YNOT at the Movies

The 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (SFiFF) will begin next Thursday, April 24th with Catherine Breillat's "The Last Mistress (Une vieille maîtresse)." The festival will end two weeks later on May 8 with a documentary "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson" by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney. During the festival, film lovers will have the opportunity to indulge themselves with more than 100 films and programs from over 50 countries.

Overwhelmed

However, even if I had a computer program, I would have to answer this question first: "What to see during the festival?"—I get asked by that question a lot. The answer can never be easy.

Before answering anybody that question right away, I always ask what their favorite movies are, unless I already know. After getting their answers, I might be able to find some films at the festival that are highly correlated to their liking.

To explain this in another way, avoiding statistical concepts, consider that I ask somebody this question: "What is your favorite food if you dine out?" If the answer is a Big Mac from McDonald's, you probably never see me to dine out with this person.

Therefore, my picks at the festival might be quite different from others. Or, quite similar. But before I roll out the list, I would like to discuss SFiFF's "Asian flavor."

Although this oldest film festival in America is seemly partial to French cinemas (about 20% of this year's films are from France if including co-production), SFiFF always bring forth new excitement from Asian cinemas.

Films about Three Gorges

Before Jia Zhangke (贾樟柯) went on to make two documentaries ("Dong (东)" and "Useless (无用)") in a row, his latest narrative feature "Still Life (三峡好人)" (China 2006, 108 min.) won the top Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 2006.

"Still Life (三峡好人)" takes a closer look at people's lives around Three Gorges (三峡), while the largest dam in the world getting built.

I doubt that anybody would miss Chinese Canadian Yung Chang's documentary "Up the Yangtze" (Canada 2007, 93 min.). It observes how ordinary Chinese people's lives are affected by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and shows people's sacrifice. After seeing "Still Life" in China last year, I am looking forward to this documentary at the festival.

There are other documentaries at the festival that are related to the environment and its social consequences. For example, "Flow: For Love of Water" (USA, 2007, 93 min.) will push global warming to the back burner, when it examines the water shortage crisis around the world.

More on China

The Only Korean Drama

Story about A Legend

Last year, audiences in San Francisco had a chance to see the Japanese-Mongolia film "Genghis Khan: To the Ends of Earth and Sea" at the San Francisco Asian Film Festival. I am eager to see how the Russians tell Genghis Khan's story this time in "Mongol."

Kids as Protagonists

Watching them in this trailer makes one wonder what else they might do (or taste) in the film.

Another film at the festival with young boys as protagonists is "Orz Boyz (囧rz男孩)" (Taiwan 2008, 110 min.). In hilarious "Orz Boyz," two mischievous school boys either are busy at school playing pranks on other kids, or imagining themselves off to a faraway world. This is director Gillies Ya-che Yang's (楊雅喆) debut feature, although many know him by his novel "Blue Gate Crossing (藍色大門)," which was later adapted into a feature film. After watching "Orz Boyz," you'll laugh at the trickeries from these two kids, or their teacher.

Big Stars, with Kung Fu or Not

If "The Warlords" doesn't have enough star power for film goers, super pop star Jay Chou (周杰伦) offers his directorial debut "Secret (不能说的秘密)" (Taiwan 2007, 101 min.) to his fans at the festival. Chou directs, acts, plays a lot piano, and even cooks in this lavish looking melodrama about high school romance. Eventually, he reveals the "Secret" of his characters.

Japanese Cinema

The festival offers two more Japanese films. "Black Belt (黒帯)" (Japan 2007, 95 min.) promise to be more an in-depth drama than just a martial art film; and an odd goofy mockumentary "Big Man Japan (大日本人)" (Japan 2007, 113 min.) will guarantee to entertain its cult followers.

My Picks at the Festival

Stay in rush line if I have to:


1. Alexandra (Александра) (Russia 2007, 90 min.)
2. The Art of Negative Thinking (Kunsten å tenke negativt) (Norway, 2007, 79 min.)
3. Flow: For Love of Water (USA, 2007, 93 min.)
4. Forbidden Lie$ (Australia 2007, 106 min.)
5. Glasses (めがね) (Japan, 2007, 106 min.)
6. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (USA 2007, 118 min.)
7. Mongol (Germany/Kazakhstan/Russia/Mongolia 2007, 124 min.)
8. The Man from London (A Londoni férfi) (Hungary 2007, 132 min.)
9. 1000 Journals (USA 2007, 88 min.)
10. Orz Boyz (囧rz男孩) (Taiwan 2008, 110 min.)
11. The Secret of the Grain ( Le graine et le mulet) (France, 2007, 151 min.)
12. Shadows in the Palace (궁녀) (South Korea 2007, 113 min.)
13. Solitary Fragments (La soledad) (Spain 2007, 130 min.)
14. Standard Operating Procedure (USA 2008, 117 min.)
15. Traveling with Pets (Путешествие с домашними животными) (Russia 2007, 97 min.)
16. Umbrella (伞) (China 2007, 93 min.)
17. Up the Yangtze (Canada 2007, 93 min.)
18. The Warlords (投名状) (Hong Kong 2007, 110 min.)
19. Water Lilies (Naissance des pieuvres) (France 2007, 85 min.)
20. You, the Living (Sweden/Germany/France/Denmark/Norway 2007, 90 min.)
    
