Day 2: September 9

Very early morning screening of Trier's film, only to be awakened by the exhilarating experience. I did manage to stumble down to the Elgin for the Liza presentation. She was extremely effusive in her enthusiasm for her participation at the fest, and gave an extremely generous session complete with impromptu vocal performance. Gilliam's film played next, and he seemed genuinely proud of his work, if a little cautious. The rest of day was spent waiting in lines and grabbing poor food, a staple of every fest week.

Manderlay
Directed by: Lars Von Trier

Grade: A+

You'll love it or you'll hate it. Manderlay is essentially Dogville II, starting mere minutes after the plot winds down on the latter film. This is no mere sequel however: The Nicole Kidman role has been recast with Bryce Dallas Howard in the part, making Grace's child-like stubbornness somehow more authentic.

While Dogville was complex tale about small mindedness, weakness and violence, Manderlay at first look is a simpler story, set in a slave-laboured plantation some seventy years after emancipation. Grace convinces her father that she can make things right, and so begins the creation of what she believes to be a more just society.

Manderlay is an intellectually invigorating analysis of race, class, power and democracy, all while remaining a thoroughly enjoyable (if harrowing) film. Trier shows his continued mastery of generating top-knotch performances, with the handheld camera and sparse, theatrical set becoming even more refined post-Dogville. It addresses uncomfortable questions and issues head-on, and does so with a magical mix of allegory and hard-hitting language and imagery. Breathtaking cinema from a master at the top of his game.

Corpse Bride
Directed by: Tim Burton and Mike Johnson

Grade: B-/C+

The film that launches a million goth-chick weddings. Corpse Bride is pretty, pedestrian film that provides little more than the same shtick found in its stylistic prequel, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Everything from the design to Elfman's score suffers from a "been there, done that" feeling. The voice performances are fine, the puppets are sufficiently well animated, but it feels extremely old hat by now. Disappointingly unoriginal.

Liza with a "Z"
Directed by: Bob Fosse

Grade: B+

In my pantheon of "lost" films that need to be cleaned up and restored, Liza with a "Z" would not have been high on the list. A made-for-TV extravaganza pits the Cabaret team together for a one-night show at Broadway's Lyceum. Complete with swinging breasts in a sequined mini-skirt, spandex clad cowboys wearing bells (honest), and covers of Joe Tex's "I gotcha" and Nancy S's "Son of a Preacher Man", this is certainly camp classic, and is likely to find many fans.

Tideland
Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Grade:

This one's going to take a bit to write about.

Neverwas
Directed by: Joshua Michael Stern

Grade: D

Nevermind about this one, it's a 12 Monkeys/Fisherking vibe without the heart or soul of either flick. Good actors are wasted in this tale, sets dominate storytelling, and it's all based on the most banal and artificial of children's tales. Avoid.