Each year the Chatham Film Club (which I am a proud member of) put on an amazing film festival. This year was no different. I saw so many wonderful movies and got to know a lot of really nice people, several of whom I see at the Sunday matinees the film club does every other week. I ended up seeing 12 movies over the course of 5 days. By the end I was exhausted but it was worth it.
As I've done in previous years, I'm not going to do long, detailed reviews like I would normally do. One, because most of these movies have yet to be released to the public and I don't think it would be fair to spoil them. And two, I just don't have the time or the energy. So I've decided to do a quick summary of my thoughts and a rating for each. Hope you enjoy :)
The Imitation Game:
What a movie to start with on opening night! Benedict Cumberbatch gives the performance of his career as mathematician Alan Turning, who helped crack the German Enigma code during World War 2. Very touching and moving. Complete with a beautiful musical score by Alexandre Desplat. I have a feeling this will do very well come award season. My Rating: 10/10
Low Down:
Standard story about jazz pianist Joe Albany, told from the perspective of his daughter Amy. Based on a true story. Good performances by John Hawkes and Elle Fanning. Peter Dinklage is sadly wasted here though. The editing was very odd. Also, I wasn't crazy about the overall look of the film. My Rating: 6/10
Goodbye to Language 3D:
What a pretentious piece of shit! Jean-Luc Godard is this world class director but he certainly doesn't show it here. I'm a pretty open minded person but I just didn't get it. Completely incoherent. I never thought it would happen but this movie takes the title from Clash of the Titans as the worst 3D I've ever seen. I seriously thought there was something wrong with my vision until I got to talking to some people afterward and they said the same thing. The only reason I'm not giving this is a zero is because there were a few pretty images scattered throughout. My Rating: 3/10
Birdman:
This movie pretty much mirrors the career of Michael Keaton. He plays a washed up actor who's most famous for playing a superhero over 20 years ago. He's now trying to make a comeback by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway play. There are quite a few Oscar worthy performances here. I like how director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu made the whole movie feel like one long take. He took a lot of risks and they paid off. The movie was a little odd at times but that's not necessarily a bad thing. My Rating: 8.5/10
Soul of a Banquet:
Lovely little documentary about Cecila Chiang- a woman who introduced America to authentic Chinease food. Make sure you don't watch this on an empty stomach because there's massive amounts of food porn here. My Rating: 7/10
Foxcatcher:
Powerful and well made movie based on the true story of Mark Schultz. Both he and his brother Dave were Olympic wrestlers who formed an interesting relationship with wealthy sponsor John du Pont. Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo put so much work into these characters. Everything from the way they walked, talked, and even their mannerisms were so much like the real brothers. Of course, the one who really stood out was Steve Carrell. Let's face it, he'd be the last person in the world you'd think of to play du Pont. But he pulls it off brilliantly. My Rating: 9/10
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsallem:
Riveting drama set in Israel where it's almost impossible for a woman to get a divorce- the husband must agree to it. Vivian had been separated from her husband Elisha for years but he refuses to grant her request for a divorce. Takes place almost entirely in a courtroom. As you watch these meetings take place you can't help but feel frustrated. All this poor woman wants is her freedom. Very powerful performance by Ronit Elkabetz (who was also one of the directors of the movie) as Viviane. The supporting cast was great as well. My Rating: 9/10
Two Days, One Night:
Marion Cotillard stars in this raw, realistic drama as Sandra, who is being laid off from her job because most of her co-workers have opted for a bonus instead. She has one weekend to try and change their minds. While not Marion Cotillard's best performance, it's still worth watching. My Rating: 7.5/10
Mr. Turner:
The Saturday night surprise movie. Well, surprise... this was one of the dullest movies I've seen in a long time. The movie is about the last 25 years (which is about as long as this movie felt) in the life of British painter JMW Turner. I enjoy period dramas as much as anyone, but director Mike Leigh made this so difficult to watch with his style over substance and deafening musical score. Timothy Spall is a good actor but even he couldn't save this mess. The only reason my rating isn't lower is because the movie didn't make me angry like Goodbye to Language. I was just bored. Plus I was able to catch up on some sleep. My Rating: 4/10
Happy Valley:
A documentary about the Jerry Sandusky scandal that focuses mainly on the community's reaction and the aftermath. There's also several interviews including Jerry Sandusky's adopted son Matt, who was one of the victims. Even though I knew a lot of the information already, it was still interesting. My Rating: 7.5/10
Wild:
Reese Witherspoon gives another Oscar worthy performance as Cheryl Strayed who, after a tragedy occurs in her life, decides to hike 1,100 miles. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, who gave us last years Dallas Buyers Club. My Rating: 8.5/10
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus:
This musical special was originally filmed in 1968. Features some great music by The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jethro Tull, and many more. An interesting choice to close out the festival. My Rating: 8/10
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