1928 - Top 10 List and Year in Review

It sure took me a long time to get through 1928, partly because of real life stuff that kept taking up my time, but also because I took on too much for this year. It was a very interesting year for cinema, and there were lots of movies I wanted to see, but I probably should have limited myself somewhat. The good news is that while it was taking me so long to finish the year, TCM decided to do a Marion Davies marathon and I was able to capture basically her entire filmography on DVR. That allowed me to add her two 1928 films to the list, and I'll be prepared for her stuff in future years.

I ended up seeing 31 films overall, and it was a generally strong year overall. The technical aspects of filmmaking had reached their highest point ever, but some of the films had issues as directors got a little too busy experimenting and forgot to tell the audience a story. William Wellman had his second straight mediocre output and I'll be careful in selecting any of his future films for inclusion in the project.

It was an especially strong year for leading actors. Not only did we have terrific comic performances from the three comic legends (Chaplin, Lloyd, Keaton) but we also had some outstanding dramatic performances from Lon Chaney, James Murray, Conrad Veidt, Emil Jannings, and George Bancroft.

1927 saw the first feature length sound film in The Jazz Singer. It was a huge hit, and studios began transitioning to sound by 1928. However, the early talkies were apaprently not very good and none of them made it on my radar to watch this year (if they were even available). So this will be the actual last full year of silents.

And finally, here is the top 10 list for 1928

10. The Docks of New York (Josef Von Sternberg)

The mature and complex romance between George Bancroft and Betty Compson.

9. A Girl in Every Port (Howard Hawks)

Robert Armstrong and Victor MacLaglen make for winning protagonists.

8. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (Walter Ruttman)

One of just many fascinating shots of Berlin.

7. The Last Command (Josef Von Sternberg)

Jannings (2nd from right) and Brent, before it all goes to hell.

6. Steamboat Bill Jr. (Charles Reisner)

One of just many obstacles Buster has to avoid.

5. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Dreyer)

Falconetti's passionate performance among the best in film history.

4. Laugh, Clown, Laugh (Herbert Brenon)

Chaney proves once again that he is the best actor of his era.

3. Speedy (Ted Wilde)

A shot from the fantastic Coney Island sequence.

2. The Circus (Charles Chaplin)

The Tramp in a precarious situation.

1. The Crowd (King Vidor)

This fascinating shot of Johnny's soul sucking work place would later inspire Billy Wilder in "The Apartment".

Best Picture

The Circus
*The Crowd
Laugh, Clown, Laugh
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Speedy

Best Director

Charles Chaplin, The Circus
Carl Dreyer, The Passion of Joan of Arc
Walter Ruttman, Berlin: Symphony of a Great City
*King Vidor, The Crowd
Ted Wilde, Speedy

Best Lead Actor

George Bancroft, The Docks of New York
*Lon Chaney, Laugh Clown Laugh
Charlie Chaplin, The Circus
Harold Lloyd, Speedy
Emil Jannings, The Last Command

Best Lead Actress

Eleanor Boardman, The Crowd
Betty Compson, Docks of New York
Marion Davies, The Patsy
*Maria Falconetti, The Passion of Joan of Arc
Greta Garbo, A Woman of Affairs

Best Supporting Actor

Nils Asther, Laugh Clown Laugh
William Haines, Show People
Ivor Novello, The Lodger
Bernard Siegel, Laugh Clown Laugh
*Ernest Torrence, Steamboat Bill Jr.

Supporting Actress

Olga Baclanova, The Docks of New York
Evelyn Brent, The Last Command
*Louise Brooks, A Girl in Every Port
Marie Dressler, The Patsy
Loretta Young, Laugh Clown Laugh

Best Screenplay

A Girl in Every Port (Malcolm Stuart Boylan, Howard Hawks)
The Circus (Charles Chaplin)
*The Crowd (King Vidor, John VA Weaver)
Laugh, Clown, Laugh (Joseph Farnham, Elizabeth Meehan)
Speedy (Albert DeMond, John Grey)

Show People (King Vidor) ***

Director: King Vidor

Cast: Marion Davies, William Haines, Dell Henderson, Paul Ralli

Background: The second collaboration between Marion Davies and King Vidor this year. Co-star William Haines doesn't get alot of attention today, but was one of the most popular comic stars of the era.

Story: Peggy Pepper (Davies) is an aspiring actress who moves from Savannah to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. She finds early success in comedies, but wants to do dramas so she switches to a new studio and takes on the name Patricia Pepoire. In doing so, her personality changes and she ignores her former friend (Haines).

Thoughts: I'm surprised Hearst was okay with this, because it seems like a direct attack on his own ideas about Davies' career. Nevertheless, it's a fine film that features cameos from tons of Hollywood stars (Chaplin, Fairbanks, Gilbert, and even King Vidor himself). The first half is especially strong, featuring some hilarious set pieces and the fake films are brilliantly done. The second half runs into some problems, as Davies overplays her character's snotty behavior a bit too much and Haines disappears for too long. The events are less inspired here and instead follow an entirely predictable chain of events. Still, the movie is able to recover for a strong conclusion that works because Davies and Haines are charismatic enough to make us care.

Postscript: William Haines was openly gay, and his career was cut short when Louis B. Mayer demanded he break up with his longtime partner and publicly marry a woman. His last film was in 1934, but he remained with his partner for over 50 years. The film itself has a good reputation, but is unfortunately one of the many Davies films that are not available on DVD.

The Patsy (King Vidor) ***1/2

Director: King Vidor

Cast: Marion Davies, Marie Dressler, Orville Caldwell, Lawrence Gray

Background: Marion Davies was the mistress of tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who only wanted to see her in expensive costume dramas. Director King Vidor got the idea to cast her in this when witnessing her do impressions of her friends. Marie Dressler's career was over and she was contemplating suicide before getting a last minute offer to portray Marion's mother.

Story: Patricia Harrington (Davies) struggles to win the approval of her mother (Dressler). Things don't get much better when she falls in love with her sister's boyfriend, but decides to pursue him after finding out her sister is cheating on the man.

Thoughts: It's a shame that it took so long for her to be cast in a comedy, because this film proves Marion Davies was meant to be a comedienne all along. The comic persona that was threatening to break out in last year's dud Quality Street is fully evident here and her spirited performance is a joy to behold. At one point, she tries to impress a man by doing impressions of silent film stars, including a Lillian Gish impersonation that is dead on. There's some really inspired stuff in the 2nd half where Marion has to pretend to be crazy and the many inventive ways they come up with for her to do that are absolutely hilarious. Marion's splendid performance completely carries this movie, but there are some strong support with Marie Dressler's manic performance as her mother of special note. The basic story is certainly simple (although the genders are reversed from the norm), as it was in most comedies of the day, but what's important is that we have a funny and endearing main character to make it all work.

Postscript: From here on out, Marion would make mostly comedies and she enjoyed success in the transition to sound. Her reputation would later be shattered by the unflattering portrayal of her fictional alter ego in Citizen Kane, and subsequent films featuring Marion would portray her in a similar light. However, film historians have since recognized that those portrayals didn't really do her justice, and even actress Virginia Madsen regrets how she portrayed Marion in the 1985 tv-movie The Hearst and Davies Affair.

The Last Command (Josef von Sternberg) ****

Director: Josef Von Sternberg

Cast: Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell

Story: A General (Jannings) in Czarist Russia is reduced to nothing after the revolutionm, even losing the woman he loved (Brent). Now in the United States, he ends up getting a job as an extra in a movie about the very revolution that deposed him.

Background: The story was inspired by the life of General Lodijensky, a Czarist General who also fled to the United States and became a Hollywood extra. Director Josef von Sternberg had already made a name for himself with the previous year's Underworld (#3 on my 1927 list and also starring Evelyn Brent). Jannings was a highly regarded veteran actor who already had over 50 credits to his name.

