by Larry Richman
May 14, 2008 5:44 PM

Somers Town is one of the sweetest little films of any festival this year. Shane Meadows (This Is England), directing from a strikingly authentic Paul Fraser script, has crafted a winner with so much to like that it's hard to know where to begin.

The film takes its name from a town just outside London where the landscape is dominated by monstrous natural gas tanks and the construction of a station for a Channel Tunnel rail link. Marek (Piotr Jagiello) lives in the shadow of the humongous structure and spends his days shooting photographs of the area and trying to stay occupied as his father toils away at the construction site. Like many in the town, they are Polish immigrants who came looking for work and stayed. One day Tomo (Thomas Turgoose) appears out of nowhere, a boy Marek's age who is little more than a street urchin from the East Midlands to the locals. A fortuitous meeting between the two boys forges an unlikely friendship. Tomo is a tough punk (or thinks he is) and Marek is introspective and sensitive -- it's the basis for a character arc which is classic in the coming-of-age genre. We know where they're going -- how they get there is at the heart of Somers Town.

The outstanding supporting cast includes a sweetly understated Elisa Lasowski as Maria, the local girl who they both fall for, and the hilarious Perry Benson as Graham, who provides much of the film's comic relief (not that it needs any more than the boys already provide) as an eccentric neighbor who is literally indescribable. But it's the onscreen chemistry between the boys which makes Somers Town the gem that it is. In a wise casting move, Turgoose and Jagiello, both 15, are the same age as their characters. In one scene where the two party a little too hearty, Meadows simply directed them to have fun and let the cameras roll. The result is one of the best scenes in any film I saw here this year.

Somers Town surprises at every turn. The film is shot completely in black and white save for the final sequence. It's a rarely used technique which, although unfamiliar at first, quickly falls away as the viewer focuses on the budding relationship between Tomo and Marek. After awhile we don't even notice the absence of color, for the story itself provides a rainbow of feelings. This device also makes lighting somewhat irrelevant, which allows a focus more on the characters rather than the look of the film. The soundtrack is simply a perfect match, with a playlist of tender acoustic songs that seems tailor-made for the narrative.

Everything about this film says "gentle and tender," from the friendship between the two boys -- what could almost be described as a platonic love story, to the longing the two have for Maria -- the object of affection who is always just out of reach, if only by age and maturity, and even to the father's tentative but loving relationship to his son -- in stark contrast to typical American films where the two would be constantly butting heads.

More than anything, though, there is no doubt that Turgoose and Jagiello carry this film on their young shoulders. Never have two young teens needed each other at this point in their lives as much as Tomo and Marek, and their relationship is so incredibly funny and touching that it had audiences in stitches and had me smiling from ear to ear from start to finish. It's no wonder that Turgoose and Jagiello each received the jury award for Best Actor here at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, where Somers Town had its North American Premiere. Somers Town is a charming and funny gem with a heart of gold.

by Larry Richman
May 13, 2008 7:08 PM

Our lives are ruled by technology. Particularly for the generation of young people who came of age in a world of webcams, instant messaging, and multiplayer online gaming, the lines between virtuality and reality have become blurred. Where does the computer screen leave off and flesh and blood begin? That's the question posed by first-time writer/director Delphine Kreuter in 57,000 Kilometers Between Us, which had its North American Premiere here at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Themes of loneliness, alienation, and connecting with others are classic subjects for film, and they are elegantly updated here in the context of life in a cyberworld.

14-year-old Nat lives in a home which doubles as a set for an online reality show starring her parents. She reluctantly tolerates this intrusion of strangers into her life while, at the same time, existing in her own computer-based world where her only companions are identified by the names with which they log on. The only boy she knows, Adrien, bonds with her electronically from his hospital bed. The adults in their lives are similarly disconnected and disaffected.

An ensemble cast of teenagers, transsexuals, exhibitionists, and fetishists all turn in frighteningly real performances. None are more affecting, though, than Marie Burgun and Hadrien Bouvier as Nat and Adrien, and it is their friendship which is at the heart of 57,000 Kilometers Between Us. Their "onscreen" relationship (literally) is spent in the world of webcams and online gaming. It's almost surreal to accept the notion that cyberspace might be a better place to live, yet the viewer may entertain that thought as family and personal secrets are revealed. But what would happen if these two young would-be lovers actually met face-to-face?

