My favorite time of the year is happening, Milwaukee Film Festival. Again this year it was virtual and this year I purchased the Festival Pass (watch all the movies you want during Film Fest for $75, duh, yes and yes) so I was able to see a LOT of movies this year. I broke my reviews down into multiple posts, chronological by when I viewed them. The film festival goes until the 20th, so if there is something on the list that you like, act fast you might be able to see them!
The Dry: This wasn't originally on my list of things to see but then I heard someone mention that it was based on a book and I was like "Hold on.....I think I read that book". And I did. If you (for instance) live with someone who is not into indie or weird movies and just want a straight forward, main stream thriller this is a perfectly good choice. I like Eric Bana. It was good to see him. Also, middle of nowhere Australia, hard no thanks.
MKE Film Description: Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, THE DRY follows Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) as he returns home for the funeral of a friend. The small town is reeling from what looks like a murder suicide, but Aaron employs his detective skills to find out what really happened. Haunted by another mysterious death from his youth, Aaron has to reconcile his present with his past as he is confronted with suspects around every corner.
MC Escher: Journey to Infinity: This movie was a disappointment for me. The pull for this movie was that it was a documentary told in the artist own words, and I was like oh that will be interesting. But that was only the case for like...60% of the movie? And the VO actor was Stephen Fry, who I don't have a problem with but I think that he was the wrong choice for this role. The best part of the movie was the credits because thats when they were actually like "hey, every pop culture reference to this fella? Here it is". Inception, Labyrinth, The Simpsons, The Rolling Stones, he is everywhere!
MKE Film description: Featuring the Dutch graphic artist's own words (narrated by Stephen Fry), this illuminating documentary explores his well-known works through a less-well-known lens. Using animation to help us see these pieces again in a new way, audiences are asked to consider anew the celebrity of Escher, layered here with the philosophical power and profundity of his scientific thinking and biographical details that inform his worldview
25 Weeks: A Wisconsin Pizza Harvest: A hour long, short, sweet profile of a farmer who specializes in growing old fashioned wheat the old fashioned way here in Wisconsin. He grows wheat because he loves pizza and you need wheat for pizza. A great part of this movie was his cute little donkeys!
MKE Film description: Watch as farmer, filmmaker, and general Renaissance man Charlie Tennessen takes archival wheat seeds from planting to harvest with the help of his trusty barncats and three lovely donkeys. This meditative journey across 25 weeks (winter to autumn 2020) of weather, hard work, and persistence will make you appreciate food on a whole new level. Come for the pizza, but stay for the bucolic slice of life lived at a deliberate pace
The Meaning of Hitler: Because I am who I am I knew I was going to watch this one. The problem with this one for me was that I felt like it never really defined what it was trying to say. I was hoping it was going to be a little more focused on like, Hitler's influence on current extreme alt-right groups and it was kind of like that, but there was also a section about a guy who is a famous Holocaust denier. It wasn't a bad documentary it just felt like it kind of wandered. Some good art direction though.
MKE Film description: Taking inspiration from Sebastian Haffner's titular book, in THE MEANING OF HITLER Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker set out to explore what Hitler means in the current waves of white nationalism and antisemitism. Featuring interviews with historians and scholars like Martin Amis and Saul Friedlander coupled with time spent with Nazi hunters, microphone technologists, and the curator of the US Army's confiscated art collection, this Herzogian documentary offers an unexpected, refreshing yet sobering journey to help us know why this history remains urgent.
Rez Metal: This documentary follows a group of Native American's living on Window Rock Navajo Reservation in Arizona on their quest to bring notice to the plight of Native Americans (especially the very high suicide rate amongst their people) through their heavy metal band. It was interesting, I'll never be surprised by the terrible conditions on many reservations - it's a stain on this country.
MKE Film description: I Don’t Konform is a heavy metal band from the Navajo Nation in Arizona that uses their music to uplift a community devastated by suicide. They catch the ear of acclaimed Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen, who joins the band in their hooghan to begin recording their next album. REZ METAL is a stripped-down celebration of the heavy metal spirit, and a compelling portrayal of a community channeling their raw emotions, ethics, and hope through music.
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