Well, yes and no. Pinochet is never mentioned in this picture, and it’s not because his largely bourgeois characters are necessarily fearful of invoking him; as it happens, they’re perfectly nonchalant in dinner conversations in which they call their country mediocre and sad. One can infer that maybe Martelli thought that to do so would … Read more
In spirit, “Unrest” is an observational film with Schäublin’s camera watching revolutionary ideas exchanged in whispers and polite conversations. Set in the Swiss Jura mountains during the late 1800s, the movie focuses on the experiences of two main characters: Josephine (Clara Gostynski), a Swiss watch factory worker, and Pyotr Kropotkin (Alexei Evstratov), a Russian geographer … Read more
The writer and director, former stuntman Jesse V. Johnson (“Avengement”), throws audiences into the middle of action. There’s a bank robbery out in a patch of Texas territory monitored by Texas Ranger Alex Tyree (Jane) that was spearheaded by a former IRA member named Declan McBride (Dean Jagger). Alex is in the process of arresting … Read more
FRIDAY, MAY 5th 7PM: “BLACKBERRY” (includes Q&A with star/writer/director Matt Johnson) Johnson paces “Blackberry” like that rocket. It moves quickly without being overly stylized, clicking through dialogue and character instead of cheap tricks. We’ve seen a lot of movies about tech nostalgia lately (the far-inferior “Tetris” premiered across town at the same fest), but Johnson … Read more
“The Mundanes” Shorts Program #1 (Saturday, May 6, 11:45 am) opens with Nicole Daddona and Adam Wilder’s “The Mundanes,” a truly bizarre PSA that seems influenced by Joe Dante’s “Twilight Zone – The Movie” segment, as well as the “Eerie, Indiana” TV series. Here, a faceless suburban American family is depicted as the ideal life, … Read more
For the first two episodes, directed with crisp immediacy and vintage charm by “Booksmart”’s Susanna Fogel, Miep is just an ordinary girl trying to grow up in difficult circumstances: She’s a twentysomething layabout with few prospects, no job, and no husband (unless, of course, she marries one of her adopted brothers). Luckily, she meets a … Read more
Except for a brief section when the filmmaker asks the viewers to remove the phones—the headphone version is definitely one that veers into an audience participation mode—that’s how we hear the movie. I’m surprised that Lou Reed is never mentioned in the work—in the 1970s, he was a real proselytizer for this binaural recording method. … Read more
When the film opens, Matthias (Marin Grigore) is working in a German slaughterhouse. While out on a smoke break, he is called a “lazy gypsy” by a co-worker, who he quickly headbutts to the ground. The sudden violence says a lot about Matthias’ instincts, but it will also have interesting reflections later in the film … Read more
“Polite Society” follows the misadventures of Ria (Priya Kansara), a teenager who dreams of becoming a stunt woman. After school and hanging out with her close friends, Clara (Seraphina Beh) and Alba (Ella Bruccoleri), Ria often spends time in the company of her older sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), who supports and understands her like no … Read more
Olsen plays Montgomery, an ordinary citizen of the very ordinary Wylie, Texas. She’s a devout Methodist who seems happy with her church and her husband Pat (Patrick Fugit), who’s a nice-but-bland individual. He likes to chuckle slightly at “The Love Boat,” and one gets the impression that such moments are the peak of excitement in … Read more