This week jumpstarts the 49th annual Ann Arbor Film Festival. Festivities begin today, Tuesday March 22nd and continue until Sunday March 27th. Over the course of six days, the Film Festival will screen a total of 188 films and live performances, each showcasing the work of independent and experimental filmmakers. Tonight a selection of short films, varying in cinematic genre, will be screened at The Michigan Theater’s Main Auditorium (located on 603 E. Liberty St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104). The Opening Night Premier represents seven shorts, ranging from animation, documentary, experimental, and independent cinema. Tickets cost $9 but student prices may be honored. To avoid waiting in line, tickets can be purchased online at: http://brownpapertickets.com/event/161932. For more information on the films, filmmakers, and events, visit the Ann Arbor Film Festival’s website at http://www.aafilmfest.org/.
Category: Film
[V][S][A] Annual Đêm Việt Nam Culture Show 2011
It’s a night of Vietnamese culture. It’s a night of dancing. Most of all, it’s a night of great fun.
Saturday, January 29, 2011 was the night of Đêm Việt Nam, VSA’s annual culture show. It was listed as a 7 pm show, and started promptly at 7:20 pm. (Which, coincidentally, was exactly when I arrived – don’t try to park on Central when the folk festival is in town!) This was the fourth Đêm Việt Nam show I’ve attended, and on Saturday night, I was delighted to see all the changes that have taken place since I started going. I don’t know if it’s because I’m graduating, or if the effort was indeed larger this year, or a combination of both, but this 2011 show felt like a culmination of many years’ worth of work and publicity.
The first thing that struck me was attendance. While the balcony of the Lydia Mendelssohn theater had been reserved for performers in years past, this year, it was almost full. (It’s where I was sitting!) The entire audience felt free to cheer for their friends on stage and converse with the emcees, giving the night a collaborative, comfortable atmosphere. I could tell how much everyone onstage enjoyed and appreciated the energy from the crowd.
The show itself was bigger and better than ever, too. One of my favorite segments was a dance that highlighted the way in which the Vietnamese have been influenced by Indian customs. In a way, the night has always been a study of Vietnamese culture meeting and combining with culture in the United States, examining both the tensions and triumphs of living in a place where people from all over the world live and work side by side. The addition of the Indian-inspired dance further explored the fluidity of cultures around the world. The title of the show, “The Way We Are,” was especially fitting in this context. In this day and age, nothing is static.
Speaking of collaboration, VSA had a lot of help this year: CSN joined the women from VSA for a beautiful ribbon dance at the beginning of the show, and Element 1 joined in for the hip-hop portion of the evening. The extra voices made the night even richer.
In addition to the new dances, all the old favorites were present on stage. The traditional fan dance was energetic and well-choreographed, men and women danced together in Vietnamese garb, and B2Viet returned to showcase their boy band capabilities. The highlight, as always, was the hip-hop segment, which is only getting longer and more popular as the years progress. This year, there was even a song dedicated to breakdancing, which was an awesome thing to watch. A fashion show closed the evening, showing off the traditional dresses that are so beautifully vibrant. The hour and a half had passed by in a blur of color, music, and camaraderie.
REVIEW: Answer This!
Just as I expected, Michigan Theater was packed to the brim on Friday night for the sneak preview of Answer This! I arrived right at 7:30 pm after having some parking issues (as in, there were no parking spots left), and managed to snag two seats in the very last row of the balcony. I felt like I needed binoculars to see the men speaking on stage. Ralph Williams delivered a few opening words – I’ll never tire of hearing him talk. The next to speak was Mr. Farah, father to the writing/directing/production duo Michael and Christopher Farah. He told a few amusing anecdotes about his sons, then handed them the microphone. They thanked everybody for coming many times over, and seemed genuinely blown away by all the attention this film has received. I saw one of them taking pictures of the crowd at the end of the show, even as many members of the crowd were taking pictures of him on stage. Both brothers refused to take all, or even most of, the credit for the movie – a large portion of their opening speech was dedicated to pointing out all of the actors in attendance and asking us to give each one a hearty round of applause. Around 7:50 pm, the curtain was pulled back, and the movie started.
