JOEY'S PAGE - Joey's Favorite Movie Critic

Joey's Favorite Movie Critic

I just got back from the 11th annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.  Here are some reviews of the movies I saw there:       

"Woodstock" is a lively documentary about the music festival held in upstate New York in 1969.  The film employs split-screen technique to show different angles during the rousing performances.       

"My Winnipeg" is a charmingly bizarre documentary of sorts about the history of Winnipeg, Canada from the point of view of filmmaker Guy Maddin.  I first discovered Maddin's work with the atmospheric ballet film "Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary" and then there was "The Saddest Music in the World" which was at a previous Ebertfest.  Maddin was commissioned to make a documentary about Winnipeg and instead made a work of pure melodrama and history colored with a personal perspective.       

"Chop Shop" follows a boy and his sister who stay and work in a New York auto shop.  The film has keen observation and a tone of realism.       

"Trouble the Water" is an absorbing documentary that uses first-hand footage taken during Hurricane Katrina when the filmmakers rode out the storm in their attic.  There is insightful footage before and after the storm hit.       

"Frozen River" is a spellbinding film about two characters who smuggle immigrants over the U.S.-Canada border through the Indian reservation where they can't be arrested for it.  The two lead performances, by Melissa Leo and Misty Upham, are fierce and commanding.       

"The Fall" is a bold and beautiful film infused with powerful images.  The narrative has a witty sense of humor.  The movie involves two hospital patients, a bed-ridden man and a girl with her arm in a cast from when she fell picking oranges, who befriend one another.  The man tells the girl a story and through her imagination we see fanciful visuals to accompany the man's narration.  The story follows an eccentric cast of characters clad in colorful costumes who are deserted on an island.  They have all vowed to kill a character named Governor Odious.  They escape the island on sea elephants and make their way to Governor Odious through the Labyrinth of Despair, a place with intricate staircases.  The visions in this movie are so astonishing that this must be one of the very best movies from last year.       

"Nothing But the Truth" is a taut political thriller about a journalist (Kate Beckinsale) who is prepared to serve time to protect a source.  A prosecutor (Matt Dillon) wants her to go against her principles and reveal who gave her information in a story she wrote ousting a CIA operative.       

"Let the Right One In" is a pungent and voluptuously bleak Swedish vampire movie about a girl, Eli, who has been 12 years old "for a very long time."  The girl meets a boy, Oskar, who is bullied at school and an interesting friendship develops.  Moments of queasy fright and the stylish cinematography make this film a delight for horror buffs and cinephiles alike.  The title refers to how a vampire must have permission to enter someone's home.  This leads to a powerful scene where (spoiler alert) blood starts to drip from the girl's hair and eyes until Oskar embraces her and tearfully says "you may come in" and the bleeding stops.  This film is one of my favorites from last year.       

"Baraka" is a non-verbal work touring the globe providing wonderful sights and sounds along the way.  It is a transcendent spiritual experience and was shown in 70mm projection at Ebertfest.  In 70mm, it feels as if the screen is a clear window to see all the beautiful images in striking clarity.