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Ragtag Discussion Board » Recent Posts http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Films, events, and everything else Ragtag en-US Thu, 23 May 2013 23:11:33 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/search.php Jai on ""Frances Ha" gets love from A.O. Scott" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=942#post-3158 Sun, 19 May 2013 09:09:43 +0000 Jai 3158@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I'm looking forward to Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha with the title character played by Greta Gerwig. Here's the love that A.O. Scott bestowed upon it. "With its swift, jaunty rhythms and sharp, off-kilter jokes, Frances Ha is frequently delightful. Ms. Gerwig and Mr. Baumbach are nonetheless defiant partisans in the revolt against the tyranny of likability in popular culture." As of this morning, Ragtag, your website has the wrong spelling of the title; it is the female name "Frances" not the male "Francis." On behalf of my late Uncle Francis, "thank you." Anonymous on "Will "Leviathan" be showing at True/False?" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=277#post-3130 Thu, 16 May 2013 20:25:35 +0000 Anonymous 3130@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Are <a title="http://www.discountsunglassesuk.co.uk/rayban/" href="http://www.discountsunglassesuk.co.uk/rayban/">http://www.discountsunglassesuk.co.uk/rayban/</a> you guaranteed these are genuine tom fords?tom fords are a excellent product or service that is not low-cost so we want to make guaranteed you are receiving the actual offer There are a number of options for the tom ford fan to choose from but the desire to buy tom ford sunglasses remains high and shows no sign of dropping If you want to do away with shady individual sellers and be sure that you're going to <a title="Chanel Sunglasses 2013" href="http://www.discountsunglassesuk.co.uk/chanel/">Chanel Sunglasses 2013</a> get an authentic pair of tom fords, consider online optical retailers These shopping destinations <a title="Police 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http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=311#post-2658 Thu, 09 May 2013 22:48:43 +0000 Anonymous 2658@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ From their beginnings in motocross (tom ford saw grip styles which improved as it was subjected to water), tom ford have moved on to create a variety of sunglasses that are second to none This years range of tom ford clothing comprises of an exceptional array of uniquely <a title="Cheap Police Sunglasses" href="http://www.discountsunglassesuk.co.uk/police/">Cheap Police Sunglasses</a> designed tom ford tees, tom ford hoodies, tom ford dresses and tom ford shorts These sunglasses reflect trendy designs that look good and work better still tom ford is the popular choice in the sports world, with their lenses being second to none These are 'must buy' for anyone <a title="Click here" href="http://www.discountsunglassesuk.co.uk/">Click here</a> trend-setters who crave for which look 'to die for' This way you can <a title="Online Sunglasses UK Sale" 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"Like Someone in Love"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=927#post-2471 Mon, 06 May 2013 20:08:40 +0000 Jai 2471@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ If you saw the teasing and delightful romantic Tuscan mystery Certified Copy, then you might be excited that Kiarostami's Japanese film Like Someone in Love is slated to come to Ragtag, though exactly when is unclear. The movie revolves around a rendezvous between Takashi (a retired professor) and Akiko (a college woman and call girl. Sounds pretty sleazy huh? But this is after all a Kiarostami movie, And NY Times critic A.O. Scott tells it like this.... "Through most of the film, Akiko is adrift, in transit, in a vulnerable state of in-betweenness without a fixed identity. Her improvised, ephemeral connection with Takashi turns into one corner of a triangle that is completed when her boyfriend, Noriaki (Ryo Kase), shows up, accosting Akiko on her way to an exam, as Takashi watches through the windshield. The older man — perhaps motivated by compassion or force of habit, but maybe also out of mischief — offers some grandfatherly advice, but at the same time participates in a deception that will grow more elaborate and more dangerous as the day goes on. The gap between appearance and reality is Mr. Kiarostami’s native territory. He is fascinated by the ease with which people can pretend to be, and thus become, different versions of themselves, and sensitive to the ways that cinema can collude in such impostures. Like Someone in Love can be thought of as the mirror image of Certified Copy, in which a man and a woman (William Shimell and Juliette Binoche), in the course of discussing the nature of truth in art, rearrange their own relationship, to the bafflement (and also the delight) of the audience. Are they strangers? Lovers? Husband and wife? We are not quite sure. In Like Someone in Love, by contrast, the motives and actions of the characters are relatively clear to us but decidedly ambiguous to them. Akiko, Takashi and Noriaki are more or less what they seem: a confused young woman; a kind, lonely old man; a guy with serious anger-management issues. The structure of the film is, by Mr. Kiarostami’s standards, fairly straightforward, even conventional: it has a teasing