As they say, all good things must come to an end. The 2009 Tallgrass Film Festival has come and gone. Another year, another successful event Wichita can count among its artistic and cultural highlights. If you were lucky enough to be there, you were no doubt treated to some of the finest films, independent or otherwise, 2009 has had to offer so far.  And we here at TMA Film Journal were right there with you. The following is our collective staff roundup of everything we managed to catch this year:

Day 1 – Friday, October 23

The Missing Person – Directed by Noah Buschel
“The Missing Person” stars Michael Shannon as miserable private detective, John Rosow.  Mired in depression and nostalgia for his days with the NYPD, he’s given a case that shakes up his entire world view.  His task is to tail a man (Frank Wood) from Chicago to Los Angeles, and bring him back to New York.  It turns out that the man is actually a missing person –  one of the thousands presumed dead from the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.  It’s an original piece done in classic film-noir style.

The film’s opening scenes forecast a typical cliched film-noir, hard-boiled detective story complete with the brilliant alcoholic P.I., the dramatic voice-over, shadowy scenery and the overall feeling that everyone’s afraid to turn on a light.  Amy Ryan fills out the cast as the stock seductress with more to her than meets the eye.

Luckily, my initial conceptions turned out to be the result of a disingenuous forecast.  Ryan shakes her archetypal character proving to be more complex and even had me wishing she was in more scenes.  Rosow’s flashback brings a much needed brighter dimension to the story, and deftly conveys the depth of his pain.  He’s a smart ass, uses words like doll face, and can’t stop thinking about his days with the NYPD.  Although he sure seems to have a little too much pain until the narrative gradually reveals the source of his misery (Spoiler Alert!)– his wife was actually a victim of 9/11.

The pacing can be rather slow at times, and even leads to, dare I say, boredom.  It isn’t until the latter third of the film when Rosow accepts that the past won’t change no matter how much he drinks.  Shannon, who seems to be perpetually unhappy, does a good job.  His eyes never open much and his unshakable melancholy pervades the picture.  Overall, the good performances and mildly interesting story make this one worth a rental.  3/5 stars – Reviewed by Brian Gray.

The Only Good Indian - Directed by Kevin Willmott/Opening Night Gala and Afterparty
The Orpheum was packed for opening night’s marquee screening, “The Only Good Indian,” directed by Kevin Willmott.  In attendance was the film’s star, Wes Studi (“Last of the Mohicans,” “The New World”).  Sadly, Studi’s presence may have been the best thing about the screening.  The film itself was a mild disappointment.  I’m no stranger to Mr. Willmott’s work.  His film “The Confederate States of America” (or C.S.A) is excellent and I was hoping for at least the same standard of quality with this effort.  Unfortunately, this talented filmmaker has taken a step backwards.

A young Native American boy (Winter Fox Frank) in Kansas around 1900 is ripped from his family and forced to attend a distant Indian “training” school to facilitate his assimilation into white society.  He escapes but is caught by a fellow Native American turned bounty hunter, Sam Franklin (Studi), who plans to take him back to the school.  As they travel back, Franklin runs into his long time nemesis, Sheriff McCoy (J. Kenneth Campbell), and after a fight, he realizes that the “white man” is doing terrible things to his people and decides to help the boy.

The central premise is compelling but the film wonders away from it too much for me to care.  What began as a dark showcase of how whites destroyed much Native American culture turns into a story of Franklin vs. McCoy, minus the microcosmic metaphor of Native vs. White.  On top of the disorienting narrative, the acting is atrocious, almost as bad as a student film.  The entire cast was plagued with unnatural stiffness and cliche.  The writing may have been just as bad.  Franklin has a sudden character change that makes no sense at whatsoever.  He treats his own people almost worse than the whites do, and within a matter of minutes and without warning, he becomes the sympathetic hero.

I wanted to hear more about the plight of the Native American people. I wanted to know if there were more who felt the same way that Sam did, that their best chance was to live under the rule of the whites. I even wanted to see more correlation between story and the Frankenstein book the boy is reading, but even that went by the wayside.

Despite its considerable flaws, the film was stunningly beautiful.  Filmed in Wichita, Lawrence, and the Topeka/Kansas City area, it really puts the film’s events in proper context (is that an insult to Kansas?).  But beautiful visuals are merely one of many components needed to create a good film.  1.5/5 – Reviewed by Brian Gray.

A Q&A with the director and star followed the screening, but even that proved a little disheartening. When Wes Studi was given the microphone and asked to describe his career, his responses were less than positive.  Although he recovered by turning his statements about his “tanking” career into jokes, a sadness behind his voice told otherwise.  When Kevin Willmott was asked about the film’s marketability, which was a Sundance Film Fest Official Selection, he related his disappointment with the lack of interest from potential buyers/distributors.

Luckily, the melancholy atmosphere was disrupted by a beautifully touching moment, wherein the Native American Association of Wichita presented Studi, a man of the Cherokee Nation, with the Eagle Feather, one of the highest honors a Native American can receive.  His choked up acceptance of the award was a moving experience powerful enough to erase any of the night’s adverse happenings to that point.

