NYFF 53 REVIEW: THE FORBIDDEN ROOM

BY CHRISENA RICCI

Growing up, I watched a lot of old movies. Everything from black and white Bogart films to technicolor Gilligan’s Island episodes.  To this day, I still find a crackly old film to be extremely nostalgic and impressive. Which is maybe why Guy Maddin’s newest film truly struck me. A kind of mash-up between a sci-fi film of the 1940’s and a psychedelic Warhol-like dream sequence all set to the score of a silent film from the 1920’s, THE FORBIDDEN ROOM is the perfect balance of all things cinematic.

The first 20 minutes or so is a bit disorienting. The moment a story is established, a new story embedded in the current story is revealed. The pace is a bit dizzying. That paired with the squirming and squelching of some of the “still” shots, and the same 24 bars of music, intentionally yet poorly looped over written text, made me feel a bit nauseated. And then all of a sudden it clicks, and following the leapfrog movement from one piece of narrative to the next becomes easy. Occasionally, the audience is rewarded with a sort of backwards movement through each layer of plot which acts as a sort of breath before diving even further in to a world of controlled chaos.  It’s as if the director zooms in deeper and deeper and then quickly zooms back out all the way only to zoom back in even further.

As weird as the experience is, the stories are compelling and ring true with the human condition. After acclimating to the movement and visual effects, I found myself completely hooked. I loved that each story is embedded into the next in a stream of consciousness. I love that there is an entire plotline from the viewpoint of a mustache attached to an unhappy man. I love this film. After the two hour film concluded, I was treated to a special Q&A section in which Maddin delved a little deeper into the meaning of his work. I wish I knew ANY of the information he divulged before the screening. Hearing Guy talk about the similarities between a séance with the paranormal and a séance with lost films literally gave me goosebumps. His intent with this work was to bring to life lost films. His plan was to create a resurrected film database. That is exactly what this creepy, playful and chaotic film is.

Guy stresses that he is no scholar, which may be true, but he is one heck of a storyteller, and maybe even a bit of a séance artist or hypnotist.

VERDICT: MUST SEE

WRITTEN BY Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk, and additional material by John Ashbery DIRECTED BY Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson STARRING Roy Dupuis, Clara Furey, Louis NEgin, Udo Kier, Gregory Hlady, Mathieu Amalric, Noel Burton, Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Ahmarani, Caroline Dhavenas, Charlotte Rampling, Maria de Medeiros

Playing as part of the 2015 53rd Annual New York Film Festival. For tickets and information: http://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2015/

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.

NYFF AT 51 REVIEW: "JIMMY P"

BY LIZ WHITTEMORE

Have you ever had a dream where you were flying? Or maybe, falling… and then hit the ground? Most of us can shake weird dreams. Most of us are able to associate them with something we read, saw, or maybe something we ate. Most of us haven’t experienced the horrors of war.

In JIMMY P. PSYCHOTHERAPY OF A PLAINS INDIAN, a WWII vet and Native American Blackfoot, is experiencing systems such as dizzy spells, hearing loss, intense, sometimes blinding migraines. His sister takes him to the Topeka Military Hospital in Kansas. There, he is subjected to rounds of tests from the physical to the neurological. A team of doctors concludes there are no physiological causes and diagnose him with schizophrenia. He feels isolated but the doctors are determined to help him. They contact George Deveraux, a French anthropologist, psychoanalyst and specialist in Native American Culture. George is allowed to see Jimmy for one hour every day. Devereaux asks him about his dreams and together they wander through Jimmy’s past. Using his knowledge of Jimmy’s culture, George is able to explore the connections between his memories and the images that confound and haunt him at night. This is a story of two very different men coming together to shape each other. George has faith in his abilities while Jimmy is determined not to lose himself in this illness. By the time the two men part way, Jimmy’s symptoms have disappeared and he finally comes to emotional amends with his life.

The film is based on the true story recounted in George Deveraux’s book Reality and Dream. Director and screenwriter, Arnaud Desplechin, explained that he wrote specifically for his leading men, Benicio Del Toro (Jimmy) and Mathieu Amalric (George). Both actors are impeccable in their performances. You truly believe their friendship transcends the boundaries of the film. Del Toro has a commanding presence, never expressing a false moment as Jimmy. Amalric plays George’s personal flaws with elegance.  In a time before PTSD had a name, JIMMY P., sheds the light on a different, non-judgmental approach to treatment. The exploration of cross cultural discussions permeates the script. Not only is this a beautiful story of friendship but it’s a history lesson we should all take to heart.

VERDICT: Must See

Written and Directed by: Arnaud Desplechin Starring: Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric Adapted from the Book: Reality and Dreams by George Devereux Country: France Language: English

BOTTOM LINE: This film is a lovely exploration of two men from vastly different life paths coming together with common goals: understanding and acceptance.