INFINITY BABY (USA 2017)

November 10, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized Bob Byington, film reviews, gilbert seah, INFINITY BABY (USA 2017), Martin Starr, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman

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A comedy about babies that don’t age.

The execution of the movie is as queer as its conception of the infinity baby. INFINITY BABY, shot in black and white is a absurdist social comedy that almost becomes a viable satire.

THE INFINITY BABY is so called because this baby does not age (hence being a baby forever). By giving the baby a fixed medication, the baby only needs to eat once a week and have its diaper changed once a week. The baby never cries but coos as cute as any cooing baby can be. The whole package comes at a cost of $20,000. The film follows one such baby that had her medication changed, died and ended growing up. How all this happens with all its absurdist hilarity makes up Byington’s occasionally very funny movie.

It is not this baby person that is the subject of the movie. The subjects are the employees involved with the infinity baby enterprise. These are imperfect people with imperfect lives which the film milks for all its hilarity. The inventor of the infinity baby is Neo (Nick Offerman) rich and powerful, and in his own works gives advice that people actually listen to. In his employ is Ben (Kieran Culkin, brother of the HOME ALONE Culkin) who wants a woman but is afraid to commit to a relationship. When things get too sticky, he brings the girlfriend to her mother who will ream her out and therefore break up the relationship with no guilt accosted to Ben. It is later learned that this woman is not really his mother, but a woman he pays to impersonate his mother to break up his various relationships. These scenes have to be seen to be believed. Ben is nothing more than an overgrown child, wonderfully portrayed by Culkin.

More outrageous are the two baby delivery guys, Larry (Steve Corrigan) and Malcolm (Starr). They are a gay couple who end up stealing a baby and keeping the $20,000 in order to boost their relationship. But they are lazy and increase the medication doses of the baby so that they do not have to clean and feed the infant so often. The bay dies. All hell breaks loose.

Director Byington claims that the film is inspired by Woody Allen’s BANANAS. The relationship part of the Wood Allen film is similar – the one where the character played by Allen’s then wife, breaks up with him. Byington’s film, based on the script by Onur Tukel (CATFIGHT) is made up of a series of comedic set-ups that are related by the theme of the infinity baby but mostly unconnected in flow. The film feels disjointed not aided by a non conclusive ending.

One would hardly expect a proper closed ending from a film with an absurdist plot. Still INFINITY BABY is highly amusing for its inventiveness, weirdness and very funny humour. The film was selected for the SXSW Film Festival and also won the CENTER Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1h5QtQ-_ZI

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DADDY’S HOME 2 (USA 2017)

November 10, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized DADDY’S HOME 2 (USA 2017), film reviews, gilbert seah, John Cena, John Lithgow, Linda Cardellini, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, sean anders, will ferrell

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Brad and Dusty must deal with their intrusive fathers during the holidays.

Director:

Sean Anders

Writers:

Sean Anders, Brian Burns (characters)

Stars:

Linda Cardellini, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson

One can tell that there is something wrong with a movie when the movie within a movie turns out to be more interesting than the movie itself. In DADDY’S HOME 2, the families end up at one point stranded at a suburban cinema where a fake movie MISSILE TOW starring Liam Neeson is playing. Neeson pays a character (voice only heard) that rescues his family from terrorists at all costs. That fake film is heard for only a minute or two before director Anders turns the audience back to his nightmare Christmas movie – DADDY’S HOME 2

Moviegoers must have been very naughty during 2017 as Santa has rewarded them already with two awfully bad Christmas comedies – A BAD MOM’ S CHRISTMAS and now DADDY’S HOME 2. DADDY’S HOME numero uno arrived on Christmas Day 2015 and went on to gross a remarkable $150 million domestically. Thus arrives number 2 with Paramount hoping to do well again at the box-office.

