MSPIFF 2011: Week 2
Star Tribune staff | Updated 8/17/2012
Thursday 4.21
Windfall
Wind power was supposed to be the free lunch of green energy; Laura Israel's evenhanded documentary reminds us that everything comes at a cost. Focusing on an idyllic upstate New York farm town, she charts the community's growing disillusionment with the 40-story turbines. As the progressive locals learn about the giant fans' drawbacks -- flickering shadows, bird and bat kills and an incessant low-frequency hum -- town meetings turn contentious. The film isn't agenda-driven advocacy, but an invitation to think critically about an alternative energy source often presented as a panacea. (U.S., 83 min.) --Colin Covert
JOURNEY OF A DREAM
Rookie director Shenpenn Khymsar's documentary meanders through several topics without adequately articulating their associations. Beginning with his return to hometown Darjeeling, India, the Tibetan refugee/heavy metal enthusiast investigates a music scene predicated on classic rock, before the bulk of the film focuses on the state of the Tibetan freedom movement. Eventually rambling to a conclusion about why he and his Canadian bandmates love heavy metal, Khymsar's non-cohesive film is carried by cinematography capturing the splendor of the Himalayas and Tibetan architecture. (Canada, India and Tibet, 81 min.) --Michael Rietmulder
13 ASSASSINS
Epic. Unforgettable. Relentless. Magnificently entertaining. Japanese cult legend Takashi Miike sets aside his penchant for twisted modern horror to craft a classic period adventure, a "Seven Samurai" for the 21st century. In feudal times, a band of warriors undertake a suicide mission to slay a tyrant. This men-on-a-mission film is superbly cast, impeccably shot, riveting even in static dialog scenes, and overwhelming once the blades are unsheathed. The finale, a slashing 45-minute battle royal, is action moviemaking at its most agile, extravagant and incredible. J-pop youth idol Goro Inagaki is seriously creepy as the childish, sadistic nobleman. (Japan, 141 min.) --Colin Covert
APPLAUSE
Famous and wasted, Thea (Dogme veteran Parika Steen) rages as Martha in a production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" then in real life smokes and stumbles through recovery, trying to stay clean and regain custody of her sons. Mostly a mood piece, the film careens into close-ups of Thea, smearing her makeup and pawing at what she dubs her "dog skin." Steen goes for the guts and really impresses, but by the end of the film our understanding of Thea -- as an actress, a woman, a mother -- isn't much deeper than the crags of her skin. (Denmark, 85 minutes) --Emily Condon
LOUDER THAN A BOMB
There's poetry. And then there's slam poetry. A slam is a roaring, edge-of-your-seat battleground where teams of young wordsmiths compete for poetic supremacy. This vibrant documentary follows several Chicago high school students as they navigate the country's largest teen slam, aptly titled Louder Than a Bomb. On stage, their self-reflective poems paint stunning portraits of inner-city struggles and a turbulent school life where going to class means walking through metal detectors. The fast-paced filmmaking captures the comedy, drama and heartbreak of young people simply trying to find a voice. (U.S., 99 minutes) --Tom Horgen
MIDNIGHT SON
Lonely Jacob works as a night security guard. If he goes out during the day his skin will burn, he tells Mary, a drug addict whom he meets and falls for. But he doesn't tell her about his recent uncontrollable cravings for blood. First-time writer/director Scott Leberecht has created a modest, low-budget twist on the ever-popular mythical figure. It should please gore-hounds, with plenty of disgusting moments despite some horrible acting and a predictable ending. (U.S., 88 min.) --Jim Brunzell III
Friday 4.22
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