Sydney Film Festival 2014 - Dan's Picks
Posted by Daniel Mann (Facebook friend me @Daniel Mann) It's that time of the year again. It's Festival Season. Meaning its time for the Annual Sydney Film Festival. With that said, its time to run down some of the "Must See" Picks of this Years Festival as selected by our own regular attendee, Daniel.
Life Itself
Director: Steve James
It didn't matter if you loved him or hated him; it didn't matter if you agreed with him or not. What mattered most is that Roger Ebert genuinely loved movies. That passion always came through in his many writings. He was a man who wrote reviews on a daily basis. Along with his longtime cohort and dear friend Gene Siskel, together they made film-criticism mainstream. And yet, even after he lost his voice due to an unfortunate bout with cancer, he still never lost his passion for film. Anyone who writes about films for a living owes something of a debt of gratitude to Roger Ebert.
Even if one didn't always see eye-to-eye with his opinions, he was still someone who genuinely deserved our respect. This documentary, Directed by Steve James, is a heartfelt tribute to a man who loved movies.
Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead
Director: Tommy Wirkola
It's a sequel to Dead Snow; a movie that revelled in the joy of Nazi Zombies, White Snow, and a ton of comedic dismemberment and bloodshed. It's probably safe to say that you're going to get more of the same with the sequel, but I'm perfectly okay with that. Considering I enjoyed the first movie for being a fun Gorefest-Splatstick Comedy.
Willow Creek
Director: Bobcat Goldwait
An ardent long-time Bigfoot believer and his long-suffering Girlfriend head into the depths of Six Rivers National Park armed with a video camera, in the hope of encountering the legend in the flesh. Needless to say, but its another found footage movie and, of course, strange things are afoot. But I do appreciate the idea of using the Bigfoot myth as the plot device. It is nice to see a found footage film that doesn't concern itself with unseen paranormal phenomena and instead gives its attention to the almighty sasquatch.
Stage Fright
Director: Jerome Stable
I have a question. Do the kids from the TV Show Glee annoy you as much as they annoy me? Have you ever wanted to see those kids be placed into a Slasher Movie like I have? Well, boys and girls, your wish has been fulfilled. The musical-comedy-horror film Stage Fright looks to answer that savage need to see the Glee Club kids be chased around by a mysterious killer.
Cold in July
Director: Jim Mickle
When the dead man's father (Shepard) starts stalking Richard's family, things take an unexpected turn, and it becomes clear that the local law enforcement have not been working with pure motives. Enter wisecracking PI Jim Bob (Johnson), who operates a pig farm on the side, and the unlikely trio go on to uncover a grisly secret. Directed by Jim Mickle, who made the Vampire film Stake Land, which I quite enjoyed. He also directed the superb American remake of the Spanish Cannibal film We Are What We Are, which I also quite liked. Mickle is quickly proving himself as a strong and confident Director of Genre, and hopefully, if the praise coming out of America is to be believed, then Cold in July should continue his streak.
We are the Best
Director: Lukas Moodysson
Director Lukas Moodysson (Lilja 4-Ever) returns to Sydney Film Festival with a feel-good delightful film about a trio of 13-Year Old Girls determined to start their very own Punk Rock Band. Although, despite their collective love for the anarchic spirit of Punk Rock, unfortunately two of the girls lack any musical talent. However, their fortunes take a change for the better when they discover Hedvig, a straight-laced Christian girl, who can play guitar and can also sing. Together, the trio come-of-age as they discover boys and rivalries all set to the anarchic tunes of Scandanavian Punk Rock.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Director: Tobe Hooper
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an unrelenting horror classic, no two ways about it. It is a film that single handily paved the way for many who followed its path. Tobe Hooper's original masterpiece is a grueling ride through the un-treaded back roads of Texas, where the most depraved of families lurks in the open. Just waiting for fresh meat to cross their paths. The film is an unrelenting ride into the depths of unexplainable depravity. To this day, it still holds up incredibly well. As such, I'm thrilled that we finally get to see a restored, pristine 4K version of this film, but I'm even more excited that this screening is taking place at Blacktown Drive-In. Only the atmosphere of a vintage Drive-In could provide the perfect mood to see this classic.
Snowpiercer
Director: Joon Ho-Bong
After a year of controversy involving Producer Harvey Weinstein and his attempts to butcher at least 20 minutes from the film, the dust has finally settled, and Joon Ho-Bong's latest opus has survived intact. Joon Ho-Bong's Snowpiercer will finally debut in this country in its original form. Having seen the film at least three times now, courtesy of the French Blu Ray release, I tend to believe that Snowpiercer is destined to become a Cult Classic. Disliked by the majority, yet loved by a select few. I can’t say that it is Joon Ho-Bong's best work to date (his best is Memories of Murder), but I can say that it is required viewing for fans of the director none the less.
