Behind the Ironic Column

Now that I’ve emerged from the 31st Portland International Film Festival, having seen a total of 68 films, I intend to do what the groundhogs did at the beginning of the month:  take a look around and see if I want to come out or go back inside for a while.

Following are my ratings (purely personal) and a few notes.  As always, one of the best parts of the festival was hanging out with other film-obsessed folks.  I already miss seeing them every day.

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Scoring based on 1-5 ratings with 5 being best.
Total of 78 programs — one film was cancelled of the original 79.
I saw 68 of them.

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3 or 4 strong themes in this year’s films:
 Teen or older child coming of age
 Expatriates and problems adjusting to new cultures.
 Women making incredibly poor life choices.
 Choices people make in the face of extreme pressure or life-threatening circumstances.

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Argentina
La Antena — 3 — combination sci-fi and fairy tale in which people’s voices have been stolen by MrTV. The hypnotic power of the swirling spiral logo present on almost everything in the film is resisted by a small family trying to stop him from stealing their words.

XXY — 4 — teenager of indeterminate gender must make a decision about how his/her life will develop. Parents have secluded themselves and their child on an island, well away from everyone else, and feel the choice of gender is theirs. A weekend visit from old family friends — one of whom is a plastic surgeon — brings these issues and the question of choice to a finer focus.

Australia
Home Song Stories — 2 — another in the series of expatriates adjusting to a different culture as well as the series of children/teens coming of age and a woman making poor choices. Hong Kong nightclub singer does not fare well in 1960’s Australia. Her children adjust as best they can and deal with the changing circumstances and secrets forced upon them.

Romulus, My Father — 3 — based on a memoir by Raimond Gaita. Part of the series of expatriates — in this case Eastern European refugees who have settled in 1950’s Victoria — and the coming of age series. Wife is not much in evidence but is another example of women making poor life choices. She leaves Rai’s father for another man but still comes back to stay with them and relies on them for support.

Austria
Counterfeiters — 4– story based on a true life tale of Russian Jew who becomes a counterfeiter for the Nazis and thereby secures his life and the lives of the crew who work with him. Tense and suspenseful — and part of the series of what humans will do to survive or in the face of extreme pressures.

Import/Export –3– grim picture of life on the Ukrainian/Austrian border and the lengths people have to go to find work and/or happiness. A Ukrainian woman becomes an internet porn worker and then a member of the cleaning staff in an Austrian hospital while an Austrian man is forced to take work as an itinerant worker in the Ukraine.

Belgium
Irina Palm — 4 — humorous and touching portrait of a 50 something Londoner who is forced to extreme lengths to obtain money for an operation for her grandson. After becoming a sex worker in Soho, she finds that she does have unsuspected talents, although not ones she would have discovered in the normal course of her widowhood. The reaction of her so-called friends when this new calling is discovered is hilarious.

Brazil
Alice’s House — 4 — One of the series of women making poor choices, this film focuses on a beautician who isn’t particularly happy in her marriage and has three grown sons with their own problems. Her mother, who lives with the family and takes care of all the household chores, is the only one who sees some of what’s going on. Dysfunctional family interactions in all directions.

Not by Chance — 4 — filmed in Sao Paulo, the opening credits of this film are cleverly displayed over the buildings of the city, emphasizing the role of the city itself in the lives of its inhabitants. Two men who are not connected but share a need to control what’s around them — one by being a traffic engineer and the other by plotting and replotting every move in his snooker games — are brought into the same story by an accident that dramatically changes the lives of each.

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation –3– this is part of the series of young boy coming of age as well as the expatriate series. Mauro isn’t exactly an expatriate but is dropped into an unfamiliar milieu when his parents need to disappear for a while as the Brazilian government cracks down on them. His grandfather, whom he hardly knows, was a member of a closeknit Jewish community surrounded by other immigrants. Mauro learns to deal with this new community

Canada
Up the Yangtze — 3 — documentary on the flooding that resulted from the building of the Three Gorges Dam and the cruises that went along the river as this process was going on. Film focuses on two teenagers, one the daughter of an extremely poor family that is being flooded out by the dam and one the son of a middle class family who sees opportunity in this new China. Both of them get jobs on one of the cruise ships.