The first film dealt with step-dad Brad (Will Ferrell) having to deal with his wife’s kids’ real father Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) showing up to undo all the values that Brad had instilled in his family. HOME 2 ups the angst with the arrival of the dads’ dads in the form of Mel Gibson and John Lithgow. Gibson has had quite the bad press and has been successful behind the camera (HACKSAW RIDGE, PASSION OF THE CHRIST) than in front of it. Surprisingly, he is the funniest and best of the cast in the film, playing against his true character in life – a macho, gun-totting anti-feminist old goat.

Like all Christmas comedies, the usual disastrous set ups are there – the setting up of the electrical house decorations that go wrong (at least this one is quite elaborately done); the Christmas tree shopping; the snowball fight (not funny at all); the Christmas dinner; the feel good sentiment (it is only the children that count); the breaking of a hard heart (John Cena’s as the biological father of Dusty’s kid). The worst of all is the film’s climax, which must rank as the corniest set-up of all time that takes place in a cinema theatre during a blackout. There is a shameless promotion of the good of going to the movies where audiences are encouraged to turn to the next person to greet them.

A few non Christmas setups are included – the most notable being the bowling segment where one son has the problem of throwing his bowling ball into the gutter. It is a rather simple setup that turns out to generate only a few laughs, if any pity laughs. The predictable shoplifting gag does not work either nor the revelation of the notes that Dusty’s girlfriend takes of Brad’s wife that turn out to be good ones.

DADDY’S HOME 2 might work for the undemanding moviegoer. There were people applauding at he end of the film, but critics can only shrug at this early Christmas enterprise.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8shgJX14HQ

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MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (USA 2017)

November 10, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized Daisey Ridley, film reviews, gilbert seah, Kenneth Branagh, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (USA 2017), penelope cruz, Willem Dafoe

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A lavish train ride unfolds into a stylish & suspenseful mystery. From the novel by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express tells of thirteen stranded strangers & one man’s race to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

Michael Green (screenplay by), Agatha Christie (based upon the novel by)

Stars:

Daisey Ridley, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe

One of the most famous and read of the Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS the film benefits and suffers from being just that. There have been already 4 film adaptations of the novel, the best remembered being the 1974 Sidney Lumet directed outing with Albert Finney in the role of the titular detective, Hercule Poirot (the last syllable of his surname pronounced like a kiss) with his coiffed moustache.

This latest version directed by Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh who has directed films as diverse as THOR, DEAD AGAIN including Shakespeare’s HAMLET and HENRY V

written by Michael Green takes more liberty with the classic story.

When the film opens, it is crystal clear (no detective skills needed) that the first bits have nothing to do with the novel. Poirot (played by Kenneth Branagh himself) solves the case of a missing relic as the introduction to the film, just as in many a James Bond film that begins with an action sequence for an unrelated case. This shows Poirot’s efficiency and style with an added sequence of his complaint of not being able to get the perfect half-boiled eggs for breakfast.

The film then continues with the assortment of characters introduced as they board the Orient Express, most of whom Poirot always knows. A murder takes place in the midst of the journey and all the passengers in the first and second class departments fall suspect. The train is stranded due to a snow avalanche and Poirot has time to use his wits to solve the case.

There are a lot of factors going against this film version. The most important of these is the fact that everyone already knows who the murderer is. It does not take one with good memory to recall the 1974 version that all the passengers did it, taking turns at stabbing Ratchet (Johnny Depp), the evil man who masterminded a kidnapping that affected a dozen or so lives, all of whom seek the satisfaction of seeing the man dead. That said, the 1974 version has popped up on TV once too often and inevitable comparison will be made.

