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"The Artist" **** (104 minutes)

Sunday December 4, 2011

It has been 84 years since a silent film has won the Academy Award's Best Picture.  1927 also happened to be the first year the Academy gave out awards when actually two films were honored:  "Wings" won "best production" as "the most outstanding motion picture considering all elements that contribute to a picture's greatness"; while F.W. Murnau's "Sunrise" was similarly honored as "the most artistic, unique and/or original motion picture without reference to cost or magnitude". 

Come February 26, I predict that "The Artist" will finally break that streak.  There has not been a movie this year that has even come close.

French writer/director Michel Hazanavicius has made a film that is truly one for the ages.  At last count, it has garnered best picture nods from critics' groups in New York (both the New York Film Critics Circle and the New York Film Critics Online), Washington D.C., Boston, Las Vegas, and Indiana.  In addition, it has received the most SAG and Golden Globe nominations.  Last spring, Cannes awarded its top male acting prize to lead Jean Dujardin.  Going in, I thought no way could this film meet my expectation.  I was wrong.  It was exceeded.  And by a large margin.

The basic story is as old as cinema itself:  George Valentin (French actor Jean Dujardin) is THE silent medium's biggest star.  With his thin mustache and winsome smile, he is a physical compilation of Errol Flynn, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, and Clark Gable, and easily brings to the screen bucket loads of charm and charisma.  It is 1927 and he is at the top of his game. 

The film opens with our hero proudly standing directly behind a giant movie screen, gazing up at the reverse  images, while the audience in front is gloriously reacting to the premier of his latest creation.  The smile on his face is as wide as the ocean.  Meanwhile, Constance (Missi Pyle), his co-star, is standing in the wings, impatiently waiting for her introduction-all the while realizing that her popularity, not to mention her ego, is a far distant second. 

On the red carpet afterwards, Peppy Miller, a shy attractive autograph seeker (perfectly played by the director's wife, Bérénice Béjo) is inadvertently pushed onto the walkway in front of the star as he is making his way out of the theater.  When George willingly signs her book and then poses for photos, the paparazzi snap away with the resultant headlines screaming, "WHO'S THAT GIRL?".

Later on, after Peppy, an aspiring actress, lands a bit part with help from George, her career takes off.  With the advent of talkies and George's subsequent refusal to embrace the new medium resulting in his firing by Kinescope Studios mogul Al Zimmer (a cigar chomping John Goodman), the stock market crash, and the dissolution of his marriage from his wife Doris (Penelope Ann Miller):  George's popularity and financial empire start spiraling downward.  The once proud and prominent star is soon left with nothing but his dog, Uggie (more on him later), his faithful butler, Clifton (the always dependable James Cromwell), and a tiny barren apartment.

The acting by Jean Dujardin must be singled out. His delicately expressive performance, balancing an over-the-top acting style in front of the camera while subtly transforming himself when dealing with his crumbling reality after the camera stops rolling, could easily win him an Academy Award. It is the best most complete performance I have witnessed this year.

Also, look for one of the most romantic scenes I have ever experienced in a darken theater when George first realizes his attraction for Peppy as they are shooting their first scene together.  George slyly causes take after take to be shot so that he can slowly develop his enticement.

Although on the surface, the black and white movie appears to be a gimmick, it is actually a lovingly recreation, not a mocking, of the era.  Hazanavicius has meticulously studied the medium to such a degree that he used film stock that would produce a grainier look.  He even speeds up the film slightly by shooting at 28 frames per second instead of the normal 24, as it is projected on a nearly square screen in a 1.33 aspect ratio.  Moreover, although this is a silent film, it is anything but.  The amazingly lyrical score by Ludovic Bource, with a slight assist by composer Bernard Hermann from Hitchcock's "Vertigo" during a chase scene, beautifully "speaks" the universal language on the screen.  Also, the eye-popping production design by Lawrence Bennett is also worthy of mention and Oscar consideration.

Finally, it's been a good year for dog actors:  Laika (director Aki Kaurismaki's canine) in "Le Havre";  Cosmo the Jack Russell in "Beginners"; the Doberman and dachshund in Scorcese's "Hugo"; Skeletor the adopted greyhound in "50/50"; the bulldog in "Hipsters"; even Rowlf in "The Muppets"-just to name a few.  However, Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier, is the scene stealer of the millennium and well deserving of this year's Cannes Palm Award.  His crowd-pleasing performance only adds to the immeasurable charm this cinematic masterpiece has from start to finish.

It is one thing that director Michel Hazanavicius has so lovingly recreated the silent film and its era, but another to tie in a story and screenplay that will have you smiling, laughing, crying, sad, joyous, and practically dancing in your seat at various points throughout its running time.  I am certain you will feel happier leaving the theater than when you came in, and that you will have a newfound appreciation and understanding as to why audiences around the world first fell in love with moving pictures a long long time ago.

The film started its limited release on November 25 and opens in Baltimore on December 23 on two screens at The Charles.
George (Jean Dujardin) meets Peppy Miller (Bérénice Béjo) 
on the Red Carpet and pose for the papparazi

Doris (Penelope Ann Miller) reads about her husband's encounter with
Peppy the next day

George and Peppy
George and Uggie

George contemplating his next move after his downfall

Kinescope Studio mogul Al Zimmer (John Goodman)

"Tinker Tailor Solder Spy" (***-128 minutes)

(l to r) Actor Gary Oldman, Director Tomas Alfredson, and AFI Programmer
Todd Hitchcock at the AFI European Union Film Showcase closing screening of
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"


Monday November 21, 2011

Off to Silver Spring to screen the closing night film of the 24th AFI European Union Film Showcase, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with an appearance by British actor Gary Oldman and Swedish director Tomas Alfredson (see coverage below following this review).   Tomas' previous film was the outstanding 2008 coming-of-age vampire classic "Let the Right One In".  (Although "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeve's 2010 U.S. remake "Let Me In" is admirable, it is nowhere as accomplished as the Swedish original.)