Killers
Director: Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto
A few months back, we here at Neon Maniacs posted a link to the Red Band Trailer for Killers. Quite frankly, it was fucking nuts. There is an old saying: "A Picture is worth a Thousand Words". With that in mind, I'm just going to leave you in the company of that Red-Band Trailer again. Because it pretty much says everything about why I'm keen to check this one out.
The Rover
Director: David Michod
The Rover is the new film from Australian Director David Michod. His last film, Animal Kingdom, was an intense slow burn thriller that took us deep into the heart of murky suburbia. Focusing on the lives of a hardened explosive criminal family. Given that the past few years has been fairly unkind to Australian Cinema. Animal Kingdom was a high point of Australian cinema. Michod expertly demonstrated a knack for crafting a tense and creeping atmosphere that could explode at any given moment. Not to mention the excellent performances from a stand out, including the well-versed performance from Jacki Weaver as the matriarch from hell. Animal Kingdom was one of my favourite films of 2010, and with that said I have high expectations for his sophomore effort.
Boyhood
Director: Richard Linklater
It might be a bit presumptuous to say, but I believe Richard Linklater is perhaps one of the greatest filmmakers working in America today, bar none. It was only one year ago that I was singing the praises of Before Midnight (the supposed final installment of his "Before" trilogy). Now, just a mere year later, he returns to SFF with his latest opus, Boyhood. A bold filmmaking experiment 12 years in the making.
In 2002, Linklater casted a young boy, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), and proceeded to film his life spanning the course of 12 years. From the tender age of 5 to 18, we watch Mason quite literally grow up before our eyes.
In a number of his previous films, Linklater has flirted with time as a narrative convention. The "Before" trilogy chronicles 3 separate days told over the course of 30 years. His underseen film Tape takes place in real time. Boyhood is the natural progression of said experimentation. There has never been a film quite like it before, and that alone is quite remarkable. The only question that remains is "Will Boyhood be the ultimate coming of age film?" So far, all signs point to yes, it very well could be.
Jodorowsky's Dune
Director: Frank Pavich
In the early Seventies, acclaimed Director Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to acquire the rights to adapt Frank Herbert's novel Dune for the big screen. For a short period, it looked to be full steam ahead as the project entered Pre-Production, and Jodorowsky prepared his all too lavish vision for the silver screen. But then speedbumps started to appear in the road ahead. Jodorowsky's vision was far too lavish, far too grand, far too extravagant. So much so, that the proposed film went over budget, and never made it past Pre-Production. Dune would eventually be made into a film later in 1984 under the helm of David Lynch. If you have ever seen any of the proposed concept art for Jodorowsky's version, then you pretty much know that we missed out on what could have been something remarkable.
Documentarian Frank Pavich aims to tell the story of a film that never saw the light of day as told by the principal players themselves, including Jodorowsky himself.
Locke
Director: Steven Knight
A minimalist real-time thriller starring Tom Hardy as a man who appears to lead a good life. He has a loving family and is on the verge of huge things in his career. But one night, on his way driving home, a series of events threaten to galvanize his life.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Director: Isao Takahata
After an all too-long hiatus from Studio Ghibli, Animation Maestro, and co-founder of the company, Isao Takahata returns with what is said to be his last film (if we are to believe those claims) The Tale of Princess Kaguya. Based on a Japanese Folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, it tells the story of Princess Kaguya's life spanning from infancy to her adulthood. Retaining the minimalist style that he experimented with in his last film, My Neighbors the Yamada's, the film looks like a Japanese Ink Wash Painting brought to life.
Takahata is often overlooked in the Ghibli legacy, with the attention mostly gravitating towards the often outspoken Miyazaki, which is a bit of a shame in my opinion. As Takahata is every bit as equal to Miyazaki. If Kaguya is indeed his last film, then it is sad to say that we are losing the talent of a tremendous Animator.
Also playing at the festival apart of the "Studio Ghibli Retrospective" is Takahata's earlier masterpiece from 1989, the heartbreaking Anti-War film Grave of the Fireflies. While I have not included it in this list, I do strongly urge anyone out there to take the opportunity to revisit, as it is a downright masterpiece that deserves to be viewed as originally intended, in a Cinema.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
Director: Mami Sunada
Continuing with the Ghibli lovefest. This documentary is required viewing for all Ghibli fans. This incredible documentary takes a fly-on-the-wall perspective at the inner workings of Studio Ghibli. Following the rigorous production schedule behind The Wind Rises. The documentary keeps its focus mainly on Hayao Miyazaki, as he waxes philosophical about the film. Helping to lend a further understanding and insight as to where his heart was whilst making the film. If you're a fan of Ghibli, then you simply can't pass this one up. It's a fantastic glimpse inside the Studio that has bought us so many classic films.
-------------------------------------------------
