WIFF 2010 Movies 1-4

ABOUT ELLY

This was a last minute entry. As I reshuffled my film viewing schedule due to unexpected work obligations back in Rockford, I decided to leave early on Friday and try to see an early evening film. I'm glad I did. This was one I had in mind, because Iran is one of the countries putting out very interesting movies with a unique tone. South Korea and Denmark are the other countries whose movies just feel different. This movie seems very simply structured, but due to both traditional character conflicts and social norms unique to Iranian society, the tension created in this movie has a strength that is sustained incredibly well. The least said the better, but the basics are that one person's innocent act of deception sparks a situation where a terrible accident becomes more and more devastating. I don't want to judge it right out of the gate, but this is probably the favorite of the festival for me.

SWEETGRASS

The energy and focus required to sit through a film festival shouldn't be discounted, and my Madison friend Steve noted with humor how a movie that literally involves the viewer watching lots and lots of sheep move across the screen might NOT be the best movie to keep you awake! And this is a very patient, beautiful documentary, very similar to the narrative movie Silent Light from last year, which lulled you into an appreciation for the rural lifestyle. This follows a final run of a traditional shepherd route in Montana, and there's beautiful vistas along with plenty of gritty cowboy humor and cursing. I have to add at this point the experience of watching this with the WIFF audience. It's not every crowd that can keep a constant chuckle going and sheeps simply bleating, and it was a very odd moment at the opening scene. A single sheep bleating, collar bell ringing... then growing audience laughter as the sheep slowly turns it's head and looks directly at the camera lens. I didn't find it funny by itself, but it was hard to resist this crowd getting so giddy.

A MATTER OF SIZE

I'm so sophisticated that the very first film that was obviously going to be a requirement of my film festival weekend involved fat Israelis wanting to take up Sumo wrestling! Too good a concept, with the self-deprecating Jewish humor combined with the old-fashioned team building exercise through sport. And this probably had some of the most cliche elements of all the movies... with a love interest and a betrayal and a clumsy forgiveness. No matter... this was so fun. I was curious about this Japanese Zionist movement though, that the sumo trainer was a part of.

A TOWN CALLED PANIC

This film had a "celebrity" introduction, as Nathan Rabin... writer for the Onion's AV Club... explained how this was a very silly movie we were going to see. It was great! However, the manic energy and breakneck speed risks giving you a headache. It's a stop-motion animated movie, but the characters are pretty crude action figurines, which makes it feel like a full length Robot Chicken, though much more surreal with less pop culture references. The key is the great cartoonish voice work. Even though it was in French, the goofy lines were delivered with such bounce and pushed the movie aggressively forward. It's also another great audience movie, and probably a great midnight movie of the future.

Final Four movies coming up!