So weird that I'm almost halfway done with the festival and it's only been two days. (I'm only seeing 14 movies this year because of mom surgery and coachella). Saw 3 movies on both friday and saturday, and so far I'm 5/6 quality-wise. Only 8 films left to go.


Started off on friday with bad bad bad. It was a set of three films by cuban film makers, under the title of 3 times 2. The first film was just bad. Was trying to be this hitchcock/noir/ghost story/arty thing. Felt like a student film in every way. I was already yawning when it ended, thinking, this is going to be a long night. Film #2 made me want to claw my eyes out. It starts with an old woman looking at a tribute to some rebels who'd died umpteen years ago. She looks at the face of one of the men. She starts to cry. She starts to sing. She walks home, crying and singing. She opens up her memory box. She cries and sings some more. It flashes back to her as a young woman, who is singing, but not crying. The girl meets a rebel boy. They flirt. She sings of love. Flashes back to her being old, singing and crying. Flashes back to being young, something comes between young girl and rebel boy. Young girl cries and sings. Repeat. Repeat. I tried covering my eyes and ears, but after 20 minutes, I fled the theater, and never found out how film #3 was. I had much more fun at Perry's Joint, sipping a cafe au lait and eating red velvet cake with cream cheese dressing. Yum!

The met up with Laura and uberfilmsnob for Kings and Queens, and absolutely lovely French film. Amazing cast (except for the actress who plays Nora, she kind of bugs me, and in the film, everyone keeps talking about how pretty she is, and i'm telling you, she really is kind of fascinatingly disturbingly not that pretty, in my opinion). Anyhow, loved all the other actors/characters, especially Ismael, and his lawyer, played by the french guy who was in Jump Tomorrow. This is definitely a schizophrenic film, half is tragedy, half is comedy, with lots of overlap between the two tones and storylines. My favorite parts (among many fave parts) involved Ismael's father defending his liquor store, and Ismael talking to Nora's son (his ex-stepson). Hopefully this will get released, and I will make you all see it. Oh, and the director/writer was adorable and charming and funny and sweet, even though you should tell he was a total player.

Finished off the night with another triptych of films called Three ... Extremes. The first was called "Dumplings" by Park Chan, and is a shorter version of his full length film of the same name that was at the Asian Film Festival last month. Apparantly, the short is somewhat different from the full length, so I am looking forward to comparing notes with peachinprocess. Ah, the things women will do to stay young. I am happy to say I have been able to successfully eat wontons today, so I have not been permanently scarred. Very ooky yet fun. Next was a fun revenge life-imitates-art film by the director of Old Boy about an extra who plans an elaborate torture scene against a talented, rich, successful, handsome director who's main crime is that he is a "nice guy" on top of all those other traits. Some great moments in here. Last was a moody, confusing, dream-like, pretty, atmospheric short by Takeshi Miike. As usual, very different from most other things of his that I've seen, yet some similarities here and there as well. Very worth catching for any Miike fan.

Saturday afternoon I started out with The 10th District Court: Moments of Trials, a documentary that, well, shows you bits of various trials that go before this one judge in france, and then the verdicts. Really interesting to watch the personalities of all the defendents, and how the judge and the lawyers reacted to them. A neat glimpse into the not so pretty lives of real french folks and french law.

Then a trip over to the Palace of Fine Arts to see a tribute to Anita Monga, the ex-programmer of the Castro, and her chosen film, Touchez Pas au Grisbi. A truly wonderful french film from the 50s, about a gangster who is ready to get out of the business after a successful heist (which happened before the movie starts), but who of course gets dragged into some last business before he can really leave. Glad I decided to see this.

And finally, for my 4th french film in 2 days, I saw When the Tide Comes In, a truly bittersweet romance about a (married, with son) woman who travels around france performing her one-woman show (A Nasty Business: Sex and Crime), who meets up with a young man who becomes smitten with her. Their playfulness and beginning-crushness was so much fun to watch, but then the inevitableness of things happens, as you know it will. Much love for this film.

Next movie is not until next wednesday. Can't wait!