler follows: the SIFF description doesn't mention a word that IMDb's plot keywords includes. That word is "ghost". The film takes place on the «Dia de los Muertos» or "Day of the Dead." Even if only in the protagonist's mind, on this night the boundary blurs between this life and the next, and the marked dead attempt to take their loved ones to join them.

Watching Adam & Steve (2005-05-26)

Director Craig Chester wanted to make a gay movie that wasn't depressing. This reminds me of the then-unacceptably happy ending of Maurice, a novel by E.M Forster (author of A Passage to India, and Merchant-Ivory productions A Room with a View, and Howard's End). Craig Chester aimed for a romantic comedy comparable with the quotable When Harry Met Sally or the sentimental Sleepless in Seattle. In Adam & Steve, Craig Chester succeeded in making a funny film, though since his gags ranged from campy to raunchy to silly, not every joke is for everyone. Award-winning comedies (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) or even romantic comedies (Bedrooms and Hallways, The Broken Hearts Club) with gay main characters aren't a new type of film, however. Craig Chester was present for a question-and-answer session as well as an invitation-only queer after-film party at Rosebud.

Watching Three...Extremes (2005-05-26)

Three...Extremes was a collection of three unrelated short horror films from Hong Kong (Dumplings), South Korea (Cut), and Japan (Box). Those more familiar with the genre may have seen previous films by the three directors, Fruit Chan, Chan-wook Park, and Takashi Miike. I had only seen Takashi Miike's enjoyable horror-comedy musical Katakuri-ke no kôfuku/The Happiness of the Katakuris, though the trailers for Chan-wook Park's Oldboy looked intersting.

Blood and human tissue are part of what make Fruit Chan's Dumplings and Chan-wook Park's Cut horrific. Dumplings, however, has both a moral about the price of vanity and an ending ambiguous about just how high the price is. I found Cut's discussion of the genesis of good and evil less compelling, and its plot twist less logical. Takashi Miike's Box was less gory and more compelling than the others. However, I didn't like the resolution.

The horror of Three...Extremes and the horror-comedy of Die Nacht der lebenden Loser/The Night of the Living Dorks are my dose of this genre for the Festival. Fans of horror may want to consider Marebito, though Ryan and friends do not recommend it.

Watching Sommersturm (2005-05-25)

After a minor role in Enemy at the Gates, Robert Stadlober again stars in a coming-of-age romance, this time as a coodinated gay boy (Sommersturm) rather than a spastic straight boy (Crazy). I liked Sommersturm, but I don't expect much from teen comedies in general. For coming-out romances, perhaps Britain's Beautiful Thing or Get Real were better; for teen comedies with gay characters, America's Saved! (which I saw at SIFF last year) was better. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Germany's Summer Storm for its portrayal of the anguish of falling in love with someone who will likely never feel the same--or someone who loves someone else. Though in Seattle many in the audience might call themselves gay, nearly anyone can identify with some role in this teen triangle.

Getting More Tickets (2005-05-24)

Ryan bought me two "threes" to add to my SIFF Schedule, a South Korean horror thriller and a French gay drama:

• --05-26 16:15 Three...Extremes
• --06-01 21:30 Three Dancing Slaves

At Secret Festival #1 (2005-05-22)

At the first Secret Festival I stood at the head of the line with friends of Steven and Dan, and discussed what Peter Sarsgaard had said about The Dying Gaul. Then we watched...

...a movie I'm not going to name. Below is the text from the back of my Secret Festival pass:

I, the undersigned, do hereby solemnly swear that I will never divulge the titles or discuss any of the films screened at the 2005 SIFF Secret Festival. Furthermore, I agree that I will not commit to print, broadcast on radio / television, on-line service or any other media form information regarding any of the 2005 Secret Festival screenings. I understand that the Seattle International Film Festival can and will pursue legal action against me in order to recover punitive and financial damages caused by my breach of this contract. I understand that no recording device of any kind is allowed into festival venues and that I may be subject to physical search of my person or personal property upon entrace to festival venues.

Below that is my signature. I would give the movie a 2 out of 5.