Thoughts: Von Sternberg nails it once again. He is clearly one of the best pure storytellers of his era, brilliantly juxtaposing the General's life before and after the war by alternating the narrative, never once losing focus. Emil Jannings gives an amazing performance in the lead role, showing us so many dimensions and layers of this General, making him a complex and fascinating individual. The romance between Jannings and Brent is at first problematic and contains a ridiculous title card (You are now my prisoner of war... and prisoner of love!"), but the two actors completely sell it, and the ultimate fate of the romance packs the required punch. The plot escalates to a bravura finale that still has time for one final moment of understanding between two enemies.

Postscript: Emil Jannings would become the first winner of the Oscar for Best Actor (for both The Last Command and Way of the Flesh). He still had many years left in his career, including another outing with Von Sternberg called The Blue Angel. William Powell (who plays the Hollywood director) would have a long and successful career, making a name for himself as The Thin Man. Von Sternberg would make several films with Marlene Dietrich, being nominated for two of them, and continued directing through the 50s.

October (Sergei Eisenstein) ***1/2

Director: Sergei Eisenstein

Cast: Vladimir Popov, Vasili Nikandrov

Background: Eisenstein's previous film Battleship Potemkin is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. It revolutionized film editing and contains one of the most famous film sequences of all time. He was commissioned by the Soviet government to direct a film celebrating the 10th anniversary of the revolution.

Story: Documentary (using recreated footage) following the historical events starting from the end of the monarcy in Russia and dissolution of the provisional government.

Thoughts: What could have been a bland docudrama is given alot of power by Eisenstein's skillful editing and terrific use of sound effects. The film moves at a surprisingly brisk pace, thrusting the viewer right in the middle of the historical events. The Soviets were not happy with Eisenstein's experimental nature, including the use of symbolism in his montage sequences. They worried that it wouldn't make sense to the average viewer, but I found the film surprisingly accessible. Separated from the historical events, it's a fairly simple story of good vs. bad told with alot of passion, including a brilliant depiction of the storming of the Winter Palace. I find that remarkable considering most of the movie is disconnected from the actual people involved and instead focuses on a grand view of the events.

Postscript: The film did not fare well. Eisenstein was forced to edit certain parts of it (all references to Trotsky) and it never received the acclaim of Potemkin. It is currently held in high regard by film historians.

Four Sons (John Ford) *1/2

Director: John Ford

Cast: Margaret Mann, James Hall, Charles Morton, Ralph Bushman, George Meeker, June Collyer

Background: The plot for this movie was adapted from a novel by I.A.R. Wylie. After a career as a character actress, Margaret Mann was given her biggest role to date.

Story: A widow (Mann) watches as her four sons leave home one by one. Joseph has decided to make a living in the United States, while his brothers eventually fight for Germany in World War 1. When America enters the war, Joseph finds on the opposite side of the battlefield as his brothers.

Thoughts: This is all very ridiculous. You'd think there would be plenty to milk out of this premise. The basic situation has some psychological complexity to it. But Ford isn't interested in any of that. He's just here to manipulate the audience, forcefully plucking those tears from their eyes. What almost works is the bravura performance from Margaret Mann, who almost sells this nonsense. She creates such a convincingly real character that it's impossible not to feel sympathy for her predicament. Unfortunately, every time we get to that point, Ford is back to plucking once again. The third act is particularly bad, with one of the most unconvincing endings I've seen in a silent movie.

Postscript: Despite her great performance, this would turn out to be the only lead role Margaret Mann would get. She continued acting through the next decade, but in mostly minor roles. It would be 11 years before Ford would make what is considered to be his first masterpeice, Stagecoach.

Doomsday (Rowland v. Lee) ***

Director: Rowland V. Lee

Cast: Florence Vidor, Gary Cooper, Lawrence Grant

Background: Florence Vidor (ex-wife of the legendary director King Vidor) was already very well known by 1928, being one of the biggest stars of the early silent era. Gary Cooper had many credits before this, but they were mostly bit parts, including a minor role in the Oscar winning Wings.

Story: A poor woman (Vidor) taking care of her sick father has two suitors. Percival Fream is an aging millionaire that offers her a life of luxury, while poor farmer Arnold Furze (Cooper) can only offer his love.

Thoughts: This one wasn't on my radar, as it's not one of the notable films from the era, but I didn't want to pass up a chance to see a young Gary Cooper in a leading role. The movie is all standard stuff, but the immensely appealing stars make it work. Florence Vidor is one of the most beautiful of all silent stars I've seen, and a young Gary Cooper just absolutely owns the screen. Lee clearly knows this, and provides us with numerous close-ups of his stars. While the story is pretty predictable from beginning to end, the two stars are so charming that it's impossible not to root for them to get together.

Postscript: Vidor would only make one sound film before retiring from acting for good. Gary Cooper of course would go on to beciome a Hollywood legend with iconic performances in movies such as High Noon, Seargent York, The Pride of the Yankees, and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.

A Woman of Affairs (Clarence Brown) **

Director: Clarence Brown

Cast: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Johnny Mack Brown

Background: Greta Garbo and John Gilbert had previously teamed up to great success in two previous films, Love and Flesh and the Devil. The story was adapted from a controversial play called The Green Hat, but the studio demanded changes to the story.

Story: Diana (Garbo) loves Neville (Gilbert), but their impending marriage is thwarted when his father disapproves and sens him away on business. Diana ends up marrying David, their other childhood friend, but when tragedy strikes she makes a decision that ruins her reputation.

Thoughts: Garbo is excellent as usual, but once again the script and director are not up to the job. Part of the problem is censorship, which diluted much of the sensational events in the book. Clarence Brown still directs things in the mode of an intense melodrama, but with everything dumbed down, it feels kind of blah. If the studio wasn't willing to do the book justice, then they needed to hire a director with a light touch, who could inject some personality and humor into the story. Only Garbo really rises to the occassion, her immeasurable screen presence impossible for even the worst director to ruin. Gilbert suffers the most, playing a very passive character, playing a man who doesn't seem so much torn between two woman, but just hopelessly confused.

Postscript: Garbo would make one more silent film before transitioning to sound, where she would receive four Oscar nominations over the next decade. Gilbert's first sound picture was a disaster (legend being that his voice was too high pitched, but that is strongly disputed by some film historians) and he was never able to recover his popularity, despite teaming up one more time with Garbo. His last film was in 1935. Clarence Brown would go on to receive six Oscar nominations for Best Director.

Laugh, Clown, Laugh (Herbert Brenon) ****

Director: Herbert Brenon

Cast: Lon Chaney, Bernard Siegel, Loretta Young, Cissy Fitzgerald, Nils Asther, Gwen Lee

Background: Laugh, Clown, Laugh had been delayed for several years so as not to appear too similar to Chaney's role as a clown in 1924's He Who Gets Slapped. This would be Loretta Young's first film role, at the age of 14.

Story: A clown (Chaney) and a count (Asther) become good friends as they help each other with emotional problems, not knowing that they both have fallen in love with the same woman (Young).

Thoughts: This actually has many similarities to Chaney's previous film The Unknown, but certainly less creepy. This is more of a straight drama, although there are still some very dark elements to the story, not the least being that Chaney's character is in love with a girl that he raised since she was a child. Lon Chaney once again proves that he has no acting equal in the silent film era. There is an incredible scene where the clown has to perform after catching the woman he loves with the count. It's an amazing bit of acting and of the more heartbreaking moments I've witnessed in a film. It leads to the line that gives the film its title: "Laugh, Clown, Laugh, eventhough your heart is breaking." Powerful stuff. The film apparently had two endings, one shot at the insistence of the studio that has thankfully been lost forever.