China
Blind Mountain — 4 — the one child per family rules in China, combined with one in the series of poor life choices, result in a young woman sold into marriage slavery in a rural village where she is an outsider. She does learn to use what she can in this environment in order to change her circumstances — and doesn’t give up. Grim portrait of village life.

Tuya’s Marriage — 3 — set in Inner Mongolia, this film features a woman who makes the best decisions she can in the circumstances. Her husband is disabled, water is drying up, and when she is injured herself, she decides to divorce her husband and find another. Much of the film is taken up with the various suitors and trying to work something out so she can keep her first husband around as well. She’s a hard worker and clearly an attractive candidate for a wife.

Czech Republic
Empties — 5 — very popular film about a retired teacher who takes an assortment of part time jobs — including one as a bottle return counter — in order to maintain a connection with other people. He tells his wife he’s a “greeter” — someone who wants to greet his wife when he comes home but in order to do that he has to say “goodbye” and go somewhere. Low-key comedy.

Denmark
The Monastery: Mr Vig and the Nun — 3 –documentary about an 82-year-old man who has a castle in the Danish countryside which he determines to turn into a Monastery. After many years, he gets a group of Russian Orthodox nuns to come work with him. He and the nuns often have conflicting ideas about what should be done. A snapshot of two people thrown together by chance.

Egypt
In the Helopolis Flat — 4 — romantic comedy contrasting the somewhat simple beliefs of Upper Egypt with the more sophisticated life in Cairo. This woman’s decisions are based on her need to find out what happened to a former teacher. A young man, very sure of himself, has moved into the former teacher’s apartment but her presence is still felt (and sometimes seen)

Finland
A Man’s Job — 4 — this is one of the series of what people do to make ends meet when they have to. Juha takes on odd jobsto support his family after he’s laid off, but discovers that his women clients are more than willing to pay for jobs other than household chores. Often hilarious scenes of his discovery of the kinds of things women want.

France
Duchess of Langeais — 1 — features balls and extravagant dress of 1820’s Paris, but is slow and seems pointless. The star-crossed lovers don’t engender much sympathy.

OSS 117: Cario Nest of Spies — 5– hilarious spy spoof and the ony film to use chickens as a weapon. OSS 117 may be in a different culture but he doesn’t let that interfere with anything and proceeds on his merry way.

Priceless –5 — romantic, spun sugar, tale of two golddiggers (one male, one female) on the Riviera.

Tell No One — 5– based on Harlan Coben’s mystery of the same name, this is set in Paris. Action-packed and bears some resemblance to The Fugitive as well as to Hitchcock.

Germany
The Edge of Heaven — 5— intersecting web of life story that takes place mostly in Turkey. Nejat, a college professor, tries to locate the daughter of a prostitute that his father had befriended. Surprising connections and insight into identity and how we know who we really are.

Yella — 4 — is a strong example of the “woman making poor life choices” series. Why would she get in a car with her estranged husband anyway? Interesting mystery with a metaphysical theme. One of the most entertaining episodes involves her introduction to negotiating tactics and the “broker pose” which is designed to throw the opposite team off guard.

Great Britain
In Bruges — 5– hilarious take on two con men hiding out waiting for their next job. They’re instructed to wait in Bruges for a call from their boss — and behave as tourists. Colin Farrell as Ray is not thrilled with this option and offers scathing commentary on the joys of the medieval city. They meet a series of local residents and tourists, including an American filmmaker. Lots of profanity and violence along with dark comedy.

It’s a Free World — 3 — combines the themes of expatriates, people seeking work and how far they have to go to find it, and women making bad choices. Angie sets up her own labor agency dealing mostly with non-English speakers who don’t have proper paperwork and can’t get jobs any other way. She goes from being one of the downtrodden to being one of the oppressors herself.

Mister Foe — 4 — concerns a teenage boy who suspects his mother may have been killed by his new stepmother. He flees to Edinburgh, sees a woman who strongly resembles his mother, and starts following her. His obsession with her increases the voyeurism and revenge fantasies he was already having. Murder mystery and love story wrapped together with teenage obsessiveness.

Unrelated –0 — hands down the worst movie of the festival. Midforties woman can’t figure out if she’s a child or an adult and chooses to behave as the worst of both. But no one in the audience cares. Many people walked out of the showing I waited through.

