Reviews

This fantastic documentary tells the story of Claudiu Crulic, a 33 yr old Romanian wrongfully accused of stealing the wallet of a Polish judge and his experience on hunger strike while imprisoned as an act of his innocents and demand for help from the Romanian consul that never comes. Told by Crulic, from beyond the grave, he recounts his life story up to his death with details on how he was in Italy at the time of the crime in Poland, his experience while on hunger strike and how prison doctors and the Romanian consul did nothing for his case nor well-being. A case that slipped through the prison cracks. To make it further infuriating, prison doctors claimed he was fine almost up to the very end when he is so emaciated he looked like a 70 yr old man instead of the youthful 33 yr old he was just a couple months prior. By the time prison doctors finally sent him to a hospital, he was so deteriorated his body was beyond medical repair and slowing dying. After his death receives international attention, all authorities and doctors involved denied responsibility and eventually let to the resignation of Romanian foreign minister. Though the film could be slow at times, it is brilliantly and powerfully depicted through various animation techniques of hand-drawn animation, cutouts from photographs, scanned documents, projection, stop motion and digital 3D that manages to hold the viewers attention and keeps them intrigued throughout.

OK I admit it. When I went to LAFF I originally intended on seeing another film that I had my eye on. But upon hearing it was sold out I shrugged and figured I would just see whatever film was screening next automatically figuring it was going to bore me into a deep slumber. Let me say……I was completely wrong. The film was Mother, I Love You (Mammu, Es Tevi Milu). A rare film out of Latvia that is a true gem of storytelling that is truly heart-felt. A realistic coming-of-age story of a 12-year-old boy who already has a strained relationship with his mother, gets into some serious trouble involving petty theft and how, from his young perspective, he should go about solving the problem. For all accounts, Raimond (Kristofers Konovalovs) is a typical young boy who plays sax in the school band, stays up late to play Wii, and roams around town on his Razor scooter getting into mischief with his best friend Peteris. Part of the film deals with the difficult relationship between Raimonds and his single mother (Vita Varpina) who works late as an obstetrician to support them. While it's obvious they both love each other, their relationship is more like roommates than mother and son. When Raimonds finds himself intertwined in a theft investigation you notice the extent of his desperation to get out of the difficult situation through his resourcefulness. Even though all the decisions he makes are the wrong ones, they make complete sense in the mind of a 12 year old trying to avoid punishment from his mother. Frankly it makes the viewer look within their own (or other's close to them) past actions from that age and go "hey I did same thing to get out of being slapped by my parents". But as we all come to find out, and so does Raimonds, its best to come clean and tell the truth in the end. And no matter what hot water Raimonds in, his mother will always love her son.

In the likes of Clerks and Office Space, Cinema Six ranks up there to those great slacker comedies filled with raunchy humor, profane dialog, and jobs you hate but stay at to hang with friends and shield you from the harsh reality of having to grow-up. Mason (John Merriman) who has worked at the Stanton Family Cinemas longer than any adult should, just recently became manager. But despite having a wife and child to support, he still refuses to leave the comfort of the movie theater for a job with his father-in-law that would better support his young family. His friend Dennis (Brand Rackley) who after his engagement ended, dropped out of college and came back to work at the theater to take out his frustrations on the customers. And then there is Gabe (Mark Potts) who lives in the projection room, fears going to college and has a bad case of anxiety whenever he talks to Emaline (Madi Goff), his dream girl.

Along with great character development, there are some seriously talented actors in here who know how to exert proper comic timing that convinces you one day these actors will be playing in some Judd Apatow film. This is a film that is constantly funny and for those individuals who still aren't ready to grow up and face reality.

If you liked the comedy drama Dazed and Confused with its several different plot lines that intertwine then you will enjoy this. Based around a concert in the woods this film depicts the many hook-ups, break-ups and flying anvils to the soundtrack of the indie rock noise-bands playing in a tiny tin shack. While some of the deep in the woods scenes used with a super 16 were not the best choice, that little bit of extra grittiness added to the theme of the night. But one of the highlights of this film were choice of bands the filmmakers choose to play at the party. They make me want to throw a wild forest party. Minus the death by the falling anvil.