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The Ten Best Films of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival
May 5, 2017 by wondersinthedark
by Sam Juliano
After each and every Tribeca Film Festival, one tries to speculate which films will ultimately gain wide releases, either by way of Manhattan exclusives or nationwide booking. More and more films are leaving the Tribeca box – some gain slots in other festivals and others enjoy multi- week runs before securing DVD and blu ray rights. Unfortunately some languish in cinematic limbo either imminently or indefinitely, and often the matter of quality and strong word-of-mouth is not enough to convince distributors to take the plunge. It is unfathomable to conclude that Tribeca 2017 will produce few works that will open theatrically, as the best films of the festival include some extraordinary titles from abroad, stateside and in the documentary genre. The latter has always been a strong suit at Tribeca, and though 2017 for this writer has proven a particular triumph for narrative features, several documentaries by any barometer of measurement must be included among the festival’s creme de la creme. As of this writing negotiations are underway to pave the path for theatrical releases, and with the right timing and luck we may see the lion’s share of the best films expanding to new audiences. My wife and I were able to fit in a whopping thirty-eight features during the festival’s eleven day run, and aided by the last days of award winner screenings we managed to see just about all the priority and well-reviewed titles. As always my Number 10 spot is a tie between two films, meaning my Top 10 is actually a Top 11.
1. Saturday Church (directed by Damon Cardasis; USA)
The father of a 14 year-old inner-city boy and his younger brother is killed in action as the film opens at the funeral. “Ulysses” is a sensitive boy who slowly begins to experiment with his own gender identity while under the stern eye of a domineering aunt who is called in to supervise as the kids’ single mother is out working. Ulysses wears panty hose under his male clothing and at one point his precocious younger brother Abe barges in while he tries on his mother’s heels. After finding out his indiscretions the uncompromising Aunt Rose issues stern warnings, wielding a bit too much authority, telling the shy and effeminate boy he is a “man.” Director Cardasis acutely chronicles the suffocating behavior of ignorant, insensitive adults, a contributing factor in homelessness, prostitution and deep-rooted depression. To bolster a more masculine image Rose enlists him as an altar boy in local church, but this forced scenario segues into the exploration of the Christopher Street piers, a location long known for gay cruising and drag queens. The good looking young man immediately clicks with this nurturing second family and they introduce him to the all-inclusive “Saturday Church” which provides a shelter and comforting environment for gays and trans-gendered young people. For the first time Ulysses feels wanted and appreciated, and he receives his first kiss from a non-tranny gay boy Raymond, one that enhances his self-image and resolve to become what he feels inside. Cardasis weaves some resonating songs by Nathan Larson that often emanate from the depths of despair in a transformation of the darker reality we saw in Lars Von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark, and the young actor who plays Ulysses -Luka Kain carries the singing and dancing negotiation of songs written to amplify yearning, captivity and the need to blossom. The songs are surprisingly effective and they bring exhilarating closure to a film purposely left open ended by the director. After a tearful rapprochement, when Ulysses is escorted home by one member of his new family, his mother finally turns on Aunt Rose and in song tells the son she adores she will accept him for who is is. The entire cast deliver impassioned turns -particular mention to Regina Taylor as Aunt Rose and Marquis Rodriguez as Raymond- but the film belongs to Kain, who brings a brooding intensity as a boy too long imprisoned who through some inevitable trials and tribulations transforms to wide audience appeal. Saturday Church is a captivating coming-of age story accentuated by liberating music and lyrics, and driven by the power of community and crossing the finish line to acceptance. It is the most wholly irresistible feature at Tribeca 2017, and richly deserves wide distribution. The specter of Rainer Warner Fassbinder is smiling down on this remarkable directorial debut.
2. Son of Sofia (directed by Elina Psykou; Greece/Bulgaria)
A Russian mother and son are reunited in Athens circa the time of the 2004 Olympic Games. The introverted Misha finds to his chagrin that his mom, Sofia has married again, this time to an older man, Mr. Nikos who is resolved to raise the boy as his own, to have him learn Greek and adhere to a rigid discipline. He expects Misha to accept him as his father, but the boy privately laments to Sofia that he expected their reunion would be only between the two of them. A fairy tale subplot is played out as a manner of escape for the boy who finds some harsh realities and deceptions in a family dynamic that is anything but benign. One is reminded of the oppressive atmosphere in Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander, but the tonal elements are more in line with some of the wry humor seen in films like the recent Dogtooth and The Lobster. The film was directed by a talented young woman, Elina Psykou, and she is adept as establishing mood, veering from acute melancholia to visual buoyancy, injecting this oddly alluring tale with subversive elements. The film is a unique coming-of-age story, and as such it brings the young boy full circle after periods of resentment, and escape. He briefly shares company with a male Ukranian prostitute who offers the young boy refuge and later returns in the film’s hair-raising finale. There is plenty both visually and thematically to sink your teeth into, and Son of Sofia showcases another exemplary childhood performance by a markedly cerebral lad named Victor Khomut. The film was awarded First Place Narrative International feature by the Tribeca jury. Distributor alert!
