CRUCIAL VIEWING
Onion City Experimental Film & Video Festival: Opening Night
Gene Siskel Film Center – Thursday, 8pm
Despite an overarching thematic focus on mortality, transience, and finality, this year's opening program for the Onion City Festival makes for an extremely heartening précis on the state of world cinema: Every entry is a gem.
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Itself worth the price of admission is a recent short by Pedro Costa: His THE RABBIT HUNTERS (2007, 23 min) centers once again on the wanderings of the iconic Ventura (from COLOSSAL YOUTH), though the already porous distinctions between past and present (and death and life) in Costa/Ventura's world have now broken down ("I'm haunted by lots of ghosts," Ventura explains, and it isn't a figure of speech). Next, Phil Solomon presents another of his shorts made up of images taken entirely from Grand Theft Auto. Despite its origins in the color, noise, and amorality of the popular video game, LAST DAYS IN A LONELY PLACE (2007, 20 min) is an elegiac, menacing, black and white landscape film, filled with abandoned cars, polygons of mist, and dialogue snippets from Nicholas Ray movies. This casual apocalypse is followed by OBSERVANDO EL CIELO (2007, 19 min), a similarly depopulated film by Jeanne Liotta, constructed via seven years of time-lapse photography of the night sky. No mere discursion on the "wonder of the stars," OBSERVANDO is a disjunctive, occasionally startling 16mm cacophony of lyricism and brutalism, with a soundtrack consisting of radio recordings of the galaxy and contributions by one Peggy Ahwesh. Bruce Connor's EASTER MORNING (2008, 10 min) is an overwhelming sensual experience, with colors whose provenance seems to stretch back to the days of early Technicolor, and a magical and idiosyncratic rendition of Terry Riley's In C by the Shanghai Film Orchestra on the soundtrack. Gyula Nemes's THE DIKE OF TRANSIENCE (2005, 13 min) is a bewildering constructivist montage of stray animals, grizzled faces, water, and intricately decrepit dwellings—a masterpiece. Finally, Larry Jordan's delightful Ernst-inspired animation OUR LADY OF THE SPHERE (1969, 10 min) suggests nothing so much as a Terry Gilliam with real guts; while Ben Rivers's excellent THE HYRCYNIUM WOOD (2007, 3 min) and WE THE PEOPLE (2007, 1 min) explore two familiar varieties of horror-movie menace: the latter, for instance, giving us images of a deserted toy-like town accompanied by the sounds of a angry mob chasing a lone fugitive. Onion City was programmed by Patrick Friel and produced by Chicago Filmmakers. (Various formats) JD
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Full festival schedule available here.
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Jacques Rivette's THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (New Foreign)
Landmark Century Cinema – Check Reader Movies for showtimes
Though saddled with an anodyne title by its distributors—perhaps to encourage domestic audiences to mistake the film for a palatable "literary costume drama"—Jacques Rivette's latest effort finds the master returning to familiar ground (Balzac, a stately period piece) with a degree of impish, recondite subversion so pronounced that it will surely alienate filmgoers seduced into the theater by the promise of pageantry and low-cut bodices; and which likewise makes his more outré, forthrightly supernatural STORY OF MARIE AND JULIEN seem a trite exercise by comparison. LANGEAIS (the French title translates as "Don't Touch the Axe," which was the name under which the Balzac novel adapted here was initially serialized) seems constructed on the model of a series of blackout sketches: scenes are brief, oblique, ruthlessly compressed, and often book-ended by po-faced title cards quoting only the most incidental, functional, workhorse sentences from the source novel ("More than three weeks went by"). Beautiful though it may be, the film can only frustrate viewers seeking a happy identity with Balzac/Rivette's doomed lovers: LANGEAIS partakes of the same narrative indeterminacy as JR's "romantic comedy" VA SAVOIR: suspending its viewers on the precipice of genre, it's only during LANGEAIS's cruel closing scenes that we can be certain what kind of movie we've been watching—its seeming hesitations, repetitions, and ambivalences all clicking into place with a merciless flourish. Devotees will find LANGEAIS a treasure-trove of Rivettiana (the hollow wooden thuds of Depardieu's false leg on the parquet; a secret society—the Thirteen themselves, in fact; and plenty of references to the theater), but what is most astounding about Rivette's recent work is how he has managed to turn narrative itself—its deployment and structure in cinema—into a matter of the greatest suspense. Need it be said that le veilleur is at the top of his game? (2007, 138 min, 35mm) JD
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View trailer here.
