[QuickTidal]

Tiff Films #3: FAITH CONNECTIONS. Like it says above this is a documentary (by the director of SAMSARA) about the Kumbh Mela, the largest cultural/religious gathering on the planet. It takes place at the apex of the three major Indian rivers, over a section of land covering 55 square kilometers, for a period of about 55 days with attendance in the millions, it is unlike anything I think I've seen. I love docs that dip into portions of global cultures to this level where I'm literally immersed in Hindu doctrine, life, and philisophy for two hours. On top of that the Director chooses to show us various interesting personalities, a Hindu Yogi (having rejected the world) who is inexplicably caring (quite well) for a 5 year old child who was abandoned at the age of 3 weeks and found by him, a distraught couple who have lost their 3 year old son in the crowd when their back was turned (according to the [police on any given day at the Mela 135,000 people go missing, and when it's kids it's usually due to human trafficking), a corporate businessman who has taken to coming to let go of himself and allow spirituality to dominate and free him, and lastly the most compelling story, a runaway boy of ten who wanders the Mela at will, surviving, living with Sadhu's, police, yogi's, or whomever else will have him, claiming his parents are dead and that one day he will grow up to be a big gangster...the kid literally steals the show from the moment he appears on camera...he is simply mesmerizing.

My only complaint (and it's a small one) is that the director allows the camera and scene's to linger a BIT too long, pushing the running time a tad causing a bit of lag here and there...but aside from that, this is the first film I truly feel I've enjoyed so far this Fest. Wonderful if you can find it.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 07 September 2013 - 04:54 PM

[QuickTidal]

MANDELA: THE LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

Wow, Idris Elba has an awards run for this I'm sure. He embodies Mandela to a level that I can't even tell you. A wonderfully EXACTING film that dips deep enough into Mandela's whole story, and doesn't shy away from some of the stuff that is more hard to see, the turn from peaceful protests to violence, and even how Mandela was quite a womanizer as a younger man. But it's VERY specific to show us ALL of Apartheid, from the initial belief of the British that they belonged, and the native black South African's were meant to be "lesser" as set out by god...to the 50 years of peaceful protesting, to the organized violence that the ANC committed in their attempts to bring the horrid government to its knees, throughout his incarceration, and how because the ANC didn't get to finish its duties the country fell into abandonment and race war. A Fascinating film, brought to vivid life by Elba and Harris and the director should be lauded for wrangling Mandela's 751-page biographical tome into a clean, well-crafted 2 1/2hr movie.

Amazing, amazing stuff. MUCH recommended!

[QuickTidal]

GRAVITY

Holy Fuckballs!

This is easily the finest film at the fest so far. It is EVERY bit as incredible as you've been hearing it is.

Even as a big fan of Alfonso Cuaron's work, this is definitively his masterpiece!

It's 93 minutes of tight, perfectly (and gorgeously shot) film. Every last frame is accounted for, and on display. It's SO much more than what you see in the trailer (which is awesome), and Sandra Bullock is absolutely magnificent.

I want to be clear, there are frames of film in here that are just so perfect (I have no other word), lovingly crafted for maximum effect. Around the first 25 minutes ....doesn't...stop. that's not an exaggeration, the camera is always turning, panning, closing in...and yet it never feels dizzy, and there are points where it stops and lingers as well. But this film is mostly about a continuous running narrative. When it stops and lingers it's beautiful, and when it moves forward it utterly SOARS.

The score is is pure, wonderful, undiluted genius, and it's not only good, and interesting to listen to...it also acts as a feature of the film itself (you'll see what I mean). I'm buying it the moment it comes out.

The acting is above par, both Sandra Bullock and George Clooney deliver powerhouse performances. I think it's probably my fave role Bullock has ever turned in, and I could see her win awards for this.

The script is amazing. It's clean, simple, and never overwrought. It's not melodramatic, but instead achieves drama by being quiet and reserved.

Lastly the Cinematography and Direction are both a tour de force. Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron had me experience something I don't think I can recall experiencing before. It felt like BEING in space, and you feel every last beat of tension and harrowing sequences.

Absolutely fuckballs amazing. My fave film at the fest so far, and one of the best movies I've seen all year!

Go fucking see this!

I've not been this entirely blown the hell away since I walked out of INCEPTION.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 09 September 2013 - 11:42 PM

[amphibian]

You seeing 12 Years A Slave?

I refused to see Django earlier and this seems to be having a better discussion surrounding it than that movie.

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 09 September 2013 - 10:12 PM, said:

You seeing 12 Years A Slave?

I refused to see Django earlier and this seems to be having a better discussion surrounding it than that movie.

I didn't get a chance as it was the buzziest film of the fest and all the tix were snapped up before my ticket-window...there is a screening on Sunday of it that I could rush...but yeah I hear from everyone I know who saw it that is was hands down their fave this year, and that Chiwetel would be looking at an Oscar for his performance.

