Wedding Doll (2015) New York Jewish Film festival 2016

Hagit is a mentally handicapped young woman working in a toilet paper factory. Her mother has largely put her life on hold to care for her daughter and as a result she can be a bit over bearing. When Hagit begins to drift into a kind of romance with the boss's son things become complicated, more so when the factory is scheduled for closing.

The reason to see this film is Moran Rosenblatt's thrilling performance as Hagit. A wonderfully nuanced performance full of light and shadow this is the sort of performance that gets one noticed and calls from Hollywood and major film companies. The performance is so good that I would probably fall down in utter disbelief if I met Rosenblatt and she wasn't like her character. Equally as good is Asi Levi playing Hagit's mom, Sara.

Bittersweet though never sad, but frequently quite happy, WEDDING DOLL is a film of quiet power. Its a film that you slip into like a pair of well worn slippers. However once you are in you find that you are powerless to either take them off or not to go where they take you. I was happy to go where ever it took me and when it was done I was very curious where everyone ended up. Thats a testament to brilliant acting, great filmmaking and script that doesn't take the easy way out for anything it does.

This is one of the gems of this years New York Jewish Film Festival

WEDDING DOLL plays this afternoon and tonight at The New York Jewish Film Festival. For tickets and more information go here.

Carvalho's Journey (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

One of the best films at this year's New York Film Festival is one that really should be seen on the big screen. The film is a portrait of Solomon Nunes Carvalho and artist and photographer who traveled with John C. Frémont on his fifth trip into the west in 1853. It was a trip that changed the man and in some small way America as well.

This really cool film is a look back into America 160 years ago when the West was barely open and the the mixing of ethnic groups didn't really happen. At the time the fact that Carvalho was a Jew might have kept him outside of an expedition of this sort but Freemont didn't care and took then men he needed to accomplish his task. The film reveals how various ethnic groups collided in young America,including the Native Americans and the Mormons in nonjudgmental ways ways that most documentaries don't go into. It is this ability to portray America in the 1850's is one of the big joys of this film.

Another of the joys is that much of the film was shot in the American west in the places that Carvalho actually was. We see the places as they are now and in the sketches made from Carvalho's pictures. Seeing them on the big screen- really big is just awe inspiring.

But the best thing about this film is that this is just a grand adventure. Truly this is the stuff of legend. This is pure movie adventure and the sort of thing that I can't imagine has never been made into an adventure film. Its amazing to think what Carvalho and the other men went through. While we know Carvalho gets back how he does it and what he experiences is not clear to us until it happens.

I absolutely loved this film. Go see it,

The film plays tomorrow at the New York Jewish Film Festival. For tickets and more information go here

Those People (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

Coming of age tale set among the rich one percenters of Manhattan has an up and coming artist trying to find his way in the world and and in love as he finds his affections split between his boyhood friend whose father is in jail for Bernie Madoff like crimes and a slightly older concert pianist.

Great looking and well acted tale is going to play better for anyone who likes TV shows and movies about the ultra rich. My tolerance for watching poor little rich people whine and moan about their lots in life has always been rather low. I don't care about them or their problems... or rather I don't care for the trapping we see in popular entertainment since a portion of the films always seems to be concerned with the conspicuous consumption taking away from the human drama. that is the case here to some degree, however once you get past the glitz  and the formal attire the story of Charlie and his course through life is rather entertaining.

I'm in a weird place because I'm not really sure what to say beyond that.  I mean I really liked the film and I'm glad the fact that covering NYJFF forced my hand in seeing it, but at the same time I really wish that the film wasn't as beautiful to look at as it is. I wish the slickness was gone and that it was a tad rougher around the edges so that there would have been a hand hold to bring it closer to one's heart. As it is it's a good little film, worth a shot for those so inclined.

THOSE PEOPLE plays tomorrow at the New York Jewish Film Festival, For tickets and more information go here.

In Brief The Rifleman's Violin(2014) New York Jewish Film Festival

Short film about violinist Stuart Canin who ended up playing for Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill during a break during the Potsdam conference.