For his second commercial project, the director tackles John le Carré's 1974 bestselling spy novel that was initially made into a seven part, 350-minute BBC 1979 TV series starring Alec Guinness.  And herein lies part of the problem:  compacting the considerably dense spy novel into the 2 hour plus running time practically demands background knowledge of the story and a scorecard to keep track of the myriad of characters that comprise the wordy screenplay. 

It is the 1970's Cold War and a British intelligent agent (Mark Strong) is killed in Hungary resulting in the firing of top agent George Smiley (a subdued but effective Gary Oldman in the Alec Guinness role) and his boss, Control (the wonderful John Hurt).  However, Smiley is brought back in to uncover the Russian mole within the MI6 (the British Secret Service Intelligence agency-code named "The Circus") who was responsible for the assassination.  With the help of Circus agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) and field agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), Smiley ultimately narrows the Mole's identity to Percy ("Tinker"-Toby Jones), Bill Haydon (the well-dressed "Tailor"-Colin Firth), Roy Bland ("Soldier"-Ciarán Hinds), and Toy ("Poor Man"-David Dencik).

The incredibly talented cast is matched in mood through DP Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography, and the intricate production design by Maria Djurkovic. 

Those willing to devote their time and rapt attention, and not expecting any James Bond-like pyrotechnics and chase sequences, should ultimately be rewarded with an intelligent screenplay by Peter Straughan and his late wife Bridget O’Connor, as well as outstanding ensemble acting and production values.  Just be certain that you have your have your fill of caffeine or else you might miss the spy thriller's climax.

The movie began a limited U.S. platform release December 9, including Washington D.C. 

(l to r), "Poor Man" (David Dencik), "Tailor" (Colin Firth), 
"Tinker" (Toby Jones), Control (John Hurt), 
George Smiley (Gary Oldman), and "Soldier" (Ciaran Hinds)

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Following the screening was an extended interview/question and answer session moderated by AFI Programmer Todd Hitchcock.  In response to Todd's question as to what he saw was appealing about the role of George Smiley and what was the challenge that he had to figure out, Gary knew that  Guinness had made the role so iconic so he tried to bring his own interpretation after reading the books.  He pointed out that Alec was nearly 70 when he did the series, so there was that difference to explore.  He realized they were mining the same material and that there were places that they both would meet.  However, there were other shades to Smiley that initially presented the challenge of doing the role differently.  Overcoming Guinness' towering performance, that for many was the definitive portrayal of the character, was a challenge-but gave credit to Alfredson for having great faith in him.  

Todd then asked Tomas to explain how he went from making "an incredibly inventive vampire movie in Sweden" to pursuing John le Carree's spy material in the U.K.  Tomas revealed that it was quite hard to explain why one accepts to start working on a project.  However, he did say that when opening a script or, in this case a book, it is a very emotional thing.  If he gets many images in his head and if he reacts very quickly, for example, crying, laughing, or his heart starts beating, for him, it is the big impulse he needs to accept a project.  He also commented that he felt "Let the Right One In" was not a vampire movie but was a story about a young kid, and that this film was not an espionage film.  For him it was about the soldiers of the Cold War, and that it was a very personal and emotional journey about relationships.

Todd pointed out that since the film is a 70's Cold War period piece, and asked if it had a contemporary resonate with the U.K. audience considering the film's tremendous popularity in that country.  Gary responded that a great deal really has not changed over the years-other than the faces and the enemy and  remarked that he personally gets the same kind of sensation watching the news today as he got when was fifteen-years-old.

Gary mentioned that he saw the original series but did not want to use it as a template or revisit it-that he did not want to be contaminated with an impersonation.  He remembered it as "this big ghost that cast a shadow and I was terrified".

When asked by an audience member about a possible sequel covering the remaining books, Tomas replied that there might be one or two films in the future.

A question was raised as to why Tomas decided to use an old Julio Iglesias live disco version of "La Mer" over the last four minutes of the the action, which was contrary to the overall somber mood set throughout the movie.  Tomas stated that during the scenes when George was listening to music in his apartment he thought about using a soundtrack that gave a glimpse of George's inner life.  He eschewed the use of opera since the director thought of him as a romantic-which would be the total opposite of the life he lived in gray and dull England, and immediately he thought of Iglesias.  However, Tomas did not use it there because "it would be a little too strange".  However, he did find a rare vinyl recording of Iglesias' "La Mer" and decided to use it in the final scenes to "bring in a little fresh air" which would have the effect of "opening a window".  He thought the song created that feeling, and that its use was not supposed to create a happy end feeling.  

Gary was quizzed about his favorite role (he's been in over 60 films over the past 25 years!) and said it would be playing Lee Harvey Oswald (in Oliver Stone's 1991 film "JFK), stating that it was an exceptional experience because there was little of the character on the page.  Stone instructed Oldman to thoroughly research Oswald to prepare him for the part.  He also mentioned Tony Scott's 1993 action adventure "True Romance".  Gary then added that he has jokingly said that he's been waiting over 30 years to play the part of George Smiley explaining that in the past he has played characters who physicalized their emotions and that it was a joy not having to express it in a physical way in this film.

When asked whether he plans to direct another film (he directed "Nils By Mouth" in 1997), Gary said he would like to but bringing up two boys has taken up a lot of his time.  However, he said he was looking at a couple of projects and is hopeful he can direct one within a couple of years.


"The Descendants" (** 1/2-115 minutes)


Wednesday November 9, 1011

Alexander Payne's success performing double duty as a director and screenwriter has clearly placed him in my elite category.  His four previous films include "Citizen Ruth" (1996), "Election" (1999), "About Schmidt" (2002), and the phenomenal "Sideways" (2004) which would have been my pick for a Best Picture Oscar. Each successive film has gotten better and better.

