By Warren Curry
11/26/02
Boasting a very formidable lineup of films (147 in all, representing 37 different countries), the 16th annual AFI Film Festival didn't just live up to expectations -- it far exceeded them. Not only was the programming incredibly strong, but the fest benefited most substantially from a change of venue, moving a few miles southeast of 2001's location, the Egyptian theater, to the brand spanking new, state-of-the-art premises of the Arclight. The Arclight is probably the best place to see a movie in Los Angeles, and its plush seats and ample legroom provided the perfect environment for a few marathon days and nights of moviegoing.
There seemed to be much more of a noticeable buzz around the festival this year than last. The attendance was phenomenal (just ask any of the people who, according to an eyewitness report from Ryan, were asked to leave the 2nd City of God screening due to it being oversold), and there was a discernible excitement in the air about several films (City of God, Sonny, Dark Water just to name a few). Even with the masses of people milling about the top floor of the Arclight, the festival was extremely well organized, and such folks as John Cusack, Nicolas Cage, Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Cronenberg, Philip Noyce and Penelope Cruz (just to name a few) were on hand to introduce and/or partake in Q&As for the films they were there to promote.
At the end of the festival, my total viewing count had reached 19 movies. Presumably, you've had a chance to check out our AFI Fest review page, where you can read reviews of seven of those films (and also three more from Ryan), so below is a brief rundown of the other 12 titles (with the director's name and country of origin listed in parentheses) I had the pleasure of catching. All those involved with AFI Fest (and sincere thanks to you all) are going to be hard pressed to top this year's festival in 2003, but I certainly am looking forward to seeing the results of their efforts.
ANANSI (Fritz Baumann/Germany): A group of African immigrants survive a harrowing trek across the desert of Morocco hoping to discover a better life in Europe. This was the last film I saw at the festival, and the final screening of a three movie day, so possibly fatigue helps explain why Anansi didn't have a bigger impact on me. The story and the characters work, but I was strangely unaffected by the film. Given the subject matter, the movie comes across a bit lightweight.
CITY OF GOD (Fernando Meirelles/Brazil): Think Ryan's review might be an overstatement? In my opinion, he didn't state this film's case strongly enough -- if City of God isn't a five star movie, what is? The best film of 2002 by leaps and bounds, and quite possibly my favorite crime flick since Goodfellas. Huge in scope, but still undeniably personal filmmaking. Director Fernando Meirelles utilizes a flamboyant visual style that actually compliments the film rather than overwhelms it. Miramax is set to release this on January 17, so save the date on your calendar.
GETTING MY BROTHER LAID (Sven Taddicken/Germany): Hmmm -- still don't quite know what to make of this one. Funny, weird, creepy, but failing to really impress. I rubbed my eyes at least 5 times during the climactic (no pun intended) scene of this film just to make sure what I was seeing was real, so I suppose that counts for something.
MAX (Menno Meyjes/USA/Canada/Germany): Noah Taylor, who was by far the best part of that vastly overrated Hallmark Card of a movie Shine, gives an absolutely scintillating performance as the world's most notorious villain, Adolf Hitler. Menno Meyjes' film examines the relationship between the aspiring artist Hitler and a fictitious art gallery owner named Max Rothman (played surprisingly adeptly by John Cusack) at the end of World War I. The film may posit a rather simple view of what perhaps turned the man into the monster, but Taylor's work makes this film fascinating the whole way through. Lions Gate to release on December 27.
MORVERN CALLAR (Lynne Ramsay/United Kingdom): Lynne Ramsay makes it two for two, as she follows up her great debut, Ratcatcher, with this just as impressive sophomore effort. Stark, dense, atmospheric, but also able to pull a clever story (revolving around a woman's dead boyfriend and his unpublished novel) out of the mix. Samantha Morton (Minority Report) stars as the film's title character; Cowboy Pictures will release the movie on December 20.
PROM NIGHT IN KANSAS CITY (Hali Lee, Peter von Ziegesar/USA): The title says it all, as documentary filmmakers Hali Lee and Peter von Ziegesar attempt to uncover why this ritual is still so important to teenagers from all walks of life. Less than 60 minutes in length, and more of a novel concept than a good doc (Lee's pretentious narration hampers the proceedings), but definitely entertaining enough to sustain my undivided attention.
