My OperaSundance Film Festival 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011 5:25:14 PM
O festiwalu filmowym w Sundance czytaliście lub słyszeliście pewnie niejeden raz. Jeżeli chociaż jednym okiem śledzicie publikowane w sieci zwiastuny filmów, powinniście kojarzyć logo festiwalu pojawiające się na samym początku klipu i tkwiącą u dołu ekranu elektryzującą adnotację "laureat edycji XYZ".
Tym razem postanowiłem uprzedzić duże wytwórnie, i zanim którakolwiek uraczyła mnie wysypem zapowiedzi, zdążyłem otworzyć i uważnie przeczytać dossier poszczególnych produkcji pełnometrażowych, jakie zaprezentowano niespełna 1,5 mc-a temu w Sundance. Nie oczekujcie żadnej relacji czy czegokolwiek w tym guście; niniejszy wpis to raczej próba zapamiętania produkcji, które wydają się być interesujące. I znalazły się w programie festiwalu, oczywiście.
Tym razem postanowiłem uprzedzić duże wytwórnie, i zanim którakolwiek uraczyła mnie wysypem zapowiedzi, zdążyłem otworzyć i uważnie przeczytać dossier poszczególnych produkcji pełnometrażowych, jakie zaprezentowano niespełna 1,5 mc-a temu w Sundance. Nie oczekujcie żadnej relacji czy czegokolwiek w tym guście; niniejszy wpis to raczej próba zapamiętania produkcji, które wydają się być interesujące. I znalazły się w programie festiwalu, oczywiście.
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
DIRECTOR: Michael Rapaport, U.S.A., 2011, 95 min., color
Having forged a 20-year run as one of the most innovative and influential hip-hop bands of all time, A Tribe Called Quest has kept a generation hungry for more of its groundbreaking music since the group’s much-publicized breakup in 1998. The band shaped a unique sound by wedding jazz-infused musicscapes to Afrocentric rhymes espousing unity and community. Its music became the anthem for cool and broke
down barriers for people who had never before connected with hip-hop. In spite of unparalleled artistic success, however, the group encountered pitfalls that eventually caused its tumultuous breakup. Beats, Rhymes & Life, the feature directorial debut of acclaimed actor Michael Rapaport, documents the inner workings and behind-the-scenes drama that follow the band even today and explores what’s next for a group many claim are the pioneers of alternative rap. Rapaport’s passion for his
subjects allows them to open up to the camera, resulting in a remarkably honest, emotional portrait that does justice to this seminal band.
Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times
DIRECTOR: Andrew Rossi, SCREENWRITERS: Kate Novack, Andrew Rossi, U.S.A., 2010, 90 min., color
With the Internet surpassing print as our main news source, newspapers going bankrupt, and outlets focusing on content they claim audiences (or is it advertisers?) want, Page One chronicles the media industry’s transformation and assesses the high stakes for democracy if in-depth investigative
reporting becomes extinct. The film deftly makes a beeline for the eye of the storm or, depending on how you look at it, the inner sanctum of the media, gaining unprecedented access to the New York Times
newsroom for a year. At the media desk, a dialectical play-within-a-play transpires as writers like salty David Carr track print journalism’s metamorphosis even as their own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent. Meanwhile, rigorous journalism—including vibrant cross-cubicle debate and collaboration tenacious jockeying for on-record quotes, and skillful page-one pitching—is alive and well. The resources, intellectual capital, stamina, and self-awareness mobilized when it counts
attest there are no shortcuts when analyzing and reporting complex truths.
Margin Call
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: J.C. Chandor, U.S.A., 2010, 109 min., color
Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, Margin Call is a thriller entangling the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. When entry-level analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster. Expanding the parameters of genre, Margin Call is a riveting examination of the human components of a subject too often relegated to partisan issues of black and white. Propelled by a stellar cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, and Demi Moore, writer/director JC Chandor’s enthralling first feature is a stark and bravely authentic portrayal of the financial industry and its denizens as they confront the decisions that shape our global future.
The Interrupters
DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER: Steve James, U.S.A., 2011, 190 min., color
Living, breathing, modern-day heroes are inspiring hope on the scary streets of Chicago. Meet the Interrupters—former gang members who disrupt violence in their neighborhoods as it happens. Acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Stevie) working with noted author Alex Kotlowitz, recounts the gripping stories of men and women who, with bravado, humility, and humor, strive to protect their
communities from the brutality they once employed. With his signature intimate vérité, James follows these individuals over the course of a year as they attempt to intervene in disputes before they turn violent: two brothers who threaten to shoot each other, an angry teenage girl just home from prison, and a young man on a warpath of revenge.Both a voyage into the stubborn persistence of bloodshed in our cities today and a beacon of light, James’s unforgettable documentary captures each Interrupter’s inspired work, transporting us on a powerful journey from crime to trust to redemption.
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel
DIRECTOR: Alex Stapleton, U.S.A., 2011, 101 min., color
Independent film maverick. Trailblazing writer/director who takes chances with style and script. Inspirational humanist. Box-office success. Indie filmmaker from the 1970s or1990s? No—Roger Corman!
While known for working fast—some of his films were made in two days—and wallowing in the B-movie world of monsters, bad special effects, schlocky acting, and plentiful nudity, Corman is also a respected rebel of cinema. He dealt with hot-button social topics like race and feminism. He created his own production and d istribution company, tagging it “America’s Biggest Independent.” And he taught the next generation of film greats, including Scorsese, Demme, even Ron Howard. From Corman’s first 1955 feature to the set of his new film, Dinoshark, this entertaining documentary has all the blood and guts of Corman’s lurid and fascinating career, with essential insights fromcontemporaries and students. Learn the roots of indie filmmaking, laced with boobs and violence!