[QuickTidal]

I skipped both MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS and HOW I LIVE NOW...because of a raucous hangover, but also because I heard the former was terribly bad, and the second was really meh.

But last night I saw JODOROWSKY'S DUNE, which is a documentary about the greatest movie never made.

I'm not joking, that had this movie been made it might very well hold a spot like STAR WARS as one of the greatest sci-fi motion pictures of all time. We are talking about a movie that would have starred, David Carradine, Mick Jagger, Orson Wells, Udo Keir, and Salvador Dali, and would have and the special effects design of Dan O'Bannon, and production design of Moebius, Foss, and HR Giger, and the music of Pink Floyd.

It sounded astounding, and the storyboards, and character concepts that Moebius drew...the stuff that Giger came up with....fuck, it would have been a high water mark in the 1970's.

Anyways, an interesting part of the doc comes near the end when you realize that even though it didn't get made (it got within days of building sets apparently) that the huge storyboard book that they made to give studios (only two still exist) which contained not only storyboards, bu all the art made for the film (which muyst have passed around Hollywood) can be seen in MULTIPLE sci-fi movies since then. Hell, the scene in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK where the Ark shoots the flame and smoke up into the air and then drops back down to drift the ghosts and smoke amongst the nazi's...cribbed almost directly from Jodorowsky's Dune where Paul / Mua'dib was doing something with his powers. There are seeds of his unmade film in almost every single sci-fi film since then...whether it was conscious or unconsciously done.

And the best aspect of "this would have fucking ruled"...O'Bannon, Moebius, and Giger went on to make ALIEN with Ridley Scott, and all 3 won awards for it (obviously)...Jodorowsky was proud of them for that....they were his team that he assembled, and he was proud they went on to such success.

Anyways, I walked out thinking to myself "Fuck, we missed out by not having that film made"

GREAT Documentary.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 12 September 2013 - 12:07 PM

[QuickTidal]

THE RAILWAY MAN

Oh gods, this one gut punched me.

The true story of a man who during WWII, after the surrender of the allies in Singapore to the Japanese, the use of them as slaves to build a death railway from Bangkok to Bhurma, and how after being caught with a radio (built only to listen to BBC reports from home), and a map of the railway (the main character was a railway and map enthusiast) British soldier Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) and his fellow engineer soldiers are beaten, water boarded, and made to sleep in a cages covered in excrement. The years later portion has Stellan Skarsgaard (as an adult veteran version of one of Lomax's soldier friends who also survived) and Nicole Kidman who is trying to help her new husband (Firth playing adult Eric Lomax) find a way to deal with the nightmares and walking PSTD that he experiences even 20 years after he came home. She sends him to Thailand to confront his main torturer from the Japanese secret police (who has survived) played by the always amazing Hiroyuki Sanada.

The whole movie is a home run swing. It's hard to watch, compelling, and will tip your emotions to the nth degree. As I watched it I kept thinking "This is emotional"....but the last few minutes reduced me to a sobbing mess, and I wasn't alone as the theatre was all sniffles, and wet eyed stares.

A phenomenal film, and both Firth and Sanada turn in award-worthy performances. I'd be really surprised if you don't see this one pop up at Oscar time.

Amazing. Second fave film at the fest after GRAVITY for me. And now I want to read Lomax's book (which the film is based off of).

Great stuff, well worth your time.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 12 September 2013 - 07:18 PM

[QuickTidal]

THE WIND RISES

So this is gonna be a shock, since I'm such a huge Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki fan...but I walked out at the 1hr 40min mark.

I have never been so interminably BORED by a script, especially an anime script...ESPECIALLY a Miyazaki script, in my life.

Now don't get me wrong, the visuals are dazzling as per usual, and the look of the thing is solid.

The story is just PLODDING.

Maybe it's cause there is little in the way of whimsy, and nothing in the way of fantasy (aside from his dreams) in the story of Japanese Zero designer Jiro Horikoshi. I think if you were an aviation enthusiast, you might find something to like...but the pacing is WAY off even for a Studio Ghibli film. There is no real antagonist, and thus the ONLY tension arises from a fiance who has TB and may die any day...and the Japanese secret police who keep an eye on Jiro for his dreamery. It's an odd look at the rise of the Japanese aggression that peppered the opening quarter century and led to their eventual involvement with the world in WWII, as it never touches on it enough to make it interesting. We are too stuck in Jiro's head watching him dream about "building beautiful aircraft", to ever get a sense of forboding of the Japanese war machine getting properly underway. And so what we are left with is just kind of a guy going through life, rather slowly, who eventually builds something impressive...that is used to bring death to people. It's just not movie material.

