Cinéfranco 2010 Day 9 - Saturday April 3, 2010

Cinéfranco 2010 came to a close yesterday with another stellar day of Francophone film, and it was a day of copro's including France/Belgium and France/Switzerland including films set in France including La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day and Complices / Partners as well as Belgium with Les barons / The Barons for which principle actor Nader Boussandel was in attendance to introduce the film as well as stay for a Q&A.



La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day
Dir: Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Denis Podalydès, Yann Collette, Nathalie Besançon, Marc Citti, Yann Ebonge, Sarah Douali, Khalid Berkouz, Sonia Amori, Kévin Azaïs
France/Belgium

I've always been a fan of films about teachers. The most common type is inspiration teacher films of the feel-good vein, but La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day is a completely different type of teacher film. One where the teacher has to shout, fight and restrain fear from her students day in, day out, until the situation takes an unexpectedly changes and changes everything. The build up of tension resonates quickly and assuredly creating a volatile environment that quickly illuminates everything from power struggles and control to racial tensions and gender stereotypes as they bubble to the surface. Centred by a formidable performance from Isabelle Adjani as Sonia Bergerac, it's not surprized that she's won multiple awards for her role here including the 2010 César for Best Actress / Meilleure actrice. A fascinating character study, comment on society and overall extremely powerful drama.



Les barons / The Barons
Dir: Nabil Ben Yadir
Cast: Nader Boussandel, Mourade Zeguendi, Julien Courbey, Monir Ait Hamou, Édouard Baer, Amelle Chahbi
France/Belgium

Les barons / The Barons was one of the films I was most looking forward to see at the festival, as the concept of thinking of life giving you a limited amount of 'step credits' and therefore not in a rush to get anywhere, sounded pretty hilarious to me. The film uses this idea of not being in a hurry not only as a great outlet for comedy but also gracefully incorporates exploring the concept dramatically as well. Sure, going nowhere sounds good today - but what are the long term effects? How long can you keep it up and how does that effect those around you? Will opportunities pass you by? What happens when you change your habits and patterns? It's a fascinating exploration that is showcased through a fantastic performances by the central characters of The Barons Hassan (Nader Boussandel), Mounir (Mourade Zeguendi) and Aziz. The dynamic between the three is a highlight of the film, their comfort level with each other, the friendly banter, how they support each other and of course the awkwardness if they even begin to think of drifting apart.

There was also an almost Bollywood feel to the film that you can even get from the poster (see above), although is didn't have a super long running time or any musical numbers, but it did incorporate a rather sizable cast of characters, adeptly fit in an impressive amount of comedy, drama and even romance all into the film. There also were some cultural & gender dynamics that I didn't see eye-to-eye with, but it's refreshingly open about the subject which I greatly appreciated. Overall, it was a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. One of my favourites of the festival.

Principle actor Nader Boussandel was in attendance at the screening and there for a Q&A and I'll post vids of the Q&A soon.


Les barons / The Barons actor Nader Boussandel

Complices / Partners
Dir: Frédéric Mermoud
Cast: Gilbert Melki, Cyril Descours, Nina Meurisse, Emmanuelle Devos, Jérémy Kapone
France/Switzerland

What a refreshing turn to see a crime/thriller that has in it's midst a rather gentle love story. That's a new one in my book. Although, getting back to the 'crime/thriller' aspect it makes the love story hit a tragic tone, but again does this in a gentle and very open way. The film follows several subtle pairs of partners that are relate back to a crime, and I was impressed with how nicely the film unfolded with great pacing allowing all the characters and relationships to develop naturally overtime. There were fantastic performances all around but I was particularly impressed by the younger actors in the film including Cyril Descours (who played Victor) and Nina Meurisse (as Rebecca) who always keep the heart of the film close to the heart of the audience.



Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Readalong & General Reading

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Done & Checking in!
Although it's actually April now, I not only finished The Two Towers on time for the March readalong, but I even finished early. But, because of timing and I just generally feel like writing about books on Sundays, I'm writing my check in post in April. As through out the month, our The Two Towers readalong host Shelf Love has given us even more questions to accompany the experience of reading Book 4. Here's the we go!

