As this posts the New York Film Festival will be over. All that is left is for a few films to finish unspooling.
From my perspective I’m decompressing film festival by being curled up in a ball in my bedroom trying to get to sleep. I haven’t slept much in the last month.
How was it?
For me it was a blast. This was the best NYFF I’ve ever attended.
Sure the movies were good, but what made the festival wasn’t the films themselves, it was other things:
- It was the small moments at the public screenings. It was Ricky Jay getting teary at the thought of his mentors. It was the heated words at The Gatekeepers Q&A, Talking to and listening to the audience full of people who danced at the Savoy Ballroom at The Savoy King screening, the ripple through the audience at seeing the beauty of the restored Lawrence of Arabia, the history of African punk at Punk in Africa, and it was the unending discussion after Oliver Stone’s history of America.
-It was the audiences who were actually there for the films that were being screened and not because they were a package. Usually I run into people who have no idea what they are seeing or why, only that the film is at the festival and it must be good. This year everyone was really there to see the movie being shown. Bonus points for everyone I dealt with being erudite and well spoken. I actually could have a real conversation about the films with them.
Actually the reason this was the best New York Film Festival for me was the unending discussions I had all through it at the public and press screenings and elsewhere. This was a film discussion group that went on for a month or more. Not only did I talk to the people on line I spoke with John, Mondocurry, Peter, Chocko, Lou, Ed , Chris, Hubert, Kenji, Randi, Alec and numerous other critics and journalists, and members of the general public. Everyone’s discussions helped to form my thoughts and feelings for the films we were seeing. Thanks to these great people the film going experience was a communal event and not something done in vacuum.
Even as the festival wore me down to the bone I had fun. I’ll need a year to recover.
I’d like to thank John Wildman and the rest of the Film Society press corps for letting John and myself attend the festival as members of the press. I hope you like what we did and hope that you’ll let us back next year...because if next year is like this year I have to come back.
Here’s to hoping that there is another 50 years in the offing…
For those curious about my best and worst films and experiences of the festival I’m finishing off with my lists of those exact things:
The Worst of the Fest
Tabu- This made me want to go to the day job. Not a good sign
Passion- If this is a serious thriller and not a satire this movie is one of the worst of the year. (If it's a satire it's off this list)
Memories Look at Me- Who needs Nyquil? The same conversation over and over again in single takes.
Saint Pierre - as dull a short as I've seen all year
Native Son - The poor reputation is true. Of historical interest only and otherwise laughable
Levithan- Even with the occasional beautiful image it's sound and fury signifying nothing
Disappointments
While enjoyable, The Savoy King isn't very informative- more so when you realize that at the Q&A the Audience ended up answering the questions better than the director
Not Fade Away- David Chase makes as cliched a film as we are likely ever to see. This man changed TV as we know it with the Sopranos? Not with plotting and writing like this.
The Best of the Fest- Moments
Oliver Stone and panel talking for about 75 minutes about the history we really didn't know after 3hours of films.
Ricky Jay letting the mask slip and the unflappable artist proves to be human with tears as he speaks of his mentors lost.
The Best of the Fest- Films
Amour- Michael Haneke makes a touching love story that breaks your heart
Celluloid Man- The history of not only Indian film but all film in a the person of one man. Is it possible to love film more as the result of seeing a film?
The restoration of Lawrence of Arabia - great movie- great film going experience
Elle Fanning in Ginger and Rosa - I don't have any other words than WOW
Punk in Africa - You are there and then some. This was like being let in on some great secret. Great music, great people and I hope the DVD extras run ten hours
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet- This had me blissfully watching great actors effortlessly do their thing. This is a film acting master class
Final Cut Ladies and Gentleman- This probably shouldn't be here but the technical wizardry and odd moments makes this a film I keep coming back to
A Brief History of John Baldessari - A perfect 6 minute biography of a man and his art. One of the best films of the year of any length. All our lives should be narrated by Tom Waites
Nothing Can Touch Me - Gut punch tale of a shooting left me shaken for hours after. Game set and match to this half hour dissection of not so random violence. One of the best films not only of the fest, but of the year, period.
NO - Excellent story of how a dictator thought he could play the system and stay legally in power only to get non-violently deposed. (And there are mimes)
(And keep reading reviews the Ricky Jay film and Holy Motors will be appearing over the next couple of days)
Photo of Alice Tully Hall courtesy of Lou Macaluso
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