The look, feel, and sound of 57,000 Kilometers Between Us are perfectly appropriate for a film that's all about the conflict between participation and voyeurism, and succeeding confluence of same -- the use of mostly natural and single-point lighting, along with shaky handheld camera almost exclusively, puts the viewer just inches away from the film's subjects. We also see the characters through the lenses of the webcams with which they view each other. The result gives the film a home video, cinema verite look. There is no soundtrack whatsoever with the exception of a heartbreaking Dolly Parton cover of the 1971 classic If by Bread.

57,000 Kilometers Between Us takes a bit of patience on the part of the viewer. Much like today's multitasking teen, there's a lot going on at first. I couldn't wait for the film to jump to the next reel. But the way in which the seemingly disconnected fragments of narrative come together at the film's conclusion is hauntingly beautiful. By the time the credits rolled, I didn't want it to end.

by Larry Richman
May 13, 2008 4:30 PM

Let the Right One In is, at its heart, a sweet coming-of-age story which is so unique and different that it simply defies categorization. In this Swedish film, adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist's bestselling book, director Tomas Alfredson dares to mix pleasure and pain in a way that is both horrifying and tender.

Let the Right One In has a storyline which, although it reveals some secrets early on, is best left as a surprise. So this will necessarily be one of those rare reviews in which the less said about the plot the better. 12-year-olds Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) and Eli (Lina Leandersson) meet one snowy afternoon at a jungle gym in the courtyard of Oskar's housing complex outside Stockholm. Their young, tender attraction for each other is apparent right from the start and we think we know where their relationship is headed. But there is a deep dark secret to be discovered here and when it's revealed the audience is both repulsed and curiously fascinated at the same time, in a similar fashion as when yellow crime scene tape brings us closer rather than warning us away.

The supporting cast is completely beholden to the narrative as it revolves around the adorable young couple, whose performances rival the best I've ever seen for actors of that age. The innocence and vulnerability of Hedebrant's Oskar is simply a tour-de-force and he admirably carries the film on his little shoulders. Leandersson matches him scene by scene, line by line, and the result literally gave me chills.

Production values are stellar, with all technical aspects -- lighting, original music by Johan Soderqvist, and Hoyte Van Hoytema's cinematography -- combining in perfect synchronization to produce a Hitchockian tale that somehow brings love and light into what could have been the darkest drama imaginable.

Let the Right One In was the overwhelming choice for Best Narrative Feature after its North American Premiere here at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. It is a truly well-deserved honor. Tomas Alfredson has crafted a brilliant work of art that left me shaking my head with wonder.

by Larry Richman
May 13, 2008 1:27 PM

One advantage (or disadvantage, as the case may be) of attending film festivals is that trends become readily apparent. Within one 24-hour period here at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival I saw three road films -- all involving two guys and a girl. Within that same 24-hour period I also saw three films with suicide as a central plot point -- two in a row, in fact. One was The 27 Club, and it combines both -- it's a road movie, with two guys and a girl, with suicide at its core. And even that's not totally original. In fact, one of my Top Picks of the past couple of years was Wristcutters: A Love Story, which was -- you guessed it -- a road movie with suicide as a central theme. Yet The 27 Club is a moving, poignant film which stands out among the rest.

The 27 Club takes its title from a quip by Kurt Cobain's mother after his death in 1994, noting that, in addition to her son, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, and a host of other musicians had all taken their own lives at the age of 27. The film opens with one half of the fictional band The Finns, 27-year-old Tom Wallace (played admirably by James Forgey, mostly in flashbacks, of course), dying by his own hand. The bandmate he left behind, Elliot Kerrigan (Joe Anderson), sets out on the road with a grocery bag boy as his enlisted driver (David Emrich) along with Irish student Stella (Bono's daughter Eve Hewson) as a travel companion. The purpose of the trip and ultimate goal involve several mysteries, enough to keep the viewer guessing along the way.

While the three are certainly unlikely travel mates, always making for good drama, The 27 Club is really a one-man show with lead actor Joe Anderson (Becoming Jane, Across the Universe) carrying the film from start to finish. His tortured soul of a rock star is frighteningly brilliant and totally believable. Still, The 27 Club is mainly story-driven and writer/director Erica Dunton has penned a clever script with just enough gallows humor to keep the movie from becoming too depressing. After all, how do you laugh when someone has just offed themselves? Through the use of flashbacks, the film often reverts to a non-linear narrative. Rather than confuse the viewer, though, it actually gives the film a heightened sense of urgency which only deepens the mysteries at the heart of the film.