Even with all the press surrounding this event, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Part of me wondered whether or not the Ann Arbor setting and Ralph Williams’ presence would be the only interesting aspects of the movie. As it turned out, though, the recognition factor was only icing on the cake. The script, while somewhat predictable at times, is nothing short of brilliant in most places. A brief plot summary: Paul Tarson (Christopher Gorham) is in his eighth year of grad school, and is being hounded by his father (the renowned Professor Tarson, portrayed by the renowned Professor Ralph Williams) to finally finish his dissertation and become a professor at U of M. Paul has spent his entire life in Ann Arbor, and seems destined to spend the rest of it there, as well. It takes a cute girl and a passion for a local trivia tournament to provide him with an adjusted outlook on life and his own potential.
Christopher Gorham did an excellent job as Paul, and Ralph Williams slipped into the role of Professor Tarson without a hitch, but the two standout characters were Naomi (Arielle Kebbel) and James (Nelson Franklin). Naomi, Paul’s sort-of girlfriend, is charming, feisty, and spontaneous: Paul’s complete opposite. She gives him a lot to think about in terms of his own dreary, complacent way of stumbling through life. She’s by no means perfect, but she has a lot more fun learning from mistakes than he does by not making any mistakes.
His best friend, James, is hilarious: he’s a pompous, highly intellectual man who teaches test prep and has a heart of gold. And even amidst his complaining about his atrocious students, one can tell that he has a better grip on life than Paul does. During the scene in which Paul yells at James and calls him a failure, I felt a strong urge to stand up and defend the man who was really a more likeable character than Paul. (Don’t worry – I didn’t actually do it!)
The only character I didn’t appreciate was Paul’s peer, Lucas (Kip Pardue). He’s nothing but a jerk, and not even a fully-developed one. He shows up in several scenes, but never has much to say. Where Naomi and James add depth to the script, Lucas seems like an afterthought. I was left wondering what the audience was supposed to gain from Lucas’ interactions with Paul.
Overall, I thought the film was beautifully made. For those of you who saw it, I hope you enjoyed it as well. For those of you who didn’t get a chance, keep your eyes peeled! It starts its festival run next year, and I imagine it will be pretty successful. This won’t be the last we hear from the Farah brothers.
Review: Chicago…And All That Jazz!
Tonight was really my night; simply inexplicable! Just had to get that out of my system. Vaudeville really set in after such a fantastic movie. Like I said, I had never seen the Oscar award winning film Chicago, but I am so glad that I put off a paper to attend the screening. The Jazz age is so beautiful when seen through the eyes of Roxie Hart, a “poor, misunderstood girl with a sinner’s past and a saint’s heart.” Oh the tears in my eyes.
The music and character of this show are legendary and need little introduction. Anyone that has even the slightest knowledge of musicals or theater has heard some lines of All That Jazz or Mr. Cellophane. The show embraces and produces the spirit of classic Vaudeville productions with its talented chorus lines, revolutionary choreography, and jazzy show tunes. The singers give spirit to their work with voices made strong by years of struggling for their five minutes of fame and a spotlight in the public eye.
Rob Marshall and Bill Condon come together to deliver a modern swing on this jazz age extravaganza by fusing the power of today’s stage effects, the talent of popular artists, and one of the most celebrated Broadway shows in history. Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, and Christine Baranski show us a performance to remember as they are transformed into vaudevillians from another age. Absolutely fantastic voice performances and dance numbers give today’s actors a long forgotten skill and show us another side of what it means to be a performer. I loved the juggling, the bum clown act, and the Chicago lights circus shows that took place throughout the movie.
I figured before going that I would enjoy myself, but I had no idea that the musical would be as great as it was. It will most definitely be on my Christmas list next year! The reason the title of this review mentions All That Jazz is because this screening, provided by the University Unions Arts and Programs (AAPA) as part of their Oscar Winning Film Festival, also shows films created by students here at the University of Michigan. We watched three films; Prelude in C Major by Shannon Kohlitz, Epic Reiteration of Hey Diddle Diddle also by Shannon Kohlitz, and Free Trade by Josh Behr. These independent films are to be shown and voted on at all of the screenings this week and the winning film will be announced on Thursday. They were all well produced films that deserve the attention of Michigan’s diverse student body. This week’s program is designed to get these films some viewing and I hope everyone can take it upon themselves to attend one film this week and vote for favorite.