Hong Kong
Getting Home — 4 — humorous road movie where one of the travelers is actually dead, although sometimes presented to people they meet as either drunk or sleeping. Zhao is trying to return the body of his friend and co-worker to his hometown for burial but he has neither money nor a car so must improvise and hitch rides with various people along the way.

Hungary
Taxidermia — 1 — bizarre history of a peculiar family that is more disgusting than disturbing. Title comes from the third generation taxidermist who is undoubtedly talented but not appealing. Some humor but more grotesque than not.

Iceland
Jar City — 4 — mystery based on a best-selling novel, this story follows a murder that is not the typical “messy and pointless” Icelandic homicide. The existence of a nationwide genetic database inspires questions of how much we need to or want to know about our histories and whether that knowledge is a good thing.

Iran
M is for Mother — 1 — has some of the “woman making bad decisions” theme but turns a combination of the results of chemical warfare and physical disabilities into a soap opera. Needed editing.

Persian Carpet — 3 — series of short films celebrating the carpet as either a household necessity or an artistic medium.

Ireland
Kings — 3 — another story of expatriates, although in this case the no-longer-young Irishmen have been living in England longer than they ever lived in Ireland. Developed from a stage play and most of the drama takes place in one setting — the back room of a pub where they hold a wake for one of their number who has died. His father comes to claim his coffin so he’s the only one of them who actually does go home.

Israel
The Band’s Visit — 5 — sweet film about an Egyptian Police Band that’s making a visit to perform at an Arab Cultural Center but end up in the wrong place where the locals tell them there’s “no culture — not Israeli, not Arab, no culture of any kind.” The locals take them in for the night and they discover some of the similarities of their lives.

Beaufort — 4 — story of closing of the Israeli military base in southern Lebanon and the strains on the soldiers who have been defending it. This is particularly hard on the young commander who cannot stop people from dying in front of him even as he waits for the final orders to destroy the site.

Italy
My Brother is an Only Child — 3 — story of two teenage brothers in 1960’s Italy. One leans toward the Communists and one toward the Fascists. Their various rivalries, sexual jealousies, and political forays are portrayed with warmth and humor.

Japan
A Gentle Breeze in the Village — 3 — sweet story based on a manga strip for teenage girls. Small school in an isolated country village has only six students who operate more as a family than a formal school. This small group is disrupted by the arrival of a teenage boy from the city.

Kazakhstan
Mongol — 5– sweeping combination of epic, western and war movie of the early years of Genghis Khan, set against the beautiful scenery of Mongolia. Many battles but not viciously violent or as bloody as some of the contemporary films.

Lebanon
Caramel — 2 — story of several women working in a Beirut beauty salon and their various family or love interests. Meant to be a slice of life but not particularly compelling.

Mexico
Silent Light — 1– long and deliberate story of a Mennonite community in norhern Mexico and the adultery and spiritual crisis of the main character. Deliberate pacing designed to show the slower rhythms of that community was only irritating to many viewers. Many interesting camera shots through glass or reflections, but almost all of them held longer than necessary.

Under the Same Moon — 4 — sweet but not saccharine story of a young boy living in Mexico with his grandmother while his mother works in the US to get money for them to be together. His trip to find her is a special kind of road trip.

Year of the Nail — 2 — story composed of photographs and voiceover. The photographs are real, only the story itself, of an American girl visiting Mexico and becoming involved with a 14 year old boy, is fictional. Interesting idea. Not quite a documentary, not quite film.

Netherlands
Duska — 3 — this dark comedy about a film-obsessed man and the Russian who arrives unexpectedly to visit (and stay) with him claims to be based on a true story. Of course, the Russian appears on the very evening that Bob had finally managed to get the beautiful ticket seller from the theater to come to his apartment.

Norway
Art of Negative Thinking –4 — hilarious dark comedy about a group of disabled adults in a positive thinking group who try to recruit a new member who is extremely resistant to their cheerfulness and sets out to help them find their dark sides.

Poland
Saviour’s Square — 4 — grim family relationship drama that showcases more bad decision making. The ostensible force that puts pressure on them is economic problems but this family seemed destined to implode anyway.

Romania
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days — 5– excellent and grim portrayal of decisions made by unmarried pregnant students in 1980’s Romania. Another part of the bad decision making series combined with the lengths people will go when they have to.

