My final MIFF instalment for 2006

After missing a few films on Thursday night due to a work trip to Sydney, I finished up MIFF 2006 with Tzameti, The Descent, Em 4 Jay, Frank Gehry and Rats and Cats... I only saw around 20 films this year - the fewest I've seen at a Melbourne Film Fest for many years ... a very disappointing effort by me.

Tzameti - I think this was the only French film I saw at MIFF this year. Although missing many French film cliches - for example, the beautiful teenager madly attracted to the ugly bald guy - it managed to uphold the fine French tradition of lifeless films that feel like they've already been made before (and better) many times over. A very uninteresting young man stumbles into an underground gambling / russian roulette ring. The plot ensues. Given that he is the main character, clearly he does not die in any of the 5 'spins' of russian roulette throughout the course of the film, although he does sweat a lot.

The Descent - hands down THE scariest film I've ever seen. An English/American horror film where a group of women go caving in an uncharted cave and (very) bad things happen. The film traumatised me and left me with chest pains - I was terrified even before the mysterious creatures turn up about half-way through the film. It very effectively evokes claustrophobia and a sensation of being trapped with no way out. My only real criticism was that it was a genuinely scary film and its frequent resort to cheap shocks (eg. people/things popping up out of nowhere accompanied by jarring music) was unecessary in building the suspense.

Em 4 Jay - A new Aussie film set in my 'hood - St Kilda. The assorted high-jinks and low-life of a junkie couple. I actually liked it, but the people I went with didn't. I thought the dialogue ran true, and it kept me entertained. The weak link was the plot, which was sortof stupid. The leads were sitting next to us during the screening - it is a funny meta-film-watching-experience to watch a person watching themself shoot-up and writhe around the floor on screen.

Sketches of Frank Gehry - great visuals, but overall not a great documentary. The commentary and overall tone was sycophantic, with the screentime given to half-explained criticisms of Gehry feeling like a way to justify the remaining screentime being devoted to unadulterated praise. I really enjoyed watching his buildings in different lights etc, but a disappointing piece of filmmaking by Sydney Pollack.

Rats and Cats - an ok new Australian film which, in effect re-imagines Russell Crowe as an ex-star who just hangs out in a country town and does basically nothing. I wouldn't have thought the film had huge commercial prospects - it just of doesn't go anywhere - but it's ok and sort of fun at times. It just feels really undeveloped - like it was filmed before the filmmaker worked out where it was actually going to go as a story.