Postscript: Lon Chaney would only make three more films before his untimely death, robbing the world of one of the greatest actors in Hollywood history. Loretta Young would go on to be a Hollywood staple for several decades.

Tempest (Sam Taylor) **1/2

Director: Sam Taylor

Cast: John Barrymore, Camilla Horn, Louis Wolheim, Boris de Fast, George Fawcett

Background: Director Sam Taylor made a name for himself by directing several Harold Lloyd comedies, including what I consider to be the very best silent film of them all, 1923's Safety Last! In only his 3rd film without Lloyd, he was able to snag matinee idol John Barrymore as the lead.

Story: In Czarist Russia, a lowly peasant (Barrymore) is suddenly promoted to Lieutenant. He falls in love with a princess (Horn) who betrays him when he is caught in her room. He gets sent to jail, but the tables are turned when he is freed during the revolution.

Thoughts: Here we have a different take on the revolution that doesn't make the Bolsheviks look so nice. In many ways, this is a very timely film in that it criticizes the overzealous actions of a conquering army. But the film isn't interested in making that the central theme. This is really about the romance, and that's where we run into some problems. Barrymore is up to the task with a charismatic turn in the lead role, but Camilla Horn as his leading lady is just terrible. Her entire performance is flat and not once is there any sense of chemistry between the two leads. Thus the central romance thus suffers quite a bit, even if you ignore that the spy falling in love with the target was already a big film cliche by this point. The movie is still paced very well and looks great, but I wish they had either done a better casting job or dispensed with a romance that didn't work.

Postscript: The film won an Oscar for Art Direction. Barrymore would continue for another decade as a box office star. Sam Taylor had moderate success, including directing Mary Pickford to an Oscar in 1929's Coquette.

The Docks of New York (Josef von Sternberg) ***1/2

Director: Josef von Sternberg

Cast: George Bancroft, Betty Compson, Olga Baclanova, Clyde Cook

Story: Bill Roberts (Bancroft) is a coal worker on a steam ship who rescues Mae (Betty Compson) from a suicide attempt, leading to an unlikely romance.

Thoughts: A fresh and appealing story with a central romance that really works. Von Sternberg (reuniting with Bancroft from 1927's Underworld) once again creates fascinating characters that find their way together out of sad, desperate situations. Moreover, they feel like authentic characters that have real problems. And he found two actors that really connect. You really want to believe that these two people will figure out how to make it work. The film is also populated with very interesting supporting characters. Olga Baclanova is terrific as an engineer's wife and Clyde Cook makes a great villain as the engineer. All of this is punctuated by some wonderful cinematography.

Postscript: Like many of Von Sternberg's films, The Docks of New York enjoys a solid reputation today despite not being available on DVD. Both Compson and Bancroft had long careers as character actors, while Von Sternberg would continue a long and distinguished directing career.

The Wedding March (Erich Von Stroheim) ***

Director: Erich Von Stroheim

Cast: Erich Von Stroheim, Fay Wray, Matthew Betts, Zasu Pitts, George Fawcett

Background: Von Stroheim was already well known for a number of films, including the legendary Greed, where he fought with the studio over the running time (9 hours). The studio ripped his movie apart and destroyed the lost footage. Stroheim would fight with the studio over The Wedding March as well, with the studio forcing von Stroheim to split it into two films, the latter being known as The Honeymoon.

Story: A young aristocrat's (von Stroheim) parents tell him to marry money, but he falls in love with Mitzi (Wray), an inn-keeper's daughter.

Thoughts: Stroheim is clearly a talented director and his brilliant visual flair is on display throughout this film, able to capture both the grand celebratory moments for the royalty and the small intimate beauty of the backyard scenes. Still, this is a story that just doesn't click the way I expected it to. I fully admit that part of the problem is certainly due to the fact that it bears many similarities to Ernst Lubitsch's Student Prince in Old Heidelberg, which is superior to this film in almost every single way. Von Stroheim is a sly actor, but as a director he's sometimes a little too obsessed with the details. A flirtation scene between the two leads is one of the more memorable moments in the film, but goes on far too long. But even with all the problems, you can't deny Von Stroheim's talent or the appeal of the central story.

Postscript: After more fights with the studio on future films, Von Stroheim decided to stick to acting and among his many accomplishments is a memorable performance in the Billy Wilder classic Sunset Boulevard. Fay Wray would go on to be known for her iconic role in King Kong. The last known print of The Honeymoon was destroyed in a fire in 1957.

Beggars of Life (William Wellman) **

Director: William Wellman

Cast: Louise Brooks, Richard Arlen, Wallace Beery

Background: Director William Wellman was the flavor of Hollywood after directing the smash hit Wings, the most successful film in the silent era. He's reunited here with Wings star Richard Arlen, provocative leading lady Louise Brooks, and character actor Wallace Beery.

Story: A young woman (Brooks) murders her abusive stepfather and is forced to run from the law. Dressed as a boy, she meets up with a man (Arlen) who helps her

Thoughts: What a disappointment. There is an interesting premise in here, and the first half maintains a nice simplicity as the two leads hop from place to place and grow closer to one another. The chemistry between them is really strong (despite the fact that Brooks detested Arlen during filming) and the character development is very nice. However, the film falls apart once they get involved with a group of hoboes, the main one named Oklahoma Red (Wallace Beery), who takes an unhealthy liking to the girl. The problem is that the film itself takes an unhealthy liking to Oklahoma Red and hands over almost the entire 3rd act to him, with a ridiculous redemption arc that isn't believable for a second and a series of action scenes that belong in a much different film. As our leads disappear, so does the film's heart. I'm certainly not happy with the William Wellman ouevre so far.

Postscript: Wellman continued a successful career through the 50's with several notable films to come. Arlen was mostly a bit player from here on out, but managed to keep acting through the 70's. Brooks was in the midst of her career high point, with Pandora's Box just around the corner, to be followed by Diary of a Lost Girl. She would quit acting at the end of the next decade.

Battle of the Sexes (DW Griffith) **

Director: D.W. Griffith

Cast: Jean Hersholt, Phyllis Haver, Belle Bennet, Sally O' Neil, Don Alvarado, William Bakewell

Background: DW Griffith was already a Hollywood legend at this point, making a name for himself with period melodramas like Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, and Way Down East. Battle of the Sexes would be a major departure from his usual style.

Story: A couple of con artists aim to bring down a wealthy middle-aged man (Hersholt) by enticing him to forget about his wife and family.

Thoughts: It is interesting to see Griffith attempt a departure from his usual fare, but he didn't really have the nerve to see it all the way through and it ends up not being as much of a departure as it should have been. Griffith doesn't have the light touch that someone like Lubitsch could bring to the table. Instead, he just gives us a remarkably unlikable main character, makng it very hard for the audience to root for this marriage to succeed. Hersholt is a splendid actor and gave a truly memorable performance the previous year's Student Prince in Old Heidelberg. That might be part of the problem. He plays this sad man's descent into mid-life crisis so well that it feels all too real to fit in with the ridiculous set of circumstances that Griffith throws us in the 3rd act.

Postscript: This did not end up as one of Griffith's memorable films. He would only go on to make three more, including an Abe Lincoln biopic.

The Man Who Laughs (Paul Leni) ***

Director: Paul Leni

Cast: Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin, Olga Baclanova, Brandon Hurst, Cesare Gravina

Background: Producer Carl Laemmle chose director Paul Leni to direct this Victor Hugo adaptation based on unique style of Leni's 1926 picture Waxworks. Conrad Veidt (chosen because Lon Chaney was under contract to MGM) had gained fame almost a decade earlier by co-starring in the classic silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Story: King James II has young boy Gwynplaine (Veidt) disfigured so he will have a permnanent smile on his face, a cruel act of retribution against the boy's father. He is taken in by the owner of a travelling show and his disfigured face is a huge attraction. Years later he is discovered by the Queen's advisors, and the Queen orders a marriage between Gwynplaine and Duchess Josiana so he can claim his late father's estate.

