There’s really only one DVD release worth talking about this week, but just for good measure, we’ll give you two.
The GoodTimesKid (Benten Films) — The boys at Benten Films absolutely crush it out of the park for the long overdue home video release of Azazel Jacobs’ enchanting second feature. A deadpan noir breakup comedy involving mistaken identities, The GoodTimesKid feels like it was shot in an earlier, more innocent time, before the words “hip” and “quirk” were plundered by Sundance hopefuls and mutilated into their current trite, grating form. As if the film itself weren’t proof enough, the disc’s supplemental materials should be taught in film schools everywhere as a lesson in production ingenuity and guilefulness (though one might not want to take things as far as literally stealing their film stock). Though Jacobs is credited as the director, the incredible trailer—worth the price of admission alone, I kid you not—as well as an accompanying slide show of production stills, establishes just how small a crew this really was, as the core unit consisted of just Jacobs, co-writer/co-star Gerardo Naranjo, co-star/costume designer Sara Diaz, and additional cameraman Eric Curtis (remember, this is a 35mm production, not a mini-DV one). The modest story is best left discovered for oneself, but suffice to say, Jacobs isn’t coasting on style and charm alone, as the ultimate gift of this dryly funny breakup tale is that it isn’t a breakup tale at all. Buy the DVD
The Class (Sony Pictures Classics) — With The Class, Laurent Cantet (Time Out, Human Resources) reaffirms his status as one of world cinema’s most important social humanist filmmakers. Brandon Harris wrote about the film in conjunction with its appearance as opening night film of last year’s NYFF. Says Harris: Quietly heartbreaking while maintaining both intimacy and reserve in its documentary aesthetic, The Class, surprise winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, is the most accomplished film about modern eduction since Frederick Wiseman’s masterpiece High School. It is that all too rare movie that leaves our assumptions and prejudices thoroughly tested. Read the full review here. Then buy the DVD
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[...] It’s hard for me to think of any other than recent movies to reflect on, so how about a film related experience that has stayed with me through the decade instead? Me and my permanent sweetie Diaz were at Cannes to support Gerardo (Naranjo) and his film Drama/Mex which was premiering there in, I think, 2006. We were at some main hotel one morning, around 10am, following Gerardo around when, as he was about to take off somewhere, he said in hushed urgent tone, “Look at the bar, Aki Kaurismäki is there!” He had to go on his way quickly, so it was up to Diaz and I to do something. It took us a bit to work up the courage to approach him, stealing glances, seeing that he was wavering a bit on his feet. But finally, like two eager puppies we went up and did our best to express what his work meant to us and thank him for it. It really felt like he was hearing us, and even though he was most likely drunk, or at least hungover, he stared deep into our eyes and looked from one of us to the other, giving us all his time and attention. When we were finished with our spiel, a long moment of silence passed—he still hadn’t said anything to us; we had just dived right into it. After the silence was just beginning to become uncomfortable for us to start fidgeting, Aki said, ” You’re both so young. (long pause) Enjoy it while it lasts.” I don’t know if we were looking for wise words—I think mostly we wanted to make contact with the hopes of showing him the film we made—but his words and they way he looked at us has stayed with me, carried me through some times when I needed them. — Azazel Jacobs (Momma’s Man, The GoodTimesKid) [...]
Comment by / HAMMER TO NAIL » Blog Archive » Filmmaker Reflections - The 2000s: Vol. 2 - December 11th, 2009 at 4:54 pm