Taking Woodstock

How much you like Taking Woodstock doesn't depend on how much you know about the original Woodstock. Ang Lee's film explores a turning point in a young man's life with the tumultuous festival going on as a backdrop. Leave it to Lee to envision this rite of passage with an assortment of full frontal nudity, references to peripheral events going on in the late 60s and what has to be one of the most brilliantly realized acid trips committed to film.
Through Lee's fluid direction the film flows smoothly. Sometimes he divides the screen into thirds or squares. Other times Lee recreates scenes from the documentary Woodstock, but images like the nun giving the peace sign or the portable toilet guy being interviewed not actual music performances. Taking Woodstock feels small scale yet still has bold cinematic panache. Maybe because Lee always makes heavy films (Lust, Caution, Brokeback Mountain) it's like the wanted to direct a lark. Not unlike Sam Mendes taking a breather with the more cute than profound Away We Go after the accomplished Revolutionary Road.
Taking Woodstock offers an assortment of characters, many representing the then youth culture, but I found myself caring and wanting to know more about supporting players like a dance and theatrical troupe led by an earthy Dan Fogler. Or a rather bizarre but self realized transvestite cum Korean war vet played with quiet solitude by Liev Schreiber. The VW guy and girl are charmingly channeled by Paul Dano (TWBB) and Kelli Garner (Lars and the Real Girl). Eugene Levy wins kudos as Max Yasgure who sums up the town's attitude with one of the film's defining lines: "I've heard more thank yous and hellos from these young people today than the townspeople the entire time I've lived here."
Frankly the lead character, Detetri Martin, while totally holding the film together just doesn't have the captivating trajectory of the people around him. His parents are rather a glum pair, even when they accidentally eat marijuana brownies they are boorish. Lee tries not to judge so much as observe, he just plays out the scene and lets the audience connect the dots.

Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest 2009 unwinds with its fifth annual edition in Austin from September 24 through October 1. The founders of the festival are Tim Leauge, the owner of the Alamo Drafthouse chain, and Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool fame. The lineup features premieres and one-of-a-kind screenings of macabre films from all over the world. Actually one of the films is titled Macabre, and another is titled Vampire Girl versus Frankenstein Girl.
Special guests include George Romero who’ll be screening his newest Survival of the Dead and participating in a Q&A about his career. Events include karaoke contests, and one post premiere party where the attendee will be able to create popcorn sculptures. Check out the festival’s website for film schedules, synopsis and ticket info.

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love

As magical a singer as Youssou Ndour is this documentary about his life and music gets real old real fast. Considering the filmmakers had his complete cooperation one wonders why docs like this don't include full concert versions of the man's songs instead of a snippet here or a verse there. I Bring What I love will play strong to worldwide fans of the Senegal born Ndour but its prosaic production values would fit in better with cable network programming.
Talking points are the history of griot style singers, or songsters whose music tells stories. Ndour proudly upholds this traditional style of singing as much as he embraces Sufism a mystical denomination of Islam. Other parts of the film deal with Ndour in the Senegalese city of Touba, a holy city for followers of Mouridism and explains its connection to Muslim mystic and spiritual leader Amadou Bamba. Certainly the film doesn't preach so much as inform.
When I Bring What I Love ends you feel like you know Ndour if only superficially since the viewer is on the front row of his mid-decade world tour for his recording Egypt. Glimpses into Ndour's backstage entourage as well as his family have a home movie feeling. Sacrificing animals for food is a part of the family's bonding and doesn't seem cruel at all as depicted here and compared to similar sequences in other films.