A Short Synopsis of Film

“Safety Not Guaranteed” is how I’ve come to think of SIFF’s programming choices for films that are set in Seattle. At the 2010 festival, I sat through a movie called The Penitent Man. Some of the film’s footage was shot in my neighborhood (Capitol Hill). The story involved time travel, and it was one of the worst productions I’ve ever witnessed.

Fast forward to last year’s debut of director Colin Trevorrow’s new film starring Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. Yes, it was partially set in Seattle, and it did involve time travel, but the acting talent made this movie very enjoyable. Though I felt that the script was fun and engaging, the excellent performances are what really made the characters interesting and worth caring about.

The idea for the screenplay was inspired by an actual ad placed on page 92 of the Sept/Oct 1997 issue of survivalist magazine ‘Backwoods Home’. The ad was written by John Silveira, who often supplied fillers when the classified ad pages of the magazine came up short. It was, of course, a joke. The film’s writer, Derek Connolly, then created the part of Darius specifically for Aubrey Plaza after stumbling upon a re-posting of Silveira’s original ad on the Internet in 2007. It’s interesting how plots evolve.

Safety Not Guaranteed was shot in 32 locations over 24 days in Seattle and surrounding areas. Most films and television shows that are set in Seattle are filmed in Vancouver B.C. or some other location. I don’t often see film crews closing off our city streets, but there is the occasional exception.

Venue: Seattle International Film Festival, 2012
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance, Action thriller

IMDB

Dreams of a Life, UK

Almost three years after her death, Joyce Carol Vincent was discovered lying on the couch at home watching television. Nobody reported her missing or cared that she neglected to pay her electric bill. This documentary is a sad commentary on the disconnectedness of modern society.

Take This Waltz, Canada

Margot’s life hasn’t turned out as the fairytale every little girl was promised. She misses the excitement of falling in love, and can’t cope with the “gaps” in her comfortable marriage to a writer of chicken cookbooks. Enter artist, next door neighbor, and rickshaw driver Daniel with promises of witty repartee and erotic sexual encounters.

Rose, Poland

Before World War II, Masurian villages were controlled by Germany, but afterward they were lumped in with Poland. Both Rose and the villages are repeatedly raped over the course of this film by their Russian conquerors.

Starry Starry Night, Taiwan

A 13-year-old girl learns about the Dutch masters from her art collecting mother and jigsaw puzzles assembled by her family. But when a piece from Van Gogh’s Starry Night goes missing, Mei’s home life starts to fall apart. Folded paper animals and wooden elephants come to life in this charmingly serious fantasy about the families and friendship of two Chinese school children.

Coteau Rouge, Canada

Apparently not everyone in Quebec is of Western European descent, some are born of fish. And not all of Canada is a safe place. Anytime someone makes trouble for a French-Canadian family from Coteau Rouge, they feed their problem to a giant, man-eating sturgeon.

Cloudburst, Canada

Two old dikes and a male dancer road-trip to Canada to procure a wedding license. Along the way, there’s lots of tequila, swearing, and a near drowning or two. I learned from this film that OWL is short for Old Wise Lesbian, and that Olympia Dukakis has a real potty mouth.

The Intouchables, France

Affluent, paraplegic paragliding pilot seeks caregiver to neglect and insult him on a regular basis. Prefers ex-convicts or someone with a lengthy criminal record. Medical qualification and prior nursing experience strongly discouraged. Bottom line is, if you can score a doobie and outrun the French police in my Maserati, you’re hired.

Your Sister’s Sister, USA

It’s the one year anniversary of Jack’s brother’s death, but Jack’s not feeling very celebratory. After raining on some friends’ saintlike remembrance of his departed sibling, Iris suggests that he spend a few days alone in the San Juan islands reflecting on his life. Iris is Jack’s best friend, but he can’t sleep with her because she once dated his brother, so Jack sleeps with Iris’s lesbian sister Hannah instead, did I mention that Hannah is unstable and wants a baby?

Elena, Russia

With wealth comes privilege and choice. However, it also attracts the envy and desperation of those without. An aging nurse marries her rich, older patient. Both have children from previous marriages, but the man’s family is wealthy while the woman’s is more like a welfare case. The man is godless, the woman religious. There are cooling towers from a nuclear power plant in almost every scene!

