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Friday, October 29, 2010
By Matthew Odam
| Friday, October 29, 2010, 02:09 PM
Following the amazing eight-day whirlwind of panels, films and parties that is the Austin Film Festival, I look back on a few of my favorite things.
1) “127 Hours” — I simply can’t imagine an actor other than James Franco carrying Danny Boyle’s exhilarating ode to the triumph of the human spirit. Boyle’s use of flashback and hallucination was beautiful, never feeling forced or gimmicky. The film may have caused more than a few of us to cover our eyes (and/or scream) in horror, but it also left us pumping our fists, thirsty to engage more fully with life.
2) “Meek’s Cutoff” — Contrary to the throbbing pulse of Boyle’s film, director Kelly Reichardt’s story about a group of 19th century families heading west led by the delusional and comical Stephen Meek (a great Bruce Greenwood) moved with the same languid pace as its characters. Much like her “Wendy and Lucy,” the film is light on dialogue and requires a bit of patience, but Reichardt does more with less than almost any working filmmaker. The cinematography is breathtaking — with seemingly static shots slowly revealing hidden gems the deeper you looked into them — and Michelle Williams offers a fantastic and subtle display of strength.
3) Local filmmakers — With their movies “Rainbows End” and “Dig,” Austinites Eric Hueber (right) and Stephen Belyeu have put us on notice that they are filmmakers to whom we should pay attention and from whom we can likely expect great things. Their films — wildly different from one another in tone and subject matter — display the artists’ great talents for storytelling and a deep connection to the places from which they come.
4) Listening to David Simon talk — Sit for an hour and listen to the creator of “The Wire” talk and you come to get a sense that there are not many writers who care as deeply for the state of our nation — what makes us great and what is tearing us apart. The self-effacing working-man’s workhorse is modest, humble, thoughtful, funny and smart as hell. To listen to him talk about his craft and his concern for republic is to be inspired. Simon represents everything that is great about the Austin Film Festival. He also had one of my favorite lines of the festival: “I hate writing.”
5) “Black Swan” — Darren Arronofsky’s follow up to “The Wrestler” shows that the world of ballet can be much more brutal and damaging than that of wrestling. The Kubrickian psycho-sexual thriller is a fever dream (nightmare, may be a better word) that stayed with me long after leaving the theater. The filmmaker and his leading lady, Natalie Portman, will undoubtedly (and rightfully) be honored come awards season.
6) Script reading of “The Hand Job” — The funniest movie for my money at AFF wasn’t even on a screen. As
I wrote in my wrap of this two-hour session, it was a rare treat to get to hear such a wonderful and hilarious script read from start to finish by a panel of great local and national talent. UT alumnus Maggie Carrey should definitely have a hit on her hands (hopefully) next summer when the comedy comes out. Aubrey Plaza is one of the best (and most beautiful) comedic actors of any sex out there, and Carrey and Hader may be challenging Amy Poehler and Will Arnett is the funniest couple in the business. (Bonus points: The movie was introduced by Franklin Leonard, whose efforts to create The Black List were rightly celebrated at this fest which champions writers.)
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