DIFF Day 1 April 13, 2012
Under African Skies
When Paul Simon created the album Graceland in 1985 he was inspired by a tape given to him with rhythms from South Africa. He wanted to go there and personally work with the musicians there instead of just working from recordings as his record label advised. Undeterred by warnings that he would need permissions from the various political factions that were active in a country besieged with unrest under a regime of apartheid. Some of the musicians that he worked with in South Africa had never worked with a white person before much less heard of Paul Simon. But music is an international language that knows no barriers of race or creed. Simon who thought he understood race relations from the states was completely overwhelmed by what was happening in that part of the world. He did manage to record what he could returning back to NYC with the acapella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The resulting tapes were later mixed with Simon's lyrics and created the groundbreaking Graceland introducing the world to the music that is root of all rock and blues that this country exploited.
Twenty five years later Simon returned to South Africa and reunited with the musicians from that time as they reminiscence about their experience. If you loved that album back in the day, the music in this feature documentary by Joe Berlinger (Brother's Keeper) will have you foot tapping throughout.
Liberal Arts
Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother wrote, directed and starred in his feature about a thirty five year old admissions counselor in New York City who returns to his Ohio college to give a speech at his favorite professor's (Richard Jenkins) retirement. Josh's Jesse is an avid reader. He reads while walking down the street, His house is full of books. He barely registers that his girlfriend is moving out. He returns to his old Ohio campus revelling in the memories of being those days when all you were responsible for was going to class, having great conversations and reading all day. While there he meets 19 year old Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) a self professed "old soul" with whom he feels an attraction their 15 year difference not withstanding. He also meets Dean (John Magaro) a brilliant yet mentally unstable young man who is reading the same book that he loved when he went to college. He also meets hippie party sage/wizard Nate (Zac Ephron) who is like his personal joker/muse who just appears and urges him on with "everything will be alright" to the point where Jesse wonders if he's real. The movie meanders while Jesse is dealing with the realization that maybe it's time to grow up and act like an adult. It's a quiet type of humor that speaks to all of us who still remember what it was like to be young and stupid and can't accept the responsibility of being of responsible adults.
Quick
One of the wonderful South Korean films being featured in this year's DIFF line up. It involves a motorcycle delivery man who is being used by an unknown manipulator on the phone to deliver bombs. A bomb has been placed in the motorcycle helmet that is unwittingly worn by an ex-girlfriend who is now a pop idol when she asked to be delivered to her personal appearance. They have to speed around town in a certain time limit to deliver whatever revenge the caller is exacting. The police which includes their old cycle gang buddy are all on their tail trying to stop the bombing not knowing they are only puppets to someone else's agenda. Totally funny, fast paced and unexpected.
My full review is unfortunately stuck on my other computer with a dead processor. It will be posted in it's full glory when it's back up and running along with....
Tormented
Also known as "Rabitto horâ 3D" this feature by theTakashi Shimizu Grunge director Takashi Shimizu is a dark creepy psychological ramble about a young woman and her younger brother. Not to give anything asay, suffice to say you will never be able to look at a stuffed bunny rabbit again in quite the same way. Full review coming soon.
(Reviews by reesa)
No comments:
Post a Comment