Wonderful look at a small happening during a big event. That the film is as entertaining as it is is due entirely to Canin ho is a charming raconteur. He's the sort of a guy who you'd like to sit down with and have him tell you about his life.

Its a stunning little film and one that really should be seen- even more so since the New York Jewish Film Festival screening will be followed by a reconstruction of the performance by violinist Stuart Canin and pianist Thomas Sauer as well as an on-stage discussion with Canin; the film’s producer Abraham Sofaer; director Sam Ball; and Stanford University historian Norman Naimark. Its going to be a once in a life time event and a must see.

For tickets and more information go here

Hot Sugars Cold World (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

Portrait of Nick Koenig  who records under the name of Hot Sugar. Koenig uses sound samples that he records himself as the basis for the music he makes.

While I like the music that Koenig makes I was largely bored by this fly on the wall film which follows Koenig around as he records sounds, makes music and records more sounds. We watch him inter act with various people and then record more sounds and that's about it. I'm sure that is going to be rapturous for some people but for me after about 20 minutes I tuned out and waited for something exciting to happen.

It never did.

A large part of the problem is that Koenig is a low key guy and hisspeaking voice while emotive is also very monotone. There isn't excitment in it. Worse a bunch of what he says is more teacher explaining to student, not to mention being reptative. If he explained how the sounds he records are unlike anything else one more time I ould have willed myself to go teleport to where ever he was and beat him senseless with the severed arms of the director Ho many times is he going to say the same thing in 90 minutes?

Don't get me wrong this would have been an awesome short but 90 minutes is much too much.

The film plays Saturday. For tickets and more information go here.

Song of Songs (2015) New York Jewish Festival 2016

Very deliberate, mannered and beautifully composed love story that begins in a small Jewish village in 1905 where a young boy and girl fall in love. Years later, after leaving the village he returns on the eve of the girls wedding to another.

If you don't like art films where the films are works of art,meaning they are very mannered and very much about something then you may find SONG OF SONGS 75 minutes a tough haul. If on the other hand if  you can go with a deliberate film that uses voice overs, tableaux, and poetic dialog and allusion then you are going to have a sumptuous feast.

Reminding me of the work of Sergei Parajanov fused with the work of Tarkovsky and shot full of nostalgia, SONG OF SONGS is a frequently breath taking film. Its a kind of cinema, literary, theatrical mash up that ponders the nature of love and what we remember of it and of our lives. This last point is key since the film hinges to a large degree on the return of the boy to the village and his being confronted by the reality of life which is very much at odds with how he remembers things and his idealized view of life. Things are not how he left them or expected them to be.

As glorious as it is in moments, much of the film left me distanced from it. I could not connect to the film on an emotional level  despite fully engaging with it intellectually. I was never fully caught up with it or connected to it by my heart.  The result is I like and admire the film instead of loving it - at the same time I know the film is a work of art even if it's not fully to my liking.

SONG OF SONGS plays tomorrow at the New York Jewish Film Festival. For tickets and more information go here

How To Win Enemies (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

HOW TO WIN ENEMIES is one of those films you really can't talk about until you're talking to other people who've seen the film because the construction of the film is is one of those that twists on itself several times before you get to the ending which is in no way what you expected at the start. To be certain it's whimsical and enjoyable but not something I really can discuss.

I can tell you that the film involves an attorney named Lucas who meets a lovely young lady who spend the night and steals all his money. Not wanting to let go and knowing a thing or to because he reads mysteries he tries to get to the bottom of it all... From this point on you're on your own.

I will add that for the most part this is a really good little mystery/caper that only kind of weakens in the final minutes when it kind of rushes to a conclusion. Its an oddthing to do since the film takes its time to set everything up so the quick ending kind of disappoints.... but not much since this is a film I will happily watch again a few more times and hand off to friends once it hits DVD.

Recommended

This film plays Thursday at Lincoln Center. For tickets and more information go here.

