Day 5: September 13

The Catholic theme continues with Danny Boyle's Millions. Meanwhile, as I dash from film to film, a common mix of adrenaline and exhaustion colours each film. The more you "do" the fest, the easier it is to find things you like. It's far more disappointing, I think, to see something that you hope, maybe even -count- on being good when it tanks horribly. Expectations inevitably colour our response, and thus, with films like Millions and Sideways, perfectly fine flicks in their own right, their lack of that intangible "excellence" is magnified when viewing flicks back to back to back. Meanwhile, a film like P.S. seems, for me at least, to have that certain something that the others lack, that spark that makes a film really fun, really worth seeing. If we knew what that special something was, all films would certainly have it. The vagaries of art, indeed.

Millions
Directed by: Danny Boyle

A sweet fantasy about two kids that have to spend a Million pounds before the UK switches over to the Euro. A departure from Boyle more, well, gritty films, this is certainly a crowd pleaser. The main child performers are rarely petulant or smirking at the camera, the bane of many a child-based film. Enjoyable fluff.
Grade: B

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry
Directed by: George T. Butler

It's too bad that Kerry's likely to lose the upcoming election, because this type of hagiography would be far better in the unlikely event that Mr. "Wartime" President is going to be defeated. I wanted this to be an actual documentary, but it plays basically as a campaign piece, but does include some lovely historical elements, like when Nixon's tapes talk about "eliminating" Kerry. IN a year with "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" taking up valuable TV time, this is a pretty good antidote. Sadly, nobody who believes in the type of "truth" sold by the SVFT group will even see this piece, and the cycle of history as a weapon will continue long into the next election cycle.
Grade: C-

Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat
Directed by: Zev Asher

Let's get this out in the open - this ain't the film that the protesters think it is. For one, they should look up the bloody title word in the dictionary before spending days out shouting about a cat's "murder". The film is pretty far from exploitational, screened without all the protest, likely would have been an interesting blip in the reel-to-reel program.

To be sure, there is a cat killed on film, but it's from a far earlier art piece done in Montréal, a piece that went off without incident or protest. The old footage is shown initially, its context is provided, and the artist who organized the event talks about the inspiration and reaction to the event. Fast forward a few decades, and you have an entirely different tale about a group of boys who decided to brutalize a cat, tape the events, and pawn off the results as art. The documentary, then, is a quite compelling look at this local incident that has blown up to international proportions, asking interesting questions about the nature and limits of art, and about what qualifies someone as an artist in the first place.

Asher wisely lets the members of the art community that fostered these events speak for themselves. What comes across is an insular, insignificant group of OCA graduates and wannabe artists flailing around for significance. The "artists" in question are little more than stoned and drunken heathens having a bit of fun with a video camera and employing aesthetic justification afterwards. Equally creepy, however, are the animal activists that literally equate the killing of the cat with the killing of the person. Generally, the whole lot get a chance to speak their minds, to contextualize the events, and most come off as completely awful people, from either side of the issue. In the end, this alone makes for Casuistry being a great documentary experience.
Grade: A-

Sideways
Directed by: Alexander Payne

Another quirky comedy from Payne, this one's like to appeal greatly to the 30-40 somethings that are getting more and more into bourgeois sports such as yachting, polo or wine tasting. There's a certain ridiculousness inherent in any obsession (film festivals, anyone?) and the film does deftly expose the "nose" of the matter. The audience seemed rapturous for the flick, but I found the love story a bit lacking, the buddy movie motif a bit played out. Still, given the success of his previous flicks, this wine flick's like to have legs.
Grade: B

P.S.
Directed by: Dylan Kidd

So, back-to-back indie Hollywood relationship films about people dealing with getting older. For whatever mystical cinematic reason, while Sideways left me a bit cold, I was completely taken away by P.S. Topher Grace (TOPHER GRACE?!) is, well, amazing. Completely believable, charming, pitted against Gabriel Byrne (no slouch) and holds his own. Linney's performance is funny and nuanced, and the whole thing comes together in such a breezy, effortless way that proves to be extremely enjoyable. Lacking the obvious "hook" of Sideways, it's unlikely to be celebrated quite as much. That, perhaps, is part of its charm. A hidden gem, worth hunting for if you can find it in a rep cinema near you.
Grade: A

Dead Birds
Directed by: Alex Turner

Dull, boring, silly, but starring the kid from E.T. Feel free to avoid this bit of carrion cinema.
Grade: D