For most of the week, Knuckle (Saturday 22 at the Broadway) has been my favorite movie at Sundance this year. It was bumped to second (so far) on Friday, but not my much.
This documentary by Ian Palmer is about a feud between two closely related families of Irish Travelers. When the conflict comes to a head, they try to settle things with bare knuckle fights in order to prevent wider violence. The fights are held in out of the way places, such as low traffic country lanes, to keep the authorities out of the picture.
These fights are refereed by members of other clans and the decision of the referee is final, although that doesn't prevent another challenge. Members of the fighters' families are not allowed at the bouts, again to prevent brawling.
Beyond the fighting there are a few other insights to the Travelers: most of the women and young girls are shy of the camera in the hands of outsiders, the clans are intermarried and fights are often between first cousins etc.
The Q&A helped some with this film. Palmer met the Quinn McDonaghs when he was asked to film a wedding and then called and asked to film a fight. He filmed this family and two others for twelve years, and it was only in the 10th year that he was told what the modern root of the fight was about.
I don't feel like I've explained this very well at all, but part of the reason is that I can't explain to myself why I like this film so very much.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sundance 2011 Shorts Program III
Of the three shorts programs I saw on Saturday the 22nd, this was my least favorite overall.
I did like "Stopover," however, and think it is the best of the eight shorts in this program.
This is a story of a Romanian woman on her way to Miami who has her wallet stolen from her purse at the airport in either Italy or Spain (sorry, my Romance languages aren't good and it was a week ago). Her boarding pass and passport are both gone, but she has her phone. She does not want to go to security for help, despite her husband's urgings.
A man approaches her at the gate where she is calling her father and husband to have them cancel her credit cards and try to get her new documents as quickly as possible. He comments on her being Romanian and offers to help, she does not accept his offer but he helps her anyway. He returns her wallet with her passport and boarding pass but not her money and cards.
This little story, 14 minutes, isn't about the loss of documents and problems that can cause, but about how a common language in a foreign country makes strangers decide that someone is interested and familiar. It begins on the plane with an older woman talking our subjects ear off, the man in the airport helps her because she is Romanian, when she is finally on the plane another woman starts talking to her in Romanian, again because she overheard her on the phone. Our hero is from Romania, but she is not interested in this community of linguistic exile, all she wants to do is get to Miami.
I did like "Stopover," however, and think it is the best of the eight shorts in this program.
This is a story of a Romanian woman on her way to Miami who has her wallet stolen from her purse at the airport in either Italy or Spain (sorry, my Romance languages aren't good and it was a week ago). Her boarding pass and passport are both gone, but she has her phone. She does not want to go to security for help, despite her husband's urgings.
A man approaches her at the gate where she is calling her father and husband to have them cancel her credit cards and try to get her new documents as quickly as possible. He comments on her being Romanian and offers to help, she does not accept his offer but he helps her anyway. He returns her wallet with her passport and boarding pass but not her money and cards.
This little story, 14 minutes, isn't about the loss of documents and problems that can cause, but about how a common language in a foreign country makes strangers decide that someone is interested and familiar. It begins on the plane with an older woman talking our subjects ear off, the man in the airport helps her because she is Romanian, when she is finally on the plane another woman starts talking to her in Romanian, again because she overheard her on the phone. Our hero is from Romania, but she is not interested in this community of linguistic exile, all she wants to do is get to Miami.
Where was I... Sundance 2011 Shorts Program V
Sorry about the delay, dear reader, it's been a little busy even when I haven't been at movies, and blogging from the phone isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe I need more practice, but right now I have a longish break so here I go playing catchup.
For me the highpoint for Shorts Program V, which is the best shorts program I've seen this year, was "The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting." Yes, the name is nearly as long as the film.
This 8 minute modern fairy tale is very funny. Two couples are on a double date, when the one is asked how they met. This is how the tale unfolds.
The hunter stumbles upon a group of lovely ladies bathing in a stream, when he startles them they grab their feathered cloaks, turn to swans and fly away. He returns and steals one of the cloaks so that the girl has to stay in human form.
The telling of the story causes the swan princess to have a revelation of her own about the hunter.
I would guess that this short is inspired by this illustration of Valkyries with swan skins from Fredrik Sander's 1893 edition of the Poetic Edda.