Therefore, after a long seven-year hiatus, my anticipation and expectation gauges were nearly off the charts when I went to screen Payne's latest. I suppose there was really nowhere to go but down (excuse the pun) after "Sideways", which might help explain my overall disappointment.

George Clooney (extremely busy this year with his third release) plays successful real estate lawyer Matt King, a descendant of Hawaiian royalty, whose wife lays in a hospital, comatose from a boating accident. We quickly learn that their marriage was already on shaky ground, made shakier when his eldest daughter Alexandra (Shalene Woodley in a performance that will surely put her in running for Best Supporting Actress) reveals to Matt that her mother was having an affair with a local real estate mogul (Matthew Lillard). Payne proceeds to juggle a number of plot lines:
- Matt's chagrin (he calls himself "the backup parent") of now having to care for his precocious daughters Alexandra and Scottie (pre-teen Amara Miller)-a task previously handled exclusively by his wife.
-the decision to pull-the-plug on his brain dead wife
-his search for his wife's lover
-Matt, as the main executor of his family's trust, must decide on the winning bid for 25,000 acres of prime beachside property that has been in his family since 1860.

Payne, along with his co-writers Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash have adapted Kaui Hart Hemmings' 2007 novel to produce a darkly comedic script that is uneven and ultimately uninspiring-which is a problem when dealing with the nearly two hour running time. Clooney's somewhat droll ineffective voiceover narration in the beginning is, thankfully, dropped a quarter of the way through. Also, although Clooney tries his best to portray the full range of emotions as he threads his way through the myriad of crises, I never found myself as connected and involved as I was with Payne's other films. Sid (Nick Krause), Alexandra's boyfriend seems out of place here and would be more at home in a Judd Apatow comedy. Finally, Payne's saturating nearly every frame with native music will either have you enthralled or annoyed depending on your musical tastes. Put me in the latter category.

On the plus side, there is a terrific supporting role by the wonderful Robert Forster as his cantankerous father-in-law and, visually, the film is a loving post card of Hawaii.  However, in the final analysis, the drama didn't grab me and ultimately left me cold. 

"The Descendants" has platform openings beginning November 18 (including DC) and a November 23 Baltimore opening.

(l to r) Alexandra King (Shailene Woodley),  Matt King (George Clooney),
Scottie King (Amara Miller), & Sid (Nick Krause)

"The Man Nobody Knew" (*** 1/2-104 minutes) + Interview with director Carl Colby

Friday October 7, 2011

What everybody knew was that the slight William Colby (hardly the prototype as a James Bond-type poster child) was appointed in 1973 by then President Nixon to be the 10th director of the Central Intelligence Agency, until President Ford replaced him with George H.W. Bush in 1976 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandals. We also knew that he died in 1996 at the age of 76 when his body was discovered on the shores of the Potomac eight days after embarking on a solo canoe outing. However, other than his public service record and achievements, as the title of Carl Colby's title conveys, nobody really knew the man.

Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Carl Colby, William's eldest son, tries to enlighten the world on the enigmatic persona who seems to have had a single-minded life purpose, personally trying to better this country's interests around the world. Carl's comprehensive exposé, for the most part, succeeds as best he can to convey what made his father tick by interspersing two aspects of his life: his public service and his family life outside the spotlight. However, what we end up with is possibly more questions about the senior Colby than when we had going in.

His career as a real life spymaster, (referred to by the cumbersome subtitle, "In Search of My Father CIA Spymaster William Colby") begins as an OSS officer who trained for missions parachuting into Nazi-occupied Europe. This eventually led to his involvement with post-war covert operations such as the alliance with The Vatican in the late 1950's to remove the Communist Party, heading the CIA in the Far East during the Vietnam War buildup, overseeing the coup & the assassination of Vietnam’s President Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963 Saigon, and becoming the man in charge of the controversial Phoenix Program during the Vietnamese War 1967-1972. This latter program put the term counterinsurgency into our vernacular. His patriotism and tenacity led to his appointment as Director of the CIA-only to see it all explode in 1975 when he defied the President after taking the higher moral ground by revealing to Congress the agency's darkest secrets.

However, the more fascinating aspects of the documentary are the private intimate moments including photos and footage only a family member could provide. The personal history includes, what at first, appears to be an idyllic life when the family settled with him in Italy. However, later in William's career, after recognizing the inherent dangers his family faced (Carl remarks as a young child he at times heard bombs exploding in the distance outside of town)William chose to continue his oversea assignments alone, leaving his family, including his devoted wife Barbara (whom he later divorced after 40 years), behind in the states. We also learn that it was up to Barbara to care for Carl's sister who suffered from epilepsy and anorexia nervosa which led to an early death in her twenties. William avoided his daughter's care and illness, having no patience for her condition. He seemed to have carried this guilt throughout his life.

The rare archival footage incorporated throughout is nothing short of stunning. The clarity of the film stock is totally devoid of scratches and literally jumps off the screen. Carl supplies over 80 interviews with family, former colleagues, prominent government & media members (including former National Security Advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense and Director of CIA James Schlesinger, as well Pulitzer Prize journalists Bob Woodward, Seymour Hersh, and Tim Weiner) in his attempt to complete a knowing portrait of his father. Although, the sheer number of talking heads tends to bog down the proceeding, overall, this is an impressive work that tries to humanize as much as possible a stalwart Government servant & patriot who ultimately became an indirect casualty of the Vietnam War but whose service to the country was immeasurable.

