Telluride 2008
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
I loved these films. They made my day:
Slumdog Millionaire The BEST film in the festival.
Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting), this is a surprising, quirky and all around amazingly creative look at the life of a “slumdog” – the lowest of the low in India. The story centers on 2 brothers who become orphans. One ends up a gangster, one ends up on a reality TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. His answers to the quiz show questions form the basis for a series of flashbacks about his life growing up. Gorgeous, informative, funny and just something that words can’t adequately express. See this film! Oh, and this is the ONLY film I’ve ever seem to attack subtitles in a startlingly fresh way that makes them integral without being distracting.I’ve Loved You So Long
Kristen Scott Thomas – as you may know – lives in France and this is an intriguing French film with over the top performances. Poignant, intelligent and thought provoking about a woman who has just gotten out of prison (you don’t know for awhile WHY she was there) and is reunited with a sister she hasn’t seen in decades. She deserves an Oscar.Flame & Citron
Denmark. An amazing and very compelling fiction – based on fact – about two resistance fighters known as Flame and Citron who are heroes in Denmark. An insightful look at what the occupation of a country can do to society AND to the individuals who feel they must “do something” to get back at the enemy.American Violet
A marvelous film about a single mom in a small Texas town who’s arrested during a random drug sweep – a common occurance in her African-American neighborhood. Unwilling to bend to the corrupt law enforcement establishment, she refuses to enter a plea bargain and ends up changing the way “the system” works. Based on a true story with Will Patton, Tim Blake Nelson, Alfre Woodard.Flash of Genius
Who knew there was a compelling – actually riveting – story behind the invention of the multi-speed windshield wiper? Greg Kinnear is wonderful as an inventor, who struggles depite overwhelming odds to have his idea credited to him, much to the chagrin of the big auto companies who think it’s OK to just steal the technology and move on. I have new respect for inventors!Received positive “buzz” from “the line”:
Friaaq
India. Fictional, based on fact. Hindu militants on a train clash with Muslim who set the train on fire. This leads (inevitably) to the Muslims planning a lethal assault on the Hindus – thousands died.Waltz with Bashir
Animated investigative journalisn like nothing you have ever seen. A reconstruction of a notorious atrocity in the Palestinian refugee camps.Tulpan
Crowd-pleasing (everyone said they were glad to have seen this film) about a herdsman who raises goats in Kazakhstan.Pirate for the Sea
An adventurer who confronts – by any means possible – those who would hunt whales, seals and sharks.i liked these films, but wouldn’t recommend them:
With A Little Help From Myself
African-French. Woe is the mother who has a drug dealing older son, a gambler for a husband and a young son who is headed for trouble. Somehow, this woman remains upbeat (or is she just delusional).The Rest is Silence
Romania. A very interesting and visually appealing fiction – based on a true story – about the making of Romania’s first feature film.Hunger
An IRA member and a hunger strike … grisly to watch but somehow mesmerizing. I wouldn’t see it again, but was happy to have taken a chance on it. Human suffering and political torture all wrapped up in a cinematic package.totally benign … neither loved nor hated them:
Happy-Go-Lucky
U.K. Sally Hawkins is so happy it’s annoying. This film is being touted as great. I can’t see it. It just seemed frenzied and over the top. A nursery school teacher is relentlessly upbeat, no matter what.“Oh my god, they spent money on THAT?”:
Everlasting Moments
Sweden. Just couldn’t get into this saga about a downtrodden woman who starts taking photographs in 1907 and proceeds to chronic her life and that of her family. Boring and tedious.Kisses
I didn’t see this film but didn’t hear from ANYONE who liked/appreciated it. Two abused children “come of age” in Dublin.Philanthropy
Romania. Tedious. I was bored throughout even though I did stay to the end in the hope that SOMETHING would happen to a weird high school teacher who indulges in a series of (unrealistic and uninteresting) escapades.Some really like this film, some really hated it:
Adam Resurrected
Supposed to be a black comedy about a clown (Jeff Goldblum) who is in an insane asylum and is tormented by memories of the horrific violence he experienced in the concentration camps.The Good, The Bad and the Weird
South Korea. Totally over the top violence – a parady of every action film ever made. Guess you have to be into that sort of film.“The Line” emphatically agreed this film sucked,
aka REAL LOSERS:Wow, didn’t hear about any films in this category this year.
