Who cares about the Cannes Film Festival?

Well, me, of course. The 62 Festival de Cannes wrapped up today handing Michael Haneke's new film The White Ribbon the grand poo-baa, also known as the Palm d'Or. From all accounts, the film looks to be a miserable experience filled with brutality and sweeping socio-political connotations. Sounds good to me. Here's a rundown of the awards and the films we can expect to see in the next couple of years or maybe never:

Palme d'Or

The White Ribbon directed by Michael Haneke
Sony has already pick this film up for US distribution and thanks to Caché we actually might see it here in the Twin Cities. (Don't look for the poster to be boasting "From the director of Funny Games...") Haneke is overrated as a provocateur and underrated as a filmmaker. The White Ribbon is set in set in pre-WWI Germany and shot entirely in black and white. It is maybe not so ironic that Isabelle Huppert, who starred in Haneke's The Piano Teacher, was jury president this year at Cannes.

Grand Prix

A Prophet directed by Jacques Audiard
Maybe this film received second place because no one booed at it. Overall, everyone praised this film. Weird. (This phenomenon of people booing at films would make me crazy.) Also picked up by Sony.

Best Director

Brillante Mendoza for Kinatay
Well, this is kind of a surprise. Mendoza isn't exactly loved at Cannes, but I'm glad to see him win. I'm pretty sure everyone hated Sebris from last year, and Kinatay (aka Slaughter) was, to barrow a phrase from Manohla Dargis, "widely loathed." Mendoza's Tirador (Slingshot) played at the MSPIFF last year, and I could swear I saw Sebris listed on the local Landmark site, but alas is nowhere to be found. Maybe we can personally loath Kinatay at next year's MSPIFF.

Jury Prize (shared)

Fish Tank directed by Andrea Arnold/Thirst directed by Park Chan-Wook
Sharing prizes is so nice. Fish Tank is the new film from the director of Red Road, which played at the Walker and at the Lagoon. Big news in this pair for me is Thirst which was championed by Darcy Paquet and pooped on by everyone else. I'm hardly a neutral in this sight-unseen argument simply because I think Park, despite having a misstep with I'm a Cyborg, is one of the better directors around. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is pretty high up there on my overall best films, and I am willing to give Park the benefit of the doubt with Thirst. I am very very excited to see this film. Word on the street was that Focus Features was going to release Thirst in the US this summer. Given the poor reception at Cannes, we'll see if they change their mind.

Best Performance for an Actor

Christopher Waltz in Inglourious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino
If one film dominated the press it was Tarantino's Inglorious Basturds...I mean Basterds...whatever. If we weren't hearing about what Brad and Angelina were wearing, we were hearing the constant debate, 'Will it be good? Will it be bad?' Poor Christopher Waltz, who from all reports deserves the award, will still be minor talk when it comes to this ego-maniacs divulgence on WWII. Brad Pitt looks to be playing a character somewhere between Benjamin Button and Jeffery Goines—intolerable for 30 seconds, let alone 2 and a half hours. Ever heard an interview with Eli Roth? Do you think his performance will be any different?

Best Performance by an Actress

Charlotte Gainsbourg in Antichrist directed by Lars von Trier
It looks like von Trier has successfully overcome his depression with a little venting. Antichrist sounds to be the most press worthy film of the festival. As audacious as it should be, Gainbourg gets her award for a lot of nudity and masturbation. Papa would be proud! IFC will be responsible for unleashing the beast in the US. I'm looking forward to it.

Best Screenplay

Mei Feng for Spring Fever directed by Lou Ye
Another film that clearly got overlooked by the hub-bub of sex and violence and Brad Pitt's suit, Lou Ye isn't far behind Jia Zhangke as one of the best Six Generation Chinese filmmakers. Driven by a populace aesthetic but condemned by the state, Lou three films since 2000 have been rock solid productions. I can only assume the same from Spring Fever.

Personally I want to see all the films that screened regardless of awards, but here are a few of the other films that got my attention even though they didn't get the juries attention:
Bright Star directed by Jane Campion
Visage directed by Tsai Ming-liang
The Time That Remains directed by Elia Suleiman
Vengeance directed by Johnny To
Air Doll directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Mother directed by Bong Joon-ho
Enter the Void directed by Gaspar Noé

Everyone does a little Cannes coverage, but here are some of the sources I've been watching:
New York Times
Art Forum
indieWIRE
The Playlist
The Guardian (don't miss their awesome video roundup)

Master Class with Ramin Bahrani

Ramin Bahrani is indie darling du jour. The opening of his new film, Goodbye Solo, in LA and NYC led to an onslaught of press and positive reviews. Even though the indie baton was ceremoniously passed to Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, in Minneapolis we got to sustain the basking glow of Bahrani and his contributions to Neo Neo-Realism. In a series that couldn't be more timely, the Walker Art Center hosted Bahrani and his three films last week. Starting with a free double feature of Man Push Cart and Chop Shop, the series was capped off by a mid-day master class and area premiere of Goodbye Solo in the evening.

Bahrani is not only a filmmaker by trade but also a teacher, working adjunct at Columbia University. In lieu of my failed attempt to attend Columbia, going to Bahrani's master class seemed like the second best thing. The experience did not disappoint with Bahrani throwing out references like an encyclopedia of film as I attempted to keep up. Although he focused his talk on structural aspects of Chop Shop, he often gave way to lively digressions about how Taxi Driver would not exist without Pickpocket and how the Dardenne Brothers would not exist without Dostoyevsky. The two hour session left me wishing I had a whole semester of logical digressions with Bahrani.

Although the class was formatted for filmmakers, it was equally informative for those of us who aspire to be more than just popcorn eaters. Bahrani was quick to point out that statements such as 'that film was 10 minutes too long' or 'that film was boring' belong to the popcorn eaters (his term.) Unless you can describe the structural components that make a film flawed, these statements mean nothing. Touché. I'll speak for myself when I admit that elemental structure gets hopelessly lost in the gloss or the who's who in Hollywood. How can you talk about Duplicity without being blinded by Julia Roberts, Clive Own and Tony Gilroy? And how can you critique Watchmen outside of the overwhelming presence of special effects? (To my defense, I will say this is understandable.) Although the structure lies embedded in these films, we are 'wowed' out of seeing it.

