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Seattle's International Film Festival: Part 10

SIFF Day 23 – Love’s Labor Lost and Animal Love

By Sara M. Fetters.

Just Because It’s a Labor of Love…

For some reason, I always feel a shade near terrible when bad movies happen to good people – especially when those same people refer to the project as “a labor of love.” It’s heartbreaking to think a project could take five, ten, sometimes more years of a person’s life only to be born a stinker. Your really want to give the project the benefit of the doubt, tell yourself it really wasn’t that bad, but in the end you just know you can’t. A stinker is a stinker no matter how much blood, sweat and tears were shed to bring it to fruition.

Case in point: writer/director Karen Leigh Hopkins A Woman is a Helluva Thing that had its world premier Thursday night at the Seattle International Film Festival. Hopkins, much of her crew, stars Angus MacFadyen and Penelope Ann Miller (who made the trek down from a film shoot in Vancouver to be a part of the screening) and others all showed up at the Pacific Place beaming from ear to ear, eagerly waiting an audience’s warm reception.

They didn’t get it. The loudest applause after the screening came from the cadre of crewmembers, friends and family seated in the middle of the theater. In fact, they clapped continually; when a friend’s name came on the credits, when characters made their first appearances, even during a pivotal moment involving a grizzly bear. They clapped so much and so often, it actually got annoying and I heard a few regular festival goers “shushing” the filmmakers, not really a good sign if you ask me.

To be honest, the film does have its moments – the seen with the grizzly bear for one – and MacFadyen really grabs a hold of his macho man characters and ultimately does make him a touching figure. Good work is also supplied by Ann-Margret as his promiscuous stepmother, and Kathryn Harrold and Mary Kay Place have some nice little moments.  Miller, on the other hand, is given nothing to play. She’s a symbol, a cliché and the actress seems lost trying to grasp hold of the character.

After the screening, Hopkins claimed that the film came out of a relationship she had with a man very much like the macho main character. “I discovered,” she said, “that the very thing I thought I loved about him, that man’s man exterior, would eventually take us down. I started thinking what would be the worst thing that could happen to [a man like that] and not completely destroy them.” Based on those thoughts, Hopkins and her producer spent ten years trying to get the film made. Maybe during the decade of attempting to get financing and actors, they should have come to the conclusion that a script meant as a parting shot to a randy boyfriend might not make much of a movie.

Still, it’s hard to be too distasteful towards Helluva Thing.  In this age of CGI proliferation and MTV pacing, there are very few character-driven films made anymore. Just the same, labor of love or no, I can’t pass the film simply because the filmmakers tried hard. It’s sad, for Hopkins seemed like a very nice lady and she does have some talent, but this Woman is still one heck of a bad thing.

Did I Just See That? – Part II

I thought after Battle Royale that the, “Oh my gawd did they just do that?” quotient for this year’s SIFF had been met. Wow, was I ever wrong.

Argentinean writer/director Sergio Bizzio has inflicted upon me sights I never thought I would see, and ever since Wednesday’s world premiere screening have been trying to erase from my memory. Unfortunately, the site of a cute farm worker’s bare behind as he boffs a fluffy white sheep is not so easily shaken. Nor is the look of ecstasy on a rich landowner’s face as he spreads his seed with the same mammal. The film is The Animal, and it’s relationship to the same-named Rob Schneider comedy is about as equal as that between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

To be completely honest, Animal is extremely well done. It moves along briskly and at 92 minutes it never feels long.  The cast is game, especially Carlos Roffe as the aristocrat Alberto who will go to any lengths to protect his love affair with his white and fluffy friend. But, what at first glance appears to be a seriocomic black comedy somehow transforms itself into a full fledged knife wielding thriller seeped in blood – not to mention enough man on sheep sex to almost qualify Bizzio’s film as bestiality porn.

You never know which way the movie is going to next, each plot twist a complete surprise. As movie making - bravo. As film viewing – barbarous. But through it all you just can’t stop watching. It’s sick and disgusting, I feel dirty just having sat through it, at the same time it truly adventurous filmmaking of the likes seldom seen. Bizzio has always been an adventurous filmmaker but Animal goes way beyond anything of his I’ve seen before. Well completely repelled and appalled, I sure do admire his chutzpah. Just don’t make me sit through it again.

Three Day Countdown

SIFF is coming down to the wire with only today, Saturday and Sunday remaining. What do I have to say about that?  Thank gawd! I’m completely exhausted and while there are many items still left on the agenda that have me excited, the thought of maybe missing some of them does not reduce me to sorrow like it would have at the beginning of the festival. After 70-plus movies, I can safely say I’ve truly seen a world of cinema, and while I’m better culturally for it, the idea of sleeping through the next two weeks of studio screenings and shirking my responsibility as a critic is looking more and more appealing.

Final thoughts? None yet but I’m sure I’ll have plenty in Monday’s final column and SIFF recap. I’ll post all the award winners for picture and etc., my own picks for best of the festival as well as some other thoughts in regards to this year’s SIFF. If you’ve been a regular reader of these columns, don’t expect too many surprises as to my choices although I have changed my mind on a couple categories.  Besides, with three days left and eight to ten films still on tap anything could happen.

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