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Friday, June 13, 2008

SIFF 2008: Three Days to Go!

posted by on June 13 at 11:21 AM

Cinerama starts playing SIFF movies today, the third-to-last day of the festival. Boy, are there going to be some annoyed people tonight. Some of the movies that sounded the best on paper are in fact awful, and some of the movies that sounded the worst are in fact fantastic. Here’s the scoop:

Skip the first movie of the day, Unknown Woman (1 pm at Cinerama), unless you love the graphic depiction of misery.

Next, pay someone to take your tickets to In Search of Kennedy (4 pm at the Egyptian), which is the worst movie that could possibly be made about John F. Kennedy’s popular legacy. The documentary has no facts, and lots and lots of feelings. Yuck. There are at least three other good options, including Salawati (4:30 pm at Pacific Place), American Son (4 pm at Uptown), and Some Assembly Required (4 pm at SIFF Cinema). Did anyone see the film-insidery Pierre Rissient (4 pm at the Harvard Exit) on Wednesday? That sounds interesting too.

Accelerating America


Next, we absolutely adore three competing options, all of whose filmmakers should be in attendance: the major motion picture The Wackness (6:30 pm at the Egyptian), which will open in Seattle in July; the exceptional education documentary Accelerating America (7 pm at the Harvard Exit); and the conversion-to-atheism one-woman-show Letting Go of God (6:30 pm at SIFF Cinema), with Julia Sweeney. This probably is not the night to try to see Alexander Nevsky (8 pm at Benaroya Hall), though admittedly, all our other recommendations are playing again this weekend.

Finally, settle down at the second (and 21+) screening of Sunrise (9:30 pm at the Triple Door) accompanied by an original score by the Album Leaf.

We don’t recommend tonight’s midnighter, Chrysalis (12 am at the Egyptian). Quel dommage—it’s a bit of a tribute to Eyes Without a Face. But you’ll be too tired for a midnight show tonight anyway.

RSS icon Comments

1

jesus, this has to be the longest fucking film festival ever. it just. won't. end.*

(*at least not for another 3 days.)

Posted by brandon | June 13, 2008 11:42 AM
2

I should note that some SIFF attendees love annie's reviews - and today's choices are excellent!

It's a lot of work to do a review - and we all appreciate it, even if some people are envious that annie gets paid to watch cool movies ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 13, 2008 12:41 PM
3

Not willing to take a chance on the new Dan Ireland flick?

Posted by Mr_Friendly | June 13, 2008 12:45 PM
4

annie definitely deserves a long paid vacation after wrangling the stranger's extensive coverage of the film festival! i've been doing it on a smaller and less thorough scale elsewhere and am thoroughly exhausted.

Posted by josh | June 13, 2008 2:59 PM
5

saw the Pierre Rissient doc in press previews. it is eternally long and contains only a handful of interesting anecdotes. avoid avoid avoid.

i'm disappointed that no one in the press has noticed Leroy. it's a charming coming-of-age story about a biracial teen in Germany. it has another showing tomorrow afternoon and while it's not perfect, it's very funny and an interesting discussion of racism in Europe. the director is in town.

also, a thumbs up to the Stranger staff for exhaustive SIFF coverage, even though Annie Wagner and i rarely agree.

Posted by ironymaiden | June 13, 2008 10:28 PM

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