Both films are quite different. In the 1974 version, director Lumet has assembled an all-star cast more impressive than this one, and he has managed to isolate each character while making each one as interesting as the next which won Ingrid Bergman her second Oscar and his cast other Best Acting and Supporting Role Oscar nominations. While Lumet concentrated on the actors, Branagh chose to pick the cinematography (by Haris Zambarloukos who did THOR). Though Branagh’s film is stunning to look at, one can only look at landscape for so long. His film is monotonously paced and too slow in parts and too fast when Poirot explains the details of the murder. The trouble with film adaptations of Agatha Christie’s works is that too much plot needs to be revealed on film, whereas in a book, the reader can take the time to digest all the details. The missing button on the conductors’s suit, the kimono, the planning of the murder, who is who during the Armstrong kidnapping are all a lot to take in, in a very short time. Branagh also gives himself too much screen time including a speech on heart over justice. A few actors have to little to do like Judi Dench and Penelope Cruz while others like Michelle Pfeiffer overacts her role for all it is worth.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS ends with the hint of Poirot’s journey to Egypt to take on his next case which means perhaps a remake of DEATH ON THE NILE. Remember that one directed by John Guillermin with Peter Ustinov as the detective, the most campy one with Elizabeth Taylor as the killer?

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq4m3yAoW8E

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Film Review: DARKEST HOUR (UK 2017) ***1/2

November 7, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review darkest hour, film reviews, gary oldman, gilbert seah, joe wright, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James

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During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds.

Director:

Joe Wright

Writer:

Anthony McCarten

Stars:

Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas

Director Joe Wright returns to his period World War II roots of ATONEMENT with a theatrical historical drama set during the first year in office of Sir Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as Prime Minister of Britain. The United Kingdom was then on the brink of invasion by Adolf Hitler’s Germany. Wright covered in ATONEMENT the evacuation of troops form Dunkirk, France and in this film covers the same event but from another angle – the difficult planning and fight that championed it. It is in many ways a more difficult endeavour as witnessed in this film, appropriately entitled DARKEST HOUR.

The film opens with the forced resignation of then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) less than a year into the war due to his incompetence. Churchill is selected as his only viable replacement despite his controversial career (the most important being the loss thousands of men of men at the Gallipoli War). With British resources dwindling, France having already fallen, and the U.S. not helping much at the time, a contingent led by Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane) pushes hard for peace talks with Hitler.

There is much to enjoy in this feel-good, rouse up ones emotions war drama. Wright provides Churchill a grand theatrical entrance as he is shown first in bed lighting his signature cigar. The film even ends with his most famous speech in the House of Commons (We will fight in the streets, in the hills etc.) Between them, Churchill is shown as a man, supported by his wife, who finally gets the courage to fight for his convictions. His stately residence, the Parliament house, the cabinet rooms all form the mighty props in the grand venture. The cinematography by Bruno Delbonneland with camerawork is superb, mainly of the interior rather than exterior.

Oldman’s performance of Churchill is magnificent. Oldman, looking like Churchill, aided by Kazuhiro Tsuji’s great prosthetics and make-up, goes right into character rather than just impersonating the man. This is an Oscar worthy performance. Other performances are excellent all around with Kristin Scott Thomas making an impression with her little written role of Mrs. Churchill.

The chief complaint of the film is the manipulative segment of Churchill’s ride on the London Underground, where he speaks candidly to a number of tube riders on their view of entering the war. He speaks to a too good to be true assortment of characters – a child, a black, a housewife, the working-class who all are able to voice their opinions (including the child and the black who can quote Shakespeare) too eloquently with the scene ending with Churchill crying into his handkerchief.

DARKEST HOUR is the second film this year with Churchill as the main character, the first one being Jonathan Teplitzky’s CHURCHILL starring Brian Cox. Both films show two different sides Churchill took on the War – the first with Churchill against the Normandy Allied Invasion. Both are worthy war dramas, both worth a look with DARKEST HOUR being the bigger more splashy production.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pNOCzV5jG0

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Film Review: LAST FLAG FLYING (USA 2017) ***

November 7, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review bryan cranston, film reviews, gilbert seah, LAST FLAG FLYING, laurence fishburne, Richard Linklater, Steve Carell

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Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, a former Navy Corpsman Larry “Doc” Shepherd re-unites with his old buddies, former Marines Sal Nealon and Reverend Richard Mueller, to bury his son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Richard Linklater (screenplay), Darryl Ponicsan (screenplay) |1 more credit »

Stars:

Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Carell|

Director Linklater broke into the film-making scene with youth films like SLACKER and DAZED AND CONFUSED. He progressed into romantic comedies like BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET, but with a more realistic edge. His breakthrough film was the highly acclaimed BOYHOOD that reported too12 years in the making. His latest, LAST FLAG FLYING is arguably most serious film, dealing with real adults coming to terms with their lives and with the death of one of the sons.