I Don't Belong Anywhere:The Cinema of Chantal Akerman (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

Stunning portrait of Chantal Akerman makes it hard to believe she just died since this film includes the director editing her last film NOT A HOME MOVIE and she seems to be in excellent health even if she smokes like a chimney. It's a brief film full of clips and talking heads, including actors who worked with her and the directors she influenced.

In the last year and a half I've been bumping a lot into Chantal Akerman's work a great deal. There have been numerous articles I've read, documentaries I've seen and her films to consider. Some of the cinema I've talked about here at Unseen and some I've just let slide because it didn't spark anything in me. While seeing all of the films material on and from Akerman has given me a respect for what she did, it never made me a fan because let's face it some of her films are an acquired taste- NOT A HOME MOVIE being a perfect example.

I DON'T BELONG ANYWHERE on the other hand makes me want to go back and retry some of Akerman's films films again. While I am not certain I will feel as wondrous about her films I suspect I will understand them a bit better.  At the same time there is nothing like having the people she worked with explain to you what they got from working with her or having  director who stole from her explain why she was so influential. For me the film was full of all these "AH HA!" moments that made me sit up and begin to reassess what I had seen in the past. For me this is the point where all the dots concerning Akerman came together.

This is a great film on a respected filmmaker. Its so good that I when I was watching the film I stopped taking notes and just let the film go. I didn't want to miss anything.

If you are a fan of Akerman or have any interest in her films or her influence then you must see this.

The film plays NYJFF on the 20th. For tickets and more information go here

The film will also be playing this spring at the Film Forum

Ben Zaken (2014) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

This a portrait of a family centered around Shlomi Ben Zaken, a single father trying to make his way in the world. Ben lives with his daughter, his brother and mother. And they struggle to get by in a run down apartment complex in a small city in Israel.

Told is largely long takes, mostly framed so that we are close on one or two people in each the scene the film attempts to bring us deeply into the lives of the family and their daily struggles. The framing has an almost formal feel to the film with the result that it seems like its a mash up between an art film and a  slice of life film. The lives of the characters kind of bleed off the screen. There is a sense of real life for the characters.

But at the same time the formalness of the framing and the structure of the script creates a kind of distance that makes the film hard to love. While I can see and be engaged by the issues that the film is trying to explore, that of family and of life at the poverty line, I was never moved by them. To me the film was and is a hard one one to warm up to. Sitting and watching the film I found my mind wandered and I was interested in other things. While I wanted to see what happened at the same time I also wanted to work out my schedule for the week. I never truly gave myself over to the film.

This is very much a film you can admire more than like.

The film plays tomorrow and Wednesday. For tickets and more information go here.

In Brief: Tito's Glasses (2014) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

Adriana Altaras' bestselling autobiography is turned into a whimsical cinematic essay as Altaras explores her family's history after delving into the things her parents left behind after they died.

The key to enjoying this film is clicking into the films knowing and frequently jokey attitude. Altaras makes no pretense that the film is anything other than  romp as she travels across Europe in the hope of making sense of how she ended up in Germany after her family spent World War 2 fighting against Hitler. If you don't click with its up beat attitude and peppy music this film is going to be a tough go. If on the other hand you do this film can be an absolute charmer.

For me the film was an pleasant diversion. It took me a while to click with the film, largely because I didn't fully click with Altara. However once she started meeting various people along the way I began to settle in and enjoy myself.

In the end I had a good time. Is this the best film ever? No, but it is an entertaining time passer.

For more details an tickets go here.

Cinema: A Public Affair (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

In 1989 Naum Kleiman founded the Moscow State Central Cinema Museum (Musey Kino) as the country lurched from Soviet rule into something else. Amassing a massive amount of cinema related material the Museum and it's screenings became a haven and social gathering place for those wanting to have social and artistic discussions. However as censorship reemerged in Russia the Museum was put in the cross-hairs and it was set adrift (the reasons are not really clear). Finally after limping along the Ministry of Culture moved Kleiman into a purely figurehead role for not following orders. This film follows the Museum's rise and fall.