With pared down casts and minimal gloss, the magic of Bahrani's films rely on the fundamentals. Treating us like the students we wanted to be, Bahrani recommended two books: John Howard Lawson's Theory and Technique of Playwriting and Alexander Mackendrick's On Filmmaking. In Bahrani's opinion, a good film is made by mastering the formal techniques of filmmaking and storytelling, and, by extension, understanding a film is understanding its anatomy. Through a series of clips from Chop Shop, he illustrated not only the finer points of dramatic storytelling but also the finer, if not hidden, points of editing and cinematography.

One of the most interesting scenes he walk us through was where Isamar confronts Ale about her money which is missing. It's a key scene in which we know that Ale knows Isamar is prostituting herself, but Isamar doesn't know that Ale knows. (Dramatic irony, as Bahrani points out.) In asking us to identify the dramatic turning point, Bahrani confirms that the moment Ale catches Isamar in a small white lie and completely drops the issue of the money is the turning point. It's moments like these that not only propel the storyline, but keep the film engaging.

Another structural point to this scene is that even though it is shot as one continuous scene, there are two cleverly hidden points in camera movement that allow Bahrani to make edits. If you are able to watch the scene, the camera swings twice following the action of the characters. It is within these moments that edits were made, but remain totally unnoticeable. There is also some very consciously choreographed movements between the two characters and the camera. The amazing thing about this scene, like so many other scenes in Chop Shop, is that despite all the planning and rigorous structure, it couldn't come off more natural or unrehearsed. If process is important to Bahrani, so is discarding directorial norms to find that process. "'Action' is the end of reality, and 'cut' is the beginning." This is the craft that Bahrani was sharing with us.

Chop Shop is set apart by the performances that Bahrani gets from his two young leads. If Ale and Isamar seem perfect in their roles, it is because Bahrani interviewed around 2,000 kids and filmed nearly 450. Finding these two and getting them aclimated to one another was a huge part of Bahrani's process, and Chop Shop will forever shine because of it. Chop Shop is about as 'realistic' as you are going to get in a fictional film. I'm not about to define Neo-Realism or even Neo Neo-Realism, but in getting a taste for what non-popcorn eaters see in a film, I feel I can better understand just what A.O. Scott was talking about.

If the web was overflowing with interviews with Bahrani a couple weeks ago, it is because he is the kind of filmmaker that film lovers love. Far from the esoteric theorists who don't watch films, Bahrani not only watches films, but also grounds them in the cultural and social landscape of the world. Representing and aspiring to unconditional love is an atypical ambition for a filmmaker, but this is exactly what Bahrani eluded to twice. Unique in so many ways, Ramin Bahrani sets himself apart as not only a 'filmmaker to watch' but also a filmmaker that may be equally important to listen to.

Your next chance to be a non-popcorn eater comes May 1 when Goodbye Solo opens in the Twin Cities at the Lagoon.

We miss you Leslie

April 1st never passes without me being suckered into believing something that I obviously shouldn't (today included.) But for the past five years, April 1st has not passed without remembering Leslie Cheung. Six years ago today, Leslie jumped to his death. When reports of his suicide started popping up on various bulletin boards, it seemed like a sick April's Fools joke. It was no joke.

Leslie Cheung may be best known for Farewell My Concubine in the U.S., but the majority of his career is the heart and soul of my Asian film fandom: 80s and 90s Hong Kong films. Here's a primer:

He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994) directed by Peter Chan
A woman impersonates a man so she can meet her idols and gender-bending hijinks ensue. He's a Woman, She's a Man is a romantic comedy where the performances are so sweet and charming, you just can't help smiling though the entire film. This is really Anita Yuen's movie, but the entire cast is great: Leslie Chueng, Carina Lau, Eric Tsang, and newcomer (!) Jordan Chan. I would say that this film is reserved for Hong Kong fans only, but I think any adventurous film fan could easily have a great time watching this.

A Better Tomorrow (1986) directed by John Woo
It's pretty easy to forget that Leslie is in this film, because this is a showcase for Chow Yun Fat. Nonetheless, Kit (played by Leslie) is the moral conscience of the film.

Days of Being Wild (1990) directed by Wong Kar Wai
I've spent a lot of time on these very pages expressing my adoration for Ashes of Time, in which Leslie Chueng plays a central character. But when it comes to Wong Kar Wai film, Days of Being Wild is Leslie's film. Yuddy, pictured above, is a perfect scoundrel. Everyone should see this film.

A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) directed by Ching Sui-Tung
A story almost as old as China, but a film that was a first in a flood of supernatural swordplay films. Leslie Chueng plays a naive tax collector who unwittingly gets involved with...yup, you guessed it: a ghost!

Eagle Shooting Heroes (1994) directed by Jeffery Lau
The cast from Ashes of Time takes a little breaky-poo from the grueling schedule and you get a madcap comedy that nearly makes me pee my pants. It is parody after parody and really famous people acting like complete idiots. I love it. Please watch the trailer linked above.

While I Was Away...

Priorities got the best of me, making my blog hopelessly idle. However, the world did not stop spinning, and here were a few things that deserve some yabber, albeit late and abbreviated yabber:

New Yorker Films: Au revoir! さようなら! 再见！
No way do I want to make light of this very sad news. After 43 years New Yorker Films, distributor of some of the finest films made, calls it quits. I have always appreciated New Yorker's willingness to take on films for the sake of their artistic value instead of their bottom line value. Specific to my interests was their commitment to Jia Zhang Ke (such as Still Life, left.) Xiao Wu, Platform and Unknown Pleasures were not going to get releases in their home country, so I was really at the mercy of someone picking these films up in either the UK or the US. Taking a gander at the titles of the films New Yorker represented reads like a "best of" in foreign film: Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor, Clair Denis' Beau Travail, Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni's The Story of the Weeping Camel, Lynne Ramsey's Ratcatcher, Lars Von Trier's Manderlay, Tsai Ming Liang's Goodbye Dragon Inn, Hirokazu Kore-eda's After Life and Nobody Knows, Anh Hung Tran's Cyclo, Hong Sang Soo's Woman is the Future of Man and Woman on the Beach, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Amores Perros, Hou Hsiao Hsien's Three Times and Flight of the Red Ballon, Bahman Ghobadi's A Time for Drunken Horses and Turtles Can Fly and so on. Not to mention the catalogs of Werner Herzog, Pedro Almodovar, Ousmane Sembene, Zhang Yimou and Jean-Marie Straub and Daniele Huillet. I could go on, but the point is, from a film fan's standpoint, New Yorker will be missed.

