ratcityfilmsociety

This is a much better film than I thought it would be, and I came in with high expectations. First of all: don't worry about an Irani playing an Arab, it works. It really works. Golshifteh Farahani is a stunning beauty and an even better actress, her performance in this film is one for the ages. This is a much more universal film than its simple setting in a Lebanese village. Complex and multi-layered; touching upon immigration, the inconsistencies of memory as well as the longer term effects of a civil war on all that came under its sway. It was nice to find out that my favorite moment in the film was the director's as well. I suspect that a number of friends who were also in attendance are wondering if we saw the same film, we likely didn't. Those who get the immense sadness of the title (which is absolutely brilliant, something I almost never say about a title), please find a way to see this film. There are heartbreaking and painful parts; but there is "that moment", one of those that make film my favorite art form.

One of those horribly depressing environmental documentaries where even if everyone cared it would still be a disaster. In the case of this film about the petroleum extraction from the sandy soil of Northern Alberta, the environmental tragedy takes almost every possible form while the political forces all have their heads buried in the sands and their hands firmly on their wallets. The loss of woodlands alone would be an outrage in most locales. Massive swaths of forest are cleared, the debris (including all the trees) is piled up and burned. this is a secondary or tertiary concern in this chronicle of woe. There is human tragedy, poisoned water, corporate indifference, government neglect and strip mine the size of Florida. It is not nearly as shrill as it could be, but it is definitely one-sided. I am not denying the truth of its one-sidedness and have no desire to watch Exxon-Mobil's response, but people who don't like the message will make this assertion like it actually means something. The appropriate response to statements of that nature might be along the lines of: "You don't see many documentaries about Hitler working hard to be even handed." This film is an important document in this sad case and should be watched, no matter how hopeless and depressing the situation.

Incredibly long film with dozens(?) of people answering the same questions while being recorded. The interviewer (who I presume is the film maker) seems like a kind and generous soul who loves love. The people that are interviewed have interesting insights that they share with the camera. As a conversation it is quite interesting, as a film it is a disaster. Hopefully I saw a very rough edit (164 minutes), although I doubt that much of the material that is in this film could be used. When I say "worst production values ever", I say it shaking my head with a smile on face. The intentions and content of this work are so pure and good and well meaning that I feel a little bad about giving it two stars. But the good film would be about 60-80 minutes long and the people being interviewed could be somewhere other than the end of a busy airport's runway (one of the more glaring and annoying shortcomings). Once again I do salute the spirit of this work (in progress?), a great conversation.