SIFF Sighting: REMBRANDT'S J'ACCUSE (documentary; The Netherlands)

In Peter Greenaway's REMBRANDT'S J'ACCUSE the stage is set to unlock a mystery—that of the painting Night Watch, which was completed by the artist in 1642 and remains one of the most famous paintings in history.

Through the voice of a humorous and lively narrator, the audience is treated to a series of interpretations based on various clues displayed within the work. Something as trivial as the placement of a weapon in front of one's genitals is discussed in equal measure with a debate over the (possible) two females in the painting. The cases are also sometimes presented with actors who bring different aspects of the work to life through role play. One especially charming example of this is the "Q & A" the narrator has with Rembrandt's "wife."

But above all of the tongue-in-cheek references and cultural winks, what I appreciated most about the film was something that was brought up in the very beginning: how we don't truly read paintings. It is emphasized that our world is centered around text and words, thus making our brains read any combinations of letters we might see subconsciously if not consciously. With art, we may appreciate the contour of the shapes or recognize the use of color and light, but we aren't conditioned to automatically "read" it. We're typically too focused on the visual to dig deeper into the spiritual or the literal, which causes us to miss millions of messages and stories that are being told in the works.

It makes me want to get on a plane and revisit all of the Italian and Greek galleries I've toured, with a pit stop of course in The Netherlands.

REMBRANDT'S J'ACCUSE screened at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

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SIFF Sighting: THIS CHARMING GIRL (drama; South Korea)

What good is it to live, with nothing left to give? asks a lyric from Coldplay's "Swallowed in the Sea," which kept working its way into my head as I watched this film.

The story centers around Jeong-hae, played beautifully by Kim Ji-soo, who numbly makes her way through life amidst incredible pain and heartache. She comes and goes to her job at the post office at the appropriate times, has single meals delivered to her apartment, and somewhat unwillingly leads a solitary existence.

You get the sense that her past held better times, but the flashbacks she has are both mundane and tragic, so it's hard to tell.

What we witness of her present day is someone trying desperately to navigate reality in the face of unspeakable pain. She does all the things that lonely people do to cope—she keeps her home immaculate, she takes in a pet to have something that will depend on her and she engages in conversation primarily with co-workers.

What's wonderful about how these actions are presented here is that our leading lady is such a great actress, you can feel her dismay as she goes through the motions, though she never verbalizes it. When she sees another woman happily tending to a baby, those of us who aren't blessed with children immediately absorb and reflect her sadness; when she is stood up for dinner and begins to unwrap the hot dishes one-by-one to eat alone, anyone who has ever been disappointed in a friend will undoubtedly feel like weeping.

The pace of the film is intentionally slow, just as the character would feel watching everyone's lives progress as she quietly remains stagnant. The encounters we see only solidify the pity we feel for this beautiful soul who has so much to offer, yet no one to share it with.

Everyone who sees this should be reminded of the folks in their lives who may feel invisible to the rest of the world. And they should pay them a visit.

THIS CHARMING GIRL screened at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

Cinebanter #71 - BREATHLESS

The MP3 of Cinebanter #71 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula reverse the clock and review the French classic BREATHLESS. And in the Last Five®, Michael talks up a good film from his Secret Movie Club while Tassoula heads to the multiplex for a popcorn blockbuster. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 BREATHLESS Discussion
• Break
• 18:27 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 18:59 The Last Five®
• 47:26 Credits and Outtakes

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: YEAR OF THE DOG, STAR TREK, SEX IS COMEDY, CHARLIE BARTLETT and THE LAST LULLABY. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: ALMOST FAMOUS, JUPITER'S WIFE, MAMA MIA, NINE GOOD TEETH and ANGELS & DEMONS.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!

SIFF Sighting: GOD'S OFFICES (drama; France)

The life of those who run family planning centers in the United States can sometimes be fraught with danger because of the strong opposing beliefs to their practices. Either that's not the case in France, or the filmmaker failed to communicate that.

In fact, GOD'S OFFICES has no beginning or end. Viewers are simply placed in the middle of a days' work as counselors are speaking with folks who for some reason want to terminate their pregnancies or begin a plan of contraception. The series of vignettes includes teenagers with religious parents, a religious boyfriend who wants to verify that his girlfriend (who had formerly been sexually abused) is a virgin, a woman having an affair with a violent man and of course, a prostitute.

