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FILM REVIEWS
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 bunny
- A humorously twisted take on life in America as seen through an immigrant couple's eyes. Nik and Luda are fresh off the boat and living in big city U.S.A. This non-descript city has a beautification program in which people dress as big, pink bunnies squatting, bouncing, on certain street corners throughout the town. The purpose of these bunny costumes is to help the public decrease their stress and depression of every day life. The bunnies are not allowed to speak, only to bounce and listen to the problems of passers-by. As Nik and Luda find their lives to be hard enough while trying to make it in the new country, they soon realize some of the true hardships of resident citizens who pour forth their feelings. This film visualized the reality of how couples who immigrate tend to live. In the old country, the man is king and the woman takes care of the home and the family in her maternal manner. In the new country, the roles are reversed if the man is not able to secure steady work. The female tends to do anything necessary to make life work and keep the family unit together and safe. Director Mia Trachinger has done an exceptional job in bringing this story to film. The characters are believable and the stories they encounter do move the viewer emotionally. Yet, amongst the hardships and depressing outward appearances, there is a constant shining light and humor here and there. The very fact of office workers able to speak their almost psychiatric sessions to a bouncing pink bunny on a corner is funny in itself, but the humor is the sideline to what is really being talked about. An excellently original idea.
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 Comrades
- Mitko Panov takes us on a journey to his homeland of the former Yugoslavia. His search, in this intriguing documentary, is to find his old comrades from what was Yugoslavia's "Army Of Peace," circa 1981. The search is a depressing one, punctuated by a few happy moments when friends are found who are doing well, as we follow him and the camera crew through a war-torn countryside that enforces borders and racial indignation. In what was once a country lush with diverse religious beliefs and heritages amongst its citizens, most of whom got along fine, we now are witness to suspicions and anger against anyone who isn't like their own. Panov had come to New York to become a filmmaker and thus, had lost contact with many of his friends. His return takes the viewer through Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia. Along the path, Panov does find many of his friends, including one who was believed long dead. Some were doing as well as could be expected, some were sunk in the pits of depression, while most were angry at what had split everyone apart and caused prejudices throughout. Toward the end of the filming schedule, Panov had hoped to put together a party in which all the surviving comrades could come together, save a couple who wanted no part, but that was all in vain as the last day came to a close and the United States began its bombing runs across the area. At the conclusion, more dead comrades and flaring angers made this dream impossible and we, along with Panov, are left with film legacy of what could have been. Sad in parts with flourishes of hope, but in the end, the main moral is that war and political egocentrics truly do destroy societies and friendships. War kills. War kills people, and spirits.
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 Fat Chance
- Hilarious look at relationships through the slightly demented eyes of several friends in New York. The main setup of the film is a fivesome of guys, one married, several dating, and one just plain clueless. Our main hero of the film falls for a girl whom he meets under odd circumstances. She is on a rebellion trip so as not to get hurt in another relationship. Everything about this couple says that they should be together, but sometimes time has other plans in mind. Timing is everything and what is meant to happen, will happen. One of the funniest lines occurs after a jealous stalking in which our hero and his buddy are hiding across the street from the girlfriend. When she hears them and asks who is there, she is met with, "Just a neighbor walking the dog." in a poor British accent. "Why can't I see you?" she asks back. After a stuttered pause, "I'm... English." is the repsonse. Don't ask why it was funny, it just made the film. Also, you can't miss what might be the most disgusting excuse for a hand job during a family dinner. The worst part of Fat Chance is the "shot on digital video" look about it, and some of the sound overdubbing. These might provide a minor annoyance for the hardcore film buff, but hey, it's an independent film - you'll get over it. Overall, through the subtle messages of both genders' opinions about relationships, this film is riotously funny through and through. Don't miss this film if you get the chance to see it.
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 G-Men From Hell
- Christopher Coppola brings to life this eccentric film based on comic-book legend Michael Allred's "Grafik Muzik." Almost too weird to put into words, the story concerns to G-men who are knocked off and sent to Hell. The two don't quite feel that they belong there as they consistently justify all their previous less-than-legal actions on Earth. Satan, played deliciously by evil lounge god Robert Goulet, feels differently. His logic is that if one is sent to Hell, one belongs there. The two bungling would-be do-gooders escape the clutches of eternal damnation by means of Satan's own magic crystal. Their return to Earth alone shows the odd directions this movie goes in as they swiftly twist through dimensional pipelines, only to be ejected through a bathtub spicket of a very shapely Vanessa Angel, who is about to take a bath. "Just checking your shower rings, ma'am." is the excuse for their appearance is full clothing, soaked in the tub. Satan sends his pet demon, Paul Rodriguez, to chase the two down and return them. Meanwhile, our two G's take up residence in the private eye business. Hired to solve a planned murder, which turns into someone else's reality, the two are bungled by a cheesy superhero named the Cheetah. And so it goes from odd plot addition to eccentric structuring until the finale with every witness appearing in a church, along with Satan, in true Columbo style. Bizarre, irrelevant, and absolutely brilliant.