LAST FLAG FLYING is based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan co-written by him and Linklater. The film understandably contain the least improvisation of Linklater’s work, the story bound by the novel and the script that Linklater co-wrote. The more structured narrative serves as both an advantage to his film with more focus but then lacks some of the inventive energy he is so well known for.

The time setting is 2003. 30 years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Corps medic Richard “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with ex-Marines Sal (Bryan Cranston) and Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire. This is a serious road trip reuniting the marines as the three reminisce on what they themselves have gone through.

Linklater is unafraid of the use of strong language in his script. Foul language involving the ‘f’ word is common along with talon drugs and prostitution (though none are on display on screen).

The story takes its time to unfold – the film more devoted to character development than plot revelation. The film is not without humour despite its serious theme, quite a it of it deriving from Cranston’s character.

The film’s tagline is: Their last mission was not on the battlefield. The film’s story is a bit dated, and the film would definitely be a hard sell since it is about ex-marines during the Vietnam War with a bit on the Iraqi War that Americans are also trying to forget. Would one want to spend two hours in a theatre watching ex-marines mopping on their past?

The film contains solid performances by Steve Carell (almost unrecognizable with moustache) in more serious form as well as Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne, in contrast in lighter mode. Oscar nominated Actress Cicely Tyson (SOUNDER) does a nice turn in a cameo role. The film definitely benefits from its 3 relatively big stars playing ex-Vietnam Marines.

LAST FLAG FLYING is the unofficial sequel to the 1973 film directed by Hal Ashby which also starred Jack Nicholson. Though LAST FLAG FLYING is not bad, it comes no where close to the biting humour and satirical approach of THE LAST DETAIL.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmS4lTZ34uk

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Films Reviews: Films of Andrei Tarkovsky – SOLARIS/STALKER

November 7, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized 2017 movies, film reviews, Films of Andrei Tarkovsky - SOLARIS/STALKER, gilbert seah

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TIFF Cinematheque Presents – The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky

Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Soviet filmmaker, writer, film editor, film theorist, theatre and opera director. He is considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and much respected by other respected filmmakers notably Ingmar Bergman.

Tarkovsky’s films include Ivan’s Childhood (1962), Andrei Rublev (1966), Solaris (1972), Mirror (1975), and Stalker (1979). He directed the first five of his seven feature films in the Soviet Union; his last two films, Nostalghia (1983) and The Sacrifice (1986), were produced in Italy and Sweden, respectively. His work is characterized by long takes, unconventional dramatic structure, distinctly authored use of cinematography, and spiritual and metaphysical themes.

TIFF Cinematheque presents for the first time a good retrospective of Tarkovsky films with weeklong engagement of both STALKER and SOLARIS (both films capsule reviewed below).

My favourite Tarkovsky film is SACRIFICE (OFRET) with the single long tie at the film’s end of a burning house with its inhabitants running around outside it.

Full fill program and schedule of screenings, please check the Cinematheque website at:

tiff.net

CAPSULE REVIEWS OF Selected Tarkovsky Films:

SOLARIS (USSR 1972) ****

Directed bh Andrei Tarkovsky

SOLARIS is Soviet science fiction art film adaptation of Polish author Stanisław Lem’s novel Solaris (1961). Co-written and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, SOLARIS moves at the low moving pace one has associated Tarkovsky’s films with. This one runs 2 hours and 42 minutes, so be prepared for a long haul. A meditative psychological drama occurring mostly aboard a space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris, the story involves a stalled scientific mission because the skeleton crew of three scientists have fallen into separate emotional crises. The terror in space is not physical but mental and emotional. Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donata VBanionis) travels to the Solaris space station to evaluate the situation only to encounter the same mysterious phenomena as the others. He meets who could be or could not be his wife, Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk) as she had previously died 10 years back. He sends her off in a rocket getting himself burnt, but she re-appears. Great ideas but the please in this film has to be earned. SOLARIS won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury, the FIPRESCI prize and was nominated for the Palme d’Or and was remade by Steven Soderbergh in a film with the same title.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tob56MebI8

