Hollywood Times Square

So as I mentioned in my last post, I got to cover the LA Film Fest this year for Hollywood Times Square! It was amazing to be able to see so many films, and to really feel like I was a part of the festival instead of just a spectator. I loved it and I loved the films I was able to see. Most of my reviews are up now on hollywoodtimessquare.com, check them out!

Scene in '15 LAAPFF Edition: Miss India America, Nuoc 2030, Twinsters

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fest (LAAPFF) was last month, and I got to catch a few screenings. I liked the format of the festival, the screenings were spread out over several theaters in the city, which was nice because it was an excuse to explore some new places. I had never been to CGV Cinemas in Koreatown before, and I was kind of dreading the drive/parking situation but it was so simple and the lot validates for three hours which was awesome. The other venue I went to was the Downtown Independent which was also cool, and coincidentally right in front of The Smell!

Miss India America

Lily Prasad, high school valedictorian and all-around over-achiever gets thrown for a loop when her boyfriend disrupts her life plan by leaving her for Miss India Golden State. What other course of action could there be for someone who's not accustomed to losing than to join the Miss India Golden State pageant and aim for the title of Miss India National? My favorite line in the movie happens when one character is trying to break up a fight between the others and she says something like "Come on!! Our parents are doctors and engineers!" and another character replies "Uh, my mom's an astrophysicist." Every one in Lily's community is either the best at something, or trying to be the best at something and the whole film was a really interesting commentary on the pressure to not only succeed but to be the most successful. I loved it, and I hope it gets a wider release so that more people can see it.

Nuoc 2030

This sci-fi film is set in Vietnam in 2030, where water levels have risen so high that the population has been forced to live in houseboats and vegetables are scarce. When Sao's husband is murdered her investigation brings her to her ex-lover, who happens to be the main scientist on a floating farm with unconventional practices. This film was a really great blend of romance, sci-fi, and murder mystery. It was a little long, and the pacing was a little slow at times but overall I enjoyed it, and I definitely want to check out more Vietnamese cinema now.


Twinsters

I remember seeing the Kickstarter for this film, and being absolutely floored by the premise of this documentary. Basically, through YouTube Samantha Futerman and Anais Bordier discovered that they were identical twins separated at birth and adopted by couples in different countries. The documentary follows everything from their first Skype conversation, to meeting for the first time, to traveling to Seoul together and meeting their respective foster moms. The crazy Sister Sister aspect of the film highlights the ways in which technology made their reconnection possible. If it weren't for the internet they never would have found each other, and now thanks to the internet they can be in constant contact all day long even on separate continents. I also really liked the way the film dealt with the differences in their approaches to their adoptions. This is the film I've been talking about non-stop since I saw it, and when it gets a wider release I'm dragging everyone to see it because it's amazing.

That's my LAAPFF round-up! I wished I could have seen more, but we're in the midst of festival season so the LA Film Fest is fast approaching and I already can't wait to see those films! If you want to check out the preview I wrote for Hollywood Times Square you can check that out here.

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Scene in '15: Black or White, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel & What We Do In the Shadows

I'm a little behind on Scene in '15 posts (I actually saw these 3 before Cinderella) but we're getting all caught up today!

Black or White

This one wasn't anything special, I expected a little bit more from the cast. Quick synopsis: The film opens with Elliot (Kevin Costner) finding out his wife has just died suddenly in an accident, and spirals into alcoholism while his granddaughter Eloise's other grandmother (Octavia Butler) tries to take custody of Eloise. For me the plot was a little thin, and it seemed like the film was trying to make a profound statement about race but completely missed the mark. I would have liked to see more character development for Eloise, because even though the film surrounds her custody she seemed almost overlooked.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I was actually surprised by this one! I remember really liking The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and my soft spot for Maggie Smith goes far beyond Downton Abbey, but this one was kind of a let down as well. The plot was slow and frustrating, but visually the film was beautiful.

What We Do In The Shadows

So before this post sounds like too much of a downer, let me say that I loved this one. It was like Jersey Shore meets Flight of the Conchords, with vampires. Super hilarious, and if you're a fan of British/Kiwi humor you'll love it too.

Now we're back on track! Who's pumped for the Indian Film Festival??

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Scene in '15: Cinderella

I saw Cinderella last weekend, and honestly when I heard Disney was re-doing Cinderella  I was pretty set on not seeing it. I mean we've all seen it a hundred times, done a hundred different ways, and we all had that section in elementary school where we had to read a bunch of Cinderella adaptations and write our own (right? or was that just me?), so I think as a culture we're all pretty Cinderella-ed out. Then I realized that Lady Rose and Daisy from Downton Abbey were going to be in it so I broke down and saw it. What can I say, I gotta support my Downton ladies.

