Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Wellington Film Festival
I know it was a little while ago but here is my take on the 12 films I went to:
Iraq In Fragments - Doco following 3 peoples lives in Iraq
Harrowing but an interesting idea. It is scary but intoxicating to see the lives people live in a war zone and how it has affected different parts of the population in different ways.
This Film is not yet rated - Doco about the film rating system in the US
Damn funny and informative. Kirby Dick is a great story teller and really delves deeply into the secretive world full of hypocrisy.
A Scanner Darkly - Rotoscope sci-fi
Why does everyone cast Keanu Reeves in these sci-fi movies? It could have been so much better without him. Still an enjoyable watch and unusual visual style. Robert Downy Jr. is great.
An Incovenient Truth - Doco about climate change with Al Gore
It may not be the most slick movie but it doesn't have to be. It gets it's message across loud and clear. Reduce pollution or the consequences will be dire for everyone.
The Army of Shadows - Drama about the French resistance
Not particularly original but gritty and entertaining. Good attention to detail.
A Bittersweet Life - Korean gangster/film noir
A joy to watch and gleefully violent, not for the faint hearted but worth it for the true fan.
Mind Game - Crazy Japanese Animation
Again not for the faint hearted but very original and honest, a crazy animation style to match a crazy story that makes sense, in a weird way, in the end.
The Wild Blue Yonder - sic-Fe made from real dock footage
Didn't really work. Had some good ideas but it was incomplete and too slow to make a good film. Some scenes looked too forced into fitting the narrative.
loudQUITEloud - about the Pixies reunion tour
Not what I expected. I thought I would see archival footage of the legendary band that inspired Nirvana and their kind. Instead it is a bunch of middle aged guys getting back together to see if they still have it. They don't live the rock & roll lifestyle any more but on stage they definitely still have it.
The Aura - argentine Thriller / crime caper
Takes a while to get started but an interesting take on the heist movie with an epileptic lead character in with the Argentine hill billies. Could easily have been shot in the south of the US.
No More Heroes - NZ skateboarding in the 70's
Great old footage and great characters to interview. A great document of the first skateboard craze to hit NZ.
Maxed Out - Doco about consumer credit card debt in the US
Eye opening and depressing, credit card debt is something that is spreading through developed nations and hitting the low income earners hardest, just the way the banks like it.
All in all a great festival. It was great to see such variety, there were so many I had to miss. I hope they come back.
Iraq In Fragments - Doco following 3 peoples lives in Iraq
Harrowing but an interesting idea. It is scary but intoxicating to see the lives people live in a war zone and how it has affected different parts of the population in different ways.
This Film is not yet rated - Doco about the film rating system in the US
Damn funny and informative. Kirby Dick is a great story teller and really delves deeply into the secretive world full of hypocrisy.
A Scanner Darkly - Rotoscope sci-fi
Why does everyone cast Keanu Reeves in these sci-fi movies? It could have been so much better without him. Still an enjoyable watch and unusual visual style. Robert Downy Jr. is great.
An Incovenient Truth - Doco about climate change with Al Gore
It may not be the most slick movie but it doesn't have to be. It gets it's message across loud and clear. Reduce pollution or the consequences will be dire for everyone.
The Army of Shadows - Drama about the French resistance
Not particularly original but gritty and entertaining. Good attention to detail.
A Bittersweet Life - Korean gangster/film noir
A joy to watch and gleefully violent, not for the faint hearted but worth it for the true fan.
Mind Game - Crazy Japanese Animation
Again not for the faint hearted but very original and honest, a crazy animation style to match a crazy story that makes sense, in a weird way, in the end.
The Wild Blue Yonder - sic-Fe made from real dock footage
Didn't really work. Had some good ideas but it was incomplete and too slow to make a good film. Some scenes looked too forced into fitting the narrative.
loudQUITEloud - about the Pixies reunion tour
Not what I expected. I thought I would see archival footage of the legendary band that inspired Nirvana and their kind. Instead it is a bunch of middle aged guys getting back together to see if they still have it. They don't live the rock & roll lifestyle any more but on stage they definitely still have it.
The Aura - argentine Thriller / crime caper
Takes a while to get started but an interesting take on the heist movie with an epileptic lead character in with the Argentine hill billies. Could easily have been shot in the south of the US.
No More Heroes - NZ skateboarding in the 70's
Great old footage and great characters to interview. A great document of the first skateboard craze to hit NZ.
Maxed Out - Doco about consumer credit card debt in the US
Eye opening and depressing, credit card debt is something that is spreading through developed nations and hitting the low income earners hardest, just the way the banks like it.
All in all a great festival. It was great to see such variety, there were so many I had to miss. I hope they come back.
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