by ALEX DELEON
Just back from closing night on the Lido. Saturday, September 11 --
In terms of number of outstanding flms seen and personalities such as J.P. Belmondo, Sophie Marceau, and John Landis encountered up close, it was the best film festival I've winged thru in years.
The closing awards watched on big screen in the Press Room was a noteworthy event in itself and I then caught a double header of prize winning flicks after that to close out the festival week.
"La Region Salvaje", misdirected by Amat Escalante (Mexico) which shared the Best Director award, ex aqueo, was a stomach turning pornographic abortion, but the very last closer was a thinking man's thriller called NOCTURNAL ANIMALS -- (Special Jury Prize) with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal ~~ and I even managed to snare two festival posters to enrich my wall collage in Budapest.
LIST of Best films will follow but My Absolute most memorable one was a Japanese musical and theatrical doc about the incredible Taiko Drummers of Sado Island. Title ONDEKOZA -- a Shochiku restoration from 1981 ~~ Totally blew me away. The drumming enters your bones!
Surprising Art film made by a Gangster (Yakuza) film specialist, Kato Tai.
Another main event was Natalie Portman's JACKIE and a disappointing main event was Malick's latest orgy of self indulgence "Voyage to blablablahh --
OKAY:
Here are the best ten films I saw selected from an incredibly rich array of possibilities:
1. Hjertasteinn (Heart of Stone)-- Beautiful Icelandic film about four teenagers, two boys and two girls, discovering sex and growing up in rough familial conditions in a fishing village far from the capital.
2. Mil Jeong (밀정 ~ The Age of Shadows) -- Historical drama about resistance to the Japanese occupation of Korea around 1920. This mix of shootout action, psychological drama, and historical detail was so powerful I felt like I was like watching a Beethoven symphony. Tremendous lead actor Song Gang-ho, 49, has the charisma and presence of a Korean John Wayne.
3. Gukoroku, Japanese psycho thriller Whodunnit and study of elite college cliques is the background for a young investigative Journalist conducting a one man investigation of an unsolved triple murder. Guess what -- he finds out that his own sister diddit. Slick style and highly appealing young actors got a long standing ovation. Young director Kei Ishikawa may be the next big thing in Japanese cinema helming.
4. Another Japanese winner was the dazzling restored print of
ONDEKOZA, (鬼太鼓座) "demon drum group"),
the 1979 theatrical documentary on the Taiko drummers of Sado Island with some hypnotic Japanese dances performed by women in dazzling Kimonos. One of a kind film done as a succession of fantastic drumming and highly stylized dance performances executed by Tai Katô, one of the ace directors of Yakuza eiga (Japanese gangster films).
This stands out as the most thrilling slambang screen experience of the entire week. Immediate inclusion in my BestTen of 2016. A truly unique and truly artistic film.
5. Piuma -- Searching social drama about irresponsible teenage pregnancy and the oroblems it causes. Erroneously called a "Light comedy" by the Italian press, which it is anything but --
6. Jackie -- Portman outdoes herself! Full review elsewhere.
7. THE BRAT (La Trovatella) Ford, 1931 --an early non-western by the king of Hollywood westerns. --very good. Typical twenties slang works to set the period in place. Fashion plate writer takes in homeless young woman he discovers at a kindly judges court -- But all he wants to do is study her as material for his new novel. A charming shot from the early days of sound and a perfect restoration job.
8. "Opfergang" (Veit Harlan, color, 1945)-- the usual love triangle in early German color process --plush straightforward social drama directed by talented Third Reich director Harlan who was a favorite of Propaganda Minister Goebbels. Noted for the ultimate Nazi anti-Semitic tirade picture. "Jud Suess".
9. "Réparer les Vivants" --Dir.. Katell Quilévéré, with Emanuelle Seignier (Mrs. Roman Polanski) and popular French Algerian actor Tahar Rahim (The Cut). The subject is Heart transplanting -- most vividly, indeed gorily, presented -- and the morality issues surrounding the organ donation in question. Gripping and thoughtful.
10. "Nocturnal Animals", Tom Ford (Silver Lion jury award) with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal
The story within the story was better than the framing real story set in the wealthy upper strata of today's Los Angeles. Basically a glossy psycho thriller using the device of a fiction novel used by the writer to recapture the heart of his lost love twenty years later. Slick savvy entertainment. Texan Tom Ford won the hearts and minds of the awards night audience by delivering his acceptance speech in near perfect Italian!