SXSW Film - Episode 1

Here we are with another film fest - lots of unknowns in the lineup for me, but I'm trying to remain a bit adventurous. Things got off to a friendly start as the first person I ended up standing in line with was GreenCine Daily's David Hudson, without peer in the movie-news-gathering biz. So while I'm normally not so into the time-killing "so what are you excited about" sort of line chit-chat, this guy actually knows what's going on.

Friday:

Old Joy (A-) - A simple and effective look at ongoing friendships, and how they flourish or disintegrate. Will Bonnie Prince Palace Etc. Oldham makes a strong return to the screen, and Daniel London provides a quiet intensity that gives their every unspoken exchange additional power. Beautiful yet unfussy photography and a good doggie help support the film's yearning feeling that maybe there is another, better America out there, but it remains just scarcely out of reach.

L'Enfant (B+) - More prizewinning, unblinking bleakness from the Dardennes. It doesn't take long to recognize which child the title refers to, and you know things have turned a corner when the audience is rooting for the protagonist to get arrested. Please, anything, just get this desperate stupid person off the streets!

Saturday:

Things That Hang From Trees (C) - Okay, we've got our set of one-dimensional oddball characters, we're good to go. What's that? Stuff needs to happen to them? Shoot, I knew we forgot something...

Al Franken: God Spoke (B) - Hard to distinguish this from what a long commercial for Al Franken would look like, but maybe that's the idea. The film flits over some episodes that could have been explored further (launching Air America, especially) in favor of Franken sparring with old faves Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity et al. Fans and detractors should at least now feel safe in believing that yes, his public persona is the real deal.

Tales of the Rat Fink (B) - Another skim-along doc that I wish had delved more, but when the subject of the movie (Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth) passed away early on in the project, I can see how that may have thrown a wrench into things. As it stands, the movie provides a creatively illustrated overview of all things Rat Fink (monster t-shirts, hot rods, fantasy cars) without ever telling us too much about Roth himself. But hey Ken Burns, this is how you liven up stock photos.

Sunday:

Friends With Money (B) - An amusing continuation of Holofcener's previous work, and one's mileage will vary in exact accordance to whether they consider listening to upper-middle-class folks complain entertaining or irritating. I'm a bit split; could have done without the fakey movie jobs (screenwriters, clothing designers, beauty product producers - geez, this creative class thing is out of hand), but the stellar cast squeezes out honesty and nuance time and again.

The Cassidy Kids (B) - The annual "let's try an Austin-made movie" experiment went much better than usual, as this eschews typical indie topic areas ("A struggling musician/screenwriter goes on a personal journey...") and instead presents a layered, time-jumping story of childhood adventures and adulthood mundanities. A few logical gaps (I couldn't see why some of the kids' lingering mysteries wouldn't have been resolved long ago) slow things down towards the end, but for the most part it hums along nicely. Good job locals.

Even Money (C) - Another gambling movie where no one wins (not even the house) - surprise! Starts off relatively solid, but devolves into much soapy shouting and odd mannerism contests between the likes of Roth and Grammer (and yes, Roth wins again). Better luck next time.