Surge in Movie Ticket Sales
Depressed about the economy? Go see the Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert Experience! Or Medea Goes to Jail! Or the Watchmen! Although escapism-via-the-movie-theater is my middle name, the American people have long tossed that entertainment option to the side for some time. From within the article, "the portion of the American population that attended movies on a weekly basis dropped from around 65 percent in 1930 to about 10 percent in the 1960s, and pretty much stayed there." Wow. It's a wonder how movies make money at all. However, the slight increase (17.5 %) in sales for the year has everyone excited. I fear the onslaught of 'happy crappy movies,' but the bigger picture of more viewers is never a bad thing.

Departures wins Best Foreign Film
Departures was an upset win against Waltz With Bashir. Waltz may be the better (and more important) film, but I am glad to see this weepy melodrama win. The Oscars is all industry bullshit that is nauseating at face value, but the win for this film will give the Japanese film industry a new lease on life. After the Oscars, record crowds bombarded theaters in Japan to see the film, gaining support it may have never seen without the win, locally and internationally. Director Yojiro Takita muscled moderate domestic success with his 2001 period drama Onmyoji, but it will be nothing compared to Departures. The film focuses on Daigo, a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved. When he answers a classified ad for a job, simply entitled "Departures," he gets roped in to becoming a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. Check out the new US website in the link above.


Hong Kong International Film Festival
The HKIFF program went online last week. I was THIS close to going this year, but, as fate would have it, the fragrant harbor will have to wait another year for me. If missed opportunities was a sport, I would be a professional. The program is chock-full of films that make me excited, even if I'm not attending. Although the program features some films that have either played here or will play here, it is the boatloads of films that will never ever play here that I wish I was there to see.

...Blu-Ray arrives to my house...and I am scared.
Researching Blu-Ray players ever since HD went kaput always led me down the same frightening road: having a video game console in my house. If my attentiveness to film is any indication, I have some OCD issues. Television and video games are something I have reserved to retirement, knowing that they present a potential threat to my involvement in the 'real world.' However, the deal on a PS3 a couple of weeks ago at Target was too good to pass up, and I am now a proud owner of a PS3. I have yet to test my willpower and unpack the player with the excuse that I want to find a cheap new receiver before I go digging around in the web of wires. Perusing the available Blu-Rays at the local video store and Nit-wit-flix, I am trying to stay focused...

Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow
I will not being reviewing books for this wonder blog, but I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the inspiration. When the folks at J-Film Pow-Wow posted a search for someone to review Japanese Film related books, I was interested. In doing a little research of books I would like to review, I uncovered a treasure trove. Although I didn't get the book review gig, the Pow-Wow folks offered me some motivation to throw some book reviews up on these very pages. Until then, check out the barn-burning and informative posting that goes on at the J-Film Pow-Wow.

Molding young minds into Cineastes
Teaching may not be in my future, but a friend of mine let me guest speak in his Oppositional Cinema class on the Japanese New Wave movement. I'm not sure if I won any fans, but it sure is fun to show Branded to Kill to an unexpecting audience of young adults.

Universal Noir, Women With Vision, 3D Film Festival, Italian Film Festival, and Blockbusters
Don't blame me for ignoring my blog.

Oscar Study Guide

In case you forgot, the Oscars are this weekend. If you love movies you can't help but watch the Oscars, even if all it does is reinforce the fact that the industry lives in a bubble. The Oscars tend to fill me with equal parts awe and disgust, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Here's some pre-game information so you can catch up on your Oscar trivia, or make you most likely to win the big prize in the Oscar pool:

• GreenCine Daily Oscar Podcast. GreenCine is also hosting a live blog, which should be interesting if you have a lap top on hand at the party.
• Oscar Predictions Galore. Moviefone. Box Office Prophets. EW. Loads and loads of predictions out there. If you are gambling for prizes, do a google search and check your odds.
  
• Buzz Sugars Oscar Infotainment Extravaganza. This page is full of trivia, poles and tidbits that is more for entertaining than informative.
  
• The Official Oscars website. More crud on here ever than before. The Oscars hit an all time viewership low last year, so the Academy is looking to gain some popularity even if it is in cyberspace.

I'm on a little bit of a break here. Enjoy the Awards. I'll be back in a while.

Thanks to Your Movie Buddy for the hilarious image. Check the site for more predictions!

A very very nice trailer for Yu Lik Wai's PLASTIC CITY

This is either old news or no news, but let's call it record keeping for myself. A trailer for Yu Lik Wai's Plastic City has arrived almost 6 months after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year. Confused? Me too. Apparently (as reported by Todd over at Twitch) Yu's new film had been invited to both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals last year, but when the time came around, the film was not entirely finished. Instead of backing out (I'm not sure how this is worse than presenting an unfinished film), Plastic City played with the request that buyers not come to the screenings.

There is a lot of anticipation for Plastic City, not only because of Yu's incredible talent but also because of a cast that included Anthony Wong and Joe Odagiri. Yu Lik Wai is better known as Jia Zhang Ke's cinematographer. Plastic City is only his third feature film as director.

Because all news on Plastic City had seemed dormant for the past few months, it seems obvious that Yu has gone back and quietly finished the film to his liking. The trailer, far from quiet, looks better than I could have anticipated. The film takes place in São Paulo, Brazil. Part Triad film, part international action drama, Plastic City looks fantastic.

Thanks to Twitch and Nippon Cinema who reported on this way before me.

Top films of 2008: Lists from across the Pacific

Top ten lists are a dime-a-dozen. More than anything, these lists are defined by what the list-maker sees, and what a list-maker sees is defined by where they live. Being an Asian film fan in the Twin Cities isn't terrible, but it is far from spectacular. Needless to say, the lists made by people who have far more access to these films are an invaluable resource. Here are some of the lists that have emerged in the past month that make me envious but also very excited:

Darcy Paquet's top ten Korean films of 2008
(The list is on the site updates page. Scroll down to 2009.01.18) Darcy runs Koreanfilm.org and has his hands in just about anything English language oriented on Korean Film. His knowledge about Korean film is indispensable.

