Day 4: I don't know about Keanu Reeves, but I definitely suck!

Before going on with my day, let me remind myself and everyone the following: what I write is complete and utter shit, and just a means for myself to think back on the movies and remember them.

Back to the festival itself now, to make a long story short I arrived at Danaos 5 minutes before five and got my tickets for all three screening that I wanted to see. Had a small sandwich and an amazing apple pie for breakfast-luch and went to see the first aprt of the collected short films that are hosted in the festival. Now usually I avoid short films, the reason being that it is all ready hard enough to grasp one film, never mind 5 or 6 of them in a row without a break or anything. Short films are also harder to get at (most of the times) because of the amazing time management, and the greater freedom and wider variety of artistic means and methods. Nonetheless I went anyways, calm and not much worried; what the heck, they don’t bite! I am glad I did.

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find the titles from the films, neither at the site nor the pamphlet, which is rather annoying, not to mention I did not keep any notes at all. So here is my best attempt at remembering the titles: The Rat (French), Thought of the Day (Greek), Printed Rainbow (colourful), The Dinner (French) God is in our side (Israel – Palestinian), a german one, The Lady and the Grammophone (or something like that – French I think), Guide Dog (American, UK???) and possibly one more, which I can’t remember at all!!!

Most memorable of them was Printed Rainbow, for the beautiful story and the lively colors, while The Dinner offered an incredibly funny scene which can easily de added to any lighthearted French relationship comedy. The Rat was OK and sympathetic, while the Guide Dog was intentionally delirious, and the dog character itself could easily make his own tv series (my opinion anyways). The Greek participant was nice to watch, and very well themed, while the german one was too fantasy sided for my taste but still very nice to the eye. God is on our side and The Lady-Grammophone one I did not like. One common characteristic among most of the short films, was their freshness and their hopeful attempts at originality, most of the times achieving their goal. It was really good to watch them, lifting up my spirits, exercising my eye a lot, and essentially relaxing me, making me forget for a while my worries for university and this damn blog.

In generally good moods, I proceeded with my coffee drinking and cigarette smoking break and grabbed myself a seat for Laitakaupungin Valot (Finnish for Lights at Sunset). The film will be soon released in Greek cinemas, and it is meant to be something of a really good movie about the human nature by experienced and well respected Aki Kaurismaki. Well let be declare myself stupid and ignorant, because I saw no great film here. Very possibly a good one, but not a great one. Sure, the director manages to provide a story-script, which if directed in any other way it would be amazingly boring and annoying, and he kept us waiting on when his anti-hero (Koistinen) would eventually do the right thing for himself (which he does at the very end of the movie…). Generally, the movie is not flawed in any specific way, nor is it bad or unpleasant or anything like that, but it seems that it is pretty much pointless. I mean, I would not like to see it again, because it does not have anything memorable in any way. Directing is good, acting is good, photography was especially, nice, pace is slow but appropriate, but otherwise it is almost without any proper structure, completely flat, and awkward at times. I guess people will find interest in the way he peels of all the typical elements of a film nouar and turns them inside out, but still, it's flatness remains. Of course, why some people think is great, it is something that eludes me. Not that it is not good, just that it is not great! Possibly I am not used or trained to Kaurismaki's vision, or, he did a flop and people still think he is great. Somehow, I reckon the 1st is more true...

More amazed than anything else, I waited for the film I was most looking forward in seeing tonight, Blue Spring by Toyoda (or Toyota by others…). The movie, follows the short developments in the lives of a group of senior students at a Japanese school, the story based at a popular Japanese manga. That alone guaranteed cult figure to be present, as they were the two main ones, Aoki and Kujo, friends from when they were just toddlers. Although not as mature as 9 Souls (but with plenty of similarities), Blue Spring manages to be both tragic and beautiful at the same time, as Toyoda is offering us (again) a band of damned heroes, whose rage, uncertainty, and fear defines their actions and outcome. The strong and obvious parallelism and symbolism with the blossoming flowers, provides an easy and accessible point for the viewers to witness the traumatic growing process for the characters, as some abandon their hopes and dreams, while others cling to the last remaining corners and railings of their school in an attempt to never grow up. As the flowers blossom and dry up, in the same way the heroes show their innocence and uncompromising free spirit, only to loose it as they kill, get arrested, die or loose touch. Toyoda is again very good, and observant of his characters, never doing them unjust, portraying them as they are, although in this one, he is more remorse and sorry for their fate, but he knows he can’t help them, as they can’t help themselves. The movie is laid out with a good number of intriguing subplots and memorable scenes (Kujo affirming his authority by twisting a guy’s nose, an always sleeping child, nicknamed the Ghost, always leaving school running as fast as he can at the amazement of Kujo who watches him from the roof, the handclapping showdowns between the kids at the roof, Aoki holding himself against the roof top railings for more than 16 hours, Kimura leaving school and joining the Yakuza, Yukio playing the guitar at the stairs just after he stabbed several times and killed Ota), and an amazing and appropriate soundtrack. Toyoda’s reflection on the school makes you think of your experiences, as the camera never leaves school (as pointed out by the director himself at the introduction…) hinting at the prison-like status it has acquired, the only escapes offered to the restless youth, the flowers Kujo, Aoki and Yukio plant, reflections of their lives, and the catapult point to freedom the roof top offers, a strategic and crucial location, where they spend most of their time.

Having seen two of his film, it becomes apparent to me that Toyoda is indeed uncompromising, as I witness the recurring themes in his movies, like the Yakuza momentarily popping up, or the baseball theme and it’s association with failure, or the focus on a group of people rather than on one character, the underlying bonds between two of the main characters, the use of symbolism, and even the use of common casts (I recognized at least 4 actors playing in 9 souls), the freedom and free spirit theme, the use of the same composer for the soundtrack, and probably most important of them all, the damnation of his heroes. Toyoda is attracted to dark themes, and he does not seem too eager to provide us with any hope. Instead, he is just taking us along for the ride, to experience the manifestation of his character’s fate. The outcome of this, are very good films, deeply personal, exciting to watch and visually balanced and intriguing.

Oh well, as you probably have understood, today’s post has reached a new bottom, and so I will stop here; I will probably come back to this, tomorrow morning trying to fix it a bit, I don’t know.

Didn’t like:

- Today’s post. It’s awful, and unfair to all of the movies. Keep notes Jason!!!

- The seating I got tonight, forcing me to take up other seats (after making sure no one else was seating there of course).

Liked:

- The apple pie at the Danaos foyer. Delicious! Haven’t had anything like that for a very long time.

Blackberry award for the night:

Laitakaupungin Valot, I am shallow, no comments.

Best movie of the night:

Blue spring. Toyoda is consistent, daring and always up to the challenge.

Blackberry award for the festival so far:

Black Kiss rock solid.

Best movie of the festival so far:

Tonight’s contender, Blue Spring is very good, and easier to watch and ‘live through’, but Red Road is simply stunning.

Schedule pamphlet status at the time of writing:

Woman: seduced, but still puzzling.