    Try to get to:
    
    
21. Big Man Japan (大日本人) (Japan 2007, 113 min.)
22. Black Belt (黒帯) (Japan 2007, 95 min.)
23. Cloud Eye Control and Anna Oxygen (USA, 115 min.)
24. Cochochi (Mexico/England/Canada 2007, 87 min.)
25. Dust (Staub) (Germany/Switzerland 2007, 89 min.)
26. Fados (Portugal/Spain 2007, 93 min.)
27. Flower in the Pocket (Malaysia 2007, 97 min.)
28. Go Go Tales (Italy/France 2007, 105 min.)
29. I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále) (Czech Republic 2007, 120 min.)
30. In the City of Sylvia (En la ciudad de Sylvia) (Spain 2007, 84 min.)
31. Lady Jane (France 2007, 104 min.)
32. The Last Mistress (Une vielle maîtresse) (France 2007, 114 min.)
33. Mataharis (Spain 2007, 95 min)
34. Medicine for Melancholy (USA 2007, 90 min.)
35. Mutum (Brazil/France 2007, 95 min.)
36. Not by Chance (Não por acaso) (Brazil 2007, 100 min.)
37. One Hundred Nails (Centochiodi) (Italy 2007, 92 min)
38. Recycle (Jordan 2007, 78 min.)
39. Redbelt (USA 2008, 99 min.)
40. The Romance of Astrea and Celadon (Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon) (France/Italy/Spain 2007, 109 min.)
41. Secrecy (USA 2007, 85 min.)
42. Stranded: I Have Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains (France 2007, 126 min.)
43. Time to Die (Pora umierac) (Poland 2007, 104 min.)
44. Touching Home (USA 2007, 114 min.)
45. The Wackness (USA 2007, 110 min.)
46. Wonderful Town (Thailand 2007, 92 min.)
47. The Yellow Handkerchief (USA 2007, 102 min.)
48. La Zona (Spain/Mexico 2007, 97 min.)
    
    If still have time and energy:
    
    
49. Ballast (USA 2007, 96 min.)
50. Barcelona (A Map) (Spain 2007, 90 min.)
51. Cachao: Uno Más (USA 2008, 68 min.)
52. The English Surgeon (England/Ukraine 2007, 93 min.)
53. A Girl Cut in Two (La fille coupée en Deux) (France/Germany 2007, 115 min.)
54. Latent Argentina (Argentina latente) (Argentina/France 2007, 100 min.)
55. Linger (蝴蝶飞) (Hong Kong 2008, 90 min.)
56. Timecrimes (Los cronocrímenes) (Spain 2007, 90 min.)

Now back to the idea of computer assisted scheduling.

Putting on 67 lbs and a creepy voice, Jared Leto plays the mentally unstable Mark David Chapman who is from Hawaii with a Southern accent. Chapman is a John Lennon's fan himself and listens to Beatles. He is also obsessed with the novel "The Catcher in the Rye" that ends with Chapter 26. Chapman believes himself to be the novel's character and wants to write the next chapter—Chapter 27, by killing John Lennon. "Chapter 27" chronicles Chapman's last few days before he pulled the trigger.

Chapman's constant eerie voiceover reminds us again and again that he is crazy, but provides us little insight about where he was coming from and why he committed the horrific crime. Looking for answers to these questions should be precisely what audiences expect from a film like this.

Although Chapman looks and sounds awkward in the film, a girl named Jude, played by Lindsay Lohan, become friend of him quickly while waiting outside John Lennon's apartment for an autograph. I think Lindsay Lohan's character needs a rehab, not for alcohol, but for stupidity.

Noticeably, not a single song by John Lennon is played in the film, although the killer is a big fan of John Lennon. I can imagine why. I don't see anyway the filmmakers can get the right to use John Lennon's songs in a film about John's killer. It's probably equally hard for people who love John to hear mentioning the killer's name, even worse, to listen to his voice, especially when there is not much interesting content in his babbling.

"Chapter 27," will open in Bay area theaters on April 18.

Renee Tajima-Peña's husband Armando Peña grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, in a family of seven boys. His father Pedro "disappeared" into Mexico when Armando was a baby. His mother Rosa raised the seven boys alone.

