SIFF 2000: The Films: A to H

The good, the bad, and the mediocre, as reviewed by SW critics—or those less critical types at SIFF (as indicated in bold).

*means it's recommended. Good luck!

An Affair of Love
Belgium/France/Luxembourg/Switzerland, 1999. Director: Fr餩ric Fonteyne
Fri, May 19, 9:30pm, Harvard Exit
Sun, May 21, 12:30pm, Harvard Exit
The original French title for this one is Une Liaison Pornographique (obviously changed for the US market), but far from its implications, the film is less carnal than cerebral, with much of the sex happening behind literally closed doors. A 40-something Parisian woman and man—Nathalie Baye and Sergi L�—are interviewed separately about their anonymous affair. The woman explains that she was looking for "just sex, only sex." Of course, it doesn't turn out that way. After a few weekly trysts at a hotel, the relationship follows the familiar course of love, break-up, regret. No surprises here.—Soyon Im

Aimee & Jaguar
Germany, 1999. Director: Max Farberbock
Fri, June 2, 9:30pm, Pacific Place
Sun, June 4, 3:30pm, Harvard Exit
The true story of a secretive affair in WWII Germany between Felice, a Jewish underground worker and Lilly, a conservative housewife. The passion the two women come to share is threatened not only by Lilly's soldier husband but by Felice's dangerous lifestyle and the constant threat of her discovery by the Nazis. The winner of multiple awards in Europe and also this year's Best Foreign Film Oscar submission from Germany.—SIFF

* Amargosa
USA, 1999. Director: Todd Robinson
Sat, May 27, 3:30pm, Harvard Exit
If the gist of this inspirational documentary is that nothing can keep a true artist from pursuing her dream, then director Todd Robinson has accomplished something rare and beautiful. At 76, Marta Becket is a ballet dancer, painter, singer, and pianist. She is also the owner of Death Valley Junction, CA (pop. 10), a haunted mining town formerly named Amargosa ("wasteland"). Her fortuitous stop for gas in the late '60s led to an impulsive relocation from NYC and the $45/month lease on a crumbling theater. There, the talented Becket sought refuge from her troubled parental relationships in her "world of illusions," and transformed the building with stunning, hand-painted murals across its walls and ceiling. Becket is a vivid, theatrical presence whose story of artistic survival is as unforgettable as the "let's-put-on-a-show" spirit she's used to sustain herself and her fellow townsfolk. Don't miss this one.—Emily Baillargeon Russin

* Asfalto
Spain, 1999. Director: Daniel Calparsoro
Wed, May 31, 9:30pm, Harvard Exit
Mon, June 5, 5pm, Broadway Perf. Hall
The thin lines between love and hate, violence and desire, criminality and probity, are repeatedly violated in this tense, brilliantly directed thriller about marginal low-lifes in Madrid. With some of the grim v鲩t頳tyle of '70s American cinema, Asfalto tells the story of a bitter and perverse love triangle among drug-dealing hipsters, who are trying, with little success, to figure out which side of the law—and of sexual convention—they want to be on. The three performances are all subtle, feverish, and out of control, with two excellent supporting actors playing a bully cop brother and a drug-addled mom.—Mark D. Fefer

At Midnight and a Half
Venezuela/Peru, 1990. Directors: Marita Ugaz and Mariana Rondon
Tue, May 23, 7:15pm, Harvard Exit
Sat, May 27, 12:30pm, Harvard Exit
Themes of love and loss permeate this often surreal film about three people left in an abandoned town threatened by giant tidal waves. Driving his beat-up car, Sebastian, an Antonio Banderas lookalike (in the right light), meets a girl on the road who's lost her parents. The girl seems oddly unfazed; she keeps herself busy with games and news articles about people who've lost their limbs in freak accidents. Together the pair watch a beautiful photographer who wanders around the city taking pictures of buildings. Although the story remains oblique, the film is gorgeously photographed. Sebastian circles and tiptoes around the woman photographer as in a pas de deux. Many of the city shots give a bird's-eye view of bright, tangerine-colored buildings with paint flaking off walls—to the sound of the photographer's heels clicking on empty cobblestone streets.—S.I.

The Atrocity Exhibition
USA, 2000. Director: Jonathan Weiss
Fri, June 9, 9:30pm, Broadway Perf. Hall
This film version of J.G. Ballard's controversial novel dives into a hypothetical near-future and follows one man's journey into madness and murder.—SIFF

* Audition
Japan, 1999. Director: Takashi Miike
Thu, June 8, 9:30pm, Cinerama
Sun, June 11, 9:15pm, Egyptian
Sure to be one of the creepiest and funniest films at the fest, this Japanese black comedy busts the stereotype of the sweet little Asian woman. A middle-aged TV producer (Ryo Ishibashi) uses his power to get nubile actresses on his casting couch. He eventually marries one of the "auditioners," a white-gowned ballerina (Miyuki Matsuda) who's cuter than Hello Kitty and Sailor Moon put together. But—oops!--turns out the girl has an indiscreet habit of murdering her lovers. Director Miike presents absurd, surreal scenes in a nonlinear format, making for a twisted ride that disturbingly builds, ebbs, then builds again toward a horrific, unforgettable conclusion.—S.I.