Philadelphia Film Festival comes to town April 5-18. I’ve attended this festival since its inception 15 years ago, then known as Philadelphia International Film Festival. After so much experience, I’ve finally decided to purchase a $200 All Film Pass. But, I gotta tell ya, I’m not so confident with this year’s fair so much so, as to justify said $200 investment.
Following are my last year’s considered highlights. These are films whose descriptions I read in the program and took a chance on.
The King
Brothers of the Head
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man
The Proposition
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
This year I got really no highlights, no “take a chance” ons. Okay, Rocket Science, which kinda doesn’t count because it already played Sundance. Or, maybe After the Wedding, which has already been nominated for an Academy Award. Then there’s La vie en Rose, which has already been heavily reviewed.
There is really no unique, standout film in this year’s festival. PFF 2007’s opening film is The Ten, which made its run at Sundance. PFF 2007’s closing film is Waitress, directed by and starring Adrienne Shelly, a lovely young women whose own death/murder story has already made television’s Law & Order.
Hal Hartley’s Fay Grim with Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum is promising. The Memory Thief with Dear Wendy’s Mark Webber looks like a solid pick. And who in their right mind would pass up the pure entertainment value of Boy Culture?
But, is all this really $200 worth of movie viewing? Absent the last-minute celebrity talent appearances? Who knows? Timothy Hutton could show up in support of The Kovax Box. Lucas Haas could show up in support of Who Loves the Sun. Alan Cumming could show up in support of Suffering Man’s Charity. I wasn’t even inspired at this festival’s screening of Zoo.
I’m going to ponder.
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