CONTAGION (2011)

Written by Scott Z. Burns


Directed by Steven Soderbergh


Where & When: Vista Theater, Los Angeles, CA. September 11, 2011 7:00 PM



Have you ever thought about what you would do if an unknown, deadly, airborne virus was gradually wiping out the entire human population?

I sure hope you haven't but if you tend to dwell on dark subjects, then "Contagion", the latest by Steven Soderbergh, is a thriller that gives you the perfect opportunity to envision this chilling scenario. What makes this even more frightening is that the possibility of this actually occurring seems even more plausible than ever considering the current condition of our planet.

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) is in a Chicago airport, waiting to return home to Minneapolis after a business trip in Hong Kong. She has a raspy cough and doesn't feel well but simply assumes it's jetlag. By the time she arrives home to her husband, Mitch (Matt Damon) and their son, Beth is feeling much worse with a very high fever. Two days later, Beth has a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. The doctors do all they can, but they cannot save her. Unable to explain the cause for her tragic death, Mitch is barely able to cope with this loss when he is called home by the babysitter. By the time he gets there, his son has also died from the same mysterious ailment.

This virus, which appears to be easily spread from a contaminated person either by touching, coughing or breathing, is killing people not only in the areas that Beth had visited but rapidly spreading across the globe. Mitch, however, seems to be immune to this virus. He is quarantined and questioned by Dr. Mears (Kate Winslet), sent by Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) of the C.D.C. to help investigate this growing epidemic.

Over the course of the investigation, doctors struggle to identify the common aspects of the virus while political bureaucracy manages to get in the way of the research. The Department of Homeland Security gets involved, checking to see if this could possibly be a bioweapon. And a paranoid, attention-seeking blogger (Jude Law) takes advantage of this situation, using the power of the Internet to manipulate a terrified public and profit off their fear.

It's safe to say that Soderbergh remembers the all-star disaster flicks of the 1970's. But instead of a burning skyscraper or a capsized cruise ship, his modern version of that genre is less of an over-the-top spectacle and something more grounded in reality, backed up with plausible science that makes the stakes feel much higher as time is quickly running out.

While "Contagion" seems like a reasonable outline of the frightening circumstances that could occur if this pandemic actually happened, we are never able to connect to this large, global cast of doomed characters as they are either not properly fleshed out or they are not on screen long enough to leave a lasting impression. All of the big-name actors on board, which includes Marion Cotillard as a doctor from the World Health Organization sent to China to figure out how this virus began but ends up being used as a pawn. And in even smaller roles, Elliott Gould, Bryan Cranston, John Hawkes and Sanaa Lathan are all fully committed but because of time constraints, all of their star-power is wasted in parts that don't add up to much more than cameos. Only Jennifer Ehle, as the doctor who works desperately on trying to create a vaccine, in a quiet but effective performance, leaves any real impact.

Soderbergh has always been one of the more adventurous film makers working today and although not everything he has made has been worthy of overwhelming praise, every film has refreshingly challenged as well as offering thoughtful and unconventional ideas (including his more commercial ventures) while never feeling like a waste of time or energy. "Contagion" presents a relatively, mainstream sci-fi thriller combined with his trademark idiosyncratic film making, accomplished with a sharp screenplay by Scott Z. Burns, who wrote the director's previous film, "The Informant!", although the final resolution feels a bit too tidy and unbelievably fast.

"Contagion" is a fascinating examination on how human beings react and behave during an unimaginable crisis. The film doesn't leave much of a deep or lasting impression, yet it perfectly creates an atmosphere of tension, anxiety and paranoia. If anything, it may probably encourage people to stock up on hand sanitizer and become a little bit more nervous when they hear somebody cough.

2011 FALL MOVIE PREVIEW

The sun has finally set on this year's crop of summer flicks so that means it's time to focus on the fall which tends to bring us darker and more dramatic fare. I tend to prefer this time of the year because the films tends to be more bold, challenging and certainly less predictable.

