Directed by Taylor Guterson
In recent years, a new genre of indie filmmaking called mumblecore took the festival circuit by storm. I caught on to the genre a little late, but there were several great examples at last year's Atlanta Film Festival, including Kentucker Audley's Open Five and Aaron Katz's Cold Weather. Mumblecore generally refers to ultra-low budget films about young adult told in an improvisational style. Old Goats takes that genre and applies it to a story involving senior citizens in a way that works surprisingly well.
The story follows three senior citizens, all non-actors playing real life versions of themselves. Britt lives on his houseboat and is contemplating daing again for the first time in 30 years. Bob is still a ladies man and is working on getting his memoirs published. David is a wealthy, retired businessman who is stuck in a social circle of cocktail parties thrown by his wife.
At times, this format is a bit much to take as the actors are clearly reaching for what to say next. however, much of it pays off and the conversations have a very natural sound to them. The story of Britt is most compelling and dominates most of the 2nd half of the film as he mets a woman on an online dating site. His attempts to deal with his first relationship in decades make for some compelling and funny moments in the film. Old Goats isn't a great film, but it's a nice one that tells a bittersweet story about life as a senior citizen.
Directed by David Bonawits
Pleasant Peopleis the type of film that you'll often see at film festivals. It's a quirky movie about twentysomethings and love. The problem that many of these films run into is going too far with the quirkiness. Last year's entry Feed the Fish is definitely an example of that, where it was so disconnected from any kind of emotional reality that it was hard to care about what happened. Pleasant People avoids this for the most part thanks to an ingratiating lead character.
Jiyoung is a girl with a dream and her dream is to be a sucessful musician. She records cheap CD's and shows up at amateur open mic nights at a local club. She is in love with a co-worker named Josh, who tolerates her but clearly has no feelings beyond that. The story is very low key, following her exploits in music and love.
One thing I really appreciated about Pleasant People is that it never feels artificial. Even if the story may drag in certain sections, nothing in here feels written or manufactured. I especially liked that the ending is very loose and open. Most importantly, Pleasant People finds that right balance of tone that so many quirky indies miss. Jiyoung Lee (playing herself) is certainly an interesting person to watch and she carries this film with ease.
Directed by Laura Newman
The influx of big chain stores in the modern economic environment has made it very difficult for small businesses to survive. While not all of these mega retail locations are evil, there's no denying the charm of a local small store or hangout that makes you feel at home. The overly silly, but somewhat satisfying film We are the Hartmans touches on these themes.
Hartmans is a small local pub and music venue that caters to people that don't always feel welcome. It is the last of the small businesses in their town and the oen place that still makes them feel at home. When the owner (Richard Chamberlain) gets sick, his family comes to town and makes plans to sell the place. The Hartmans regulars band together to fight the sale.
There's alot of silliness to be had in here and some of it reaches sitcom levels. However, this is a film that has its heart in the right place. The cast of unknowns works well with verteran actor Richard Chamberlain, who is surprisingly convincing in a role very different from what he usually plays. There's a sweet romance between Hartman's daughter and one of the locals. ultimately, the film gets across the message of standing up for the little guy in the face of corporate greed and does so in an entertaining fashion.
Directed by Mario van Peebles
Mario van Peebles hits the fest with a sports drama starring none other than Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. That sentence alone should be enough to pique most people's interests. Unfortunately, this is a film that runs into too many problems along the way, especially due to Van Peebles irritating insistence on visiting every single sports movie cliche out there.
Jackson stars as Deon, a talented college football running back, who has stardom in his future. He is projected to be a top NFL draft pick, has a family catering to his every interest, and can pretty much pick whatever girl he wants to be with on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned as before the NFL draft he is diagnosed with cancer. The film follows how this affects his family, which to this point had completely hinged on his future.
The film received some attention because Jackson lost alot of weight to take on this role. His transformation is certainly a stunning sight and the best shot of the entire film. I think perhaps if Van Peebles had gone through the script a few more times he could've ironed things out. It really has some problematic aspects, especially an ending that wraps everything up way too neatly and strains all credibility. It's a disappointing film, but an impressive performance from Jackson.
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