Father Geek here, holding down the fort behind the barbed wire barrier that encircles World Geek Headquarters deep in the central Texas hill country, with the first report from our Estonian spy Timo, who slipped across the border into Finland's capitol to report back to us on LOVE & ANARCHY in Helsinki's bohemian film going world. Sooooooo while our own omnipresent globetrotting HARRY basques (sic) in the warm sunshine of the Spanish Mediterranean seacoast at the SITGES FANTASY FILM FEST a stone's throw from Dali's castle the next couple of weeks, throwing back those mindwarping opalescent shots of the forbidden Deva Absenta and chasing them with chartreuse tinted TNT cocktails, Timo will be braving the icey winds of the frozen northland in search of the Frost Giant's Daughters and casks of potent Viking Honey Mead... oh yeah, and some fine motion pictures to boot...
Now, here's Timo...
This report is written during the Helsinki International Film Festival called "Love & Anarchy" which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year and lures movie geeks and freaks of all kind to the capital of Finland. Hopefully this first report will be followed by others since there is a lot to see and talk about.
This is the best kind of festival - people come from all over and simply enjoy movies from all around the world, from oddest places. There are no red carpets, no paparazzi, no hassle - the movies are in the first place here and the audience has shown its love for them as most of the screenings are sold out. This festival is a true movie geek's heaven - the titles that are shown are mostly obscure little films that travel the festival circuit hoping to be picked up by the distributors. And most of them do deserve the recognition of a wider audience. Each day the members of the press gather to Bio Rex movie theatre to pick up their tickets for the day. It is a great place and the spirit of the festival just floats around the room. On the interior walls of the theatre there are large banners including LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (title treatments in Finnish and Swedish - really cool) and the movie called PICNIC, that I have never heard of, starring William Holden and Kim Novak. I only guess it was a big deal sometime in the past or else the publicity machine for this film worked in full gear since there are quotes like "UNFORGETTABLE" AND "UNSURPASSABLE" on the banner. I suspect I have missed out on something.
The festival takes place in five or six different theatres. One of them - called Andorra - is a place where the bohemian spirit is so thick you can cut it with a knife. It feels as if you are going to find a narcoleptic Argentinian passed out in one of the booths and Christian in the restroom practicing in front of the mirror how to woo Satine.
Attending "Love & Anarchy" is quite an endurance test. In three days I have been able to see 13 movies and this number is gonna multiply considerably by the time the festival ends. The screenings start at 2 p.m and the last screening ends around 1 a.m. so up until now I haven't had the chance to write what I have seen here. Now I try to correct that. The only problem is that with all the movies that I have seen here, it is quite hard (if not even impossible at this moment) to collect and filter my thoughts about the films that I've seen into something that will at least resemble a sensible overview. First off, I have decided that films that have been long forgotten in the American cinemas, need no closer dissection.
So here we go...
BIGGIE & TUPAC
Hats off to Nick Broomfield, the director of this controversial, revealing and provocative documentary about the killings of rap stars Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. and the alleged conspiracy behind it involving several LAPD officers. While watching the film I couldn't help but wonder the size of balls Broomfield has. The man is absolutely fearless and uncompromising in getting the footage and proof he is after. This man does not seem to be the least bit afraid, although, judged by some things he unearthed in his film, he should be. In addition to the background of the killings and the relationship between the two rappers we also get to see Broomfield in action, which is a sight worth seeing.
There is a moment in the film when Broomfield goes to a maximum security prison to interview a man who is claimed to the very person behind the killings and his cameraman is clearly in a state of pure fear and ready to pass out. The camera shakes visibly, at times it is pointed to the ground, the next moment it is pointed at the sky. But Broomfield does not flinch. The film makes you think the way "J.F.K." made us think about the Kennedy assassination.
All the clues and the confessions in front of the camera make so much sense and point so strongly to people who orchestrated the whole thing that the viewer cannot help but wonder why the authorities haven't done anything about it. The film works, makes you think and sheds light to these events. Highly recommended.
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
THE FULL MONTY, WAKING NED, SAVING GRACE, etc. - wonderful, loveable films of how people in difficult situations set their minds to reaching their goals and overcome many obstacles while doing so. This thoroughly captivating movie tells us the story of Jess, a hindi girl living in England but raised according to the traditions of her native country. This may not present a significant problem but there is one little thing. Jess loves to play soccer more than anything else and this kind of "shameless running around half naked in front of everybody" is something that her tradition-loving parents are not able to digest. Of course the rebellious daughter keeps playing soccer even after the parents have told her not to and the upcoming wedding of her sister means more pressure on Jess... What happens next is for the viewers to see and find out but this much can be said - the movie is an absolute marvel, a 100% feel-good movie that will grab the audience along for the ride and doesn't let you go until the end credits start to roll. And not even then...
