ALL THE DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW is a drama about the evolving relationship of two twentysomething friends who clearly want more from each other, but allow complications to prevent any romance. The film boasts some good scenery (using easy shots of the Grand Canyon), but is a complete mess in so many ways. The worst aspect of the film are surreal black and white dream segments where Richard Roundtree shows up as El Doctor, a character that gives advice to the male lead. These scenes are completely unnecessary and feel like a bad student film. The main romance is obviously inspired by Linklater's BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET but the main difference is that the characters in this film are incessantly annoying and we could care less what happens to their relationship much less spend 100 minutes listening to them yap about it.
The day gets back on track with THIRD MONDAY IN OCTOBER, a very entertaining documentary about middle school students campaigning for student class president. Director Vanessa Roth follows races in four different schools across the country, and for the most part comes up with some very exciting elections to watch. There is deceit, unfairness, heated emotions, and even a recount. These elections took place in 2004 and Roth attempts to present the Bush-Kerry election as a backdrop, but does not really spend enough time with that to be successful. The quality and structure are both very basic. You won't confuse this with the technical excellence a Kirby Dick or Errol Morris doc. Still, it avoids the problem of MAD HOT BALLROOM which failed to really capture the stories of individual kids. Several of these students do stand out, particularly Kayla Bacon and her rivals at Inman middle school.
The last film I saw today was AWAY FROM HER, Sarah Polley's impressive directorial debut. It tells the story of an older married couple (Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie) and how they deal with separation when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She is sent to a permanent care facility, and her husband must deal with loneliness and grief, especially when he finally visits her and she not only barely remembers him but has turned her affections to another patient. It is an accomplished debut for a director so young, and the cast is very strong. Julie Christie is sure to be a part of the Oscar race, but it would be a shame if Pinsent doesn't get his due recognition for his powerful and heartbreaking performance. There are a few faults, including a stupid scene involving mention of the Iraq war, but for the most part Polley stays on track, telling an honest and mature story about love and loss.
No comments:
Post a Comment