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The Dynamiter – Director Matthew Gordon It’s rural Mississippi. The film centers around a young boy, played by William Ruffin who is 14 and trying to survive along with his younger half brother and aging grandma in their serious hick shack. Ruffin is an oddly muscular young kid who played gripping role as a young man thrust into being a mom, a dad, and a responsible provider. Yet you forget that even though he’s living in the “rough and tumble” hick land of inner Mississippi, he’s just a poor kid with no real income and an older brother who plays the role of an ass, but actually qualifies it by saying he does no different than anyone else. Decisions are made by the young man and his yearning for a family. His mother is gone for mysterious reasons, and ultimately needs to make sacrifices to get somewhere. Well shot, this is a beautiful work of cinema. [youtube]w8Y37EmYV2s[/youtube] Sawdust City – Director David Nordstrom Sawdust City is a story about a family that’s broken apart. One brother has the “right” life, a pregnant wife, a house, and facial hair. The other is a wanderer who is in town for Thanksgiving who’s there to find his father. The search is on, and they spend the day drinking in odd bars and meeting people who help them solve the mystery of the missing father. Through out the day, they establishing their bond. Meanwhile you find out about each of the brothers and there’s some turns that make the outcome of the film. Yes this could happen, and the culture of the bars give you a slice of life in small town America. People are who they are and this film personifies that. [youtube]aWhvt99dVYA[/youtube]
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One day… we’ll attend this festival. This is the premier Fantastic Film Festival in North America. July 14-August 7. It’s takes place in Montreal and this is the 15th year! As usual, anything out of control, interesting, and weird will be here. Oh, it should be Asian. New film by Takashi Miike – Ninja Kids, Sion Sono – Cold Fish, Jet Li – Ocean Heaven, and more. Seriously what’s missing? At times, the films are super over the top ridiculous. B or C movie if it were made here with American bad actors, but then again, sometimes they’re not. (Twitch film – FantAsia 2011) Check out the Ocean Heaven trailer… you expect to see Jet Li start throwing punches. [youtube]EJemRXBaO80[/youtube] Miike’s Ninja Kids looks ridiculous [youtube]HVjoh-jG36o[/youtube]
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You Hurt my Feelings - Director Steve Collins The tiny girl actress personifies mumblecore because she’s probably 2 years old. She does mumble and her role is priceless. This is a quiet movie about a Zach Galifianakis looking dude who’s into this one girl, who is into another goofy guy. But then the goofy guy messes up and the girl goes back to “Zach”. The film depicts a boring and miserable life of a Northern anywhere towner. The Zach G. lookalike works a nanny of two and is trying to keep the kids under control. He has trouble with the kids, which is like an allegory for his own life that’s scattered. I understand crappy lives, but these didn’t have to be that way. The Zach G characters is always on his back staring up into the air. It’s as if something’s supposed to come to him but doesn’t and that’s how life is. You Hurt My Feelings from jgs on Vimeo. How to Cheat – Director Amber Sealey This one starts with a naked man dancing around in a backyard, full frontal nudity, out of shape, and with little reason for it except it was funny. You get the sense that the guy is a nut. Married, he thinks cheating on his wife who can’t get pregnant is actually going to help their not sparkling relationship. Their sex is had just to make a baby, it’s a turnoff. Like his job of driving limos in LA, he’s in a rut of a routine. Then he meets a seductress played by Amanda Street. I wonder why I’d remember her name? Oh yeah, it’s because she’s the seductress. She makes the movie change gears. The story which was unscripted had fun parts that dissect a crappy marriage. The cast won the ensemble acting award at the LA Film Festival. They put forth performances that were unscripted and felt realistic. [youtube]D8kNKqagQvg[/youtube]
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This article name drops what has to be every South Asian actor in Hollywood. How many can you recognize? The best thing is, it’s probably every South Asian working actor. There’s a lot including the voice of Apu - Hank Azaria. For such a short article, they hammered in one fact, yes there are many but, “brown is the new black”? We’re not sure of that one. (Tribune – South Asians in Hollywood)
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Kazakhstan Cinema? What’s there besides Borat? He single handedly brought this country out of it’s middle of nowhere ness and brought it to the masses in a way that no one from Kazakhstan can be proud of. He doesn’t even look like he’s from there. There is a budding film industry that maybe you want to get to know a little more of, but judging by the still image on the left, they’re a ways to go. Surely there’s some gems in the mix, but it seems like a far away place and a far away chance of success, at least in the west. (Businessweek - Kazakhstan Cinema)
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