TO BE OR NOT TO BE/Austin Film Society

A film by Ernst Lubitch, made in 1942, that had us laughing hysterically at Jack Benny playing an actor in a Polish theater troupe.  This troupe works with the underground to try to prevent the Nazi invasion and requires Benny to spy and impersonate a dead Nazi sympathizer.  He and Carol Lombard are brilliant in this beautiful film that mocks fascism and Hitler.  Abe, Liz and I had a ball laughing at a subject matter that is so serious and disturbing.  The filmmaker handled the subject so skilfully.  A joy to watch.

THE PAPER BOY and The Rubber Room

This afternoon we walked over to our favorite theater, Violet Crown to see Lee Daniels' latest film.  This is a harrowing film about a journalist who returns to his small town in the Florida Everglades in 1969 to investigate a murder of a disgusting and loathed sheriff.  The area is one of the worst armpits known to the American landscape and it breeds humans that are hard to watch, listen to and even fathom.  And Mc Conaughey, Kidman, Cusack, and Zac Efron pull it off.  John Cusack portrays a primitive and loathsome man who is pursued by Nicole Kidman who has a thing for convicted killers.  One searches deep  to care for these people and believe me it's a difficult task. (Macy Gray, the narrator and housekeeper does offer some respite with her humanity and warmth). Sometimes I just covered my eyes.  Kidman has taken on a role that will have some  bewildered because of it's raw and violent sexuality. I thought it was brave of her to allow herself to reach so far as an actor.  This film is gut wrenching just as PRECIOUS was.
We each had a huge margarita afterwards with a gift card from MANUEL'S.  I probably would have enjoyed methadone!
This evening I played with other Improv folks at The Institution theater.  The Rubber Room invites people to join the faculty each Sunday and experience the joy (and hard work) of improvisation.  Helpful.
Up early (like 4a.m.) tomorrow for a paid extra shoot close to home.
Worried, worried about all of my NY friends in the eye of the storm.  I will hope for the best for them.

Honky Tonk:Portraits of Country Music/grayDUCK gallery

Last night we went over to grayDUCK close by (in the same lot as LOVELY my favorite vintage store on South 1st) for an opening of the acclaimed photographer Henry Horenstein.  He's Boston-based, a lover of country music and  has taken photos of country musicians and their fans from 1972-2011.  The photos are B&W, revealing the change in times from Waylon Jennings in the 70's sporting some nasty looking nails, an adorable Dolly Parton, lots of BIG hair, a beautiful Emmy Lou Harris to Ray Benson in 2011 looking just like Ray Benson looks.  (Wish he'd taken his hat off the other night at The Paramount during Jayne Mansfield's Car).  Good music, a delicious drink made up of cranberry, cucumber juices and Dripping Springs Vodka.  It was delicious and it seems the gallery owner got it off of Martha Stewart's site. I'm not a big fan of hers at all but this drink is goooood!  I would definitely recommend this exhibit for it's historic window into a world so far different from Austin's music scene.

Austin Film Festival Day #8

We closed out AFF with Billy Bob Thorton's Jayne Mansfield's Car at The Paramount this evening.  He gave a humorous intro and an informative Q&A about how he came to write and direct this story.  In his intro he said this is not an extravagant film with high tech features and  following the film admitted "I don't even know how to use that shit."  This is a story of two families, one Southern and the other English who come together to bury their mother and step-mother in Alabama.  The casting is sensational with John Hurt, Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon and Billy Bob.  The story takes place in 1969  with complex characters struggling with past wars, current protests, drugs, disappointing relationships and hysterical romance.  Billy Bob Thorton might not know much about modern technology but he surely knows how to deliver Southern characters who are unique and compelling and invite you right in.  A wonderful film seen by some very proud Austinites this evening.
And so we close out our 3rd AFF since arriving in Austin.   We waited in lines, saw every film we selected, made new film loving friends and so happy to see so many RTF students that I've worked with.   Looking forward to the 20th anniversary AFF next year.

