NO TIME TO SLEEP, WHO HAS TIME TO WRITE? (A MINI-NYFF PREVIEW)

Exhaustion has set-in, and I haven’t even started the actual job yet. The past week-and-a-half have been filled with New York Film Festival press screenings. Four on Monday, four on Tuesday and two today, plus another screening this evening. Thankfully, things start to ease up tomorrow, and I’m planning to start the waterfall/diarrhea (take your pick) of words and opinions.

I would like to note that it seems as if many of the films are already sold out, but a few that you should not miss and seem to still be available would certainly include Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo’s wonderful Woman on the Beach, the Iranian Offside and the latest from Thai writer-director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Syndromes and a Century. Additionally, there are two films which I suppose would best be described old-but-new, both of which should not be missed: Lino Bracka’s 1976 Filipino drama Insiang and the absolutely magnificent 1964 Italian satire Mafiaso. The latter film screens one time only at Noon this Saturday (although you can expect a release at Film Forum early next year). It’s from the late Italian director Alberto Lattuada, and as much as I am loving several of this year’s selections (the ones listed previously as well as Marie Antoinette and The Queen), the 40-plus-year-old Mafioso just might be my favorite.

Lack of mention here does not mean I haven’t liked some highly-anticipated films. I still have roughly half of the program to see. However, along with the endorsements listed above, I will just easily suggest skipping two incomprehensible and thoroughly dull titles: August Days and The Go Master; and although it has its heart and message in the right places and does a few things very well, African filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako’s Bakamo is simply too straightforward in its peachiness while lacking enough drama to remain interesting.

Much more to come in the days ahead …