3. Hondros (directed by Greg Campbell; USA)
A visual eulogy done with exceeding empathy and professional veneration, Hondros, was Tribeca 2017’s finest documentary, and the one most of all that moved viewers to their cores. Passed over by the jury who opted to give it a special mention, this propulsive documentary about an extraordinary life secured the Best Documentary of the festival audience award, and in any recap of the festival this must surely rate as one of the very best films in any category. The subject, celebrated war correspondent/photo journalist Chris Hondros was known as a daring, innovative and resilient chronicler of ongoing events in war zones, and his risk was as great as a soldier in the front line. Hondros produced some of the most iconic images, including one of a Libyan youth suspended in mid-air, and he was seen personally and professionally as a true inspiration to all those who were fortunate enough to cross his path. Almost inevitably Hondros was killed by mortar fire in Libya, at the age of 41 in 2011, but he left behind a legacy that all those in his field have held as the highest in devotion. His best friend Greg Campbell, a talented filmmaker in his own right was the perfect choice to move forward with this project and the results bring a special intimacy and authenticity to the personal revelations and interviews including those with his German-American mother (his father was Greek-American), close friends and associates. In turns harrowing, casual and incisive Hondros paints a picture of man we all wish we had known and how one can live such a relatively short time and yet contribute four times as much as those who live twice as long. Hondros was admittedly borderline reckless, and his personal warmth and humor may have obscured the dangers at hand. In the end this is a deeply moving portrait, beautifully made. If ever a documentary deserves a full run and video release, this is it.
4. Ice Mother (directed by Bohdan Slama; Czechoslovakia)
Bohdan Slama is lauded as one of Czechoslovakia’s most accomplished humanists, and his latest, Ice Mother embraces this noble focus with assistance from a humorous script, quirky situations, a largely dysfunctional family and perhaps the most jealous chicken outside of McDonald’s farm. A family matriarch tires of the machinations of her two selfish sons – one who constantly owes money because of collector’s OCD – the other who is married to an exceedingly unpleasant wife, though their young son Ivanek is the focus from which a romantic window is opened for the 67 year-old widow. The man Hana meets is obviously harboring secrets, but his is charismatic and revels in some startling oddities. He lives in a rundown bus with chickens, but he convinces Hana to swim and enrich her life while teaching the young boy the social skills he was long missing while he honed his technological interests. The director acutely examines narcissism and human failings, but is never surrenders to the nihilist aspects of such a lamentable family dynamic. Ice Mother is a celebration of life in off-kilter environs, and as such it is an irresistible work.
5. November (directed by Rainer Sarnet; Estonia)
The venerated animation artist Jan Švankmajer is not the director of the Estonian fantasy November, but you’d sure think he has some input into some of the decision making by director Rainer Sarnet. The film is by far the wildest of the festival yet art house lovers were in for quite the treat with this shimmering black and white visual feast of a film, one that disavows plot and narrative logistics to allow the camera to turn images into a story of creation and primordial desolation, and there is a strong strain of nihilism in a distinctly poetic presentation based on a reasonably famous Estonian novel that brings a kind of perverted context to the philosophical implications of Von Stroheim’s Greed. Basically, the film explores a love triangle, a favorite device in Estonian literature and it brings the full gamut of human behavior and emotions to a haunting work of wintry splendor and brooding intensity that created in tapestry-like sublimity that more often than not follows its protagonist down the darkest of paths. The cinema would be poorer without this gaining a release.