1. The last half of The Two Towers covers fewer characters than the first half. For some, this makes Book 4 slower than the rest of the book; others love the intense focus on Frodo, Gollum, and Sam. Where do you stand on this question?

I loved this section of the book! At some point I realized that the second half of the book wasn't as long as the first and nowhere near as long as the Fellowship and this made me completely whiz through it. I liked the Sam, Frodo and Gollum focus, but I wish there was more Faramir!

2. If you’re a first-time reader (or even a rereader), what surprised you most about this half of the book?

It feels already like the story is wrapping up, which is so odd considering there is all of The Return of the King to get through. Also, I find it emotionally conflicting to sympathize in this section with Gollum over Sam. I want to cheer for Sam but sometimes he's not so nice, althought I know he's just looking out for Frodo.

3. Are there any specific moments that stand out as favorites or least favorites in this section?

Not so much. I read this one out and about a lot instead of at home so I didn't take as many notes (heh, there an admission for ya). A lot of the sections I could, as I've said previously, see and hear the film. In particular PO-TA-TOES! and Gollum/Smeagol chatter.

4. What are some themes or ideas in this book (or the trilogy as a whole so far) that stand out to you?

Choices & persistence. I admire persistence a lot, and I've noted that how much I like a character in this series feels very proportionate to how far they are willing to go or how quickly they are willing to give up. Also the idea of still attempting a task when you don't even know how to complete it, is fascinating. It's all about the journey!

5. And the obligatory movie question: Many LOTR readers take the biggest issue with Jackson’s treatment of this part of the trilogy than with any other? Did the changes bother you? Are there any ways in which you think the movie was more effective?

I'm going to rewatch the film today, but from memory I'd say there is a lot that was done in the film that shows a creative genius's interpretation of the book. Sure, it doesn't follow along step by step like Fellowship did, but the essence of the story stays intact and I found I understood more about the characters in the film. In particular the treatment of Gollum is so amazing, and it's an idea that if I heard about it I would say it would be too far fetched to be pulled off but somehow they did it. I'm really looking forward to revisiting the film, it's been a while since I've seen it!



2010 Book to Film Challenge Update

As with the mid month check in, I've decided to take the opportunity to write about some of the other books I've read recently and my progress on my 2010 Book to Film Challenge, where I'm now up to 6/20 films read! Yay! With the current pace I should finish all 20 by the end of the year with ease.

The Final Warning by James Patterson
Another book in the Maximum Ride Series, although I'm not entirely sure if it's Maximum Ride: Book 4 as it's also listed as The Protectors: Book 1. Bizarre. Anyhow, I continue to love the antics and adventures of this group of avian-human hybrids lead by their fearless leader Max, a teenage girl who kicks butt and takes names. I also really enjoy the casual writing style that feels free to used terms that may not necessarily be words, but certainly are things people say. It's also a great example of a series that gives you enough catch up information as a reminder from the last book, without dwelling/romanticizing the past. Thank you for that James Patterson, I appreciate it! The series are all quick, fun reads and I look forward to keep reading and seeing what happens next.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Although I keep trying to find stand alone books, I keep getting sucked into series and this is a Book 1 of a 4 books series. It's teen fiction, scifi/dystopic, set in a world where at 16 people have surgery to turn from uglies to pretties. Interesting to continue to see the theme of beauty explored in teen fic (Beastly did this too), but Uglies reminded me that Tolkien aside I've almost exclusively been reading books by women's authors. Actually, both this and the Maximum Ride series are by male authors with female teen protagonists. Interesting. Anyway, Uglies was great - interesting world & ideas with characters & relationships that feel real & interesting. I did often feel like I could see where it was going, but I didn't always figure it out so it surprized me occasionally which I like. It reminded me of a "what if City of Ember and Logan's Run collided", but that's likely because I've not read too my near-future dystopic stuff. Looking forward to continuing the series, although I've got lots to get through in April so might be a while before I get to book 2.

