SHARK BYTES with CHRISS ANGLIN

AFI 2006  MUST SEE FESTIVAL FILMS

  by debbie lynn elias

The American Film Institute has long been one of the most important leaders not only in film education, but in celebrating and preserving film, television and now digital media.  From its annual Life Achievement Awards to film preservation to training new generations of filmmakers at its renowned Conservatory, AFI is indeed an institute to be treasured and supported.  But perhaps its crown jewel is the AFI FEST.

 Celebrating its 20th year, AFI Fest returns to the Arclight Theater in the heart of Hollywood from November 112, showcasing film works from around the globe in exhibition and competition, with screenings open to the public.  This year finds 147 films from 45 countries with everything from International Feature and Documentary Competitions to Latin Cinema to American Directions, African Voices and Dark Horizons.  Eclectic, entertaining and often educational, I have already had a chance to screen about 60 of this year’s exhibitors and let me tell you, they are phenomenal.  Last year the FEST gave us films like WALK THE LINE and THE LIBERTINE.  So, what does 2006 hold?   Let’s take a look at some of my faves as the MUST SEE FESTIVAL FILMS for AFI FEST 2006.

 Opening the Festival on November 1 is BOBBY.  Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, BOBBY just picked up its first of what I believe will be many awards to come, this one at the Hollywood Film Festival.   Concentrating on the day leading up to and night of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, this is an ambitious endeavor that revolves around 22 individuals present at the hotel on the final day and in the final hours of Senator Kennedy’s life.  As we all know, 1968 was a dramatic and traumatic year of social and political upheaval in our country.  From the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. to that of Robert Kennedy, the times were volatile and heartbreaking. 

 Interspersing actual newsreel images from the period, Estevez intricately weaves a tapestry of storied lives all drawn together at the Ambassador Hotel on that fateful night in June 1968.   Using the technique of expertly crafted and edited narrative vignettes, Estevez creates characters from all walks of life  someone for everyone to relate to  and something that really demonstrates the vast appeal of Kennedy.  Setting the political stage is short lived before the film moves full swing into the fictional stories.   From doormen to drunken lounge singers to socialites, starlets and dishwashers, almost every walk of life and ethnicity is represented.

The cast reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood boasting A, B and C list stars.  Sir Anthony Hopkins as retired doorman John Casey is stellar as is Demi Moore as the drunken lounge singer Virgnia Fallon who is appearing at the Ambassador that fateful night.  Abusive to her husband, interestingly enough played by former reallife flame, Emilio Estevez, Moore gives a fascinating performance.  Not to be overlooked are Sharon Stone, Harry Belafonte, Freddy Rodriguez, Christian Slater, Helen Hunt and Martin Sheen.  And as a draw for the younger generation, exemplary performances rise from Lindsay Lohan, Joshua Jackson and Elijah Wood.  But the crowning performance comes from William H. Macy as hotel manager Paul Ebbers.    Look for Oscar to come knocking at Macy’s door, among others in this film, come February.

 I was awed by the thought and meticulous detail Estevez put into not only the script and its dialogue, but the filming itself.  Shot on location at the Ambassador Hotel during its razing, the film embodies history.  Impressive to a fault is the work of production designer Patti Podesta who brought the Ambassador back to its original grandeur for filming. And cinematographer Michael Barrett should also grab an Oscar nod for his work.  Using a Steadicam for the majority of filming, Barrett and Estevez are able to seamlessly blend current footage with archival, giving a documentary feel to the project.

BOBBY is without a doubt a MUST SEE FILM at AFI FEST 2006.

 Making its World Premiere as part of the American Directions Category is BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO.  Reviewed by me in full last week, BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO is absolutely charming.  

This is the story of Boyd and Jerome and their “big dreams.”  Boyd is an American enamored with the Japanese - their way of life, their language, their customs, their dreams.  Aspiring to be a successful Japanese businessman his biggest obstacle is himself.  Viewed as an outsider to his target Japanese audience, he has more than a little trouble in pursuing his dreams.    And meet his roommate Jerome.  Japanese-American, Jerome believes himself to be too American to be Japanese and too Japanese to be American.   A fish out of water, Jerome dreams of being a Sumo wrestler.   Sadly, he too, faces obstacles.  A tad on the small side, he needs to pack on the pounds before even coming close to Sumo status, but he also has to consider other medical issues like high blood pressure that put him in the ER every time he gains some weight.

An odd couple to say the least, Boyd and Jerome are not only the definition of “culture clash” but shining examples of heart and soul.  Using the gimmick of teaching English to Japanese as well as hawking the best English instructional manual in the business, Boyd’s sticktuitiveness is commendable and infectious - okay, and it’s not a bad system for picking up a pretty little nurse named Mai, either!  Meanwhile, continually clad in his mawashi (aka Sumo diaper), Jerome keeps on pushing like the Little Engine that Could, not only to pursue his Sumo dream, but to find a sense of self and “like kind”, some kindred spirits.   At the very heart, what Boyd and Jerome both long for is to just fit in, “be somebody” and fulfill their dreams.

Written and directed by newcomer David Boyle, Boyle (who also stars as Boyd) draws on his own experiences as a Mormon missionary in Sydney, Australia.  With a believable sincerity, Boyle pulls on the heart strings taping into not just culture clash, but the commonality we all share - dreams and the journey to discovery who we are and where we each belong in the grand scheme of things.   Meshing nicely with Boyd’s Boyle is newcomer Jayson Watabe.  Suiting up as Jerome, he does so with an apparent joy.  His inexperience, however, does show, but given the nature of the film and the foibles of self-exploration, big dreams and the modern world, it works to his advantage for the most part.  And Rachel Morihiro lends a sweetness to Nurse Mai, the object of Boyle’s affection.

Boyle is a natural storyteller and given his life experiences, has many stories to tell.  Here, the script’s strength comes from this experiences which he melds together by interweaving characters and cultures.   Knowing that this film is character and story driven, as a director Boyle keeps his eye on the ball and keeps his direction clean and simple; nothing technically impressive or out of the ordinary to detract.    And while this story could be told against a backdrop of any two or three cultures with a similar result, Boyle’s experience with the dichotomous “East meets West” is enchanting.

A large part of the humor and charm of this film comes from character interaction and response to situations and particularly, Boyd’s business efforts.    A picture truly is worth a thousand words and here, the pictures are priceless.  It is with these laced vignettes and personal experiences that Boyle connects with each of us.