Vitally important film about the importance of accessible culture and how things like going to the movies can be a social event (want proof most of the people here at Unseen Films I met at the movies).

While the spine of the film are a series of interviews with Kleiman talking about the movies, the museum and their place in society, it is wrapped by clips from films, interviews with filmmakers and comments from people left heartbroken by the behind the scenes battles to keep the Museum operating and accessible.  Through all the talk we really get to know and feel why places like the Moscow Film Museum was and is so important.

One of the really cool things about the film is the editing by director Tatiana Brandrup. Using film clips and footage she shot her self she manages to create wonderful mini comments and commentaries on what we are seeing. Sergei Eisenstein, who's film are referenced frequently, would be thrilled.  I know I was. I loved her juxtaposing of  a Samung video saying Dream with a run down street saying Reality. Her use of the BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN is wonderful is several places as is her use of LAST YEAR MARIENBAD. And if I'm not listing things from later in the film understand that after awhile I simply stopped taking notes and fell into the discussions.

While I know that the film is going to find the most love among film fans, I think this is going to play well for anyone who is curious or worried about the place of culture in society. To be certain this is the story of cinema in a once again repressive society, but at the same time the battle for control of intellectual institutions is one that is happening even here in the US where bone headed Congress people are trying to control what we think and view.

I really like this film a great deal and I suspect that after I see it again I'll absolutely love it. Like or love this is one of the best films at this year's New York Jewish Film Festival. A must see

The film plays at the New York Jewish Film Festival on the 19th and 20th. For more information and tickets go here/

THE LAW and PERIOD.NEW PARAGRAH New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

THE LAW (aka THE LAW THE FIGHT OF A WOMAN FOR ALL WOMEN)
In 1974 French health minister Simone Veil is given the task of passing a law legalizing abortion.

This is a French TV movie made to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passage of the law. While the film largely focuses on Simone Veil and her battle to get the law passed despite heavy opposition, the film also follows the work of a young woman  who is a journalist who is trying to make people aware of not having abortion as an option. The film focuses on three crucial days in the fight.

A good, if overly talky and weirdly polemical film, THE LAW  puts its audience into the battle for control of the reproductive rights of women in France. It moves like the wind and if the film is a little bit too preachy, it over comes its short comings by giving us characters to care about and much to ponder.


PERIOD.NEW PARAGRAPH
Portrait of Herb Kramer an 85 year old lawyer who is closing down his law firm done by his daughter.

Loving look at a man who never thought he'd retire but who has been forced to partly by illness but largely by the fact that he can no longer make the money needed to maintain the office space he has had for the last 40 years.

This is a nice little film.

The two films play together January 18th at the Walter Reade. For tickets and more information go here.

ART AND HEART:THE WORLD OF ISIAH SHEEFER and THE MAN WHO SHOT HOLLYWOOD New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

ART AND HEART: THE WORLD OF ISIAH SHEFFER
Portrait of actor, musician, writer, founder of Symphony Space and dozens of other things, Isiah Sheffer told via his own words and those of his friends.

How does one sum up Isiah Sheffer simply?

You can't. Sheffer was a force of nature who tore through life and New York's cultural life with wild abandon creating all sorts of lasting institutions as a result. He's the guy who would walk into a room and through force of personality and the ability to know his audience end up with everyone eating out of the Palm of his hand.

ART AND HEART is a joyous celebration of the man and his legacy that will give anyone who know of his work huge smiles.

While I like the film a great deal, and despite seeing the film in rough cut form, I'm forced to add in a proviso that the telling is slightly jumbled and if you don't know Sheffer, or of know of Symphony Space or the NPR show Selected Shorts things may seem out of whack...and even if you do know them they still may make you wish for better organization.

Reservation aside the film is a great deal of fun.

THE MAN WHO SHOT HOLLYWOOD
Portrait of Yasha Pashkovsky, a photographer who shot all of the stars during the golden age of Hollywood, and then squirreled his film away

This is a stunning portrait of a man whose work no one ever really knew existed. Its a joyous in its revelations, but sad that Pashkovsky never got to be celebrated for the pictures he took. Think of this as a companion piece of sorts to FINDING VIVIAN MAIER.

