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Hollywood execs and pr folk have engaged in a rather public display of hand-wringing over the last few weeks. Now (more than ever) they don't know "what the public wants." Are action films ok? Comedy? Drama? What sorts of comedies or dramas? Distractions or salves? Studio heads are acting like the clueless boyfriend who pleads, "Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."

If I might be bold, how about giving us truth? The harsh light of death and mourning has a way of exposing the falseness of so much contemporary entertainment, but it also reveals the brilliance of reality that we sometimes miss.

One of the best things about this year's Chicago International Film Festival (the 37th edition) is how many films grapple with the world around us--reminding us of what it is to be human and all that that entails, confronting us with the reality that we sometimes try to avoid.

In the Bedroom  (Fri., Oct. 12 and Tues., Oct. 16)

Possibly the best example is Todd Field's powerful In the Bedroom. Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson star as a middle-aged couple gracefully growing old. He's a small-town doctor who goes out lobstering with his son every weekend, while she researches Balkan folk songs and directs a college choir. They have good friends and expect life to keep getting better. But a tragic event occurs, and they're forced to deal with a horrible loss. Watching In the Bedroom just two weeks after Sept. 11, it was hard not to think about the thousands of people suddenly thrust into a similar situation. How were they dealing with a life that takes a dramatically unfortunate turn? How would I? The film offers no easy answers, which is one of the reasons why it's true; but Wilkinson and Spacek provide a compelling portrait of a couple struggling with loss and the difficulties of overcoming it. Both performances are staggeringly powerful, Wilkinson's especially so. In the Bedroom is one of those movies that come along at the right time and speak to where we're at.   

Lagaan  (Sat.-Sun., Oct. 13-14)

On the other end of the emotional spectrum but still strangely appropriate is Lagaan. A Bollywood movie with high-end production values, it tells the story of an Indian village in the late 19th century. Suffering from a three-year drought, they're unable to pay their taxes to the British. The local captain, a pompous tyrant, challenges them to a wager. If the village can defeat him and his soldiers in a game of cricket, he'll wave their taxes for the next three years. But if the British win, the village must pay three times the normal amount. The villagers, led by the ruggedly good-looking Bhuvan (played by Aamir Khan), accept the challenge though they've never played before. Helped by the captain's beautiful sister (who has a thing for Bhuvan), the village assembles a rag-tag team of players, including a crazy fortune teller, a young boy, the local Muslim, and a crippled Untouchable. On paper, I'm sure that sounds trite and predictable, but Ashutosh Gowariker directs with tremendous grace. The various love affairs and song-and-dance numbers (a staple of Bollywood movies) are seamlessly integrated into the cricket-match plot; and the game itself, which takes up the film's final hour, is genuinely gripping, even for the uninitiated (this writer included). This is a feel-good film that earns its sentiment, and a movie that points towards a common brotherhood without being preachy.   

Domestic Violence  (Sat., Oct. 13)

The strongest documentary I saw in this year's festival was Frederick Wiseman's new work, Domestic Violence. Shot largely in a Tampa Bay shelter for victims of domestic violence and their families, it follows Wiseman's trademark style of setting up the camera and recording people talking. No voice-overs and little attempt at constructing a linear narrative. Instead, he gathers the perspectives of a wide variety of people to shed light on a particular social institution. In this case, that means the cops, the women who've suffered the abuse, the counselors working with them, and the kids. Only in a couple cases do we see the actual abusers and then only briefly. Like almost all of Wiseman's films, the resulting portrayal is powerful. Many of the stories are horrifying, and the accumulating details present a disturbing picture of a part of life we often never care to see.   

Runaway  (Sat., Oct. 13)

Intentionally or not, this Iranian documentary feels a lot like a Wiseman work. It's about runaway girls in Iran and a center that takes them in and tries to reunite them with their families. Made by the same people who did Divorce Iranian Style (one of the stronger films of 1999), Runaway is compelling stuff. It's not exactly a great documentary (too much of it feels forced or unfocused), but the scenes when the families come to get their daughters are riveting.   

Hi, Tereska  (Fri.-Sun., Oct. 12-14)

And here's another film that owes a strange debt to Wiseman, particularly his landmark work High School. Hi, Tereska isn't a documentary by any means. Rather, it's the story of a teenage girl in Poland who falls in with the wrong crowd and descends into a life of petty crime and worse. The movie isn't very good actually, but its cinematography--grainy black and white, using hand-held cameras--makes it feel like an early Wiseman documentary, a provocative contrast to its rather lurid story. Fans of Zbigniew Zamachowski (Three Colors: White) might appreciate his role as a pathetic and handicapped lecher.

Lift  (Sat.-Sun., Oct. 13-15)

Much better is this American independent film starring Kerry Washington (who lit up the screen this year in Our Song and Save the Last Dance). She plays Niecy, a successful department store worker who makes money on the side by "boosting." That's short for shoplifting from high-end stores and then re-selling it to her friends and family. She's particularly hoping to make life easier for her distant and hard-to-please mother. While that relationship feels somewhat false, the rest of the movie, particularly her conversations with her boyfriend and grandmother, rings true. And Washington reaffirms her place as a rising star.  

Baran  (Fri., Oct. 12 and Mon., Oct. 15)

Finally, we have two films that continue in their respective country's strong cinematic traditions. Baran, from Iranian director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven), is the tale of a young man who works at a construction site populated by Afghani workers. When he loses his job to one of them, he's initially resentful, but he discovers something that changes his perspective. Told in a simple but powerful style common to the Iranian New Wave, this poignant, humanistic movie is particularly resonant. 

Orphan of Anyang  (Sat.-Mon., Oct. 13-15)

The Orphan of Anyang, from Chinese director Wang Chao making his film debut, is reminiscent of much of new East Asian cinema, particularly Hou Hsaio-hsien's influential work. This one concerns a man approaching middle age who's laid off from his job and so decides to accept the offer of caring for a newborn infant. He meets the young mother, a beautiful prostitute, and they embark on an unusual relationship. The movie is told using long, static takes, with the camera positioned some distance from the characters. The film's glacial pace and distinct lack of movement (narrative or otherwise) will put off many moviegoers; but those patient enough to stick with the story will find their tenacity rewarded, as the movie's latter half builds to a strangely powerful conclusion.  

As I mentioned last week, there are dozens of movies I didn't have a chance to preview. Of particular note are Abbas Kiarostami's new one, "ABC Africa" (Sun., Oct. 14 and Tues., Oct. 16), and Egyptian director Youssef Chahine's "Silence...We're Rolling"  (Thurs.-Fri., Oct. 11-12).

Check out the festival's brochure for other movies that might appeal to you. Tickets range from $6 to $10, depending on whether the movie is a matinee or evening show, and whether it's on a weekend or weekday. Passes for six tickets cost $50.

The Landmark Cinema is located at 2828 N. Clark, and the Music Box Theatre is at 3733 N. Southport. Call 312-332-film for more information, or check out the festival's Web site at www.chicagofilmfestival.com.

by J. Robert Parks 10/27/2001