While in Austin, at SXSW, I saw several bigger budget, films that would most likely get (or already have) distribution through one of the major studios. I was also fortunate enough to see a handful of examples of pure independent filmmaking, those without the assuredness of distribution, but were nonetheless putting themselves out for [...]]]>

While in Austin, at SXSW, I saw several bigger budget, films that would most likely get (or already have) distribution through one of the major studios. I was also fortunate enough to see a handful of examples of pure independent filmmaking, those without the assuredness of distribution, but were nonetheless putting themselves out for the festival goers to see and judge on their own cinematic merits. While there were some that may not see much future life in theaters, or even on DVD, they were all enjoyable on some level. I didn’t want to walk out of any of the movies I went into.

One of the real treasures that I was able to get into was Lena Dunham’s latest feature: Tiny Furniture. Starring the director herself, as the lead character Aura, alongside her real life sister and mother in their respective roles, Tiny Furniture shows us life after college, when you aren’t exactly sure where or what (or who?) to do next. College, and her recently ended relationship, have left Aura feeling worn out, in search of some comfort, perhaps a fresh start back at home, before she goes onto her next adventure. Aura’s mother and sister are less than enthusiastic about her return, and treat her with thinly veiled hostility. We meet an orbiting cast of friends and romantic interests as she attempts to get a job, and deal with those friends that Aura has left behind, either at home or at school.

The film examines modern twenty-somethings in an honest, intellectual, and non-romanticized manner, that I for one, found refreshing. It treats Aura’s relationship/crush/fling with one of her co-workers in a way that few Hollywood films would have the guts to do with a big budget film. It never presents her actions as reprehensible, in fact it shows the opposite, that while many would like to call our generation immature, or petty, Tiny Furniture shows just how beautiful and honest we can be in our search for love, no matter how short or long a search it ends up being. The characters are all well acted, and while a few choice lines of dialog may be a stretch to find in the real world, I found myself completely immersed in this story.

One fantastic element of the filmmaking that I cannot praise enough is the camera work. The shots are expertly framed, presenting both subtle and obvious uses of furniture and environments, to create an atmosphere full of dividing lines and eerily barren walls. When Aura interacts with her sister, there is often a barrier, both figuratively and literally, between the two. As the two become closer emotionally, the barriers shrink, or expand upon the current mood between them. Along with the framing, the use of color, or lack thereof, is wonderful. The use of white in the apartment, through the walls or the sheets, creates an unease that we all feel when going home, to a place that we have not lived in in months or years, and do not feel quite comfortable in at first. We may be welcomed, but we are still strangers in that situation to some degree, and an awkwardness is inevitable.

Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture is a bold, shining example of the modern independent filmmaker who can capture realistic, intelligent dialog, while also framing the images on the screen beautifully and creatively. It is not gimmicky, or cynical in it’s approach to the modern family dynamic, it conveys absolutely believable scenarios that I could relate with; dealing with work, friends, and family, in a post-college, pre-adulthood environment. It also presents complex romantic relationships without relying on stereotypes, or other boring cinematic tropes that we’ve seen a dozen times in modern independent films. The film won the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW, and I’m proud to say that I was happy to cast my vote for the film after the screening. Tiny Furniture was also recently acquired by IFC Films, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that this film finds its way onto the desks at Criterion, because it would fit absolutely appropriately alongside such works at David Gordon Green’s George Washington, Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, or even Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums.

You can visit the film’s website here, or follow the director/film news via Twitter. You can also hear me discuss the film on our bonus episode, in which I cover the various films that I saw while in Austin at SXSW.

Tiny Furniture Trailer from Lena Dunham on Vimeo.

Neil Marshall first found his way onto my television screen with 2005′s, The Descent. This is most likely the case for many others, as the film came out of nowhere for many who had not seen his earlier werewolf/war film Dog Soldiers. Many film sites and writers heralded Marshall’s entries in the horror-suspense genre [...]]]>

Neil Marshall first found his way onto my television screen with 2005′s, The Descent. This is most likely the case for many others, as the film came out of nowhere for many who had not seen his earlier werewolf/war film Dog Soldiers. Many film sites and writers heralded Marshall’s entries in the horror-suspense genre with well deserved enthusiasm. Even though I own the DVD of The Descent, I have not gone back to re-watch the film purely based on how terrified I was the first time I watched it. I absolutely loved it, it presented sympathetic characters in a claustrophobic, other-worldly environment, forced to defend themselves against an unseen terror. The someone secret screening of Neil Marshall’s latest film at SXSW, Centurion, has helped cement Marshall in my own world of directors who can continue to produce genre films which I will happily consume.