This movie is another great ensamble piece where you needn't pay attention to who is playing who. The actors completely disappear into their characters. The performances are absolutely top-notch, most notably the fresh newcomer Parminder Nagra in the role of Jess, a girl who is hopelessly stuck between two cultures that are ready to collide.
There is a moment when Jess' father, the tradition loving head of the family finds out about his daughter's activities and arrives to watch one of the games secretly. As he watches his girl kicking ass on the field we can see pure pride in the fathers face. He inspects the crowd, sees their reaction to his little girl's performance and at that moment he is the happiest man alive.
There are many laugh-out-loud funny moments in the film, most notably involving the mother of Jess' best friend and teammate Julie. She cannot accept the fact that her girl is more interested in soccer than in anything else and fears she is too boyish and she has a great argument to back it up: "There is a reason why Sporty Spice doesn't have a boyfriend." Hilarious.
The movie also benefits greatly from a magnificent soundtrack, which is a disarming mix of popular hits and traditional Indian songs that make you just shake your booty. When we add exemplary editing and sure-handed direction to the list of things, we have a movie you cannot but love and I cannot recommend this film enough.
PRINCESS BLADE
When I arrived to the festival there weren't many movies that I expected to see more than PRINCESS BLADE. The reason is simple. Glorious samurai sword fights mixed with Hong Kong style action. Or at least that's what the catalogue promised. Now I can say that this film is one of the biggest disappointments in this festival. The hopes were so high up, they had went through the ceiling and made themselves comfortable in the attic. The first 5-10 minutes of the movie - great stuff. The choreography by none other than Donnie Yen was top notch and there were many captivating confrontations. If only the movie had kept that up but no... After a promising start what follows? A period of 45-50 minutes where absolutely nothing happens and I cannot help but think that I didn't come to see PRINCESS BLADE to watch people talk and build relationships. I came to see this movie to see, endless sword fights, gushing blood, flying body parts, total mayhem, that sort of thing.
It was like you are going to go on a date with your dream girl. The date starts and from the first moment it is clear that you are gonna get some action. And then she decides to get wasted and you end up dragging her home and she thanks you by vomiting on your sholder. There is no better way to describe my feelings about the film. It let me down although there seemed to be all the required elements in place. The only one to save one's face was Donnie Yen whose choreography was great. Too bad he had so little to do.
DARK WATERS
I think it is safe to say now that there is a new force to be reckoned with in the horror movie genre. This force has a name and it is Hideo Nakata from Japan, the director of utterly scary, chilling and haunting "Ring", which is being re-made in Hollywood at the moment. Based on this, it is also fair to claim that sooner or later Hollywood studios will get their hands on this baby as well because "Dark Waters" is the kind of film that keeps on building the tension so masterfully that the people in the audience are ready to shriek out loud.
The story itself moves in the same territory with such modern classics as "Poltergeist", "The Shining", "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others". Regarding the latter two, we must get one thing out of the way - none of the people who have been alive throughout the movie realize at the end that they are actually dead. Instead "Dark Waters" can be compared to those two films because of its overall tone and atmosphere.
A stressed-out single mom moves into a new apartment building with her little daughter. The new accommodations are not as perfect as can be - the elevator rides are for the brave ones only since this thing is like straight out of "Poltergeist" or the Pang brothers new chiller thriller "The Eye". Things get only worse when the ceiling starts to drip and the daughter seems to have been in contact with a little girl who has disappeared without a trace two years ago...
This is official - Nakata is the master of sophisticated, subtle horror alongside with Alejandro Amenabar. Nakata uses simple devices - a mysterious shadow here, another one there, haunting music, set-pieces that will make you cover your eyes and cover your body with goose bumps. I went to my hotel after the screening at 1:30 a.m. and you can be sure I was suspicious of every corner and checked the ceilings for possible leaks when I got to my room.
Right now I have wasted all my existing resources of energy but after I have reloaded my batteries I hope to send you another patch of experiences I have had during the festival.
Until then, See ya.
Timo
