SIFF Day 5: Reviews

Gotta Dance (US) (Doc) : A- (website)

Grandmothers dancing hip-hop? Fun, fun, fun!! A group of seniors age 60 and above - 12 women and 1 man - were recruited by the New Jersey Nets to form a new dance team. Director Dori Berinstein ("Some Assembly Required") brings us through their journey of hard training, warm camaraderie, national fame, and audience adoration in this heartfelt and inspiring documentary.

We Live In Public (US) (Doc) : A (website)

Even though you may have never heard of him, Internet pioneer Josh Harris was a genius, a visionary, a weirdo, a dangerous force and a tragic figure all rolled into one. He jump-started the .com boom; built a web TV operation before most people even had the Internet; and ran an ambitious "Big Brother Extreme" in an underground bunker at the turn of the millennium. More than ten years in the making, this documentary is bedazzling in its technical details and unsettling in its social implications. Are we doomed to become slaves to the Internet? Do human beings ultimately crave intimate connections or unwittingly destroy them? Watch the movie and ponder away.

Today's SIFF audience received a very special treat when Josh Harris himself showed up for the post-film Q&A. In person he appeared calm, poised, and surprisingly "normal." Just don't ask him what he thought of the movie - He still hasn't watched it! I asked him about the ultimate goal and motivation behind all the provocative "experiments" he put on. He explained that he wants to "implement" where our society is heading toward, so we can all see what it's like in reality. Whether people choose to follow that path, or choose something different, that's not his concern. Indeed, this ultimate techie sees himself as an artist, an illustrator of our future. Something interesting to keep in mind when you watch this movie.

I Know You Know (UK) : B

A coming-of-age drama and suspense thriller (in a mild sense), this film features a stand-out debut performance from a young Arron Fuller, and a memorable turn by Robert Carlyle ("The Full Monty") as his father. The story, though not as rewarding as the lead performances, gets told in a polished and enjoyable fashion.

Warlords (Hong Kong/China) : B (website)

From "The Banquet" to "Curse of the Golden Flower" to this... The Chinese cinema seems to have taken on an obsession with Shakespearean tragedies. It's a solid piece of war epic, with three solid male leads and some solid character conflicts. Just remember to stay away if you are afraid of seeing blood.

Baby Love (France) : B-

A gay couple, one desperately wanting to have kids and the other one adamantly against it. Plus, gay couples are not allowed to adopt in France (for now). Many of the plot turns are cliched, though as a whole it's still enjoyable to watch. In other words, it's not bad. Just one major bone to pick: The film shows part of a straight sex scene, but cuts away just when two men start getting intimate. A strange double-standard to have for a supposedly gay movie.