The Edmonton International Film Festival continues its 28th season, having recently screened such films as Gone South, Just Eat It and The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, all three of which were reviewed in capsule form in Saturday's edition.
Gazette movie critic Scott Hayes continues his filmic odyssey by tackling three more titles on the schedule, including the fest's closing night film, all of which are set to be screened on Saturday.
Take Me to the River Oct. 4 @ 1:30 p.m.
According to the preamble to this movie, the Mississippi River has been the birthplace of handful of unmistakably American musical genres including country and western, blues, gospel and rap. The region has also had more than its fair share of racial and social tensions and unrest.
Here, director Martin Shore has gathered an undeniably large number of prominent and diverse musical talents including Charlie Musselwhite, The North Mississippi All-Stars, Booker T. Jones, Al Kapone, Snoop Dogg, Mavis Staples, Otis Clay, Lil P-Nut, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Yo Gotti, Bobby Rush, Frayser Boy, and many others. They have all gathered in a Memphis recording studio to talk about their music, praise each other for their triumphs and, yes, lay down a few tracks for what they call a "historic" album.
There is much to be said for deliberating on the historical struggles of the people of the Mississippi River, just as there are valid reasons for creating a timeless document of the intergenerational and interdenominational wonders (musically speaking) of the assembled talents who appear in this film. Perhaps this should have been two documentaries because it seems like short shrift was given to both sides of the coin. The music was really good though.
Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me Oct. 4 @ 4 p.m.
Fair disclosure: I am not a country and western kind of person but I can still enjoy a well-made tune when it comes along. I never got Glen Campbell and it's sad that he has Alzheimer's disease. Too sad. To make him the subject of this documentary in his state seemed more than simply taking advantage of one person. It seemed downright abusive and infuriating to watch.
The film takes us through his life and career, leading right through his farewell tour a few years ago and his experiences in the medical system as his diagnosis solidifies as the harbinger of the end of his life. Everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Steve Martin and Bill Clinton pop up to lavish their own praise for Campbell and his music too.
But it starts off with a tear-jerking montage of him and wife Kim watching his old home videos, and him not recognizing himself or his children in any of them. The man deserves to have some privacy, not be paraded around like a lame show pony before being put out to pasture. Boo.
Gone Doggy Gone Oct. 4 @ 7:30 p.m.
The closing night film might have more shoe polish than shine on it but it's still solid for a few yucks and some biting sarcasm at the same time.
This satirical tale tells of Abby and Eliott (filmmakers Kasi Brown and Brandon Walter), an L.A. couple so busy with their careers that they have neither time nor inkling for children. But they do dote on their little pooch, a teacup terrier named Laila, even going so far as to dress it up in sweaters and shoes.
How many of us know these people too as they walk their dogs by carrying them around the block, or shop for canine couture at chichi pooch palaces? This is real life material ripe for the solid send-up that it gets here.
Things go overboard when their dogsitter, Jill (Shaina Vorspan), becomes a dognapper, going on the lam and leading Abby and Eliot to hire a woefully unqualified investigator to track her down. Hijinks ensue indeed in this understated, low-budget comedy caper. I laughed and groaned variously during this sweet and simple 90-minute movie that will cap off this year's Edmonton International Film Festival.
