http://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/default.aspxen-USSpout RSShttp://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/archive/2006/9/10/2916.aspxSun, 10 Sep 2006 21:39:00 GMTcdd0f780-13db-4d93-b0f4-ada579d02ae7:2916Jillyb31http://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/comments/2916.aspxhttp://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/commentrss.aspx?PostID=2916Well, the best that I saw anyway, The Last King of Scotland got a lot of buzz but I didn't see that one. This film was not only the best one at the festival but one of the better that they've had there in a few years. i don't know who wrote the description in the schedule, but they didn't do it justice. The film starts out showing the tough stassi officer interrogating a prisoner and then teaching a class on how to do just that. He's suspicious of everyone, probably the reason he is so good at his job, and is soon watching "the most loyal writer" in East Germany. He is drawn into the life that this writer and his girlfriend have together and soon finds himself questioning his own life. The director introduced the film and said that he didn't think it would play to a US audience but I think the general story works for anyone. Its a wonderful film and story, and the crowd at the theater was very engrossed and in tears by the end of the film. One could pick at the story a bit (like a Stassi officer would really feel much for the people he was watching, that would be the number one danger so I'm sure they were well trained to avoid that) but just little things, it is really a worthwhile film. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/archive/2006/9/10/2915.aspxSun, 10 Sep 2006 21:29:00 GMTcdd0f780-13db-4d93-b0f4-ada579d02ae7:2915Jillyb31http://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/comments/2915.aspxhttp://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/commentrss.aspx?PostID=2915I saw this as part of my midnight movie pass at Telluride this year. I've been doing this for years and have come to expect dark depressing films at midnight, always a challenge to like them at that time of night I think. But this film, though dark and depressing, is amazing. The director got some truely suprising and amazing shots for his film, not a typical looking documentary. The subject is a bit hard, and nothing good comes of really anyone in the film but I didn't expect that. I was surprised how much I did enjoy it, I was not looking foward to its grim subject but I am glad I saw it. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/archive/2006/9/9/2896.aspxSat, 09 Sep 2006 21:09:00 GMTcdd0f780-13db-4d93-b0f4-ada579d02ae7:2896Jillyb30http://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/comments/2896.aspxhttp://www.spout.com/blogs/jillyb3/commentrss.aspx?PostID=2896I just saw this film last weekend at the Telluride film fest and I really enjoyed it. Not so much that its a great movie but its rare to see Romanian films so it was a treat to get the chance. Its an amusing look at how one small town is trying to decide if they were part of the revolution or not and the local tv station invites a couple of people to discuss the matter. The title refers to the time that Ceausescu left office and becomes very important in trying to figure out if there was a revolt in the town (anything before 12:08) or just a celebration (after 12:08). This is not a knee slapping comedy but it is quite funny in parts and the rest is just interesting. The start of the film shows the main characters at home and its facinating to see how others live, especially in countries we in the US don't see much of. The town in the film is the one the director is from so I'm sure he's a bit partial to it but it is really grim looking, though it is the winter time, and snowing. I would recommend this to anyone interested in seeing a film from an up and coming Romanian film industry.