• Top of the list: The Chaser directed by Na Hong-jin
• Number of films I have seen on the list: zed.

Wise Kwai's top ten Thai films of 2008
Wise Kwai is a very busy blogger in Bangkok. Everything and anything on Thai film is here. Wise Kwai's list redeems my choice of Syndromes and a Century, which by IMDB standards is not a 2008 film.

• Top of the list: Syndromes and a Century: Thailand Edition directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
• Number of films I have seen on the list: two.

Midnight Eye's huge 2008 roundup
Not just one list, but eight lists from eight individuals. It's a fantastic (and overwhelming) roundup that I will revisit again and again.

• Tops of the lists: Tokyo Sonata directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, United Red Army directed by Koji Wakamatsu, Departures directed by Yojiro Takita, All Around Us directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi, and more!
• Number of new Japanese films I have seen noted in the lists: five.

Webs of Significance's top ten 2008 Hong Kong movies
Long time film fan, YTSL doesn't just cover film on her Webs of Significance blog, but all things Hong Kong. With photos of food and fauna, Webs is a great blog to visit for anyone who loves Hong Kong (like me!)

• Top of the list: The Way We Are directed by Ann Hui
• Number of films I have seen on the list: zero.

A Nutshell Review's top 10 of 2008
I love how A Nutshell Review's tag is "Probably Singapore's #1 Movie Review Blog." It's not probably and you get much more than a nutshell. Although Nutshell presents a top ten of all films, not just Singapore films, that includes many US favorites such as The Dark Knight and Wall-E, it also includes an eclectic mix of what is available in Singapore. (Nutshell's blog also reveals that eclecticism.)

• Top (non-Western film) of the list: 18 Grams of Love directed by Han Yew Kwang
• Number of films I have seen on the list: three (but none of the ones that count...)

The Golden Rock's best Panasian movies viewed in 2008
This is a list within "The 1st Annual Golden Rock Awards" that includes the best of Hong Kong music, best trends in Asian pop culture, best discovery and so on. A very worthwhile read. The list is in no particular order, and I'm not about to guess which is the tops.

• Number of films I have seen on the list: one.

3rd Asian Film Awards Nominations

Still in its infancy, the Asian Film Awards has yet to cause too many waves. Although the Asian Film Awards gives in to the inevitable lumping of "Asian film," it is also a show of regional camaraderie against the Holywoodization of all these markets. Much like any award program, AFA has a mix of the money-makers, the mediocre and the exceptional. I haven't seen enough of these to differentiate which is which, but two have played here in the Twin Cities (Singh is Kinng and Chandni Chowk to China at the best kept secret in town, the Brookdale 8), one is playing next week (24 City at the Walker), and one is available domestically on DVD (Stephen Chow's CJ7.) At the very least, most will see a DVD release sometime in the next five years state side.

Kim Jee-woon's The Good, the Bad, the Weird led the pack with eight nominations. I'm glad to see that Brillante Mendoza's Service (dogged at Cannes) is up for a few awards. In my opinion, this list is full of interesting stuff, with lots of films I am looking forward to. For those interested here is the complete list:

Best film

Tokyo Sonata - Japan/the Netherlands/Hong Kong
Forever Enthralled - China
The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Japan
The Rainbow Troops - Indonesia
Red Cliff - China


Director

Brillante Mendoza, Service - the Philippines
Feng Xiaogang, If You Are the One - China
Kim Jee-woon, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Koreeda Hirokazu, Still Walking - Japan
Miyazaki Hayao/Frank Marshall, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Japan
John Woo, Red Cliff - China

Actor

Song Kang-ho, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Ge You, If You Are the One - China
Ha Jung-woo, The Chaser - South Korea
Akshay Kumar, Singh Is Kinng - India
Matsuyama Kenich, Detroit Metal City - Japan
Motoki Masahiro, Departures - Japan

Actress

Zhou Xun, The Equation of Love and Death - China
Fukatsu Eri, The Magic Hour - Japan
Jiang Wenli, And the Spring Comes - China
Deepika Padukone, Chandni Chowk To China - India
Yoshinaga Sayuri, Kabei -- Our Mother - Japan
Zhou Wei, Painted Skin - China/Hong Kong

Best newcomer

JeeJa Yanin, Chocolate - Thailand
Matsuda Shota, Boys Over Flowers: the Movie - Japan
Sandrine Pinna, Miao Miao - Taiwan/Hong Kong
So Ji-sub, Rough Cut - South Korea
Xu Jiao, CJ7 - Hong Kong
Yu Shaoqun, Forever Enthralled - China

Supporting actor

Nick Cheung (left), Beast Stalker - Hong Kong
Jung Woo-sung, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Lee Byung-hun, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Tsutsumi Shinichi, Suspect X - Japan
Wang Xueqi, Forever Enthralled - China

Supporting actress

Kiki Kirin, Still Walking - Japan
Aoi Yu, Sex Is No Laughing Matter - Japan
Jaclyn Jose, Service - the Philippines
Kim Ji-yeong, Forever the Moment - South Korea
Gina Pareno, Service - the Philippines

Screenwriter
Na Hong-jin, The Chaser - South Korea
Li Qiang, And the Spring Comes - China
Tom Lin/Henry Tsai, Winds of September - Taiwan/Hong Kong
Kurosawa Kiyoshi/Max Mannix/Tanaka Sachiko, Tokyo Sonata - Japan/the Netherlands/Hong Kong
Mitani Koki, The Magic Hour - Japan

Cinematographer
Ato Shoichi, Paco and the Magical Book - Japan
Cheng Siu-keung (HKSC), Sparrow - Hong Kong
Lee Mo-gae, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Jola Dylewska, Tulpan - Germany/Kazakhstan/Poland/Russia/Switzerland
Wang Yu/Nelson Lik-wai YU, 24 City - China

