Musings of an Idiot

In Search of a Midnight Kiss

I just got back from watching 'In Search of a Midnight Kiss' at the festival - it is a charming little movie. What works in it's favor is the leads - both of them have a palpable chemistry which lights up the screen. The editing was nice and had a good rhythm plus it was elegantly shot. There are a few rough spots here and there but I am not complaining - it was a nice experience and it was a gentle story.

Last night I went to the opening night movie 'Apron Strings' a NZ movie and it was a weird experience. The movie was beautifully shot and looked great but the story as a whole never really got going. There were some individual performances that really stood out but the basic problem was with editing - the movie had no sense of rhythm or beats. It had moments of brilliance but then it would just loose it the next moment. I started wondering if I disliked the movie because it is a NZ movie but the fact is that I some of my all time favorite movies like 'In My Father's Den'; 'Out of the Blue' are NZ movies so that logic doesn't hold - I just didn't enjoy Apron Strings as much as I would have liked to. The standout last night though was Roseanne Liang's short film 'Take 3' which played just before Apron Strings. The short film was brilliant and funny and had a real heart to it. No amount of superlatives that I try and write will ever tell you how I fell about that short film - it is beyond words. That short film alone made up for the long evening.

On a positive note - I have been given a place as an observer on a drama directing workshop being conducted by NZFC and SDGNZ to be held in August. There were too many applicants and they could only accommodate a few directors as active participants, so I have been given a chance to observe the workshop - which I think is a brilliant opportunity because I tend to learn more by observing anyway. So all is not lost yet.

I watched 'Sleuth' the other night and it turned out to be an enjoyable movie. The characters are forgettable but the actors in this were amazing - Michael Caine and Jude Law were brilliant in it plus the direction was pretty assured. I was amazed that the play translated well onto the screen.

That's me for now.
Till later,
Amit

Labels: Movies, NZ Film Festival

posted by Amit @ 11:15 PM