The Pagan Agenda

And then there were 19. I tellya its an art, this drawing from 300 films from around the world to frantically piece together some personal schemata of what I value as a human being. Rocknrolla aside, this schedule means something. It is timed to go off with epiphanies like dominoes dispersing over nine days, each carefully placed to work in tandem as a destabilizer of moods. Though various, the films (Rocknrolla aside) are selected to genuinely stir, whether it be as true horror, or as true sorrow, the intent is to be embedded in the festival experience. And what of the festival experience this year? Commence perfunctory gripes: price gauging is obscene, $37 for a single ticket to an Elgin showing, all of a sudden endowed with a newfound ‘special’ status. They have also tiered the lottery system, allowing those who donate over $250 to get first dibs on films before the lottery proper even begins. Democracy has been replaced by an aristocracy, and much the same way I feel wronged by the Ticketmaster boondoggle that denied me my Radiohead ticket I feel in ten years time we lowly festivalgoers will get the Globe treatment, left only to stand as seats become auctioned off to gold donors.

But I am not bitter.

This year I am in boxes 22 and 34.

From what I have been able to glean from Now Magazine and from my own manic absorption of the programme book it would appear the hot ticket for this year is Synecdoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman, which is a bit strange to me because when it premiered at Cannes earlier this year there was scarcely any fanfare. I have it on my list as it is perhaps my only chance to see Charlie in person. Other celebrities I wish to be in the presence of this year is Claire Danes (to fulfill some smoldering teenage ambition from whence My-So-Called-Life was televised), Spike Lee, Mike Leigh, and Evangeline Lilly (to fulfill some smoldering thirtysomething ambition while in Lost hiatus).

Noticeable of this years shortlist is an unusual amount of horror (particularly since I am not much of a horror fan), a fair dose of John Malkovich, and substantially more foreign content than last year. Without further ado, here is my shortlist, awaiting to be undone come monday as per my ritual now.

Me and Orson Welles – You had me at Richard Linklater and Claire Danes

Sauna – fucked up Renaissance horror (if memory serves)

Goodbye Solo – from the director of Chop Shop, a film I missed last year but from which good things are said. This could be the Dinner with Andre of the year.

Religulous – Bill Maher, Larry Charles and religion. love it.

Afterwards – Malkovich and Evangeline Lilly, apparently there is a plot.

Genova – Director Michael Winterbottom trying desperately to find a genre he can’t do well, this time with Colin Firth in a romantic drama.

Uncertainty – Joseph Gordon-Levitt in what is being billed as a rubick’s cube narrative that tries to convey the gravitas of love ( perhaps this year’s 5×2?)

Happy-Go-Lucky – Mike Leigh doing light-hearted muck-about? Not bloody likely, but am intrigued.

The Wrestler – Aronofsky. The Fountain was so damned good that I accept even something as cringeworthy as a wrestling story on his name alone

Synecdoche, New York – Kaufman story and directing. done.

Sugar – the Half-Nelson directorial team are back and again, name recognition is enough to get me into the seat, even if it is sorta about baseball

Linha de Passe – Walter Salles and an authentic Brazilian story (of course I don’t remember what it is about, you try reading 300 synopsi , synapse, synopsisis, in a night)

The Burrowers – The Searchers + Horror.

Parc - I am expecting big stuff from this creepy sounding French film about… a park?

Pontypool – I used to live near Pontypool, my dad said there was always something weird about it, the weather is abnormal there, strange things happened, and Bruce Mcdonald has decided to make a horror film plum in the middle of it. Another one I have high expectations for.

Public Enemy#1 – the French version of the American classic, or at least the source material.

Rocknrolla – Guy Ritchie doing what Guy Ritchie does best: dumb bloke shit.

Of Time and the City – big buzz on this documentary by Terrence Davies on the city of Liverpool.

Miracle of St Anna – Spike Lee’s war film, I gotsta go.