Production designer
Nitin Chandrakant DESAI, Jodhaa Akbar - India
Kuwajima Towako, Paco and the Magical Book - Japan
Daniel Yan-kong Lee, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon - Hong Kong/South Korea/China
Bill Lui, Painted Skin - China/ Hong Kong
Taneda Yohei, The Magic Hour - Japan

Composer
Dalpalan/Jang Young-gyu, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Hanno Yoshihiro/ LIM Giong, 24 City - China
Hisaishi Joe, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Japan
Henry Wan-man Lai, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon - Hong Kong/South Korea/China
A.R. Rahman, Jodhaa Akbar - India

Editor
Chan Ki-hop, Beast Stalker - Hong Kong
William Suk-ping Chang, Miao Miao - Taiwan/Hong Kong
Darya Daniolva, Native Dancer - Kazakhstan/Russia/France/Germany
Waluyo Ichwandiardono, The Rainbow Troops - Indonesia
Kim Sun-min, The Chaser - South Korea

Visual effects
Craig Hayes, Red Cliff - China
Kim Wook, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Yanagawase Masahide, Paco and the Magical Book - Japan

Best of 2008: Movies

It's not a top ten list if you don't make some difficult decisions separating the wheat from the chaff. It's also not a top ten list if there aren't ten. Because I couldn't bring myself to reduce this list any more than I already have, I am inaugurating the top 5% list. That's right, these 16 titles represent 5% of what I saw in 2008. (You do the math.) From the heart, here are my favorite films of the year, in order, with a sizable bucket for honorable mentions:

1.

Ashes of Time Redux (2008) directed by Wong Kar Wai

December 12 an 17 at the Lagoon

Seeing Ashes of Time again was like falling in love all over again. The most surprising thing about Redux is how similar it is to the original, but how it feels like an entirely new film. Painstakingly remastered, it looks as it never has before. Ashes of Time is the martial arts film for the contemplative romantic that finds the human heart as mysterious a place as the Gobi desert. Ashes of Time has been my favorite Wong Kar Wai film because of its elusive nature that turned most people away. Like most of his films (My Blueberry Nights the big exception), Ashes revealed a new layer with each viewing. Thankfully the era of watching it from DVDs that are shamelessly cropped and devoid of color is over.

2.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) directed by Cristian Mungiu
March 3 at the Edina

The buzz for this film was in 2007, but it didn't arrive here until 2008. Although very un-movie like in pragmatic storyline and tone, 4 Months is all the more powerful and painful. Oppression hangs over every scene like a high pitch that you can't hear but you can definitely feel.

3.
Syndromes and a Century (2006) directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
January 27 on DVD

Apichatpong Weerasethakul may be one of the most brilliant filmmakers alive. His films are visual dreams that find their beauty in a gentle surreality. Syndromes and a Century was inspired by Weerasethakul's parents, who were both doctors, but it hardly stops there. Like Tropical Malady, Syndromes and a Century is made up of two stories that work as a sublime puzzle that thankfully defies being 'figured out.' This film was one commissioned for Mozart's 250th birthday in 2006; it got a brief theatrical run in 2007 (but not here); and came out on DVD early in 2008. I'm ashamed that I didn't take the time to write about it and will make a new year's resolution to rewatch it and write about it in 2009.

4.
Silent Light (2007) directed by Carlos Reygadas
April 25 at the Walker

Just one of the theatrical screenings in the Twin Cities that defied all odds. It screened only once with the director himself there for a Q and A. Reygadas has dropped some of the overt experimentation found in Battle in Heaven to return to the minimalist beauty of Japón. Silent Light takes place in a cloistered Mennonite community in Mexico and functions like a contemporary religious fable.

5.
Man on Wire (2008) directed by James Marsh
August 14 at the Uptown

Nothing contemplates the human condition more than Man on Wire. And by 'the human condition' I mean the dreams that make us feel alive. In Philippe Petit's case that meant walking a high wire between the Twin Towers in 1974. It's an awe-inspiring story that is truly hard to grasp.

6.
The Mourning Forest (2007) directed by Naomi Kawase
March 27 at the Walker

Naomi Kawase's visit to the Walker was a huge highlight for me in in 2008, and seeing her most recent Cannes Grand Prix winning film was the icing on the cake. The Mourning Forest takes liberties in telling a deceptively simple story that apologetically wears its heart on its sleeve. Two strangers come to terms with the loss through a give and take allegorical adventure that is as quiet as it is unsettling.

7.
Flight of the Red Balloon (2007) directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien
May 2 at the Uptown

Juliette Binoche got all the attention for her 'unconventional performance,' stealing the thunder of Hou's window-on-the-world piece of wonderment. In some respects Flight of the Red Balloon is a family drama, but it is also a fantastic homage to the medium. A film inspired by another film that includes a character making a film. We are constantly reminded that the beauty of the mundane is right before our eyes, either through Hou's lens or Song's lens or Simon looking through Song's lens.

8.
Alexandra (2007) directed by Aleksandr Sokurov
April 22 at St Anthony Main/MSPIFF

It is no mistake that Sokurov's most recent protagonist shares his name as he channels himself through Alexandra into the difficult terrain of Chechnya. Alexandra travels to Chechnya to visit her grandson who is stationed there. She is not only a matronly all-knowing presence among the Russian soldiers on the base, but also among the Chechnyan's in the market. The film is tender but also unwaveringly no-nonsense: a mere peek into the personal politics of one individual.

9.
Mad Detective (2007) directed by Johnny To
May 27 on DVD

Although there was promise of Mad Detective making into theaters, it never appeared in these parts. Johnny To is making quite a name for himself, cranking out the films that the festivals just can't get enough of. With Mad Detective, To has completely outdone himself. Last year I was saying that To had made his best film yet with Exiled, but now Exiled just seems like a well put together rehash of his best films. Mad Detective is something new with an edge provided by Lau Ching-Wan's amazing performance. It's funny, clever, dark and extremely entertaining.

10.
Chop Shop (2007) directed by Ramin Bahrani
May 13 at the Parkway

Once again simplicity wins out in this small, unassuming film. Two orphans trying to make their way in life from the ground up. Young and entrepreneurial Alejandro takes up work in a chop shop in Queens, a stones throw from Shea Stadium. Working to make life better for himself and his older sister is only priority. Comparisons with Neorealism are not unfounded, but more importantly it is heartfelt and grounded. Alejandro carries this very weighty film to great heights.

