See what I mean? Drunk! Annette Kellerman is drunk on SXSW right now! And she doesn’t care who knows it!
I’ve seen BIG RIG, but none of the rest of what she’s talking about here, and I can’t wait to catch up with these titles myself.
Hey guys. It's been such a fun fest this year. Not only have I seen many a great film, but I've also managed to squeeze in several fun parties and bands along the way. I not only got to see TMNT last night, I also got to see a ten piece all girl Japanese brass band. God, I love SXSW. Here's a round of short reviews from the past few days. First up:
BIG RIG
BIG RIG is director Doug Pray's follow up to his 2000 masterpiece SCRATCH. I was fortunate enough to see SCRATCH the way it was intended - on a gigantic screen with a booming sound system at the Paramount theater here in Austin. Needless to say, I was an instant Doug Pray fan and have been looking forward to his next project.
BIG RIG is an entirely different kind of film, yet draws on some of the same storytelling styles I love. The film is an intimate look at the lives, families, and struggles of the trucking community. From exorbitant fuel prices to a hooker with a heart of gold interview, the film dives deep but always comes up with a positive tone. Although I felt the film dragged a bit at times, and it was difficult to resist being hypnotized by rolling landscape after landscape, the film provides a fantastic front row seat on a road trip across our beautiful country.
In the end, the film really ends up taking on a air of patriotism. The truckers are at the crux of our society as we know it, and the film forces the audience to take a moment to give the trucker the respect he or she deserves. If trucks were to quit running, it would take only three days for our gas pumps to be empty, our stores to be bare, and our economic infrastructure to disintegrate. If you wear it, eat it, read it, use it, a truck brought it to you. I just love a film that introduces me to a world that I may not have explored otherwise. Doug Pray delivers the goods once again with an informative and entertaining slice of life documentary.
ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE
I wish I could tell you that this teen horror flick is different than the rest. That it doesn't follow the formula and is full of new and clever effects and techniques. Alas, ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE is awash in every convention of the tired teen horror genre.
There's the top 40ish soundtrack, the well-defined high school social hierarchy, the ridiculous over-indulgence of every substance available, and the obligatory boob shot. Not that there's anything wrong with boobs, but the predictability at almost every turn is just plain disappointing.
A group of teens spends a night of debauchery out at Sleepaway Camp...er, I mean Camp Crystal Lake...wait, no- you get the idea. All of the guys in the crew are in competition to deflower the good girl Mandy Lane. The kids get picked off one after another by a mysterious, hooded killer. Since we learn the identity of the killer fairly early on from his connection to some drama in the opening sequence of the film, there's an inevitable final twist that I thought was handled quite well. There is one fantastically gruesome scene involving a pit of decomposing cows - I admit I don't think I've ever seen that.
Despite their cookie cutter characters, the performances in the film are pretty solid. Amber Heard as Mandy certainly nails the whole irresistible thing from the get go, and Whitney Able and Melissa Price as her catty pals are actually pretty funny. The guys hold their own just a notch below the ladies, but then again, their main motivation is fucking Mandy Lane or getting fucked up.
I really wanted to like this film. I had heard good buzz from the Toronto Film Fest, so maybe my expectations were too high. If you're in the mood for a teen slasher with all the usual bells and whistles, then this is your movie. But if you're looking for a film that's fresh and clever, sorry this ain't it. I think the film has a theatrical release sometime later this year when it is sure to join the endless list of teen horror films no one remembers.
AUDIENCE OF ONE
This is a great documentary about a Pentecostal pastor in San Francisco that is hell bent on his congregation filming a Jesus-meets-Star Wars epic. And they want to do it all for an audience of one-God.
Through church donations, pastor Richard Gazowsky raises over $200K to shoot the film on location in Italy. With family and followers as chief crew members, it becomes painfully obvious that despite motivation and many a tearful prayer circle, total lack of experience is unfortunately in this case impossible to overcome. As supposed investors disappear, bill pile up, and the few non-believing crew bale, the dream project believed in by so many crumbles before our eyes. To date, no usable footage has ever been shot and the church is being sued by the City of San Francisco for non payment of rent for their "studio" on Treasure Island.
AUDIENCE OF ONE is a fascinating journey into the lives of people attempting a feat many only dream of. It's great to watch anyone who is passionate about a project, but unfortunately for Richard Gazowsky and company, the entertainment value is at the expense of their biggest failure.
Director Michael Jacobs tells a solid and cohesive story perfectly chronicling the church's cinematic trials and tribulations. Great story, great film making, and a great time.
HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS
I'm usually not a fan of what I like to call "festival films". I know that this totally contradicts the fact that I love to see films at festivals, but among my friends if you call a film a "festival film" it is synonymous with long scenes filled with rambling, improvised dialogue, extreme close ups, and meandering camera work with some
experimental stuff thrown in for good measure. The plot is usually almost nonexistent and the end can tend to be one with no resolution. I know loads of people are fanatics about the kinda film I just described, but I'm just saying that it doesn't usually appeal to me.
Director Joe Swanberg's last film LOL definitely fit that category when I saw it at last year's SXSW, yet it ended up being one of my favorites of the fest. HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS also fits into this little category of mine, but Swanberg has proven my little theory wrong once again. His style just really works for me.
Led by the incredible Greta Gurwig, Swanberg casts his usual suspects as friends, coworkers, and eventual conquests of the unsatisfied Hannah. Throughout Hannah's quest for happiness, we are introduced to an array of young 20-something hipsters at work and at play. The familiarity of improvised scenes and dialogue make for a really nice,
intimate little story. I love the nuanced performances from each actor. This film displays a great collaboration between artists who not only hit the poignant, dramatic notes pitch perfect, but they also nail the comedic timing as well.
Also noteworthy is the fantasic original score by Kevin Bewersdorf. As in LOL, Bewersdorf's quirky electronica sets the tone and helps keep up the pace.
Hats off to Swanberg, Gerwig and crew for another fun and creative low budget film.
So that's it for now. I'll be checking in with another round of reviews soon!
Annette