Things then moved to the afterparty down the street, which was probably the highlight of the night.  Take me to an open bar serving ice cold bottles of Stella Artois (the sponsor) and I can have a good time regardless of what’s happening around me.  The live music, fun atmosphere, and diverse crowd of movie-lovers couldn’t be beat. The hit of the party were the dessert, uh tables? Men? Men tables?  They were men dressed in drag as kind of kinky Marie Antoinettes in the middle of a table on wheels. The table had all sorts of appetizers and desserts, so when you wanted a piece of cake, one of these guys had to stop and help.

When I was leaving I saw the star of the festival, famed actor Seymour Cassel, who I greeted with a pat on the back, and let him know how big of a fan I was of his. Well the pat on the back happened just as he was stopping and turning, and an innocent fanboy greeting became an apology for spilling his whine all over his hand.  Did I mention it was an open bar with ice cold beer?  Overall, great night.

World’s Greatest Dad – Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait
“World’s Greatest Dad” is a dark comedy starring Robin Williams directed by comedian, Bobcat Goldthwait.  It centers on a single father named Lance (Williams) doing his best to raise his unruly teenage son Kyle (Daryl Sabara) without a mate.  Lance’s dream is to be a famous writer but after repeated rejections from publishers, he realizes the cruelties of reality.  So he settles on struggling along as a poetry teacher at his son’s high school.

He finds a common soul in a fellow teacher, Claire (Alexis Gilmore), and they begin dating, but she refuses to admit they’re relationship.  In short, Lance has seen better days.  But then, tragedy strikes.  Strangely though, this tragedy has the power to deliver Lance all he’s ever wanted — book deals, fame, talk show appearances, etc.  Thing is, the means by which he acquires said good fortune isn’t exactly what you’d call truthful.

I really enjoyed this film, maybe my favorite of the festival.  I have a lot to say about this movie, but I’ll resist the temptation for fear of ruining it, so I’ll keep this short.  Robin Williams turns in a great performance as a funny, yet troubled pushover of a dad.  Daryl Sabara is excellent as the devilish teenager.  The sharp-edged banter between father and son is both hilarious and depressing.  Brilliant.

The dark, often uncomfortable but original story is perfectly complemented by an unbelievable soundtrack that assists the storytelling beautifully.  Though the narrative does have a tendency to drag a bit.  Ok, we get it.  Lance is sad.  Move on.

The film’s greatest asset is its razor sharp social commentary.  It works extremely well in the context of America’s current pop-culture obsessions wherein we have people riding the coattails of dead celebrities, parents exploiting their families for a shot at fame (I’m talking to you, balloon boy, Jon and Kate, Octomom, etc.).  It’s sickening.  But this movie really asks the question, what would you do?  Sure most people would say, oh nothing that would affect my family, but given the chance, could you really say no?  Could you turn down fame and fortune to save your dignity, repuation, pride or family, or would you be willing to lie, and risk it all for your 15 minutes in the limelight?  Regardless of your answer, you must see this movie now.   4/5 – Reviewed by Brian Gray.

Day 2 – Saturday, October 24

Serious Moonlight – Directed by Cheryl Hines
“Serious Moonlight,” directed by the hilarious Cheryl Hines, stars Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Justin Long and Kristen Bell.  Even though it seemed I might be heading to a chick flick, I decided to join my parents for this early morning screening, mainly because it was the most star-driven flick at the festival.

Even though my fears were warranted as it turned out to be a pretty cheesy rom-com (it is a Meg Ryan movie), I was pleasantly surprised.  Ryan plays Louise, a busy attorney who discovers that her husband Ian, (Hutton) is having an affair with the younger Sara, played by Kristen Bell.  After a fight, and learning of his intentions to run away to Paris with his mistress, Louise decides to go to the extreme and duct tape him to the toilet to force them to work out their problems.  Of course, just when she decides to leave for a bit, their house is robbed by Justin Long.  Louise ends up duct taped to the bathroom as well, where she and Ian inevitably tackle the issues plaguing their relationship.  Imagine “Misery” with more cute romance and less psychotic Kathy Bates.

Meg Ryan’s signature cheesy, delusional overacting can be a little grating, but it works like a charm for this movie.  There were times that I just wanted to scream at Ryan because she handled the news of her husband’s adultery comically well, but I had to remind myself that it’s a silly romantic comedy, so turn the brain off and enjoy it.  The film has no intentions of changing the world or even effecting deep thought.  It knows what it is and sells itself well.

It made me laugh and I was never quite sure if Louise was really in on robbery or not.  Overall, it was entertaining, a bit ridiculous, but good fun. So grab the girl you are trying to impress or the guy you want to force to watch a chick flick and enjoy.  3.5/5 – Reviewed by Brian Gray.

Fish Out of Water – Directed by Ky Dickens
“Fish Out of Water” is a controversial documentary made by newcomer Ky Dickens. It centers on the key role the Bible plays in the gay and lesbian marriage rights debate.  Dickens, an openly gay woman, has lived through the discrimination so pervasive in American society, especially within the Bible Belt where she attended university.  Her ultra-conservative sorority sisters would quote several famous passages which evangelical Christians typically use to justify their discrimination against homosexuals.