While at Scott Weinberg’s panel with various genre directors, many hints were dropped about Marshall’s latest film, and a secret screening taking place later that week at the Alamo Drafthouse. Centurion was certainly not on any official schedule at the festival, but it was hard to not know about this screening, as the theater was full of film geeks that Monday at midnight, for the world premiere of the movie. Neil Marshall was in the theater, with just about every other film writer in town, eagerly awaiting what would be shown to us. We were not disappointed.

Centurion’s story is simple, the Roman Ninth Legion, in it’s campaign against the Picts of Scotland in 117 of the common era. Dominic West (of The Wire) plays Titus Virilus, charged with leading his legion into the north, to wipe out the Picts who have long stood up to the Roman Empire. We are quickly introduced to another Roman soldier, Quintas Dias, played heroically by Michael Fassbender (of Hunger, Fish Tank, and Inglourious Basterds), who has survived an attack by the Picts on his outpost, and in his escape, he encounters the Ninth Legion, on their way back from where he has just fled. The Ninth Legion is quickly, and almost unbelievably, dispatched by a surprise attack from the Picts, and they are then forced to make their way back to Roman-occupied territory, as they are tracked and killed by the Picts. Simple enough plot, get home before you are killed by the people you were charged with invading.

Will Quintas Dias make it back before he and his men are killed? Who exactly are we meant to cheer for in this film? We surely are meant to sympathize with our lead male characters, as they represent the civilized world. We are also introduced to the suffering, and horrible torture that the Picts have endured under the Roman invasion. As in real life, we are not meant to cheer for either side. Both commit horrible acts upon their enemies, out of survival, or revenge. What we are meant to feel, is the sense of adventure, of never feeling safe as long as you’re standing still. You need to keep moving if you want to survive the night. You’re in enemy territory, and they know every rock and blade of grass better than you do.

Neil Marshall’s Centurion is a run for your life, action film that knows exactly what it want’s to be. It slides in subtle messages about war crimes, atrocities, terrorism, guerilla warfare, while never clubbing you over the head and shoving them down your throat. It has grim elements, but moves along at such a pace as to never leave you over-analyzing their effectiveness. By the time you’re realizing that you’ve just seen a Pict version of an IED, you’re racing alongside the hero’s that you’re invested in. While they do introduce a few too many characters without giving you time to differentiate them from the others in the group (a huge problem with the recent Clash of the Titans). There are moments and characters in the film that might have deserved the editors scissors be taken to their scenes, as they tended to slow down the pacing without adding much in terms of character growth or tension. I can whole-heartedly recommend this film to anyone who has enjoyed films like Braveheart, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, or 300. While Centurion may not have some of the timeless and epic themes found in those other films, it carves out a place for itself at the historical action genre table, and definitely has earned the right to it’s spoils. I cannot wait to see the film again, and own it on Blu-ray.

To hear me discuss Centurion with Rudie, James, and Travis, check out the bonus episode that we recorded, discussing all of the films I saw at SXSW.

One of my favorite films from this past year’s SXSW Film Festival has just been picked up by IFC Films. IndieWIRE is reporting that IFC has picked up North American and Foreign distribution rights to Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture.

A touching, serious, funny, beautifully shot film, Tiny Furniture looks at the weeks following Dunham’s character as she [...]]]>

One of my favorite films from this past year’s SXSW Film Festival has just been picked up by IFC Films. IndieWIRE is reporting that IFC has picked up North American and Foreign distribution rights to Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture.

