SIFF sighting: ONE MILLION DUBLINERS (documentary; Ireland)

Tassoula reviewed the documentary ONE MILLION DUBLINERS, which played at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival tonight.

The link can be found on her blog.

SIFF Sighting: STILL LIFE (Drama; United Kingdom)

John May (Eddie Marsan) lives a solitary life, quietly going about his business as a government worker tasked with finding the loved ones of the recently deceased.

He takes great care to honor each of the dead: He plans funerals (though sometimes he's the only one in attendance); saves cremains longer than rules dictate just in case a friend or family member turns up; and keeps a book of photographs to memorialize those he has helped (though they'll never know).

John is a pleasant man, but doesn't appear to have any friends—and that may be why his compassion runs so deep for the loners he's helping.

When his new boss tells him that his work is too "slow," and they're downsizing him to provide a more efficient service, he just has one more case to solve before he departs.

His research leads him to meet Kelly Stoke (Joanne Froggatt), a next-of-kin who appreciates his kindness during a time of great shock and sadness. Their journey is a story in itself, twisting and turning with unexpected developments.

Eddie Marsan gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the heroic May, representing the ultimate professional in a career that not many would want. Downton Abbey's Froggatt is a welcome surprise late in the film, and their chemistry is delightful.

From the simplicity of the scenes to the hollow sets, the vibe of the film is masterfully executed by director Uberto Pasolini. The quiet pauses allow the audience time to digest the weight of confronting death while still keeping everyone engrossed in the story.

This one is not to be missed, folks.

STILL LIFE will screen at the 40th Seattle International Film Festival (fittingly) on Memorial Day, May 26. For tickets, go here.

SIFF Sighting: BUTTERFLY DREAMING (thriller, USA)

Take a Seattle mathematician and add an angry wife, multiply that by a beautiful mistress then divide that by a mysterious therapist and police officer. That will ultimately equal an unexpected death.

Rufus Williams' debut film BUTTERFLY DREAMING has all of the intrigue and mystery of a classic episode of Twin Peaks, as his main character Rob (Andrew Bowen) struggles to determine what his reality is in the wake of his wife's death.

Bowen's confused, yet pedantic nature in his portrayal of Rob allows us to witness what it must be like when a person with a highly functional, technical brain, begins to short circuit. What's special about this story is that you're not sure if his mental malfunctioning is due to grief or guilt.

And that leaves you struggling with the choice of who to root for.

Do you empathize with the mathematician, who was in love with his mistress and ignoring his wife's pleas to curb his online gambling? Do you feel sorry for the wife as the innocent victim, despite the fact she drove her husband into the arms of his mistress and refused a divorce? Do you write the married couple off as crazy and wish for the mistress to finally find happiness?

All questions that will undoubtedly continue to be debated as more folks see the film.

That and the big question: How do we all know who we really are?

BUTTERFLY DREAMING had its world premiere at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival on May 29. The film will screen again on May 31 at the Harvard Exit Theatre.

```

Cinebanter #41 - INTO THE WILD

The direct download of Cinebanter 41 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula venture into the Alaskan wilderness for their review of INTO THE WILD. In their Last Five®, Tassoula gives Michael the dish on the latest cinema sex scenes. And to close out the show, the pair resurrects their segment What Went Wrong at the Theater® due to an experience Tassoula recently had. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 INTO THE WILD Discussion
• Break
• 30:44 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 31:10 The Last Five®
• Break
• 47:35 What Went Wrong at the Theater®
• 1:00:33 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, Pop Current, Podcast-Review and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

And, if you're compelled to donate to the show, there is a PayPal button labeled 'Make a Donation' to the left of this blog. All donations are much appreciated.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: ALIVE DAY MEMORIES, EASTERN PROMISES, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, FREEDOM WRITERS and MICHAEL CLAYTON. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, GONE BABY GONE and LUST, CAUTION.

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!