Austin Film Festival Day#7

Two feature length documentaries today.  This afternoon I saw INFORMANT, an Austin based story of an energetic organizing radical enthusiast who turns into an FBI informant.  A complex story that I was familiar with after seeing a documentary about the two young men he turned in to the FBI at SXSW.  While I think Brandon Darby is a center stage character loving the attention from anyone I have always seen this story as complex.  Molotov cocktails are made but not thrown.  The young men who have served prison sentences never intended to hurt people, only things.  We hear radicals defending the destruction of corporate property, we hear of kids with stressed childhoods, we see a creepy turncoat advocating for THE TEA PARTY, and I always feel sad, uncomfortable and frankly, can't cheer for anyone.  The documentary is well made and won the documentary award at this year's AFF.
This evening we saw ANN RICHARDS' TEXAS.  God how I miss her.  Wonderful footage of this intelligent, witty, ballsy, gutsy, sexy, alive Democrat.  How different we'd be here in Texas had she beat George Bush in that governor's election.  What the world needs now is another Ann Richards.  Let's get Elizabeth Warren some cowboy boots and  teased hair and she'll do just fine.

Austin Film Festival Day #6

A spell binding day today of shorts, shorts, shorts and a Narrative winner Sparrow's Dance.  I began this afternoon with documentary shorts.  We were given access to so many worlds: a Brooklyn salesman who travels the country selling bronzed shoes;  immigrant college students awaiting The Dream Act to grant them their hard earned rights;  a young boy who collects vacuum cleaners (hats off to RTF student Chelsea Hernandez); Indian women who sort tons and tons of clothes to be made into thread; stand up comedy in Israel and a creative ad executive buying homeless persons signs to further explore advertising.
And then shorts about the space between people and their relationships.  All of these shorts were so well made and many of them deserved the 5 stars I gave them in the audience evals.
This evening Abe caught up with me to see the Narrative winner Sparrow's Dance, a beautiful film about an agoraphobic actress and her saxophone playing plumber.  Mental illness handled deftly, beautifully and with a great artistic view.  Abe and I, both mental health seasoned social workers, were so impressed with the way the writer/director Noah Buschel presented this film about real romance between real people.  And oh yes, the Brooklyn location and references made us really comfortable.
Once again we ran into the warmest of warm couples: Joel Johnstone, his partner Ada, and now his Dad, Steve.  Friendships that develop on line at AFF have brought us continued gratification as we watch these young filmmakers soar.

Austin Film Festival Day #5

I approached this evening's film FLIGHT with enthusiasm thinking I'd see Denzel Washington  in an action film about a scary flight with a crash landing.  A break from meth heads, complex issues and documentaries.  And instead I found myself watching an incredibly well made film by Robert Zemeckis about a character determined to maintain and deny his alcoholism.  This is an extraordinary film about addiction and how difficult it is become free of its hold.  I found the scary flight scenes less frightening than Denzel's determination to remain a boozer.  There are underlying stories as well here about corporate and union complicity and unethical legal representation.  This film had me absolutely captivated.  John Goodman as a drug dealer  offered needed comic  relief and I kept waiting for him to say "I don't roll on shabbas."  A highly recommended film.

While waiting on line at THE PARAMOUNT we were so happy to once again see Joel Johnstone  (THE PILGRIM AND THE PRIVATE EYE) and his girlfriend (Brooklyn folks). Joel's film was one of our favorite shorts.  This really clever and well made short will surely make it's mark at other festivals and we're hoping TV.    More to come.

Austin Film Festival Day #4

After hootin' and hollerin' for the LIVE STRONG cyclists this a.m. we headed up to the Paramount and Convention Center for day #4 of films.  THE SAPPHIRES is a lovely feel good film about four Aboriginal girls who are brought to Viet Nam in the 1960's to entertain the troops.  And my goodness, they can sing!  Great Motown and R&B music throughout and a lively spirited story about young women who want something more for themselves.  We loved this film.

Later on we met the lovely Malina Panovich managing the theater at the Convention Center for JUNCTION and so the wait on line was fun for us.  This is a well written film about meth heads who invade a home and discover the inhabitants of the home are criminals themselves.  Think pedophile type criminals.  Shot in N.J. with actors we know from DEXTER and other NY cop films it felt like home to me.  Tony Glazer, writer and director was available for an intelligent Q&A.  Moving along, some down time manana with FLIGHT tomorrow evening at the Paramount.