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 Hotel Splendide
- Director/writer Terence Gross brings us a darkly and sordid, yet delightfully comic convention of odd characters taking care of a dilapidated hotel/spa. Think along the lines of Tim Burton directing Monty Python in a remake of "Psycho" and you will get a better picture. A gloomy, foreboding hotel is the stage for a reunion of sorts as a formerly expelled cook, Kath (Toni Collette), returns due to a mysterious note. There are but a handful of guests at this health resort with an equal amount of staff, most of whom are siblings. There is not one person here who is not sinister in appearance in some way. Dezmond, the manager (Stephen Tompkinson) is an evil John Cleese in this Fawlty Towers from Hell. He runs the hotel with an iron fist, "just as Mummy would have." Other staff members include Ronald the cook, who boils everything to extremes and serves only fish and kelp; Cora, the physical therapist who is ordered to maintain all the guest's regular enemas to "purge those toxins;" and the cook's assistant who looks a bit like a timid Uncle Fester. Kath has come to spell destruction of their set way of life and the hotel will not have it, not so long as the spirit of the deceased mother has anything to do with it. Bizarre, irreverent, and unexpected, Hotel Splendide is sure become a cult favorite.
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 The Lady Of Hamre (Fruen på Hamre)
- A somber tale of loyalty and servitude as seen in the times of late 19th century Denmark. Europe was certainly a bleak place at that time, depending on where one lived, and even less easy when running a farm. This is the story of Bente, a young woman who makes a promise on her father's deathbed to enter into a marriage with the neighbor's son and continue the Hamre farm. The marriage does not go well at all as the couple is far from being in love. The macho Gorme makes it known that he intends to have his "marital ways" with Bente, if he could only perform. Angered by his lack of ability, he begins an affair with a servant girl whom he later impregnates. The farm runs fine but social standings within the family and helpers becomes more and more strained, threatening to destroy the heritage. Furthermore, a woman's place was never more than a lowly sidekick at best, but not as the master of the home as it was in this case. Full of infidelity, incest, impotence, and lack of respect, although the landscapes are beautifully shot, the story remains a bleak one of very dark and troubling times. None the less, a romance does flourish and we are left to believe in hope, even if just trivially. Brooding subject but nicely done.
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- Man Of Grease
- A delightful documentary with a double entendre for a title. Man Of Grease refers to a Greek immigrant who specializes in lard-laden omlettes in his Montreal breakfast nook. Directed by Ezra Soiferman, this is the epitome of how short, independent documentaries should look. The direction and story follow cleanly throughout as we are amused at the antics of this "God of Potatoes" and educated in the ways of specialty restauranting. We get to see his everyday life as well as his family, most of whom are very involved in the eatery. The ups and downs of running such a business is brought to light, but in a charming, uplifting manner. As well, we learn that he has never been back to his homeland in over 30 years and, suddenly has decided to do so. We follow him to Greece, to his family at home, and visit some beautiful sights along the way. Then it's back to Montreal to business as usual. Wonderful through and through.
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 Spring Of Life (Der Lebensborn)
- During the Nazi regime a practice was being carried out that is little known or talked about these days. An operation called "Lebensborn" was underway in which girls with perfect Aryan features were brought to breeding farms to mate with top German officers and infantry. This was to ensure the proliferation of a perfect race after the war. This story follows Gretchen, a 16 year old Czech girl who happens to have the "perfect features" when tested. The doctors decide that this is a blessing upon her, even if she is a Slav and not Germanic. She is brought to the farm for training. At first it seems simple enough but she begins to realize what her involvement will be and the impact it will have. This becomes more apparent to her when she meets, and eventually falls for, a Jewish handyman. There is a twist to this tale as to whose child she ends up having, thus enraging the last of the die-hard Nazis after the end of the war. She is liberated, returns home, and is now forced to start a new life having just lost a section of her childhood. An exceptional docudrama style film that educates the viewer into little known facts about the war.
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| Other Cinequest Film Festival Coverage |
- Written by Philip Anderson
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Philip Anderson is a musician, in addition to being a writer/photographer. He has performed as a guitarist/vocalist, as well as songwriter, in several bands over the past 20 years. As a writer and photographer, he has been published by several magazines and in several books, and had his works appear on television. |
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