mike_caccioppoli

Bettina Oberli's endearing and charming film will bring a smile to those who watch it. It's a cheeky tale charmingly told, assisted by that lilting Swiss-German dialect. Trub, a small village in the Emmmental Valley in Switzerland's Berne canton, is the backdrop to the story and the picturesque shots of its meadows and pastureland can only help add to the film's adorability.

Said to be one of the best films ever to come out of Switzerland, it will never achieve Hollywood greatness nor are any of its stars likely sex symbols. Nevertheless, "Die Herbstzeitlosen" is one of the reasons why we are grateful Seattle has such a large and international film festival. Gentle, funny, and the wonderful cinematography and superb acting will only reflect credit on the Alpine nation's film industry. "Die Herbstzeitlosen" is Switzerland's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

The town where Frozen River takes place is Massena, New York, a few miles from the Canadian border in the middle of a Mohawk reservation, and in the winter it's every bit as cold and grey as the film depicts. This is one of those films that depicts a slice of life that most of us aren't privy too and it seems to know its subject inside and out.

Frozen River is independent film-making at its best, both vital and timely. Writer/Director Courtney Hunt shows how otherwise law abiding people can be driven to do some shady things when there are no other options. While there may still be a great divide between Natives and non-Natives, the film depicts how economic hardship has no boundaries and in fact unites us. As Lila and Ray make those dangerous trips across the border with state troopers lurking all around them, Hunt pays considerable attention to the small details of human smuggling, and the result is a constant state of dread as if anything can go awry at any time. Leo is absolutely brilliant as Ray, and Upham (raised in Seattle) is a pure revelation as Lila. Frozen River shines a light on a dark corner of our nation, one that is an unfortunate result of a useless immigration policy and a failing economy.

A man wakes up alone on a bus in the middle of nowhere. In this black comedy, his sudden and unexplained disappearance affects the lives of four people: Lucette (Marie-Ginette Guay) his wife, Louis (Réal Bossé) a traveling salesman, Chantal (Fanny Mallette) a bored hotel receptionist and Marcel (Gilbert Sicotte) a failed gambler. Their stories are told separately but eventually intertwine.

This film begins promisingly and has some funny lines in the opening 20 minutes but never quite hits those heights again. Quebec cinema set a high standard at SIFF last year and Continental doesn't quite leap over it scriptwise although the acting is of a very high quality.

The name refers to a line dance popular in North America where each dancer evolves alone. In the dance, you do your own thing aware that others are nearby.

This film was an Official Selection at Venice and Toronto's festival in 2007.