I'm going to share a few of the upcoming films that look particularly interesting to me.

All of the U.S. release dates are subject to change:

"THE IDES OF MARCH"

Release Date: October 7, 2011

George Clooney has returned to the director's chair and has made a political drama, based on the stage play, "Farragut North", about a young and ambitious media strategist (Ryan Gosling) working for a Democratic Governor (Clooney) running for President. After the young man discovers a troubling secret about the candidate that could unravel his campaign, he must decide whether to adhere to his values or do whatever it takes to help the Governor win. The film has a great cast that includes Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright and Evan Rachel Wood.



"DIRTY GIRL"

Release Date: October 7, 2011

Set in the 1980's, this quirky comedy stars Juno Temple as Danielle, a promiscuous Southern teenager who fights with her deeply religious mother (Milla Jovovich) and wants to find her birth father. After she befriends a fellow outcast, a gay classmate (Jeremy Dozier), they take off on a road trip to Los Angeles to find Danielle's father. William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen, and country singers, Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw make appearances in the film.



"THE SKIN I LIVE IN"

Release Date: October 14, 2011

After twenty-one years, Antonio Banderas has re-teamed with writer/director Pedro Almodovar in a dark and disturbing horror story about a deranged doctor who holds a young woman (Elena Araya from "Talk To Her") captive so he can use her for an experiment that will not cause human flesh to burn. This twisted tale has plenty of sex and high drama that is done in a way that only Almodovar can deliver. Marisa Parades ("All About My Mother") also stars.



"MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"

Release Date: November 4, 2011

This drama is based on the memoir by Colin Clark, (played by Eddie Redmayne) who was a production assistant on the British set of the 1956 film, "The Prince and the Showgirl" which starred Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). After Monroe's new husband, Arthur Miller (Dougay Scott) has to return to America, Clark is assigned to keep her company for a week. The film also features Emma Watson ("Harry Potter"), Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper and Judi Dench.



"WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN"

Release Date: December 2, 2011

Lynne Ramsay, the acclaimed Scottish director is releasing only her third feature film since her 1999 award-winning debut, "Ratcatcher". Tilda Swinton stars as a mother who struggles to understand the events that lead up to her son, Kevin's massacre of teachers and his fellow students at his high school. Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, the film also features John C. Reilly as Kevin's father and Ezra Miller as Kevin.



"A DANGEROUS METHOD"

Release Date:  December 9, 2011

Director, David Cronenberg has teamed-up with Viggo Mortensen for the third consecutive time ("A History of Violence", "Eastern Promises") for a film about the relationship between psychiatrist, Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and his mentor, Sigmond Freud (Mortensen) and the troubled student (Keira Knightly) who comes between them.



"W.E."

Release Date: December 9, 2011

"W.E." is the story of two women; one, a lonely young woman (Abbie Cornish) in present-day New York who is obsessed about the love story of England's King Edward VII (James D'Arcy) who gave up the crown in 1936 to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) with the other being Simpson herself from the early days of their romance to the difficult times later in the relationship. The film, co-written and directed by the "Queen of Pop", Madonna, has already premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival and will also screen at the Toronto Film Festival.



"'TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY"

Release Date: December 9, 2011

This 1974 novel by John le Carre was first made in to a seven part mini-series by the BBC in 1979 and now has been made in to a feature film. Gary Oldman plays a former British spy who is brought out of retirement to uncover a Russian agent. Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Ciaran Hinds, John Hurt and Oscar winner, Colin Firth round out this impressive cast of British actors.


"THE IRON LADY"

Release Date: December 16, 2011

Meryl Streep could possibly earn her seventeenth Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in a story about the days before leading up to the Falklands War in 1982. Fellow Oscar winner, Jim Broadbent co-stars as her husband.