A must see.

Both ART AND HEART and THE MAN WHO SHOT HOLLYWOOD play together at the New York Jewish FIlm Festival Tomorrow. For tickets and more information go here.

Projections of America (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

This is the  story of the Projections of America films. These were a series of films which were used by the US government during the Second World War and after to explain to the countries we were going into who and what America and Americans are. The series was made by the Office of War Information, the same people who were producing films like Frank Capra's Why We Fight series. The series was put together by Robert Sherwood (Petrified Forest, Abe Lincoln in Illinois The Best Years of our Lives) and Robert Riskin (It Happened One Night, Thin Man Goes Home, Lost Horizon).

A very good documentary gives us the background of the films, the story of their creation and their effect upon the audiences who saw them.

You'll forgive me if this is brief because the film is nigh impossible to critique. A breezy no nonsense film it tells you everything you  need to know about the films and why their shunting to a back alley of film history is a real shame. Quite honestly these films deserve to be seen and discussed and not sort of looked at without the proper historical context.

A solid film and definitely worth your time.

The film is running with Autobiography of a Jeep, one of the most popular films of the series tomorrow. For tickets and more information go here.

Lamb (2015) New York Jewish Film Festival 2016

Ethiopia's submission for the Oscars caused a big stir when it was selected for Cannes and garnered some glowing reviews. The film is opening the New York Jewish Film Festival. Wednesday night.

This coming of age story  tells the story of Ephraim a young man left by his father with some distant relatives. He needs to go to the city to look for work and can not bring the boy. Since the boy's mother recently died there is no one to take care of him. Ephraim brings along his mother's sheep, who is his best friend, but things become complicated when the lamb is slated to become dinner for the holidays.

If you want to start off your 2016 seeing some incredible images then run and see LAMB as fast as possible because this film will bowl you over. It’s so breathtaking that odds are you’ll be on the phone booking your next vacation to the films locations. I can’t stress how good the film looks, and in a small scale gem like this the look of the film carries as much weight as the cast and the script in making the film work.

The film’s story is simple but not simplistic. I like that we more or less dropped in the story and allowed to watch it all unfold. We are not given anything that we don’t need. For example we don’t know how Ephraim’s mother died. There is no reason for us to know that so it never comes up. There are many moments in the film like that and we are better for it. I know that may be an odd thing to discuss but do you don’t realize how many films today explain too much. This film doesn’t- actually the one problem with LAMB is that in the last third or so the film becomes complicated as Ephraim has to sell food in the market to care for the care of his lamb and he’s bullied. It’s a turn that seems a little too much considering everything else in the film. There isn’t anything wrong with it, It’s just an added layer that isn’t really needed.

As an exploration of where one belongs and what are people's roles in society (Ephraim likes to cook, something considered women's work) this film gives us a great deal to think about. I'd be very curious how the film was received in Ethiopia where the society is in the middle of  changing.

LAMB is part of the real emergence of Ethiopian cinema. This year we had the Angelia Jolie produced DIFRET and we also had the glorious science fiction film CRUMBS, and now we have the Ethiopian Oscar entry. Based on these three films it looks like a new center of world cinema maybe finally coming into its own

I like LAMB a great deal. It’s a lovely slice of life and worth a look.

The film plays Wednesday at the new York Jewish Film Festival as the Opening Night film. For tickets and more information go here.)

Nightcap 1/10/16 The New York Jewish Film Festival starts this week, Lesley Coffin's HITCHCOCK'S STARS,LAST DAY OF FREEDOM, BAM vs NYICFF and Randi's links

Grand Display of Brock's Fireworks at the Crystal Palace / Festa pirotecnica nel cielo di Londra (Urban Film, 1904) from Cineteca MNC on Vimeo.

Woohoo!

