SIFF 2014: Leave work early, see some film
The third weekend of the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival begins on Friday. So if you take off work early (and who wouldn't if you had a chance to see some great movies?), you might want to catch any one, or at least some, of the following suggested views (all quotes come from the SIFF online catalog):
“To Fool a Thief” (Spain), 3:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema Uptown: A heist film that pits two thieves, Sebastian and Natalia, bent on stealing the same work of art. “Nothing is what it seems to be in Ariel Winograd’s crowd-pleasing heist comedy.”
“The Sleepwalker” (Norway), 4 p.m., Harvard Exit: “This intriguing psychodrama from first-time director Mona Fastvold is a dual portrait of two sisters’ very different ways of dealing with the traumas of their shared past, and the high-stakes difficulties of distinguishing personal fiction from reality.”
“The Trip to Italy” (UK), 4:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema Uptown: “The sequel to 2010’s largely improvised ‘The Trip’ finds buddies Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on a driving tour through the Italian countryside, musing on life while indulging in scenic and gastronomic delights.”
“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” (Sweden), 6:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema Uptown: This offering “from actor-turned-director Felix Herngren is one of 2013’s highest-grossing comedies in Sweden. Based on the bestselling novel by Jonas Jonasson, this anarchic film follows the journey of Allan Karlsson (Robert Gustafsson), who yearns to escape from his 100th birthday party at his retirement home.”
“Marmato” (US, Colombia), 7:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema Uptown (also 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Harvard Exit): “Underneath the Colombian village of Marmato lies one of the world’s biggest gold reserves, and the local men risk their lives every day to mine for it. Marmato is a documentary about the foreign investment that caused this corporate gold rush and the individuals who must fight to maintain their way of life.”
“Frank” (Ireland), 9:30 p.m., The Egyptian: Michael Fassbender plays the leader of an avant-garde rock band who hides his genius behind a papier-mache head. Sounds wild.
“Wetlands” (Germany), 10 p.m., SIFF Cinema Uptown: “Unapologetically vulgar and played out with sparkling energy, Wetlands follows fearless teenager Helen’s coming-of-age escapades. Based on Charlotte Roche’s worldwide bestseller.”
“Dead Snow: Dead vs. Red” (Norway), 11:55 p.m., The Egyptian: For the late night, this Norwegian flick follows seven students on a mountain vacation who confront the living dead. “This horror-comedy splatter film sequel is exploding with zombie Nazis, gore, sex, and Molotov cocktails.” What’s not to like?