NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A FILM REVIEW OF "MERCURIALES"

BY W DEREK JORDEN

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 44th edition of New Directors/New Films is being presented in New York City from March 18 – March 29. For 44 years New Directors/New Films has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 26 international feature films and 16 short films.

We here at TheArtsWire Weekly are bringing you our take on the films we're screening during the festival.

It takes quite an effort to make a film. Even to shoot a two-person five-minute scene with respectable production quality requires several people to come together: actors, lighting, sound, maybe someone to call “Action!” To make a feature-length film requires quite a bit more effort. What I'm finding it hard to process is how, with as much effort as is required, there are so many films that can't, with that much effort, still figure out how to tell a more cohesive and consistent story. 

Director Virgil Vernier’s second feature film, Mercuriales, falls into this category. It obviously took quite a bit of time, organization, thought, casting, willingness, drive, discussion, location scouting, etc. to create this 108-minute film. It is nice looking, shot amongst some interesting backdrops in France, one particularly attractive church interior as well as architecturally intriguing residential high rises with bubblish windows. The acting is up to par, though nothing revolutionary. A young black girl who gets baby sat does especially well throughout and one scene with the two main girls in the bath is truly genuine and touching and amusing.

But beyond that, what is going on? It seems as though the director must've played hookie from middle school lit class the week we discussed basic dramatic structure or why we tell a story the way we do and how it works versus why what doesn't work doesn't work. Here's the thing, Director. Your movie doesn’t work. Not for me. And I have to ask does it work for the 200 or so people whose name appears on the end credits? Is it something they are proud of?

Let’s see: security guards at what could be a nuclear weapons facility but ends up just being a pair of office towers, I think; a whole slew of similar looking 20-something women wearing scoop neck dancer unitard tops; babysitting; young girls dancing for young boys; a witch in the woods beating on things; a brief PSA about violence; an argument between a girl at a party and a convert to Islam who calls her a whore; security guards at a grocery store; the Eiffel Tower hairdo; a bunch of weirdos in costumes playing in the mud and throwing flour on the ground to celebrate Spring; a full-on scene with IronMan in a sex club. These were all beginnings to their own story that may have had some middle but definitely no end. Yes, there are some subtle things that link some of these scenes together with others, but not all of them. It isn’t clear how most, a majority, of the scenes contribute to the objective of the film. 

To give credit where it is due, the girls’ escape to the country brought some sweet relief from the nonsense, as their relationship blossomed around the fire and, as mentioned above, in the tub. There was also some very funny stuff about the boobs falling off, where is  DHP, and big drag of the cigarette to blowout birthday candles.

But for the most part, this movie is rather disjointed and leaves the viewer wondering why Vernier spent as much time as he did making a movie that doesn’t tell a story, and wondering why they spent as much time as they did trying to follow a story that doesn’t really exist. One strange montage showed graphic shots of weapons and crime scenes and disasters and tragedies and had a voice over that kept repeating these words: "It's not real...it's just a dream. I'm asleep. It's a nightmare." By the end of the movie I was saying the same thing.

VERDICT: SKIP IT

WRITTEN BY Mariette Désert and Virgil Vernier DIRECTED BY Virgil Vernier STARRING Ana Neborac, Philippine Stindel, Jad Solesme

Playing as part of The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 44th New Directors/New Films Fest. For tickets: http://newdirectors.org/

FINAL THOUGHTS: The film basically closed with some neat footage of a demolition crane tearing apart a concrete building like a T-rex might devour and shred it's prey. I would have rather watched that for 97 minutes.

W. DEREK JORDEN is an actor currently living and working in New York City. He and his wife live on a Spaceship on the top of a building, which makes for some interesting dinner parties.

NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A FILM REVIEW OF "LOS HONGOS"

By Chrisena Ricci

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 44th edition of New Directors/New Films is being presented in New York City from March 18 – March 29. For 44 years New Directors/New Films has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 26 international feature films and 16 short films.

We here at TheArtsWire Weekly are bringing you our take on the films we're screening during the festival.

The coming of age story is a universal one. Los Hongos takes a fresh look at this tale of old and shines some new light on it, by telling the tale of two artistic teens growing up in Colombia.  Most of the time I find coming of age stories predictable and whiney, but these two best friends are upbeat, hopeful and only slightly tinged with teenage angst.

The difference between the two boys’ families is a very interesting contrast, like neon paint splashed on a granite wall. Ras, who spends most of his time riding his skateboard, lives in a small, white washed room with his super-religious mother.  Cal, who is his best friend, takes care of his grandmother in a beautiful plant-covered home with multiple rooms and lots of technology. Their friendship stems from both of the boys’ interest in the graffiti culture.

Graffiti culture is something I don’t know much about. One thing I have always loved about it however, is not only the idea of placing art in the ugliest of places, but also the political statement that art will prevail no matter what “the man” says. This actually is the point of the title of the film, and arguably the film itself. Los Hongos translates to ‘the mushroom’, which is a plant that can successfully thrive anywhere, in any climate under almost any condition. Both of these boys definitely represent this concept very well by creating art no matter what is going on around them. This film definitely delves into the ebbs and flows of the boys’ daily struggles, while simultaneously examining the changes in Colombian government, and does so in a gentle way. ‘Politics’ is an ever present character in the background, but never so prominent that it derails the work as a whole.

