Comments on: AFI FEST 2008 Line-up http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/ world cinema in Los Angeles and beyond Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:53:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Doug Cummings http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Doug Cummings Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:35:08 +0000 http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/?p=741#comment-77 I only got through the first 30 minutes or so of <i>Before the Fall</i>, so this isn't a formal review, but my impression was that the film relies way too heavily on its dour vision of desperation in the last days before an apocalypse. I don't find these kinds of films very interesting, with scene after scene suggesting the depths of despair and self-interest people are capable of demonstrating. I also felt the filmmaker was taking easy shortcuts, such as when a gas station standoff provokes a gunshot, but it occurs offscreen so as not to tarnish the image of the film's antihero too much. Maybe the film eventually becomes more nuanced, but given what I saw, I didn't trust it to go there. I will say, however, that it has one of the best opening shots I've seen this year--a special effects image of satellite floating above the earth that is suddenly destabilized by a meteor strike. The lighting makes the image ambiguous at first, and the camera is mounted on the satellite itself, thus provoking a dizzying documentary realism that was quite effective. I only got through the first 30 minutes or so of Before the Fall, so this isn’t a formal review, but my impression was that the film relies way too heavily on its dour vision of desperation in the last days before an apocalypse. I don’t find these kinds of films very interesting, with scene after scene suggesting the depths of despair and self-interest people are capable of demonstrating. I also felt the filmmaker was taking easy shortcuts, such as when a gas station standoff provokes a gunshot, but it occurs offscreen so as not to tarnish the image of the film’s antihero too much. Maybe the film eventually becomes more nuanced, but given what I saw, I didn’t trust it to go there.

I will say, however, that it has one of the best opening shots I’ve seen this year–a special effects image of satellite floating above the earth that is suddenly destabilized by a meteor strike. The lighting makes the image ambiguous at first, and the camera is mounted on the satellite itself, thus provoking a dizzying documentary realism that was quite effective.

]]> By: Doug Cummings http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Doug Cummings Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:21:28 +0000 http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/?p=741#comment-70 Thanks, Rob. Sony Classics is distributing <i>The Class</i> in December, so I'm sure you'll get to see it soon. <i>Plastic City</i>'s Yu Wai last directed <i>All Tomorrow's Parties</i>, a bizarre but definitely memorable tale of brothers who escape from a futuristic cult...it's visually refined but I'm not sure I have any clue what it actually means in detail, which sounds similar to your comments on his latest film. I guess I'm intrigued! Thanks, Rob. Sony Classics is distributing The Class in December, so I’m sure you’ll get to see it soon.

Plastic City’s Yu Wai last directed All Tomorrow’s Parties, a bizarre but definitely memorable tale of brothers who escape from a futuristic cult…it’s visually refined but I’m not sure I have any clue what it actually means in detail, which sounds similar to your comments on his latest film. I guess I’m intrigued!

]]> By: Robert Davis http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Robert Davis Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:43:55 +0000 http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/?p=741#comment-68 Looks great, Doug. I'm especially looking forward to <i>Revanche</i> and <i>Hunger</i> playing this week at the Chicago Film Festival, and I hope I'll have a chance to see <i>Headless Woman</i> and <i>The Class</i> at some point. From your line-up, I enjoyed <i>Wendy and Lucy</i>, <i>Sugar</i>, <i>Summer Hours</i>, <i>Liverpool</i>, <i>Birdsong</i>, and <i>Waltz with Bashir</i>, in roughly that order. I also made it through <i>Plastic City</i>, mostly thanks to its visual inventiveness, which surges after I thought I'd seen it all. But I don't think I'd be able to unravel the gangster plot even to someone threatening to beat me to a pulp on the top of an urban monolith. (Such things don't happen every day, granted. But they happen in plastic cities.) Looks great, Doug. I’m especially looking forward to Revanche and Hunger playing this week at the Chicago Film Festival, and I hope I’ll have a chance to see Headless Woman and The Class at some point.

From your line-up, I enjoyed Wendy and Lucy, Sugar, Summer Hours, Liverpool, Birdsong, and Waltz with Bashir, in roughly that order. I also made it through Plastic City, mostly thanks to its visual inventiveness, which surges after I thought I’d seen it all. But I don’t think I’d be able to unravel the gangster plot even to someone threatening to beat me to a pulp on the top of an urban monolith. (Such things don’t happen every day, granted. But they happen in plastic cities.)

]]> By: Doug Cummings http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Doug Cummings Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:44:49 +0000 http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/?p=741#comment-67 So here's my tentative schedule...if you're a Film Journey reader and planning to attend, don't hesitate to let me know... Sat, 11/1 Revanche (1200) Wendy and Lucy (330) Hunger (715) Sun, 11/2 L'Aimee, La Vie des morts (1245) Tokyo Sonata (330) Paradise (700) Liverpool (945) Mon, 11/3 Time Crimes (345) Lake Tahoe (715) Plastic City (1000) 11/4 Desert Within (730) Wed, 11/5 Birdsong (100) Summer Hours (700) Tulpan (940) Thurs, 11/6 Headless Woman (950) Fri, 11/7 Sugar (300) Waltz with Bashir (700) Sat, 11/8 Chouga (1200) Cry Me a River/Perfect Life (345) 24 City (700) The Class (1000) So here’s my tentative schedule…if you’re a Film Journey reader and planning to attend, don’t hesitate to let me know…

Sat, 11/1
Revanche (1200)
Wendy and Lucy (330)
Hunger (715)

Sun, 11/2
L’Aimee, La Vie des morts (1245)
Tokyo Sonata (330)
Paradise (700)
Liverpool (945)

Mon, 11/3
Time Crimes (345)
Lake Tahoe (715)
Plastic City (1000)

11/4
Desert Within (730)

Wed, 11/5
Birdsong (100)
Summer Hours (700)
Tulpan (940)

Thurs, 11/6
Headless Woman (950)

Fri, 11/7
Sugar (300)
Waltz with Bashir (700)

Sat, 11/8
Chouga (1200)
Cry Me a River/Perfect Life (345)
24 City (700)
The Class (1000)

]]> By: Doug Cummings http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Doug Cummings Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:20:55 +0000 http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/?p=741#comment-63 Very cool--I definitely will. If you notice anything else I might miss, don't hesitate to give me a shout out! Very cool–I definitely will. If you notice anything else I might miss, don’t hesitate to give me a shout out!

]]> By: acquarello http://www.filmjourney.org/2008/10/09/afi-fest-2008-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-62 acquarello Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:29:06 +0000 http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/?p=741#comment-62 <em>The Headless Woman</em> is easily my favorite of NYFF so far (although I won't see the Desplechin or the Omirbaev until this weekend). Definitely worth planning your schedule around it. ;) The Headless Woman is easily my favorite of NYFF so far (although I won’t see the Desplechin or the Omirbaev until this weekend). Definitely worth planning your schedule around it. ;)

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