narrative Archives - i luv cinema

I sure as heck do not know where the time goes nowadays. No sooner was I decompressing from my trip out to Los Angeles for the TCM Film Festival, were my sights set again to my hometown (-ish) festival, Tribeca!

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It’s the day before the official start, early screenings down and schedules sorted, so here is a quick list of what I am looking forward to ….

For Your Consideration

Slow West – Saw this Sundance award winner in January and am still recommending it her; check out my review on FlixChatter. Narrative

On My ‘Plan to See’ List

As I Am: The Life and Times of DJ AM – Often told in his own voice, the story of Adam Goldstein (known professionally as DJ AM), chronicles the musician’s meteoric rise onto the L.A. party scene to his equally precipitous and very tragic fall. Documentary

Indian Point – This one hits a little close to home (as I live in the Greater Hudson Valley); I am almost afraid to find out the status of this nuclear facility, the safety of which has been a constant presence in our local news in recent years. Documentary

A Ballerina’s Tale – A profile of Misty Copeland, the first African American soloist at the American Ballet Theatre® in decades. Note: this special screening scheduled for this Sunday (4/19) will be followed by a Q&A with Copeland and a dance performance. Documentary

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Mary J Blige: The London Sessions – A behind the scenes look at the recording of the R&B stalwart’s 13th studio album which takes place in … you guessed it – London. Note #2: this screening on Thursday (4/16) will be followed by a performance by the woman herself. Documentary

Monty Python’s The Meaning of Live – Part of TFF’s celebration of the legendary British comedy troupe, The Meaning of Live inter-cuts archival footage with a behind the scenes look at the team as they prepare for their final live show in 2014. Documentary

Far From Men (Loin Des Hommes) – A French language film set in mountainous Algeria starring Viggo Mortensen and scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. C’mon, now. Narrative

The Emperor’s New Clothes – A documentary from award-winning director Michael Winterbottom (Jude, 24 Hour Party People) features comedian/social justice warrior Russell Brand in a no-holds-barred look at the worldwide financial crisis and its consequences. Documentary

Prescription Thugs –I am guessing this film will deliver what is exactly on the tin – a look inside the commerce and personal conflicts that have arisen from the alarming epidemic of prescription drug addiction. Also of note – filmmaker Chris Bell’s (Bigger Stronger Faster) own family suffered a personal loss directly related to this problem. Documentary

Of Interest

Franny – I am curious about this one because a couple of years ago, I attended to a Sundance Institute’s writing workshop/table read for this ‘work in progress.’ Now, it is finished and stars Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James (Insurgent film series). Gere portrays an eccentric man who inserts himself into the lives of a newlywed couple (Fanning and James). It would be cool to see the final product. Narrative

The Armor of Light – Abigail Disney’s directorial debut looks at Reverend Rob Schneck, an evangelical minister who, likely going against many with whom he shares a common religious affiliation, is spreading a message criticizing the blight gun violence is having on our society. Documentary

Down in the Valley – A sports documentary by way of Emmy award winning Jason Hehir (The Fab Five) about the city of Sacramento’s efforts to prevent their NBA franchise (The Sacramento Kings) from leaving for greener (kaching!) pastures. Documentary

Tumbledown – With a cast headlined by Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudekis and a synopsis that put a smile on my face, I am more than a little curious. Narrative

Hannah (Rebecca Hall) and Andrew (Jason Sudeikis).Photography by Seacia Pavao

And Time Permitting …

There are a bunch of Tribeca Talks® and Short Programs (support the shorts!) that I am interested in attending as well, but I will take these in stride and attend as I am able to fit them into my schedule.

I am probably missing something but as you can see, there is a lot going on in Lower Manhattan over the next eleven days.

Anyone attending this year’s festival? What are you most looking forward to?

* Film synopses’ source: the official Tribeca Film Festival‘s Film Guide; photo credits: Tribeca Film Institute.

Happy Monday evening all! Hope everyone had a good weekend. I decided to take a couple of days off blogging and cinema going (call it post-TFF syndrome).

I am now refreshed and looking forward to another fun-filled movie week.

In the meantime, I would like to round out my Tribeca 2012 coverage by taking a look at the films in the narrative category.

Overall there were quite a few hits, one or two ‘misses’ and an equal amount of surprises.

Please read my brief assessments below …

Lola Versus

I thought this film was even-keeled alternative romcom that was worth a few chuckles on my part. It had a NY-hipster touch to it; generally this is not a cuppa, but an effective performance from current indie queen Greta Gerwig just about makes up for it. Fox Searchlight financed this film and it will hit cinemas on June 8.

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding

I wanted to like this film a lot more than I did. It had all the elements that I usually LOVE – a Brit period piece with a talented cast including Felicity Jones. But I left the film thinking that something was missing … possibly a better script? Even with some time and distance from the film, I still cannot make an absolute determination.

Death of a Superhero

Standout performances from Thomas Sangster (little kid from Love Actually) and Andy Serkis make this potentially maudlin and mawkish film worth watching.

Una Noche

This film was definitely chatted about at the TFF. Shot in Havana, Cuba, it gave the audience an unflinching glimpse into the life of this communist country. While Una Noche made headlines away from the camera, I think it was a good a solid effort from filmmaker Lucy Mulloy. But by the end of the film, I felt a little manipulated in the emotions it evoked.

Trishna

First of all, it is unfair how pretty Freida Pinto is – it really is. That said, Trishna is beautifully shot, with some fine lead performances. However, Michael Winterbottom’s Bollywood-styled adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s tragedy Tess of D’Urbervilles left me with quite a few questions. The answer may be simply this: IBA, READ THE BOOK! A side note: I was particularly disturbed by the transformation of the Riz Ahmed character, Jay.

Caroline and Jackie

Unfortunately this (melo)drama had people in my screening laughing. Now I know what you are thinking, “Some dramas have bits of humor in them … ” While this may be true, I would add that the laughter was definitely in places not intended. For my part, I just felt quite detached from the characters and in the end, I gave up on caring about their respective fates.

While We Were Here

I attended the World Premier, which was a fun, but had to wait a few days to actually park it and see the film in its entirety. What I saw surprised me – in a very positive way. In fact I would go as far as to say that this was my favorite film of the festival. The black and white cinematography is absolutely stunning and the performances all around were top-notch. It is amazing that such a beautiful, romantic landscape, Southern Italy, can yield such an anti-romantic tale. My hats off to writer-director Kat Coiro.

Graceland

This crime drama/thriller from the Philippines is not usually something that I would flock to the theater for but it was an effective story that was very disturbing in its raw look at human trafficking and child exploitation.

As Luck Would Have It

Despite the tragic undertone of this movie (and interesting title translation), I was entertained by the story of someone’s having a very bad day … It is also a satire that critiques our overly saturated modern media machine.

Supporting Characters

At a certain point, I did not even care what the plot was about; I was just that entertained with the banter and back-and-forth between the two main characters, Nick (Alex Karpovsky) and Darryl (co-writer Tarik Lowe).

Elles

My final opinion about this film is still being formed. Elles is an exploration of female sexuality and liberation as seen through the eyes of chief protagonist Anne (Juliet Binoche). Anne is an editor examining the lives of young students who support themselves by working as escorts.

What I Missed …

And with that, I bid adieu to Tribeca 2012! It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to taking part again next year.

Tribeca Film Festival ’15 Preview

Tribeca 2012 Recap: The Narratives