Tribeca Proper: Day 1

I was at the Chelsea Cinemas before 9AM for the first day of festival screenings at Tribeca. To be certain I was going to press screenings, but it was the first day of the festival which means lots of really cool people wandering around.

The coolest people are of course the volunteers, no really, they are. They are a great bunch of friendly people who make going worth while even when you're exhausted. I love these people.

I do have to apologize to them, since I was so used to be asked if I saw anything good, that I rattled off the number I saw because I kept getting asked. (For the record I'm about half way through the films I thought I was going to see.)

I also have to apologize to everyone, since this big guy was acting like a bull in china shop mixed with a kid in a candy store since I was just so damn excited that it was all going down. I like the festival a great deal, even though exhausts me to the point it's June before I'm upright again.

I saw five films today, reviews of all of them will follow., the fast word on what I saw is as follows:

BEYOND THE HILL is  a Turkish film about a family in country and the nomads that cross their property. Not my cup of tea.

PLANET SNAIL is about a deaf and blind young man and wife. Deliberately paced its film that sneaks up on you to the point where when they expressed how much they missed each other you'll know what love is.

WAR WITCH is a haunting film about a young girl who is forced into joining a rebel band in Africa. I liked it when I walked out, but as the day went on I grew to love it.

POLISSE is a very funny, very haunting film about the child protection unit of a French police force. Based on my experience (my day job is in Criminal Justice) they nailed this dead nuts right. These are the people I talk to everyday, and what happens is stuff I've experienced. This film Horrify you, move you and make you laugh.

CHICKEN WITH PLUM is Marjane Satrapi's follow up to Persepolis is also based on another of her graphic novels. Sadly it's not up to that earlier film. You either buy it or you don't, I didn't. I'll explain in a few days.

That's it for now. I have five films to write up before bed (that's not going to happen). Keep reading because there's lots more coming... f