Cinematographer Stephen Thompson elegantly captures the beauty and lush landscape of the American west, with its sweeping vistas and stunning sunsets. The 27 Club has a true indie feel, with copious use of natural lighting and an original rock soundtrack that adds and connects to the film like few others do -- the songs are actually written and performed by The Finns, the fictional band featured in the story itself. This apparent contradiction is resolved when one learns that the movie itself created the musical act, as life truly imitates art.

If The 27 Club seems heavy, well, it can be depending on one's own experience. The obvious caveat to anyone who has suffered a loss, especially to suicide: the film may either salt old wounds or be cathartic, depending on the individual. There are messages here but they are muted, not in-your-face with words of wisdom spouting forth from scene to scene. Despite its familiar themes, the story is ultimately unpredictable, with surprising payoffs at every turn. The 27 Club has enough originality and heart to make it worth the trip.

by Larry Richman
May 12, 2008 4:38 PM

Poland has the unique distinction of being situated between two powerful nations: Russia to the east and Germany to the west. When the Soviets and Nazis began to converge in 1939, 15,000 men in Poland's officer corps mysteriously disappeared. Who was responsible for their deaths and how this crime was allowed to take place is the mystery at the heart of Katyn. Famed Polish director Andrzej Wajda was determined to bring that story to the world, which remained a secret until the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Katyn is an emotionally moving experience which left me stunned in silent disbelief.

Told through the use of actual diaries and letters, the film focuses on four officers and their families in order to tell the larger tale. A frighteningly brilliant ensemble cast brings the story to life (and death). Individual performances are just understated enough that it is the reality of what took place which stays in the mind of the viewer long after the end credits have rolled. The settings and costumes, along with Pawel Edelman's stark cinematography, were lovingly recreated by a generation of Poles aching to let the world know about the tragedies which took place and how, and why, they were hushed up and unknown to most of the world until recently.

Movies based on actual events have been some of the most dramatic and powerful of all time. The term "truth is stranger than fiction" applies here, and nothing is quite as chilling as a horrific story that's never been told or is known to so few. Such is the case with Katyn which, like Schindler's List and Sophie's Choice before it, reveals some of the heartwrenching internal conflicts with which families wrestled when faced with the unspeakable horrors of the Second World War. The result is simply a remarkable work which is worthy of the label "important."

by Larry Richman
May 12, 2008 2:51 PM

Let it be said right from the start. Yes, Tennessee is a road movie with two guys and a girl. It's been done many times before. In fact, it was the third such film I saw in a 24-hour period here at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, where Tennessee had its World Premiere. And, yes, the girl is superstar diva Mariah Carey. But there's a big difference between what the film appears to be and what it actually is, which is a surprisingly sweet film that was totally satisfying.

Aaron Woodley's Tennessee, directing from a Russell Schaumberg script, is one of those films with a plot that's difficult to even briefly summarize without revealing spoilers. Due to a tragic turn of events, brothers Carter (Adam Rothenberg) and Ellis Armstrong (Ethan Peck) embark on a journey from their trailer home outside Albuquerque, New Mexico to their hometown in Tennessee. In so doing, they must face a past they'd rather avoid. Along the way they meet up with a young would-be singer-songwriter (Carey) whose own dreams need some inspiration and support. The Tribeca Film Festival has a comprehensive synopsis at their official site.

Although three people dominate the film, it's the young men who are the focus of the story, not the Mariah Carey character, a fact which will likely be lost on many who see the cast of the film without giving it a chance. Adam Rothenberg and Ethan Peck are the actors who carry this film with their powerful personalities. Carter (Rothenberg) is gruff, rough, tough, and downright dirty. He drinks and swears up a storm. In perfect contrast, younger brother Ellis (Ethan) is soft, sensitive, sweet, and tender, with his creativity demonstrated in his love for photography. It's hard to imagine anyone with a sibling, or even a close friend, who won't be able to relate to one or the other (or both).

