Boy, it's always a mixed bag at PSIFF. The last full film festival I attended was terrific. I thought that I'd found the solution for singling out good films from the dozens of marginal works. I don't think I'd seen a bad film at all last year. So it was will full confidence and an overwhelming sense of capability that I approached the selection this time. I wasn't prepared at all. Wow. What a festival.
There were a few in the pack which could be classified as automatically good and worth watching. Now that seems a little smug, because every film is worth watching to some degree or other. On of the greatest pleasures I get out of attending the event is seeing films from countries or cultures that are new to me, so there is always something to be enjoyed no matter what the genera or budget of the film.
But I'm not going to lie to you. Some of the films can be hard to get though. I don't mind the violence or gore. Amateurish camera work and wooden dialog are fine as well. No, the real thing which can be a problem is pacing, or more specifically, a lack of pacing. A movie which just sits on the screen for over an hour can make any film lover wince and twich in their seat. I got both barrels this year.
The first one was "Rabbit Woman", which was billed as being an adventure story about genetically modified bunnies which crave flesh, presented in a manga style. It wasn't. It was just long.
Then there was Madera. I'm not sure if that is the correct way to spell the title of the film, but I'm not going to take the time to double check. It's not worth it. It is a film about adultery in a small town. But an honest viewer would say its a small town spread over 90 minutes. No small town is worth that sort of attention. Ever.
Longwave was better and funny in parts, and Patch Town was the best of the fest as far as I'm concerned. The automatic winners I'd given a pass to because I figured it would be easy enough to get them on Netflix or Amazon later this year. Now I'm thinking about changing my approach to the films. Yes, there is something to be said about finding a film you'll never see anywhere else. But some films just don't have to be seen all the way through to be experienced. They can be completely appreciated in a small dose while passing by in the theater hallway.
We'll see how long I'll stick to this resolution. There is a good chance that some South American documentary about Nordic tattoos will catch my eye next time, and I'll plunk down the price of a ticket when the festival rolls around again.
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