And on a day when I began the morning watching a film ALL about Japanese aggression in WWII and how the superiors hid everything from the underlings and soldiers, and people like Jiro who were duped into atrocity...Miyazaki's film treats the matter far too lightly. And I honestly think that was because he was on eggshells about the whole thing. Jiro is not looked upon as a hero in Japan...he was viewed as one of the establishment that led to brutalities in the war....and his late-life attempt to tell people he just wanted to "build beautiful planes" fell on deaf ears in modern Japan (Miyazaki was apparently scolded by audiences for choosing to tell Jiro's story).

I have no issues with him telling Jiro's story actually, and I would have found it fascinating...if it weren't such a slow, meandering mess.

It's not a bad film, but it's truly boring and I struggled to stay awake.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 13 September 2013 - 12:06 AM

[worry]

So I take it you preferred the Jiro who dreams of building sushi.

That's actually one of my most anticipated films on your list, and I dunno, but I'm still thinking I'll enjoy it a lot. Sounds right up my alley, since I enjoy the pacing of Makoto Shinkai's animes too, and they're relatively glacial.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 13 September 2013 - 02:42 AM, said:

So I take it you preferred the Jiro who dreams of building sushi.

That's actually one of my most anticipated films on your list, and I dunno, but I'm still thinking I'll enjoy it a lot. Sounds right up my alley, since I enjoy the pacing of Makoto Shinkai's animes too, and they're relatively glacial.

Oh yeah. All my friends who saw it this past week have enjoyed it, and think I'm nuts. So yeah, it's definitely down to personal preference...so you probably will enjoy it. My initial comments about it on FB engendered "angry" responses from one friend...who then edited her comments to be less nasty. Haha.

I'll probably watch it down the line when it comes out on DVD or ondemand, and get all the way through it...but on the back of films like SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and my personal fave MONONOKE...it holds nothing for me.

[QuickTidal]

UNFORGIVEN (Japanese remake of the 1992 Eastwood movie with Samurai instead of gunslingers)

It is EXACTLY as badass as it sounds, and it's VERY reverent of the source material...it's almost shot for shot...

Great stuff!

[QuickTidal]

Last film was amazing! COLD EYES. A Korean surveillance thriller, where a police unit use modern surveillance techniques to try to catch armed bank robbers who use the same surveillance to elude capture.

Stunningly acted, directed, edited and scored...it was 2 straight hours of tense cat and mouse games.

Absolutely 100% loved it, well, well worth your time!

So the final rundown of faves at the Fest this year, in order:

GRAVITY

THE RAILWAY MAN

COLD EYES

MANDELA: THE LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

UNFORGIVEN

[Avatar]

Quote

But last night I saw Jodorowsky's DUNE, which is a documentary about the greatest movie never made. I'm not joking, that had this movie been made it might very well hold a spot like STAR WARS as one of the greatest sci-fi motion pictures of all time. We are talking about a movie that would have starred, David Carradine, Mick Jagger, Orson Wells, Udo Keir, and Salvador Dali, and would have and the special effects design of Dan O'Bannon, and production design of Moebius, Foss, and HR Giger, and the music of Pink Floyd. It sounded astounding, and the storyboards, and character concepts that Moebius drew...the stuff that Giger came up with....fuck, it would have been a high water mark in the 1970's. Anyways, an interesting part of the doc comes near the end when you realize that even though it didn't get made (it got within days of building sets apparently) that the huge storyboard book that they made to give studios (only two still exist) which contained not only storyboards, bu all the art made for the film (which muyst have passed around Hollywood) can be seen in MULTIPLE sci-fi movies since then. Hell, the scene in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK where the Ark shoots the flame and smoke up into the air and then drops back down to drift the ghosts and smoke amongst the nazi's...cribbed almost directly from Jodorowsky's Dune where Paul / Mua'dib was doing something with his powers. There are seeds of his unmade film in almost every single sci-fi film since then...whether it was conscious or unconsciously done. And the best aspect of "this would have fucking ruled"...O'Bannon, Moebius, and Giger went on to make ALIEN with Ridley Scott, and all 3 won awards for it (obviously)...Jodorowsky was proud of them for that....they were his team that he assembled, and he was proud they went on to such success. GREAT Documentary.

I agree, great! Watching it right now.

This post has been edited by Avatar: 19 July 2014 - 06:49 PM

[QuickTidal]

A gorgeously mashed up trailer of a huge selection of the films at this years Fest. Thought you would like to see.



So far, because of time constraints, I'm only seeing two films. EDEN which is the new Mia Hansen-Løve film which is about the electronic music boom of the early 90's in Paris. I'm also seeing THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS which is a documentary about Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.

I MIGHT, might rush some other films midweek, depending on stuff that jumps out at me. WHIPLASH looks great: JK Simmons plays a music teacher who is unrelentingly brutal with his students to pull the genius out of them.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 03 September 2014 - 02:06 PM