November 23, 2008
Day 10 part 2
it was cold out so I saw lots of really great movies yesterday!
First Impersonator
A look at the freakish world of celebrity presidential look-a-likes. Vaughn Meader, who mimicked JFK is the 60s. was featured as were some Clinton and W look a likes.
Meader's story is particularly tragic and compelling.
The look a like world is quite an odd circuit. Did you know there is a celebrity look a like convention each year? Weird!
The directors next film is about Pruitt Igo.
O Horten
I really liked this Norwegian film. Odd Horten is a retiring train engineer who begins his retirement with a series of peculiar situations and circumstances. Bard Owe is terrific as Horten. He gives Odd a sublime touch that makes him very relatable to the audience.
Despite a real plot or firm time structure the film remains a touching tale of aging, readjustment and loneliness (all common themes of acclaimed director Bent Hamer).
Hamer has previously lensed Factotum, Eggs and Kitchen Stories, all of which are really interesting films.
The cinematography here is stunning.
Contemporary Norwegian films, while not always heralded as a 'scene', always for the most part, seem interesting. There is a sort of weird quirky charm to their cinema that is compelling.
My last film of the day was the excellent Serbian noir thriller, The Trap. The film screened twice to positive receptions. The tension built to an obvious crescendo where the audience saw the ending coming, nonehtless it was a gripping film and one of the best of the festival so far.
I like Eastern European cinema and the films coming out of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia are particularly gritty and realistic. The Eastern European sidebar for tis year has been really amazing.
Plaza Frontenac saw 2 sellouts last night, The Class and The Brothers Bloom. both films are riding a good word of mouth on the film festival circuit. Visual Acoustics sold at at the Tivoli.
-Rob Levy