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

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.

WESTERN, the new documentary by The Ross Brothers, examines a growing problem, and a sad one at that: the hardship and violence along the border of Mexico and Texas, fueled by the ongoing drug cartels. We center in on Eagle Pass, Texas. This is the kind of town that feels like life is slowly passing everyone by. It's lead by Chad Foster, a bilingual "gringo" who's won three consecutive terms as their mayor. He's an honest and good hearted man, one that cares deeply for his community. The town right across the border is Piedras Negras, overtaken by the drug wars and has kept violence at an all-time high.

Foster is caught in the middle of all the violence that is shutting down their town's trade. Men are left for dead as "messages" and "warnings." Mexican Mayor Jose Manuel Maldonado dies in a mysterious plane crash where an explosion goes off in the plane. We also focus on the common people the violence affects, like cattle rancher Martin Wall, who's business stops dead in the tracks when the USDA puts a temporary ban on livestock trade between their towns due to safety concerns. And any sequence involving him and his adorable (and hilarious) young daughter Brylyn is golden. This is a "man's man" who melts into a truly loving father anytime she approaches him.

All of these stories are powerful, needing a great vision to tell them. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that the acclaimed Ross duo did that here. The film is meandering, drags when it should jolt, and doesn't ever truly come together as a cohesive picture of the violence that breaks up life across the border. It more often feels like an "idea" of a documentary, rather than a full scope picture. Still, there are intriguing things held inside WESTERN'S world and if you're unaware of the problems going on with the drug trade on the Texas/Mexican border, you may want to check it out.

VERDICT: ON THE FENCE

DIRECTED BY Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross STARRING Chad Foster, Martin Wall, Brylyn Wall

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: A meandering look at a very serious issue happening at the Texas/Mexico border that shows a great story unfolding but lack of vision makes an unsatisfying cinema experience.

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 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.