IIFF #4: Jesus, Frauleins and Sigourney

Tomorrow the jury meets and we pick our prizes. But here are some notes on films I've caught in the past two days ...

Son of Man is a retelling of the Jesus story by a South African theater/opera company named Dimpho Di Kopane (they also made U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha a couple of years back). I have to tell you: I am shocked that no studio has picked this up for distribution stateside. Everyone knows the story already. It has Roger Ebert as a passionate advocate. It could be marketed to music lovers, cinephiles (African film is starting to get more attention), and religious types --this last group might have a spot of trouble because they tend to like things literal...but surely some of them remember that Christ was a peaceful fellow rather than a hawk...and quite fond of the parables. The film is directed with bold energy and creativity by Mark Dornford-May and stars his wife Pauline Malefane as the Virgin Mary. This Mary has an amazing voice and potent screen presence. The film's musical numbers practically explode with feeling.

All of the "gospel greatest hits" are represented: the manger birth, the wise men, the apostles, the miracles, Judas betrayal, the pieta, the crucifixion but what surprised me watching this was how organic the treatment felt, placed as it was in Africa's chaotic violent slums. They weren't straining to make modern correlations (same as it ever was, you know) and they allowed themselves liberties which go along way to keeping it lively and relevant: the introduction of the apostles is a particularly refreshing sensible rethink. The movie isn't afraid to point fingers politically either. Son of Man isn't for everyone but given that Hollywood is obsessed with Africa right now it's disappointing that this creative film doesn't have the larger audiences that greet pedestrian storytelling efforts like Blood Diamond or even Hotel Rwanda.

Das Fräulein I must recommend. It's a film by Andrea Staka which concerns a young Bosnian refugee who rocks the boat when she begins working at a cafe in Switzerland. The owner is a stern woman who fled Yugoslavia three decades earlier. She's built herself a solitary and successful life and she likes it exactly the way it is. You can see where it's going: the young woman's reckless behavior (which has good and bad consequences) eventually begins to change the boss's life and other staff members too --one subplot involving an older Croatian immigrant pulled me in unexpectedly like a sad undertow. The title is surely a reference to the young Bosnian but what's particularly smart about the movie is how you see the youthful past rising up in the older women's memories, though they never vocalize as much. It's worth noting that Julie Christie's performance in Away From Her is not the only award worthy lead I saw here. Mirjana Karanovic who plays Ruza the owner is a tremendous actor. She also starred in the Bosnian Oscar submission Grbavica last year which I now officially must see.

The TV Set is not part of the festival but they had some print troubles with something I wanted to see so I had the spare time. I'm not quite sure what's wrong with this comedy about the television industry's pilot season in LA. The tone feels correctly insidery. It's usually interesting. But much of it feels flat and slack. I am however quite sure what's right with this comedy: Sigourney Weaver. She's aces as a shallow, controlling, nearly inhuman executive. Her speech about "perspective" is prime dark comedy and that's but one of her many highs through the course of the film. Weaver lovers must see this even if the rest of the world can safely wait.