A touching, serious, funny, beautifully shot film, Tiny Furniture looks at the weeks following Dunham’s character as she returns home from college to her mother and sister, who are not exactly thrilled to have her back home. The film presents an all too relatable look at the dysfunctional family in film. The dysfunctional family is a familiar tool in film, but Dunham uses it often hilarious results in Tiny Furniture, while never becoming obnoxious, or unbelievable.

IFC will be releasing the film theatrically, and on-demand for their viewers at home.

With the IFC / Criterion deal in full swing these days, could I see Tiny Furniture finding it’s way into the Collection? Absolutely. This film could easily fit alongside incredible break out modern films like David Gordon Green’s George Washington. It would also make an interesting double feature with Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, in that both showcase “quirky” families, both dealing with personal crises. Personally I believe that Tiny Furniture creates a much more believable narrative than Tenenbaums, but they are equally funny and well crafted.

Source: indieWIRE

Going into SXSW, I knew there were going to be a lot of short films screened, and there were several that I had highlighted as must-see’s. I was immediately drawn to Tze Chun’s name, as his film Children of Invention has been on my radar since last year’s IFF Boston. Children of Invention was also among [...]]]>

Going into SXSW, I knew there were going to be a lot of short films screened, and there were several that I had highlighted as must-see’s. I was immediately drawn to Tze Chun’s name, as his film Children of Invention has been on my radar since last year’s IFF Boston. Children of Invention was also among the films chosen to test out YouTube’s new rental service, around Sundance this past January. When I saw that he was going to be directing a sci-fi short film, I knew it would be something worth making myself available to. I didn’t read too much up on the other films in the Futurestates series, apart from the basic synopses that it was a series of short films, centered around the idea of taking current social and environmental problems, and extending them forward in time. Who knew that this screening would yield the most emotional response I’ve had to a piece of film-making in years.

I’ll go through the films screened as they were shown to me, thus saving, as the programmers did, the best for last.

They began the series by first explaining that the films were a part of a series, available online, being funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. You can watch these, along with several films not screened at SXSW, at their homepage: http://futurestates.tv. As I’ll state again and again, I’d highly recommend sharing these short films with anyone open to thinking about the future of our planet.

[I've embedded YouTube video of each of the short films after my write-ups, but again, I'd highly recommend you support the homepage.]

Tze Chun’s Silver Sling

In Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, we were shown a world that had lost it’s ability to hope for a better tomorrow, due to a wave of infertility. In Tze Chun’s Silver Sling, we are presented with a more realistic future, where women become hosts for other’s children, with devastating consequences for repeat usage. Of all the films screened, this was the least “sci-fi.” It rarely used any technology radically different from today’s, and used little to no visual effects. It is a expertly directed, acted, and edited short film, revealing key plot points at the opportune moments throughout it’s run time.

Garrett William’s The Rise

In The Rise, Garrett Williams shows us couple grappling with the prospect of selling their home and moving. There is a tension surrounding the sale on all sides, from the couple buying the house, the couple selling the house, and the realtor, frantically trying to seal the deal. Again, as with all of the shorts in the series, timing is everything. Slowly revealing why the couple is selling, what sort of neighborhood this seemingly nice home has become surrounded by, and what is slowly encroaching on their property, is told with heartbreaking tenderness. It is a small, personal tale, showcasing how we’ll eventually deal with the shifting of the coastlines.

One side-note to this, the baby they use to tug at the heartstrings of the selling family, has to be the most adorable child ever put to film. You will not be able to watch this without your heart going out to it’s future.

Greg Pak’s Mister Green

One of the more fantastical short films contained in this series, Mister Green presents the United States, dealing with the consequences of today’s carbon dioxide output. The film revolves around a future environmental official, who has become cynical towards his position, as the country itself no longer seems to care about the state of the environment. After a presumed fling goes unexpectedly south, we learn that a group of scientists have developed a rather unique “green” solution. This short presents one of the few uses of CGI throughout all of the films, and it certainly sticks out at first. Its use is a bit fantastical, and a little hard to believe at first, but certainly doesn’t ruin the overall impact of the message. The lighting and color palette are used to great effect, in conveying the oppressive heat that this future world experiences. The performances are believable, but a little stiff. While not one of my favorites, it certainly was the most daring, in presenting this future world, where we must make ourselves the cure.