The landscape of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Tennessee is so stunning that even the most inexperienced cinematographer would have had a hard time avoiding the beautiful vistas which help give the film its lush look. Here, in the hands of David Greene, Tennessee becomes a true travelogue, filled with jaw-dropping sunsets and breathtaking peaks. Of course, the fact that the film's protagonist is a photographer makes the visual style that much more appropriate. Natural and single-point lighting give the film a soft appearance. What Mariah Carey adds most to the storyline is her music, and the country soundtrack is perfectly in tune with the towns through which they travel.

The biggest surprise for me was that Tennessee is not as comedic as many films with even darker themes. The recent trend towards gallows humor, provoking nervous laughter in similar stories, isn't apparent here. There are more tears than laughter, and even when the film is trying to be light the result is more often a smile than a chuckle. It's touching nonetheless and not as depressing as the storyline would indicate.

It's a road movie that's poignant and touching with overplaying the genre to the point of sugary sweetness, as many do. There are enough twists and turns along the way to retain viewer interest even beyond the initial concept. The setup comes early but surprises abound. Tennessee is that sweet little American indie which is the elusive holy grail of film festivals.

by Larry Richman
May 10, 2008 10:54 PM

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival has come to an end and it's time to take stock of the experience.

I attended a total of 50 screenings, including 47 feature films, one shorts program, and two special screenings. 27 films, more than half, were from outside the U.S. Of the 47, there were 20 World Premieres, four International Premieres (first time seen outside their country of origin), 15 North American Premieres, two U.S. Premieres, and six New York Premieres.

As I do following every film festival (25 since the start of 2006), I'll wrap up by selecting my favorites. Since there were so many to choose from, I picked ten.

Here is my list of Top Picks from the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Titles are linked to their respective reviews. Countries of origin are listed in parentheses.

(in alphabetical order)

The 27 Club (USA)
57,000 Kilometers Between Us (France)
Boy A (UK)
Charly (France)
From Within (USA)
Katyn (Poland)
Let the Right One In (Sweden)
Newcastle (Australia)
Somers Town (UK)
Tennessee (USA)

There were two films on my list which went on to win jury awards. Let the Right One In was chosen as Best Narrative Feature and the Best Actor Award went to both Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello of Somers Town.

by Larry Richman
May 10, 2008 7:16 PM

War Child

In War Child we meet Emmanuel Jal, a successful hip-hop artist in his 20s whose music tells the story of a young life in exile from the ravages of civil war. First-time filmmaker C. Karim Chrobog's documentary is both frightening and inspiring at the same time.

To many Americans, for whom names like Darfur and Sudan are mere locations in Africa with tragedies attached to them, War Child is a history lesson quite profound. I sat in stunned silence as the origins of the humanitarian crisis there were made real through the words in Jal's songs as well as the recounting of his childhood in the Sudan, subsequent escape, and return 18 years later to be reunited with the family he left behind. We travel with him on this journey, literally, and the emotions flow forth. War Child is, on one hand, a music documentary for lovers of hip-hop. But, more than anything, it is a history lesson which will leave you with a new sense of what the crisis in Darfur and Sudan are all about.

War Child went on to win the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival's Cadillac Audience Award, the only prize voted on by the moviegoers themselves.

Baghdad High

Four high school students are handed digital cameras with which they will record their senior year of high school. This documentary sounds pretty familiar, on the face of it. It's been done many times before. The twist here is that the high school is in Baghdad, one of the most violent and war-ravaged cities in the world, and the four (all boys) would appear to be enemies to the outside world -- they and their classmates are Muslims, Christians, Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. What they have in common, though, is that they are all teenagers, and we know where this is going right from the start -- the message here is that kids are the same all over the world.

The premise of Baghdad High is not a novel idea by any means. In fact, I saw two similar films at the previous festival I attended. The challenge here is to make it work in an original way, not just to pick four cool kids who can make the viewer laugh and cry, but to touch the heart by showing the adult world just how immune "ordinary" teens can be in the face of war. They have the same desires, hopes, and dreams as high school kids everywhere -- they just want to get good grades and have fun. The difference here is that they might be blown up by a roadside bomb on the way home from school.

One of the biggest surprises of Baghdad High is that the boys are more curiously endearing and their friendships much sweeter than similar documentaries shot in U.S. high schools. Their displays of affection for each other and absence of talk about girls and sex is probably a bit more accurate than what American teenage boys would like others to believe about themselves, especially when cameras are pointed at them. There is little of the typical bravado and macho posturing we see with teens in America.