STALKER (USSR 1979) ****

Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky

STALKER refers to the guide to a special place called The Zone in Tarkovski’s boring mini-masterpiece of the same title. In it three men, THE STALKER, the guide, and two others referred to as the professor and the writer (it be best to remember who is who) enter a place called The Zone. The Zone is apparently inhabited by aliens and contains the Room, where in it is believed wishes are granted. The government has declared The Zone a no-go area and have sealed off the area with barbed wire and border guards. However, this has not stopped people from attempting to enter the Zone. The writer wants to use the experience as inspiration for his writing and the professor, who wants to research the Zone for scientific purposes. Things do not turn out as expected. Neither does this sci-fi film, so beware! One scene has the trio roaming in a long pipe (tunnel) before one says: “There is a door.” They argue not only who should go in first but why bring and point a gun through the door. “No one waits at the door,” one answer when questioned whether to enter. This scene is typical of what happens throughout their trip into The Zone. Nothing happens but a lot of arguments. The sets like the tunnel dripping with water from the ceiling are stunningly bleak and typical of a dystopian society. Running at over two and a half hours with nothing much happening for a sci-fi film, STALKER is undeniably boring. Very, very boring! But crazy as it might sound, it is still a captivating film that should be seen by all cinephiles.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB7jVTut3-g

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Film Review: D’ARLINE, 2017, USA, Drama/Biography

November 5, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review 2017, D’ARLINE, Drama/Biography, film reviews, Kierston Drier, USA, wildsound feedback film festival

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SHORT FILM played at the October 2017 STUDENT FEEDBACK Film Festival.

Review by Kierston Drier

Dive into A’DARLENE and you will relive the brilliant true story of physicist and professor Richard Fenyman and learn about his impact on mathematics and modern history. D’ARLENE is a short drama, coming from the USA and directed by Christina Jobe. D’ARLENE follows the real-life genius through his time at the Manhattan project, working as a physics professor and his research into the Atomic bomb- but intercuts his present with his recent past- the relationship he has with his first wife Arlene, including her tragic and untimely death.

D’ARLENE feels like a feature in the way it boasts complex characters, deep relationships, moving storylines and a brilliant rise-and-fall of plot and resolution. Yet this dense story fits neatly and cleanly into twenty-two minutes. Without a single detailed left unattended, the world Jobe creates is tangible, visual and highly emotional. The film is balanced without a single superfluous scene, shot or frame.

The production value is excellent and the mise-en-scene thought out and lush to watch. All artistic details are attended to with the precision of skilled professionals. Beyond the story and composition of the work, the performances by the cast are second-to-none. The climax of the piece, a letter written by the actual Richard Fenyman and delivered by the actor, leaves a powerful resounding effect on the viewer.

As a story, as a piece of cinema, as a work of art, D’ARLENE has much to be proud of. Bravo Christina Jobe. Bravo.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the Short Film:

D’ARLINE, 22min, USA, Drama/Biography
Directed by Christina JobePhysicist Richard Feynman struggles to make a scientific break through after experiencing personal trauma and while fighting guilt over his work on the atomic bomb. Based on a true story.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Film Review: THE SCULPTOR, 2017, USA, Documentary

November 5, 2017November 5, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized 2017, documentary, film reviews, Kierston Drier, THE SCULPTOR, USA

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SHORT FILM played at the October 2017 STUDENT FEEDBACK Film Festival.

Review by Kierston Drier

This short and timely four-minute documentary coming from the US, directed by Ben Ginsburg, is a fascinating story following a young artist. Creator Malcolm Macdougall is an up-and-coming artistic sculptor that works in metals- crafting sheet metal and scrap metal into huge and masterful artistic works. Often finding inspiration from the natural world, these gentle giants of artistry are remarkable and breathtaking. Yet Malcolm must like the art he creates, is calm, relaxed and thought-provoking. He speaks of his medium as a form of self-expression without any pretensions.