"CARNAGE"

Release Date:  December 18, 2011

Based on the play, "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza,  this is the story of two sets of parents; one wealthy (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) and the other middle-class, (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) who come together to discuss a fight their children had that day but as the evening progresses, they begin acting increasingly childish and unreasonable. The controversial, Roman Polanski directs this dark comedy.

ANOTHER EARTH (2011)

Written by Mike Cahill & Brit Marling


Directed by Mike Cahill


Where & When: Laemmle's Sunset 5, West Hollywood, CA. August 30, 2011 4:30PM



"Another Earth" wants to be a grand, thought-provoking story about loss and redemption with a sci-fi twist but instead is only able to manage to be a low-budget, fairly routine, and slightly disturbing drama

The film begins with a tragedy as Rhoda (Brit Marling), a gregarious, intelligent young woman, is leaving a party one evening. She has had a little too much to drink but drives home anyway. Rhoda hears news that another planet has been found that could sustain human life but as she take her eyes off the road to stare at this new discovery, she crashes into a car, killing an expectant mother, her young child and leaving the father in a critical condition.

After serving four years in prison, Rhoda has become glum and withdrawn, with her plans to go to college to study astrophysics now over. She keeps to herself, not wanting to deal with people, so she gets a job as a custodian at a high school and works with a blind, elderly man who doesn't speak. Rhoda is having great difficulty trying to find a way to move on with her life or even if she should continue living but her interest is piqued by an essay contest for an opportunity to win a trip to the new planet, now called Earth 2, which we have communicated with and seems to be an exact replica of our own Earth. Fascinated by the idea, she is inspired to write a completely honest entry on why she wants to go.

After a chance sighting of John Burroughs (William Mapother), the only survivor from the car accident, Rhoda now wants to apologize for what she has done as she was unable to while he was in a coma for months after the incident. She finds out where he lives but after she gets the nerve to knock on his door, Rhoda backs down and claims to offer a free trial cleaning service. John was a successful music composer but after losing his family, he was left broken-down, depressed, and spending each day drinking heavily.

Against better judgement, Rhoda begins working for him without revealing who she actually is. The two slowly develop a friendship that inspires John to create new music and opens Rhoda up to feel and laugh again. This soon leads to inevitably more tender feelings between them and after Rhoda wins the contest, John is happy for her but doesn't want her to go which leaves her to face several complicated and difficult decisions.

"Another Earth" poses some intriguing ideas, such as, if Rhoda actually went to this parallel planet, would it truly be exactly the same and could it be dramatically altered by her presence there but Mr. Cahill, (who also did cinematography, edited and produced) because of his budget, wasn't able to fully explore this theme so the film doesn't have much to offer beyond a thin and unremarkable melodrama. I know that Rhoda wanted to make amends but I'm pretty sure she could have found a smarter way than causing this poor man even more pain by not revealing that she is the one responsible for killing his family until long after she sleeps with him.

The only real highlight of "Another Earth" is the discovery of a new talent as Ms Marling, who also co-wrote the screenplay, manages to give a moving performance with little dialogue and with the use of her very expressive face. I'm sure this film will be just enough of a calling card to lead to other more promising opportunities for this young actress. "Another Earth" is never able to soar as many of the deeper ideas that it touches are never fully developed which keeps this film sadly Earthbound.

THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE (2011)

Written by Michael Thomas


Directed by Lee Tamahori


Where & When: Arclight Cinema, Hollywood, CA. August 8, 2011  7:40PM



"The Devil's Double" is based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) who had the misfortune of bearing a striking resemblance to Uday Saddam Hussein, (also played by Mr. Cooper) the eldest son of the President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Uday, like his father, used body doubles for protection and and was in search of a new body. He attended school with Latif and recalled that everyone said how much the two men looked alike, so Uday makes him an offer that he can't refuse.

After Latif goes through plastic surgery and fitted with dentures to complete the transformation, the life that he once knew is now over. In exchange, Latif can enjoy all of luxuries and the good life that goes with being the "son of The President" but he is warned to keep his hands off of any of the women that Uday has his eye on.

