Well, even though yesterday RAV promised Father Geek here that his last report from Venice was his "LAST" Report from Venice, we are now confronted with a new "LAST REPORT FROM VENICE". I fully expect to receive another Last Report from Venice any minute now...
Heya Guys,
So that last piece was supposed to be my last report, I guess I fucking lied. I have three hours to kill before the Kitano interview and I just saw one of the best films I've seen all week. There are also bits of other films I'd like to get off my chest first. I must say I am suprised Vertigo didnt pick me out of the crowd one of those days I was wearing a BNAT shirt, or lurking in chat in the press room. Although before I get on to any of that I have to say "Hi" to Arianna Grace a Fast-talking LA based media person of some kind who asked me to drop her name on here for "free publicity." She was quite a blur speaking quickly like a cocaine addict then running on to her movie six more blocks away, she said something about Harry not existing or something.
11-09-01 September 11
Vertigo did a great description of the 11\09\01 shorts, you guys should head on over to his column and check them out. Although I kind of disagree with his stand-outs, its quite easy to say the stand-outs are from Loach, Nair, and Penn those are the biggest names in the film. For me the best shorts were from Tanovic, Makhlmabaf, and Ouedraogo and quite honestly I flat out hated Youssef Chahine's short. God his short is flat out dreadful with all the production value of a Vivid Video feature. Ouedraogo's short is wonderful, touching, and entertaining it is enough to warrant a view of the entire collection alone, luckily most of the other shorts are quite moving as well.
Clown In Kabul
Clown In Kabul screened for the first time last night. This is a documentary following the real Hunter "Patch" Adams going into Kabul to help kids with his clown-work and bring a few laughs where they are needed most. Seems like a great endevour indeed and Patch is very brave to do so, but the documentary is not exactly a work of art. This thing is pure television crap, it doesnt give any sort of insight at all to what went on, never do you get to know any of the patients or the people working down there. You hear a few drunken Patch Adams speaches and some sweet moments of song with him, but never do you really get to feel like you were on the journey with them. It contains no chronicles of any problems of the journey just watching them clown around with hurt Kabul children. The film is basically structured Drunken Patch Adams speech about how horrible George Bush is, 10 minute montage of people playing with injured kids, Patch Adams giving the crew a speech about the significance of their journey, 10 minute montage of people playing with injured kids, Patch Adams singing to children, 10 minute montage of people playing with injured kids, Patch Adams discussing about how he feels a new place in his heart has been opened during this trip, another 10 minute montage of people playing with injured kids, then it ultimately ends with a montage of people playing with injured kids with Patch Adams singing over it! This is not a documentary its an infomercial for his cause. Seriously this is late night PBS at best.
Lilja 4 Ever
The next film I want to talk about is one I just finished watching ten minutes ago, and something I thought I was going to wind up missing here in Venice. The film is called Lilja 4 Ever directed by Lukas Moodyson, this film made some waves early on in the fest but I had already missed all of the screenings for the film. I was really bummed out a journalist from Denmark that I know here kept raving on and on about the film, many audience members keep exclaiming how wonderful it was and then people began reviewing it here on the press computers next to me, the bastards just sitting there talking about how great it was.I WANTED IT NOW! Then it came to a perfect climax when a great AICN-er named Jens emailed me and told me it was easily one of the top five films of all time. Now at this point I was trying to steal Moriarty's time machine and get back to next week to watch the fricken thing. Sadly Moriarty has some tough security over at the labs, L I was forced to just wallow in my own see of depression all week.
Then the other day it was announced, "an additional screening of Lilja 4-ever will take place at the Pala Gallileo at 11:15 AM on Saturday." So finally I have seen this great film a few moments ago down the street. This film is quite a lot to take in so if this doesnt exactly feel thought out you are completely correct. Lilja 4-ever is about a young sixteen yearold carefree girl named Lilja living in a former Soviet Republic, her mother has just met a man who is going to take them all back to America to live with him, Lilja particularly is completely ecstatic at the thought of moving away from home. Although the dream does not exactly play out as perfect as she thought it would, her mother flat-out abandons her. So with no money and no where to live she begins a slight forced decent into prostitution. Her only friend left is this little twelve year old rejected boy who has a crush on her. This film is a lot to take in and never is a "happy" movie it just keeps hitting you with more and more lost dreams and lost hope, although never happy it is a great cinematic achievement. The girl playing Lilja, Oksana Akinshina, is so sweet and innocent it hearts to watch her go through this. Lilja 4-ever reminds me a bit of A Night at The Golden Eagle and Requiem for A Dream in that they both have these wonderful main characters that you hope for good in the end, but their futures seem totally bleak. I can't recommend this film enough, it is a work of genius.
If you happen to be in Toronto next week SEE THIS MOVIE, if you happen to be a buyer in Toronto next week SEE THIS MOVIE AND BUY THIS MOVIE and SHOW THIS MOVIE IN THE USA!
Well now I'm off to go interview Beat Takeshi, seeya guys later. Cant wait to get back to Austin now. Also it looks like I'm heading down for the Rules of Attraction screening later this month, so see ya guys there too!
