Shorties: Overlord, Rock School, Splat, Dying Gaul, November, Me & You...

More quickies….

Overlord
Directed by Stuart Cooper

Just saw this today. It’s a bittersweet, evocative look at WWII, as seen through the eyes of one young British man from the day he enlists in the service to the dawn of D-Day. It’s shot in black and white, and features a lot of real war footage, giving this a documentary feel. It’s riveting watching ships being dive-bombed and bombs cascading through the air, even as you know every explosion means some luckless soul’s been blasted into smithereens. Also sad to watch so much energy being expended on something as senseless as war. This is an archival film.

5/28, Harvard Exit, 7:15 pm; 5/30, Harvard Exit, 4:15 pm.

Rock School
Directed by Don Argott

Documentary of the kids at the School of Rock Music in Philadelphia, ages 9 to 17, who learn to be rockers. The main teacher, Paul Green is cra-zee though, berating his charges to the point where it becomes disturbing (and don’t get him started on rap music). In the usual fashion of these docs, there’s a triumphant conclusion at a Frank Zappa music festival in Germany; yes, they actually have them! Also, on 5/25, the actual kids will actually play at the actual Neumo’s on Cap Hill.

5/25, Egyptian, 7 pm; 5/26, Experience Music Project, 7 pm.

Going Through Splat: The Life and Work of Stewart Stern
Directed by Jon Ward

Stern wrote the screenplay of “Rebel Without A Cause” and the TV mini-series “Sybil,” among others. This doc shows him to be a thoughtful and erudite man, especially considering he got fed up with the Hollywood game and checked out at the end of the ‘70s. On the downside; too many interviews w/folks saying how simply absolutely wonderful Stern is (yes, yes, we get it!), the constant fade-to-black at the end of each scene, and it’s a little long.

5/26, Egyptian, 6 pm

The Dying Gaul
Directed by Craig Lucas

I was disappointed in this. It starts out well, as a gay screenwriter (Peter Sarsgaard) becomes enmeshed — make that ensnared — in the lives of a film exec (Campbell Scott) and his wife (Patricia Clarkson). I promise not to use the word “ensue” again this year, though this would be a perfect place to use it. Lots of head games, but it’s as if Lucas (also the screenwriter) didn’t know where to take things, so it had an unsatisfactory payoff, I felt. With his facial hair, Sarsgaard looks rather like SIFF programming director Carl Spence, I thought.

5/21, Egyptian, 7 pm; 5/22, Egyptian, 1:30 pm

November
Directed by Greg Harrison

This was described as “Lynchian” (as in David), and I can see that…you have one incident played out a number of ways, and never know which is the “real” version, or if, indeed, any of them are. But it didn’t grab me, for some reason. All the effects just felt like trickery, someone being clever just for the sake of it, and it didn’t add up to anything memorable. In short, in the end I just didn’t care.

5/31, Neptune, 9:30 pm; 6/3, Neptune, 2 pm

Now as a bonus, I’ll add that I really enjoyed “Me And You And Everyone We Know.” It was off-the-wall, but not pretentious; has moments of sweetness but isn’t saccharine; had characters I was actually interested in. In fact, I’m sorry I won’t be in the opening night audience (having seen this film at a press screening), because I’d love to see the reaction.