New York Film Festival Opens

Notes from the 2007 New York Film Festival
Mel Peffers

Well, I’ve now been living in New York for over a year, I've decided to really enjoy NYFF. I miss Seattle and my crazy Fool friends. While I didn't get to SIFF this year, I still fondly recall the years of sleep-deprived days trying to squash every movie I could manage into my waking hours. Fortunately having a SIFF Series Pass allowed me to see tons of great films I may otherwise have never seen. Unfortunately, after about film fifty I found myself nodding off during some of the longer days living in dark theaters. The NYFF is SIFF-lite, without the passholder crazy-fun. Miss all my Fool friends; you're never passholes to me :)

This is my second year at NYFF. Frustratingly, I’m forced to pre-order tickets for individual films – no ‘series pass’ options. Last year I picked several films to see – Capote, Cache, Good Night. I was just starting my new job and unfortunately some travel hitches resulted in me missing several films. This year I drooled over the pre-order list, albeit it a small selection compared to the SIFF catalog; heck, they can mail the selection list and order form in a simple envelope! Regardless, this film junkie will happily be stealing away into the dark this year with Lynch, Almodovar, Sofia Coppola, Michael Apted’s “49 Up”, and the South Korean horror film “The Host”. While NYFF will never be as all consuming as SIFF, I think I’ll enjoy the experience and without O.D.ing. But if anyone sees me dozing through my fourth film-of-the-day on Sunday (Woman on The Beach), just smack me with the tiny festival program. I only have 'til October 15th to take it all in. Ah, I can smell the celluloid now! Dang, digital is harder to sniff.

The Queen
Tonight’s 44th New York Film Festival kicked off with The Queen (Stephen Frears). Helen Mirren does a superb job playing Queen Elizabeth in the two months surrounding the time in England after Princess Diana’s death. Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) was winning over the British people as a young, vibrant Prime Minister for the people. The Queen was struggling in her ivory castle mentality still squarely living in the age where tradition and keeping up stoic appearance were highly valued. While Frears tries to push the story into something engaging and interesting, there just isn’t enough there to warrant anything more than a Movie Of The Week for E! or Lifetime television. The script and director tried to work two main angles. There is the theme about the difficulties of ruling styles - traditional vs. modern - and this theme is shoved down you throght. In scene after scene we see the Queen in her stately castles, roaming the extensive grounds, greeting bowing guests, and moving around servants who scurry about with more obedience than her Corgis. By ontrast we see Blair eatting at home with his kids and wife, plopped on the comfy coucch, and preparing to clean the dirty dishes. Does a P.M. seriously do these sorts of things? The Queen firmly stands by the motto of showing strength with guarded privacy while Blair seeks popularity and connection with his public. The film also over-explores the dynamics of how the press and the public can push rulers into tough and difficult positions. Unfortunately the death of Diana seems like a gimmicky way to bring out these themes in microcosm. Seriously, I just can’t watch the video clip montages of Diana and the mourners going to excess (how many flowers do dead people need?) without thinking how stupid they all are. Obsession over a cause-celeb just seems pathetic to me but Frears treats them, and the ensuing political pandering, with too much reverence. What happened to the wilder director who gave us My Beautiful Launderette? There is only one scenario where there is any emotive, deeper-than-surface connection to the lead character; it takes place in solitude and commune with the nature of her country estate. Remove this element and all you have is a simplistic attempt to forgive those who have the difficult task of trying to please and serve the public at the same time. Helen Mirren is superb in the lead role – guaranteed nomination for an Academy Award. She’s supported with an excellent cast with the glaring exception of James Cromwell as Prince Phillip. "That'll do, Pig."

Scene Review: Frears was there along with the writer, Mirren, and Cromwell, all dressed formally. They paraded out like cattle at a 4H/FFA viewing, not only for the audience but also in the paparazzi chute. Mirren was dressed in a very lovely empire waist silver gown with black webbed straps to accent the bustline. Too bad it was cut so long she had to carry it with both hands to walk anywhere. The result was that it made her look a bit like a giant Hershey's Kiss. She did a nice Queen wave. Frears was dressed formally but with fabu Converse tennies in red! At least his feet are still daring and wild.

preceded by
South of Ten
Liza Johnson, USA, 2006, 10 min.
Insignificant but nicely filmed montage of folks in New Orleans roaming through the rubble post-Katrina. The back-and-forth POV to subject shots gets dull about 2 minutes into it and the pattern just repeats.

FYI - for non-southerners, I-10 is THE route from California to Florida. Tons of memories driving the Eastern section from Texas to Florida to see our cousins. Ah, the days of jellyfish stings at the beach near Mobile, the crawfish boils, and oyster po-boys! Don't miss the mosquitos but do miss the key lime pie.