Thoughts: Some very interesting stuff going on here, even if it never comes together in a completely satisfying way. Conrad Veidt's performance in the lead role is powerful and he gives us a memorable character to follow. The rest of the cast is also excellent. It's beautifully shot and contains some fascinatingly grim subject matter. The problem is, like many other films this year, the story just doesn't flow very well. Scenes that need to be explored more are too short and other scenes are too long. Leni is clearly a good director and he's got some good stuff here, perhaps just enough for it to work, but it leaves the impression that it could have been so much more, especially if they had kept the original ending of the novel.

Postscript: The film was a success despite mixed critical reaction. More notably, Conrad Veidt's Gwynplaine is one of the inspirations for the creation of Batman's arch nemesis The Joker.

The End of St. Petersburg (Vsevolod Pudovkin) **

Director: Vsevelod Pudovkin

Cast: Aleksandr Gromov, Vera Baranovskaya, Sergei Komarov

Background: Pudovkin had just finished Mother, where he gained fame with his montage style. The End of St. Petersburg was to be his follow up and was made to commemorate the the 10th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.

Story: A peasant and the labor leader he helped get arrested find themselves on the same side in the Russian Revolution.

Thoughts: Certainly an admirable attempt to make an important film, but this is really a rambling, incoherent mess for the most part. Now Pudovkin certainly has some visual flair and that is certainly evident in some of the huge crowd scenes but the story gets lost amongst all the overwrought camerawork. We never really connect with any of the characters and thus it feels more like a history lesson than a movie. The narrative here could have been constructed much better than what we got and if that was done, it could have made this a very powerful film as Pudovkin's sweeping shots and multiple montages would have had a more compelling impact. I don't deny his skill as a technical director, but he lacks the skill of a storyteller in this film.

Postscript: Pudovkin would follow this up with another highly regarded film about the revolution, Storm Over Asia. However, his forays into the world of sound cinema were not nearly as successful as his earlier works, although he did keep working until 1952.

The Wind (Victor Sjostrom) **1/2

Director: Victor Sjostrom

Cast: Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson, Montagu Love, Dorothy Cumming

Background: Victor Sjostrom gained worldwide recognition with 1920's The Phantom Carriage, largely considered one of the best films of the silent era. By 1928, he was one of the highest paid directors in Hollywood. Lillian Gish (who also starred in Sjostrom's The Scarlet Letter) was already a legend and The Wind was to be her 75th screen appearance.

Story: Letty (Gish) moves out west to live with relatives, but soon feels she is not welcome. Out of desperation, she marries a man who she hates and is forced to live a lonely life in a tiny shack that seems to barely withstand the powerful wind storms.

Thoughts: The Wind is a highly regarded film and it's easy to see why. Director Victor Sjostrom has a great sense of atmosphere and creates very interesting characters for us to follow. The technical aspects were really advanced for the time period. Also, we have a legendary actress in the main role delivering a very strong performance. However, the story just never really comes together in a compelling way. The pacing, especially throughout the second half, is really weak and the film literally crawls to the conclusion. Gish was an amazing acress, but by this point, it seems pretty stale to see her repeatedly mistreated and abused throughout a film. Still, I'm definitely interested in seeing more Sjostrom films.

Postscript: Sjostrom would only make 5 more films before his directing career ended in 1937. He went on to act in many Swedish films for the next 30 years. Gish's output decreased, but she did not disappear. She would get an Oscar nonmination in 1946 for King Vidor's Duel in the Sun.

The Love of Jeanne Ney (GW Pabst) **

Cast: Edith Jehanne, Uno Henning, Fritz Rasp, Brigitte Helm

Background: Georg Wilhelm Pabst was an Austrian born director who had previously directed The Joyless Street, which starred Greta Garbo.

Story: After her father is murdered, Jeanne Ney moves back to Paris and gets involved in intrigue involving her activist lover, a thief, and a diamond ring.

Thoughts: Pabst certainly has alot of skill as a filmmaker and the complex narrative is very impressive for the era. The only problem is that so much time has been spent on creating an intricate mystery, that Pabst forgot to develop characters that the audience could care about. None of them really amount to anything. And that is the big problem here. There's not much reason to really find interest in the intricate mystery when we don't really care about the characters involved in it. Still, Pabst's skill with the camera is evident and he maneuvers through the complex narrative with ease, and that's enough to make this interesting for the most part. Hopefully, his other films will contain more interesting characters.

Postscript: GW Pabst would really make a name for himself the following year by directing the captivating Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box. His career survived the transition to sound and his last film was in 1956.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Ten

Saturday, April 25th

The final day of the festival started off strong with Faded Glory (***), a documentary about a semi-pro baseball player that tries to get his old team back together so they can win the National Amateur Baseball Association World Series. The team consists of guys who have known each other for 18+ years, and many of them involved in the entertainment industry. One of them had a role in Little Big League. One of them is a network news weatherman. And one of them is poker player Chad Brown. It was directed by Richard Cohen, who is the player organizing the team, giving the film a nice first person perspective and a likeable guy to root for. Like Pip & Zastrow, I appreciate the film's willingness ot explore negative aspects of the people involved in the film, even the director's own issues are exposed. Cohen does a terrific job of showing the baseball action, making it very easy to follow and perfectly capturing the drama of the event. This works just like a really good underdog sports movie, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a Hollywood movie down the line.

This was followed by another strong documentary called Neshoba (***1/2). This is about the efforts of the citizens in Philadelphia, Mississippi to get the state to proescute Edgar Ray Killen, the man largely thought to be responsible for the murders of three civil rights workers, an event that was dramatized in the film Mississippi Burning. The film includes interviews with the victim's survivors and various people in the town. What really sets this film apart is that the director gets an amazing amount access to Edgar Ray Killen, even during the trial. He is very blunt about his feelings of the events, going so far as to blaming the victim's parents for letting them go on the trip. The director also gets great footage of the trial, including some priceless reaction shots of Killen during testimony where he clearly mouths some cuss words. This is an expertly made documentary with superior editing that really delves into a frightening part of our history.

The closing night film was a Mexican feature called Rudo y Cursi (**) from director Carlos Cuaron. He's the brother of Alfonso Cuaron, who made Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Children of Men. It features the two stars of Y Tu Mama Tambien (Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal) as brothers who play soccer in a small Mexican town. They get recruited by a talent scout who takes them both to the big city and big league club play. The story follows their ups and downs playing professional soccer and also how they struggle to adapt to big city life. This was a huge disappointment. The idea sounds good, but Cuaron is clearly not as talented as his brother. The pacing is way off, as Cuaron goes from scene to scene cutting at all the wrong moments. There is absolutely no flow to the story, and many events are randomly skipped over. What we do get to see is a bunch of cliches (seduction of gambling, sibling jealousy, financial issues). The biggest oddity is that Cuaron shows very little soccer action. One of the brothers is about to set the record for most shutouts in a row, but we hardly get to see any of that until the very end. The two leads are very strong actors, and Guillermo Francella gives a memorable character performance as the talent scout, but they cannot make up for this heavily flawed film.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Nine

Friday, April 24th

The energy of the festival is really dying down now, and so is my enthusiasm for it. They really frontloaded the schedule this year, which I think was a mistake. I usually don't see so many shorts programs, because I prefer feature length films, but the options were underwhelming in the past couple days.

