Today I spent aproximately nine and a half hours in Paramount 2. Yes, not only did I have four back-to-back screenings in the same venue, but they were in the same theatre. I sat in the same two rows for all shows, and came foolishly close to sitting in the exact same seat twice.
Last King of Scotland - even when he's playing a bastard, Forest Whitakker is a delight to watch. The other lead put me in mind of a young Ewan MacGregor, possibly due to his ability to play a selfish wanker without completely alienating the audience.
Macbeth - redone as a British gangster flick. Worked for me, although Lady Macbeth was a bit of a wash (not so much that the actress couldn't handle it, but that she wasn't really given a chance - running her solilique as a voice-over drained it of so much power).
Copying Beethoven - This was a second choice (I didn't get D.O.A.P.). It's not the kind of film that moves me, but it was really well done, with fantastic performances and a delicate directorial hand.
Renaissance - I actually have a ticket for the Thursday screening, but there was a rush seat available and I'm impatient. This was one of the films I most wanted to see, in part because I'm starting to explore the technology for this kind of animation built off live footage, and it did not disappoint. The story was classic future comic noir and the highly stylized design - all deep shadows and sharp contrasts, with a lovely transparent touch to the glass fixtures - hit my aesthetic sweet spot. If none of my comic artist friends can take the second screening ticket, I may just go see it again.
The Abandoned - creepy, atmospheric, visually captivating but left me feeling empty, and not just because of the ending.
Black Sheep - fun with a side of ubergore. I have no idea what it is about New Zealand that turns out such fantastic horror comedies, but I hope it keeps going.
Confetti - light and fluffy, but it worked, even though the winning couple in the outrageous wedding competition was broadcast from the start of the film and the weddings weren't particularly outrageous (perhaps I have been to too many neo-pagan dedication ceremonies and Vegas shindigs...)
Sleeping Dogs Lie - The premise sounds like a bad juvenille joke, the film itself is a complex (and hilarious) examination of what it means to be honest with the people we love.
Jade Warrior - Meh. Aside from being Finnish, this didn't really stand out from the dozens of wire-fu flicks I've seen in the past five years.
Radiant City - made me want to hit Gary Burns. Okay, not that bad, but still. It's frustrating because I can't talk about why this film annoyed me without giving away the twist at the end (he's already dead!). What I can say is that, for me, what is inspiring and challenging about documentary is the need to engage with the truth of your subject and to always be prepared to find things that change or negate your starting premise. The filmmakers cheated themselves out of that engagement and that risk, and in turn cheated their audience.
Twilight Dancers - meh.
Khadak - pretty. Slow. More pretty than slow, so worth seeing.
Book of Revelation - difficult. This requires a more in-depth assessment than I can manage tonight. Short version: this may turn out to be the best thing I saw at the festival, but I don't think I can recommend it to anyone else, not unless I know them very well.