start, an expository middle and a startlingly (though not unpredictably) dramatic end. And yet every shot — everything you see, and everything you don’t — imparts a disturbing and thrilling sense of discovery." Jai on "Manohla Dargis on "It's a Disaster"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=819#post-2282 Sun, 05 May 2013 21:36:04 +0000 Jai 2282@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ It may be the end of the world, but they feel fine, even oblivious. That, at any rate, appears to be the principal, really the only point of the impishly, unfortunately titled It’s a Disaster, an underbaked comedy about eight people facing their mortality. When the bad news hits, Ms. Stiles conveys a sense of what it means to expect the worst, while Mr. Cross entertainingly trips down an unexpected path, one that suggests that Mr. Berger might have wrung more from his setup if he had gone far wider and weirder. Instead he tries to squeeze out pathos and sentimentality along with the largely unfunny ha-ha and hooting, which leads to an unengaging confusion of characters and moods. The movie lurches from the improbably silly to the drearily so, while the characters remain so emotionally and psychologically divorced from life that they might as well be zombies or sitcom stick figures. The movie’s unrelenting visual drabness only adds to the unfortunate sense that while the end will come soon for them, it isn’t coming anywhere near fast enough. (Manohla Dargis, New York Times) Jai on "Dave Kehr on "The Shining"." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=818#post-2205 Fri, 03 May 2013 14:55:05 +0000 Jai 2205@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ If God can be a big black slab from outer space, why can't the devil be a bartender named Lloyd? Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror movie completes the cosmology begun in 2001 by turning a specimen (Jack Nicholson) loose in the inner space of a deserted, snowbound hotel. He, too, is reborn—not as a space baby, but as a grinning, wisecracking ax murderer. Kubrick is after a cool, sunlit vision of hell, born in the bosom of the nuclear family, but his imagery—with its compulsive symmetry and brightness—is too banal to sustain interest, while the incredibly slack narrative line forestalls suspense. With Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd. (By Dave Kehr) Jai on "Cristian Mingiu on "Beyond the Hills"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=311#post-670 Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:25:52 +0000 Jai 670@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Today I saw Beyond the Hills, by far the best current release I've seen since the True/False Film Festival, but rather than tell you about it, I will quote below the comments of the man who directed the film and also won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes, Cristian Mingiu: "Apart from the subject matter, I feel that as a filmmaker your greatest responsibility is not to be manipulative. You have to allow the spectator the freedom to develop his own opinion about the story, not to impose your view. You have to reveal to him realities he never takes time himself to think about—realities that would make him think more about neglected aspects and values of his own life. I believe cinema can be a good vehicle in helping people fight against stereotypes—as long as it’s conceived like this. Maybe the best compliment I've recieved so far from a spectator who had seen Beyond the Hills is that he left the screening with fewer preconceptions than he had when he entered." "Beyond the Hills is for me primarily a film about love and free will: mostly about how love can turn the concepts of good and evil into very relative ones. Most of the greatest mistakes of this world have been made in the name of faith, and with the absolute conviction they were done for a good cause. Beyond the Hills also speaks about a certain way of experiencing religion. It has always concerned me how much attention believers place on respecting religious habits and rules and how little on applying the essence and wisdom of Christianity to their day-to-day life, for example. Preparing for the film I read carefully the list of sins compiled by the Orthodox Church. There are quite a lot (434) and reading them, you cannot but ask yourself all kinds of questions. Still, there is a sin that is not listed and which is amongst the most important things about which the film wishes to speak: the sin of indifference. Or maybe it is not a sin, since it’s not listed. But then what is it? Is it dangerous or not? The film also speaks about the various ways in which Evil can manipulate people, and the subtle ways in which it can manifest itself. I wonder whether indifference is not one of them. Deep down, I hope, Beyond the Hills speaks about options and choices in life deriving from education or from the lack of education, and about how many things in life derive from things that you cannot influence, or of which you are not guilty: where you were brought into the world, by whom, and in the middle of which community. The film also speaks about a region of the world—like many others—where long time exposure to an endless succession of misfortunes and atrocities of all kinds has led to a breed of inert people who have lost their normal reactions in front of normal stimuli. This is not necessarily their fault—it is just a natural survival mechanism, but one which is experienced as an extra burden for those still alive amongst them." Jai on "Will there be tickets for the Italian Film Festival?" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=309#post-668 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:59:00 +0000 Jai 668@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I know the Italian Film Festival shows are free, but I'm wondering whether tickets will be available each day of the shows. Jai on "Thomas Friedman asks Israeli "Gatekeepers"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=308#post-667 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:12:16 +0000 Jai 667@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ From a column by Thomas Friedman you can find on the NYT website.... "That’s why I think the most important thing Obama could do on his trip is to publicly and privately ask every Israeli official he meets these questions: “Please tell me how your relentless settlement drive in the West Bank does not end up with Israel embedded there — forever ruling over 2.5 million Palestinians with a colonial-like administration that can only undermine Israel as a Jewish democracy and delegitimize Israel in the world community? I understand why Palestinian dysfunction and the Arab awakening make you wary, but still. Shouldn’t you be constantly testing and testing whether there is a Palestinian partner for a secure peace? After all, you have a huge interest in trying to midwife a decent West Bank Palestinian state that is modern, multireligious and pro-Western — a totally different model from the Muslim Brotherhood variants around you. Everyone is focused on me and what will I do. But, as a friend, I just want to know one thing: What is your long-term strategy? Do you even have one?” Similar questions raised by the film, The Gatekeepers Jai on "Docs that don't make it as cinema" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=307#post-666 Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:25:05 +0000 Jai 666@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Below a timely piece by Scott Tobias of the A V Club which takes up the lack of cinematic imagination of docs such as A Place at the Table and, of course, a multitude of others which are a real let-down for those who prize the inventive possibilities of cinema. He favorably cites two docs --each of which screened at Ragtag last week: Only the Young and Leviathan. His article is a a fair launching point for discussion. Though to the extent that it invites unnecessary polarization, we can decline to get on a bandwagon. By and large, I agree with most of what is conveyed. <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/if-documentaries-want-to-be-treated-like-movies-th,93354/" rel="nofollow">http://www.avclub.com/articles/if-documentaries-want-to-be-treated-like-movies-th,93354/</a> Dan on "A video about making "Leviathan"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=305#post-665 Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:54:41 +0000 Dan 665@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Good find. Robert Greene again in Hammer to Nail: <a href="http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/leviathan-film-review/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/leviathan-film-review/</a> "Ostensibly a portrait of a high-stakes commercial fishing ship off the coast of Maine, Leviathan is an uncompromising immersion into a specific mini-universe, a series of rigorously constructed impressions that become transformations. A net filled with hundreds of pathetic, trapped fish opens up violently, submerging the camera and transforming the image into a Stan Brakhage-like study of light and sound. An injured bird’s sad attempt to escape a shaft becomes a portrait of Hell. A tightly framed shower scene perfectly exhibits the vulnerable human body, so in need of this monster sea vessel to carry out its will on the world. These transformations from observation to abstraction (and back again) create something wild and original. Every edit opens a new way of seeing, every swooping, dropping camera movement invites a new way of sensing this urgent and truly frightening environment." Dan on "The Gatekeepers at T/F" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=303#post-664 Sat, 09 Mar 2013 07:47:54 +0000 Dan 664@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Yeah, I missed the Gatekeepers. I am hoping to catch up with it sometime soon. Jai on "A video about making "Leviathan"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=305#post-662 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:09:11 +0000 Jai 662@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's a short video in which the directors of Leviathan talk about their movie. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/03/01/movies/100000002094975/plumbing-the-deep.html?ref=movies#100000002094975" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/03/01/movies/100000002094975/plumbing-the-deep.html?ref=movies#100000002094975</a> Jai on "Dennis Lim's new job" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=304#post-661 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:51:50 +0000 Jai 661@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I have high hopes rhat nothing but good will come of Dennis Lim's new position as the director of programming for the Film Society of Lincoln Center which is perhaps best known as the host of the New York Film Festival. It also screens lots of other movies all year long. Dennis Lim is a great champion of startling and willful movies that don't pander to lazy feel-good sensibilities. Read all about it <a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/new-programmer-at-film-society-of-lincoln-center-is-stepping-down/?ref=movies" rel="nofollow">http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/new-programmer-at-film-society-of-lincoln-center-is-stepping-down/?ref=movies</a> Jai on "The Gatekeepers at T/F" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=303#post-660 Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:21:02 +0000 Jai 660@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Although a couple of my favorite Columbia movie guys (really) recently roughed up Manohla Dargis' reviews of documentaries on this board. I''ll start this post by saying that my second favorite documentary at True/False, The Gatekeepers was on Manohla's list of Best of 2012. It's rather grueling to watch this narrative about the suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people, suffering that has occurred largely because of (what's becoming) a half-century occupation of Palestinian homeland by the Israeli government. But what makes this movie so powerful is that most of the spoken words come from the mouths of men who were Israeli chiefs of intelligence. Men who speak candidly about what they see as a necessary fight against terrorists. And also about the dunderheadedness of Israeli leaders over many decades --i.e. their refusal to take steps that would make peace possible. The movie is a real eye opener and not made to grind an ideological axe. The film's editor did a great job in responding to audience challenges and questions (via Skype) after the movie ended. Dan on "More than fifty people were shut out of "Leviathan" on Saturday" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=301#post-659 Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:37:40 +0000 Dan 659@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ What else did you see? Jai on "More than fifty people were shut out of "Leviathan" on Saturday" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=301#post-658 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:59:49 +0000 Jai 658@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I'm glad to hear that the show was fully attended at the Blue Note. It's a hopeful sign to me that chances for Simple Pass holders (myself included) getting a reserved ticket to Leviathan were slim to none. I say "hopeful" because it shows there are a lot of cinema savvy people at True/False who are interested in edgy innovative films. On the other hand, it's annoying to have to wait in the cold for over an hour and a half (as I did) to get in to see this movie, and I bet that many more would have shown up to see this movie had they had the chance for either reserved tickets or a queue that was not outside. Three of my friends, for example, gave up on seeing this movie at T/F because it was too much of a hassle. The movie was awesome, as Dan noted, a pure cinema sensory experience that did everything possible to immerse you in a commercial fishing experience and all that it involved. Dan on "More than fifty people were shut out of "Leviathan" on Saturday" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=301#post-657 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:41:44 +0000 Dan 657@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ There were a handful of seats left in the Blue Note screening yesterday, so I believe everyone got in who wanted to see it there. I sat in the front row. It was awesome. Jai on "Trylon micro cinema in Minneapolis" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=302#post-656 Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:18:42 +0000 Jai 656@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ In the queue line, I met a woman who is part of the all-volunteer staff of a 50 seat film venue in Minneapolis called the Trylon cinema. Just looked it up and it looks like a refuge for movie lovers. <a href="http://take-up.org/" rel="nofollow">http://take-up.org/</a> Jai on "More than fifty people were shut out of "Leviathan" on Saturday" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=301#post-655 Sat, 02 Mar 2013 21:51:34 +0000 Jai 655@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Leviathan was a wonderful experience for me and I suspect most of the 145 in Big Ragtag. It's too bad that more than 50 people who wanted in were turned away. I know it's not always possible to predict the demand for each movie at T/F. But I can say in hindsight that it would have been smarter to put at least one screening of this film at a venue bigger than the Blue Note* *which is where it will show for the second time Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Also, according to my friend Janet, twelve customers walked out during this screening --more men than women. So it's fair to say the movie is not for everyone. Jai on "Some backstory for "Amour"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=300#post-654 Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:10:53 +0000 Jai 654@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's a very readable piece from the Hollywood Reporter on how Michael Haneke put together Amour <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-amour-michael-hanekes-personal-393157" rel="nofollow">http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-amour-michael-hanekes-personal-393157</a> Jai on "Not so meaningless: critical reflections on film culture." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=299#post-653 Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:04:32 +0000 Jai 653@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Matt dooes well to point out with regard to Paul's declaration that the the Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards are "meaningless" that they are, to the contrary, "one of many different ways to assess what we, the local (and not-so-local, as in my case) viewing public has been exposed to over a set amount of time." At least part of the power of recognition that film critics bestow is that there are significant values in international film culture --values that are entirely separate from the values represented by the box office charts. The business-like focus on box office grosses is what a preponderence of film journalistic coverage consists of. However, for many of us, the criticism of discerning film writers and discrerning film programmers is a hell of a lot more meaningful than either box office success or Hollywood-sanctioned awards such as the Oscars. Despite some silly comments from Paul and others from years ago (that christie81 seems to take a perverse delight in resurrecting), I would hope that most of the movie-interested persons at Ragtag would readily agree with my last sentence. When I cite Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (which I streamed on Netflix last nite) as a big miss for Ragtag, it's a reminder that Ragtag doesn't always get it right. This Turkish movie by Nuri Bilge Ceylan was widely acclaimed at the time of its release in January 2012. Watching the film, it's easy to see why. The formal narrative of looking for a body (which provides a rationale for these men traveling together) is the least significant thing about the film. At the end of the movie there are all sorts of untold stories that the curious viewer will want to talk about. It's worth mentioning that virtuosity in cinematography, acting and directing, as well as the writing, which keenly observes human foibles, make Once Upon a Time in Anatolia one of the best films of 2012. That's something rightfully acknowledged by the Film Comment poll. Too bad, in the midst of many good calls in 2012, Ragtag programmers missed this one. Matt on "Holy Motors tops Film Comment poll." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=282#post-652 Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:32:14 +0000 Matt 652@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ As the forum lies in stasis, the kind favorable to untouched spam posts resurrecting years old messages composed by—presumably—real people, several of whom I vividly recall meeting in person from time to time, allow me the charity of tail-ending a months old post that, contra Paul of two years ago re: the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle awards and lists of that nature, is not so meaningless if taken in the spirit it was offered. That is, in one of many different ways to assess what we, the local (and not-so-local, as in my case) viewing public has been exposed to over a set amount of time and how we reacted. As in most areas of discourse, our disagreements are far more interesting and of worth than our agreements. And far be it a contribution toward understanding of the world, why not allow it be merely a position from which we can learn of each other and from each other the boundaries of our tastes and our impressions of works of art from the most talented artists currently working within the medium? Also interesting, to me at least, are the films that sneak through the cracks, such as Guy Maddin’s Keyhole, an avant-garde rendering of a post-heist film noir taking place in a strange house comprised of the ghosts of a gang leader’s memories and his faltering recollection of them. Or Hong Sang-Soo’s In Another Country, a thematic departure starring Isabelle Huppert in a triptych of tales revolving around her character Ann, a foreigner in another country. (In Night and Day, which played at Ragtag during a previous Passport Series, Hong situated his South Korean characters in France, though the relationship between the foreigners and foreign France was largely explored through offhand character observations rather than a thematic axis mundi.) The film is not entirely a success, but it features Yu Jun-sang as a lonely lifeguard who accomplishes something few ever have: to steal whole scenes from Ms. Huppert. As in any year, there are many others worthy of note, yet so few screens on which to view them. What I find disappointing is that so much of what we’re exposed to (and judging from the results of Film Comment’s annual survey, we have been spoiled for selection) seems to occur in a vacuum, devoid of reception. We have proof these films arrive in Columbia, and proof that people occupy the seats, but what of the reaction? I had hoped Ragtag’s move into larger quarters would foster a more inviting discourse and exchange of ideas, but sadly this seems not so. Then again, I’m not in a position to accurately assess Columbia’s current cinema culture, so who am I to say so? What I can say is that I hope the film culture continues to flourish in Columbia and that the wonderful assortment of films on display are not just consumed, but indeed consummated in a kind of dialectic that serves the films and the community in an enriching and rewarding way. christie81 on "Los Angeles Film Critics awards" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=49#post-650 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:22:15 +0000 christie81 650@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Bare skin is usually the principle scenario that I feel in your favorite shows. The pair were turning out to be incredibly expose in public places. Seemed to be extremely scary. 