Another year of the Seattle International Film Festival has come to a close, and thankfully, our strictly virtual options this year were plentiful. Check out our full coverage on 2022’s iteration of the festival, after the jump.
A LOVE SONG
This new romance drama depicting a beautiful night spent between two people out on a distant camping destination is a bit too small-stakes and slow for my taste. The intimacy of the story and characters does manage to shine through, particularly character actress Dale Dickey in a layered lead performance. With absolutely stunning landscape visuals, A Love Song is sure to delight seekers of breathtaking mountains and rich cinematography. For those who love movies such as Nomadland or 2014’s Wild, A Love Song may just be the movie of one’s wildest dreams.
CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
Previously viewed at 2022’s Sundance Film Festival.
COP SECRET
Full review at the link.
DOULA
Full review at the link.
DUAL
Previously viewed at 2022’s Sundance Film Festival.
EVERYTHING WENT FINE
As a massive fan of François Ozon’s previous film, gay drama Summer of 85, when I spotted the director’s name on the list of SIFF titles, this immediately shot up on my must-watch list. Unfortunately, Everything Went Fine is entirely too dour and depressing for my tastes. It details two siblings who begrudgingly decide to fill out their ailing father’s wish for assisted suicide. A couple intimate moments, like Andre (André Dussollier) recording video goodbyes and a “final meal,” ring with an air of relatability for anyone who has ever had a loved one on their deathbed. Still, for the most part I did not have any emotional attachment to this story since the character work is very thin indeed. Everything Went Fine is almost a complete 180 from Summer of 85. Though it provides evidence that Ozon can direct anything thrown his way, the film does little in the way of surprises or intrigue beyond the general summary of its premise.
THE GHASTLY BROTHERS
Full review at the link.
HATCHING
Previously viewed at 2022’s Cleveland International Film Festival.
I’LL SHOW YOU MINE
I love movies where the leads simply talk together from beginning to end, but I’ll Show You Mine comes up lacking on almost every level. What does work here is the chemistry between the struggling-to-stay-relevant author, Priya, and model-turned-porn cartoonist Nic. I also dug the strange comic strip interludes between chapters, and some of the trauma being portrayed through animation. What didn’t work for me was everything else. Two cousins getting deep into their sexual insecurities, exploitation, and scarring traumas is literally just that. The entire film consists of talking in circles with little progression that never manages to go anywhere enticing.
INEXORABLE
Previously viewed at 2021’s TIFF.
KLONDIKE
(Written by Intern, Megan Davis) With Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine covering the digital news sphere, I was immediately drawn to watch Klondike, which tells the story of the Russian-Ukrainian war through the lives of a Ukrainian expecting couple. Being merely 13 when the war began, I went into this film with little knowledge of the tensions between Russia and Ukraine outside of recent events, and it presented me with the haunting reality of civilian life over the course of this 8-year war. It is apparent that Klondike is more of a commentary on the war than a story of the lives of Irka and Tolik, as the characters feel secondary to the violent events happening around them. Klondikeis an extremely powerful film supported by amazing cinematography, slow and deliberate pacing, and a hard-hitting message.
LINOLEUM
Previously viewed at 2022’s SXSW Film Festival.
MONTANA STORY
Previously viewed at 2021’s TIFF.
ONLY IN THEATERS
For a documentary all about the magic of cinema with its shared experience for the audience and unbridled scale, Only in Theaters feels more like an infomercial than a movie proper. The talking head interviews are frequently just a filmed laptop screen, and the passion for the theatrical experience is not enough to transcend the quality of the production. Parts of this story—that of the struggles to survive for family-owned arthouse theater Laemelle—are moving and fascinating. The final stretch, which goes into how the pandemic affected the theater industry, is also compelling. However, neither of these facets was enough to cohesively bring together a project that would be better suited to a short format.
THE PASSENGER
Full review at the link.
PHANTOM PROJECT
As a member of the LGBT community myself, I have come to realize that a major part of many film festivals is to capture marginalized stories we are not frequently privy to as a general audience. I love to see what topics are covered, and to celebrate queer creatives and collaborators. It brings me no great joy to report that Phantom Project does nothing special with its intriguing premise, that of a young gay aspiring actor who may be rooming with an unseen ghost. It turns out that the director thought repeatedly showing an item of clothing falling from where it is hung to convey the ghostly presence would be adequate. The craziest imagery we get is in Pablo (a very cute Juan Cano) having sex with said ghost at one point; otherwise this film is pretty tame. I kept waiting for something big to happen, but Phantom Project is simplistic whimsy without much substance. At least Susan the dog is cute and the boys are charming.
SPEAK NO EVIL
Previously viewed at 2022’s Sundance Film Festival.
SUBLIME
Previously viewed at 2022’s Berlinale International Film Festival.
As with last year, several films of 2022’s SIFF could end up among favorites of the year. Out of the new ones I watched, my favorites were Cop Secret and The Passenger. We are looking forward to what next year will bring us!