AICN Secret Screening #2: Persepolis
Having attended all the Fantastic Fests so far, I’d like to think I have a good feel for the festival and the kinds of movies that will be screened. But this year, FF feels a bit different. We’re seeing things like straight-forward action movies and such. Clearly, the scope changed, bringing more surprises. And one of those surprises is Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, based on her award-winning graphic novels.
Persepolis tells Satrapi’s story of growing up in Tehran, Iran during the fall of the Shah and the rise of the current Islamic republic. The story is ornately detailed with so many poignant details that at times you almost feel like you are intruding on Ms. Satrapi’s thoughts. The art of Persepolis is top notch. The film grabs Satrapi’s stark black and white style from her books and runs wild with it. The majority of the movie is black and white but it makes skillful use of paper textures and transitions to make pure, magical art.
I’m not sure Persepolis with its somewhat slow pace was right for the FF crowd, but I loved it. A big thanks to the FF programmer that scored this for the festival.
Kiltro
The first Latin American martial arts epic from the guys who brought you MirageMan. This film is as 80s as MirageMan was the 70s. This time around Espinoza and Zaror dip heavily into anime, video games, and spaghetti westerns.
Zaror plays Zami, love-struck leader of the Kiltros, a minor, and kind-hearted (of course!), street gang. Zami pines for Kim, a Korean-Chilean girl who won’t see him. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the villainous Max Kalba appears to settle a score with Kim’s martial arts teaching father. Turns out there is a whole web of intrigue that ties Zami, Kim, Max and a just about everyone else to secret sect of esoteric martial arts. As the web unravels Zami and Max move closer to their mano a mano showdown.
Kiltro feels very retro, a little like a long lost Van Damme flick. But Zaror brings some legitimate emotion to the unrequited love story. And these guys aren’t afraid to pull out the humor either. All this lifts Kiltro above a few of the corny, stock set pieces that appear. I did find that the overly cartoony CG blood geysers distracted from the kick-ass choreography going on. So if I had to chose, I’d pick the gritty look of MirageMan over the 80s slickness of Kiltro by a hair. Espinoza and Zaror, keep making films, and keep bringing them Austin!
Son of Rambow
Like Persepolis, a complete and total FF surprise. Props to Garth Jennings (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) for making such a touching movie.
Rambow tells the story of Will, a boy isolated by his religion and loss of his father, and Lee, the class bully with no friends. They bond over their effort to make a junior-sized remake of First Blood which changes direction when Lee sees the story Will really wants to make. The boys’ fantasy project helps them grow up and come to terms with their real life predicaments. When other kids get involved, Will and Lee find themselves at odds with each other.
There’s a lot of heart here and the richness of growing up in 1980s England is captured nicely. The child leads in Rambow steal every scene they’re in. When they say don’t work with kids and animals, these are the boys they warned you about. Fortunately, Son of Rambow has distribution, so you’ll be able to check out their fine work soon enough.
Fantastic Fest Secret Screening #4: Dai Nipponjin
Tim League likes surprises, and boy, did he deliver. This late addition to the FF schedule received a light smattered of applause. Then, Dai Nipponjin (aka Big Man Japan according to Tim) sort of snuck up on the audience and crushed it like a giant foam rubber foot.
This mockumentary starts slooowly building up to reveal that our subject, Masaru Daisatou, is actually Dai Nipponjin, the gigantic defender of Japan. The talking heads are frequently interrupted by Ultraman-like kaiju action. Sadly, Dai Nipponjin’s outings end poorly. He’s really not very good. So bad in fact, that he has to rent out parts of his giant body as billboard space. But life isn’t all monster bashing, there’s the ex-wife and the senile granddad (who also transforms, but remains senile) to take care of. And just wait until the ending comes around….
Not for everyone, but if you have a soft spot for Japanese kaiju and Christopher Guest, check this one out.