The film opened October 14 at L.A.'s Nuart Theater and October 21 at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. It begins a run at Washington's D.C. E Street Theater & Fairfax Va.'s Cinema Arts Theater on October 28, after which it platforms in other theaters around the country.
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INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR CARL COLBY:

Carl Colby has been involved with over 40 documentaries that have taken him all over the world with assignments in over 30 countries. His films have covered a wide array of subjects including films about Franz Kline, William de Kooning, Bob Marley, Frank Gehry, George Hurrell, and Franco Zeffirelli-the latter of which won an Emmy Award for the 1984 PBS production "Zefferelli's Tosca". Among his numerous career achievements were producing and directing films covering Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday" which won Best Film at the USA Film Festival); Washington artist Gene Davis; & musical performance films on Kid Thomas Valentine and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Clifton Chenier and his Red-Hot Louisiana Band, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. He also produced a TV version of the Obie Award-winning musical "One Mo' Time!". His interest in space exploration resulted in his producing and directing the award-winning film "Voyager: The Grand Tour" which won First Prize at the 3rd International Animation Festival in Hiroshima, Japan.

During the interview Carl gave credit to producers Grace Guggenheim, daughter of the late great filmmaker Charles Guggenheim, and David Johnson for pushing him to be more personal and to try and reach further-which was hard for him but realized in the end it was necessary. In addition, he told me he decided not to put more of himself in the movie. That it was a conceit he did not want to do. "If you see me now, you'd see that I'm kind of a settled OK looking guy. But how could I pull that off in the movie? I want to be the 8 year old who adores his dad in the beginning. I want to be the 12 year old who later hears rumbles coming from 30 miles in the outskirts of town and I'm beginning to get kind of worried. I want to be the guy who's 17 years old hearing people call my father a war criminal. I want to grow up in the course of the film. That's one of the secrets, the techniques that I think the film pulls off without people being aware of it."

On commenting on his career over the years making documentaries about interesting personalities and why it took him so long to point his camera at his father, Carl remarked that he realized early on he would be fine if he talked with him about Gorbachev, Putin, Chechnya, or the drones-he would have an opinion and it would be very interesting, "but he wouldn't go into the emotional zone. He would say 'that's your department, friend'. Or if I asked him why did you divorce my mother. He would just wave it off like not say anything. So it would be very frustrating. So only afterwards when he died that I thought well maybe I got license now. I'll approach it from the underneath."

JB:
How long did the project take you to complete from start to finish?


CC:
It took about 5 years. I started thinking about it about 10 years ago while I was watching CNN's coverage of 9/11 and I saw Wolf Blizer interviewing James Baker two hours after the towers fell. He asked Baker how did it happen and Baker said that he traced it directly back to the Church and Pike Hearing back in the 70s when William Colby the CIA Director was forced to reveal the CIA's "Family Jewels", which led to the dismantling of America's and the CIA's ability to conduct clandestine action and covert activity-sort of endangering America. I thought, wow, that's pretty interesting. My father's been dead five years and it seems like he's relevant. And then, 2 weeks later I see photographs of CIA operatives sporting beards and wearing turbans and riding camelback & horseback with The Northern Alliance in Northern Afghanistan against the Taliban-and I thought well that's like the OSS. I then thought that maybe there's a story here. So I started more as a professional profile of my father because I do more profiles of individuals and I thought maybe that's an angle. And then I interviewed my mother and everything changes.

JB: You elicited commentary from an extensive list of about 85 individuals ranging from top government officials, CIA employees, the media, and, as you mentioned, your mom who puts a softer human light on your father's personal life outside the CIA. Were any of these participants harder than others to convince to be interviewed?


CC: Well, I took it very seriously that this is my one shot. If you ask somebody like James Schlesinger, who you might know from your family but who's not going to otherwise give you an interview, when I went to pre-interview him , I'd better know what I'm talking about. So for the CIA and in a project like this, I have to know something in order to get something. So, I did a lot of reading and researching which has kind of been a hobby of mine my whole life, reading about current affairs and international relations. I was pretty versed in the flow of the dialogue of the conversations about these things. So, I did a lot of homework spending about a day and a half, two days writing each Email invitation, researching what I would I ask these people and then I'd put it in the Email. A small group said sure I'll talk to you. I knew your dad. Usually that was the old guard CIA people. The current CIA people or the top journalists and others-they wanted to see that I had some substance here; what was I up to and was I up for this task. Tim Weiner, someone like that. I have to know my game. Then I think they perceived that I was going to do something serious so they participated.

JB:
Were there any public figures you actually wanted to interview but who refused to cooperate?


CC: Well, nobody in particular refused. I just sort of had a hard time connecting with Dick Cheney. His office was very interested but he was writing his book, or he had another heart attack, or had some heart issue. So that sort of derailed that for a while. And President Bush and Henry Kissinger I just had continuing dialogues with and it just never came to past because the film takes a certain direction and at some point you go after interviews that are serving your story and that are serving the narrative in your writing and making.

JB: Did you encounter any type of government resistance while making the film?

CC: No, not at all. I had no secret access or any privilege access to CIA or anyone else and I obviously made it very clear from the beginning that this is no exposé. I not interested in revealing classified secrets or documents or anything of that sort, or operations, or any one's names. I just basically asked for what the normal American citizen would ask for and took it from there.

JB: Near the end of the film, you narrated that after your dad left the CIA he could be crueler than anyone you ever knew. Can you elaborate on that statement?

CC: He lived at the tip of the spear. He had a mission. He was very serious. He could be serious. He could be friendly. He was the opposite of The Great Santini. I mean, he was not a bombastic, competitive, physically brutish character-not at all. He was kind of affable and quiet and would have a discussion with you. And he would write to me and I would write back to him cordially. What I think I meant by that was that I just don't think that he operated in the emotional zone. It's just not his territory.

JB: So emotionally, he was cruel.

CC: No, I wouldn't say that. He's just not operating in that zone. And I think he had a very low boiling point. So he could absorb pain, an intense amount of pain, and he could inflict pain. And I don't mean that in a very negative way. I just think that he was a warrior. And he had a job to do and he did it very well. There are warriors now: General James Mattis , or General John Allen, or a number of other generals I can name out in Afghanistan today who are fighting the battle. Would I say that they were mean? I wouldn't necessarily say always that way but there is a cruelty in a way that when you accept loses and when you are able to withstand loss. Most people fold. Most people can't take it. He was always quoting Truman: "You can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen". His kitchen was white hot, and he wasn't leaving the kitchen.

JB: And that comes across in the movie.

CC: He was one of these guys, I don't know if you ever feel like you're in danger or whether you feel the necessity to do this, but some people carry around a phone number or two that they're going to call, if something happens. Like, whom are you going to call? Well, I think if you knew him, I think you'd want his phone number in your wallet.

JB: Did you ever hear your father commenting how he felt about Bush Sr. succeeding him at the CIA? Did he ever have an opinion about that?

CC: I think initially he thought that Bush Sr. was a very effective unifying force in a way that helped the agency. That he took on the mission of the individual officers. He rallied around them and tried to support them and cast them in a positive light-in a sense sold the CIA back to the Congress. He tried to rally support for the mission of the CIA even though it started to be decimated by that time. Basically, the gate was up. I mean the Congress had had its fill of the CIA and wasn't going to fund much of it. And that was actually a pretty treacherous time. I mean the mid 70s was not a hay day for the CIA and for America. We'd just lost the war in Vietnam. The Russians were ascendant; they were threatening us. There were 30,000 Cuban troupes in Angola. The Caribbean was kind of in flames. Latin America was starting to bubble up. South America was kind of up for grabs. Most of Africa was kind of in play. And the oil crises was hitting. And, so it wasn't a really strong time to be an American.

JB: You included an enormous amount of amazing archival footage. And I was really impressed with the pristine quality of the images-devoid of the usual scratches and imperfections you usually get with such stock footage. Did you go to any special lengths to clean up these images?

CC: One of the luckiest most fortunate things that happened to me is that I allied myself with Grace Guggenheim as my archival producer and one of our key producers. And she is the queen of the archival footage. Her father's legacy is extraordinary-he made not only heartfelt and beautiful films but very simple films. From a film standpoint, I learned from him. Grace set about really ferociously combing the National Archives and a lot of commercial sources for the best possible footage. She did a super human job from everything down to the transfers to the no scratches-just doggedly going after the very very best. Particularly the stills and how we animated the stills-just everything. It just looks gorgeous on screen. And then we decided at the end, thanks to our main producer, David Johnson, to go ahead with the 35mm transfer. And the sad part is that I worry about what is happening to history and what's happening to those films, which are few and far between. We paid every possible right. We did everything correctly in terms of royalty payments and rights payments and clearances worldwide and we got the best possible transfers. I worry that people are either not using this footage or that they're stealing it and putting on YouTube. It's kind of sad in a way that we're losing our history. And I would give a huge amount of credit to Grace and to her father because of the example that her father set. He's probably the finest filmmaker of his generation not only in documentary, but one of the finest filmmakers of the century.

JB: You did a great balancing act between showing the business side of your dad and the personal side, which is a hard juggling act.

CC: That was one of the hardest things. You really tapped into exactly the right film question. That was the toughest thing. Frankly, I couldn't let 45 seconds go by or more without bringing my father back into the story. People say to me how come you don't have anything about the Korean War or how come you don't have about what happened in XYZ? I said, well, he's not involved with that. It's a tangent. It's like you're on a freight train from New York to Philadelphia and all of a sudden it takes a left turn to Atlantic City and all of a sudden you're lost.

JB: This might explain why it took you 5 years to get it all together.

CC: Exactly.

JB: Finally, are there any more theatrical films in your future?

CC: I tapped into some interesting arenas here so I'm going to look at that and there are a couple of other documentaries that I'd like to do. I'm working on a book that would come out with the release on TV & DVD late next year. That's kind of the next step. And then I'll try to launch one of these other projects.

William Colby testifying before Senate Church committee
in 1975

(l to r) Catherine, Barbara, William, Carl and Jonathan Colby

Complete coverage of The 13th Maryland Film Festival

After an incredibly tough, damp Baltimore winter, the first week in May brought glorious, and, for the most part, surprisingly dry weather to the faithful attending this mini-gem of a festival held May 5-8. Keeping to its tradition since 2004, Opening Night dedicated itself to the short film genre-and for the first time this year had the distinguished Washington Post critic, and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Ann Hornaday, on hand to kick off the festivities. As usual, the menu of films Festival Director Jed Dietz and his programmers Eric Hatch & Scott Braid offered variance in tone, style, and expertise, as patrons had to carefully scrutinize the offerings to pick out a feature that would be ultimately worth one’s time and money. A significant cross-section of films culled from festivals all over the world literally offered something for everyone-be it documentary, drama, comedy, experimental, or fantasy. There were films of all types to satisfy the genre tastes from the ardent to the casual moviegoer. As usual, celebrities such as John Waters chose & introduced their favorites, there was a 3D classic from the 50’s, and the world-renowned Alloy Orchestra returned to offer their musical interpretation of several silent comic classics. And topping it all off was a wonderful Closing Night film that played at the opening night at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the HBO produced documentary “Sing Your Song” that covered the incredible life and career of Harry Belafonte. Having the 84 year old superstar present to deliver a wonderful Q&A moderated by his long time friend, author Taylor Branch, made this a four-star evening to remember. Therefore, even if several films disappointed this critic, there were enough enjoyable highlights to make this highly anticipated weekend in May in Baltimore totally worthwhile.

Top 5

(1) “Viva Riva”
(2) “Better This World”
(3) ”Meek’s Cutoff”
(4) “Terri”
(5) ”Sing Your Song”
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Thursday May 5, 2011

Day 1-Opening Night



The after party in the lobby of The Brown Center

After a horrendous winter & spring, what a pleasure to have beautiful clear skies and temps in the 60's greeting the throng that packed the beautiful Brown Center on the campus of Maryland Institute College of Art for the 13th annual. After scoring a phenomenal coup a couple of years ago when eventual AA winner "The Hurt Locker" was screened with director Katherine Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal months before its release, Jed Dietz can be counted on to present a surprise or two to those who come out to the Charles Theater corridor this weekend.

As has been the tradition for several years, the opening night menu honors the short film genre. After welcoming remarks, festival director Jed Dietz welcomes the MC for the evening: the distinguished critic for the Washington Post (and ex-Baltimore Sun critic) Ann Hornaday.

Ann introduces each of the short films which, this year, for the first time, does not include any animation or experimental. Each of the four films presented depicts unique narrative story lines that expertly show off the varied talents of the filmmakers who created the following mini masterpieces:

"Pioneer" (***-15 minutes)-
Director David Lowery uses ingenious sound design (as Ann pointed out in her introduction) and spot-on acting by a first-time 4 year old toddler to tell a story of a father who tries to comfort his son who has just awakened during a thunder storm. The fantastical story he relates brings back memories most of us have when storytelling was so much a part of our childhood.

"We're Leaving" (***-13 minutes)-Fun offbeat narrative story about Rusty, his wife, and their 18 year-old "son", Chopper. Chopper brings new meaning to the word "baggage" when they find that they are being forced to move after 26 years. It is hard enough having to move but more so when having to deal with Chopper, who just happens to be their pet alligator. Director Zachary Trietz keeps the nervous humor going-all the while you will be wondering and anticipating what Chopper is going to do next. Director Zachart Treitz and his crew get amazing closeups of Chopper-who proves he has acting "chops" of his own.

"The Strange Ones" (*** 1/2-15 minutes)-The tension shifts gears as directors Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein present the winner of the evening. This is the kind of short film that those who love the genre point to when explaining the beauty of the genre. A narrative is told in 15 minutes that could easily expand to a feature length. The plot is simple: two supposed brothers are forced to find their way when their car breaks down. They happen upon a secluded hotel where a girl who works there offers to help them. Speaking to each of them separately reveals to her a mystery that has her rethinking her offer. Great subtle performances by all three, especially by experienced actor Merritt Wever, makes this one easily the highlight of the four.

"Seltzer Works" (***-7 minutes)-This fascinating short documentary by Jessica Edwards takes us into the almost forgotten world of seltzer deliverymen and one factory that makes the increasingly elusive bottles and product. In 7 minutes, we visit the Gromberg Seltzer Works in Brooklyn and meet Kenny Gomberg, a 3rd generational owner of a factory that will soon perish into history-as are its proponents, who wouldn't think of pulling a bottle off of the grocery shelf.

After a Q&A with the filmmakers, all of the attendees headed to the lobby to celebrate the start of, what I am sure, is another interesting festival that should appeal to all moviegoers.

Festival Director Jed Dietz
opens the 13th annual



Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday
MC's and introduces the shorts



The shorts film makers


Director David Lowery ("Pioneer")

(l to r) Actor Rusty Blanton & Director Zachary Treitz
("We're Leaving")

irectors Laren Wolkstein & Christopher Radcliff
("The Strange Ones")

Director Jessica Edwards ("Seltzer Works")

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Baltimore's own, director/writer
John Waters hanging out in the
Tent Village

Friday May 6, 2011-Day 2


"Green" (*-75 minutes)
This mumblecore production actually gives mumblecore a bad name. First-time director Sophia Takel includes herself in the cast in this extremely tedious story of a couple (Kate Lyn Shreil & Laurence Michael Levine), who are renting a country house while Levine does some blog writing. Their lives become entwined with a mysterious neighbor (Takel) who may or may not be an innocent third party to the occasional odd goings on-which doesn't amount to much as it turns out. The film opens with a lot of mundane conversation & continues on and on and on with more inane dialogue (a staple of the mumblecore genre) throughout its running time. There is supposed to be mounting tension as what appears to be a friendly triangle slowly (and I do mean very slowly) turns into jealousy. In the final analysis, all this conversing had me completely zoning out for most of its (what seemed interminable) 75 minutes. Takal was co-star and editor while Levine directed the somewhat successful 2009 indie film, “Gabi on the Roof in July” which played here in 2010 & had a limited release in New York. However, unfortunately, I was disappointed, bored, & ambivalent by this effort.
During the Q&A, director Sophia Takel, who plays the mysterious neighbor who imposes herself on the couple, revealed that, in real life, she and Laurence are engaged and that Kate Lyn Shreil are roommates.



(l to r) Actress Kate Lyn Sheil, director/actress Sophia Takal,
nd actor Laurence Michael Levine

"Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" (** 1/2-112 minutes)

The winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes has been garnering very favorable reviews from the majority of critics. Alas, I fear this one will try the nerves and patience of the average moviegoer who, if they enter the theater with even a smidgen of tiredness, will be snoozing throughout. Thai director Apichatpong "Joe" Weerethakul drew inspiration from classic Thai films and his own experiences to tell this tale of a dying man (Thanapai Salisaymar) who encounters the ghost of his first wife, his deceased son (who appears in another animal form) and other odd encounters that take him on a spiritual journey into his past lives. This movie is anything but a straight narrative as it covers the themes of reincarnation and fantasy like no other film I have ever witnessed. And there is a ”romantic” scene involving a catfish (!) which would have made Alejandro Jodorowsky proud. Once again, the pace is extremely laborious (I think I entered a past life or two of my own during those 112 minutes), but, if boredom steps in, you can marvel over the wonderful Thai scenery which elevates “Uncle Boonee” an additional 1/2 star in my rating. The film is currently in limited release.