Today started off with another shorts program, called Fantastical Shorts, and this was by far my least favorite of all the shorts programs.

A Peacock Feathered Blue (**) is about a kid who gets made fun of at school, but is determined to do well at the school science fair. This one has an incredibly sappy ending.

Glory At Sea (***) is about a group of people who lost loved ones during Hurricane Katrina. When one of the dead magically rise to shore, they all get together on a boat and look for the rest. This one had some really nice cinematography and a couple of interesting characters. (7/10)

Skylight (*1/2) is another incredibly sappy film. This one consists of a grandfather telling a little girl a "magical" story, which she finds out is a story from his own past. The story is anything but magical, and the ending doesn't make any sense.

The Key (*1/2) takes place in a future where people grow their own hydroponic food. A guy who lives in the sewer watches a girl who walks by every day, until drops a key and they finally meet. Again, the cinematography is good, but we barely learn anything about these characters, so why do we care if they meet?

The best of this bunch was certainly The Attack of the Robots From Nebula-5 (***1/2). It's a Mexican short shot to look like an Ed Wood film, and it's about a young man who believes robots are going to come from outer space and attack. It follows his hilarious efforts to warn his friends and family. This one is very clever, with some awesome visual cues and a hilarious performance from the lead.


The only other film I saw today was The Death of Alice Blue (*1/2), a Canadian film about a young woman who gets a job at an ad agency and soon learns that the agency is run by vampires. Sounds like a fun premise, but this one is a little too bizaare. The film is more interested in trying to be clever than telling any kind of coherent story. Everything exists in such a cold, absurdist reality that it's hard to really connect with any of the characters, so even when things start to make some kind of sense at the end, you don't really care what happens. However, I will give props to the art director and cinematographer. They both did a great job here, but it was in service of nonsense. (4/10)

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Eight

Thursday, April 23rd

The first film of the day is a documentary called Heart of Stone (***1/2). It follows Prinicpal Ron Stone's efforts to revamp Weequahic High School. The Newark high school used to be one of the most successful schools in the country, but is now in one of the poorest sections of Newark. Stone's attempts are supported by the school's mostly Jewish alumni association (the demographics of the area changed after the 1967 riots following MLK's assassination), which is one of the largest in the country. One of the more controversial methods Stone uses is meeting with the students that are gang leaders and earning their trust. He starts up a conflict resolution program aimed at stopping violence. The director gets some candid interviews with the two gang leaders and you do get the sense that Stone has really been able to reach them. There was a terrific Q&A with the director afterwards, and there were a couple Weequahic alumni in the audience.

The next film was Lake Tahoe (***), from Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke. Eimbcke's previous film Duck Season premiered at the festival two years ago, and was a nice treat about two boys stuck at home all day. This film is very similar in the minimalist style that Eimbcke employs. Juan is a teenage boy who crashes his mom's car into a telegraph pole. The story follows Juan's efforts to get the car fixed. Along the way he meets some interesting characters, including a single mother who wants to be a singing star and a teenage mechanic who loves Bruce Lee films. The film doesn't dramatize anything. It takes a matter of fact approach to each event. Juan asks an old man for help, and the old man tells him which part he needs. Juan then goes to an auto parts store to order the part, where he waits with the single mother for an expert to arrive with the part he needs. While waiting, the teenage mechanic might help so he goes off with him. The film continues like this and it's a pretty refreshing style in a day and age when directors are trying to show off. Eimbcke prefers to keep the camera still and let the events do the talking.

The final film of the day was The New Twenty (**), which is a typical indie film that follows a group of college friends as they struggle with the transition to adulthood. The film explores their difficulty with both proffessional and personal relationships. This is one of the more common indie film plots that has thankfully taken a back seat at this year's festival, but this one isn't so bad. Some of the characters are pretty interesting and the director keeps things going at a decent pace. However, some of the situations they go through are pretty ridiculous and some of the characters just come across as pricks, so there's little reason for you to care about them. Also, the resolution the director comes up with is just a little too neat. I'd recommend a 1995 movie called Kicking & Screaming (not the Will Ferrel one) instead. It's the best example of this genre.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Seven

Wednesday, April 22

Today opened with a documentary about the Atlanta indie music scene. We Fun (**) follows several bands playing at different venues, talks about their history, and the obsessive fans. I didn't really care for this one. While the documentary captures the thrill of the late night indie music culture, it fails to show us why these bands are so popular. Partly at fault is the poor sound quality, but I also found little to like about the music itself. The main band that the director focuses on is the Black Lips, a band with a big following in Atlanta, but I could not stand their music at all. There were other bands, including a female band that reminded me of Heath Ledger's line in 10 Things I Hate About You about "chicks who can't play their instruments". However, there was one band where the lead singer set her vagina on fire. That was the highlight of the movie.

Los Campeones De La Lucha Libre (**1/2) is an animated film that was one of the more interesting films I saw at the festival. A village is under attack and they plead with the legendary Dragon Rojo to come save them. He refuses, but his son Dragon Rojo Jr. is determined to help out, so he recruits a team of wrestlers (Mr. Proffessional, Rayo X, Sorpesa, and Tsetse Fly) to save the town. Along the way, they decide to prepare and train against various competitors, causing the anguished villager to keep reminding them that his village is in trouble. The plot of this film is thin, even at the short 72 minute running time. However, it is filled with a fast paced animation style and plenty of jokes to keep things moving. The best joke of all is the payoff when they get to the village and find out who they're fighting for. Unfortunately, the big finale is very disappointing, spoiled by the group having several similar fights leading up to it.

Next up was the Drama Shorts program:

Wheels (***) follows a paralyzed girl who is determined to get her car back and literally drags herself to the towing company. The ending is a twist that's not too hard to predict, but still emotionally resonant.

Miracle Fish (***1/2) follows an 8 yr old boy who is an outcast at school. During one trying day, he hides in a bed at the nurse's station. When he wakes up, the school is empty and he seems relieved that all of his tormentors are gone. The director gives this one a nice sci-fi feel to it, and the payoff works amazingly well.

Flying Lessons (****) has some star power with Dana Delany playing a mother trying to cope with raising her autistic son, who keeps getting into trouble. Bill Fagerbakke (Coach) shows up as a new neighbor that takes a liking to her. This is a powerful dramatic piece, with Delany giving a wonderful performance.

Between You and Me (**) is a film that follows six different characters as they interact throughout the day. The film is show triptych-split-screen style, which is fairly interesting, but doesn't make up for the fact that what actually happens in the film isn't very interesting at all.

Magellan (***1/2) is about a boy in 7th grade who walks to school each day with one of the most popular girls in school. Their friendship lasts the length of that walk and stops once they reach school, where her friends make fun of him and she joins in. Undaunted, he tries to muster up the courage to ask her to the school dance. Very appealing performances from the leads and the bittersweet ending is nice.

The Capgras Tide (***) is about a man who has just recently recovered from a concussion, but now thinks his father may be an impostor. This one has a nice mystery element to it and features some great technical work, especially the wonderful cinematography. The ending packs a punch.


And the day ended with another shorts program. This one was called Battle of the Sexes Shorts:

Who's Good Looking? (***) is a mere 7 minutes long and consists of a man arguing with his girlfriend over her concept of beauty while they visit a cosmetics store. There is some really funny dialogue that makes this one work.

Address To Silas On The Occasion Of The Retreat At Los Angeles County (**) is about a recently broken up couple, narrated from a letter that the woman is writing to the man. As the narration talks about their differences, a civil war battle erupts int heir apartments. Interesting idea, but the conceit got old before the 7 minute running time was up.

