BOOK OF SOLUTIONS (2023) Rendezvous With French Cinema 2024

 

Michel Gondry returns to film making after an almost ten year break to tell a story inspired by the making of his film MOOD INDIGO.

Here Gondry tells the story of a filmmaker who is about to have his film pulled from his control. The backers and producers are not happy so he takes the hard drives and gets the hell out of the Dodge. Fleeing the city he ends up at his aunt's home (it really is Gondry's Aunt's house) where he attempts to finish his film and stop his slide into madness.'

Not to worry this isn't a dark film. If you know Gondry's previous films you know that he's going to be all over the place, in exactly the way life is.A celebration of creative people as well as exploration of matters of the heart. I smiled  all the way through the film.

This film is a small delight and while it may not be his best work, it still is a damn fine film that happily signals a return of a master director.

Highly recommended.

Nightcap 11/27/16- There are 4 film festivals in New York this week (African Diaspora, Other Israel,SAIFF, Making Waves), Why I am not reviewing a film, and Randi's links

Baloon at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The march to the New Year is on and this year is going out with a bang with four festivals going on in New York at the same time....
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The African Diaspora International Film Festival continues this week. With the holidays over I’m trying to arrange my schedule so that I can get to some films.

For tickets go here
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The Other Israel Film Festival is a really cool festival. Highlighting the view from those not in the mainstream of Israeli society the festival brings together some great films that show you another side of life in Israel, for example the life of the Palestinian minority. I’ve covered the film for the last couple of years and I’ve been delighted by what I’ve seen.

I’ll be posting some reviews based on screeners I have and I’m going to be attempting to get to a few screenings. I suggest you check the schedule and buy tickets because there looks to be some great films.

I’ve seen a couple of films already and here are our reviews

Junction 48
Forever Pure
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The South Asian Film Festival is a really cool. Film Director Ted Geogehagen got me into the festival when five or six years ago he asked me to cover the festival. I’ve been trying to do so ever since. The festival is a fantastic collection of films from India and the surrounding countries. It’s a festival that will open your eyes to the films of the region. I know it opened mine.

This year the festival is happening at Village East Cinemas. The festival has a great selection of films including the deeply disturbing AUTOHEAD which is playing next Saturday and will include a Q&A with the film’s director. I highly recommend the film and I’m hoping to get myself there.

For the complete schedule and tickets go here.
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I discovered Making Waves: The New Romanian Film Festival when it had made its home at Lincoln Center. Unfortunately because things happen the festival has moved out of NYC proper and up to Pleasantville and the John Burns Film Center. However the fact that it’s moved 30 minutes north of the city shouldn’t deter you because this is a killer festival that shows more than the dark brooding Romanian dramas that the Film Society seems to love. Honestly it wasn’t until I went to the festival a few years ago I thought the country only turned out dark and brooding dramas. However that isn’t the case. There is in fact more to Romanian film than what we have been lead to believe and Making Waves shows us that.

The festival is playing to films that played at the New York FIlm Festival GRADUATION (which Nate Hood reviewed) and SIERANEVADA (which we all missed),I don't know any of the other films, but I have some screeners so expect reviews during the run of the festival.

For more information and tickets go here.
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For the third time in seven years and about 5500 film I'm not going to review a film I've asked for. I'm not going to say what the film is other than to say it's a documentary biography.

The reason behind my not reviewing the film is that I don't know how to do it without pissing someone off. The film is an okay portrait of some one coming to terms with who they are and going out on their own. I'm not really sure why the film got made because it covers similar ground to 57 other recent films- except that there are a couple of twists that can used to sell the film but have no bearing on the central tale.  Explaining that is going to get me into a fight with someone who connects with the story on those levels so I'm stepping away.

Don't get me wrong I like the film, but I've also liked the other 57 versions I've seen in the last 2 years.
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And Randi Links

The Radio City movie premieres
Most extreme motorcycles
How to mess with people's minds
Best Foreign film possibilities

Nightcap 11/20/16 The EMBERS soundtrack has been released, African Diaspora International Film Festival starts Friday, Monsterfest stars in Melbourne Thursday, Why I did not review LIGHTS OF ROME at DOC NYC plus Randi's links

Side of a building in Fort Green Brooklyn

The Embers Original Soundtrack by Kimberly Henninger and Shawn Parke was released November 11th by The Orchard and it was followed by "Kindling" a companion album of experimental material and outtakes from the score on November 18th. Its a super score  and I've been playing it over and over with head phones on.

EMBERS on iTunes
KINDLING on iTunes

I am not a music writer so my ability to discuss the score is limited, However I really like the score and if you like ambient/soundtrack style music give it a listen.

I also really love the film which is one of 2016's very best films. Its available streaming at Amazon and iTunes
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The African Diaspora International Film Festival starts Friday and runs to the 11 of  December. Its almost 3 weeks of films highlighting the diaspora of Africans across the globe. It’s such a masterful mix of fiction films, documentaries and panels that several people have been desperately trying to get me to cover over the years.

The problem with my coverage has been that I’m usually reminded in the middle of the festival when I’m in the middle of things already. This year that isn’t the problem and it looks like I should be getting to a couple of films in the middle of the festival. Reports are coming.

To whet your appetite here are a couple of reviews for films we’ve already seen.

Death By a Thousand Cuts
A New Color The Art of Being Edythe Boone

For more information and tickets go to the festival website.
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As Americans are sitting down to Thanksgiving those lucky enough to be in Australia are going to be treated to Monsterfest in Melbourne. Monsterfest is four days of thrills and chills of the best kind. If we at Unseen weren’t stuck at home doing family holiday things we’d have been on a plane to the fest.

For those of you who are able to go full details can be found here.

Those looking for word on the films screening here are links to reviews of the films we’ve seen:
Psychonauts
Autohead
Ghostwatch
Sympathy for the Devil

For more details and tickets go here
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I know I promised to post the winner at various recent festivals here but because the pieces ended up very long I did individual posts earlier in the week:
INDE MEMPHIS
ITHACA FANTASTIK
DOC NYC
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I need to thank all the filmmakers who I spoke with in person, on twitter or via email during DOC NYC. You are all wonderful. This is why DOC NYC is so great- there is no wall between anyone.
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I need to add one more film to the list of films I saw at DOC NYC- LIGHTS OF ROME about a soccer team from Abu Dabi going to the World Cup.

I did not review the film because in the state I saw it in, a work print, it was barely watchable.  I'm sure the subject is fine but the film was so badly edited I literally had no idea what I was seeing. While the run time of the screener was ten minutes shorter than the listed time for the festival cut the problems with the film were so much larger than that so I could not  review or mention the film during the festival and have lived with myself.
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My brother texted me on a weak horror called film ABBY GRACE: Evil Dead meets The Shining meets The Big Bang Theory with a splash of cliche. Should win the award for the world's dullest axe.Why can the ghost move and lift everything but the axe
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Randi's links

An interesting look at the Amanda Knox Case
North Korea's Subway
Paul Schrader the best bad director
DARKWING DUCK at 25
Beauty talks about Beauty and the Beast
Groucho, Steve Allen and Carl Reiner talk comedy
Flaming Beauty
Filmed at Lincoln Center
Shipwrecks are disappearing