Upcoming books for April 2010
The Lord of the Rings readalong continues with The Return of the King, this section of the readalong will be hosted by Just Add Books. I'm also diving into Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights continuing with my 2010 book to film challenge & as a countdown to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Other possibilities include Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare's City of Glass - the third in The Mortal Instruments Series. I'm sure there will be more. What are you reading in April?

Remember, if you use it, feel free to friend me GoodReads!

MD Poll: 21st Century Oscar

With the recent crowning of The Hurt Locker as Oscar's Best Picture of 2009, it is time to look back at the 2000s to pick the best of the best.

Of the ten Academy Award winning Best Pictures since 2000, which movie is your favorite? Make your pick and place your vote in the MD Poll located in the right hand sidebar. The ultimate Best Picture of the 2000s will be revealed on May 8.

MD Poll: Hot for Teacher

The Gleeks have spoken: your ultimate Glee crush object is none other than Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison.  But it wasn't an easy win, as he is followed closely in the voting by bad boy Noah "Puck" Puckerman (Mark Salling). Gay cutie Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) rounds out the top three.

See the comments section below for the complete statistics for this MD Poll, and don't forget to tune in to Fox on April 13 for the much-anticipated return of Glee!

Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 2, 2010

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 2, 2010!

In limited release this week we have 4 releases to choose from, starting with the documentary La Danse: The Paris Opera that follows seven productions of the Paris Opera Ballet. We also have Shirin Neshat's feature film directorial debut Women Without Men. Also in limited release is thriller Formosa Betrayed and the historical biopic Max Manus.

In wide release this week we have two releases to choose from: Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? and Clash of the Titans (2010). I've been looking forward to the Clash of the Titans remake and did a whole Sword & Sandal Marathon to countdown to the film, with this updated version starring Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) as Perseus, Liam Neeson as Zeus, and impressive cast including Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelson and Danny Huston. The film released date was delayed a week to make it 3D ready, making it our third 3D release of 2010. It's also playing in 2D though, which is how I'll be seeing the battle play out. Also out in theatres recently is last weeks mid-week release of the Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Last Song.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Passenger Side
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 8:00pm at The Royal with Special Musical Guests Mac McCaughan and Jim Wilbur of Superchunk and Portastic. Passenger Side is a urban road movie starring Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette as brothers on an inadvertent journey written & directed by Matthew Bissonnette (Who Loves the Sun, Looking for Leonard). Passenger Side was a selection for Canada's Top Ten 2009 and will open theatrically in limited release April 23, 2010. Tickets for the advance screening are available at at Soundscapes (572 College St.), Rotate This (801 Queen St. West) and online.

Festival Watch

Cinéfranco
13th Annual Celebration of International Francophone Cinema
Continues until April 3, 2010 at in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival
Festival of independent film, video and other time-based media
April 1 - 10, 2010 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reelworld Film Festival
Festival celebrating diversity in film, video, and new media
April 7 - 11, 2010 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Silent Film Festival
April 6 - 15, 2010 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Wednesday March 31, 2010

The Last Song
Dir: Julie Anne Robinson - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Coleman, Liam Hemsworth, Kelly Preston
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Friday April 2, 2010 Releases

Clash of the Titans (2010)
Dir: Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Transporter 2)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Alexa Davalos, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelson, Danny Huston
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

La Danse: The Paris Opera
Dir: Frederick Wiseman (The Garden, Central Park)
Documentary
France/USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Formosa Betrayed
Dir: Adam Kane - feature film directorial debut
Cast: James Van Der Beek, Wendy Crewson, John Heard, Will Tiao
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Max Manus
Dir: Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg (Bandidas)
Cast: Aksel Hennie, Agnes Kittelsen
Norway/Denmark/Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?
Dir: Tyler Perry (I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Madea Goes to Jail, The Family that Preys)
Cast: Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Sharon Leal, Michael Jai White, Louis Gossett Jr.
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Women Without Men / Zanan-e bedun-e mardan
Dir: Shirin Neshat - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Navíd Akhavan, Mina Azarian, Bijan Daneshmand, Pegah Ferydoni, Arita Shahrzad, Tahmoures Tehrani, Shabnam Toloui, Orsolya Tóth
Austria/Germany/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 2, 2010**

