The 2006 Fest came at a bad time this year for me personally, wrapped around a Pollard weekend in November. But we were still able to get out and see the following 3 films, one of which will surely be Top 5 for me. Somehow, I can't seem to find the winner of the "Audience Award," but I'll assume it was The Lives of Others, since it was probably the best of this bunch.
Requiem - Easily, the best film that we saw at the Fest. Based on a true story about some German chic, played by Sandra Huller, who appears to be battling epilepsy. But she's battling more than that. It's her religious parents, psychiatrists, and her friends who all insist that her problems are psychological. A local priest seems to think differently, and believes that she's possessed.
Unlike your typical excorcism films, like the Excorsist series, or The Excorsim of Emily Rose, Schimd uses zero special effects in Requiem. Actually, the Excorcism of Emily Rose was based on this exact same story. Where Emily Rose uses your typical horror-scare monster type techniques, Requiem uses no effects and no scary, suspenseful score. But don't let that fool ya..it's incredibly creepy how realistic the possession is portrayed in this film. Kudos to Schmid, as well as Huller, who is phenomenal.
5 outta 5 stars. Serious Hi-Hives.
Brothers of the Head
- I was most psyched to see this one, and probably came out of it a little disappointed. There's some great original music, with Pete Shelley, the ex-Buzzcock helping out. But for some reason, I came out of it a little underwhelmed. Perhaps just a victim of its own hype.
The question I keep asking myself, could it have been better if it wasn't done as a narrative-documentary? When I first saw how it was done...Spinal Tap style...I thought it sounded intriguing. But afterwards, the style almost comes off a bit hoaky. Would it have been better served as a straight narrative? I don't know.
Great performances by the conjoined twins, Luke and Harry Treadway. And the morphing of their distinct personalities as they become rock stars is central to the film's worthiness. I don't want to steer anyone away from it, and perhaps I just had a bug up my butt that night.
I'll say I enjoyed it, just not as much as I thought I would. 3.5 stars outta 5.
La Moustache - French psychological thriller that keeps you thinking throughout..."what the FOOK is happening here." Not as good as my Best of 2005, Cache, but then again...that's a lot to live up to.
4 outta 5 stars.
Here's a trailer:
One more recommendation. Not from the 3RFF, but got this one recently from Netflix:
The Sea Inside - for some reason, I'm over a year late on this one. I think it just kept getting bumped down in my Q. Another one based on a true story...a heart wrenching one. Yes, this one's a tear jerker. Incredibly well done. Beautiful cinematography. I cried. You will too.
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