Don't Walk Away In Silence (**) is about a man with radical political views who is offered a well paying office job that goes against everything he believes in. This one is a little preachy, but it is well acted and has a nice ending. (6/10)

Happy Hour (***) features a depressed girl who is wallowing in misery after catching her boyfriend cheating on her. Her friends come up with an idea that she should get back at him by sleeping with someone, and they bring a guy over for that purpose. Some pretty funny farcical situations here make the silly idea work. (7/10)

Thinking... (***) is about a young woman on a meditation retreat who is distracted by a young man who begins flirting with her, and this sends her mind running wild with imagination. Pretty funny, with an appealing lead performance from the director. (7/10)

He. She. It (***1/2) is about an aging teacher about to retire who tries to start a romance between the only two pupils in his class, but he must race to fix a problem when the romance is threatened. This Australian film was only 17 minuts, but featured three very strong characterizations. (8/10)

Rendezvous (*1/2) is the weakest of the films in this group. It's about a male hitmen talking to his female hitman friend about a botched job where he missed the target. The ending to his one is telegraphed from the very beginning, which took away from some decent dialogue. (4/10)

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Six

Tuesday, April 21

Today started off with a major disappointment. I Am the Bluebird (*) had a very interesting story idea, but was poorly executed in every possible way. Ethan Galloway awakens in a hospital with temporary memory loss. He slowly begins remembering things, but one thing that remains is a mystery is a photograph of a beautiful girl, and no one will tell him who it is. As he begins following, he starts to uncover the missing pirces from his memory and why he had memory loss in the first place. This seemed like it could have been really interesting, like a more serious version of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. However, the movie is just flat out terrible. You'll often find bad acting in indie films, but rarely is an entire cast as wooden and blank as the people in this film. That makes it impossible to care about the story, but the story isn't worth caring about anyways. It's a mystery that unfolds at a deadly slow pace and falls flat when you finally get there. What a terrible way to start the day.

The next one was a surprise. Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist (***) is a documentary that follows several grad students as they struggle with advanced experiments while attempting to get their PHD's. From that description, it sure doesn't sound like a fun movie, but the director did a terrific job making this accessible and humorous to keep the audience interested. The story is almost framed in a sports underdog format, focusing mainly on one older grad student named Rob who has struggled for 4 years (dropping out several times) on one specific experiment involving the protein that controls appetite. It follows his struggle to develop crystals so data can be extracted and analyzed. This may not sound like exciting subject matter, but I found myself deeply immersed in this world, rooting for Rob to complete his experiment. Rob is an ingratiating person, who really fits the "obsessed" part of the title, and his idioisyncrasies add alot of humor to the film. This one really caught me off guard, but it was fun and rewarding.

And here we go! Every year at the festival, there is at least one movie that truly stands out from everything else and this year it is 500 Days of Summer (****). This is a fucking fantastic film that succeeds in every single way. It follows Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a man who dreams to be an architect but instead ends up writing for a greeting card company. He instantly falls for Summer (Zooey Deschanel, looking better than ever), a new employee at the company. The structure is really interesting. It follows 500 days of their relationship, but keeps shifting back and forth to different days within that 500, mixing happy moments with sad ones. And there is plenty of both in this bittersweet film. There are numerous laugh out loud comic moments, including a hilarious dance sequence performed to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams". Levitt (who is building a nice movie resume) is completely winning as the everyman who is hopelessly in love with a girl that says she doesn't want commitment, and Deschanel gets one of her best roles to date, her stunning screen presence is a given but the offbeat personality that Deschanel injects makes the character even more appealing. The narrator warns at the beginning that this is not a love story, but I would argue that it is actually one of the most truthful love stories ever made.

The night concluded with That Evening Sun (***1/2), which had been given an additional screening because it won the festival's grand jury prize (note: not all films are in competition, so 500 Days was not eligible for this award). This film follows Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook), an elderly man who leaves his nursing home and goes back to the farm where he spent most of his life. When he gets there, he finds it occupied by the detestable Lonzo Choat and his family. Abner is determined to get his farm back, and begins a war of wills with Lonzo that slowly escalates into danger. This film captures the feel of the rural south very well, and the patient way it moves throught he plot allows the actors (especially Holbrook) to create fascinating characters. It's the type of carefully studied role that could get Holbrook an Oscar nomination. The screenplay by writer-director Scott Teems contains precise, mature dialogue and fully developed characters. I don't know what to make of the ending, which doesn't really tie things up the way I would've liked, but this is still an extremely well made film told in an old-fashioned style.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Five

Monday, April 20th

The day opens with an interesting documentary called Kassim the Dream (***). It's about light middleweight boxer Kassim "the Dream" Ouma, who was kidnapped at a very young age and forced to be a child soldier for Uganda. While in the military, he took up boxing and took advantage of a chance to defect to the USA. He would later become a very good boxer and win the IBF title. The film follows his boxing exploits as he simultaneously tries to win a pardon so he can return home ot Uganda and see his family. Kassim is an interesting figure in that he doesn't seem to be too concerned with the human rights aspect of what happened to him, and is willing to keep quiet on that front so he doesn't ruffle feathers with the Ugandan president and gets a chance to go home. He is a fairly aloof figure for most of the film, except for some very emotional moments near the end of the film. Kassim is a fascinating person and the doc does a good job of exploring different facets of his life, including the Irish-American family who takes him in as one of their own.


Then it was time for Animation Extravagazna 1, and this one was far less successful, although there were a few standouts.

Garbage Angels (**) shows several objects in a trash heap coming to life. It was cute, but felt very derivative of Toy Story.

French Roast (***1/2) was a very funny short following a businessman in a Paris cafe who finds that he forgot his wallet and cannot pay for the cup of coffee, so he keeps ordering more cups until he can figure out what to do. The humor escalates in this one nicely and has a clever payoff.

Crew 54 (**1/2) is a Bulgarian film following an elderly veteran's recollection of the war he fought in. This one is a little too clever for it's own good. There's only so many times you can go into slow motion and blast a Radiohead song before there's diminishing returns.

Articles of War (***) is an emotional tale of a WW2 bomber pilot who starts to feel regret for bombing civilian locations, told in a letter to his father. The narration is moving, and it avoids being overly preachy by including multiple dimensions in the pilot's monologue.

I Am So Proud of You (*1/2) is a biographical short drawn mostly in stick figures. It's not without funny moments, but most of it is absurdist Adult Swim-style humor that honestly goes right over my head. Might be better if you get baked beforehand.

Bill Plympton presents Hot Dog (***), the third film in his Dog series. I haven't seen the first two, but this one is really funny. It follows an oddly shaped dog struggling to find a place where he belongs. Here he attempts to be a fire dog but fails in hilarious fashion. (8/10)

Chump and Clump (****) is so far the most fun I've had at the festival. The two odd looking title characters meet at a bus station, waiting for a bus that only shows once a week. Slowly they start to bond over alcohol and this eventually escalates to more alcohol and on to weed and shrooms. The two are so stoned that when the bus finally arrives, they have a Herculean struggle in trying to make it to the door before the driver leaves. Very inventive and absolutely hilarious.

Back to more serious subject matter with the next film, another sports oriented documentary. Living is Winning (***) tells the story of Andrew Johnston, a triathlete whose career was derailed by being diagnosed with Leukemia. This is the kind of documentary that really stands out above others because it takes a serious subject and injects a good dose of humor. You'll really enjoy getting to hear Drew and his family and friends talk about these events. The film is pretty candid about the relationship with Drew and his wife, including their sparring over Drew's involvement in dangerous high speed cycling races, which ended with him finally agreeing to switch to Triathlons. Drew is a compelling person who doesn't want to give up, and his battle to get back on the course is very inspirational, especially for someone like me whose been sitting on his ass all week watching films. Drew and his wife were both in attendance for the Q&A.