Reverend's Reviews: An Easter Threesome

Peter Cottontail and his pals at Gay.com have brought a special treat to all you good queer boys out there, at least those in LA and NYC. In conjunction with Regent Releasing/Here Films, a split triple bill of festival hits Manuela & Manuel, Dream Boy and Just Say Love is now playing at LA's Laemmle Sunset 5 and the Chelsea Clearview Cinema in NYC.

Manuela & Manuel is a hysterical, not-to-be-missed delight from Puerto Rico. The charming Humberto Busto (Amores Perros) stars in the title roles as a female impersonator whose boyfriend has recently left him. As Manuel pines for his lover's return with the help of a video diary and a teddy bear named Brad (for Brad Pitt), he receives surprising news from his female best friend, Coca. She has learned she is pregnant by a soldier who has since shipped out of town. Unable to inform her parents of the news without also telling them she and the father-to-be are getting married, Coca asks Manuel to pose as her fiancée.

Needless to say, complications ensue. Upon meeting Coca's father, Manuel recognizes him as a frequent patron of the bar at which he performs as Manuela. Manuel's fundamentalist-Christian landlady, Rosa, becomes increasingly excited by what she sees as her tenant's apparent attempts to become straight. And Manuela's bitchy co-star, Faraona (the very funny Marian Pabon), tries to manipulate the situation in order to seize the spotlight all to herself.

Director Raul Marchand Sanchez and screenwriter Jose Ignacio Valenzuela milk their comedic scenario for all that it's worth, but it never feels strained. The great script and performances — Ineabelle Colon is also a riot as Coca's alcoholic mother, appropriately named Margarita (note how she blesses herself before brunch) — result in a near-masterpiece of comic timing. My partner and I laughed pretty much non-stop through the film's 94 minutes.

Definitely not as funny but almost as worthy is the second film in Gay.com's current triple feature, Dream Boy. Written and directed by James Bolton (Eban and Charley) and based on the acclaimed novel by Jim Grimsley, it weaves a gay coming-of-age tale that unexpectedly becomes a gothic ghost story.

When shy teenager Nathan (played by Stephan Bender, who made a brief impression as young Clark Kent in Superman Returns) moves to a rural farm in the deep South, he begins to find himself attracted to his schoolmate next door, Roy. Roy also serves as their school bus driver, and it doesn't take much of an invitation from Roy for Nathan to start sitting in the seat right behind him!

The two become study partners and, gradually, lovers. Roy is predictably conflicted, since he has a pseudo-girlfriend and is friends with two of the school's more athletic, seemingly straight guys. When Roy invites Nathan to join the three of them on a weekend camping trip, things take a decided turn in an old, reportedly haunted plantation house.

While I'm generally over coming-of-age stories at my curmudgeonly middle age and find they rarely have anything new to offer, I discovered Dream Boy to be surprising and genuinely affecting. Bolton's approach to the material is subdued and rarely exploitive, aside from occasional, shirtless shots of hunky Randy Wayne (who plays Roy's buddy, Burke). Diana Scarwid, Christina Crawford herself in Mommie Dearest, also lends credibility as Nathan's mother.

The chief attribute to Dream Boy, however, is Max Roeg in the role of Roy. Max is the 25-year old, British-born son of actress Theresa Russell of Black Widow and Spider-Man 3 fame (whom he resembles closely) and director Nicolas Roeg, and Dream Boy marks his feature film debut. Max gives a sensitive yet strong, assured performance, which is all the more impressive for his authentic-sounding Southern accent. Anyone tempted to think British actors can easily master Southern US accents needs to listen to the London cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind, and learn first-hand how nearly impossible it can be! Roeg, Bender and Dream Boy will more than likely haunt you.