One of Uday's long-time mistresses, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier), who is wild and free-spirited, notices that the only difference between the two men is Latif's larger penis. She comes on to him aggressively and while Latif tries to resist, he soon gives in to her charms.

Latif struggles to hang on to what is left of his true self as it's not long before he discovers that Uday Huessin is a drug-addled, unstable and sadistic monster who gets immense pleasure from the torture or murder of anyone who displeases him as well as plucking teenage girls off from the street and using them for his depraved desires. After Latif witnesses Uday crashing a wedding, raping the new bride and because of the shame, kills herself immediately afterwards, he knows he has to get out of this nightmare no matter what the cost.

After Mr.Tamahori made his powerful 1994 debut, "Once Were Warriors", a gritty, independent film about a Maori family in New Zealand, Hollywood  came calling and while the budgets of his subsequent work went up, the quality went way down as he made such gems as the lackluster James Bond flick, "Die Another Day" and the 2005 sequel to "xXx", a critical and box-office flop. "The Devil's Double" is a positive step in the right direction but still doesn't dig nearly deep enough. There was much effort made to concive the seemingly opulent world of Uday Hussen that was actually dark, disturbing and ultra-violent but not nearly enough was paid in creating an emotional connection with Latif or any of the other victims of the deranged lunatic.

Mr. Cooper is quite impressive in both of his wildly different roles as the mild-mannered, Latif and the psychotic, Uday and I'm sure it was challenging, most especially when he had to be Latif, pretending to be Uday and making it clear that this was, in a way, a third character. He is the best thing in this film however, the casting of Anglo actors in leading roles is part of the biggest issue I have with "The Devil's Double". While British actor, Cooper is good but still somewhat problematic in his part but the idea that Ms Sagnier, who is blonde and French, could simply put on a dark wig and heavy black eyeliner to be believable as a Middle Eastern woman is not only insensitive but insulting as there are still so few roles available for people of color. I realize that Hollywood likes to cast name actors in major parts in films but how will that ever happen for ethnic actors if there are not placed in roles, most especially ones that call for them.

"The Devil's Double" is very stylish with an intriguing and shocking story and while there are moments of great film making but ultimately the film ends up being uneven and it's potential is never fully realized

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)

Written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely


Directed by Joe Johnston


Where & When: Emagine Cinemas, Canton, MI  August 1, 2011  4:30PM



"Captain America: The First Avenger" seems like it might be at a disadvantage as it is the last of four films ("Thor", "X-Men: First Class" and "Green Lantern", in case you had forgotten) released this summer based on a comic book super-hero. Audiences could possibly be suffering from spandex overload at this point and although this film certainly doesn't offer\anything that makes it stand out from the crowd but it still delivers enough visual thrills and high-octane action to make it entertaining.

During the second World War, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a short and scrawny kid from Brooklyn, desperately wants to join the US Army to help fight against the Nazi Party. The problem is that he has more heart than brawn and Steve is rejected but he is very determined, having tried several previous times using different aliases. Steve's good friend, James "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) was accepted and about to be sent off to Europe.

Steve decides to give enlisting one more shot and this time he is accepted due to a scientist, Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who overheard Steve's conversation with Bucky on why he wants to get in to the army. The real reason is that the doctor has a secret plan for the unfit recruit, much to the dismay of Col. Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) who thinks a better candidate could be found.

Steve is going to be used in an experiment to turn him in to the perfect fighting machine and if it works, to create an army to defeat the Nazis. With the help of inventor, Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Steve Rogers goes from a skeletal reject to a towering, super-solider who now wears his patriotism on his newly, muscle-bound chest.

However, this was not the first attempt to create a powerful human weapon to fight in the war, as Dr. Erskine was forced to use the serum on Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), a top commander who runs Hitler's terrorist organization, HYDRA. It worked on him but there were some side effects which lead to Schmidt also being referred to as "The Red Skull".

