Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Harmonia (A) on May 29, 2008 at 01:55:22

In Reply to: RE: Film Society 08-09 Season posted by delboy on May 28, 2008 at 06:42:59

A little of this, a little of that. Tasty, nicely filling, a few light treats, nothing too bold or adenturous or outrageous that might offend but not much to intrigue or surprise. A convivial evening at the movies.

BTW, which Caramel are you showing - the Henri Duparc or the recent Lebanese film? I'm not fmailiar with The Keeper. Bravo to whomever included Closely Watched Trains, a true classic masterpiece and gem of Czech cinema, and the wonderful Babette's Feast, a Danish delight. Goodbye Lenin is a treat too, one of the best of its year. Thise who haven't seen Fear and Trembling will get a kick out of it.

What to think of the list depends what you want from a film going experience. Is your society a group of film fans or connected with a local university?

The list has an awful lot of recent independent, main stream favorites. Some, while wll made andr well meant - Hotel Rwanda, The Kite Runner - aren't particularly good movies.

Overall, the slate seems heavily loaded with well known indie movies that had a considerable commercial release, movies that people could have caught without too much effort in theatrical run or DVD on their own. Maybe it's different in UK, but many of these played our US multiplexes and art cinemas for long runs not that long ago. I would imagine most of the titles would be readily available at video stores as well, thus not that hard to come by. I happen to think Diving Bell and The Butterfly is a masterpiece, the best movie of last year, but was it not released in UK cinemas fairly recently? Wasn't When Did You Last See Your Father just in cinema's last year?

If the society's main goal is just to share some nice movie experiences with a congenial group this is a fine list. If the goal is to illuminate aspects of cinema or explore classics or search out significant new voices in film, I think you need to do a little more home work. This is such an ecclectic collection, there's little context other than somebody liked a certain film. Why not get a bit more ambitious? Do a series of 3 films that explore a specific director, period, mood, genre, movement or aesthetic? There are hundreds of great films from the past. Why not try to go a little deeper? Where are the classics other thn Closely Watched Trains? What if next year the cociety ran a series of mini-festivals, let each of the committee pick three movies with a connection - from any period, director or style but there must be a link ampng the films.

This *seems* like a list chosen by committee. And don't get me wrong, there's some fine films on the list. But don't play it so safe next season. BE BOLD. Ecclectic is fine, but why not go a step further: try to provide a litle context. Bring in a film historian to talk about a dirctor or subject (e.g. current Chinese cinema, French New Wave, the Archers). What a shame Closely Watched Trains is not accompanied by another movie from the Czech artistic renaissance.

I think context and history is important, and something a film society can ideally provide that fans may not be able to pick up on their own. That's why I participate in film societies, not to confirm what I already like but to to expand my horizons and excited all over again about the possibilities of the medium.