Last year's festival featured a couple of fun low budget horror film called Make Out With Violence and Dance of the Dead. That spurred me to check out the late screening of Killer Movie (*1/2), a horror film about a serial killer loose in a small North Dakota town while a reality show is being made. The reality conceit has been played out by now, but this one still had some potential. Kaley Cuoco has some really funny moments as a fictional Paris Hilton clone, but the rest of the cast fails to be engaging or create any characters worth caring about. The suspense moments are boring and unimaginative, and most of the humor falls flat. The director has clearly seen lots of horror films in his day because this one is filled with every cliche in the book, but he's clueless about how to retain the success of any of them.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Four

Sunday, April 19th

The first one today was a nice treat. The film is called Rain (***) , which came from the Bahamas. It follows a young girl named Rain whose caretaker grandmother dies, so she travels to see her mother, who now goes by the name of Glory. Glory is a sad, poor, desperate woman who is into prostitution and drugs. As Rain watches her mother's sad daily life, she is encouraged by a track coach (CCH Pounder, one of only two Americans in the whole film) who thinks she might be able to get a college scholarship and make a better way for her life. This was a really good film with a terrific performanced in the title role by Renel Brown, who was a local Bahamian actress making her film debut. What's really interesting is the film shows a different side of the Bahamas than the paradise that we usually see portrayed in films. The area where Glory lives is a run down slum that no one would want to take a vacation to, and is populated by criminals and other malcontents. It's perhaps not the most original story. There have been tons of coming of age stories where a child tries to use sports to better their situation, and the wise coach is a staple in these types of movies, but the earnest performances make this one stand out.


This was followed up by an incredibly depressing film called Mississippi Damned (***). It follows an extended family as they cope with a seemingly unending cycle of drug addiction and abuse. It's clear that this is a very personal story from writer-director Tina Mabry. The film's main focus is on three children caught up in this mess, presumably different incarnations of the director's own childhood. This is an uncomfortable film that doesn't pull any punches. It explores some really dark aspects of the human condition, and shows how hard it can be for the young people growing up in that situation to escape their circumstances. There are some veteran character actors (my fellow geeks will recognize DB Woodside from the final season of Buffy), but I was especially impressed with the younger actors, who give very mature performance. This certainly isn't a fun movie, but it is made with alot of passion and talent and has a rewarding ending.

The only documentary I saw today was Training Rules (**1/2), which exposes Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland's guideline that prohibits lesbian players on her team. Portland was coach of Penn State for almost three decades and had a very successful run over that time. The film interviews past players, some of whom were dismissed or decided to quit after Portland explained the rules to them. The central focus is a lawsuit filed by Jennifer Harris, who claims Portland dismissed her from the team after her sophomore season solely because she's a lesbian. While much of what is talked about is anecdotal, Portland actually was quoted in a news article, saying she wouldn't have it in her program and a PSU internal investigation found she had created a hostile environment for her players. Unfortunately, the documentary is pretty straightforward and feels more like a news story than a film. Still, the interviews do capture the emotional turmoil that Portland's policies caused for her players.

The Atlanta Film Festival seems to have a love affair with films about poor teenagers with sick mothers, and their attempts to use athletic skills to help their mother and themselves (Saint Ralph is the best example of this). We've already seen Rain earlier today, and the next film Playing for Charlie (**) fits that bill. Tony Hobbs is a 16 yr old who is great at Australian Rules Football, and hopes to get selected on the national team one day. His quest is complicated by the need to take care of his baby brother while his mother (who has MS) works nights as a telemarketer. This one is filled with all of the cliches of the genre, including the wise old coach trying to help the boy through. Unlike Rain, this film is unable to rise above the cliches. Part of the problem is a stupid subplot about Tony's half-brother trying to get him involved in crime and a romantic subplot that seemed tacked on at the last minute. The actors do an adequate job, but the direction is uneven, particularly failing at really showing how good Tony is at football.

The night closed out with my first shorts program of the evening, Animation Extravaganza 2 (Animation 1 comes tomorrow). This is always one of the most popular programs of the festival, and I've seen some great shorts in the past. There were 12 shorts in this program, but I missed the first two due to overlap with the previous film. Most of the films included in this program were strong.

The Greatest Moment in the History of the Universe... Ever (***) is the humorous history of the Earth told from the perspective of a little girl.

One of the strongest is Sebastian's Voodoo (***1/2), which is about a tortured voodoo doll that tries to rescue his friends. This is a very clever film with a surprisingly moving ending.

Unbeleivable 4 (***)is a funny 80s style MTV music video with animated versions of Bush, Cheney, Rice, and Rumsfeld performing "The Final Countdown".

Symphony (**1/2) is a pretty simple film that follows a little inkblot as it moves to the sounds of Vivaldi.

The funniest was certainly Window Pains (***1/2), which follows the exploits of a man trying to figure out what is wrong with his computer and dealing with useless tech support. The guy only talks in mumbled language, but anyone who's ever had PC issues will certainly understand every hilarious word he says.

The program concluded with the latest from Nick Park, Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (***1/2). The latest adventure finds the two trying to dodge a serial killer and both getting caught up in romantic possibilities. This fits right in with the fast paced, hilarious work that Park has delivered in the past with these characters. The only drawback is that the mystery is completely obvious, but that's where most of the humor comes from so it's not really a problem.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Three

Saturday, April 19th

Today started off with a documentary. For the Loves of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism (**1/2) is pretty much exactly what it says. The film starts off pretty interesting by exploring the very early years of film criticism when critics were still trying to figure out how to approach this new art form. It goes on to explore the first famous critic, Bosley Crowther, who wrote for the NY Times for 27 years. The most entertaining section of the film is when it talks about the film critics that rose up in the 60s, such as Andrew Sarris and PAuline Kael, who battled pretty fiercely over the auteur theory, which Kael detested. Kael's biting wit is on full display in several interviews and press clippings included int he film. After this, it moves on to the rise of television, but this is where the film stumbles a bit in my opinion, While including several interviews with Roger Ebert, the filmmaker only spends about 3 minutes discussing the impact Siskel and Ebert had on film criticism, not even touching on the "Thumbs Up" system they developed. It seemed like an odd choice, especially when the film rushes by that to talk about the rise of the internet and actually spends more time on Harry Knowles and other internet critics. I'd consider the film a moderate success for the interesting exploration of early film criticism, but the choices made in discussing modern criticism are puzzling and hamper the film's credibility.

The next film was another documentary called Pip & Zastrow: An American Friendship (***). Pip Moyer and Zastrow Simms were two of the top athletes in their segregated Annapolis schools. They quickly became friends, despite the racial prejudices of the time, and the film explores their friendship over the years. Their lives took two different directions, as Pip went to college while Zastrow went to jail numerous times. Pip later came back to Annapolis and got alot of attention for joining an all-black amateur basketball team. Pip later on became Mayor of Annapolis, while Zastrow still found himself in legal trouble. To Pip's credit, he never turned his back on Zastrow, even stepping in to let him out of jail so he could attend his mother's funeral. The most interesting part of the film dealt with the aftermath of Martin Luther King's assassination and the civil unrest that it caused. This time Pip called on Zastrow, got him out of jail again, and they walked the streets together to help diffuse the situation. The film follows their lives up until present day, as Pip deals with struggling health conditions and Zastrow attempts to rehabilitate himself. This movie is a success because it doesn't portray these two men as pure saints, but talks about some dark areas of their lives as well. This makes the two men even more interesting and human. There was a Q&A afterwards, with 71 year old Zastrow Simms in attendance.