The official start of the film year is Thursday with the start of the New York Jewish Film Festival. While some people think Sundance is the start, I, and those of us in New York know better, it’s the New York Jewish Film Festival.

One of the joys of doing Unseen is that I get directed toward some truly wonderful things. While I’ve always been curious about numerous films at the festival, I’ve been catching a film for two every year for years, writing for the website has given me a reason to really wade into the festival with abandon. Over the last year it gave me opportunity to see some truly great films such as two of last year’s best films DELI MAN and KING OF NERAC. There is always something cool screening, and even if I don’t like a film I never feel like I‘ve waste my time.

As this posts I’ve seen fifteen of the films screening and I have several more to go, including what I’ve been told are the two best films of the fest CARVALHO'S JOURNEY and CINEMA A PUBLIC AFFAIR . I would add as must sees I DON’T BELONG ANYWHERE the absolute best film I’ve ever seen on Chantal Akerman; THE WEDDING DOLL which has some killer performances, THE RIFLEMAN’S VIOLIN which is screening with a recreation of the events depicted; and LAMB, the story of a boy and his lamb in Ethiopia which is absolutely beautiful. There are of course many more films but I don’t want to be the one to make the choices for you.

Reviews will be running every day for the next two weeks.

And if you’re wondering if you have to be Jewish to enjoy the films, no you don’t. While some films deal with being Jewish or Jewish life many don’t or are only tangentially related. All you need to know is that the festival programs great films- some of the best you’ll see all year- and if you want to start 2016 on a really high note you have to go see something.

For more information and tickets go to the festival web page here.
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I just wanted to put Hitchcock’s Stars on to the radar of any of you who love off beat ways of looking at films. The book is by Lesley Coffin, a good friend of Unseen Films, and it’sunique way of looking at how films are made.

The book is a look at how Hitchcock went about casting the major roles in his Hollywood films, from REBECCA to FAMILY PLOT. It explains how he was forced to take some actors, got his wish with some actors and had to deal with the choices made. It’s a book that is very specific to just the casting with very little information regarding the films outside of the casting. It’s a premise that is going to drive some people crazy because they are going to want more details about the films which just isn't there. However anything outside of the casting isn’t what the book is about. And it isn't a surprise, Lesley is very specific at the start, explaining exactly and precisely what she is doing. While the limited scope is going to limit readership,as I said the narrow focus is not for all tastes, for those who are interested in the subject and can click into the groove Lesley is traveling it’s an eye opening path explaining how films get cast and how that effects the finished product.

If you're like me you'll want more on the subject, not only on Hitchcock's other films but other films in general because what Lesley is doing is forcing you to really consider how films get made and why they turn out as they do. You have to re-evaluate what you're seeing.

Recommended for those interested in how casting is done and its effect on what we see on the screen.

The film can be had at Amazon
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This February it’s going to be the battle of the Children’s Film Festivals in New York as Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Kids Film Fest  moves from the start of the month to the end and goes head to head with The New York International Children’s Film Festival. It’s a weird move that has me looking cross eyed at things. I’m guessing last year’s bitter cold and snow made BAM try to shift things to a friendly time of year- but the opening weekend of NYICFF is the wrong time since it tends to be a heavily programmed weekend. My choice is NYICFF hands down even without knowing what is programed.
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There is a short animated documentary called THE LAST DAY OF FREEDOM making the rounds. I was given a link to the film which concerns a man dealing with the fall out of his brother who is a murderer and given the death penalty. Its a stunning story that is deeply moving- and listening to the tale broke my heart. However I dislike the animation so much that I can not in good conscious do a full review because what I would say about the error would take away from the basic tale which is a kicker. Honestly it would have simply been better just to have the camera run and play it that way and not rotoscope over it. Its a lily that didn't need gilding.
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And now Randi's links

STICKMAN
Jelly Babies 
Why Star Wars The Force Awakens stinks
Just Another Winter Story
WTF subway moments
The end of Times Square's Toys R Us
Britain's secret ghost trains
The time I got stabbed in the neck
On the BlackVenus
Eric Idle remember Harry Nilsson