Schimdt has discovered Dr. Erskine's location in America and has him killed, delaying the possibility of using the secret serum on other soldiers. The army only wants to study Steve in a lab but he wants to get out and fight, so he gets an offer to perform in a stage show to help sell war bonds, earning him the name, "Captain America".

Captain America makes it to Italy to entertain the troops but he is mocked by the soldiers. While there, Steve discovers that Bucky's unit was captured fighting against HYDRA. Steve is determined to rescue the men, so he gets some assistance from Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), a tough but beautiful British solider to help get him behind enemy lines.

Armed with an indestructible shield designed by Stark, Captain America, single-handily, gets inside of the HYDRA fortress and saves the troops. Captain America comes face to face with the Red Skull and the men engage in battle but the Skull manages to escape. However, the Captain discovers the location of other HYDRA headquarters

Captain America rounds up Bucky and a band of multi-ethnic soldiers begin to destroy all of HYDRA's bases but they soon find out that the Red Skull has a large scale plan to wipe out the entire planet but will Captain America be able to stop him in time?

If this plot feels familiar, well, it probably is but the story has always taken a back seat in these comic-book adaptions to deafening action sequences and glossy, computer-generated images. Director, Johnston displays great visual style and keeps things moving at a fast pace, while the script manages to capture some of the spirit of the films of the era with snappy dialogue and grand romantic gestures but "The First Avenger" soon dissolves in to a fairly pedestrian and predictable conclusion.

Mr. Evans, who certainly looks the part of an all-American (super) hero, has had previous experience wearing tights as he played "The Human Torch" in the two "Fantastic Four" movies but he was used to better advantage in those films than in "The First Avenger". The Torch was cocky and arrogant, making that hero interestingly flawed and human while the Captain is just so selfless and idealistic that it makes him bland and not particularly believable, which doesn't leave Evans really much to play. The CGI that was used to make Evans looks skinny in the beginning of the film was not always successful because, at times, it made him look like a bobble-head figure.

Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving were wisely brought on to fill in roles that have become their specialty; Jones can play gruff, no-nonsense men with a soft center with little effort while Weaving delivers his reliable, evil-personified character and both actors add much needed spark and humor to the film. Ms Atwell is sexy and charismatic as Captain America's love interest but her character is just a little too 21st century to fit comfortably in to the world of the 1940's. Derek Luke, Toby Jones and Neal McDonough are also a part of a very classy supporting cast.

Overall, "Captain America" delivers plenty of  the fun and adventure you expect from this type of film, no more and no less. Also, be sure to stay until the end of the credits as you get a shameless plug of next summer's expected super-hero blockbuster, "The Avengers" which will bring together Thor, The Hulk, Iron-Man and of course, Captain America, all in one film.

TABLOID (2011)

Directed By Errol Morris


Where & When: Laemmle's Sunset 5, West Hollywood, CA. July 16, 2011  3:10PM



Errol Morris, the critically acclaimed documentary film maker who is best known for making films about rich and compelling subjects such as a man wrongly convicted of murder ("The Thin Blue Line"), a prison executioner ("Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.") physicist, Stephen Hawking ("A Brief History In Time"), the torture and abuse of the prisoners of Abu Ghrab ("Standard Operating Procedure") and the career of former US Secretary of State, Robert S. McNamara (the Oscar-winning, "The Fog Of War") so it seems a little surprising that Mr. Morris would direct his camera towards such a sensationalistic story of Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming World who goes to very extreme measures in the name of love. Ms McKinney, a charming but eccentric beauty, is interviewed and proceeds to tell her version of events as follows:

In 1977, she met Kirk Anderson, a Mormon missionary and they fell madly in love despite his mother's very vocal disapproval. The two were planning to be married but one day, Anderson disappeared without a trace. McKinney hires a private investigator to find the love of her life and discovers that he is in England with the Church of Later-Day Saints.