His art is simply his hobby, but a powerful and meaningful hobby. Yet this hobby has him working in a huge warehouse, welding and dealing with a medium that requires exceptional skill, labour and patience. A strong and powerful cinematic piece with fascinating works of art to be shown, this short documentary is well worth the watch.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the Short Film:

THE SCULPTOR, 4min, USA, Documentary
Directed by Ben Ginsburg This short documentary examines the work, process, and philosophy of Malcolm Macdougall, an up-and-coming sculptor in the Hudson Valley.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Film Review: MUDBOUND (USA 2017) ***

November 5, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review 2017 movies, Carey Mulligan, dee rees, Film Review: MUDBOUND (USA 2017) ***, film reviews, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, movie trailer, virgil williams

Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.

Director:

Dee Rees

Writers:

Virgil Williams (screenplay by), Dee Rees (screenplay by) |1 more credit »

Stars:

Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke

MUDBOUND, a Netflix original movie, is understandably a difficult film to be made for general audiences dealing with racial tensions, mixed relationships and the Ku Klax Klan. Despite complaints about Netflix movies not being ‘real’ movies distributed in theatres, in Netflix defence – it is thanks to them that difficult films like these, worthy and gut wrenching get made. MUDBOUND is a film about class, friendship and the fight against ‘the land’. The characters are pitted against a landscape of mud, with the elements of nature working against them. Just as they are about to succeed, the characters are pulled back into the mire. Hence the film is entitled MUDBOUND, and also perhaps it is a metaphor used too often in the story.

The film is narrated by a few of the story’s characters but mostly by Laura McAllan (Carey Mulligan). The story follows two families, one white, the McAllans, newly arrived from Memphis to his new farm in the Mississippi Delta. The other, the Jacksons are coloured folk, sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations, but struggling to make a living. Laura’s husband is Henry (Jason Clarke), a decent man, though stuck in his racist ways and they have two daughters. The father-in-law is a racist pig. The Jacksons are Hap (Rob Morgan), Florence (singer Mary J. Blige) and children.

The film setting is just after World War II. The end of the war sees the return of Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell). The war allows the race barrier to be broken between the two war heroes but their friendship is not tolerated by the town, especially the father-in-law. When it is discovered that Ronsel bears a son with a white woman (a German during the war), he is brutalized by the Ku Klax Klan.

Based on the novel by Hillary Jordan, and written for the screen by director Rees and Virgil Williams, the plot follow multiple stories divided between the two families. Rees’ film flows smoothly with each story transitioning into another without the feeling of Rees acting like a cop directing traffic.

The film’s most unsettling scenes involve Hap Jackson’s infected leg, shown with all the pus and sores and the other the sudden appearance of the Ku Klax Klan. Ronsel’s beating is also not easy to watch. Rees gets her point across. For a film about families working the land, Rees should have included more scenes depicting the hardship of toiling – though a few token ones are included. The same goes for the war segments with one or two scenes in the tank and in the fighter jets.

The only trouble with MUDBOUND is the lack of one central character. As the story divides between Laura, her husband, Ronsel, Florence Jackson and Jamie, the film loses its impact. Still, MUDBOUND has nary a dull moment and gets its message that friendship and tolerance will save the day.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAZWhFI9lLQ

Interview with Festival Director David W. King (FLATHEAD INTERNATIONAL CINEMAFEST (FLIC))

November 5, 2017 festreviews Festival Interview, film festival, film festival reviews, Interview, interviews, matthew toffolo wildsound david w king, festival director, festival reviews, film festival, film reviews, FLATHEAD INTERNATIONAL CINEMAFEST (FLIC), interview, matthew toffolo

Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC), runs the weekend of January 26-28, 2018.