The other films are:
“Crash” February 24, 2010, 7 p.m. at the Michigan Union, Pendleton Room
“Casablanca” February 25, 2010, 7 p.m. in Palmer Commons, Forum Hall
Take a break from studying, or celebrate a finished exam, by attending one of these fantastic movies and participating in this campus program to support fellow students. I know for a fact that Casablanca is an amazing movie, and I’m sure that Crash is also, I mean it did win some Oscars. It will be worth it, I promise.
As always,
This is Danny Fob: Artist and Art Reviewer.
Preview: Study or Chicago? Study or Chicago?
Definitely Chicago. Take the night off from midterm studying and come and enjoy an Oscar winning film. You know you’re just going to cram and wing that test anyway. I’ve never actually seen Chicago, I know, that is really sad, but the University is holding their Oscar Winning Film Festival and they are playing Chicago. I’m really excited! I have heard some of the music, but don’t know any of the storyline.
Okay, okay, school does come first, but everyone needs a brake. Come on, you know you want to slack just a little bit (I know I do). Well if you decide to come out, Chicago is being played at the Michigan League in the Vandenberg Room at 7:00pm. Don’t be late!
P.S. FREEpopcorn and soda!
Where: Michigan League, Vandenberg Room
When: 7:00pm
What: Viewing of Chicago
How Much: FREE
I hope to see you there!
And as always,
This is Danny Fob: Artist and Art Reviewer
Review: Cyrus @ Sundance USA
Usually I’m running ten minutes late and only hoping to find a seat before the film starts – trying to find a red velvety chair rather than the lap of a stranger. Thursday night at the Michigan Theater, however, was an event. There are 1700 seats in the main theater because film going used to be an event – a night out at the cinema. Unfortunately, Ann Arbor rarely packs the Michigan Theater full these days (recent sell outs have included Michael Moore’s Slacker Uprising and Fahrenheit 9/11 as well as a Lord of the Rings showing). Thursday night held a sold out crowd, full of excitement.
Honored to be a part of the Sundance USA inaugural series, the crowd cheered Michigan Theater Executive Director, Russ Collins, announcement that we were making history as well as the pre-taped thank you message from Robert Redford. Unfortunately, once the film started, the crowd’s energy quickly faded.
‘Cyrus’, a new movie from the Duplass Brothers (The Puffy Chair, Baghead), tells the story of Cyrus (Jonah Hill- Superbad, Funny People), Molly (Marisa Tomei- My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), and John (John C. Reilly- Chicago, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story). Cyrus is the 21-year-old son and life partner of Molly while John is Molly’s first boyfriend since Cyrus was born. ‘Cyrus’ tells the struggles of this love triangle. It is only about this relationship as it takes place. We never receive information about Molly’s past or Cyrus’ childhood- we never even know what city we are in, just a generic American suburb. ‘Cyrus’ is, at its core, an in-depth analysis of the power struggles between the three. It makes us question the Oedipal suggestions of Cyrus and Molly’s relationship, the honesty of a divorced and depressed John, and the nature of innocence. The movie, however, is about a power struggle that has been played out and examined in culture too many times to count.
The Duplass Brothers did not want to make another crass, vulgar humor movie – Jonah Hill’s specialty. In the mostly-failed attempt to appeal to a wider, more mature audience, the opportunities to laugh with the whole theater were few. Instead of full on laughs, the movie tried to feed us awkward chuckles. When the movie finally finished, I felt drenched in the soppy relationship humor that plagued the movie.
Jonah Hill saved himself a few points when he came on stage wearing the traditional, maize & blue, block M fitted cap. His girlfriend, a Michigan student, gave it to him- he told the curious crowd. The Duplass Brothers saved themselves a few points as they introduced their editor and friend, Jay Doobie- a Northville native. Sundance USA, the idea, seemed to thrive in the Michigan Theater setting- ‘Cyrus’, the movie, failed to match the hype.
A ridiculous week of arts events awaits us- The Bad Plus on Thursday night, University Dance Company’s (Re)Visionary Dance on Friday Night, and Só Percussion on Saturday Night. That is truly absurd.
When will I do econ, Bennett
‘Cyrus’ Trailer:
Sort of weird, Sesame St. mustache video:
