MIFF 2014 - Day 16
Things are drawing to a close. There's a sense of melancholy in the air. Or maybe that was just the funk from being in the Forum for three films in a row. Those seats are in dire need of re-upholstering. Thankfully, foresight prevailed and I brought my own seat cushion and rode out the marathon session in style and comfort.
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
Much like Being Elmo struck a chord a few years ago, this doco about the man behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch is an enlightening and occasionally sad story of a man with a big heart. Caroll Spinney may not be as well known as Jim Henson or Frank Oz, but his characters are two of the most iconic figures in pretty much anyone's childhood. From his initial recruitment by Henson following a disaster-plagued performance, right through to the present day, Spinney's story is very different to what you'd expect from such an important performer. The story of how he met his second wife is worth the price of admission on its own, but the whole film is wonderful. A great insight into the man behind the bird.
Listen Up Philip
Or, the joys of misanthropy. A pitch black comedy about a young novelist's descent into narcissism, and the human wreckage it leaves around him. It's enjoyable for the most part, but an ill-advised detour into the life of Philip's girlfriend sucks the life from the piece for a good twenty minutes or so. It's interesting to see the filmmaker try to dramatise the slow awakening from an abusive relationship, but it fails and ruins the pacing of the film. Once the focus returns to Philip both the comedy and the tragedy play out far more satisfactorily. It's overlong and self-indulgent, but also very funny with some great performances from Jason Schwartzman and Jonathan Pryce.
nasty hardcoreXXX amateur couple
A short film about a couple preparing to make a sex tape. As arguments over what they're doing and how they should do it build, the problems in their relationship surface and they have to deal with them. By the end, the idea of the tape has gone from weird to affirming. It's a really well constructed short film.
Obvious Child
Do you like beige? I'm not a fan, and unfortunately beige seems to be the colour used by filmmakers to scream their indie credentials. It's like a special palette reserved for low budget filmmakers unaware that natural light isn't a cinematographer's curse. I hate it. And I really hated it in this film, because the drab lighting kept distracting me from an incredible performance by Jenny Slate, working off an hysterically funny script by writer/director Gillian Robespierre. Jenny play's Donna, a standup comedian who gets dumped by her boyfriend and has a bit of a freakout over it, and then after a one-night stand discovers she's pregnant. She decides to get an abortion, but then Max, the guy, attempts to date her and she can't quite bring herself to tell him what's happened. Bad lighting aside, this is a very sweet film full of very crass humour that'll have you laughing the whole way through.
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
Much like Being Elmo struck a chord a few years ago, this doco about the man behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch is an enlightening and occasionally sad story of a man with a big heart. Caroll Spinney may not be as well known as Jim Henson or Frank Oz, but his characters are two of the most iconic figures in pretty much anyone's childhood. From his initial recruitment by Henson following a disaster-plagued performance, right through to the present day, Spinney's story is very different to what you'd expect from such an important performer. The story of how he met his second wife is worth the price of admission on its own, but the whole film is wonderful. A great insight into the man behind the bird.
Listen Up Philip
Or, the joys of misanthropy. A pitch black comedy about a young novelist's descent into narcissism, and the human wreckage it leaves around him. It's enjoyable for the most part, but an ill-advised detour into the life of Philip's girlfriend sucks the life from the piece for a good twenty minutes or so. It's interesting to see the filmmaker try to dramatise the slow awakening from an abusive relationship, but it fails and ruins the pacing of the film. Once the focus returns to Philip both the comedy and the tragedy play out far more satisfactorily. It's overlong and self-indulgent, but also very funny with some great performances from Jason Schwartzman and Jonathan Pryce.
nasty hardcoreXXX amateur couple
A short film about a couple preparing to make a sex tape. As arguments over what they're doing and how they should do it build, the problems in their relationship surface and they have to deal with them. By the end, the idea of the tape has gone from weird to affirming. It's a really well constructed short film.
Obvious Child
Do you like beige? I'm not a fan, and unfortunately beige seems to be the colour used by filmmakers to scream their indie credentials. It's like a special palette reserved for low budget filmmakers unaware that natural light isn't a cinematographer's curse. I hate it. And I really hated it in this film, because the drab lighting kept distracting me from an incredible performance by Jenny Slate, working off an hysterically funny script by writer/director Gillian Robespierre. Jenny play's Donna, a standup comedian who gets dumped by her boyfriend and has a bit of a freakout over it, and then after a one-night stand discovers she's pregnant. She decides to get an abortion, but then Max, the guy, attempts to date her and she can't quite bring herself to tell him what's happened. Bad lighting aside, this is a very sweet film full of very crass humour that'll have you laughing the whole way through.
posted by Andrew Lee at 10:35 PM
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