11.
JCVD (2008) directed by Mabrouk El Mechri
December 12 at the Lagoon

I am filled with admiration of Jean-Claude Van Damme and gratitude to Mabrouk El Mechri for making this film. A drama made for the appreciation of action stars that is unbelievably honest. Van Damme stars as himself, an aging action star whose physical talents are no longer appreciated. The opening shot is no bullshit, as it shows a ridiculous single take of a film within the film. It will make you see Bloodsport in a whole new light. Van Damme is fantastic in this film.

12.
Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) directed by Alex Gibney
March 20 at the Parkway

Last year's news is this year's screening. Despite economic woes, the world seems a little brighter now than it did when I saw this film in March. I don't know which makes me more sad: that such things happen, or that such things happen and the majority seems not to care. Gibney was brave to make such an honest film about such an ugly subject.

13.

Paranoid Park (2007) directed by Gus Van Sant
April 21 at the Lagoon

Paranoid Park is far more impressive to me than Van Sant's by the book biopic Milk. Paranoid Park is an artfully atmospheric continuation of Van Sant's meditations on the inner workings of young men's minds. Where Milk is straight forward, Paranoid Park is wonderfully meandering and experimental.

14.

Trouble the Water (2008) directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin
September 19 at the Lagoon

Why are people still talking about Hurricane Katrina? Watch Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke or read Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine or watch this documentary to get your answer. Trouble the Water is guerrilla filmmaking, the antithesis of the pre-packaged government approved nightly news. Kimberly and Scott Roberts were too poor to leave New Orleans as the hurricane approached. With no car and no means of transportation, Kimberly resigns to staying with her video camera turned on. The result is nothing short of an amazing document to what really happened to the people abandoned there and their continuing struggle.

15.

Mister Lonely (2007) directed by Harmony Korine
December 3 on DVD

Perhaps I chose this film simply because it was ignored. Or perhaps I choose this film because John Waters did as well. Or maybe I chose this film because it offered something unique in the homogeneous mess of films that generally hits screens.

16.

Before I Forget (2007) directed by Jacques Nolot
June 25 at the Walker

The best entry in the Walker's Queer Takes series, Before I Forget is an intelligent and dignified portrayal of an aging hustler. Jacques Nolot himself takes the lead role of a man dealing with his own age as he watches friends pass on. Nolot has created an uncompromising fictionalized autobiography that breathes visual poetry. The breathtaking somber last shot still lingers with me six months later.

Much more than Honorable Mentions:
Beaufort (April 29, MSPIFF)
I’ve Loved You So Long (November 24, Lagoon)
Little Moth (April 19, MSPIFF)
Happy-Go-Lucky (October 31, Uptown)
Casandra’s Dream/Vicky Christina Barcelona (January 19/August 15, Lagoon)
Encounters at the End of the World (December 12, DVD)
Slumdog Millionaire (November 21, Edina)
The Unforeseen (October 28, DVD)
Let the Right One In (October 30, Lagoon)
Ballast (October 29, Walker)

Although I would like to think I have the common sense to avoid the worst movies of the year, there were two movies that I did make the mistake of seeing: Cloverfield and The Happening.

My Christmas List for 2009

For what Santa didn't deliver in 2008, I will patiently wait for in 2009. Before I shower 2008 in praise for the diverse screenings I've seen this year, I first want to lament what I have yet to see. I know my Christmas list is long, but these are gifts I would gladly share with anyone.

First here are things on my list already scheduled for this unfortunate frozen middle-land we live in:

Waltz With Bashir (2008) directed by Ari Folman (Opening January 9 at Landmark)
Given the fact that I have been to five movies at the Lagoon in the last week means that I have seen this trailer five times. I'm not saying anything new when I proclaim that it has a great look to it—iconically contemporary.

Che (2008) directed by Steven Soderbergh (Opening January 9 at Landmark)
Che is coming, but I suspect the scheduled date is off. This is a huge film and I'm not sure why it isn't being treated as such. The lack of a trailer, ads, website, anything is just odd. Plan on paying two admission prices, ala Best of Youth, for parts one and two. (The total running time between the two is about four and a half hours. Yea-yah.) However, it may be worth it. Soderbergh has charmed the critics into thinking Che is something of a magnum opus.

Of Time and the City (2008) directed by Terence Davies (Screening January 23-24 at the Walker)
I'll admit having seen none of Davies films despite their availability. But I can't say I ever had the interest until I started reading about this film and the director himself. This film marks a return to Davies' hometown, a place of pain and joy for him, in something of an homage. Of Time and the City was another film that premiered at Cannes. Check out issue 35 of CinemaScope for a very interesting interview with Davies.

24 City (2008) directed by Jia Zhangke (Screening January 30-31 at the Walker)
Jia's most recent feature film arrives sooner than his 2007 film, Useless. 24 City is part fact, part fiction in its story of a factory that is to be torn down to make way for high-rise apartments in Chengdu. Reading about Jia's construction of a 'slice of life' interviewing people connected to the factory immediately reminds me of Liao Yiwu's amazing book of interviews The Corpse Walker: Real Life Stories—China From the Bottom Up. I am very excited that the Walker has included this in their "Expanding the Frame" series.

Wendy and Lucy (2008) directed by Kelly Reichardt (Opening February 6 at Landmark)
Much like 2 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days from last year, my anticipation and confidence about this film is so strong that I would almost call it my favorite film of the year without even seeing it. Reichardt's previous film, Old Joy, is a film that has stayed with me since I saw it two years ago. Old Joy captures the beauty and complexity of life and friendship with a sorrowful reverence. Wendy and Lucy looks to be no different. Because there is nothing sexy about a poor, homeless young woman (at least not as sexy as a horny Nazi or an angry and horny suburban housewife played by Kate Winslet), Michelle William's performance is not getting nearly the attention it probably should.

Gamorrah (2008) directed by Matteo Garrone (Opening March 13 at Landmark)
This film promises an examination of the mafia like we have never seen before. Based on the bestseller by Roberto Saviano (who is now in hiding for his own protection) Gamorrah takes place in a very rough and raw crime world of Naples. Gamorrah was one of the most highly praised films from Cannes 2008.