Website: http://www.flicpolson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlatheadLakeInternationalCinemafest/

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

David W. King: FLIC is giving professional-grade and novice filmmakers a venue at which to present their work. A smaller festival like ours gives more filmmakers the opportunity to have their work screened for an audience. It’s also proving to be a reputable screening venue for international filmmakers. For some reason, FLIC is now a favorite destination for Iranian filmmakers, with dozens submitting films each year.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival in January, 2018?

The Flathead Lake International Cinemafest is a wonderful weekend celebration of cinema. Filmmaker discussions following screenings are popular. Social gatherings at local establishments. A quality presentation of films, with the popular FLIC sizzle reel introducing each screening block. Standing ovations. Great audience enthusiasm. And awards celebration wraps up the weekend, with encore screenings presented the following week.

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

FLIC film fair ranges from 1-minute shorts to 2-hour features, covering a broad array of topics and genres. FLIC has some content guideline that prohibit extreme violence and adult content, while making some exceptions for compelling storylines. The bottom-line is how interesting is a film? How watchable is it? Does it tell its story effectively? It is good?

Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

I do think some films don’t get a fair shake from film festivals. I think it’s easy for festival runners to get a bit snooty about what they’ll show; if a film isn’t practically perfect, it might be put aside, when many in the audience might have overlooked its flaws and seen it beauty of spirit or other intangible qualities. Some people aren’t particularly good filmmakers, but they might be very passionate about their subject matter. As a judge, I think it’s important to look for the heart of a film as much as its production value.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

We love movies and we see how much it means to filmmakers to have their work screened. We also see how our community embraces the film arts every January. FLIC has become a destination for some and a welcome respite from winter’s chill for others. Cinema has that power.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

We love FilmFreeway. It’s a very easy site to use and gives you all the data you need in a well organized, logical manner. I’m a big fan.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

Hopefully FLIC will have grown in size and quality over these next two years. We want this film festival to become more and more of a destination for filmmaker and an audience that appreciates cinema from across the globe.

What film have you seen the most times in your life?

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A great film tells a story so effectively that the viewer gets lost in that story for its duration.

How is the film scene in your city?

The film scene in Polson, Montana is quite limited 51 weeks out of the year. However, in January, the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest presents films from the far reaches of the world to this little community — and Polson, Montana becomes its own unassuming center of the cinema universe!

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David W. King’s film and television career spans 30 years and many facets of live-action and animation production. He has 124 IMDB credits dating back to his first days as a production assistant on an obscure 1980 Peter Fonda film called Rough Riders. David’s subsequent positions and credits have included Vice President of Production, Supervising Producer, Producer, Director, Associate Producer, Production Manager, Post-Production Supervisor, Executive in Charge of Production, Writer, Cinematographer and Editor. He’s worked for major studios like Universal, Walt Disney, Hanna-Barbera and 20th Century Fox. At Disney and Universal, David produced feature-length projects like Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure and Balto 2 and 3. David also wrote or co-wrote 8 feature screenplays, most of which were optioned. David moved to Polson, Montana in 2012, where he set up his own production company, David W. King Pictures. Samples of his work are available at his website, DavidWKing.com.

As a judge, David finds it great fun to discover little gems as he and his fellow judges review scores of FLIC entries each year. There are always surprises and spirited discussions on the part of the judges, whose tastes vary much like those found around water-coolers the world over.

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Festival Reviews

Showcasing the best of movies, and film festivals from around the world.

film reviews

INFINITY BABY (USA 2017)

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DADDY’S HOME 2 (USA 2017)

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MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (USA 2017)

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Film Review: DARKEST HOUR (UK 2017) ***1/2

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Film Review: LAST FLAG FLYING (USA 2017) ***

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Films Reviews: Films of Andrei Tarkovsky – SOLARIS/STALKER

Film Review: D’ARLINE, 2017, USA, Drama/Biography

Film Review: THE SCULPTOR, 2017, USA, Documentary

Film Review: MUDBOUND (USA 2017) ***

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Interview with Festival Director David W. King (FLATHEAD INTERNATIONAL CINEMAFEST (FLIC))