Good Bad and the Weird
Kim Jee Woon's highly stylized Kim-chi western is homage to Sergio Leone's epic westerns of the past. This is probably the most fun I've had at the movies in a while. This truly is an epic follow up to his hardcore gangster film A Bitter Sweet Life. This film is extremely fast paced, funny and more bullets per minute than any Michael Bay film, all the while keeping the integrity of having well developed characters. This is a simple, but well told, story of 3 main characters in search of a treasure map, while trying to survive crazy gangs, the Japanese army, and each other. Seen through the wide angle lens, the vistas pop and the action choreography is definitely top notch. At 17 million, it is the most expensive Korean film ever made and raises the bar for the Asian film industry.
Theatre Lobby.
Time Crimes
From writer/director/actor Nacho Vigalondo, comes an extraordinary and complex film about the paradox of time travel. A Sci-Fi mindbender about a man who witnesses a possible murder and, while running away, accidentally travels back in time. This inevitably puts in motion a series of events that keep getting more and more complicated as he tries to solve the mystery of the murdered woman, by going back in time again and again.
Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson's Brick made a big splash when it appeared in 2005, with great reviews and a plethora of awards soon following. Brick was a smart, film noir piece set in a high school with extremely polished dialogue. His follow up is a smart, conman film, which is entertaining, but too aware of its own smartness. The film has been delayed for release a few times and is now pushed to May of 2009 from December 2008. (Perhaps this is because Summit made too much money with Twilight to add another moneymaker to the list.) I wonder if the ending had something to do with it. Brothers Bloom is a story of two orphan brothers who use cons to survive. Older Bloom Ruffalo is the brains and younger brother Bloom is the perpetrator of the cons. Meanwhile, Rinko Kikuchi does another dazzling silent performance in the style of Babel. Clearly, the film was heavily influenced by old caper films and the Marx Brothers. It is an entertaining fare with breathtaking cinematography, but, at times, takes itself too seriously to leave a lasting impression or make a multiple viewings likely. (Unlike classics like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels or The Sting.)
Vinessa Shaw and James Gray at two lovers Q&A..
Two Lovers
Possibly Joaquin Phoenix's last role on screen, Two Lovers is about a manic depressant aspiring photographer who comes back to live with his parents after his fiancee leaves him. Story revolves around Leonard's parents trying to set him up with a friends daughter (Vinessa Shaw) and Leonard's infatuation with a blonde vixen (Gwyneth Paltrow) who lives in an apt opposite his which is paid for by her lover. Joaquin's oscar worthy but likely a golden globe nom performance as a manic depressant who is utterly charming and the wonderful widesreen lensing is what sets the film apart from all the other films about love triangles.
The festival also showcased big budget movies which I unfortunately did not have access to but are soon going to be released nationwide. For instance, my pick for best film Slumdog Millionaire, and other Oscar hopefuls like Doubt, Defiance and Wrestler.
Kevin Desmond is a graduate of Hunter College and Hofstra University with a BA in film and Psychology. He has worked on countless productions Independent and Television doing everything from PA to Producer. He has produced the pilot travel show "We Love India". He has also directed and produced a feature: film 101, which has done the festival circuit, won awards for best independent film and best actor, and received MFM’s coveted Editor’s Choice Award (June ’06). Anything for You is the second feature he’s produced.
