SXSW 2014 It's a Wrap

We ended this year's film festival with an Australian film THE MULE.  Based on a true story it's about a man with high ethical standards regarding friendship who gets manipulated into swallowing a shitload of balloons containing heroin.  He's detained by Immigration in Australia, refuses medical treatment in a hospital and spends ten days in a hotel room while mean and sadistic cops try to get him to empty his bowels.  There's humor, violence, gross footage of his attempts to hold on and some very authentic acting.  Everyone I spoke to enjoyed this film.

So this festival does for me what it does every year.  I see some good films, some bad films, talk to intelligent and not so intelligent people.  Am reminded how much I enjoy UT RTF students and their keen minds and am once again reminded of the community of film lovers, actors, and filmmakers that I have found in Austin!

SXSW Day#8

Pulling into home stretch.  Today was a NIGHT IN OLD MEXICO with Robert Duvall as a cantankerous old rancher refusing to be put down.  Nice to see acting coach CK Mc Farland on screen with a moustache! I loved Duvall's performance in this.  Entertaining.

Then a very important documentary VESSELL about a group of women bringing abortion education services to women all over the world on international waters.  Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, a Dutch M.D. is one of the bravest woman warriors I have ever encountered.

Finally we saw TWO STEP, a Texas thriller directed by a Brooklynite.  You'd never guess.  Casting was superb!

Beginning to fade.

SXSW Day #7

The Shorts Program #3 were crappy.  No need to discuss.  Just crappy immature and amateurish films with a supernatural theme.

PATRICK'S DAY written and directed by Terrence McMahon about a schizophrenic young man who falls in love for the first time is well made, beautifully acted and intelligent in its treatment of mental illneass.  A mother's obsessive love for her son interferes with any possibility for him to have an intimate relationship.  Well acted by Moe Dunford, his first feature length film.

ANIMALS, written by and starring David Dastmalchian is deserving of all the accolades its been receiving.  A couple addicted to heroin spend their days conning, lying, cheating to chase their fix.  The film is well acted and realistic in its presentation of their increasingly dreadful lives.  One of the finest narrative films I have seen at SXSW.

Sadness in the air and in my heart all day.  A tragic and senseless act of vehicular rampage has altered the lives of many in Austin.  Hard to watch so many festive and frolicking young folks as I walked back over the river without being reminded of the early a.m. incident.  Happy to stay on the south side of the river tomorrow at ZACH.

SXSW Day#6

This a.m. was shorts Program#4.   Foreign made stories of youth coming of age with pinches and bites. Unusual characters and unusual stories.  In addition an honest view of women preparing for their friend's marriage.  A silly bridal shower turns real when one of the guests decides to tell the bride about her future husband's escapades.  With one of them!!!  With all the friends providing apts for the cheating fiancee and cheating friend to get it on.  A truthful view of what happens in people's lives when they join in to the silliness required by these staged events.  Hopefully a message has been told here.

We did not get in to HELLION!!

SXSW Day #5

Music is in the house bringing multitudes of skinny boys in black spandex jeans.

The first film of the day was KUMIKO: TREASURE HUNTER brought to us by the Zellner brothers. Rinko Kikuchi is exquisite as the strange emotionally challenged woman who comes to the States looking for treasure in bumble fuck Fargo.  A beautifully shot film, an incredible lead actor and a surprise ending.  An art film in the classic sense.

THE INTERNET'S OWN BOY: AARON SWARTZ broke my heart.  A young suicide being hunted by the Feds for his desire to make information public.  Without a fee.  A brilliant mind who wanted to help the world and saw himself as a political being.  How shameful that our government went after this young man.  What a loss.

Been walking to the films from home  Getting tired.

SXSW Day #4

Oh the day began with Steve Mims' ARLO AND JULIE.  An adorable film with local actors and a UT RTF professor as writer/director.  It was a pleasure watching Austin actors on the big screen and seeing so many of us in the audience to support them and each other. A delightful experience!

Tonight was Diego Luna's CESAR CHAVEZ starring Michael Pena.  A wonderful film about the extraordinary man who led a non violent protest of 5 years working to obtain fair treatment for farm workers.An extraordinary reminder of the cruelty to migrant workers when our own comfort is so expected.
We stopped buying grapes and this was the outcome.  A union!

Talking with other actors, visitors waiting on line, and UT RTF students is what makes this festival so special. Austin you rock!  Tonight that is.

SXSW Day#3

Waited on line for a long time and got in to see the much anticipated BOYHOOD by Richard Linklater.  I am convinced I am the only person in the theater and on the streets of Austin who did not care for this film.  I found the story to be boring.  I did not find the family, the challenges they faced or their responses to be interesting or engaging.  I could not grasp the excitement that buzzed all around me about this film. People were  gushing about sets and music and design being truthful to the years as the actors grew in time. Good films are always truthful to the era they depict even as the era changes. I kept waiting to get pinched, for something to occur to make me care about these people. I felt it was a love affair with Texas and many of the challenges and stories that women and kids feel growing up in Texas.  I think it's a regional film and don't see it as having a universal appeal.

This evening we did not get into the cult film FAULTS but were absolutely delighted by Mike Myers well made documentary  The SUPERMENSCH about the talent  manager of stars Shep Gordon.  A human, humorous and honest portrayal of this man's journey to success as well as his lifelong personal challenges.  The Q&A with Myers, Gordon, and Tom Arnold was heartwarming and fun!