For me the highpoint for Shorts Program V, which is the best shorts program I've seen this year, was "The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting." Yes, the name is nearly as long as the film.
This 8 minute modern fairy tale is very funny. Two couples are on a double date, when the one is asked how they met. This is how the tale unfolds.
The hunter stumbles upon a group of lovely ladies bathing in a stream, when he startles them they grab their feathered cloaks, turn to swans and fly away. He returns and steals one of the cloaks so that the girl has to stay in human form.
The telling of the story causes the swan princess to have a revelation of her own about the hunter.
I would guess that this short is inspired by this illustration of Valkyries with swan skins from Fredrik Sander's 1893 edition of the Poetic Edda.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Ever so many shorts - Sundance 2011
Where to begin this lovely Saturday? I have seen a total of 21 short films today in the Documentary Showcase I and Shorts Programs V and III.
Since it is beyond me to write about each short without notes, I'll just go for the high points of each program.
Satan Since 2003 was the first and best of the documentaries.
It is the story of (read carefully) a moped gang in Richmond, VA. This short has all of the passion, drama and violence of every motorcycle gang movie I've ever seen, with two stroke engines. I would like to see it expanded into a feature, though not a full length documentary.
Must go get in line for Knuckle. More later faithful reader.
Since it is beyond me to write about each short without notes, I'll just go for the high points of each program.
Satan Since 2003 was the first and best of the documentaries.
It is the story of (read carefully) a moped gang in Richmond, VA. This short has all of the passion, drama and violence of every motorcycle gang movie I've ever seen, with two stroke engines. I would like to see it expanded into a feature, though not a full length documentary.
Must go get in line for Knuckle. More later faithful reader.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Random Sundance thought
Anyone remember Space Truckers? It was one of my favorite Sundance at Midnight shows. Not great, but ever so much fun.
Abraxas -- Sundance 2011
Abraxas is nearly a disappointment, however, the last few minutes of this movie made it all worthwhile. Call me crazy, but I expect a movie about music to have a little bit more music than this did.
This story of a speed punk front man turned Buddhist monk and family man, is in Judeo-Christian phrasing, about making "a joyful noise unto the lord." Unfortunately, I do not know the proper phrase in the Japanese Zen Buddhist tradition.
You can read the catalog listing here. But in brief, Jonen, the previously mentioned monk, has a break down at career day at the high school which sends him into a deepening depression. He realizes that, as he did in his own high school days (20 years earlier), he never wants the music to stop. He approaches is superior at the monastery and his wife and says that he wants to sing again. His superior is understanding, his wife not so much. He also has the support of a friend who didn't know him back in the day.
The setting is about the only thing that separates this movie from other music comeback stories that easily come to mind. I was also not enamored of the things that we, the audience, were assumed to understand about Jonen's relationships with the people in his town, though this could be a problem of subtitles. Despite this, and the slow pace, the movie is beautiful and well acted.
Midlife crises happen. Promises are revoked and broken, and the damage to them is forgiven. The world is challenged. Death occurs at inconvenient times. Leonard Cohen is sung in Japanese.
This isn't a movie I liked a lot right away, but it is growing on me even at two hours out.
This story of a speed punk front man turned Buddhist monk and family man, is in Judeo-Christian phrasing, about making "a joyful noise unto the lord." Unfortunately, I do not know the proper phrase in the Japanese Zen Buddhist tradition.
You can read the catalog listing here. But in brief, Jonen, the previously mentioned monk, has a break down at career day at the high school which sends him into a deepening depression. He realizes that, as he did in his own high school days (20 years earlier), he never wants the music to stop. He approaches is superior at the monastery and his wife and says that he wants to sing again. His superior is understanding, his wife not so much. He also has the support of a friend who didn't know him back in the day.
The setting is about the only thing that separates this movie from other music comeback stories that easily come to mind. I was also not enamored of the things that we, the audience, were assumed to understand about Jonen's relationships with the people in his town, though this could be a problem of subtitles. Despite this, and the slow pace, the movie is beautiful and well acted.
Midlife crises happen. Promises are revoked and broken, and the damage to them is forgiven. The world is challenged. Death occurs at inconvenient times. Leonard Cohen is sung in Japanese.
This isn't a movie I liked a lot right away, but it is growing on me even at two hours out.
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