Feature: 2013 Chicago International Film Festival Highlights, Part Three

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CHICAGO – The 2013 Chicago International Film Festival may be heading into its final stretch but it’s far from over, as new films from Errol Morris, Joel & Ethan Coen, Jason Reitman, and many more are scheduled to make their Chicago premiere.

A few of the biggies this year weren’t screened in time for press but we have seen some of the smaller, notable films, and you should go out of your way to see a few of ‘em. Pick your favorites, as chosen by Brian Tallerico, Patrick McDonald, and Nick Allen.

A Pact Photo credit: CIFF

“A Pact”

Friday, 10/18, 8:15pm
Sunday, 10/20, 8:30pm
Monday, 10/21, 1pm

A boyish promise between two high school age young men concerning the ownership of a mutual female friend leads to creeper antics years later in this little thriller, spearheaded by an unsettling performance from Sylvester Groth (Inglourious Basterds). This is diet Hitchcock, including a slim 83 min. run-time for touching themes found in films like Shadow of a Doubt and Strangers on a Train, with much leering to be witnessed. Functioning with more shifts than turns, a sometimes stretched yet still streamlined script leads to an unexpected finale, as a bizarre opening scene is given its full explanation decades later. (NA)

Stranger by the Lake Photo credit: CIFF

“Stranger by the Lake”

Friday, 10/18, 9:15pm
Sunday, 10/20, 4:10pm

Alain Guiraudie’s thriller won a directing prize at Cannes and the film has a mesmerizing power in the way its filmmaker uses setting to enhance mood simply by never leaving it. The film takes place by a sun-kissed lake that’s being used as a cruising spot for gay men. We follow Franck as he makes friends and lovers, often displayed in graphic ways. Franck becomes interested in the mysterious Michel, who he sees drown a man in a stunning, unbroken shot. Guiraudie’s film challenges viewers with long shots and questionable morality in that Franck doesn’t necessarily respond in the way you’d expect him to given the loss of life. These men are nameless and often background-less in this world of cruising and the fact that Michel has discarded one in the most cruel way possible doesn’t seem to quell Franck’s desire for him. It’s incredibly adult film both in subject matter and its graphic nature but it becomes a fascinating meditation on moments of instant gratification, whether they be lustful or murderous. (BT)

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Photo credit: CIFF

“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”

Saturday, 10/19, 7pm
Tuesday, 10/22, 6:15pm

A poignant Taiwanese film, that is also bubbly and fun. A “happily” married couple is in a rut, and the husband has a wandering eye – not for the ladies, but for his former life as a gay man. What is played for laughs – and there are many – progresses to a meditation on identity and happiness within a committed relationship, and the hope that two people can respect each other in truth. The eye for detail, the lightness and the emotion within the story are highlights. This was one of the best films I’ve seen at the Festival, and yes, the song is in the movie. (PM)

12 O’Clock Boys Photo credit: CIFF

“12 O’Clock Boys”

Saturday, 10/19, 8:15pm
Tuesday, 10/22, 8:30pm

Executing numerous dirtbike stunts illegally in Baltimore daylight traffic to the frustration of police, the 12 O’Clock Boys are a cavalcade of riders who cruise to feel liberated from the negative conditions of their community. Debut director Lotfy Nathan observes this group by giving center focus to a tenacious budding protege named Pug, following him through three progressively difficult years that inch him closer and closer to mysterious manhood. With other curious individuals of the community having more to say than Nathan’s spotlight allows, the big picture of this intriguing subculture is incomplete, but its imagery of riders declaring complete freedom with such illegal spectacle is insatiable. (NA)

H4 Photo credit: CIFF

“H4”

Saturday, 10/19, 8:30pm
Sunday, 10/20, 2pm

It’s an imperfect product but Paul Quinn’s “H4” is a fascinating use of the new world of cinema to create something distinctly different. Financed largely through Kickstarter and a passion project for the great Harry Lennix, this adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” (both parts) transports the Bard’s tale to modern-day Los Angeles but keeps the glorious language intact. The incredibly low-budget doesn’t hold back some of the great performers, particularly Lennix, who is simply one of cinema’s best-kept secrets. Some of the decisions in terms of how Shakespeare’s play was abridged don’t quite work and some of the setting changes feel awkward but if you view this as a passionate performance piece, there’s enough to like here that one hopes that more actors would work as hard as Lennix to bring their low-budget visions to reality. (BT)

Heli Photo credit: CIFF

“Heli”

Saturday, 10/19, 9:30pm
Monday, 10/21, 8:30pm

A searing act of violence in the middle of “Heli” is enough to make its exhaling passages also unforgettable, and similarly a controversial recipient for “Best Director” kudos from a Cannes 2013 jury headed by Steven Spielberg. Providing no distance to real-life brutality that inspires writer/direcror Amat Escalante’s outrage, HELI is a brash tale of a family caught in the middle of the Mexican drug war, in which the police presence is indistinguishable from that of the cartels. Wonderful newcomer performances complement Escalante’s vista portrayal of a torn Mexico, peppered with bold directorial feats including introducing the title character by watching him fill out a census. (NA)

The Motel Life Photo credit: CIFF

“The Motel Life”

Sunday, 10/20, 6:15pm

Passionate actors Stephen Dorff and Emile Hirsch team up as two brothers who stick together, despite lives-at-loose-ends in a seedy motel in Reno, Nevada. Hirsch’s character is a storyteller, Dorff’s is an artist. Together they create the mood of escapism from their circumstance, and persevere through nothing but bad luck. Dakota Fanning takes on another young adult transition role, and handles it with nice detail to character. The use of the one brother’s art, that transforms into animation at story telling points, is a great touch from the first time directing team (and brothers) Alan and Gabe Polsky. (PM)

One Chance Photo credit: CIFF

“One Chance”

Sunday, 10/20, 7pm

The true story of Paul Potts (James Corden), a working class boy from Wales who wowed the United Kingdom by singing opera on “Britain’s Got Talent.” His journey to that TV show is revealed in sumptuous detail, including a stint in Venice for Paul’s potential opera education. With shades of “The Full Monty” and “Kinky Boots.” this stand out English comedy has heart, survives the bad luck of Potts and really puts on an emotional show whenever he breaks out in aria. (PM)

Purgatorio Photo credit: CIFF

“Purgatorio”

Tuesday, 10/22, 8:30pm
Wednesday, 10/23, 6:30pm

My festival year opened with a quasi-documentary about life on the border at Sundance called “Who is Dayani Cristal?” and ends with this more lyrical piece about this land between Heaven and Hell. Rodrigo Reyes’ doc is a fascinating piece in that it lacks structure, moving across subjects like someone wandering the border himself, but that completely fits its purpose. This is an area where desperation, drugs, crime, and quests for something more all blend together to create a sort of stasis. The world looks still but that stillness hides a dark melancholy. Reyes has created a film that feels both informative and poetic, something that’s very hard to do in the documentary form. It’s one of the best docs of the fest. (BT)