Hey folks, Harry here. There are beautiful people and then there is Nordling. Nordling is a glowing entity of pure cinematic love and affection bottled into a man of such over-powering brilliance that you can scarcely see the sun for his shine. This is the glory and the power of the Nord! Nordling has been unleashed upon WorldFest in Houston like a tsunami upon a small island community. Soon he will have covered it all and we will be held in awe by the force of nature you will all come to know as... the Nordling. btw... I'm dying to see AS FAR AS MY FEET WILL CARRY ME!!!!!!!
Nordling here.
It's easy to get excited about ATTACK OF THE CLONES or SPIDER-MAN, or any of the other studio releases this year. Believe me, I am. The article that Moriarty wrote a few days back got me incredibly buzzed about the upcoming two years, which for film geeks like us (and if you're reading this, you're a geek - don't even bother lying. Check your wallet. Right next to your picture of you grinning next to the Chewbacca standup at THE MAGIC OF MYTH Star Wars presentation, is your official Geek Membership Card) promises to be great.
But what really excites me is hearing about and seeing films that for the grace of the Internet you never would have known about otherwise. I'm talking the BATTLE ROYALEs, the SESSION 9's, the DONNIE DARKOs, the Y TU MAMA TAMBIENs. I first discovered the joys of RUN LOLA RUN here at AICN. I had no idea about CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON until Harry started singing its praises. So I am delighted to be the one on the giving end this time, with the Houston International Film Festival.
The Worldfest Houston Film Festival, since 1968, has been offering fiercely independent films, foreign language films, and shorts to the movie fan. Currently run by uber-movie geek Hunter Todd, the Worldfest only takes films without studio distribution. "You can only have a woman from some studio shout the F word at you so many times," he said, when describing his frustrations at dealing with the majors. (Hunter, wait until you see the Talkbacks.) The festival has premiered such notable films as BLOOD SIMPLE and LOVE AND BASKETBALL. It has handed out awards to such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee, the Coen Brothers, and George Lucas. The festival is also not overburdened with too many films. Normally 50 to 60 films playat the festival every year, and it is actually possible to see most if not all of the films featured. Every year the fest plays classic films as well as independents - CITIZEN KANE played last year, and the festival has featured a Kurosawa retrospective. This year WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, TOM JONES, EASY RIDER (a new restored print, which closes out the festival) and the great CASABLANCA will be playing. The festival lasts from April 5th through April 14th.
I'm a firm believer, as Cameron Crowe put it in the SAY ANYTHING commentary, of "optimism as a revolutionary act." I don't believe popping off "That sucks" is very trendy, or helpful, even. I don't particularly enjoy reviewing bad films. I'm not the type to shout from the rooftops how much a movie sucks, unless it sucks so monumentally that I feel it is my duty to warn people about them. (TOMB RAIDER. RESIDENT EVIL.) And I've found that some movies will have that one scene that can practically redeem an entire film. I even give DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR its cinematic due. So you probably won't be reading about many bad films here. I'm going to try to write exclusively about the good ones playing at the festival. The ones that you need to keep a look out for. The ones to discover. And I'll also review the classics as I see them. I hope you enjoy my coverage, and maybe you'll be able to check out these films. And if you're in the Houston area, come on down to the Meyerland. At least come see one of the classics. As movie geeks, you have a duty to see one of these on the big screen. If you're interested in the Worldfest, look online at www.worldfest.org. The schedule and synopsis of the films is on that site.
SHORT FILMS
"Indefinitely" - This short film directed by Marc Pilvinsky is terrific. A wedding videographer winds up falling in love with the bride-to-be. The premise may sound simple, but this was very well acted and directed, and had more laughs in its 20 minute running time than in the entire film of THE WEDDING PLANNER. If this is a trailer for a future full length film, Mr. Pilvinsky should have no problems making an engaging and funny romantic comedy. This can be downloaded at www.chryslermdf.com.
"Thought Bubble" - This Claymation short, about a homeless man whos thought bubbles effect the environment around him, was amazing. Sadly, the film's director Billy Greene was tragically killed in September of 2001.
"Josh W Eats A Bug" - Self-explanatory. Also very very funny.
FEATURE FILMS
FAREWELL TO HARRY
FAREWELL TO HARRY - This quiet little film charmed me. It's an ode to a simpler, gentler time, and is very much a character piece. Nick Sennett (Joe Flanigan), is a frustrated writer who decides to move back to his hometown to reinvigorate his creative juices. While taking a drive he almost runs over Harry Wyle (William Hall, Jr.) who owns the now closed town hat factory, and is basically considered to be the town drunk. Taking an interest in Harry, Nick becomes an unlikely friend and ally. However, Harry's drinking threatens to derail his friendship and possibly Harry's life.
I liked this film quite a bit. It is very well acted, especially by Hall, and there's an intimacy to it that most films don't attempt anymore. It reminded me of THE MAJESTIC quite a bit (Nick moonlights as a film projectionist at the town theater), in its yearning for a gentler time.
The problem is that films like this are passed over by the public in favor
of bigger fare, and that's a shame. I hope this quiet film finds an
audience.
AS FAR AS MY FEET WILL CARRY ME
AS FAR AS MY FEET WILL CARRY ME - This film, directed by Hardy Martins as if possessed by David Lean, has been playing in Germany for several months now, although it was denied entry into the Berlin Film Festival for reasons I'll explain below. Although this year is short, I think it's the best film I've seen this year, and will be hard to top this year at the festival. This is based on the true story of Clemens Forell, a German soldier in World War II who is captured by the Russians and sentenced to 25 years in a Siberian labor camp. Supervised by Lieutenant Colonel Kamenev, he admires Forell's spirit even as he consistently tries to break it. Forell has a family back in Germany that he desperately wants to get back to, and when he gets his chance, he escapes, beginning a three year journey across frozen Russia and Asia, as he is chased by the Colonel.
Make no mistake, this film is EPIC. Shot on a $7 million budget, the film looks like its at least $50 million. But it never shys away from characterization, and the film is gripping in ways that most Hollywood films have forgotten about. It's the best German film I've seen since DAS BOOT.
The problem? Well, look above. Basically, Forell is a Nazi. Although that's not exactly fair to all him that- he's just a soldier in the German army, just fighting so he can do his time and go home. However, this will probably be misconstrued by simpler audiences. The subject of the Jews is touched upon when Forell takes refuge in a Polish Jew's house. The scene is realistic, neither making excuses for Forell or making him defiant.
How Hardy Martins managed to make a film so moving and so action packed on such a limited budget is beyond me. The film, if I may reiterate, is HUGE. It's almost 3 hours long, yet to me it never dragged. Right now it doesn't have United States distribution, which is a shame. I hope that the holdup isn't the reson I said above. Forell is a heroic character, he's easy to sympathize with, and to me it doesn't shy away from the truth of the situation. In the end the story becomes about a man trying to surpass incredible odds, just to get home. It transcends the political. And the end of the film is moving as all get out. I urge everyone to find and cherish this film.
Next time, I hope to have reviews for WHEN HARRY BECAME A TREE, BRIAR PATCH, and HOTEL. See you then.
Nordling, out.
