Tag Archives: James Franco

The Palm Springs International Film Festival – The Others

Meaning, the others I saw. There were over a hundred films at the Fest, unfortunately these I’ve posted about were just a small sampling.

Sal

Below is some video I took at the Q&A following the Sal screening I went to, where James Franco (the director of Sal) talks about his intentions with the movie and also discusses his collaboration with Val Lauren, the star of the movie and who’s in just about every frame:

(Could not find a trailer for this movie – if you have one let me know and I’ll happily post.) This is an “art” film – we follow Sal Mineo’s life on his last day, what the filmmakers think and imagine that would have been like. It’s very intimate in that so much of it is shot in closeup – we do get very involved with Sal’s character because of this (not to mention the benefits for a low budget film). I was mainly interested in how his sexual orientation would be portrayed – and it’s there, and obvious to anyone looking for it, but also very subtle as people were (for the most part) in the 1970s. Also of interest is the portrayal of someone going about their day as one of the has-beens of Hollywood. In Franco’s view, Sal adjusted well and was planning on a comeback. Not surprising, the most engaging scene, in my opinion, was where he was in rehearsal for a play with other actors – it was the interactions that kept the movie going (which is the exact opposite of what the Hollywood Reporter reviewer thought). When it’s just Sal by himself, it’s a little hard to stay interested. Good thing Val Lauren is so easy on the eyes and such a good actor.

Also, the film seeks to debunk any of the homophobic explanations for Mineo’s death – that it was a lovers quarrel, a trick gone wrong, etc. It shows the crime for the stupid random act it was. Continue reading →

Palm Springs International Film Festival – The Gays

Again, the gay movies at the Palm Springs Film Festival that I saw – cause there were others.

Let My People Go

Basic Idea: Comedy about European lovers who are separated and must go through lots of zany plot twists to eventually get back together again. Director: Mikael Buch

The Good:

It’s a farce, and as such, constructed pretty well with engaging and attractive characters
Nicolas Maury, who plays Ruben, is great at physical comedy in the tradition that goes back to Buster Keaton – a joy to watch
Carmen Maura – isn’t any movie with Ms. Maura worth watching just for that?
The overall message of the film is pro-tolerance – and affirmation of a family’s love for their gay son.
at 80 minutes, a good length for a comedy like this

The Bad:

Not enough of Teemu (Jarrku Niemi), Ruben’s Finnish boyfriend, who is adorable but absent for much of the film
I couldn’t think of anything else I didn’t like!

Time to Spare

Family Values: This Dutch film by Job Gosschalk about the lives and loves of two siblings shows what really holds a family together, and it has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

The Good:

I enjoyed the melodrama plot construction – it started out one way, and you thought it was going to be about one thing and then it made a major switch (also see The Bad)
Intergenerational gay relationship! That works! Hello!
The inclusion of friends to form families of choice
Character flaws are to be expected, and that adds to what makes us interesting rather than disqualifying us from this or that relationship

The Bad:

The movie starts out to be one thing – a relationship movie, and turns into something else – a cancer movie! (get out those tissues now, folks)
Perhaps an unrealistic depiction of a cancer patient’s suffering and treatment

Continue reading →

Palm Springs Shortfest – Some Shorts I Saw

Better late than never: I volunteered at this year’s Shortfest in Palm Springs, and in the process, got to within hugging distance of James Franco.

James Franco

Alas, I did not get to hug Mr. Franco. I did, however, get to see some of the shorts, so I thought I’d say a thing or two about them here. Honestly, I am sorry this is so late, I mean, this festival ended almost two weeks ago. I’ve been depressed and scattered; I’m hoping a regularity in blogging, if I can find it, will alleviate the introspection.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyUWxV2rY-c]

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From New Zealand and James Cunningham, an interesting GCI film about two Kiwi soldiers in the WWI trenches who find a live baby. And of course, what they do with the baby. I liked the message and the overall feel of the movie. Always assumed that trench warfare was no picnic, and this little movie does nothing to dispel that notion, nor should it. The only question I bring up is why CGI? I think the story, effective as it was, would have been more wrenching if we’d had actual actor faces to look at. I have some bias, of course, as I’m always thinking about employment in Hollywood and here are several roles that went to pixels. But don’t let that remark keep you from watching it when you get a chance. It’s quite good.

Born Sweet, 29 minutes

On the site link above is a trailer – I was unsuccessful on posting it directly here. This is a short film that told me about something I had no idea even went on – a huge problem of arsenic poisoning from wells dug by well-meaning aid groups in Cambodia. They actually made the lives of the people living in the areas they served so much worse by introducing this toxic substance into the water system. The film tells this story through the eyes of Vinh, a 15-year-old boy (who to me looked more like he was 10 or 11) and his daily struggles with the poisoning. The highlight is when he gets to video a karaoke for the country on the dangers of drinking the wrong water.

Gorgeously filmed, Born Sweet also fulfilled a major mission of the documentary form, which is to teach – as well as entertain, at least in this case. Filmmaker Cynthia Wade won an Oscar for Freeheld.