Austin Film Festival Reviews: The Rum Diary, Leila and Shame

The first few days of the 2011 Austin Film Festival went by in a flash, and were packed with all the fine film moments, educational panels, and inevitably uncomfortable Q&As we've come to expect. Check out a few of our highlights so far.

Panel: "Raising Stakes, Reversals, and Payoffs" with Shane Black
It was about thirty minutes into his panel before screenwriter/director/AFF patron saint Shane Black asked, “Hey, what’s the name of this panel, anyway?” Not that we were complaining. His stream-of-consciousness approach ranged from the benefits of caffeine (“no coffee, no speech”) to the long odds of professional success (“Being a writer has a 93% unemployment rate. But don’t worry; that doesn’t take talent into account”) before heading down into some really helpful insights and tips about the screenwriting process. (Hint: More setups, more payoffs, more reversals: “There’s almost never too many. And you can always take out some later.”)

Overall, he was refreshingly open, both about his own experiences and about how we can be better writers. It’s no wonder his panels are packed every year; it was worth it to stand at the back just to be able to walk away brimming with inspiration. After all, that’s what this conference is all about.

-Matt Frederick

You Hurt My Feelings
Steve Collins' exceedingly quiet, naturalistic film about a dejected young man (Austin's beloved John Merriman) who becomes a nanny to prove he is the baby-having type to his ex-girlfriend (Courtney Davis) settles in well. Its mumblecore ways may require extra patience from some viewers, but the result is an authentic look at three fully fleshed-out characters that resonate like whoa.

The cast—including humorous scene stealer, Macon Blair—is made up of real-life buds as well as Collins' real-life children, who have a great rapport with Merriman that ultimately makes the film. Seriously, Feelings could also be a PSA for having uber-adorable kids. Collins threw out an interesting phrase during the Q&A to describe the filmmaking experience: "It was an exercise in non-attachment." This is due to the fact that he was dealing with two extreme and unpredictable elements: harsh New England winters and a three-year-old.

Improv was key rather than specific expectations on how a given scene or story line should work. These complications in filming are a testament to the talent (much of it Austin-based, holla!) that managed to produce three incredibly genuine characters in the midst of all that tyke and ice. [Second screening on Tuesday, October 25th @ 10:15pm, Texas Spirit Theater]

-Nick Barbieri

Shame

Steve McQueen's second feature caused quite a stir last month at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Fox Searchlight ended up buying the film shortly after for the the U.S. It's almost difficult to imagine what they'll do with this wildly uncommercial film, which is destined to be branded with the box office kiss of death NC-17 rating. When there was a ratings controversy over "Blue Valentine" last year, I think that most people saw the final film and didn't understand what the fuss was about. With "Shame", nobody will see it and be shocked at the rating.

Michael Fassbender stars as a sex addict who is sleeping his way across New York City. He's never been in an actual relationship longer than four months, but he's got girls on internet sex shows and hookers who know him by name. When he does try to have sex with somebody who he might actually be interested in, he can't keep an erection. He's driven by what is taboo and the ease at which he can jump into bed with a stranger. Intimacy is not a valuable commodity in his world. Carey Mulligan stars as his younger sister, a young woman with plenty of her own demons. She infiltrates his life and begs for a place to crash for a few days, setting off a chain of events that change both of their lives.

The cinematography is breathtaking, filled with brilliant hues of blue and green. It captures the vibrancy of New York City life in a way that I haven't seen on film in a long time. That said, this movie is a tough sell to audiences. The subject matter is dark and the sexuality is fairly explicit. It's a difficult film, but I'm finding that it's one I can't stop thinking about. Fox Searchlight is releasing the movie in early December (at least in New York and Los Angeles) for awards consideration, which means it should open for a regular release here in Austin by late December or early January.

-Matt Shiverdecker

Leila
There’s some confusion how to say the name of this film (we’re guessing “Futurama” fans are the ones having the most trouble) but that’s fitting -- this tale of a marriage slowly falling apart cultivates ambiguity for a significant portion of the movie. It’s hard to know who’s to blame, but it’s even harder to look away. The slow pace makes us dread the events to come even as we wonder what they’re going to be. The performances of the two leads (Chloë Annett and Lee Boardman) ably carry this film through some plot points that could seem hokey or implausible with lesser talent. [Second screening on Thursday, October 27th @ 5pm, Regal Arbor Theater]

-Matt Frederick

The Rum Diary, presented by Johnny Depp and Bruce Robinson

Shane Black’s prickly honesty and amiability was no match for the larger-than-life charm that oozes out of every one of Johnny Depp’s pores. The film itself was a fun ride, if a bit narratively scattered (though what could we expect, considering the source material?); but the highlight was to experience the Johnny Depp Show.

Sitting in the director’s chair on stage, he didn’t even have to remove his sunglasses to win the crowd over, using little more than his smile. His obvious passion for the project and devotion to Thompson was clear, and he was open to any and all questions, with a winning remark every time (asked to play God in an audience member’s movie, he replied, “I don’t know, I mean…the research alone…!”).

Unfortunately, the Q&A went pretty awry; director Robinson wasn’t in too chatty a mood (“Johnny’s been giving me red wine all day!” he said), and most questions had more to do with interacting with such a dreamy movie star instead of the cinematic value of the film. Still, it was fine time, and most people walked out smiling.

-Matt Frederick

The 2011 Austin Film Festival runs through Thursday. Check out the full schedule here.