Here, in my order of preference, are the films I saw at the 2002 festival:

 

·          My Favourite: I Love Your Work

I loved the style with which this movie was put together, and the originality of the concept. It’s ostensibly a reverse stalker story, with a famous actor (played by Giovanni Ribisi) becoming so disenchanted with his fame that he covets the life of a struggling unknown writer (played by Joshua Jackson). It suffers a little from some poor casting choices (Christina Ricci and Marisa Coughlan are supposed to look alike, but they were so much alike that I had trouble telling them apart) and disjointed ideas (think David Lynch at his least comprehensible) but the images are very imaginative, the plot is meaty, and the acting is good, so overall I really enjoyed it and found it very thought-provoking. This is only Adam Goldberg’s second film as a director (you probably know him as an actor) but he demonstrates a great deal of potential, and could very well be the next David Lynch or Michelangelo Antonioni.

 

·          Honourable Mention: The Station Agent

A quintessential character piece, with three central characters who have all ended up in a small town in New Jersey through different paths not entirely of their own choosing. Each flawed in their own way but eminently likable, the characters played by Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, and Patricia Clarkson become friends and manage to help each other cope with the hand life has dealt them. Its sauntering pace might not be to everyone’s taste, but I was surprised and impressed by how funny this movie was and how much I cared about the characters by the end of it…I highly recommend it.

 

I also recommend:

·          The Snow Walker - Adapted from a Farley Mowat short story, this movie is essentially a Canadian Arctic version of Dances With Wolves. Barry Pepper plays a bush pilot who crash lands with an Inuit woman passenger, and although they don’t speak each other’s language, together they come to understand one another. Somewhat reminiscent of The Cuckoo, which I saw at last year’s festival…if you like one, I would suggest you also see the other.

·          Travellers & Magicians - The latest from Bhutanese director Khyentse Norbu (The Cup) is another well-told, interesting story, populated with interesting and likable characters. It’s a wise tale based on a Buddhist fable, good for the soul as well as the eyes.

 

Also worth seeing:

·          11:14 - Although this bears all the signs of being a Tarantino rip-off (fractured timelines, violence as humour) and lacks the substance of the four movies I rated above it, it’s still thoroughly entertaining and a good way to pass a couple of hours.

·          Secret File - This Italian film probes the real-life mystery of a massacre at a labour march in Sicily. Although it plods along without humour or colour, the story is complex and interesting, and provides fodder for those who enjoy conspiracy theories. The direction is mechanical yet sly, particularly at the end when you have to be paying close attention to see the director’s solution to the mystery.

·          Japanese Story - An Australian woman (Toni Collette) examines her life when she’s forced to host a Japanese investor at her company’s mining operation in the outback. Contemplative and a little mysterious, it carries a worthwhile message about the preciousness of life, but I daresay others have done it better, such as Travellers & Magicians.

 

Feedback is welcome...thanks for reading!