NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A REVEW OF "K"

BY MATEO MORENO

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.

To take on any of Franz Kafka's stories and unfold them into a new film is a daring task for any filmmaker. Director Erdenibulag Darhad tackles "The Castle" head on with his latest film, K. The story follows very closely to the Kafka tale; K (Bayin) is a land surveyor arriving in a distant, unnamed Mongolian village. Throughout the film, K goes up against the hierarchy of the village he has found himself in and continually stumbles. He meets a waitress (a barmaid in the novel, here played by Jula) who is supposedly the mistress of Klamm, the man he's working for. He falls for her instantly and is guided by two assistants, Jeremias and Artur (Zandarra & Altanochir), who run around the town helping him in his quest. The Castle he means to get to consistently seems out of reach and eventually becomes the school janitor but never getting closer to his quest's end.

Seem confusing? Well it's Kafka, so of course it is. Darhad's adaption is rich in texture and cinematography, and does glide along intriguingly during the film's first half. Comic textures, tight knit shots, claustrophobic scenarios, & maddening conversations that hurt K rather than help him all add to the nightmare absurdity of the plot. But eventually it all becomes maddening to watch as well. Kafka's novel (which was unfinished at the time of his death) examines the frustrations of bureaucratic politics but is also a clearly unfinished piece (it is debatable on whether he actually ever intended for anyone to see it at all). The cast all turn in fine work, especially Bayin who is easy to sympathize with. But as the film dizzies into a chaotic spin, you will feel much like the character of K: Lost without a clue on what is happening anywhere around you.

VERDICT: ON THE FENCE

DIRECTED BY Erdenibulag Darhad BASED ON THE NOVEL "THE CASTLE" BY: Franz Kafka SCREENPLAY BY: Emyr ap Richard STARRING Bayin, Jula, Yirgui, Zandarra, Altanochir.

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 is an intriguing and somewhat comendable effort to take on "The Castle." But much like the novel itself, the frustrations can overwhelm the viewer, as it did to myself.

MATEO MORENO recently won a bet on who could hold their breath the longest underwater. He won the bet, having beat local loudmouth Jimmy "Thunderbird" Thomas with a record breaking "fourteen minutes." True, part of that time was him unconcious and the other part was him being revived, but he still counts it, and is now $20 richer. Take THAT Thunderbird! He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A REVIEW OF "PARABELLUM"

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.

This film left me so very confused.

At first PARABELLUM feels  like a comedic take on a survivalist summer camp, with a mismatched and odd group of adult campers. They struggle to run short distances, and enjoy downtime in a small and crowded looking hot tub. I actually chuckled a bit at the level of seriousness that all the campers had on their faces, and how it was juxtaposed with the friendly camp counselors posted throughout the facility. The whole thing felt like at any moment something really funny was going to happen. Then a few scenes later, these same rag-tag campers are guilty of home invasion and murder.

So it wasn’t actually supposed to be comedic.

Self-emulation, theft, murder, earthquakes and a consistent collision of asteroid hitting the earth are all popular things that happen in this film. Every so often a hugely percussive interlude jolts the audience while snippets from a survival guide book are plastered across a blood red screen. Unfortunately, these quotes do not seem to help answer any of the questions I have. Who are these people? Why are they here? What exactly is going on?

I think most of my questions could have been answered if I had a better exposition. The entire opening shot is a slow pan of the outdoors. We hear gentle bird calls and the soft hum of chirping crickets and croaking frogs. The stars slowly fade in the blue morning and the sun begins its ascent. Then, there is an explosion. That’s pretty much all you get. Then the focus is on a man, Hernan, played by Pablo Seijo, preparing to go on vacation. He gets on a bus and once again, we get a tiny piece of information, apparently there have been bad natural disasters as of late. And then the dialogue stops.

Confusing as it may be, the entire film held my attention. The campers are taught hand to hand combat, gun handling, scavenging and water survival skills. The actors are perfectly honest and extremely focused. One actor in particular has a haunting performance as a young man named Juan, pushed to the end of his limits. Martín Shanly does a stunning job with the portrayal of the silent and subtle decay of his humanity. His hollow glances were absolutely chilling.

Due to the interesting concept, and committed acting and directorial choices, I definitely enjoyed the film. I would have preferred a more fleshed out story, so that I could stop wasting my time making inferences about the circumstances at hand, and consider the real questions I believe this film intended to ask.

VERDICT: SEE IT

DIRECTED BY: Lukas Valenta Rinner WRITTEN BY: Ana Godoy, Esteban Prado and Lukas Valenta Rinner STARRING: Eva Bianco, Pablo Seijo, Martín Shanly

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: An interesting concept, PARABELLUM will haunt you in a curious way, but it will most likely leave you with more questions than answers. 

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 REVIEW // A REVIEW OF "COURT"

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.

Governmental judiciary functions typically aren’t fancy. Chaitanya Tamhane’s latest feature COURT is much the same way. No frills and no tricks, just good movie making. The shots are so well-crafted that they don’t look crafted at all, but completely candid. Wide angles and a director that allows the camera to linger a few extra moments tell us more than just the story at hand and make Court as rich as India itself. But even the story at hand is beautiful and thought-provoking. A folk singer (Vira Sathidar) being charged with convincing a man to commit of suicide, a lawyer (Vivek Gomber) trying to defend him, a prosecutor (Geetanjali Kulkarni) eager to put him away and move on, and a judge (Pradeep Joshi ) who’s responsible for the singer’s fate, but is clearly just a man himself. The time that is spent with each of these greatly developed characters generates a deep level of interest from the audience. Many more characters, each one as real and true as the one before, and each providing an additional layer to the vast diorama, don’t so much intersect as they do pass by, just for a moment, just for a brushstroke, on Tamhane’s expansive canvas.

As in life, many moments are sad like the sweet man and teacher of children going to jail, while some are quite laughable, especially the relationship between the attorney and his parents and some of the proceedings that occur inside the actual courtroom. With very little soundtrack besides a few of the rhythmic beats that accompany the folk singer’s verse, this film does a wonderful job sharing a glimpse into what India may be like for many people. Just like court cases that come across our televisions--OJ Simpson’s trial that drew out for eleven months--or any legal process any one of us has gone through, even waiting in line at the DMV, COURT is in no rush. This film, though just under two hours, takes its time to get to the anticlimactic end.

 

VERDICT: MUST SEE

Written and Directed by: Chaitanya Tamhane Starring: Vivek Gomber, Vira Sathidar, Pradeep Joshi, Geetanjali Kulkarni

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: This broad view of modern day India, beyond the miserable slums and outside the super cities, is a well-thought out film that descriptively defines several lives and broadly allows us into many others, all the while giving us a look at what may be wrong or right with the way we keep control of our society.

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.