My favorite character of all is definitely the wrinkly little spitfire, Nanita.  She is one tough cookie. Nanita is a tiny old woman who is almost finished with her chemotherapy, maintains a quick wit through it all and doesn’t stand for unnecessary violence. In one fantastic scene, she flips through her photo album and shares an intriguing story about aiding a criminal and hiding him from the government. She continues on to explain how important it is to be kind to your friends and hold them close. This adorable woman’s relationship with her grandson and his friend was a heart-warming example of friendship through the ages.

The film does seem to lose sight of what it was trying to say near the end of the film. In one strange moment, the boys get incarcerated and dropped off in blindfolds in the middle of the jungle. Although this was an opportunity for some beautiful shots of paint dipped fingers trailing over moss-covered rocks, and swinging bare feet dangling from the branches of a beautiful tree, these shots left me a bit confused. It also slowed down the entire pace of the film, which until this point in time, was a nice high energy, fast moving story.

Los Hongos, made me laugh, showed me new people from a new place in the world, and showed me how similar our lives are. It left me feeling grateful for my family and friends, and hopeful that art can live in just about any circumstance.  I enjoyed watching a coming of age story that was more about two friends learning how to cherish their friendship and respect their art, because it is a tale not often told, but is lived every day. Not everyone is a Holden Caulfield.

VERDICT: SEE IT

WRITTEN BY César Augusto Acevedo & Oscar Ruiz Navia DIRECTED BY Oscar Ruiz Navia STARRING Jovan Alexis Marquinez, Calvin Buenaventura, Atala Estrada, Gustavo Ruiz Montoya, María Elvira Solis, Dominique Tonnelier, Ángela García

Playing as part of The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 44th New Directors/New Films Fest. For tickets: http://newdirectors.org/

FINAL THOUGHTS: It drags near the end, but the rest of it is a delicious and beautifully done story.

CHRISENA RICCI once went to a costume party dressed in an all black dress and black wig. No one there could guess who she was. So she shouted out, "I'm Christina Ricci, without the T or I and add an E!" Everyone stood there confused, she was annoyed, so she stormed off. She never returned to that apartment ever again. Which is fine, because she later realized she was at the wrong party. She now lives in New York City.

NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A FILM REVIEW OF "GOODNIGHT MOMMY"

By Chrisena Ricci

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 44th edition of New Directors/New Films is being presented in New York City from March 18 – March 29. For 44 years New Directors/New Films has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 26 international feature films and 16 short films.

We here at TheArtsWire Weekly are bringing you our take on the films we're screening during the festival.

First and foremost, let me begin by saying, I do not like horror movies. I do not enjoy the gore, the unbelievable plot lines and most of all the terror that it instills in my soul. When I sat in the theatre on this happy Thursday, I could feel my palms start to sweat. The film starts with some terrifyingly simple footage of a cookie cutter family singing a melodic and chilling German lullaby.

As it turns out, I do not like lullabies very much either.

It only gets creepier from there. This film has all of my fears in it. Creepy twins who have mastered the vacant stare, a corn field, face bandages, weird torture, and a box of roaches. That’s right, I said a box of roaches. The roaches are actually a common theme that runs through the entire film, which does not hesitate to dive deeply into your darkest fears surrounding those creepy-crawlies.

As you can see, Chrisena in her notes definitely noticed the BOX OF ROACHES quite vividly.Basically, the film tells the story of twin boys, Elias and Lukas, and their mother. When mom comes back from plastic surgery, the boys become convinced that she is not their mother, but an imposter sent back in her place. The boys’ imaginings escalate to a final cataclysmic point, where they tie up their mother and an onslaught of torture occurs.

The thing that is truly terrifying about this film is the true simplicity of each nail biting moment. The torture implements are simple home objects. The boys use super glue to permanently close one eye, and to seal mom’s lips. They use a magnifying glass to burn flesh, and a toy bow and arrow loaded with nails to keep mom in line.

It’s really messed up. And it’s really good.

This film does a great job of balancing humor with terror, and gore with child-like light-hearted playtime. I do wish that some things had been different. It seems as though the filmmakers thought that the audience wouldn’t understand the “big plot twist” without a lot of help. The dialogue early on however, gives away the entire would-be-twist. We are smart enough to figure it out. Plus, audiences enjoy getting to work out the mystery themselves. If two lines of dialogue were cut out, it really would have turned the film from ‘interesting concept’, to ‘chilling execution’. I also felt as though there were beautiful opportunities that were completely bypassed. For example, early on in the film, the boys discover a burial mound, where they also find a stray cat. I kept expecting the burial mound to make another appearance since the cat is an integral part of the plot. I thought the final show down between mom and children would happen there, instead of the home. 

All in all, I totally bought the story. I thought it was simplistic, without being completely predictable. The gore existed but wasn’t over the top. The fear elements were perfectly chosen to create a true “edge of your seat experience”, and one that you won’t stop talking about anytime soon.

VERDICT: MUST SEE

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz STARRING Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz

Playing as part of The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 44th New Directors/New Films Fest. For tickets: http://newdirectors.org/

FINAL THOUGHTS: If the twins from THE SHINING were placed into the movie MISERY and set in Germany, you would get this film. Also: BOX OF ROACHES

CHRISENA RICCI once went to a costume party dressed in an all black dress and black wig. No one there could guess who she was. So she shouted out, "I'm Christina Ricci, without the T or I and add an E!" Everyone stood there confused, she was annoyed, so she stormed off. She never returned to that apartment ever again. Which is fine, because she later realized she was at the wrong party. She now lives in New York City.