SIFF Day 6: Reviews

Dancing Across Borders (US) (Doc) : B

Philanthropist Anne Bass discovered Sy, a teenage dancer performing in Cambodia, and sponsored him to come to the U.S. and train in classic ballet. What started as home video footage (to send to Sy's mom) eventually turned into a documentary project, which first-time filmmaker Anne Bass handled with love and care. We follow Sy through years of training and performances, which eventually led him to Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet. The power of this movie comes from the personal and artistic journey of Sy, allowing us to appreciate him as a beautiful person both inside and out. Wonderful performance footage, often showing dance pieces in their entirety, provided a great bonus. As a fan of dancing in general and a non-fan of ballet specifically, I was really impressed and touched by Sy's performances.

Moon (UK) : A- (website)

I expected to like this movie, and I did like it, but in a totally unexpected way. I thought this was a sci-fi suspense thriller; turned out it's more like a sci-fi character drama. The first act was kinda slow, and during the second act I seriously doubted whether the movie would work. However, the third act really pulled it off and turned in a very satisfactory ending. I'll take this over so many other movies that start strong and finish weak.

The look of this movie, a blend between old-school realistic and CG-based ultra-clean, was attractive and soothing. Sam Rockwell gave a pitch-perfect performance. In fact, the movie was written specifically for him - and he really delivered.

Zift (Bulgaria) : B

I took a gamble on this one since it didn't look like my usual kind of movie. The SIFF website stated "Genres: Cult, Detective/Mystery, Drama, Erotic, Film Noir, Thriller." Huh?? I’m glad that it turned out to be an enjoyable and enticing ride instead of a flashy mess. The story-telling devices and Noir elements worked well, the protagonist was fascinating and powerful, and it all led up to a memorable final act.