The third — and weakest — film in this special triple-header is Just Say Love, a meditation on Platonic love adapted from David J. Mauriello's play. Sole cast members Matthew Jaeger and Robert Mammana play two very different men; one is gay and mourning the recent death of his cat, while the other is seemingly straight and expecting a child with his girlfriend. Doug (the sexy Mammana) is the bi-curious construction worker who comes on to Guy (Jaeger) on a park bench one day during his lunch break. Doug just wants a blowjob, while the Plato-reading Guy is longing for a soul mate.

Though talky and unnecessarily stagey (wasn't a real park and bench available?), Just Say Love is often compelling. If viewers overlook the characters' heavy-handed jokes about each other's names and even more heavy-handed lines of dialogue such as "You'd be my wings if I had 'em," one can appreciate the men's deepening attraction and the actors' heartfelt performances.

So, boys, arrange your baskets, head to the cineplex, and have a happy Easter! For more information about these films, visit the Regent Releasing website.

UPDATE: Manuela & Manuel, Dream Boy and Just Say Love are now available on DVD from Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Reverend's Reviews: March Madness

Here at Movie Dearest, we try to champion films of GLBT interest even though many are far from perfect. The month of March, however, brought a pair of gay DVD releases that I, at least, feel an obligation to warn our readers away from; "Beware the Ides of March," indeed!

I've been a fan of gay director David DeCoteau's prior works: low-budget but stylish, general-interest horror flicks like The Brotherhood series and Voodoo Academy that feature undeniable homoerotic elements (he also directed 1997's blatantly-homo and sexy Leather Jacket Love Story). The filmmaker's contemporary spin on Edgar Allen Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum was released on DVD by E1 Entertainment on March 9.

A very loose adaptation of Poe's literary classic, the movie follows a group of nubile, mostly male young adults who converge on a country estate one weekend. They have been summoned by an alleged psychologist, JB Divay (played by an alleged actress, Lorielle New). Divay is interested in overcoming pain through hypnosis and other, more questionable techniques like stripping down to one's skivvies followed by lifting weights and/or wrestling one's buddies until somebody dies.

While these scenes and a central same-sex romance makes The Pit and the Pendulum DeCoteau's most overtly gay mainstream movie yet, they are also ludicrous. Man-flesh is abundant even as full male nudity is avoided (props to hottie Michael King, though, for eschewing DeCoteau's trademark boxer-briefs in lieu of more minimal briefs). The script makes absolutely no sense, so if you ignore my advice and end up renting or — heaven forbid — buying The Pit and the Pendulum, just turn the volume off and watch the pretty pictures.

Just out on March 30 is a "retail friendly" re-edited version of Raging Stallion's pornographic hit, Focus/ReFocus (from Breaking Glass Pictures). Directed by Tony DiMarco, it is a simplistic wanna be-thriller set in San Francisco that follows a porn-obsessed guy, Joe (Cole Streets), who finds himself trapped in a gay serial killer's web.

While not nearly on par with the oeuvre of Brian DePalma, whom DiMarco seems to be emulating, or even the woeful Basic Instinct, Focus/ReFocus boasts gory killings and steamy man-on-man sex scenes that include several porn stars (including my new favorite, the tattooed and muscle-bound David Taylor). It's periodically sexy but mostly dreary.

Anyone anxious to see these guys in their unbridled, unedited glory will want to check out the X-rated version, which leads me to question why they re-edited Focus/ReFocus at all. Is there that big a market for gay-interest movies neutered of their graphic sex scenes? Or is this version intended to serve as a feature-length trailer for the original?

If viewers haven't figured out who the killer is by the midway point, they should stick to fast-forwarding through the dialogue and just watch the awkwardly-edited sex. Focus/ReFocus may be a good movie or at least stimulating in its original form (I haven't seen it), but sitting through this is an exercise in futility.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.