Overall, my gut reaction was pretty much spot on. There wasn't much to make it stand out from every other Cinderella, and the whole 'Cinderella is perfect and has never had a negative thought about anyone ever' thing wore on me. There's a line where Cinderella confronts her stepmother about why she's been mistreating her and the stepmother says "Because you're so innocent and good!" and storms out. Honestly. I know fairy tales are the wrong place to look for character development, but it would have been a nice touch, especially since moments before it seemed as if the film might try to add some depth to the character of the stepmother.

On the other hand though, the costumes were exquisite. I would like everything Cate Blanchett wore because every outfit was stunning, especially her hats. I really liked the color palette they used, lots of royal blues, which I'm assuming was to play off of the lighter blue that Cinderella always wears.


Unless you've got little ones, I think this is probably one you can skip, but it's not the worst way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

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Scene in '15: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night

Let me tell you guys, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night may just be my new favorite film. I had the pleasure of seeing a screening at the Hammer Museum as part of their The Contenders series and there was a Q&A with director Ana Lily Amirpour following.  For those who haven't heard about it yet, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is an Iranian vampire western set in "Bad City." The story focuses on Arash, a young guy living with his heroin addicted father, and the Girl, a vampire.

The one image that stuck with me, just from seeing the trailer before I even saw the film, is of the Girl in a chador skateboarding down the street. In the Q&A Amirpour said that the idea for the film came to her when she put on the chador and immediately felt like a badass, and that the first thing she wanted was to be on a skateboard and feel it billowing out around her. She said that her next thought was the Iranian vampire idea, that obviously it would be this way because the Girl would be the last person anyone expected.

At several points in the Q&A Amirpour referred to the film as a fairytale, and I felt like the black & white coloring really adds to that element and makes the film timeless in a way. (Also, as a sidenote black and white was such a cool stylistic choice for the movie. Eliminating the color turns the focus towards the lighting, and I loved the way the film played with light and shadow.) Even though Arash drives a classic car and dresses almost rockabilly in a white tee and jeans, there are cds in the characters rooms and at one point Arash and the Girl dance to a New Wave song. That combination of dated elements come together to make the film feel almost removed from time, like a fairytale. The landscape also adds to the fairytale feel. Bad City is almost a ghost town, in the shadow of the oil rigs. It carries this intense loneliness that you can feel in every character.

I'm enamored with this film. I think when you hear "Iranian vampire spaghetti western" it feels like maybe the film is going to get lost in all those genres but it doesn't at all. They all come together so organically to tell this story, and the end result is amazing. Also, if anyone knows how I can get a still of the image of the Girl skating away please email me because I need that hanging on my wall.

Scene in '15: Selma

This past weekend I saw Selma and absolutely loved it. Quick synopsis: the movie focuses on the Selma to Montgomery marches that took place during the Civil Rights movement. I remember reading somewhere online before I saw the film that Ava DuVernay wanted to capture the essence of the town and the time period, and I think she pulls it off beautifully. It's such an evocative film, there were several moments that made me squirm in my seat and want to look away. I think the one element that really stands out is the way that the film and David Oyelowo's performance in particular highlight the frustration that comes with non-violent activism.

I also really liked the way the costumes functioned in the film. As I was watching it, the moments when the characters were in suits versus more casual clothing stood out for the different messages the outfits were conveying. If you're also intrigued by this, this article that goes a little further into wardrobe choices and the Civil Rights movement.

I highly recommend checking this film out; it's especially poignant in light of the civil rights issues going on today, and if you want something to follow it up with I'd check out Fruitvale Station next. Selma shines a light on the struggle that took place to get us where we are, and Fruitvale Station highlights how much further we have to go.

Scene in '15: Nightcrawler

I'm rolling out another 2015 challenge today! I'm going to review every film I see in the theater this year. I go to the movies a lot (seriously. a lot.) so this should be a cool way to keep track of exactly how many movies I see. I'm calling the series "Scene in '15."

Let's get started with the first film of 2015, Nightcrawler! Quick synopsis: Jake Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a guy who falls into the world of freelance film crews that catch gorey nighttime stories to sell to the morning news stations.  I didn't love it. The first thing I wrote in my notebook is "Who is Lou Bloom?" There isn't a lot of character development; Lou displays a psychopathic lack of empathy and there's an obvious tension in his demeanor that had me waiting for a dramatic outburst that never really happens. Nightcrawler drew a lot of parallels to Drive for me, as much for the lack of background on the main character as for the LA setting. It works in Drive, mainly I think because there is that dramatic climax that gives the audience just enough insight into the Kid's character to piece together the rest. The climax in Nightcrawler took too much of the responsibility off of Lou. Also, what we do see of his personality is incredible (albeit creepy) ambition, which didn't add up with his unemployment at the beginning of the film. 

