page one (miff film #16)

The (almost) best of MIFF was saved till last. Page One: Inside the New York Times is another brilliant documentary, directed by Andrew Rossi. As someone who works in the publishing industry, there were many, many moments during this fly-on-the-wall-style film that resonated very strongly with me (what with the constant question of survival being asked at every turn now that electronic media has no intention of going anywhere). And being introduced to journalist David Carr was a revelation.

Page One is a true celebration of journalistic talent that is, sadly, being eroded by lesser, but more popular, media outlets. While the main theme of the film is the struggle of The Times to survive in the internet age, it also reminds, or rather shows, viewers what it would be like if it ceased to exist.

Again, there are too many highlights to discuss in this blog post and really, they will wack a better punch if you’re seeing them without previously reading about them. I think this documentary should be seen by everyone, just as a reminder of why we still need quality newspapers (whether they be printed or read electronically) and reporters.

5 stars!

life in a day (miff film #15)

Faith restored! After the debacle of film #14, I was so, so happy after coming out of the screening of Life in a Day. Not only was my faith restored in the MIFF program, it was also restored in this crazy, digital age we live in.

The film, which was produced in conjunction with youtube, put out a call, asking people from around the world to film the day as it happened for them on July 24th, 2010. These budding filmmakers could then send in their footage and the most compelling and distinctive pieces would be used, and thus Life in a Day was born.

Kevin Macdonald, the director, introduced the film and mentioned that 14 Australian submissions made the cut. Pretty impressive considering around 4,500 hours of footage was submitted.

It’s so hard to pick my favourite parts of this documentary. They were all so brilliant and worked so well together. I didn’t feel like I was just watching snippets of home movies. The film was edited to show the full span of the day, starting with sunrise, and ending at sunset. The day was anchored by questions asked of the filmmakers, which were ‘what’s in your pocket?’, ‘what do you love?’, and ‘what do you hate?’.

I think the main reason I loved watching this documentary is because it showed me that if we work together, using all the social media currently available to us, we can create something with meaning, beauty, hopefulness and humour instead of wallowing in our own narcissism and shallowness.

5 stars!

shut up little man! (miff film #14)

The wheels finally came off the terrific streak I was having with my MIFF selection. What caused the wheels to come off? The documentary, Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure. It probably didn’t help that the screening got off to a terrible start. One of the audio tracks wasn’t synching so we missed the audio for roughly the first ten minutes of the film. That’s fine. Things happen. But the crowd were horrid. They kept booing and asking for the film to be started again. Ridiculous behaviour from grown ups, really.

The MIFF program describes the film as…

In 1987, Eddie and Mitch found themselves living next door to Peter and Raymond - a flamboyant gay man and a raging homophobe who fired abuse at each other during nightly liquor-fuelled stoushes. The guys recorded these 'colourful' exchanges through the paper-thin walls and inadvertently created one of the world's first viral sensations - one which inspired a cult following on the cassette-zine circuit, spawned a stage play and multiple film projects, and made its way into the work of comic artist Dan Clowes (Ghost World) and the music of Devo.

Spaning issues of voyeurism, art, privacy and exploitation, this riveting documentary charts the unconventional story of an underground phenomenon.

I think it was the ‘privacy’ and ‘exploitation’ that I had the most trouble with. The in-fighting between Eddie and Mitch and those wanting to use the material they’d recorded seemed petty. Plus, I felt bad for the neighbours, who, while pretty crazy, had no idea the money and notoriety being made off them. I don’t know. Something about it just didn’t sit right with me. I just didn’t get this film. But that’s okay, there was bound to be one.

2 stars!

our idiot brother (miff film #13)

Unlucky thirteen? I think not! Considering Our Idiot Brother starred Paul Rudd, it would have to have been pretty terrible for me not to like it. I mean, he’s the cutest! But it was the support cast that really helped round out this film. Zooey Deschanel (love!), Elizabeth Banks (love!), Rashida Jones (love lots!), Adam Scoot (love! hot!), Hugh Dancy (hot!), Emily Mortimer (love!), Steve Coogan (some others love!). And I haven’t seen T.J Miller before but he’s hilarious. There was another cute dog in this film, but he didn’t quite steal away the pic. Paul Rudd is pretty much as cute, if not cuter, than most dogs.

This laugh-out-loud funny, sweet film is very heavy on the family dynamic. That’s my favourite kind of film! And Paul Rudd's Ned isn't really an idiot. He's just very sweet, and a touch naive - that's not a bad thing!

Our Idiot Brother is getting a general release so go see it. Like, now!

5 stars!

martha marcy may marlene (miff film #12)

Creepy creepy creepy creepy. I mean, any film about a cult is going to be creepy, but Martha Marcy May Marlene was extra creepy. Director, Sean Durkin won best director for this film at Sundance. That, coupled with an Olsen (Elizabeth!) made me add this film to my list. I had no idea what it was about until a day or so before seeing it when someone mentioned it was ‘the one about the cult’. Right.

For me, I think, the film was all about the amazing cinematography and direction. Each shot was beautiful and the director really did create a certain atmosphere that was felt by everyone in the cinema. I had to actually tell myself to start breathing again after some scenes and the rest of the time I flitted between feeling claustrophobic, uncomfortable and utterly on edge. And everything I felt was completely apt for the subject matter of the film. Brilliant.

The acting was terrific as well. John Hawkes was suitably creepy as the cult leader, Elizabeth Olsen holds her own and is mesmerizing in each shot, and Sarah Paulson is a standout (with Hugh Dancy thrown in for some eye candy). I also have to say that the Catskill mountains were a character unto themselves. They were terrifying, haunting but also a little intriguing when you think about the kind of fucked up shit that goes on there.

3 stars!

beginners (miff film #11)

After seeing Ewan McGregor on Graham Norton (my favourite late-night variety show, seriously, watch it, if you’re not already an addict) I put Beginners on my MIFF list. And I’m glad I did. Apart from featuring my girl-crush of the moment, Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Beginners features the cutest dog ever and he basically walks off with the film.

Beginners is a beautifully sad journey, and at the helm is Oliver. Through flashbacks and flashforwards, the audience sees Oliver dealing both with the death of his father (played by the enigmatic Christopher Plummer) and the fact that at the age of 75, his father ‘came out’. It is also a journey of love, another subject Oliver struggles with when he meets Anna (Laurent).

Director Mike Mills has created a deeply personal film with Beginners (it’s based on true events) and is well worth seeing.

4 stars!

win win (miff film #10)

Win Win

I had wanted to see Win Win for a long time. I’d happened upon the trailer at the Apple site and in those 2 minutes and 23 seconds, I was hooked. I’m happy to report the wait was worth it and since this film (along with many that I’ve previously reviewed) will be getting a general release, I’d urge you to see it.

This engaging, sweet film tells its story beautifully and the characters have enough dimensions to leave every viewer satisfied. While for me, Bobby Cannavale kinda stole the show, I loved Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan (from The Office and The Wire) and Alex Shaffer, in his first, but definitely not his last film.

Win Win tells the story of struggling attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti) who takes not-entirely-ethical steps to increase the financial aid his family needs. This one action sets off a chain of events that I found an utter delight to see play out. I don’t want to give anything away, since my highlights will be your highlights and you should get to watch them without knowing they’re about to happen, but I’ll just say it’s a funny, heartbreaking, touching film.

Thanks MIFF for featuring this film in your program, it was a gem.

5 stars!