FILM FEST ‘07

The giant inflatable screen down at the Open Space has been deflated and put back in the truck. The Traverse City Film Festival is done for another year – its third. I worked the warehouse last year and only got to see one movie, so I took this year off so I could join the crowds at the screenings. I managed to see 5 movies at three of the five venues. Here’s a short synopsis of what I saw and my opinion on each.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE:

Kurt Vonnegut’s time-shifting novel comes to life in the 1972 production. I have seen this movie on TV, but never on the big screen. Vonnegut was in Dresden, Germany as a prisoner of war during the allied firebombing and the event becomes a central issue in the film. Some people find the non-linear timelines confusing, but I had no trouble following along. An anti-war black comedy, this film is a classic but not everyone’s cup of tea.

NO END IN SIGHT:

A searing indictment of the Bush administration’s bungling of the occupation of Iraq with interviews with former pentagon and state department personnel who were there during the planning stages. Many disagreed with the Bush/Chaney/Rumsfeld positions but were ignored or derided. A primer on how not to wage a war.

IN A LONELY PLACE:

A 1950 film noir starring Humphrey Bogart as a hard-bitten screen writer in Hollywood . A bit too melodramatic for my taste, nonetheless it’s always fun to watch Bogie work his magic and he’s true to form here.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON:

A British documentary about the American Apollo space program. Most of the men who went to the moon were interviewed and they had fascinating things to say, especially Collins, who was the only member of Apollo 11 who did not walk on the moon. These men are in their 70s and 80s now and their insights are very interesting. These are the very few people who have ever seen earth from another celestial body. Pretty special stuff…….

MIKE’S SURPRISE:

On the final night of the festival, founder Michael Moore always presents something special and nobody knows what it is until he shows it. This year it was some scenes that had to be removed from “Sicko” because of time restraints. (Michael believes that no movie should be over two hours). The clips he showed were entertaining and uplifting and his rapport with the audience was remarkable. He basically had a conversation with the crowd for three hours and showed some of his “home movies”.. He held 600 people in rapt attention with many bursts of enthusiastic applause and laughter. An unforgettable evening with a master storyteller.