Another surprise is how little discussion of politics takes place in these homes (or in the film itself). Even then, the kids never mention it at all. When the subject is brought up, it's the parents who are asked how they feel about the U.S. presence there. With a shrug, they actually blame both governments. They don't even take sides. They just want the violence to end.

Baghdad High debuts August 4 on HBO.

by Larry Richman
May 10, 2008 5:14 PM

Narrative features make up the majority of the lineup at all film festivals. Tribeca is no exception. While I saw nine documentaries at this year's festival, documented earlier, the number of narratives I saw total 38. These scripted, fictional films (although some are based on true stories) form the bulk of the independent films around which my life revolves.

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival was jam-packed with World Premieres, including the following 18 films I saw. All were US films except the four indicated (links connect to previously posted reviews):

The Auteur
The Caller
Idiots and Angels
Newcastle (Australia)
The Wild Man of the Navidad
Trucker
The Objective
Bart Got a Room
Love, Pain, & Vice Versa (Mexico)
Ramchand Pakistani (Pakistan)
From Within
Lake City
Tennessee
The 27 Club
Life in Flight
Speed Racer
Killer Movie
Bitter & Twisted (Australia)

One, Idiots and Angels, was animated. The Caller went on to win the "Made in N.Y." Award.

The remaining 20 narrative features I saw were all International Premieres (first time seen outside their country of origin), North American Premieres, US Premieres, or New York Premieres. Only two were from the United States. Countries of origin are indicated in parentheses:

Let the Right One In (Sweden)
Katyn (Poland)
Toby Dammit (France, Italy)
My Winnipeg Canada)
Sita Sings the Blues (USA)
Fermat's Room (Spain)
Seven Days Sunday (Germany)
57,000 km Between Us (France)
The Secret of the Grain (France)
Elite Squad (Brazil)
Somers Town (UK)
Charly (France)
Strangers (Israel)
Lost Indulgence (China)
Eden (Ireland)
Baghead (USA)
Worlds Apart (Denmark)
Boy A (UK)
Days in Sintra (Brazil)
The Cottage (UK)

One, Sita Sings the Blues, was animated. Toby Dammit was a newly restored 1968 film. There were several films on my list which went on to win jury awards. Let the Right One In was chosen as Best Narrative Feature, the Best Actor Award went to both Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello of Somers Town, and Eileen Walsh of Eden was awarded Best Actress.

I'll continue to post reviews of my Top Picks from among the 38 narrative features I saw during the festival (several are already published).

by Larry Richman
May 9, 2008 9:23 PM

While I attend film festivals primarily for narrative features, works of fiction, I'm certainly not averse to seeking out quality documentaries. In fact, docs have often shown up on my lists of Top Picks from the various festivals I've attended. The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Billy the Kid, and Nanking all wowed me in the past couple of years and were among my 5 Top Picks from Toronto 2006, SXSW 2007, and Tribeca 2007, respectively. At this year's SXSW Film Festival, Body of War, FrontRunners, andThe Wrecking Crew all impressed me so much that I had to split my Top Picks into three narratives and three docs.

Among the 50 films I saw at the just-completed Tribeca Film Festival were nine documentaries. There was also at least one "pseudo-doc," that is, a film which would appear to be a doc but is actually a fictional, scripted narrative. Of course, being listed in the festival's program guide under "narrative features" and not "documentaries" should be a tipoff to the viewer but folks are still fooled. For that reason, I won't reveal them here.

Of the nine documentaries I saw, two were World Premieres:

A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy (USA)
Squeezebox (USA)

The others were all International Premieres (first time seen outside their country of origin), North American Premieres, or New York Premieres. Those films were:

Warchild (USA)
Baghdad High (UK, Iraq)
Man on Wire (UK)
A Portrait of Diego: The Revolutionary Gaze (Mexico)
Old Man Bebo (Spain)
Head Wind (Iran)
Lou Reed's Berlin (USA)

Warchild went on to win the festival's Cadillac Audience Award. Director Carlos Carcas of Old Man Bebo won the jury award for Best New Documentary Filmmaker.

I'll be posting capsule reviews of these documentaries as I continue to post full-length reviews of my Top Picks from among the 38 narrative features I saw during the festival.