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May 9, 2004

It May Not Be Sundance, But It’s Warm - The Santa Barbara Film Festival, Part I

It May Not Be Sundance, But It’s Warm
A diary of two weekends at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Part 1
By Lauren Isaacson

Day 1 – Friday, January 30th

Opening Gala Movie ~ Valentin
I anticipated glamour and was greeted with a cattle call. I thought showing up at the theater fifteen minutes before show time would be more than enough. Unfortunately, that’s what everyone else in the universe had figured. Men plan. God laughs.

Thankfully, local journalist Steve pulled me in on the pretext that he was saving a seat for me. Once inside, I found a nice spot in the back and made friends with the charming couple sitting next to me, who even shared their popcorn and candy. This was a blessing, considering that the only thing I had for lunch was an orange. Where would I be without peanut M&Ms?
Valentin was delightful – a foreign language romantic comedy from Argentina about a little cross-eyed boy with dreams of finding real parents (as opposed to his ailing grandmother and anger management reject father) and becoming an astronaut.
A solid $10 candidate. Too bad it didn’t come out in time for Valentine’s Day.

Day 2 – Saturday, January 31st

Writer’s Panel ~ It Starts with a Script
This time I was prepared and showed up early. Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot) was the star of the discussion. Sheridan’s most insightful comment was that when writing a script, all the characters are you. You are the mother, the father, and the daughter, all trying to work out your personal issues. If you’re lucky, you have enough of those issues to build a wealth of plot lines upon.
Anthony Minghella (Cold Mountain) also let the audience into his secret for adapting a book for film: read the book once and then simply try to stay true to his memory of the book.

Director’s Panel ~ Directors on Directing
The overwhelming theme of the discussion was the pressure: The budgets. The investments. The scheduling. Finally, Denys Arcand (The Barbarian Invasions) spoke up in his suave French Canadian accent and denounced them all for their complaining, saying that this was the greatest job in the world. Everyday you command an army of 100 men and women who are ready to kill for you. For a few months at a time you are God. Bravo.

Film ~ Noise
When you’re at a film festival, the biggest problem is choosing what to see. I counted how many movies were being shown that day: Twenty-seven. I chose Noise because Alley Sheedy was in it. Now, you can toss her aside for being a Brat Pack member, but she’s made some brave choices in the past few years and even received an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in High Art a few years back.
In this movie she plays a neurotic upstairs neighbor hell bent on driving her fellow tenant to insomnia, drinking, and eventually killing by making enough noise to drive rats into hiding.
Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

Modern Master Awards Ceremony ~ Peter Jackson
This is the biggest event of the festival, more so because it was Peter Jackson’s only personal appearance before the Oscars. The highlight of the ceremony was a surprise appearance by Monty Python’s own John Cleese, who gave Jackson a stuffed kiwi bird and said that a New Zealander being bestowed the title of Modern Master, was like someone from Bakersfield painting the Sistine Chapel.
I guess you had to be there, because it got great laughs in the theater.

Day 3 – Sunday, February 1st

Producer’s Panel ~ Movers and Shakers
According to Clark Peterson (Monster) talent agents don’t understand independent filmmaking. With Monster, the actress was essential, then the financing. Albert Berger (Cold Mountain) agreed. When Tom Cruise was attached to his film, MGM promised $80 million. When Tom dropped out to do Last Samurai, the $80 million went too.

Film ~ I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Mike Hodges made his Hollywood directorial debut with Sylvester Stallone in Get Carter. Past transgressions can be forgiven, especially if you can bounce back with the movie that put Clive Owen on the map, The Croupier.
Staying with what works, Hodges worked with Clive again with this story of mystery and revenge.
When Will Graham’s brother commits suicide questions arise and the answers don’t add up. Will must reenter the black market world he left behind in order to discover the truth and take care of what he left undone.
It’s a very good movie, but not for the severely homophobic.

Film ~ Bon Voyage
The clothes! The romance! The intrigue! The French! The CLOTHES!!!
On the eve of the German invasion of France during WW2 a gorgeous actress convinces her lover to dispose of a body. He gets caught and blamed for his murder. She does nothing to help him and the Nazis invade. The lover escapes and mayhem ensues. I’d tell you more but it get complicated.
Good movie. Great female 30’s/40’s costuming. I hope you don’t mind reading subtitles.

Posted by Ms. Jen at May 9, 2004 11:30 PM