SXSW Day 4: Drive-By Reviews
I never made it to the Trade Show, but for once I got in a full day's worth of movies, most of which were well worth it, and with a lot of Austin connections. The programming this year continues to be solid.
Me and Orson Welles
Director: Richard Linklater. Writers: Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr. (screenplay), Robert Kaplow (novel)
SXSW loves Linklater, and rightly so; he embodies the independent spirit that's rampant at the festival, and is not only a filmmaker, but supports the film community very strongly, especially the Austin community. So it's no surprise his films get special screenings. Me and Orson Welles is a period piece and focuses on theatre, which means it won't likely find a large audience, but should be seen for the eerily outstanding performance by Christian McKay, who has a striking resemblance to Orson Welles, and captured the spirit of the high strung genius in his early days.
The Overbrook Brothers (pictured above) (Narrative Features Competition)
Director: John Bryant. Writers: John Bryant, Jason Foxworth
SXSW tends to have recurring themes, and one of them this year is overly competitive males; in this case, brothers. When a family secret is revealed, two brothers travel cross country searching for the truth. With a heavy dose of absurdity, The Overbrook Brothers is one of the better dysfunctional male bonding scenes, and even manages to make scatalogical and Darwin award worthy moments entertaining instead of annoying. The Austin connections are too extensive to list in a drive-by review, and include several Austin natives, with an impressive body of work. It plays again on Saturday at the Paramount, so there's no excuse for you to miss it.
Artois the Goat (Narrative Features Competition)
Directors/Writers: Cliff Bogart, Kyle Bogart
It was a hat trick of Austin films today. The word cheesy may be punny, but it's accurate. A little uneven, and sometimes just absurd, there's a lot of heart in the film, and deserves viewing. The plot is simple; flavor technician Virgil and his girlfriend share a love of cheese, but when she moves away, he embarks on a quest to make an award winning goat cheese.
Garbage Dreams
Director: Mai Iskander
Most of us know about outsourcing tech and call-center jobs to developing countries, so it may come as a shock to you that the poorest people in Cairo are losing their jobs to international companies. The Zaballeen, who live in "garbage villages" collect the city's garbage, and until recently were the only system in place for trash removal, and Garbage Dreams focuses on three teens born into the garbage trade. Ironically, these people are able to recycle 80 percent of what they collect, for resale all over the world. It's an eye-opening documentary with a very viable solution to landfill issues and improving recycling, with more precision than industrialized programs, if only governments and corporations would actually help. It makes me even more frustrated that my complex only recycles plastic, aluminum, and paper. With one of the subjects in attendance, I highly recommend making time to see it on Thursday when it plays again.
The Horseman (Fantastic Fest at Midnight)
Director/Writer: Steven Kastrissios
The wrath of a grieving father gets channeled into an extreme revenge tale. While bloody and shocking, the father is played with a certain fragility, especially as he develops a tenuous friendship with a runaway hitchhiker. Definitely not for everyone, but if you can handle violent stories, this is one with more depth than most.