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Be sure to scroll down and watch the trailer. <a href="http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/consuming_spirits" rel="nofollow">http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/consuming_spirits</a> Jai on "Robert Koehler's Only the Young review" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=297#post-644 Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:47:16 +0000 Jai 644@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Okay..., if tapestore and Dan can't be bothered to offer a few words as to why Only the Young might be worth a watch, then I'll give you the review of a critic I greatly respect and admire, Robert Koehler of Variety. Only the Young (Docu) By Robert Koehler 'Only the Young' A Thesaurus presentation. Produced by Derek Waters. Directed, edited by Jason Tippet, Elizabeth Mims. With: Garrison Saenz, Kevin Conway, Skye Elmore, Kristen Cheriegate, Robin Levy. Of the past decade's many fine films on skateboarders and international skateboarding culture, ranging from Larry Clark's "Wassup Rockers" and Stacy Peralta's "Bones Brigade: An Autobiography" to Tristan Patterson's "Dragonslayer" and Serb helmer Nikola Lezaic's "Tilva Ros," "Only the Young" stands out as the most human and affecting. An unqualified hit in its True/False preem, Jason Tippet and Elizabeth Mims' feature debut will rouse fans during a strong fest run. Although the new generation of skateboard docs has struggled in the marketplace, "Only the Young" could conceivably buck the trend, due to the filmmakers' warm feelings toward their likable and interesting teen characters, who feel less like documentary subjects than like figures J.D. Salinger might have crafted in a genial mood. The pleasurable visuals and unconventional soundtrack help, too. The pic continues a little-noted trend of live-action filmmakers emerging from Los Angeles County-based CalArts, best known for its prowess in animation and experimental film, and staying close to home to make striking features. Tippet and Mims join fellow alums Lee Anne Schmitt ("California Company Town," "The Last Buffalo Hunt"), David Fenster ("Trona") and Mike Ott ("Littlerock") in making a memorable contribution to what might be termed the SoCal indie film. "Only the Young" is lensed in the northern L.A. suburb of Canyon Country, following close skateboarding buddies Garrison Saenz and Kevin Conway, as well as Saenz's on-and-off g.f., Skye Elmore, over a key period during their teen years. One's initial impression of these subjects is in line with the usual slacker-punk stereotypes, as the guys seem to bum around, spending their copious free time squatting in an abandoned house where they plan skating and music bashes. That perception is quickly undermined by the guys' friendly, genuinely innocent manner as captured by Tippet and Mims' camera, which simply takes in what they do and say in the moment; the p.o.v. seems to be that of a friend simply hanging out with them, allowing for unfettered access and a gratifyingly direct, non-judgmental perspective. This also allows the film to plunge into Saenz's and Conway's complex and seemingly contradictory stories. Conway has no gal in his life at the moment, but unlike the shyer, more circumspect Saenz, he's kissed Elmore, which causes a momentary rift between the buddies. Elmore, who proves considerably thoughtful and perceptive about human relations, adores Saenz, but the two are unwilling or unable to begin a full-on relationship. As a result, at least for a while, Saenz hooks up with rebel girl Kristen Cheriegate, a hip-hop enthusiast and dancer, while Elmore has new b.f., Robin Levy, whom she describes with typical frankness as "so sensitive and dumb," and then embarrassedly stops herself: "Well, not dumb … " Further countering stereotypes, Saenz, Conway and Elmore are devout Christians and yet never really proselytize, apart from an outreach event with Skaters for Christ; at the same time, Saenz feels so much (offscreen) heat from his congregation over dating nonbeliever Cherigate that they break up. Among other things, "Only the Young" reps an important document of life in today's downscaling America: The once-thriving Canyon Country has visibly gone to recession-era seed, and Elmore's family faces homelessness during the course of events. Hers and other subjects' fates remain darkly uncertain at the film's end. Freshness is the underlying sensibility guiding aesthetic choices in cinematography, editing and sound. The helmers find consistently invigorating camera angles and a smooth editing scheme, despite what was surely a raft of footage. Vintage and rare R&B tunes go completely against the grain of the material, yet feel exactly right. Jai on "Amour and Silver Linings Playbook are the top movies before T/F" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=296#post-643 Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:30:56 +0000 Jai 643@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ UPDATE Amour will not open until February 15th ... and The Impossible has been held over through Thursday February 7th.