The apparition of the dying man's son

"Better This World" (*** 1/2-98 minute)
Ahhh-I knew it would take a documentary to get me out of my cinematic doldrums. This extremely well done and disturbing doc by Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane del la Vega is another film (there seem to be a ton over the last couple of years) that will have you leaving the theater thoroughly disgusted with our Government and legal system. Two young idealistic men from Austin, David McKay and Bradley Crowder, attempt to "better this world" by partaking in peaceful protests at the 2008 Republic National Convention. These two extremely naive lads are definitely not the terrorist types but when an older activist they meet in Austin leads them astray, they ultimately find themselves in custody at the RNC in Saint Paul Minnesota slapped with terrorist charges for possessing eight Molotov Cocktails. Through excellent story telling devices by the filmmakers, we learn that their leader, an informer for the FBI, entrapped these two young idealists. We then follow their legal trials and the devastation to their family and friends, which concluded with their eventual imprisonment. The dynamics between the two friends and the betrayal each faced to avoid imprisonment is both heartbreaking and poignant-and completely unnecessary in the post 9/11 climate that now permeates our world. Brilliant editing and score only adds to the excellence. The film premiers September 6 on the PBS series P.O.V.
During the Q&A, Randy stated that, since he's been released from jail, he went back to school and continues remain active in community organizing issues around immigration, school budget cuts in the school system. He revealed that jail made him appreciate each day and not take anything for granted and is working very hard to make the most of life. He also stated that the government's actions of entrapping individuals is not an isolated incident and that it is much more prevalent than people think and is one of the reasons this film was made. When asked about his contact with David who is still incarcerated, Randy said that, as a condition of his release, he is prohibited from any contact with his friend or he will return to prison. He currently has two more years of probation.



(l to r) Producer Mike Nicholson & activist Bradley Crowder


"Without" (***-89 minutes)
An interesting psychological character study about a 19-year-old-girl who takes a part time job in a sparsely populated town caring for a wheelchair bound elder (Ron Carrier) while his family takes a vacation. First time actor, Joslyn Jensen gives a wide-ranging performance going from a dutiful caretaker to bored employee to crazed caretaker as strange things start to occur around her-or do they? Rookie director/screenwriter Mark Jackson quietly and effectively depicts the boredom Joslyn is encountering caring for the elder resident. Although at first dutiful (she is given an outrageous list of tasks and instructions by her employer), she finds herself slipping into patterns of neglect, negligence, and fear. An effective score helps to complement and elevate the visual tensions. My main problem with the film is the large number of red herrings thrown our way. Clearly, director Jackson never met a MacGuffin he did not like; and the result is that, at the end, I expected something more substantial & powerful. However, the nice acting turn by the lead actor, and the intriguing sound design, elevates "Without" a half star to the respectable three star category. A nice first effort all around makes Mark Jackson a name to watch.
At the Q&A, Mark said he and Joslyn had worked previously on smaller experimental films. This marks her first feature length movie. Joslyn performs a neat cover of a Lil Wayne song, which can be viewed on YouTube where she also covers other rap songs. She also mentioned that she performs at a New York sushi bar as a hobby.



Invalid Frank (Ron Carrier) being read t o by

Joslyn (Joslyn Jensen)


Director Mark Jacobson & actress Joslyn Jensen


"Terri" (***1/2-101 minutes)
First premiering at Sundance, this is a wonderful new coming-of-age work by director Azazel Jacobs ("Momma's Man"). Newcomer Jacob Wysocki gives an amazingly subtle performance as Terri, an overweight teen who must deal with high school bullying, a couple of nerdy friends, and taking care of his ailing uncle (Creed Bratton-"Mask" and TV’s “The Office“). Clearly, he wants a better life. However, the question becomes “Will he?” when confronted with the opportunity to break out of his loser life. Brilliant indie character actor John C. Reilly (2010’s “Cyrus” and this year’s “Cedar Rapids”) is on hand to provide most of the humor as Terri's High Principal who takes Terri under his wing and who has a heart so big you will want to reach out and hug him! (I wished I had a principal like him during my early schooling years.) The movie rests clearly on the shoulders of Wysocki who is capably up to the task. (When he decides to wear pajamas to school “because they’re comfortable”, you do not question his motives.) Mandy Hoffman also provides an appropriate score, which is the perfect addition to this satisfying human comedy ably written by Patrick deWitt. The film began a limited platformed release in New York and L.A. on July 1.
Azazel, commenting on selecting the role of Terri, said Jacob was chosen when he realized that he brought to the character a confidence and sense of self that would have been hard to act out or direct. As for the wonderful score, he left Mandy create it with little direction other than dropping off the draft to work from.








Principal Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly, right) confronts

troubled students Chad (Bridger Zadina, left) & Terri

(Jacob Wysocki, center)


(l to r) Director Azazal Jacobs &

festival director Jed Dietz


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Saturday May 7, 2011-Day 3

"Meek's Cutoff" (*** 1/2 -104 minutes)
Ever want to know what it was like to cross the Cascade Mountains in Oregon in 1845? Of course, none of us will ever know, however this film by director Kelly Reichardt ("Old Joy", "Wendy and Lucy") has to be as close to depicting this experience as any other. Using the classic box framing of films of yore, the director is so intent on authenticity that by the conclusion of the film you will feel like brushing off your clothes to rid yourself of the dust and sweat you just experienced on the screen. A totally minimalist film, you will follow three families traveling by wagon train, along with their hired guide, as they slowly make the treacherous journey. In search of water and destination is only part of their problem. They now must deal with the Indian threat all around them-which is an immediate concern when they capture a lone scout. Tensions mount, as they now must decide how to maintain their sanity and their lives fearing that any moment his tribe will be coming to his rescue. DP Christopher Blauvelt's cinematography and his prolific use of natural lighting, the acting by Michelle Williams & Will Patton as the lead family and Rod Rondeaux as the Indian adds to the realism. But it is the grizzled portrayal by Bruce Greenwood as the guide, Stephen Meek that is the standout. Also, a beautifully understated score by Jeff Grace adds to the enhancement of the experience. If you go in not expecting shootouts or the usual Hollywood western touches created to satisfy the action-minded audiences, you will walk away haunted by the trials and tribulations these pioneers endured in the 19th century. The film is currently in limited release.

