2009 Heartland Film Festival: Part 1
With the 2009 Heartland Film Festival halfway over I thought I would post some brief reviews of the films I’ve seen so far. There is still time to see the majority of these films so check out the schedule if you are looking for something to do over the next few days. These films are listed in my order of preference with the better films listed first.
D Tour
This documentary follows Indiana native Pat Spurgeon as he tours with his band, Rogue Wave, while waiting for a kidney donation. The viewer is given an up-close view at the rigors Pat undergoes on a daily basis including undergoing dialysis twice a day. The film has some unexpected twists and turns, and serves as a great film to advocate organ donation. It’s also a timely film with the current health care debate going on in our country. It goes without saying this film has an awesome soundtrack!
Storm
Storm follows an International Criminal Tribunal in Europe as a former army leader is tried for war crimes he allegedly committed. The acting is excellent, especially Anamaria Marinca, who is one of my favorite new actresses of the past few years. The thing that really stood out about Storm compared to other similar films was insight into how the bureaucracy of investigations like this affects everyone from the lawyers to the bit players like witness liaisons.
Being Bucky
Ever wonder what goes into being a college mascot? Well this is the film for you. This documentary follows seven students who all win the role of dressing up as Wisconsin’s Bucky the Badger for one school year. Follow the students from high pressure tryouts all the way through their national mascot competition (who knew they had one). This is a really fun light hearted film that just about anybody will enjoy, including kids.
Big John
Another interesting documentary that examines the close bond between Norwegian father/son duo John and Ole Klemetsen . The ups and downs of Ole’s boxing career are examined, along with John’s controversial management of his son. I would have liked to seen a more in depth look at what made John such a controversial figure in his own country.
Entre Nos
The dramatic true story of a Hispanic mother and her two children struggling to survive in the US after being abandoned by their husband/father. This film has some controversial scenes relating to abortion, showing the difficult decisions some women must make.
Waking Sleeping Beauty
It was cool to see this film so far in advance of its nationwide release in April 2010. The film gives a detailed behind-the-scenes look at Disney’s animation department in the 80’s and 90’s when it became mega-successful with films like Beauty & the Beast and The Little Mermaid. The film was a little hard to follow at the beginning when there were scenes with one person narrating and completely different person being shown on screen. I also had the feeling this film was holding back a bit, probably due to the fact that it is officially endorsed by Disney, so there's a limit of how much behind the scenes politics they could show.