RESPIRO (Emanuele Crialese/Italy, France): The first film I caught at the festival, and not a bad way to get things started. Shot on the Sicilian island Lampedusa, the photography and locations are the best aspect (the underwater shot that closes the film is breathtaking) of this movie about a dysfunctional family's struggles in a small fishing village. Another spare film that mainly relies on atmosphere to get the job done, and overall it's moderately effective. Sony Pictures Classics will release in March of 2003.
THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS (Rose Troche/USA): Being a fan of the book of short stories by A.M. Holmes on which this film is based, and admiring the spunk of Rose Troche's debut Go Fish (has it really been nearly 10 years since that film was released?), The Safety of Objects carried with it some high expectations. For the most part they are met, as the film goes the multi-story, intersecting characters route (ala Shortcuts, Happiness, etc.) and gets a lot of mileage out of rock solid performances from Dermut Mulroney and Patricia Clarkson. Other big names in the cast are Glenn Close and Dawson's Creek's Joshua Jackson. IFC Films has this scheduled for an April release, and if it's not too late, they should either re-shoot or re-edit the ending, because what's there now really undermines the tone of the movie that precedes it.
SHAOLIN SOCCER (Stephen Chow/China): Kung Fu, soccer and farcical comedy collide in this campy flick. A group of misfits band together to form a Buddhist Shaolin soccer team that enters a tournament and ultimately competes against a distinctly evil squad. Good fun (and eschewing subtitles for dubbed voices works well in this case), although the novelty wears thin long before the film ends. Miramax will release in April of 2003.
SONNY (Nicholas Cage/USA): By far the worst film of the festival. Nicolas Cage's debut behind the camera is horribly pretentious, and the director manages to ruin a great cast (James Franco, Mena Suvari, Brenda Blethyn, Harry Dean Stanton) in the process. Franco stars as the title character, who returns home from the Army in early 80's New Orleans, hoping to steer clear of his former life as a male prostitute. A terribly wretched work that falls flat on its face in every way imaginable. The best and worst part is Cage's embarrassing cameo. Samuel Goldwyn Films releases on December 27.
SWEET SIXTEEN (Ken Loach/United Kingdom): More tales of British working class strife from the U.K.'s most important (in my humble opinion) filmmaker, Ken Loach. This just may be Loach's best film yet, a completely unflinching tale of a Scottish teenager's attempt to use the drug trade as a means to create a better life for his troubled family. Newcomer Martin Compston is a real find in the lead role, even though I could only understand every 5th word he said (don't worry, there are subtitles). Powerful and urgent -- don't miss it when Lions Gate releases the film in the U.S. in April of 2003.
XX/XY (Austin Chick/USA): The biggest surprise of the festival. A film told in two uniquely different halves, the first which doesn't appear to work until the second puts everything into place. Three college friends' past lives of hedonism and petty abuses come back to stare them in the face 10 years later, and the results are surprising and incredibly true to life. This is the feature debut from writer/director Austin Chick, and he displays an amazing talent for writing vastly interesting yet completely naturalistic dialogue. He strips away the facades of these characters and finds a place of true emotional honesty in them. Mark Ruffalo (You Can Count On Me) turns in a typically superb performance, and the chemistry he and the equally good Maya Stange share (especially in the film's latter half) is extraordinary. IFC Films will release XX/XY in April, and anyone interested in an intelligent film about real relationships shouldn't miss out.
(Read reviews from the 2002 AFI Film Festival)
2002 AFI FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS:
JURY AWARDS
INTERNATIONAL SHORTS COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE
DR. CUDDLE
Directed by Anja Jacobs
SPECIAL MENTION FOR ANIMATION
THE BOX MAN
Directed by Nirvan Mullick
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE
A WEDDING IN RAMALLAH
Directed by Sherine Salama
SPECIAL MENTION FOR
EMOTIONAL COURAGE AND CINEMATIC ARTISTRY
FAMILY
Directed by Sami Saif and
Phie Ambo
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE
SHOUJYO: AN ADOLESCENT
Directed by Eiji Okuda
SPECIAL MENTION FOR PERFORMANCE BY
AN ACTOR
Shawn Ku
SAMSARA
SPECIAL MENTION FOR PERFORMANCE
BY AN ACTRESS
Paprika Steen
OKAY
The Jury Award winners above received prizes and in-kind services valued at more than $75,000 from Eastman Kodak Company, Panavision, DELL, Aloha Airlines, Agnes b., TriCoast Studios and other sponsors.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
THE BOX MAN
Directed by Nirvan Mullick
BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE SMITH FAMILY
Directed by Tasha Oldham
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
CITY OF GOD
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
& Katia Lund
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