Day four of the festival already? Wow. It was a particularly good day, though. The Matsugane Potshot Affair was a strange Japanese black comedy. Long takes and tongue-in-cheek humor tell the story of a man who is blackmailed by the victim of his hit and run accident. Funny set-pieces abound, but the film is on strange wavelength that might not click with some viewers.

Deadline U.S.A. is a classic Bogart film from 1952. It was part of the Film Noir retrospective. One part mystery, one part crime, and 3 parts journalism drama, it really is a classic that should not be as rare as it is. Seek it out for a fast-paced thrill-ride through the world of newspaper drama.

This next film took me by surprise. From India, The Voyeurs is the story of two young men living in the big city of Kolkata. They work installing survailence camera’s, and live across from a beautiful young aspiring dancer. The paths of all the characters cross, and lead to strange and exciting developments. This isn’t your average Bollywood film. It’s part of the emerging new cinema movement in India, which hopefully will bring their wonderful culture to a wider audience.

Most of you have heard of the next film, Mongol, the epic story of the rise of Genghis Kahn. Made in Kazakhstan, and nominated for an Oscar, it also stars Todanabu Asano! What film isn’t he in? The guy is amazing. He is Japanese, but still winds up in all the strange and wonderful films from around the world. Mongol is one of those.

It’s huge. Epic and sprawling, yet small and intimate. The story really revolves around the Kahn’s love for his wife and his endless attempts to stay with her and bring her peace. Yet in the world of the Mongols, that is not an easy thing. War and violence is everywhere, and the only way to stop it is to unite the hordes under one ruler.

The story spans decades, from when Genghis Kahn was a little boy, to when he was held as a slave, to when he was leading his various armies into battle. Good battle scenese, of course, but what really makes this movie interesting is how it is so firmly rooted in the simple story of man trying to do the best for his family. Check it out in the theater when it gets a release. It’s in Mongolian, so don’t let that scare you. (LCD… I’m looking in your direction!)

Last but not least for today is Mirageman. This Chilean “superhero” movie is completely different than you would think. It stars Marko Zaror is a nightclub bouncer that only has two things going on in his life. Caring for his younger brother who was traumatized by the murder of their parents, and training in martial arts. The guy is definitely good at the latter. He was the stunt-double for The Rock, so he is tall and tough looking, but he is also very skilled at his art.

One night, while out jogging, he saves a woman from being raped by some men, and quickly develops a reputation as a masked avenger. The film really didn’t have the same tone I thought it would from that description. It is very funny. Fast-paced action and comedy made this the most fun film as the festival so far.

The shot-on-video look was a small problem that I can forgive while watching the film. From Mirageman’s first bumbling attempts at stopping crime, to the career obsessed reporter trying to figure out his identity, the whole thing was pure gold. It was all quite amusing and well made. Marko Zaror is a great leading man, even when he doesn’t have a single line of dialog. It definitely kept me awake, even though it was the last film of a busy day.

Come back tomorrow for more late-night cinema-fueled ramblings!

Day 6 and 22 films down! Today I saw four good films, but nothing that was absolutely mind-blowing.

Dharm, an Indian film, skewers the caste-system by telling a story of a high priest and the bond formed between him and his adopted son. The first time director, Bhavna Talwar, makes it feel like she has been making films much longer than she has.

The second film of the night was filmed in Sign Language! Universal Signs tells the rather simple story of a deaf man trying to come to terms with the tragic end of his last relationship, and trying to nurture a new one with a woman who actually knows how to sign. There is very little dialog or sound effects. The whole film is set to music, with subtitles for all the dialog. It comes across as a gimmick, but there is a lot of heart behind this film that rescues it from ending up being one.

Alexander Sokurov directed some great films (Russian Ark, The Sun). His newest, Alexandra, is also really good. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about Russian history and current events to create a real opinion about it. The title character is a grandmother who is visiting her son in the army base he is stationed at. There, we get to see, through her eyes, the men and the state that they are in. Bleak and washed out, it is directed with a gentle yet deliberate touch that seems keep its distance. Not one ounce of drama happens during the film, but it is very thought-provoking. I’ll have to read more about what is going on in that country to fully appreciate it.

The last film of the night was the best. Soo is a violent Korean revenge drama (sound familiar?). Twins, separated at childhood finally reunite years later only to have one of them, a cop, assassinated. The other, an assassin, vows revenge. To do so he takes over his brothers identity and tries to find out who killed him and why, all the while dodging more assassination attempts.

It is bloody, and has strong direction. Korean films always struck me as very well-produced, but with a unique sensibility that separates them from Hollywood films. This one is a solid and dark romp through a world of bloody revenge. Well worth checking out.

More to come tomorrow!