November 09, 2007
SLIFF-Honeydripper
It's always weird when music freaks and film freaks meet at the same point in space and time. Such was the case tonight when a diverse crowd of scenesters, Blues enthusiasts and cinophiles who packed into the Tivoli to see John Sayle's new John Sayles film, "Honeydripper."
Without giving too much away, the film is set in Alabama in the 1950s and stars Danny Glover and Charles Dutton as two friends trying to save a juke joint.
Although the Blues drives the film, gospel, and this new fangled thing called rock and roll also ooze between the plotlines to make "Honeydripper" a kind of warm, socially tinged period film about hanging in there against adversity.
Aesthetically, I think it is interesting that Sayles framed the socially changing times of the rural South in the 1950s with the equally changing musical environment of that era.
Following the screening Sayles and his partner Maggie Renzi received SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Awards for thier 30 years in the industry.
During his Q&A afterwards Sayles mentioned that this film, like many of his other ones emphasize the importance of regional culture. The director also described "Honeydripper" as his most musical project to date. Renzi discussed the ups and downs of the film's 5 week shoot and elaborated on how their films get financed, cast and finally made. All of this was pretty interesting stuff.
Sayles revealed that he has no film degree, but a degree in psychology. Sayle's also spoke quite candidly about the writer's strike in Hollywood and joked that he was on strike too. Both he and Renzi were cordial and engaging and generally very easy going.
Getting back ot the Film Festival itself. It was great to see so many people in attendance on opening night. There is something refreshing about seeing a culturally and racially diverse crowd experiencing the same emotions, thrills and laughter through the mediums of music and film.
Tomorrow things get heady. I have tickets to see "Sacred Family" at the Tivoli but really also want to see the Polish film, "The Collector" at Frontenac at 4:30pm. Decisions, decisions....
I am seeing "Grace Is Gone" with John Cusack. Not with him per se mind you, but with him in the film. Still it would be scary to see a film with him in person because you hear stories about him being difficult sometimes. Anyway, Cusack has made a bit of a career change of late opting for parts with more family aspects involved in the plot mix. Maybe I am just talking crazy.
As a final note, the staff at the venues showing these films have a lot of long days and nights ahead of them. Please don't be an ass to them or make a really filthy mess behind for them to clean up. The Tivoli was a sty at the end of tonight. I've seen it look better after screenings of Rocky Horror.
Seriously, don't make the guys and gals working during SLIFF become angry. Over time they'll begin to act like the poor souls in "28 Days Later" if they have to do a lot of cleaning and stupid question answering.
It reminds me of the Indian in those old 70s TV commercials who cries when he sees people littering or poluting the environment.