Austin Film Festival Day #3

First an Improv Class at Institution Theater (learning, learning) and then an afternoon and evening of documentaries at the convention center.  My favorite was MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON about the first Vietnamese to be elected to Congress.  Elected by a predominantly black constituency in a predominantly Democratic hood in new Orleans.  An intelligent, decent man who is a Republican.  And while he was initially the only Republican to vote for Obamacare he switched his vote after the revisions because he is a staunch Catholic pro-lifer.  He did not get re-elected for a second term. Cao is a kind, decent, sincere person who will continue to make a mark I am sure.  Just wish he could leave his religious beliefs out of his politics and remember it's the law of the land.

A documentary about the man who stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911, THE MISSING PIECE, was sweet and informative.  Reminded me of David Chase's rock n roll film in that it's a middle aged guy's returning to a subject that has been with him since youth, a journey that needed to be completed.  More to come.

Austin Film Festival Day #2

Three hours of shorts at The Hideout today were spectacular.  BELLA FLEACE GAVE A PARTY, is a poignant film about an elderly woman controlling her final days by planning a huge Christmas ball.   Amanda Yam's PRIZE is light hearted and funny and turns quite serious when a young boy controls time,  and LISA, a stunning film made in the Czech Republic is a sensitive film about a child dealing with a parent's death.    In the CRIME STORIES category a special shout out to Joel Johnstone's THE PILGRIM AND THE PRIVATE EYE, a film shot in Brooklyn that was clever, funny and well acted by the writer/director.  Mr. Johnstone is absolutely believable as an actor using his craft to help a shady private investigator.  HER NEXT DOOR is a short out of the UK that is hysterical in it's use of a never ending monologue to provide humor in a home invasion.  This evening we headed up to IMAX to see THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING a documentary about Muslim- American comedians taking their   routines across the U.S. to cities, suburbs and small towns to bring their message of HUG A MUSLIM and "this is who we are."  These comedians are superbly professional, funny and open about their experiences.  I wouldn't miss this for the world.  And with all of our waiting we run into old and new acquaintances, lots of UT film students and the friendliest of AFF volunteers.

Austin Film Festival Day#1

My  favorite event in Austin began with a bang.  David Chase (SOPRANOS) began the evening at The Paramount with a lovely intro about growing up in N.J. with Rock n Roll and music being the most essential part of his life.  This is a personal and sweet film, nothing heavy or deeply engaging.  But a movie that so many will relate to about their own adolescence in suburban America during the 60's.  And oh the music...unbeatable.  Hard to imagine that the creator of THE SOPRANOS would make such a light film.

The second film of the evening was breathtaking. THE SESSIONS is an autobiographical film about Mark O'Brien, a poet who is paralyzed since age 6 and lives in an iron lung.  While he has respite from the lung for 3 hour stints he completes a B.A. and works as a writer and poet.  John Hawkes brings a sensitivity to this character that is spell binding.  The sessions he is involved in are sessions with a sex therapist in his quest to lose his virginity at the age of 38.  He is a witty, adorable and loving man filled with angst, guilt and passion.  Helen Hunt as the sex therapist is open, kind, loving and so natural.  We both loved this film and of course I cried numerous times.

We arrived early early to THE PARAMOUNT, met wonderful and warm people, new and old acquaintances, ate dinner while standing and look forward to more.  Tomorrow come the shorts. Some of the filmmakers are RTF students.  This should be wonderful.

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS

Run to see this film because of the brilliant screenplay, stellar performances, and a moment of respite from the sadness of the current political milieu.  Martin McDonagh delivers, as always, with his most unusual use of violence in a surprisingly comical and hilarious way.  I once read about this Irish born playwright that his parents left him and his brother in a London flat for two years when they were called back to Ireland for work. They were young adolescents at the time. He and his brother spent their entire days watching movies and nothing else (I'm sure weed and booze must have entered into the equation). And while one might question the folks' parenting choice I am so glad they left them!  The world received The Lieutenant of Inishmaan, The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Cripple of Inishmaan, as well as In Bruges.   I remember walking into a small Off Broadway theater to find  a man hanging by his heels with blood dripping from open wounds on stage  and then seeing the most beautiful young Irish wicked female actor stomping around the stage.  I just knew this playwright was different, and brilliant as well.  The performances by Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Woody Harrelson will make you wish for more and more.  And so while ACL is in town we remain unscathed by the crowds which don't seem anywhere in sight of The Westgate and this fabulous film.