Aldo Velasco’s Tent City

The current housing crisis sets the stage for Tent City. We are presented with a team of slightly militarized agents, evicting people from their homes, whom, we are led to believe, have fallen behind on their payments. The team is making their way through the neighborhood, home by home, until vast numbers of people are led to take up shelter in the titular town of “Tent City”, which we are not shown until the end. The story centers around one of the evicting agents, who still manages to have a home, with a family, and a few comforts, such as oranges, that many apparently have lost in this dystopian future.

How the father feels about his job, what he’s been doing to his neighbors, is told to us through bedtime stories he tells to his son, in the form of a robot, being forced to act out it’s programming, no matter how hard it fights against them. It is certainly a unique way of presenting a current social problem, without having to resort to the need for any CGI, or visual effects. The acting is solid, save for some cheese in the dialogue between the father and son.

Annie Howell’s Tia & Marco

Growing up in San Diego, the issues presented by an armed, and near-militarized border hit very close to home. Tia and Marco shows us a world where not much has changed between the United States and Mexico, regarding it’s border policies, except for the technology used in patrolling it, and enforcing the “current” laws. Tia is a pregnant border patrol officer, on the evening of her maternity leave. In the middle of the night, a young man breaks into her house, apparently making the journey into America, looking for water in Tia’s home. She detains him, and while awaiting his pick-up, feeds and begins to sympathize with his situation.

Again, the world presented in this short film is eerily close to our own, with slight advancements in home technology, to indicate that we aren’t quite there yet. I don’t think this film does anything particularly creative with the film-making tools at it’s fingertips, apart from the reveal of the current political policies, and the title character’s pregnancy. That being said, this film focuses on a problem that our society is presented with every day for those living in the southern border states: how much do you sympathize with those people attempting to enter this country illegally? While not my favorite of the group that I saw in the Futurestates screening, I certainly felt it’s impact.

Ramin Bahrani’s Plastic Bag

By far the most emotionally evocative piece of film-making I saw all week, Ramin Bahrani’s short film, Plastic Bag, is something you should (and can) all watch. I feel I should describe the emotional and physical state I was in during the screening, to perhaps give you a better idea as to why the film was so effective.

This was my first trip to SXSW, and Austin in general, and I was all alone. While I was surrounded by thousands of other film-goers at all of the screenings, and on the streets of Austin, I felt surprisingly alone throughout the week. While I tend to gravitate towards being alone in most circumstances, being a shy person, I had little choice in the matter, as we were only granted one press pass to cover the film events. By saying all of that, I’m not trying to evoke sympathy, simply sharing that I was already in a lonelier state of mind than usual, given the situation. I also didn’t know any other film writers that were attending the Futurestates screening, so a part of me was questioning whether I had made the right choice in going to this event. I think the lonliness I felt personally, while at this screening, primed my emotions for what would be some of the most affecting films, mostly due to their dystopian content. The final film being one of the most uplifting (literally and figuratively), while at the same time, one of the most terrifying in it’s depiction of a real world problem, something that is happening right now.

What unfolded before my eyes over the next ten minutes, was what must be described as a true triumph in short film-making. Without using any human actors, save the obscurely seen “mother,” Ramin Bahrani presents the life of a plastic bag, a simple grocery style bag, narrated by one Werner Herzog. Yes, that Werner Herzog. I was at first unsure as to who was narrating it, as there were no opening credits to indicate the cast, but I quickly realized who was telling me this story.

We are presented with a lowly plastic bag, being torn from its group, at a grocery store, to house the items purchased. It leads a fulfilling, happy life with it’s off-screen mother. Until one day it finds itself drifting along with the wind after ending up in a landfill. It, by way of Herzog, ponders it’s own existence, its surroundings, and it’s eventual immortality throughout the course of the film.

