by Jenny Karakaya
Since its conception six years ago, I have been an attendee,
or "commoner" if you will, of public viewings at the
Tribeca Film Festival. Having admired the authenticity and
originality of a platform that celebrates unique, independent films,
I was elated when proposed with the task of covering my first film
festival ever. With its kick-off a few days ago, I simultaneously
popped my film festival cherry and entered a new world of chaos.
Regardless of my frustrations, I have been enjoying this new
experience while checking out some good flicks thus far.
Read 'em and weep below...
BLACK
SHEEP
Directed/written by: Jonathan
King
This marks the first gorefest I truly enjoyed. Although not
much of a horror flick fan, BLACK SHEEP was refreshingly comical.
The film is set on the breathtaking island of New Zealand, where
Henry (Nathan Meister) returns to his family farm to sell his share
to big brother Angus (Peter Feeney). Upon his return however, he
discovers the baaad plan his brother has concocted to genetically
engineer sheep. When a mutant lamb is stolen and accidentally
unleashed from Angus’ lab, the result is an onslaught of vicious
sheep. Having spent years in therapy caused by a traumatizing
childhood event, Henry is now faced with confronting his greatest
fear of sheep.
When it comes to scary features, I’m always a little
apprehensive but I thought the plot of BLACK SHEEP was intriguing
and wrapped up nicely. I enjoyed the cinematography and music, which
complimented the script. I especially found myself amused by the
well cast actors’ comedic facial gestures and dialogue that shaped
it into a somewhat satirical horror film. Although embarrassed, I
must confess there were certain moments of fear when I felt
compelled to cover my eyes to avoid the sight of disgust, but then
no horror flick would be complete without its ghastly and frightful
scenes. I’m sure for all you die-hard horror gurus, this film may
teeter on fluff. I, on the other hand, admired Meister’s and
Feeney’s performances and campy discourse throughout the bloody
horror, which made it easier to witness my first gruesome sheep
attack down under. -- 6/10
YOU
KILL ME
Directed by: John Dahl
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Téa Leoni, Luke
Wilson, Bill Pullman
I found myself unexpectedly captivated by this offbeat mob
comedy. YOU KILL ME is about a Polish, alcoholic hit man Frank (Ben
Kingsley) who screws up an important job for the Polish mob, thus
being forced into AA and a job at a mortuary where he meets and
falls for the sharp, adventurous Laurel (Téa Leoni.) What sets this
mob film apart from others is Frank’s nonchalant honesty. His
unexpected, candid confessions generate feelings of sympathy for an
otherwise ‘seedy’ character. Directed by John Dahl whose credits
include ROUNDERS and THE LAST SEDUCTION, YOU KILL ME also stars Luke
Wilson, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman.
Props to the DP and editors for the cool and visually sublime
opening freeze frame shots leading into a comical sequence
coordinated with entertaining Polish sounding beats. YOU KILL ME
exposes its comedic value from the start, but what’s more
stimulating is the ingenious repartee between Frank and Laurel which
never ceases to amaze me. Supported by an all-star cast, Kingsley
and Leoni are the perfect embodiment of their mismatched characters
who display their acting skills with honest humor and bizarre
dialogue. The pace is a little slow, but the story comes together
efficiently affirming that even ‘bad’ guys deserve a second
chance. -- 7/10
SUBURBAN
GIRL
Directed and written by: Marc
Klein
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alec Baldwin
As an ambitious NYC woman, I may be impartial when confessing
my admiration and attraction to this film. However, aside from its
inspiring and vicarious plot, SUBURBAN GIRL’s greatest strength is
its stars, Alec Baldwin and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Previously famed
for his screenplay SERENDIPITY, this film is Klein’s adaptation of
stories from Melissa Bank’s The
Girls’ Guide to hunting and Fishing. The story is based on
an aspirant junior editor Brett (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in pursuit
of her dreams in the big apple. She meets and falls for big shot
book editor Archie (Alec Baldwin) who eventually reveals his
imperfections during their tumultuous, romantic journey. The film
also stars Maggie Grace, James Naughton, and Chris Carmack among
others.
I thought the script was engaging and motivating, but the
film was shot in a short story format, which dragged on at times. I
was especially amazed by the powerful onscreen chemistry between
Baldwin and Gellar. The dialogue was witty and both actors inhabited
their roles with great conviction. Baldwin’s comedic timing was
impeccable as always. Ironically, his character’s life bore an
uncanny resemblance to his real life in reference to the recent
scandal with his daughter (which explains his "no show" at
the festival.) Regardless, he emanated an irresistible charm on
screen, which was entertaining and mesmerizing. -- 6/10
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