Dispatch: Wisconsin Film Festival
Jake Smith reflects on the films he saw in the second half of the 2015 Wisconsin Film Festival.
As my colleague Jim alluded to in his post-fest post, I would count myself among those who had some fatigue on Sunday and felt reinvigorated on Monday. In my case, this was due to my first film that evening, but I’ll get to that in a minute. Jim has already provided several good thoughts on logistical and programming issues, including thoughts on the “deep cut” nature of the fest, sentiments which I share. So, I’ll focus on the films here, with a couple of asides for trends/incidents apart from the films worth mentioning. Then I’ll provide some brief final thoughts on what I saw (including some films I previewed before the fest). Once more, however, we here at the Madison Film Forum would like to thank all those who made the Festival happen this year.
With that, here we go:
A Hard Day
Kim Seong-hun | South Korea | 2014 | 111 min
When a Korean cop seemingly hits a man with his car while he’s on the way to his mother’s funeral, his day doesn’t really have anywhere to go but down, does it? A Hard Day is precisely the kind of well-executed genre fare that I like to see at the Festival, and stands in stark contrast to White God, which had exhausted me on Sunday. With both one of the best villains and some of the most original, borderline outlandish fight scenes staged in recent memory, A Hard Day was exactly what I needed to get my second wind. Director Kim Seong-hun straddles the line between dark comedy and tense thriller with an expert touch. The camerawork in this film is possessed of a simultaneous vitality and precision that enhances both the tension and the comedy of the story, particularly leveraging bird’s-eye-view shots for maximum impact. I can’t wait for this film to hit video, as it will be a quick addition to my shelf.
Winterlude | Gregory Bishop | USA | 2014 | 10 min
The Russian Woodpecker | Chad Gracia | USA | 2015 | 80 min
While I find myself not entirely persuaded by the film’s rational argument, I don’t think any audience—and certainly not either of the Madison audiences—could deny the film’s emotional appeal. The artfulness with which it is made, the genuinely gripping tension of its story, and its geopolitical timeliness elevate The Russian Woodpecker compared to most current documentaries. I found it especially powerful when it posed a comparison between the notion of censorship from the Russian state and when Feodor was censoring himself, in light of threats against his family. When it comes to my set of screenings at the festival this year, I have found that the feature-length documentaries that I’ve seen have been at a whole other level as compared to previous years and recent examples of the genre in general. In other words, keep bringing in docs like this and especially—as I’ll get to in a moment—Western. The short film Winterlude preceded The Russian Woodpecker, and though I appreciated the blood red beauty that permeates the majority of Winterlude’s apocalyptic shots, suffice it to say that the film was not one for me.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Otto Preminger | USA | 1950 | 95 min
While it wasn’t in 35mm, this screening was a great example of just how far DCP presentations have come. I thought this print looked terrific, and it’s always such a pleasure to see Otto Preminger’s noir work on the big screen. I’m always struck by the restraint of Dana Andrews’ performance, that of a violent cop who is a walking volcano waiting to erupt. One of my favorite films noir, I wish that there had been a little less mocking laughter during the screening, but that’s always a hard thing with many classic Hollywood films playing in modern theaters.
One aside: while standing in line for this film, I overheard a woman who asked a Festival volunteer if she could change her Steep & Brew Audience Choice Award vote for a particular picture. She said she had rolled the movie around in her head, and she realized that she had been a little too hard on it. I bring this up for two reasons: 1) those audience ballots matter, and 2) that kind of intense thought on the movies we see is one of the very things the Festival exists to provide.
Western
Bill Ross IV & Turner Ross | USA | 2015 | 93 min
As much as I liked The Russian Woodpecker, Western is simply one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in the past decade. Admittedly, there are some personal biases at work here. Being from Texas originally, the way the Ross Brothers render the burnt beige and dusty green land mixed with the rich blue and fiery orange sky speaks to me in an emotionally primal way. The beauty of the film is assuredly in stark contrast to the subject matter, as drug cartel violence impacts the city of Eagle Pass, Texas, and its sister city, Piedras Negras, Mexico. I enjoyed the way the gravity of the issues at hand in this film (border security, drug violence, the cattle trade) was balanced with small instances of levity that were not at the expense of the people depicted. My next step is to seek out the Ross Brothers’ previous documentary, Tchoupitoulas. My sole regret in seeing this film is that I did not get to see the restored print of Crime Wave, possibly the hardest choice for me in this year’s Festival selections.
Mangelhorn
David Gordon Green | USA | 2014 | 97 min
As Festival Programming Director Jim Healy mentioned before the film started, there was a nice symmetry with David Gordon Green’s Joe kicking off last year’s festival and his other 2014 film, Manglehorn, ending this year’s. In contrast to Joe’s more conventional narrative structure, Manglehorn is a far more episodic experience, with a lower-key performance from Pacino than usual. (Which is to say, he really only has one or two screaming scenes and is otherwise measuredly quiet.) It is also notable for having one of the most awkward first date sequences I’ve ever seen in a movie, which was incredibly well acted by Pacino and co-star Holly Hunter. There is a lot to like in this film, and I enjoyed the end more than I expected, but the film ultimately takes a back seat to Joe for one reason. While I’m given to the modern southern gothic—of which Joe is an excellent example—one of the things I adored about Joe was its very specific sense of place, whereas Manglehorn could have taken place almost anywhere. That aside, Manglehorn is one of those prestige-indies that eludes the Madison theatrical scene with disappointingly increasing ease, and I’m happy the Festival continues to include films of its sort.
Polyester
John Waters | USA | 1981 | 88 min
I fear I don’t have much to say that’s novel when it comes to Polyester. It was a thoroughly hilarious and enjoyable film—one of John Waters’ very best. I had never seen it before this screening, and this is exactly the way I wanted to experience it: IN ODORAMA! Alas, not every smell on the card came through for me, but one could probably say that of any screening of this film. Ultimately, with screenings of this sort, the flaws are part of the fun. I’m hoping that there will be more uniquely theatrical experiences like this in the future. I’m not just talking about 3-D; after all, we can get that at home, too.
Festival programmers, can we get The Tingler, by any chance?
In closing, because I haven’t seen as many films as I would have liked, I’m not sure that a ranking from me would be as useful from me as it decidedly is from Jim. However, you can take a look at my thoughts on films from the first four days of the Festival, and I provide a few superlatives for your consideration below.
Best New Release: The Connection
Best Fest Surprise: Crime Wave
Best Restoration/Rediscovery: Chimes at Midnight
Most Disappointing Film: White God
Think I’m right on? Completely off the mark? Want to share your own favorites? As always, please be sure to tell us what you think in the comments section below, and we hope you enjoyed your film festival experience this year!