After Rosa died of cancer in Los Angeles, Armando and his brother Carlos carry Rosa's ashes back to South Texas. Along the way, the seven sons of the family recount the family history, rediscover the meaning of masculinity and fatherhood, and reconnect with their late father Pedro when they travel to Mexico, where Pedro was born and laid to rest.

The story is very personal, yet has its universal aspect dealing with family and parenthood. With often poetic visual and the sometimes insightful narrative, the documentary intimately shares this Mexican-American family's odyssey.

"Calavera Highway" will be shown at the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (SFiFF).

One demolished county to give its way to the Three Gorges Dam is called Fengjie (奉节), which is completely under water by now. It's also the location where director Jia Zhangke (贾樟柯) ("World" (世界) and "Unknown Pleasures" (任逍遥)) shot his new film "Still Life" (三峡好人, China 2006, 108 min.)

The film tells stories of two totally unrelated individuals who come to Fengjie to look for people. One is coal miner Han Sanming: searching for her daughter that his ex-wife took with her 16 years ago. The other one is nurse Shen Hong: searching for her husband who has not come home for two years. And there is absolutely no connection between these two stories, except they all happen at the Three Gorges Dam. Also in the film, at the same location, something took off and went into the space -- I am still wondering what that was.

As Jia's other films, plots are not as important as the surroundings the director wants to present. Some hate his films, while some others are his cult followers. But even you don't like his films, you probably won't forget images that reflect lives in the world his characters live in. For example, four workers crawl into one bed one by one, shirtless, holding a bowl of noodles.

But his unconventional cinema language can also create some communication problems even with the subtitles. In this film, Jia pops on screen with words "cigarette," "liquor," "tea," and "sugar" to divide his film into four segments. Why? And why didn't he use "rice" or "soy sauce?" Well, perhaps only Jia knows.

Some feel it's unjust for this film to win the top Golden Lion award last year at the Venice Film Festival.

Actually, I wouldn't vote for it either if I were casting a vote. But, what do I know? I have not even seen Three Gorges (三峡), nor stayed at a place for 1.5 Yuan (about $0.2) per night. It's a story about different lives, so called "Still Live."

"Still Life" will be shown at the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (SFiFF).

This review was originally written on July 19, 2007. Reposting for the SFiFF51.

Jay Chou plays Xiang Lun who is a new prestigious student at Tamkang Secondary School studying piano. He meets another piano student Xiao Yu on campus and falls for her, while another girl Qing Yi has a crush on him. Xiao Yu suddenly disappears after a mishap during a date with Xiang Lun. Unable to forget Xiao Yu, Xiang Lun constantly searches for her and for the "secret" melody she played when they first met.

The film already sounds like an episode of endless Korean melodrama series. For most part it is, without much dramatic happenings. Chou perhaps also realizes this weakness, so toward the end of the film, the story takes a sharp turn with an unexpected dramatic twist. However, it's a little too late and disconnected from the rest of the film.

Playing Xiang Lun, Chou definitely shows his piano training that he began at the age of four. I am also impressed by his skills in the kitchen. I wish I were equally impressed by his film though.

Arguably it's very difficult to figure out the lyrics in Chou's songs by listening to them, but that doesn't bother Chou's mass fan base a bit. Similarly, even "Secret" lacks complex characters and an engrossing story, Chou delights his fans with his impressive production and himself.

"Secret (不能说的秘密)" will be shown at the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (SFiFF).

Piano teacher Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) loses her husband in an accident. She and her young son move to Miryang (密陽), her late husband's hometown, to start a new life. Upon arrival, she meets Jong Chan (Song Kang-ho), a local auto shop owner who shows great interest in her. However, the small town new life doesn't play out according to Shin-ae's plan and a terrible tragedy takes place. Shin-ae has to find a way, including religion, to cope with the unbearable pain.

I am partial to Korean films because many of them tell very original, fascinating, and unpredictable stories. Although I have no idea what might happen next while a good story is unfolding, one thing I am pretty sure is that it won't be something formulaic like most Hollywood films.

That's how I feel when I watch this film. It's so engaging that it's almost frightening to wonder what kinds of twists and turns I might encounter. I don't know where the film is going.

Unfortunately, the film goes nowhere meaningful. It fails to deliver after spending all the energy to build the suspense. It stops short on reaching its climax or making a point with its story. The film ends abruptly leaving audiences perplexed without a resolution. The film seems very ambitious because it opens too many interesting and provocative subjects to tight them up at the end.

Although the later half of the film is disappointing, a stunning performance from Jeon Do-yeon (전도연) alone would make "Secret Sunshine" a worth seeing. Her brilliant portrait of a devastated woman won her the Best Actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

"Secret Sunshine" is like a rare dish that you might not like it for the first try, but you certainly won't forget it easily.