Rivette discusses DUCHESS in this recent interview posted to www.jacques-rivette.com.
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ALSO RECOMMENDED
African Diaspora Film Festival
Facets Cinémathèque – Check Reader Movies for showtimes
Facets hosts its 6th annual focus on independent cinema by black filmmakers from around the world. The festival kicks off Friday night with CUBA, AN AFRICAN ODYSSEY (2007, 118 min, video), a documentary focusing on Cuba's long history of support for revolutionary movements in Africa, exploring relationships between key figures such as Che Guevara, Patrice Lumumba, Fidel Castro, and Nelson Mandela. Additional highlights: JOSÉPHINE BAKER: BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE'S MAN WORLD (2006, 45 min, video), an in-depth portrait of the legendary performer, which draws attention to her little-known history as a resistance fighter and civil rights activist; EZRA (2006, 110 min, video), the harrowing chronicle of a young man's struggle to come to terms with his horrifying experiences as a child-solider in Sierra Leone's civil war, which won the top award at the FESPACO African Film Fest, and garnered a nomination for the Grand Jury prize at Sundance; and THE DESERT ARK (1997, 90 min, 35mm), a "Romeo and Juliet story" set in the Algerian desert, noted for its "splendid and terrifying" visuals. Check out the full line-up on the Cinémathèque website. DW
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More info at www.facets.org.
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SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (Classic Revival)
Music Box (Matinee Series) – Saturday & Sunday, 11:30am; Wednesday, 12:30pm
The Music Box's 11:30 matinee is the perfect slot for SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. It's hard to think of a better lunch break than a Stanley Donen film, especially if you've got the rest of the afternoon off. Donen musicals are always enhancements rather than escapes; going to see one on the big screen is like getting the prescription on your glasses changed. His directorial debut, ON THE TOWN, is the perfect complement to a summer day in the city, but watching this one (his first in Cinemascope) and going for a walk afterwards is still a beautiful experience. (1954, 101 min, 35mm) IV
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More info at www.musicboxtheatre.com
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IF YOU LOVE ME, FOLLOW ME / ON FIRE (New French)
Facets Cinémathèque – Saturday & Sunday, check Reader Movies for showtimes
For years, Facets programmer Charles Coleman has been one of the few American advocates of unsung French cinema; this weekend he presents two of his more recent discoveries. IF YOU LOVE ME, FOLLOW ME (2006, 102 min, 35mm; Saturday, 1pm) is a comedy-drama about a successful surgeon (Matthieu Demy) who quits his job to form a rock band with his high school friends. Though the premise sounds like light entertainment, reviews have described this as distinctly un-Hollywood in its style (which includes a lot of Steadycam shots) and emotional insight. Ultimately, this is not a film about following your dreams, but the weight of that decision. Also playing this weekend is ON FIRE (2006, 111 min, 35mm; Sunday, 1pm), a realistic look at adolescence by former documentarian Claire Simon. This story about a 15-year-old girl experiencing tedium and sexual experimentation during a summer in Provence is said to boast excellent photography and awesome sequences of houses on fire. BS
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More info at www.facets.org.