The Wrestler (2008) directed by Darren Aronofsky (Opening January 9 at Landmark)
This promises to be a unique tear-jerker that even the most macho guy will enjoy. Micky Rourke looks absolutely amazing, and I would like to see him get an Oscar for this (but I think Hollywood is feeling too guilt ridden about Proposition 8 and will give it to Sean Penn.)

And here is the laundry list of the other films that I am waiting on, at least the recent ones. Get ready to scroll:

The Headless Woman (2008) directed by Lucrecia Martel
Lucrecia Martel's first film (La Cienaga aka The Swamp) was nothing short of a masterpiece, and her second (The Holy Girl) was psychologically tighter but no less masterful. I would like to think I don't bandy words like 'masterful' casually. I've been waiting for Martel's next film for four years, and the fact that it is somewhere out there, but I can't see it, drives me nuts! The Headless Woman premiered at Cannes 2008, and had its US premiere at the New York Film Festival.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008) directed by Kim Jee-woon
Obviously this was a big enough hit in South Korea, that eventually it will show up hopefully in theaters. Kim Jee-woon has been working his way up the popularity ladder with The Quiet Family (1998), Foul King (2000), A Tale of Two Sisters (2003, being remade as The Uninvited here in the US) and Bittersweet Life (2005)—some of the best film to come out of South Korea in the past ten years. He seem to have reach a critical mass with The Good, The Bad, The Weird, a Korean version of the great American Western. I thought The Weinsteins had the rights for this film, but now I find a listing that IFC has the rights...either way, they need to hurry up, because that fancy DVD from Korea is coming soon! Official Korean site here.

Seven Nights (2008) directed by Namoi Kawase
Seeing Naomi Kawase's films at the Women With Vision series was a 2008 highlight for me. Seeing this film may prove to be a little difficult in these parts. It opened in Japan in November and hasn't really done the festival circuit yet. After winning the Grand Prize at Cannes for Mourning Forest, Kawase had mentioned, sarcastically, that her next film would be a comedy. Hilariously, this got reported and she did nothing to deny it. If you watch the trailer (linked above) you can clearly see that it is not a comedy—lots of emoting here. Seven Nights is a literal translation of the Japanese title, Nanayomachi.

Sebris (2008) directed by Brillante Mendoza
I set my sights on Singapore to bring me this film on DVD. It got completely dumped on at Cannes, but further reports made it seem that the presentation (specifically the sound) was all effed up. Sebris is a family drama from the Philippines. The family lives in and runs a large old movie house that has been reduced to screening porno films. (I would also like to see Mendoza's Slingshot from 2007 please.)

Tokyo Sonata (2008) directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
No doubt in my mind that this has a much better chance of making itself available on DVD than in theaters. Although Kurosawa's last three films (Retribution, The Loft, and Doppelgänger) haven't been his best, word is that Tokyo Sonata not only finds him back in fine form, but also exploring new territory. (Does anyone think Seven Pounds director Gabriele Muccino has seen Bright Future?)

Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind (2007) directed by John Gianvito
"A visual meditation on the progressive history of the United States as seen through cemeteries, historic plaques and markers." I know it doesn't sound like much, but I am convinced it is and would really like to see it.

Martyrs (2008) directed by Pascal Lagnier
What would life be if you weren't waiting for a blood-splattering French horror film? Maybe I'm just kidding myself when I say the French bring something new to this genre. Either way, just like I have with US films of the same ilk, I will give these films a chance so I can make a more informed critical assessment...

Tulpan (2008) directed by Sergey Dvortsevoy
Tulpan is a contemporary Kazakh folk tale with a wandering reality-based nature. Asa is off to proposed to Tulpan for her hand in marriage. When she refuses, Asa is convinced that Tulpan is his true love despite the fact that he hasn't even really seen her.

Hunger (2008) directed by Steve McQueen
"Featuring on of cinema's greatest scenes ever..." proclaims the London Times. Steve McQueen is an Artist (with a capital A) earning the Turner Prize for a performance video he did in NYC entitled "Drumroll" and garnering fame as a war artist, campaigning to have each British soldier who has died in Iraq commemorated on a postage stamp. Hunger, his first feature, tells the story of IRA martyr and hunger striker Bobby Sands. From everything I have read, this film is no walk in the park, and I worry it may have some trouble finding its way to the US.

Pontypool (2008) directed by Bruce McDonald
A Canadian horror film from the director who brought us The Tracy Fragments. An apocalyptic virus that spreads via the English language has hit the small town of Pontypool. In theory, this film sounds very cool, but I'm not sure how it will all play out on screen. I like the tag, "Shut up or die."

Dust of Time (2008) directed by Theo Angelopoulos
Angelipoulos' second film in a trilogy that started with The Weeping Meadow made in 2004. If it is only half as good as The Weeping Meadow—a dense, complex and poetically elegiac film—I will not be disappointed. The film stars Bruno Ganz, Michel Piccoli, Irene Jacob, and Willem Dafoe. In Angelopoulos' words: "The Dust of Time is a film that treats the past as if it were in the present. It is history written in capital letters and history written in small print. We used to think of ourselves as the subjects of history. Nowadays I can't say if we are its subjects or objects."

Plastic City (2008) directed by Yu Lik Wai
Oh, to be an independent filmmaker in Hong Kong...Yu Lik Wai continues to do it, barely scratching the festival surface with his film. Love Will Tear Us Apart is without a doubt one the most interesting and unique Hong Kong films I have ever seen. I search endlessly for his other film All Tomorrow's Parties endlessly the last time I was in HK and China, but to no avail. Yu Lik Wai is much better know as Jia Zhangke's cinematographer, but certainly has his own credentials as director. Plastic City stars Japanese superstar Jo Odigiri as a gangster living in São Paulo, Brazil. Part Triad film, part international action drama, Plastic City seems perfect for a subtitle tolerant mainstream audience.

Sky Crawlers (2008) directed by Mamoru Oshii
Godfather of Japanese anime adapts this five part novel from Hiroshi Mori into an very exquisite looking animated feature. This is the kind of thing that I die to see on a big screen. In this case I am optimistic that it might just happen. Check out the trailer linked above.