It is certainly not a film that can be spoiled by knowing it’s plot, as the emotional punch comes from the poetry spoken by Herzog, and the incredible score by Kjartan Sveinsson of Sigur Ros. The film literally had me shaking, with tears in my eyes as I flew alongside the bag, and as I swam alongside it deep under the sea, to its eventual encounter with the “vortex.” Also known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” the “vortex” of the film is no mere construct of the filmmaker. There is literally a mass of garbage in the Pacific Ocean, roughly the size of Texas, swirling and churning, as we continue to feed it with our waste. At no point in the film is there any political agenda voiced by the plastic bag. It simply is. While slightly anthropomorphized by Herzog, we are never bludgeoned over the head by the reality of what we are seeing. It almost seems too horrifying to be believed.

Within this short film, we are treated to a variation of the hero’s journey, in the form of a plastic bag, yearning to be more than it is, searching for its creator, and a sense of meaning in its immortal life. It is a nod to the non-biodegradable life that the plastic of our world has to look forward to. I’ll leave you with a final, haunting quote from the film:

“I wish you had created me, so I could die.”

That certainly tipped me over the edge emotionally. All of the films screened as part of the Futurestates event feature futures with terrifying, yet extremely probable outcomes. Plastic Bag could easily have been a short film, animated by Pixar, and fit into their DVD release of shorts. It certainly has the environmental and emotional sensibilities of Wall-E, and hearkens back to earlier Disney films like The Brave Little Toaster.

In this episode, Ryan Gallagher recounts his trip to Austin, Texas for SXSW. This will be a 2 part bonus episode. The first part we will discuss the movies that were screen there and the second part will cover the panels.

SPECIAL GUEST – James McCormick, new writer for The CriterionCast and contributing writer for [...]]]>

In this episode, Ryan Gallagher recounts his trip to Austin, Texas for SXSW. This will be a 2 part bonus episode. The first part we will discuss the movies that were screen there and the second part will cover the panels.

SPECIAL GUEST – James McCormick, new writer for The CriterionCast and contributing writer for Paperspaceships.com

(04:45 – 14:35; Kick-Ass)

(14:36 – 29:14; Predators First Look)

(29:15 – 38:37; Micmacs)

(38:38 – 46:35; Future States)

(46:36 – 52:20; Elektra Luxx)

(52:21 – 56:14; Tiny Furniture)

(56:15 – 1:00:25; Earthling)

(1:00:26 – 1:03:15; Cherry)

(1:03:16 – 1:09:20; Centurion)

(1:09:21 – 1:19:20; The People Vs George Lucus)

(1:19:21 – 1:23:05; Les Signes Vitaux)

(1:23:06 – 1:30:12; The Passion of Joan of Arc)

(1:30:13 – 1:33:08; Wrap Up and Contact Info)

(End of Part 1 SXSW)

The fine folks at SXSW just announced a handful of the remaining Audience Award winning films. You can find all of our coverage of SXSW here. The previous winners were announced last week and you can find the complete list here. Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting more reviews of the films screened in [...]]]>

The fine folks at SXSW just announced a handful of the remaining Audience Award winning films. You can find all of our coverage of SXSW here. The previous winners were announced last week and you can find the complete list here. Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting more reviews of the films screened in Austin for SXSW, along with some video/audio that I recorded while at the festival. Congratulations to all of the winners! I’ve included trailers to all of the films, along with links to their official homepages where available. Hopefully these films will all get distributed in the states, both theatrically and on home video, so you all can experience them.

Additional 2010 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners:

Feature Film Audience Awards

SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES

Winner: Richard Garriott – Man on a Mission [Official Website]

Director: Mike Woolf

EMERGING VISIONS

Winner: NY Export: Opus Jazz [Official Website]

Director: Henry Joost and Jody Lee Lipes

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Winner: When You’re Strange – a film about the Doors

Director: Tom DiCillo

LONE STAR STATES

Winner: Thunder Soul

Director: Mark Landsman [Follow Mark on Twitter]

MIDNIGHTERS

Winner: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil [Official Website]

Director: Eli Craig

Greetings CriterionCast listeners! Hopefully you were all following my adventures in Austin via Twitter and Facebook over the past week, to read all about which movies I loved, how late the buses were running, and how often I had to recharge my iPhone from all of the tweeting.

On Saturday, Day 2 of [...]]]>

Greetings CriterionCast listeners! Hopefully you were all following my adventures in Austin via Twitter and Facebook over the past week, to read all about which movies I loved, how late the buses were running, and how often I had to recharge my iPhone from all of the tweeting.

