Jason goes to Jewfest--August 1

I'm not going to figure out what day of the fest that is. Anyway, I missed the weekend programs because of soccer, Niles, catching some mainstream movies closer to me, and general drunkenness. But I was up in Berkeley Monday night for a couple more Jewish Films:

First up, a remarkable documentary BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD by Liz Garbus (who did the 2009 SFJFF film SHOUTING FIRE: STORIES FROM THE EDGE OF FREE SPEECH). Bobby Fischer is a fascinating character. Child prodigy, greatest chess master ever, crazy, recluse, Jew, anti-Semite, and more than anything a man who didn't get the psychiatric treatment he needed (or simple medical treatment, that ended his life prematurely in his 60s). He's such a famously private man, that it's almost jarring to see so much footage and so many brilliant photographs from his life--one of the most moving parts is right after winning the world championship he runs off to be alone in the mountains of Iceland, and there's a really poignant look on his face--like he's someone who is worshiped by the world but isn't connected to it. The center of the film is the famous 1972 World Champion match against Boris Spassky (and even if you already know the result, it is still unfolded with great tension and anticipation), and then delves into the "wilderness period" and the sad, jarring return to the spotlight. First as a diminished ex-champion (playing a meaningless rematch against Spassky) and then just being an occasional obnoxious and noxious commentator on world events (e.g., calling in to a TV show on 9/11 to say America got what was coming to it). And finally his exile in Iceland (the stage of his greatest triumph). It's easy to say that Bobby Fischer ended up against the whole world because of his own doing. But it's harder to put a finger on exactly why his particular brand of tortured genius (an insanity remarkably common among chess grand masters) drove him in that direction.

And then I stayed for the magic realist Israeli drama INTIMATE GRAMMAR. It centers on the life of little Aharon--an 11 year old boy who seems to stay 11 no matter how old he gets. Physically, he just doesn't grow, no matter how much he wants to. His sour-faced mom doesn't really help. Nor does his dad who is always doing odd jobs (saving a tree from worms, tearing down walls) for the pretty neighbor lady. Nor does his best friend, who is spending way to much time with the girl he (Aharon) likes. Nor the current political situation, that has his sister drafted into the IDF at a young age and all his friends (same age, but bigger) going off to youth camps to work at the kibbutzim. It's a well made, well acted, odd depiction of a slice of broken life, with an ending that I don't know what to make of.

Total Running Time: 202 minutes
My Total Minutes: 246,002

Jason watches VIVA RIVA!

I wish I had seen this earlier, so I could've told all my Bay Area peeps during its too-short run. This is a super-cool African gangster flick. It takes place in the Congo, during a big fuel shortage. Riva, a small-time gangster is living large because he has a whole truck of fuel. He's also got people looking for him--the Nairobians (I think...I hope I remembered that right) he stole the gas from, the local female army commander they've enlisted (blackmailed) into their cause, and the local gangster whose girl he keeps hitting on. Seems Riva has a weakness for the ladies, but the way he plays it could be called a strength. There's some bloody violence and torture, and there's some pretty steamy sex scenes. The movie comes close to succumbing to a fatal flaw of having no sympathetic characters, after all Riva is a thief and a womanizer. But he also has enough charisma and embraces the joy of life (no matter the danger) that I couldn't help but root for him, no matter how fatally flawed I knew he was.

But the coolest part of it is using the genre trappings of a gangster flick to bring the audience to a unique spot in the world. A world that you usually see in depressing, desperate documentaries, if you see it at all. Here's to a little pure, sleazy entertainment instead of dirty, filthy guilt!

Running Time: 98 minutes
My Total Minutes: 241,888

Jason watches An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening

My second time seeing a P.U.S. show. And this was very different from TEMPEST(uousness). This re-imaging of Faust's final day, tormented by Mephistopheles before descending to hell. It's almost a one man show by Scott Baker as Dr. John Faustus (the only one who actually speaks), apologizing to the audience not for the events of his life, but for his inability to keep a proper diary. Seems that Mephistopheles (Valerie Fachman, doing some great diabolical pantomime around him) keeps stealing his diary, so to foil the demon's plan Faustus has written nothing but hatch marks in his diary. Counting...nothing in particular. It's an ode to meaninglessness as a means of conquering (or attempting and failing to conquer) the devil. Or perhaps an apology that a life spent in Faustian pursuits leads, ultimately, to a life that means nothing.

Or I'm over-analyzing, even trying to find meaning. The important thing is it was funny, and the bit about time travel and finding our "future beer" and "future potatoes" (Budweiser and potato chips) at some corner store whose name was a short number poem (two numbers that rhyme...what were they?) was funny and resulted in free beer and chips for the audience (sadly, the bit about the future beer being called the king is in the title, so the free beer had to be Budweiser. That's what the apology should really be for).

Anyway, last chance to see it is tonight. Details here. Tickets are $15. If you tell them Jason sent you...you'll get nothing but I'll look cool. If you mention their Facebook ad, you'll get 2-for-1 admission.

Jason goes to Asianfest--Day 9

Although SFIAAFF had its closing night party on Thursday, there were really three more days left down in San Jose (where I often see the best films of the festival, just because I plan my SJ weekend before I figure out what I'll see in SF)

Opening night was the quirky romantic comedy/gangster flick/adventure AU REVOIR TAPEI. Kai is lovestruck, but his girlfriend is studying in France. So he spends his nights at a bookstore, reading a french textbook. There he catches the eye of sweet and helpful Susie, the bookstore clerk. There's also a gang of real estate agents/small time thugs, a mob boss who agrees to buy Kai a ticket to Paris if he just picks up one little package, a guy who's in love with the girl he works with at a convenience store, a cuckolded cop, and public dancing. And then it gets weird. And it was a lot of fun.

So was the after party, where there was plenty of free booze. Yay, booze!

Running Time: 80 minutes

My Total Minutes: 178,543