The storyline just didn't come together for me, but Gyllenhaal's performance is great. The film is worth seeing just for the incredible way he conveys the tension in Lou with body language alone. 

#AFIfest

Before I say anything about AFI Fest I need to give Isabel a huge shout out for letting me know it existed in the first place. A while back I was whining that all the hype from the BFI Film Festival was making me wish I was back in London, and Isabel blew my mind by telling me about AFI Fest. How on Earth it's possible that someone who loves going to the movies as much as I do, and grew up in LA didn't know about this film festival is beyond me but I'm glad I know now because it was amazing.

The American Film Institute puts together this festival every year, and it's completely free! I think the limit is 30 tickets per person, which is more than enough. I didn't plan my schedule out very well, I kind of went wild when the festival's schedule was released and requested 2 tickets for the first five movies that sounded good, and meant to request the times off so my work schedule wouldn't conflict. I completely forgot to do that, but in an incredible stroke of luck only one of the screenings conflicted with my work schedule so I swapped those tickets for another screening.

In the end I had tickets for Deux Jours Une Nuit, The Midnight Swim, Bande Des Filles, Viktoria, and Manos Sucias. I decided to take Metro to the theater to avoid having to park on Hollywood & Highland and completely underestimated my travel time, so I missed Deux Jours Une Nuit. I was bummed, but since Marion Cotillard is the star I'm sure that it will come out on limited release at least so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for it.

The Midnight Swim was the first screening I saw and it did not disappoint. The film is about three half sisters that have all come back to their childhood lake house in the wake of their mother's drowning. The entire film is shot by June, the youngest sister. At first this effect was hard to adjust to, there are a couple really shaky shots throughout, but overall I really loved that the audience sees the events of the film literally through June's lens. The title comes from a myth that is described within the film about seven sisters that go swimming at midnight and drown one by one. I stayed for the Q&A with the cast and the director after the screening, and the director said that the house they filmed in actually belongs to her family; it was the place she spent her summers as a child. She also mentioned that the myth really does circulate around the area and that her mother used to tell it to her and her sisters to warn them that a drowning person can pull you under. That really stuck with me after the screening and pulled together a lot of different elements from the film in my mind. I loved The Midnight Swim, and I was so happy to see that it won an Audience Award at the festival. During the Q&A the director mentioned they didn't currently have a release plan, but I really hope it gets released in the US because I already want to see it again.

I saw Bande Des Filles next, the English title is Girlhood but I think Bande des Filles captures the mood of the film more. Granted, my French is getting rusty but I would translate it as Girl Gang and I think that really conveys what the film is about. It follows Marieme (who changes her name to Vic) through her life in the suburbs of Paris. My French professors at school focused a lot on social issues in France like education, immigration, and life in the suburbs of Paris, so I was really excited for this film. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but I really liked the way the film highlighted the importance of friendships between girls in that specific community. This is another one that I loved, and I can't wait to see again.

Viktoria was the only film I saw at the festival that I really did not enjoy. It follows a girl, Viktoria, who's born without a belly button 9 years before the fall of communism in Bulgaria. The first third of the movie focuses on her mother, who is unenthusiastic about her pregnancy, the second third showcases young Viktoria as she's celebrated as the poster child of Bulgarian communism, and the final third focuses on the family after the fall of communism. I didn't really see how all the different threads connected. While the lack of a belly button seemed to suggest a break down in the mother/daughter relationship, the role communism played in that didn't make much sense.

Manos Sucias was the last film I saw and it definitely brought the festival to an end on a high point. We almost missed this one, we ended up getting into line late after pausing for coffee and barely made the cut off. Since we made it into the theater by the skin of our teeth, we had to sit in the second row, but it was totally worth it. The film takes place in Colombia and follows two estranged brothers who are unexpectedly reunited for a job delivering drugs. The film focuses a lot on racial tensions in Colombia, and during the Q&A so many Colombians in the audience thanked the director for shedding light on the issue of racism in Latin American communities. This is another film that I would really like to see again, preferably from the comfort of my usual seat in the back row.

Next year I'll hopefully be better prepared; I think the way to go would be to get tickets for multiple screenings in one day. Still, I had so much fun at the festival this year and I'm so glad I'm finally in the loop. Better late than never!

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