I don't have much to say about the next film, called It Was Great, but I Was Ready to Come Home (**). It was the first narrative feature of the day, but had much less to say than the two documentaries. It follows two women who go on a vacation in Costa Rica. There's not much of a plot. The film just follows the two women from town to town. You gets bits and pieces here and ther through the conversations they have together, suggesting that they're trying to get over painful failed relationships, but this never really comes together. They just keep on moving to the next town and then the next town, and then it's over. There's really no ending here. I don't mind movies that are a bit ambiguous and this one does have some nice scenery and two appealing leads, but it ultimately feels pointless. The director Kris Swanberg seems like she has some talent, as the overall look of the film is really nice and it moves along at a decent pace. It'll be interesting to see what happens when she actually has something to say.

This film was preceded by a short called Love, Sadie (***), which is about a quiet girl who we learn is abused by her father. She has many people that write her notes asking for advice or telling her thay have a crush on her, but she has trouble responding and articulating what is going on in her life. This was only 12 minutes, but it packed a pretty good punch.


The next film was one of the big events of the festival, since it had already premiered to much success at Sundance. It is called Moon (***1/2), and stars Sam Rockwell in a splendid performance. Rockwell plays Sam Bell, an astronaut who lives on the moon, working for an energy corporation that is responsible for providing all of the Earth's energy. He is aided by a robot named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey with deadpan perfection). Sam's 3 year contract is about to end, and he awaits returning to his wife and daughter, but Sam starts to get sick and get sin a serious accident with the land rover. As he recuperates back at base, he sees a younger version of himself who says he's there to fulfill the same 3 year contract. The two Sam's struggle to make sense of the situation, as representatives from the company are due to arrive in just a few hours. This is a really strong sci-fi film, which includes enough humor to keep it light, but never strays too far into silliness. There's not much action here, but Rockwell's compelling performance and the unravelling mystery are more than enough to keep you interested throughout, and the film builds to a very satisfying conclusion. This one is a winner.

The final film of the night was not a winner. It is called Deadland (*), and is about the future of the United States after a nuclear strike almost completely demolishes it. The country is now called the United Provinces, and is run by the Officers of the Province, who hold on to a secret cure for the radiation poisoning that is slowly killing people. The main character is Sean Kalos, who is on a quest to find his missing wife, a quest that puts him in the middle of underground revolutionaries fighting the new government. This is an example of a bad sci-fi movie. In fact, it is every bit the quality of one of those bad made for sci-fi movies. This one is terrible across the board: acting, directing, story, dialogue, editing. This was a major disappointment following Moon.

Hangman's House (John Ford) ***

Director: John Ford

Cast: Victor MacLaglen, June Collyer, Earle Foxe, Larry Kent, Hobart Bosworth

Background: He hadn't cemented himself as a legend yet, but by 1928 John Ford was already noteworthy as one of the hardest working directors in Hollywood, making more than 60 films between 1917 and 1928. 4 years earlier he scored his first big hit with the epic western The Iron Horse.

Story: A ruthless judge (Bosworth) objects to his daughter's (Collyer) future husband (Kent), so he arranges for her to be married to the despicable John Darcy (Foxe). Meanwhile, a mysterious man (MacLaglen) arrives in town to find the man who caused his sister's suicide.

Thoughts: An entertaining genre film that doesn't provide much depth, but is still generally entertaining. It's hard to not like the presence of victor MacLaglen in a movie, even if it was hard to separate him from his oafish persona from A Girl in Every Port. The central romance isn't exactly scintillating, but it works well enough for you to care about the outcome. What really makes the film work is Ford's precision direction that reallys sells the action scenes, including a horse race and an impressive large scale house fire. He also adds some vivid atmosphere. Even back in 1928, Ford had a great sense for setting up exciting action sequences and providing appealing heroes for you to root for and distasteful villains that you love to hate. Hangman's House may not mean anything, but it's a good time. An extra treat is seeing a very young John Wayne as an extra during the horse race.

Postscript: Ford would later go on to direct some of the most notable films in Hollywood, such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Grapes of Wrath. Other than MacLaglen, the cast did not go on to much success.

Atlanta Film Festival - Day Two

Friday, April 17th

The rest of the festival takes place at the Midtown Art Theatre, which is a really cool place that is almost solely dedicated to indie films. It has good access to nearby bars/restaurants, so I can grab something to eat in between and don't have to rely on the terrible movie theatre food. I was only able to make 1 film tonight (most other days will be 4-5 films), but it was a good one. Blood River (***) is about a young couple on a long road trip to tell her parents that she's pregnant. They break down on a long stretch of highway in the middle of the desert and have to hike to the next town to look for help. The name of the town is Blood River and it turns out to be a ghost town. A mysterious stranger eventually joins them in town and starts to cause trouble. This is a pretty good psychological horror film that is smart enough to understand that what is unexplained is often creepier than what is explained. The on location Nevada setting helps to build the tension as the pervasive heat begins to send the characters over the edge. The female lead was in attendance for an informative Q&A session afterwards.

Atlanta Film Festival - Opening Night

Opening Night
Thursday, Aptil 16th

Opening night has really changed over the years I've been going to the festival. They'd usually schedule an interesting film and have a slight upcharge for the ticket price. However, they have recently started making a huge event out of opening night. The price is now $50 and there is a after party. They rent out the Rialto Center for Performing Arts and turn it into a huge celebration.

This year's opening film was The People Speak (***), which is based on Howard Zinn's writings. Zinn is clearly a controversial figure and if you don't like him, then you won't like the movie. The opening monologue sets that tone as Zinn gives his views on modern politics. I thought this was a poor decision since it will alienate potential viewers that may have found the rest of the film interesting. After Zinn's monologue, he begins giving his own perspective on American politics, decrying the "safe" history that is taught in schools. This is interspersed with some well known actors/singers (Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Danny Glover, Josh Brolin, Marisa Tomei Eddie Vedder) performing monologues from historical figures. The best was verteran indie actor David Strathairn's reading of a famous courtroom speech by John Brown. Overall it was a pretty interesting film after the rocky start, and gives a fresh perspective on historical events.

There was a Q&A after the movie, which included appearances by Howard Zinn, Josh Brolin, Jasmine Guy, and Eddie Vedder. Also, Congressman John Lewis was in attendance. It was definitely an interesting start to the festival.

Atlanta Film Festival 2009

I've been attending the Atlanta Film Festival every year since 1999. While it's certainly not as big or prestigious as other festivals, throughout the years there have been some great films (Lovely and Amazing, Great World of Sound, Heart of the Game, George Washington), and every once in a while you get some big names that make an appearance. It's also pretty cool to catch some people that eventually go on to make it big. For example, George Washington was directed by David Gordon Green, who went on to direct several highly regarded indies before hitting it big with Pineapple Express. Getting to Know You featured the debut performance of Zach Braff. Of course you also inevitably get some really terrible movies mixed in. This year will be the first that I bought a festival pass, which means I will catch as many films as possible. I've made a schedule of 32 films (counting the shorts programs as 1) that I will be seeing through the end of next week.

Day One (The People Speak)

Day Two (Blood River)

Day Three (For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism, Pip & Zastrow: An American Friendship, It Was Great But I Was Ready to Come Home, Moon, Deadland)

Day Four (Rain, Mississippi Damned, Training Rules, Playing For Charlie, Animation Extravaganza 2)

Day Five (Kassim the Dream, Animation Extravaganza 1, Living is Winning, Killer Movie)

Day Six (I Am the Bluebird, Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist, 500 Days of Summer, That Evening Sun)

Day Seven (Los Campeones De La Lucha Libre, Drama Shorts, Battle of the Sexes Shorts)

Day Eight (Heart of Stone, Lake Tahoe, The New Twenty)

Day Nine (Fantastical Shorts, The Death of Alice Blue)

Day Ten (Faded Glory, Neshoba, Rudo y Cursi)