Presented in a documentary-like fashion, the conversations with these characters could have been very colorful, but instead play very dry against the backdrop of their drab offices. Also disappointing was the limited interaction between workers. We only see them come together as a team two or three times, and when they do, their talks are just as boring as the others.

The fatal flaw here is that no emotion is conjured up by watching all of these situations play out. At no time did I feel empathy for the patients, or even angry with the patients. The matter-of-fact manner in which they presented the information unfortunately translated to a mediocre result—one that is well worth skipping.

GOD'S OFFICES screened at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

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SIFF Sighting: A FRENCH GIGOLO (drama; France)

Josiane Balasko's A FRENCH GIGOLO is a family story. Not 'family' in the Disney sense, but a tale that revolves around the inner workings of two non-traditional French families.

The first is made up of two sisters: Judith (Nathalie Baye) and Irene (played by Balasko herself). They live together and run a QVC-like television program that showcases new info-mercial caliber products. Neither are married.

The second family is centered around a couple: Marco (Eric Caravaca) and his wife Fanny (Isabelle Carré), who live with Fanny's mom and younger sister. Fanny is the partial owner of the hair salon where she works and Marco takes odd jobs.

Their lives intersect when Marco, desperate for cash to keep his wife's salon going, decides to moonlight as a male escort, and Judith becomes one of his regular clients. He is a few decades younger than she, and he has other clients, but Judith is special. There is a chemistry there that causes them both to brim with happiness in one another's presence.

But...Marco still loves his wife and is essentially only doing this for her. Of course she doesn't necessarily see it that way when another client leads her to the truth, and that is where the real story begins. Is it worth it for Marco to continue as an escort to save their financial life, though it jeopardizes their marriage? Or is his time spent with Judith more in line with what he wants out of life and therefore worth pursuing on a non-professional basis?

The writing is so good in this film, you'll find yourself switching alliances throughout, agonizing for all sides. Though it's a complicated situation, it's not too unrealistic to be believable.

The acting is superb from all of the leads (especially Baye) and were it not for some annoying, unnecessary supporting characters (Fanny's sister; Bérénice at the TV show), this would be a somewhat flawless film.

A love triangle that not only includes three people, but three problems: money, jealousy and infidelity, which makes us question our own motives and reasoning.

A FRENCH GIGOLO screened at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

SIFF Sighting: BABY LOVE (comedy; France)

In Vincent Garenq's BABY LOVE, dedicated pediatrician Manu (Lambert Wilson) has a strong desire to become a father, though his partner Phillipe (Pascal Elbé) agrees with the French law that dictates gay couples should not be parents. "It's unnatural," he says, though he clearly doesn't believe his love for Manu is so.

Unable to convince Phillipe that parenthood is the right choice for them, Manu breaks up with him and takes matters into his own hands by pretending to be straight for an adoption agency consultant, which backfires terribly.

Desperate, he begins searching for a woman to be his surrogate and finds one in Fina (Pilar López de Ayala), an adorable Argentinian woman who he accidentally hit with his car.

From there the film takes a few twisty turns (some predictable; others not) that carry viewers through the lives of characters who are both appealing and familiar.

Fina is especially charming with her delicate features and aura of sweetness; Manu is the man all women (and most men) would probably like to have in their lives. As a member of the audience you can't help but root for all of them, even when their goals unfortunately differ.

BABY LOVE is a tender, light-hearted glimpse into a very real problem that many gay couples face. Let's only hope that a decade from now, those problems won't exist.

BABY LOVE screened at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

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Cinebanter #70 - SIN NOMBRE

The MP3 of Cinebanter #70 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula cross the border with the hopeful immigrants of SIN NOMBRE. In the Last Five®, Michael becomes a Klingon, while Tassoula is brought to tears by a Disney movie. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 SIN NOMBRE Discussion
• Break
• 19:09 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 20:08 The Last Five®
• 1:04:59 Credits and Outtake

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: TAKEN, THIS IS ENGLAND, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, YEAR OF THE DOG and STAR TREK. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: STICK IT IN DETROIT, EARTH, RENDITION, ALMOST FAMOUS and JUPITER'S WIFE.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!

It's SIN NOMBRE for Cinebanter #70

Tune in May 11 for our review of SIN NOMBRE, which is writer/director Cary Joji Fukunaga's debut feature.