Fearing that her man had been brain-washed, she brings along friend, Keith May with the intent of saving Anderson from the sinister clutches of the church. They abduct Anderson, take him to a cottage in Devon where Ms McKinney chains her lover to the bed and makes passionate love to him in order to help him come to his senses.

Soon, Anderson realises his mistake and wants to go back to the church to explain it to them, so he is released with the intention of him returning to Ms McKinney, however, she is later arrested and charged with kidnapping and rape. After she is released on bail, McKinney becomes a British media sensation, giving several interviews, made plans to write a book to give her side of the story and appearing at several glamorous social events. A newspaper, The Daily Mirror digs in to Ms McKinney's past and discovered that she was not as innocent or squeaky clean as she claimed to be.

Disgusted by the lies that the paper apparently had spread, McKinney and her alleged co-conspirator, May jumped bail, got fake passports and returned to the US but are later arrested in 1979 by the FBI for making false statements to obtain  passports which their sentences are later suspended.

You would think that would be the end of McKinney's story but she turns up in the news years later in 2008 (although she would attempt to deny that she was the same woman involved in the sex scandal) with her involvement of cloning her dead pet which renewed interest in her past.

I can understand why the director might be interested in this salacious tale as there is plenty of intrigue and scandal but to devote an entire documentary to the delightfully, loopy Ms McKinney as the main subject feels like the equivalent of watching a beautifully shot car crash in slow motion and I think that it's kinda beneath Mr. Morris. I do admit I found "Tabloid" absolutely entertaining and Mr. Morris cleverly adds creative visuals to photos and television footage to enhance the film but there still is nothing particularly necessary in bringing this true story to the screen as it doesn't offer much more that can be found regularly on any tabloid news program.

Ms McKinney seems convincing (and convinced) of everything she claims in "Tabloid" to be true but anyone with even a little knowledge of reality programing knows that it may be wise to question how accurate many of these statements that she has made in the film.

It's too bad that this incident didn't happen to Ms McKinney today, because like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, she could have turned her sex scandal in to a very lucrative business. I'm very sure Joyce McKinney would have made a dance record or been a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars" or at the very least, been on Dr. Drew's rehab program.

WINNERS FROM THE 2011 OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL

First, here is a listing of the Grand Jury prizes and audience award winners from this year's Outfest Film Festival:

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALL, Directed by Shawn Nee

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film:
I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK ALONE, Directed by Daniel Ribeiro

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film: HABANA MUDA, Directed by Eric Brach

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
WEEKEND, Directed by Andrew Haigh

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film: Nikohl Boosheri, CIRCUMSTANCE

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film:The Cast of  PRIVATE ROMEO



Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting: Stephen Cone, THE WISE KIDS

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film:THE WISE KIDS, Directed by Stephen Cone

Special Programming Award for Freedom: NO LOOK PASS, Directed by Melissa Johnson

For its unflinching look at the life of a young lesbian basketball star facing the hardships of coming out and a relationship challenged by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" the Outfest Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to NO LOOK PASS.

Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement: THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE, Directed by Marie Losier

For matching the conceptual daring and aesthetic bravado of its subjects' lives with an equally powerful film making style and for never losing sight of the love story that flourished in an atmosphere of gender experimentation and conceptual music, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Marie Losier, director of THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE



Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent:Madeleine Olnek, Writer/Director of CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME

For her witty and creative vision, her skill at eliciting memorable performances, for deftly blending old school science fiction and deadpan comedy, and for believing that true love exists even if it means going to another planet to find it, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Madeleine Olnek, the writer/director of CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME.



Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film:SAME DIFFERENCE, Directed by Catherine Opie & Lisa Udelson

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film:TSUYAKO, Directed by Mitsuyo Miyazaki



Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film:
WE WERE HERE, Directed by David Weissman & Bill Weber

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film:3, Directed by Tom Tykwer

Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film:CIRCUMSTANCE, Directed by Maryam Keshavarz



Now, here are reviews of a few of the films I saw during the festival:

July 8, 2011

"SHOTS IN THE DARK"

This is a collection of seven short films that are shocking and unusual and the stand-outs for me were "Yearbook" by Carter Smith which features high-school students interviewed and talking about their sexual experiences and the strange consequences of that and "Fourplay:Tampa", which is one of a collection of four short films involving sexual intimacy, which is my favorite mainly because the film is so disturbing and very funny. The story is about a man who is looking for a quickie in a public restroom during his lunch hour but he's having difficulty finding someone so he uses his imagination that involves a wide range of people with a few that might offend some of the audience.




July 10, 2011

"WITHOUT"

A young woman (Joslyn Jensen) takes on the job, on a remote wooded island, as a care-giver to an elderly, wheelchair bound man (Ronald Carrier) who is almost in a vegetative state as his family has gone on vacation. With poor phone service, no Internet or anyone to talk to in the house, she slowly starts to unravel by the isolation as she is haunted by memories of her ex-girlfriend and begins to question whether the old man is actually an invalid as her cellphone mysteriously seems to keep being moved.

"Without" by writer/director Mark Jackson feels like a modern variation on Polanski's "Repulsion" and while the film is an admirable and confident debut as well as featuring a strong performance from Ms Jensen but there were just a few too many questions left unanswered (like the moving phone, for one) that left me feeling a little bit frustrated.


WITHOUT from right on red films on Vimeo.

"LONGHORNS"

A spoof of the sex comedies of the 1980's,  Kevin (Jacob Newton) is a closeted college student in the heart of Texas who falls for the out and proud Cesar (Derek Villanueva) but Kevin is struggling to keep his new friend a secret from his (allegedly) straight, horn-dog buddies (Dylan Vox, Kevin Held and Stephen Matzke).

Although the audience at the screening seemed to thoroughly enjoy the film as there's plenty of sex and full-frontal nudity from all of the male cast members but I can't say that I did as I thought that it's not nearly enough to make this tired and very unfunny film worth seeing.




July 11, 2011

"WOMAN'S PICTURE"

"Woman's Picture" features three segments of complex, complicated and lonely women: Ingrid (Calpernia Addams), a transgendered female, has returned home to visit her estranged mother after ten years but the true reason for her coming back is a mystery; Loretta (Amy Lavere), a shy, quiet hotel maid with a dark secret, is having difficulty telling the difference between fact and fantasy and Miriam (Ann Magnuson) is a home shopping host who is struggling to maintain her professional and personal life.

Brian Pera, the writer and director, was inspired by the female-driven films of the 40's and 50's and he has successfully captured the essence of those wonderful films. The best of the three parts features Ann Magnuson in a very welcome return to the screen. It is solid, well-written scene of a woman near her breaking point with Ms Magnuson skillfully bringing this character to life. Ms Addams, lovely and vulnerable, delivers a touching performance. The only true weak link is the segment involving the maid. Although this actually feels like a homage to David Lynch but it's overlong, rambling and out of place with the rest of the film.


Woman's Picture Trailer from brian pera on Vimeo.


"ECUPID"

Marshall (Houston Rhines) is not only frustrated at his job and about to turn thirty but his seven year relationship with Gabe (Noah Shuffman) is beginning to feel boring and  routine. While surfing the web, Marshall stumbles upon a mysterious application called, ECupid that offers to find him true love. He downloads the app and his life is turned upside down as all types of sexy guys that he has dreamed of comes after him but he soon discovers that it may not be at all what he bargained for.

Writer/director, J.C. Calciano brings a gay romantic-comedy in the age of the Internet that is lightweight and predictable but there is still a small amount of charm to be found. Look for the well-preserved, Morgan Fairchild as the voice of the ECupid app and she makes an appearance as the wise waitress.