This edition is gargantuan so we’ll get right to the point.
How do you prepare soldiers for war? Training of course. But how do you prepare them for war in unfamiliar territory and climate with hundreds of civilians milling around? Simulation of course! And what better place to simulate Iraq than in California’s Mojave Desert!
Welcome to “Virtual Iraq”, a simulation built by the US Army to simulate urban warfare, a simulation that all troops live through for three weeks before being deployed to Iraq. The intricate set-up is complete with a fake town and ethnic individuals who play the roles of the civilians. It’s an interesting concept for a training exercise and even more interesting for a documentary. The trailer suggests that the “play fighting” escalates to the point of explosion but we’ll have to wait to see if the unfolding is as interesting as it appears.
Full Battle Rattle doesn’t have a release date but it is currently making the festival rounds and will play the Sheffield (UK) Documentary Film Festival in November.
Real Time
Andy is a compulsive gambler who owes some people a lot of money; so much that the lenders have hired Reuben to take him out. Reuben picks up the young Andy and gives him a one hour extension, offering to take him to see and do what he can in his last 60 minutes of life.
Truthfully, Randall Cole’s second film doesn’t look particularly impressive but there’s something about the casting of Jay Baruchel, who I’ve only seen in Apatow productions, as an uncontrollable gambler that has mild appeal unfortunately, all of that seems to disappear with Randy Quaid who is a fine actor in his own right but his accent here is mind numbing. And yet, I’m curious to see what comes of this.
Real Time will play TIFF later this year. I’ll make my final decision on this one once we see a few reviews. Maybe it’ll surprise.
More trailers tucked under the seat.
Call + Response
Along the lines of Darfur Now, Call + Response is more of a social movement than it is a film.
Directed by musician Justin Dillon, the film’s purpose is to shed light on 27 million dirty secrets: “there are more slaves today than ever before in human history.” With the help of actors, musicians and political figures, the film appears to be more of a fund raiser than any sort of documentary. Even if that is the case, I think it’s worth noting, perhaps more so because 100% of the film’s box office will be donated to charity.
Since there’s no money to be made, distribution companies are staying away from this one. If you want to see Call + Response, I encourage you to head over to the official website and fill out the short form. When a city reaches 1,000 requests, the film will travel to that particular city. It’s an unconventional method but I wish the film maker and crew the best of luck!
The Tender Hook
The Tender Hook takes place in 1920′s among Sydney’s criminal/boxing underworld. It stars Rose Byrne as Iris and Hugo Weaving as McHeath, a couple whose relationship falls apart when Iris falls in love with Art, an earnest young boxer played by Matthew Le Nevez.
Sports movies are not typically my cup of tea but Jonathan Ogilvie’s film seems more of a relationship drama than a sports film. I’m a fan of Byrne, even when she is cast in small, supporting roles, so it’s nice to see her step up to the spotlight and Weaving is always fantastic so it’s not surprising to see him shine in the trailer. The film also appears to have a rich and elaborate pallet and design which appeals to my period loving sensibilities.
The Tender Hook played the Dungog Film Festival in May and has been picked up for distribution in the UK and Australia. At the moment, the film is not scheduled for North American release.
Angel
François Ozon’s latest film was a debacle. Universally panned as trash, there were a few defenders of the film though it mattered little if anyone cared either way considering how badly the film was buried in North America.
It’s the story of a young woman, dreamer, rule-breaker and writer making her way up, and down, the social ladder in early 20th century England. The film stars Romola Garai who I thought looked vaguely familiar; the jogged mind remembers her from Vanity Fair and Scoop. As for director François Ozon…well, I’ve never seen any of his films but he seems fairly prolific having released a film nearly every year since 1988.
The film, which looks gorgeous, has already opened in a number of small markets and is due for release in the UK on August 29th, but at the moment, there is no indication that the film will open in the US or Canada.
I am thoroughly disappointed in Seville Pictures. The Canadian distributor opened the film in June but did not expand it out of the French Canadian market, even though the film is in English. Looks like I’ll be tracking a DVD release.
American Swing
The 1970′s was a rich tapestry of disco music, glitz, glam and sex. Lots of sex. And what better way to capture one of the biggest movements on the late 70′s than by documenting the rise and fall of the institution that pushed the boundaries of acceptable behavior further than almost anyone else.
Plato’s Retreat was a sex club catering to heterosexual couples. It opened its doors in New York in 1977 and in the years that the club was open, it was a hub for ordinary couples who went to dance, to swim, and to share and swap partners. American Swing, a documentary from first time directors Jon Hart and Matthew Kaufman, tells the story of the rise and fall of the club and its founder Larry Levenson.
The trailer is a bunch of talking heads inter-cut with enough sex to blind a hooker. Seriously, this is not the best edited trailer and it suggest the film is more of an excuse to air out old sex tapes than to say anything of importance however, I’m curious to see it especially since I’d never even heard of Plato’s Retreat.
Currently, American Swing doesn’t have a release date.
Ripple Effect
What’s the deal with Oscar winners following up their wins with crap? Looks like Forest Whitaker is following the all too-familiar pattern. First The Air I Breathe, then Vantage Point, followed closely by his over-the top turn in Street Kings (our review) and now this.
Philippe Caland wrote, directed and stars in the film as Amer, a fashion designer perpetually on the verge of success. He attributes his failures on ‘bad karma’ and sets off to correct the mistake he feels has haunted him for 15 years. Sounds touching, I know. Unfortunately, that’s about it – it sounds touching. The trailer is a little painful to watch.
For one reason or another, this entire project rubs me the wrong way. The acting seems either forced or over the top depending on which character you’re talking about and to make matters worse, something about this just looks and feels wrong. It’s a huge disappointment considering that the cast also includes Virginia Madsen, John Billingsley and Minnie Driver (who I haven’t seen in anything for years). I’m going to be skipping this one unless I hear glowing reviews.
Ripple Effect opened in limited release on June 20th. Not sure if it’s still playing anywhere or if it’s ridden into obscurity.
The Secret Life of Bees
It looks like I’ll finally be forced to take in “The Secret Life of Bees.” This has been on my reading list for well over 5 years and every time I pick-it up, I immediately set it back down – it’s something about the cover that keeps me away.
Based on Sue Monk Kidd’s much loved and highly acclaimed novel of the same name, The Secret Life of Bees stars Dakota Fanning as Lily Owens, a 14 year old girl who runs off with her best friend (played by Jennifer Hudson), in search of answers to her mother’s death. She ends up in South Carolina at the home of the Boatwright sisters, where she “finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping, honey and the Black Madonna.”
Aside from Hudson and Fanning, the film also stars Sophie Okonedo, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Paul Bettany. The trailer has surprised me – although it’s simply a very short clip from the movie, I was instantly mesmerized by the beautiful, bright colours. Looks like I’ve been sucked in.
The Secret Life of Bees will play TIFF and then open on October 17th. Be sure to stay tuned to Row Three’s TIFF Coverage because John had already posted the trailer!
“I try not to analyse my work too much. That’s a very French pastime – French film directors love to analyse their movies, but I like to make them and let them live by themselves.”
Ozon talks about “Angel” in a great interview at Times Online.