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Focus Pull: Onion City Off-Screen
Gallery 400 (400 S Peoria St) – 6/17-7/5; Opening Reception: Wednesday, 5pm
This year, alongside its various screenings, Onion City will be showcasing film and video installations at UIC's Gallery 400. The film installation PIN WHOLE SERIES APPLICATION 1: BULB (2006, 16mm projector installation) by Jorge Lorenzo features a looping, lensless 16mm projector running pinhole-pricked sound film. The three video works are single channel pieces by established film/video artists Jon Jost, Ken Jacobs, and Nicky Hamlyn: The Jost, AT PLAY IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD [NEBRASKA] (2007, single channel video projection), consists of images of Nebraska landscapes; the Jacobs, HANKY PANKY JANUARY 1902 (2007, single channel video), explores a turn of the century photograph; the Hamlyn, BASKET (2007, Single channel video), is a lo-fi loop of a yellow basket spinning in the wind. There will also be paper collage work by animator Lewis Klahr. Admission is FREE. Following the reception on Wednesday night, an Onion City Kick Off Party takes place at Sonotheque (1444 W Chicago Ave), featuring artist Brent Coughenour performing The Indomitable Human Spirit, "a live audio-visual performance for thumb piano, video game controller and computer." JM
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Exhibition details here.
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THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (New Foreign)
Music Box – Check Reader Movies for showtimes
The Music Box provides Chicago with its first opportunity to see a film that has been gathering festival awards and attracting heaps of critical attention over the past few months: Faith Akim's THE EDGE OF HEAVEN. From Film Forum in New York, where the film's current run is being extended by popular demand: "Like [Akin’s previous feature] HEAD ON, THE EDGE OF HEAVEN spans the uneasy relationship between two cultures, Germany and Turkey. German born and educated, of Turkish descent, the filmmaker fashions a complex story with six protagonists whose lives become inextricably linked . . . It’s a riveting story of intergenerational conflict between grown children and their parents, the clash of values between East and West and the edgy relationship between conventional and gay sexuality. Akin throws into the mix his special knowledge of how Europe’s borders are disappearing, bringing people together in random, dangerous, exciting and sometimes fatal ways." But the film is not without its detractors. Though some have remarked on the "Altmanesque" quality of Akin's screenplay, Village Voice critic Nick Pinkerton is more convinced that in Akin the European mainstream has found a Paul Haggis (CRASH) of its very own (his dissenting polemic can be found here).
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View trailer here.
Read JR Jones's "Critic's Choice" endorsement in this week's Reader here.
More info at www.musicboxtheatre.com.
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More from the Gene Siskel Film Center
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Dark Corners: Film Noir from the Fox Archive – Showtimes noted below
Filmmakers leave no wills. Whenever a director dies, we're placed in the position of the bereaved family members who, returning from the funeral, discover that the deceased left no instructions. There is an empty house, unpaid bills, knick knacks scattered across the floor. What is valuable? What should be thrown out?
Jules Dassin died a month and a half ago. We're left with the question, What made Dassin matter? NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950, 101 min, 35mm; Saturday 3pm & Wednesday 8pm) and THIEVES' HIGHWAY (1949, 94 min, 35mm; Saturday 5:30pm & Thursday 6pm) and are two possible answers. Shot in London, NIGHT was the blacklisted Dassin's last Hollywood production. He knew it would be. The tense, sweaty film feeds off his desperation. HIGHWAY, written by A. I. Bezzerides (KISS ME DEADLY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, TRACK OF THE CAT), is Dassin's greatest film. Richard Conte, the closest American acting came to Jean Gabin's stony anger until Kirk Douglas in the mid-1950s, plays a Greek immigrant forced by circumstance into his father's fruit trucking business. There are crooks in the film, but the greatest dangers come from working. A batch of apples spilled by a car accident contain more doom than a gun ever could.
The pair of films, the first to screen in Chicago since the director's death, are part of the Film Center's series of Fox noirs. Joining them this week is the series' namesake, DARK CORNER (1946, 99 min, 35mm; Friday 6pm & Monday 8pm), directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball. IV
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Romanian Cinema Rising – Showtimes noted below
Fans of the recent 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS should be excited for the rare screenings of director Cristian Mungiu’s first film, OCCIDENT (2002, 105 min, 35mm; Friday, 8pm & Monday, 6pm). Described by Strictly Film School’s Acquarello as “ingeniously structured,” OCCIDENT tells three interconnected stories of unrequited love and emigration. Acquarello adds that the film “evokes the spirit of Krzysztof Kieslowski in its bittersweet, delicately interconnected tale of chance, coincidence, and longing.” Those who know Mungiu only from the intense 4 MONTHS will be surprised by the wry humor of his debut. Also playing this week is MARIA (2003, 97 min, 35mm; Sunday, 5pm & Wednesday, 6pm), a tragedy with moments of black comedy about a mother of seven who must support her family after her factory worker husband gets laid off. The film exemplifies what the Film Society of the Lincoln Center calls “one of the richest—and saddest—themes to have emerged in Romanian and other ex-Soviet bloc cinemas since 1989… the convertibility of anything into a commodity—the sense that anything’s or anyone’s ultimate worth must be measured in dollars and cents, or euros, rubles or lei.” Diana Dumbrava is said to be astonishing in the title role, joining a flood of great performances in recent Romanian film. BS
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FIRES WERE STARTED – Sunday 3pm, Tuesday 6pm
"Humphrey Jennings: Bard of the Blitz," the Film Center's focus on the work of British filmmaker Jennings, continues this week with a rare presentation of the director's lone feature, docu-fiction hybrid FIRES WERE STARTED. Fred Camper, in this week's Reader: "[FIRES] mixes dramatizations and actual footage of a wartime London besieged by German bombs. Jennings intercuts women at phone banks, coolly taking reports and dispatching firefighters even after being injured, with spectacular night footage of blazing riverside buildings. Jennings has an excellent eye for physical details—the smoke and fire of a last-minute roof rescue are memorable—and dynamic compositions, but the film has a curiously lugubrious rhythm. Of course the firemen must make themselves tea, but many moments where the action is suspended briefly just seem odd. This newly restored print is excellent, with crisp blacks and whites." (1943, 74 min, 35mm)
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THE DHAMMA BROTHERS – Saturday & Tuesday, 8pm
Vipassana is a non-sectarian, Buddhist meditation practice that seeks to open latent channels of inner-peace and outward compassion within the individual, through a process of disciplined introspection. THE DHAMMA BROTHERS catalogs attempts by Vipassana teachers to free the minds of thirty-six inmates serving life sentences in a violent Southern prison. In a country whose judicial system remains wed to more than a few Old Testament notions of wrongdoing and guilt, the infiltration of Buddhist philosophy is more than a touch radical. It's no surprise, therefore, that these efforts are met with cries of "witchcraft" from some of the locals. Co-director Andrew Kukura will be present for audience discussion following Saturday's screening. (2007, 76 min, video) DW
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More info at www.siskelflimcenter.org.
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MORE SCREENINGS & EVENTS:
1932 Frank Capra melodrama FORBIDDEN, starring Barbara Stanwyck, screens Saturday, 8pm at the Bank of America Cinema. Dave Kehr: "Dull and stagy overall, but the opening scenes show Capra experimenting with something very like deep focus, a rare bit of visual inventiveness."
Mike Judge's Animation Show 4 hits the Music Box this week. Preview the full line-up at the official website.
Tom Kalin, director of SWOON—a crucial piece of '90s American indie filmmaking (not to mention the queer avant-garde)—returns (somewhat) to form after sixteen years of development hell with his second, deeply unsettling period-piece/true-crime chronicle, SAVAGE GRACE. The film opens this week at the Landmark Century.
Though the impetus behind this project is perhaps less noble and inspired than that of THE DHAMMA BROTHERS (see above), the Film Center's other documentary feature of the week, OPERATION FILMMAKER, depicts another harrowing culture clash, inadvertently exposing some deep-seated hypocrisies and misguided intentions of the mainstream American ethos. Check out Jonathan Rosenbaum's enlightened take in this week's Reader.
Jennifer Connelly, in an childhood role bookended by appearances in Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA and Jim Henson's THE LABYRINTH, stars as an insect whisperer in Italian horror maestro Dario Argento's PHENOMENA (aka CREEPERS), playing Friday and Saturday at midnight at the Music Box, along with PRETTY IN PINK.
This season of Chicago Filmmakers' monthly Dyke Delicious series culminates this Saturday with a "Season Finale Surprise." Social hour begins at 7pm; the surprise screens at 8pm.
PILLOW TALK (1959), starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randal, screens Wednesday, 1:30pm at the Portage Theater. |