Watching Ladies in Lavender (2005-05-22)

As we anticipated, Daniel Brühl was beautiful in Ladies in Lavender, but so was Natascha McElhone. The movie had less political paranoia than I expected; at its gentle heart it was a leisurely comedy on romantic regret. While Ryan cried, I gave it a 3 out of 5.

Watching Saint Ralph (2005-05-21)

The second film in my SIFF schedule (after Me and You and Everyone We Know and before The Dying Gaul with Peter Sarsgaard) was the Canadian movie Saint Ralph. Set in a Catholic high school, against the backdrop of hormones (an interest in sex and the opposite sex), Saint Ralph is about impossible dreams, faith, and the things that give the stamina to survive suffering. Movies with mothers in comas can make me cry more easily than many. However, I heard a handful of sniffles from elsewhere in the theater during key moments of character development. I gave it a 4 out of 5.

Gordon Downie's cover of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah" was nice. ("I heard there was a secret chord/That David played and it pleased the Lord/But you don't really care for music, do you?/Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth/The minor fall and the major lift/The baffled king composing hallelujah.")

Watching Peter Sarsgaard (2005-05-21)

Tonight at the Gala Reception at the Red Lion Hotel we met Peter Sarsgaard, in town for "An Evening with Peter Sarsgaard" and the screening of The Dying Gaul. The Dying Gaul was preceded by short film selections showing why Peter received the Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting. His recent parts are much more significant than his earlier roles as Walter Delacroix in Dead Man Walking or Raoul in The Man in the Iron Mask (which I unfortunately watched to see Leonardo DiCaprio)! One of my favorite movies in which Sarsgaard played is Garden State.

The introductions began when Karen and SIFF membership coordinator Tara Morgan left the table at which Ryan and I had been catching up with Steven and Dan, whom we met at last year's SIFF. Kevin and Lisa sat down in Tara's and Karen's places, and later told us about their big trip. Before that, however, we learned that Kevin and Lisa attended the interview, film, and party because Kevin went to Jesuit high school in Connecticut with Peter Sarsgaard. When Peter walked in with Maggie Gyllenhaal (Who knew they were dating?), Kevin and Lisa stood up to talk to them. Ryan and I later joined them.

I remarked to Peter that his character's roles as lover of a married man was similar in Kinsey and The Dying Gaul. He replied that Robert in The Dying Gaul was much more aggressive than Clyde Martin in Kinsey. Ryan complimented Peter on his portrayal of a gay man, particularly a scene in The Dying Gaul in which he grieves his lost lover. That scene reminded Ryan of his best friend Mika. Ryan also touched Peter's very short, low-maintenance hair.

Partygoers continuously asked for Peter's and Maggie's autographs. When Peter stepped away with Tara, Kevin asked Maggie if she made movies as well. Maggie mentioned Secretary and Criminal. Ryan took the opportunity to discuss Maggie's movies, particularly Mona Lisa Smile (a sort of Dead Poet's Society for girls). He also complimented her on her style, asked if she had fashion help, and asked if she followed magazine comments on her dress. She dresses herself and doesn't care what the press says.

Finally, Ryan told her that he thought both she and Jake were beautiful, and asked her to tell her younger brother that at least one person in Seattle thinks he's hot. Momentarily thinking only of Jake Gyllenhaal--and forgetting that Maggie was in the same movie--I remarked that we were sorry Jake didn't attend the Donnie Darko director's cut screening at SIFF last year. (It had been nice to chat with Jena Malone and Mary McDonnell last year, however. Jena Malone--who also played in Life as a House--had been in two other SIFF films I saw: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys and Saved!) I'd love to meet the star of October Sky and Jordan from Lovely & Amazing. Jake, come to Seattle!

Back to Peter Sarsgaard, The Dying Gaul will be interesting in distribution, given that the story of a gay couple--revolving around Peter's character--is a major plot element. In fact, The Dying Gaul is self-referential, discussing at length how difficult it is for such a film to attract theatergoers, despite the success of Philadelphia. The box office will tell if this is true.