SPECTRUM DANCE THEATER/BASS CONCERT HALL

Last night we had the good fortune to see this company perform their interpretation  of the  Terezin concentration camp inmates and the use of their performing arts to cope with their impending doom.  The dancers were magnificent in technique and emotional portrayal, the costumes added to the somber atmosphere, the music a bit obscure for our taste and the accompanying dialogue chilling.  A reminder of how little we have learned since the Holocaust.  The Q&A with the choreographer, Donald Byrd, the musicians and two principal dancers was relevant and so informative.  The dancers' reactions to the content of this piece and how it personally affected them was so real and touching.  A bleak bleak sadness in our own personal history was magnificently told by this dance company.  I love Donald Byrd.

Mama Moment

I've had an unusual two weeks  managing Josh's move to Austin. He touched down on Sunday and left on Monday flying to Miami and Boston this week.  Next week he leaves for Boston and NYC.    He finds the work challenging, has friends in the cities he visits and I can tell he's happy even with all of the flying.  And so I have waited for the moving men, unpacked tons of stuff, waited for furniture deliveries, assembled bar stools and a side table, and have learned more about my son through this process than I would have ever been able to  if we had a sit down face to face.  First: he has 60 T-shirts that all announce who he is: a lover of the METS and Wisconsin football, a cyclist, a hiker, a softball and baseball player, a visitor to Austin, a Brooklyn native, and a funny guy.  He has a ton of books. He's kept all of his Badger newspapers where he had a column in college. He has kept some baseball and basketball trophies.  While he lived like a monk in D.C. he has more clothes than even I would have ever imagined.  He cooks and even has tupperware!  Based on his belongings I can tell he's lived a decent life these last ten years and has held on to important things from his past.  And while I am beat and looking forward to his settling in I am grateful for having had  this opportunity.  A true "mama moment."

The Great Outdoors 25th Anniversary

Just came home from an awesome party celebrating the 25th anniversary of this wonderful plant/nursey site on South Congress. The Great Outdoors was one of the first places I visited regularly after moving from Brooklyn.  The staff have always been warm, welcoming and helpful in instructing me which plants to buy.  And in turn I have taught them Yiddish phrases.  Met some wonderful folks tonight who are also neighbors.
A friendly fine evening in Austin.  Food was delicious as well!

2 DAYS IN NEW YORK/Violet Crown

Had to fit this in before it leaves.  What a pleasant reminder of NYC streets/Park Slope mention (not the "tough" Brooklyn), Chris Rock, a Park Sloper and Julie Delpy with that hysterical father of hers.  A great way to start this beautiful day in Austin! A light film with honesty about families, kids, DNA connections and truth about what goes on between people.  A Romantic comedy with a happy ending.  A good prelude to THE Debates which Abe and I will see at the Alamo South Lamar.  Talk about a high anxiety moment.  Barack, it's your 20th Anniversary.  Make Michelle proud!

SLEEPLESS NIGHT/Austin Film Society

An incredibly well made action film ended our French Essential Cinema Series at the Alamo South Lamar last evening.  This is a cop film and one of the finest we've ever seen.  After seeing END OF WATCH this week and now this French film I am convinced these cop films (good or bad cops) are among our favorite themes.  Notes provided by David Chisolm (Chale's apprentice) were personal and informative and so we learn that the filmmaker, Frederic Jardin, is one who only previously made comedies.  And the star is a successful stand-up comedian who does all of his own stunts in this extraordinary physical role!  The French have never impressed me as particularly funny so this was an eye opener for me.  I have always turned to them for melancholia but tonight we were at the edge of our seats as a cop does everything imaginable to save his kidnapped son.  The audience was audible in their reactions to the cutthroat suspense of so many actions. And there is some comic respite in restaurant kitchen scenes where you can catch your breath.  But only for a minute.  See this film if you can and prepare to be drawn into extremely interesting characters.