Revenge of The Talkies...

Part 3

The following SIFF 2009 previews are offered in order of their press screening dates. Must-sees from this group are La Mission and William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.

Dancing Across Borders (2009)
Monday May 25, 7pm, SIFF Cinema
Tuesday May 26, 4:15pm, SIFF Cinema

A young Khmer dancer discovered by filmmaker Anne Bass is invited to study ballet in America. Persistence and a natural ability to perform carry "Sy" Sar beyond insurmountable odds, to succeed when his formal training began at the unheard of age of seventeen. While reminiscent of social re-education and all that practice implies, this film is the sensitive and honest portrayal of a young artist with great potential to represent his country. (88 minutes)

Carmo, Hit the Road (2009)
Thursday May 28, 9:30pm, Uptown Cinemas
Saturday May 30, 1:30pm, Uptown Cinemas

A prostitute and a wheelchair-bound truck driver are thrown together in this seedy South American road picture filled with gangsters and clowns, likeable at times, but far too enamoured of Tarantinoesque gimmickry and every conceivable human emission. (100 minutes)

Food Inc. (2008)
Saturday May 30, 4:15p,m, Egyptian Theater
Sunday May 31, 7pm, Egyptian Theater

A slick expose of the American processed food industry and factory farms, previously covered elsewhere, but a cause that deserves far more exposure. A brief but insidious attempt to portray WalMart Corporation in a positive light betrays the sincerity of this message. (96 minutes)

La Mission (2009)
Saturday May 30, 9pm, Egyptian Theater
Sunday May 31, 1:45pm, Egyptian Theater

A Latino family drama set in San Francisco’s Mission District, succeeds in spite of overused ethnic and cultural stereotypes throughout. Reaffirming and humorous at times, the real star of La Mission is a wonderful use of location. (118 minutes)

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (2009)
Tuesday June 2, 4:30pm, SIFF Cinema
Thursday June 4, 7pm, SIFF Cinema

An unflinching love letter to a hero of The Sixties by the daughters of his second family, the storied career of attorney William Kunstler is explored in this balanced and comprehensive biography of a great American who believed at his core, that everyone is entitled to fair and equal representation. (90 minutes)

The Maid (2008)
Saturday May 30, 9:30pm, Pacific Place Cinemas
Sunday May 31, 1:15pm, Pacific Place Cinemas

The odd and disturbing but likeable story of a middle-aged live-in domestic, employed by the same family for years, humorously explores her tendencies toward an irrational and childlike aversion to change. (95 minutes)

Art and Copy (2009)
Wednesday June 3, 7:15pm, Pacific Place Cinemas
Friday June 5, 1:15pm, Pacific Place Cinemas

A slick and polished 86 minute commercial detailing the history of post-World War II commercial advertising, which seeks to persuade the viewer that art directors are affable, creative human beings. (86 minutes)

Tulpan (2008)
Saturday May 23, 4pm, Pacific Place Cinemas
Sunday May 24, 6:45pm, Pacific Place Cinemas

This sweet and poetic folktale of life on the Kazakh Stepps with shepherds includes a smattering of mod-cons but possesses a largely timeless quality. A young man returns home to live with his sister’s family after a stint in the navy and finds himself at life’s crossroads. The struggle to subsist and the joys of family life are presented with beautiful simplicity amid a vast geographic void. (100 minutes)

(Unfortunately, both screenings of this film have come and gone, but Tulpan deserves the serious consideration of SIFF voters who were fortunate to see it.)

A post-show update has been added to the preview for Wild Rose.