Serbia
The Trap — 5 — film noir where the question of what you would do to save your child’s life is front and center. Mladen has this choice to make and the tension persists until the last scene.

South Korea
Breath — 3 — another in the poor decision making series, in which an artist whose husband is cheating on her becomes obsessed with a man on death row. She visits him and brightens up his days with musical numbers and farfetched interior decorating while warden watches and her husband becomes more confused about what’s going on.

Family Ties — 2 — combination of web of life and the poor decision making series. Three seemingly separate vignettes that turn out to be connected, but it doesn’t all quite jell in the viewer’s mind.

Spain/France
In the City of Sylvia — 3– a perfect film for people watchers since the only activity is the main character sitting in a cafe or following women who look like the Sylvia he met years before. The city of Strasbourg plays a role and the sounds and textures of spending summer afternoons in an outdoor cafe are well done. No story, but there’s not meant to be one.

Sweden
You, the Living — 4 — a series of vignettes, frequently hilarious and almost always surreal, using a wide cast of characters in what appears to be the same smallish town.

Taiwan
Flight of the Red Balloon — 1 — the only connection this has to Taiwan is a film student who works as a nanny/assistant. A red balloon does float around Paris but the film in general seems chaotic, much like Suzanne’s apartment and life, and has no real connection to the original Red Balloon film.

Turkey
Times and Winds — 2 — another of the coming of age films, this time focusing on 3 friends in a small Turkish village. There is a certain sense of oppression and family disfunction — the patterns of generations are beginning to repeat in these teenagers.

U.S.
Chicago 10 — 3 — interesting use of animation combined with documentary and archival footage to re-tell the story of the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the subsequent conspiracy trial.

Chop Shop — 4 — combination of coming of age with being an immigrant or culturally out of place. A boy works and lives in a chop shop in Queens, learning both how to do repairs and how to hustle for business. He’s doing the best he can for himself and his older sister — and hasn’t yet given up on his dreams.

Operation Filmmaker — 1 — boring documentary about an Iraqui film student who is helped by some Americans who are making a film in Prague. He doesn’t want to work his way up and is thoroughly obnoxious. The point seems to be that good intentions can easily go awry but we don’t care.

Paranoid Park — 4 — Gus VanSant’s latest about a skateboarder and the skateboard park in Portland where he hangs out. This is another teenager story — the movie is supposedly the result of the diary he’s writing — and there’s a slight mystery about his involvemen with an unexplained death. Skateboard scenes are amazing.

Shotgun Stories — 4 — family disfunction in small town Arkansas lays out the story of a family feud and gives us one of the worst mothers in this year’s festival. Tension and revenge tighten their grip as we wait to see just how much damage will result from this feud.

Snow Angels — 4 — combination of coming of age and poor life choices themes. Opening scenes provide just enough information for us to know something bad will happen, then the main story is told as a flashback.

The Visitor — 4 — immigrants and the results of being culturally out of place. Somewhat numb college professor becomes involved with an illegal couple and begins to wake up. An example of how the rules around immigration have changed dramatically since 9/11.

Vietnam
The White Silk Dress — 2 — one of the series about the lengths people will go to survive or protect their children. Needed editing.

Short Cuts 1
 Tower Bawher — 2
 After All — 3
 Madame Tutli-Putli –3
 The Truffle Hunter –4
 27,000 Days — 0
 Blue Dress — 4
 Love and War –4
 Spider — 5 — It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. — Very impressive and very startling.

Short Cuts II
 My Mother –3
 Soft –3 — teenage thugs and a weak father
 Shuteye Hotel — 3
 Dreams and Desires– FamilyTies –
 Great Magician — 4
 Jeu — 2 –
 Safari — 4
 The Substitute — 5 — chaotic classroom scared into shape — hilarious

Short Cuts III
 The Pearce Sisters –4
 Tanghi Argentini — 5– worker needs co-workers assistance winning the heart of a woman
 I Met The Walrus — 5– think peace and you’ll get it
 Pop Foul — 3.5 –
 Fair Trade –4
 American Sandinista — 4 — Americans, including Portlander Ben Linder, lending their labor to the Sandinistas in 1980s Nicaragua

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