Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a batch of flicks I have seen at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. One shitty, two great. Let's get going, shall we?
THE LEGEND OF LUCY KEYES
Think a shiny, boring and poorly made remake of THE LADY IN WHITE. Even though it stars the lovely Julie Delpy and Justin Theroux... avoid, especially if you like horror movies.
MOZART & THE WHALE
Now this one I actually liked. I saw a film at last year's Santa Barbara festival called RORY O'SHEA WAS HERE... I really enjoyed that film... sweet, funny with just a pinch of seriousness. MOZART & THE WHALE is much the same.
It's about a pair of people with a form of Autism called Asperger's (yes, it is pronounced "Ass burgers," sadly) Syndrome. We focus on a romance between Donald Morton (Josh Hartnett) and Isabelle Sorenson (Radha Mitchell) who both have varying degrees of Asperger's. They're both fully functional and independent... with Hartnett being a more Rain Man type character that gets distracted by numbers and Mitchell being just kind of an extreme personality.
You know what this movie reminded me of? Not in an extreme way, mind you, but it felt very much in the same universe as CRAZY PEOPLE, that Dudley Moore/Daryl Hannah flick. You're never asked to feel sorry for our main characters nor do you really focus on their eccentricities after you first get to know them.
It helps that Hartnett and Mitchell are both playing at the top of their games here. Hartnett never comes across as trying to "act" his disability much like Dustin Hoffman never felt like he was "acting" his in RAIN MAN. I'm not saying this movie is in the same league as RAIN MAN, but there are undeniable parallels.
Radha Mitchell was always an actress that I never really shined to. She never was on the Tea Leone level of annoyance, but she never really connected with me in a film. She is absolutely adorable in this movie and instantly likable, not cold in the slightest.
Overall, this is a charming film that would make a great date flick if a studio steps up to bat and releases it. The supporting cast are all winners as well, especially Rusty Schwimmer as Gracie, a member of the autistic group that Hartnett organizes and takes on outings. She always says things boisterously with a giant grin... even when she's sad. She's really hilarious in the film.
I heartily recommend this film to anybody with a soft spot for romantic comedies, especially off-beat ones.
WHO IS HARRY NILSSON (AND WHY IS EVERYBODY TALKIN' ABOUT HIM)?
This one really hit me between the eyes. As someone who grew up listening primarily to the music of the 50s, 60s and 70s, of course I knew of Harry Nilsson, but I really knew nothing about his life. I even didn't realize that a few songs I love... were his songs. I didn't know he wrote ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER or that he performed (Lime in the) Coconut.
The film is one of those rare documentaries that is expansive, but never drags. We follow Nilsson's life from childhood to death, enjoying the highs and lows along with him, from Grammy wins through divorce and substance abuse. The doc never really shies away from Nilsson's lows, but it also doesn't feel like one of those depressing "he had the world and threw it all away" E True Hollywood Stories. It really is a celebration of his life.
The doc is filled with well known faces. Nilsson was good friends with John Lennon and Ringo Starr, so there's plenty of footage of those Beatles in there. Mickey Dolenz and Brian Wilson show up as well. Nilsson also arranged and composed all the music for Robert Altman's POPEYE. Robin Williams also sits down with the documentarians. And then there are all the movers and shakers, people I don't know... producers, etc. And, of course, all of his family.
Dolenz actually appeared at the screening and gave a rather emotional introduction to the screening, hence the pics of him in his pimpin' Panama hat and white suit.
WHO IS HARRY NILSSON is hands down the best movie I've seen at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Entertaining, informative and incredibly emotional. In short, everything a great documentary needs to be.
If you see this one playing a film festival near you don't let it pass you up.
I'm just past the halfway mark of the fest, so there's still many films for me to tell ya' about. Keep an eye out for the rest of my coverage!
-Quint
