moving pictures

The 2009 Victoria Film Festival was only the second such event I had ever attended. Last year I saw four flicks; this year I went all out and saw ten! Yes, ten. That's a lot of movies for seven days. You can say I'm exhausted, especially since I've been fighting this weird cold-like thing that makes me feel schizo most of the time. But this isn't about my health; this post is about movies. Here we go (in order of screenings):
1. Apology of an Economic Hitman. This is a documentary about corporate influence in the politics and economics of developing countries and how those corporations benefit from the resources of those countries, resources which should be better used to benefit the people instead. I was worried I would come out of this angry, and I did. At the same time I thought "I should have known." I'm starting to expect this sort of information now. That doesn't make me any less angry, but rather more and more frustrated because I feel so powerless to change anything.
2. Eating Buccaneers. I very much enjoyed this dark comedy about five advertisng people who had crashed their plane in the middle of nowhere in the Canadian wilderness. The humour was wry yet satisfying; the characters parodies yet full of depth. I hope this movie will gain a wider audience, I think it deserves to.
3. The Caller. Frank Langella gives a wonderful performance of an economic hitman who wants to redeem himself with a last act defiance. Whoa! What? Another economic hitman? Yup, but this time it is fiction and it is a thriller, a cat and mouse game with plenty of secrets and twists. Very good.
4. Stone of Destiny. A lovely true tale of the attempt at recovery of the Stone of Destiny by a group of young Scottish students from Westminster Abbey. Beautifully told, well worth a viewing when it comes out in the theatres locally later this month.
5. The Tiger's Tail. This movie is billed as a thriller. I beg to differ. I found it entertaining but not really a thriller. I have to admit I rather enjoyed the evil twin premise not be so evil for a change.
6. Dean Spanley. I'm a big fan of Peter O'Toole and boy did he live up to my expectations. I don't think there is anyone who can plan the old curmudgeon better. This is a whimsical story set in Edwardian England at a time when the upper crust had time for lofty pursuits and journeys into the occult. In this particular indulgence, past lives are explored ... past lives which will leave you wondering just what's in that drink.
7. On Thousand Journals. This documentary tells the story of Someguy, a San Francisco graphic designer, who sent forth into parts unknown 1000 empty journals asking whoever found them to use their creativity and fill them out. The movie traced the journey of some of them - many, unfortunately, have been lost - and documents how they touched the lives of so many people all around the globe. Seeing this has definitely encouraged me to start one too. In the meantime, Esther has began one as part of the 1001 Journals project and I'm definitely going to participate in it.
8. Flame & Citron. I'm generally not a fan of war movies but I did enjoy this one very much. It tells the story of two resistance fighters in WWII Denmark. The interesting thing about these two was the fact that they were assassins rather than your typical members of the underground. Instead of bombing trains or bridges these two would go and put a bullet through the heads of German collaborators, spies, or officials. And then they would meet their compatriots in the same bar the Germans frequented. A very good film and a true story to boot.
9. Mothers & Daughters. The hilarious, the ridiculous, and the complicated dynamics of the mother/daughter bond permeate this new Canadian film. Three mother/daughter pairs offer sparkling insight into the needs, the denials, and the inescapable love that these women do battle with every day. I think I shed a tear in this one. No, I'm pretty sure I did. OK, I have a soft spot for this whole mother/daughter thing. So bite me.
10. JCVD. A most interesting attempt to revive one's fledgling acting career: make a movie about yourself. Jean Claude Van Damme does a great job doing just that. The man synonymous with action movies puts himself out there, not as an action star but rather as a man who has been someone and lost it all. He doesn't pull punches and comes across very believable. It must not have been easy to do.
11. My Son the Pornographer. OK, I didn't see this one in the theatre, even though it was shown as part of the festival. A few days after the end of the festival this documentary was shown on CBC Newsworld. So I got to see a bonus movie.

Of all the movies I saw, I think I liked JCVD the least and yet I liked it quite a bit. This means I made very good choices with all of them. My favourite was definitely Stone of Destiny with Eating Buccaneers a very close second. I can't wait for next year's festival! :)