On Saturday, Day 2 of SXSW, Rudie and I hopped on Skype while I was hanging out in a hallway in the Convention Center to chat about my experiences so far at SXSW. The audio quality is certainly not very good, and we are not very structured in our discussion. We also spoil the hell out of Kick Ass (both the Comics and the Movie), but not until the end of the podcast, so if you’re interested in staying unspoiled until the movie comes out, you may want to skip that part.

Overall, I had an incredible experience at SXSW this year. It was an incredible chance to meet people from every aspect of the filmmaking business, from production to distribution to criticism. You can find all of my reviews for SXSW here. So far, I’ve written up my screenings of Kick Ass, Predators (First Look), and Micmacs. Look forward to write ups for: Tiny Furniture, Centurion, Cherry, Vital Signs, People vs. George Lucas, Earthling, The Passion of Joan of Arc with the live score, as well as all of the panels that I attended. I video recorded some of the Q&A’s with the directors after the screenings, and I’ll try to get those uploaded ASAP.

Again, thank you all for your support as we attempt to grow as a film blog and podcast, we would not be doing any of this if it weren’t for you, the listeners and readers of our little endeavor here at CriterionCast.com.

What leads us to seek revenge, when we’ve been wronged? How can a revenge film be touching and hilarious, and in the end, satisfying to all that watch it? Jean Pierre Jeunet attempts to answer these questions in one of my favorite films that I had the honor of seeing while at this year’s SXSW in [...]]]>

What leads us to seek revenge, when we’ve been wronged? How can a revenge film be touching and hilarious, and in the end, satisfying to all that watch it? Jean Pierre Jeunet attempts to answer these questions in one of my favorite films that I had the honor of seeing while at this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas.

After an accidental drive by shooting leaves our hero, Bazil, with a bullet lodged in his skull, he sets down a path that will lead him to the doors of two arms manufacturers, who essentially led to the death of a family member, as well as the bullet he carries with him, and cannot remove, lest he risk his own life. On this journey he is taken in by a rag tag, group of misfits, living in what is essentially a trash heap, but in reality is the largest swiss army knife at their disposal. Everything they need to orchestrate the take down of the heads of the arms manufacturers is at their disposal, and they use them all to hilarious ends. Each member of the group has their own talents, their own unique quirky traits, that come in handy at just the right moment.

Jean Pierre Jeunet has knocked another film out of the park. His visual style is as strong as ever, creating a vision of Paris that few will find in reality.

This movie was indeed a joy to behold, and everyone I spoke to about it felt the same. I don’t necessarily think that this film will find as broad an audience here in the States, for the simple fact that at the heart of this film, there isn’t a compelling love story, which we saw in films like Amelie and A Very Long Engagement. I don’t know if those films were as popular as I like to think among the population at large, but I think this film may do less. It is not, certainly, any less of a film. It has gorgeous visuals, hilarious dialogue, a lovely score, all evidence that Jeunet is a director that needs to be included in the Criterion Collection.

The fact that he has not made it in can be looked at in two lights. One: Perhaps Criterion just cannot afford the rights to distribute his films, because they are popular, and financially successful in the home entertainment market, which should certainly make us all smile, knowing that people are buying and watching good films. The other way of looking at it could be the fact that Criterion simply has too much on it’s plate already, and that they will get to Jeunet in time.

Micmacs is a film that you should all go see, but don’t see it alone. Bring your friends, your family, to really experience the comedic elements of this film. See it on the big screen, so that you can marvel at how truly beautiful the colors are. Finally, see it on the big screen simply for the fact that during the Q&A, Harry Knowles brought up the idea of Jeunet shooting this film in 3D, and Jean Pierre was absolutely ecstatic about the idea of working with the new technology. See this movie on the big screen, and try to imagine it in 3D. 3D films don’t necessarily need to be big spectacles, or event films like Avatar, to really use the technology to artistic ends. The final shot of the film, a dress dancing on its own, left me on the edge of tears of joy, in how much damn artistic ability Jeunet has in the smallest of ideas presented in his films.