6. Keep the Change (directed by Rachel Israel; USA)
The Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature of the festival was given to Rachel Israel’s Keep the Change, a charming romantic comedy that stars autistic/special needs actors who invariably face some of the same problems and challenges as unaffected couples, yet because of their various limitations and social awkwardness must develop their own functional aesthetic. David, sporting sun glasses and a hulking frame appears outwardly as a successful man. Sarah is a sweetheart, but David’s overbearing nature is also one that’s markedly insensitive, so the road to romantic maturation hits several bumps before finally clicking in the film’s irresistible final scene on a bus. The co-leads – Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon (who meet each other at the Jewish Community Center) share some meaningful quality time in a relationship that recalls the classic Marty, but of course is far more complicated. The film’s fresh literate spontaneity and humor are woven into a thoughtful screenplay that helps to forge a remarkable chemistry between Polansky and Elisofon. The film is honest and spontaneous and both the photography and music help Israel bring this touching story to artistic fruition.
7. A Thousand Junkies (directed by Tommy Swerdlow; USA)
A black comedy about a trio of drug addicts desperately looking for their latest fix, the anarchic, often very funny A Thousand Junkies by Tommy Swerdlow (who also plays one of the leads) recalls in spirit The Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight, and is culled from experience as Swerdlow nearly died for two decades of drug abuse. Hence some of the behavioral revelations recall those in Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was also featured real experiences, but the director wisely keeps the humorous lines and situations coming. At a brisk 75 minutes the film never overstays its welcome and develops and endearing undercurrent. Definitely ones of the most entertaining rides at Tribeca 2017.
8. LA 92 (directed by Dan Lindsay and T. J. Martin; USA)
One of the most infamous events in American history -the looting and burning of Los Angeles after the unconscionable acquittal of police officers caught on a home video camera repeatedly pummeling African-American taxi driver Rodney King in March of 1991- is examined in all its appalling detail in a highly-praised documentary that ran at Tribeca as a carryover from other festivals. While the judicial aberration wasn’t played down to any degree the film also pointed accusatory fingers at those who took advantage of the volatile situation and others who chose to exploit the devastation for purely financial gain. The co-directors combined interviews with police reports, audio tapes and on location reportage along with all the televised reports back in the early 90’s when this travesty of justice embarrassed the nation in the eyes of the world and underscored the deep racial divisions even with convictions that other factors superseded the ones being attributed to the most.
9. The Pilgrimage (directed by Brendon Muldowney; Ireland)
The opening scene of the fog enshrouded religious epic adventure The Pilgrimage is a violent stoning of a religious martyr. It signals the direction the film will take, as the group of monks in 13th Century Ireland who attempt to transport an ancient holy relic though a foreboding forest are menaced by bands of marauders who want the object for themselves. The film’s best performance is by the superb young actor Tom Holland who plays The Novice, an altruistic monk who miraculously survives the perilous trip not in a mythological realm. The Mute brings a mysterious element into an oddly alluring film that employs atmosphere to powerful effect. The story may seem slender but director Muldowney pays more attention to the visual scheme and the omnipresent darkness. It helps to enhance the hopelessness in this perilous journey. Along with November, the most visual interesting film of the festival.
10. True Conviction (directed by Jamie Meltzer; USA)
The most curious aspect of the stirring documentary True Conviction is its premise. A Dallas detective agency is launched by three ex-convicts who band together to work to free innocent people spending time behind bars. The quietly enveloping film exposes the horrific nature of one of society’s most heinous injustices, point to defects and the demonizing of minority prisoners, who are given jail time with faulty evidence. One of the three spent thirteen years of his life serving time for a murder rap, only walking after the real killer confessed. The other two serves terms twice as long and much of the documentary’s focus is on how difficult it is to win reversals for prisoners with little money or connections. The film’s successful episodes are astonishingly moving as they invariably underscore how nothing can ever make up for wasted time.
Finnish director Dome Karukoski’s biopic of a gay culture icon, Touko Laaksonen, a purveyor of porno fantasies, whose homoerotic drawings developed an international cult following. The artist depicted soldiers, farmers, leather-clad bikers and ever masculine lumberjacks in his attempt to reach an appreciative audience, while fearing his secret hobby and sexual preference would earn him time in prison. The film is sometimes disjointed and episodic, but it portrays this enigmatic character in movingly humanist terms. The film not only follows the artist’s underground maneuverings bu the slow evaporation of the militant opposition to the lifestyle, culminating with full acceptance in the liberal bastions and then on a mainstream scale. The lead Pekka Strange negotiates a solid portrayal in a role has the actor age fifty years. Largely this is a riveting work that often leaves the exploratory box.
I thought Bobbi Jene and The Divine Order overrated, and liked the Heath Ledger documentary to a point. Otherwise the remainder of the films seen were within the mid-range star wise. There were to be sure a few real duds, but every festival has those.
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