NYFF WRAP UP and GRADES

After three weeks, the 47th New York Film Festival has come to an end.  I’ve seen so many amazing and inspiring films from all corners of the world; it’s been truly incredible.  Some have said it was a depressing year for the festival, but even though a lot of the films examined the darker side of life, I found most of them ultimately opened a doorway to places and worlds and people that we need more contact with.  In response to some of the criticism about the programs levity, the NYFF programmers responded with the sentiments below, which I think are pretty right on:

Richard Peña: “Filmmakers are artists who react to the world around them. There hasn’t been a very happy timeline in the past fifteen months.”

Melissa Anderson: “An aspect or trend I’ve noticed - Dennis and I were talking about this - is that there are [several distinctive] queer films. People like to focus on the bloodiness or the violence. [But], ‘To Die Like a Man’ is such a great example of a new voice from queer filmmakers.”

Scott Foundas: “There are films that are joyous or euphoric at times…”

Dennis Lim: “I don’t think thematically that many of these films are bleak. ‘Everyone Else’ is a kind of an exhilarating movie. ‘Trash Humpers,’ the way it played with people here, is as feel good movie.”

Scott Foundas: “’Precious’ is certainly another one. Some of these movies put you through hell, but they have a kind of release at the end.”

+ ANTICHRIST:  B
+ AROUND A SMALL MOUNTAIN - A-
+ THE ART OF THE STEAL:  C
+ BLUEBEARD:  A
+ BROKEN EMBRACES: B 
+ ECCENTRICITIES OF A BLOND HAIR GIRL - A-  
+ EVERYONE ELSE:  B+
+ GHOST TOWN:  B-
+ INDEPENDENCIA:  B
+ LEBANON:  D-
+ LIFE DURING WARTIME:  D
+ MIN YE:  A-
+ MOTHER - B
+ NE CHANGE RIEN - A-
+ O’ER THE LAND:  C+
+ POLICE, ADJECTIVE:  A
+ PRECIOUS:  B
+ THE RED DETACHMENT OF WOMEN:  A-
+ A ROOM AND A HALF - C-
+ SWEETGRASS:  B-
+ TO DIE LIKE A MAN:  A
+ TRASH HUMPERS:  B+
+ WHITE MATERIAL:  A-
+ THE WHITE RIBBON: B
+ WILD GRASS:  A+