2005 AFFD Festival Week -- My Last Night
Again, due to scheduling issues, I skipped Wednesday's screenings. Which brings me to my last night of the festival.
I was very afraid that I would miss Throwdown entirely, and I really wanted to see it on a big screen. If you don't know the films of Johnny To, you should run right out and find The Mission, PTU and Running on Karma. Throwdown is lovingly dedicated to Akira Kurasawa and is, like Karma, a sweetly-maladjusted mix of action, comedy and heavy thought. It is one of the few films I've seen that I could describe in part as "fanciful" that also shows a man slicing a lackey with an exacto knife. It is, at its core, a Beckett play with Judo fight scenes.
Throwdown was another of those delightful surprises at this year's festival. I was so completely caught off-guard by its strengths that I did not want it to end. It's not every day you see a film where every character is honorable, even the most antagonistic.
How I rated Throwdown: 4
I closed out my festival week with State of Mind, a wonderful documentary about two girls preparing for the 2003 Mass Games in North Korea. It is the most fascinating film I have ever seen about people who absolutely hate me. And you. And all Americans. It was priceless. And no one else in America will probably get to see it. So score one for AFFD initiative.
How I rated State of Mind: 3
Next Up: The Summary and The Sad Goodbye
I was very afraid that I would miss Throwdown entirely, and I really wanted to see it on a big screen. If you don't know the films of Johnny To, you should run right out and find The Mission, PTU and Running on Karma. Throwdown is lovingly dedicated to Akira Kurasawa and is, like Karma, a sweetly-maladjusted mix of action, comedy and heavy thought. It is one of the few films I've seen that I could describe in part as "fanciful" that also shows a man slicing a lackey with an exacto knife. It is, at its core, a Beckett play with Judo fight scenes.
Throwdown was another of those delightful surprises at this year's festival. I was so completely caught off-guard by its strengths that I did not want it to end. It's not every day you see a film where every character is honorable, even the most antagonistic.
How I rated Throwdown: 4
I closed out my festival week with State of Mind, a wonderful documentary about two girls preparing for the 2003 Mass Games in North Korea. It is the most fascinating film I have ever seen about people who absolutely hate me. And you. And all Americans. It was priceless. And no one else in America will probably get to see it. So score one for AFFD initiative.
How I rated State of Mind: 3
Next Up: The Summary and The Sad Goodbye
posted by scn at 10:00 PM
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