by Jenny
Karakaya
It has been another action packed adrenaline driven week at
the Tribeca Film Festival (read part 1 of my coverage HERE).
Although very exhausting, it has been an exciting rush to attend
screenings, check out premiere red carpet arrivals and rub shoulders
with actors at the after-parties. This has been an eye-opening
experience indeed. The press-screening scheduling conflicts among
other hearsay ‘issues,’ have continued to fuel the media frenzy
as they have assumed their positions day after day, to continue
fighting the losing battle in scoring tickets for public screenings.
Personally, the disorganization has tested my limited
patience, replacing it with frustration after every failed attempt.
Despite the ‘small stuff’ though, I did manage to catch some
flicks, get the bejesus scared out of me, attend the Spidey 3
premiere (video coverage to come), and hang out with hot celebs at
trendy parties.
For now though, some reviews from the festival...
Rise:
Blood Hunter
Directed by: Sebastian
Gutierrez
Starring: Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis, Carla Gugino
For all you devil worshipping, blood-sucking, human gorging,
sadistic, cannibalistic gore whores and horror gurus out there, get
ready to feed your hunger with this supernatural graphic thriller.
RISE: BLOOD HUNTER is impressively executive produced by Spidey
master Sam Raimi, starring Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis, Carla Gugino,
James D’Arcy, with a small freak serving of Marilyn Manson to
boot. Liu plays reporter Sadie, who vows to hunt down and kill every
vampire after having been converted into one. Possessing an
insatiable appetite for sex, murder and blood, may well qualify
these atypically beautiful vampires as horny cannibals.
In all honesty, I was oblivious and unprepared to be
paralyzed with the kind of fear that would instigate flashbacks of
disturbing images. The rush had me hanging on to the edge of my seat
with a mild anxiety attack, which should indicate its efficiency.
The plot is interesting, riveting, and comical at times, but the
driving force is the musical score. Stimulating and frightening, the
music intensifies a climactic high almost through its entirety. The
use of vibrant color, style of shooting and editing propagate fear
in every disturbing scene. However, the ending of the film is
stretched out a little too long giving the adrenaline a slight buzz
kill. Although this is another platform for Liu to reaffirm her
illustrious butt-kicking skills, her performance is enthralling.
RISE may be somewhat formulaic, but it is interesting and gripping
nonetheless. If this nauseating and revolting bloody feast doesn’t
satisfy your horror cravings, I recommend professional help. -- 7/10
THE
AIR I BREATHE
Directed by: Jieho Lee
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Andy Garcia
The key ingredients in Jieho Lee’s THE AIR I BREATHE are
the talented A-listers who embody distinguished characters in an
intersecting plot. Based on an Asian proverb, the film dissects life
into four emotions in overlapping stories of love, happiness,
pleasure, and sorrow. Brendan Fraser plays a psychic gangster, Sarah
Michelle Gellar an unhappy pop star, Andy Garcia embodies a ruthless
crime boss named Fingers, Kevin Bacon a passionate doc and Forest
Whitaker as a bored banker looking for an escape from an unfulfilled
life. Emile Hirsch also makes an extremely entertaining appearance
displaying his artistic range. Each character meets a separate fate
dramatizing the emotion it represents.
Like all other films with interlaced vignettes, THE AIR I
BREATHE is very character driven and multi-dimensional. The dramatic
events within the plot are interesting, but not extraordinary. The
film is suspenseful, inspiring and entertaining at times, but other
than the remarkable acting, the story is not especially unique.
Complicated and overlapping plots have built a new Hollywood trend
thanks to CRASH and
BABEL
. The photography is stimulating with use of accentuated, vivid
colors for dramatic effects. Fast cutaways and creative editing also
accelerate the intense action sequences. Even if lacking in
originality, the film’s powerful performances by its ensemble cast
are worth witnessing. -- 6/10
PURPLE
VIOLETS
Directed by: Edward
Burns
Starring: Selma Blair, Ed Burns, Debra Messing
Any film written, directed, and conceived by Ed Burns is
engaging, hilarious and relatable to me. To add to a long list of
credits including GROOMSMEN, SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK and THE BROTHERS
MCMULLEN, Burns scripts another interesting contemporary story set
in the streets of NYC. PURPLE VIOLETS is a comedy-drama in which two
women played by Selma Blair and Debra Messing run into their old
college boyfriends played by Patrick Wilson and Ed Burns, triggering
old memories of their first love. As their paths continue to cross,
they are faced with the gift of improbable yet hopeful second
chances.
This is exactly the kind of film I truly enjoy and am
inspired by. Appealing to a wider female audience, the film is
romantic, promising, funny and real. The way in which Burns directs
and highlights his love affair of NYC is intoxicating and
mesmerizing. While the
script is engaging, the cast of actors must be commended for
delivering their lines with such fluidity and perfect comedic
timing. To seal the deal is the accompaniment of a wonderful
soundtrack, which makes PURPLE VIOLETS one of my favs. -- 8/10
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