My Sucky Teen Romance, USA

Still dressed in what appears to be a leather jacket from the 1950’s, Edward Cullen’s doppelganger stalks prepubescents at the local Holiday Inn’s annual sci-fi and fantasy convention. Do not go expecting a well-polished Hollywood film, but instead something shot by high school students with little or no budget over a very short period of time.

Bestiaire, Canada

72 minutes of watching animals in silence. Sometimes unsettling, sometimes humorous. Some people like to draw them, others like to watch them, and still others (taxidermists) like to stuff them. This film is part of the experimental track at the festival, be forewarned that you WILL be sitting for 72 minutes in silence staring at zoo animals without any dialogue or narration.

Polisse, France

The child protective unit of the Parisian police force deals with everything from self-confessing pedophiles to homeless mothers who can’t feed or shelter their children to shoot-outs at the local shopping mall. Perhaps that’s why the detectives’ home lives are so screwed up. The stories in this film are based on actual police investigations.

The only time congressman David Norris is alone is when he’s asleep or in the bathroom. After eight years of politics, the spotlight is becoming hard for him to take, and mooning a bunch of friends at a recent, college reunion hasn’t helped his chances of winning New York’s 2006 Senate race. As David (Matt Damon) stands in the men’s room of his party’s hotel headquarters practicing his concession speech, Emily Blunt emerges from one of the bathroom stalls with bottle of champagne in hand. Emily’s character (Elise Sellas) is a ballet dancer who likes to crash expensive wedding receptions. She’s currently hiding from both hotel security and an irate Ivana Trump. Apparently, fake Czech accents don’t stand up well to several drinks and claiming to be Ivana’s niece.

In 1954, Philip K. Dick wrote a 20 page short story entitled ‘The Adjustment Team’ upon which this film is based. Dick’s story begins with a lazy old dog who falls asleep and fails to bark at precisely the right moment. As a result, the dog’s owner is not summoned outside for an early morning car ride to work, and does not partake in the scheduled “adjustment” to his life and the inhabitants’ lives of sector T137. In congressman Norris’s case, divine intervention fails to prevent him from catching the cross-town bus, and from bumping into bathroom stowaway Elise a second time.

Philip’s stories are responsible for the inspiration of many well known films including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly. I don’t blame Mr. Dick (or the dog) for this film’s failure to impress me. After all, a good premise and a handful of talented actors aren’t enough to carry an intriguing idea.

In a nutshell, this film is a contest between free will and fate. The question posed is whether two people, Elise and David, should live as successful singles or as a mediocre couple. Some people might tell you that their romance ruins this science fiction thriller, but I enjoyed the witty flirting of the two actors, their onscreen chemistry is charming and one of the film’s strengths. There are religious overtones, interdimensional doorways and hats.

Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance, Action thriller

Official Site
IMDB

It’s not easy to get a look at Oscar nominated shorts before the awards are handed out. Fortunately, SIFF and Landmark Theaters here in Seattle have been playing most of the documentaries, live action, and animated candidates this past week.

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, USA

An 85 year old black barber recounts cutting Martin Luther King Jr.’s hair. James Armstrong was one of the foot soldiers of the civil rights movement, and probably more excited to see Obama elected president than Barack’s own mother. An important message about overlooked activists and the long road to a black presidency.

Saving Face, USA

A London doctor returns to his home country of Pakistan to surgically reconstruct women’s burned and disfigured faces. It’s not uncommon for men to throw battery acid on their wives. Meanwhile back in parliament, the congress debates passage of a bill to punish instigators of these crimes with life imprisonment.

Incident in New Baghdad, USA

In July of 2007, U.S. attack helicopters shot at and killed a group of Iraqi insurgents. Among the collateral damage were civilians including two journalists from Reuters and some children. Army Specialist Ethan McCord was patrolling on foot that day and one of the first people to reach the aftermath.

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Japan

Humans seem to find comfort and strength in the longevity and resilience of plants. Even after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, devastating tsunami, and nuclear disaster, the Japanese people are a very composed lot. The thousand year old cherry tree and 16th generation caretaker round this film out with a sense of continuity and hope.