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Film Catch-up
Even amidst all the school craziness, I have been managing a steady diet of films at the Denver International Film Festival. Here's a brief review of the films from the past few days.
Lord God Bird
Nope I'm not a birder, although I do imagine it to be a rather cool pastime, something that might suit my proclivity to spaciness. N's fine pick for the festival proved to be a spot on film. George Butler's documentary is gorgeous. The documentary's fabulous shots trace the saga of the Ivory-billed woodpecker, whose beautiful tail feathers containing specks of white grace the sky in flight. Archival footage, along with footage of the searches for the bird back in 2004, mingle, tracing the bird's journey to extinction and perhaps its return. The film is part mythology, part environmental plea, leaving me with a sense that seeing is always mediated by a mindful eye.
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle's latest film pulsates. The basic premise of the film is a boy (Jamal) from the slums of Mumbai finds himself years later as a contestant on Mumbai's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Brilliantly, Boyle's film peels back the layers of Jamal's life, growing up orphaned wih his brother Salim, piecing a life of survival together. Always overcoming his adversity and taking the high road, Jamal's persistence rests on a memory of a girl, a crush that he chases. The film uses Jamal's answers on the show as links to his past, helping the viewer discover the pieces of Jamal's life.
Waltz with Bashir
Ari Folman's animated film is at times a reflection on memory, but mostly a shocking reminder of the horrors of war, and in the film's case, the 1982 Lebanon War. The film begins with a horrific image of chasing dogs, a dream told to Folman by a friend. This spurs Folman to try to discover his lost memories. His ultimate goal is to try to remember what happened at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacre. He wanders, visiting friends from the military, hearing their stories, each time getting a bit closer to his lost memory. At the end, the reality of the massacre is no longer lost, and the film moves from its animation into the stark reality of actual footage from the massacre. Brilliant and totally disturbing.