Warsaw Dark (2008) directed by Christopher Doyle
Crazy man and super-cinematographer Chris Doyle completed his second film in the director's chair this year. His first, Away With Words, was (as one might expect) beautifully filmed but a hopelessly flawed meditation on life, love, and drinking too much. I guess I don't expect too much more from Warsaw Dark, but I will take it any day over the choices facing me today in the theater. Warsaw Dark screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival with a few people reporting both the good and the bad, but no word on the film since and nary a trailer to be found. The film is set and was shot in Poland, and is some sort of crime thriller with gangsters and the like.

United Red Army (2007) directed by Koji Wakamatsu
Once again, I have little hope of seeing this in a theater. Wakamatsu has tried to give a true account of Japan's radical student group formed in the 1970s. Wakamatsu knew many of the people involved, and proves that fact by still being barred from entering the United States due to his political affiliations. The complicated story lets the viewer decide whether to demonize or champion it's idealistic members. The film is entrenched in history that few outside of Japan might know about, making the film a hard sell. Wakamatsu did some grassroots fundraising to get the film made, so perhaps it will find an equally creative way to be distributed.

Bing Ai (2007) directed by Feng Yan
Recommended to me as a much more poignant look at the displacement of people from the Three Gorges Dam project than Up the Yangtze. Zhang Bing Ai is a peasant woman who refuses to leave her home and stands in the way of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Filmmaker Feng Yan spent ten years documenting Bing Ai's struggles. Chances are I'll have to find this on DVD.

Fengming (2007) directed by Wang Bing
This is only Wang Bing's second film in five years, but if you counted every 90 minutes as one film, these two films would equal 8 films. His documentary, West of the Tracks, was over 9 hours long and Fengming is 3 hours. There is a lot of banter about the transformation of China, and West of the Tracks showed a powerful version of that through the industrial landscape of Shenyang. Fengming seems to do the same thing, but through one woman's eyes, He Fengming.

Dust (2007) directed by Harmut Bitomsky
It is the smallest subjects that are the most fascinating. We had a book kicking around out house for a while that tackled this subject matter called "The Secret Life of Dust," and although I didn't read it, the person who did would relay the high points. Thinking about the nature of dust makes me feel a little like Pigpen, but I like the idea that I physically retain some of the space I'm in. I think this documentary sounds amazing.

Useless (2007) directed by Jia Zhangke
Here's the Jia film I must wait on a little longer. Useless is a documentary about clothing designer Ma Ke, but also reaches beyond to China's role in the clothing industry. Someone should bring Jia here and do a retrospective of his work. (Hint, hint!)

Yasukuni (2007) directed by Ying Li
Yasukuni is the Japanese Shinto shrine that is dedicated to those who died for the Emperor of Japan. To say that the shrine has become controversial is kind of an understatement. Many see the shrine and those who visit it a validation of what Japan did in WWII. It didn't help that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi like to visit it with great fanfare just to piss people off. (And by people, I mean China and South Korea.) Documentary filmmaker Ying Li has done a little pissing off himself. Born in China but living in Japan, Ying Li says that he made this film "for both Japan's sake and for my sake." Clearly meant to be a cathartic film, it was nonetheless seen as inflammatory and largely suppressed.

At Sea (2007) directed by Peter Hutton
I guess this isn't even a feature film. At least not a feature film your gonna see in your multiplex, Mall variety or independent variety. Most refer to Peter Hutton as a cinematic portraitist of landscape. Nonetheless, I am fascinated by commercial maritime activity, and when I read about this film (no doubt in Art Forum, my favorite covert film magazine) I immediately wrote it down. What I found on MOMA's website encapsulated where my enthusiasm came from: "A haunting meditation on human progress, both physical and metaphorical, At Sea charts a three-year passage from twenty-first-century ship building in South Korea to primitive and dangerous ship breaking in Bangladesh, with an epic journey across the North Atlantic in between."

The Mugger (2007) directed by Pablo Fendrik
I'm sure there is a good reason why I wrote down this Argentinean film, but the article or review or interview I read escapes me. I have no choice but to trust myself.

Rembrandt's J'Accuse (2007) directed by Peter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway has certainly fallen from cinematic grace that he once possessed. His recent films are damn near the hardest things to get a hold of. Which is too bad, because Greenaway is a director who is obviously creating a body of work rather than single films. Only seeing one Tulse Luper Suitcases film, for example, does no justice for what this man is doing. (Or that is my excuse for feeling so confused by it.) I was hooked on Greenaway at an early age and then ended up working at a theater that screened The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover for an unprecedented amount of time due to the brand new NC-17 rating it received. Jeepers, I have seen that film so many times. I also have a fond memory of seeing Prospero's Books at an empty theater at St Anthony Main on a particularly lonely Thanksgiving. Those are other stories though. Greenaway's esotericism is a draw for me, but no doubt a deterrent for others. I would like to see Greenaway's new films in similar situations for future nostalgia.

Cargo 200 (2007) directed by Alexei Balabanov
This film is tagged as a bleak black comedy. Now I am not really sure where I read about this film, but it must have caught my eye at some point. And although I don't think I have seen any other films by Balabanov, I notice that I also have his 2002 film War on my list of films I would like to see. (Don't worry, I will not go that far in this list.) Somebody needs to fill me in on this guy.

Sad Vacation (2008) directed by Shinji Aoyama
Yes, there is a Japanese and Korean DVD out there of this film, but neither has English subtitles. Why? Why?!? Is someone really going to buy the rights to this film in the US. If they do, great, I don't mind waiting. But if they don't, I'm a-gonna be really mad. I consider Aoyama to be an inconsistent director, but that is only because I regard Eureka as one of the best films ever made. Given my expectations, his other films have failed to launch, in my opinion. Maybe odds are bad that he will make one of the second best films ever made or even outdo Eureka, but as long as he is making films, I will hope for the best.

The Unpolished (2007) directed by Pia Marais
The début feature from German director Pia Marias scored high marks when it made the festival rounds, but has yet to show up beyond that. This film looks really interesting, and just reaffirms my assumption that there are so so many good films out there that never surface. Let's hope the digital age and on-demand services will bring more access to films like this.

Am I asking Santa for too much? God knows, there is more, but I am cautious to just how much of my insanity I am willing to reveal.