Baltimore Sun critic and author, Michael Sragow (whose book on Victor Fleming, "Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master", was praised by Peter Bogdanovich in the Wall Street Journal as the greatest book written about a film director) introduced the film and interviewed Will Patton following the screening. In his opening discussion, Michael mentioned that Reichardt deliberately shot the film in the aspect ratio (the so-called "golden ratio") of the classic American movies to make it seem that more authentic. The squared-off screen made the actors more prominent and not overwhelmed by the landscape.




Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams)


(l to r) MC critic/writer Michael Sragow & actor Will Patton
leading the post-screening Q&A

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Belafonte

Sunday, May 8, 2011-Day 4-Closing Night


"Septien" (** 1/2 -79 minutes)
Director Michael Tully has created a film that is a great example of art-house independent film fare that grabs the viewer and throws him into a strange world inhabited by weirdo’s & misfits. (Hmmm-sounds a little like early John Waters.) Unfortunately, although the plot is fresh initially, I eventually became exhausted trying to figure out the motives behind the strange characterizations and even stranger goings-on. After an absence of 18 years, Cornelius Rawlings (mysteriously played by the director) suddenly returns home to his surviving two brothers who are living on the family farm in Tennessee. Dysfunctional with a capital "D", Ezra (Robert Longstreet) is a cross dresser, while his brother Amos (Onur Turkel) excels at some kind of creepy violent porn art (the actor actually provides his own artwork). Throw in the appearance of a couple of inane characters such as the eccentric plumber who used to be Cornelius' high school football coach (with whom he had a serious conflict while he was on the team years ago-and may or may not be the reason for his long absence) & a fire and brimstone-type preacher and you have a hotchpotch of plot points that never quite come together cohesively in the end.






The 3 brothers (l to r): Cornelius (Michael Tully),
Amos (Onur Tukel), & Ezra (Robert Longstreet)

Director/actor Michael Tully, editor Marc Vives,
& actor Onur Tukel


"Viva Riva!" (****-96 minutes)
No movie has been shot in the Congo for 25 years-until now. And what an impressive feature- film debut for Congolese director Djo Tunda Wa Mungay (he's previously done two documentaries)-who intends to establish a cinema base in his home country. You will need a seat belt to hold you in place for almost its entire running time as you enter the seedy crime-filled realm that could easily be any city in the U.S. There is a gas crisis in the capital city of Kinshasa (pretty timely!). Riva (earnestly played by Patsha Bay), the film's charismatic central character, has stolen a shipment of petrol from Cesar, an Angolan crime boss (Hoji Fortuna who is perfectly cast in the "godfather" role). Riva's simple plan is to return with the stolen goods to his hometown of Kinshasa to make a quick profit. Cesar's pursuit alone would be more than enough for him to handle. Unfortunately, there is the local kingpin Azor whom Riva angers after he boldly tries (and eventually succeeds) to whisk away his hottie moll, Nora (Manie Malone). Also, there are additional characters trying to backstab our hero including a female Commandant (Marlene Longage) and her lesbian lover Malou, and a priest who seems to worship the all mighty dollar more than The All Mighty. The pacing and plot twists are frantic (be advised there are gobs of humor, sex, and violence-all necessary in this genre) but the filmmaker never loses his way. Wonderful cinematography (Djo actually shot the darn thing using a small D5 still camera that mimics film to such a degree that you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference from a full blown 35mm print) and a heart-thumping score makes this on one of the most entertaining popcorn films I've seen in many a year. "Viva Riva" opened in New York last June and should make its way across the country not long thereafter. Bravo!
After the screening, Djo stated that prior to the shoot, he organized a two month training workshop a year before production to teach the actors how to work before a camera. Another workshop was conducted for them a year later just before production to have them work with an acting coach after which they were given the script.


Riva (Patsha Bay)

Director Djo Tunda Wa Mungay

CLOSING NIGHT FILM: "Sing Your Song" (*** 1/2-103 minutes)
The HBO-produced documentary is actually two films: The life and extraordinary career of legendary singer/actor Harry Belafonte. His accomplishments in the entertainment industry were groundbreaking in many ways, and the numerous accolades he has received could not be more deserved. We learn of his association and friendship with Brando & Poitier among so many other artists throughout his enormously successful career. The other part of the journey covers the varied political social activism that Belafonte's life has encompassed: from the 60's civil rights, to apartheid, to the Iraq war. We see his close association with such monumental figures as JFK, Mandela, and Martin Luther King, as well as the influences they had on his other life miles away from the lights on Broadway or the glitz of Hollywood. What starts out as the story of one man becomes a global affair that makes you realize what a satisfying journey this 84-year-old talent has become. A wonderful editing job and a great score by Hahn Rowe beautifully tie it all together. Kudos to festival director Jed Dietz, who, after screening it at this year's Sundance on their opening night, pulled many strings to, not only obtain the print, but to arrange to have Belafonte appear in person. A remarkable windup to another successful fest. "Sing Your Song" (which refers to Paul Robeson's advice to Harry when he said, "“Get them to sing your song and they’ll want to know who you are") will premiere this fall on HBO.
After the screening, Harry spoke about the sacrifices he made making his global jaunts and the effect it had on his children having to be judged constantly for what he had said or done. He revealed that his choices were made accompanied by a great sense of anguish and guilt for sacrificing his family for this life. It was his daughter Gina, the lead producer of the film, who pushed him hardest of all to do the film because she felt strongly about his legacy and not so much the celebrity. He stressed that he didn't want his celebrity to get in the way of the message.


Belafonte (2nd from right) singing with his fans


Author Taylor Brnach moderates the Q&A with
Harry Belafonte