Let's Movie!

The 29th HKIFF was a disappointment. With $290 I got tickets for five films. In return I got to watch four films and enjoyed one and a half of them.

A Very Long Engagement (Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles): I had a thing for Amélie and hence Audrey Tautou and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I wouldn’t go as far as saying AVLE was a disappointment, but it just wasn’t what a die-hard Amélie fan would’ve been fully satisfied with. Plus I was tired that day and my eyes were somewhat reluctant to follow the subtitles on the screen. The film is now showing in theaters around the city. The only perk about watching it at the HKIFF two weeks ahead of time was that we caught a glimpse of the director. He, in his broken English, told us nothing about the featured film, but an anecdote about one of the film’s guest stars—Jodi Foster.

Monster: Ticket misplaced, film missed. But again, it’s coming to a theater near me soon enough.

Melinda and Melinda: The brilliance of Woody Allen at what must be one of his bests. I can’t remember how many times I’ve looked back and regretted letting a potentially comical situation take a tragic turn. This film tells us we are the directors of our own lives. From now on I will try to focus on the comical possibilities of potentially tragic situations. As Wallace Shawn says at the end of the film: “Life is short. We shouldn't see it in a pessimistic way, because that doesn't lead anywhere, nor in an exaggeratedly optimistic way. We just got to accept it and enjoy it, because it can end...like that.”

9 Songs: Sex, drugs, Rock & Roll. Michael Winterbottom was accused of making pornography. My observation gave a clear verdict and says he’s guilty as charged. Intercutting bold sex scenes with performances of some of Brit Rock’s biggest names and scenes of Antarctic landscapes was no adequate alibi. But even as pornography 9 Songs is a failure. For me, the single hottest scene in the entire skimpy 65 minutes was Franz Ferdinand on stage performing Jacqueline.

Café Lumière: Japanese film by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien. As I can recall, this is the first time I ever considered letting myself fall asleep during a movie.