Instead of simply accepting their assertions that the Bible forbids the practice she decided to intensely scrutinize those verses and, with the help of several Christian ministers and preachers and Bible scholars, draw a fully fleshed out conclusion about what the Bible really says.  What she found is sure to upset the conservative Christian establishment.

I was born and raised Catholic, which as most people know generally means a strong opposition to the gay lifestyle, especially gay marriage. I have since fallen away from the Church, but was hoping to see a representative of my old faith talk about the issue.  As a young Catholic boy, we were always lectured on the teachings of the Bible, but it was interesting to see these verses broken down by representatives of various religions.

The insights into Christianity and homosexuality given by varying clergy members was compelling, but the array of interviews with members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Trans-gender community were heartbreaking.  It was incredibly disheartening to hear the stories of how many of these people want to keep their faith and stay close to God, but so many churches turn their backs on them due to their sexual orientation.  Many of their families have disowned them, and even blamed them for totally unrelated tragedies, simply because of they’re attraction to others of the same sex.

The only thing this film lacked was more opposing views on the subject.  The only real opposition was infamous and universally despised Westboro Baptist Church minister, Fred Phelps, who is just an awful, awful human being, and one other pastor whose only memorable characteristic was that he wore a red shirt.  If a wider pool of religions were consulted and stronger opposing views were presented, then this would’ve been a stellar film.  It had silly animation breaks that helped ease the tension, and break up the monotony of interview after interview.

Hopefully this film can help change people’s minds on the issue of gay marriage. It’s stimulating and thought provoking, and an overall excellent documentary.  Hopefully people can open their minds, not only about this film’s message, but about the plight of oppressed peoples across the globe.  4/5 – Reviewed by Brian Gray.

Gogol Bordello Non-stop - Directed by Margarita Jimeno
Named after 19th century writer Nikolai Gogol, the father of modern Russian realism, Gogol Bordello is a gypsy punk band from Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Led by the eccentric, electrifying frontman, Eugene Hutz, the band is a diverse group of innovative immigrant musicians, primarily from Eastern Europe, famous for their groundbreaking and unapologetically original fusing of traditional gypsy music with British and American punk rock.

Hutz’s compelling story of the power of creativity, hope, and the American dream is told from impoverished beginnings under suffocating communist rule to the freedoms and thriving art-culture of New York City that leads to record deals, headlining festivals, and sold-out world tours.

The film has very little structure outside of that loose storyline, which is told almost entirely through archival footage and contains almost no talking heads or slick production that we might see in a typical documentary.  The music itself and Hutz’s hilarious mustached antics are enough to carry the film.

Though I would have liked to see more interviews with Hutz’s contemporaries and perhaps a stronger narrative structure, the general idea still manages to bubble to the surface.  But a more concrete form with an established goal would have added that extra kick this one-of-kind band deserves.  3/5 – Reviewed by Eric M. Armstrong

Ad Astra Award Presentation – Seymour Cassel/Reach For Me - Directed by LaVar Burton
Legendary Hollywood star and Academy Award nominated actor, Seymour Cassel, received the Tallgrass Film Festival’s highest honor, the Ad Astra Award.  Cassel was on hand to accept it and give a short Q&A preceding a screening of his latest film, “Reach For Me.”  The ceremony kicked off with a beautiful video tribute featuring congratulatory messages from fellow actors including Lacey Chabert, Jacqueline Bisset, and Steve Buscemi, and his adorable grandchildren. When he took the stage to give his thoughts on the acting world, it was apparent from the get-go his love and admiration for the late John Cassavetes, who gave him his start in movies, and was a dear friend.

It was nice to see a man of his stature speak so openly and honestly.  So much so that he almost made me forgot who he was or how many times I’ve seen him on screen.  Cassel seems to really enjoy what he does, and expressed his gratitude for all that he has been given. It was interesting to hear him tell stories of everything from working with a first time director on a small independent film to working with big names like Cassavetes and Wes Anderson. He might not be a “star” and a household name, but he is a legend, and a down to Earth type of guy. His main source of conversation was respect, that’s all he cares about, giving and receiving respect, and its what he deserves.

LaVar Burton’s “Reach For Me” centers on a grumpy old widower named Alvin (Cassel) who’s withering away the remainder of his life at an old folk’s home.  He spends his time talking to his roommate about his penis and how he’d like to get into the pants of every smokin’ hot young sexpot he sees on TV.  His vulgarity and crassness is just a front to prevent the heartache sure to follow if he ever got close to anyone again.

He eventually relents and becomes quite close to a young accident victim and his fiancee, only to have his heart crushed once again when the young man passes.  Alvin must come to grips with life and death and find a way to appreciate what he’s got and enjoy life’s happier moments.

Burton’s direction is low-key, virtually style-less, but sufficient for the material.  Cassel is both endearing and loathsome, but never reaches the brilliance he displays in Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums.”  Johnny Whitworth turns in a passable performance as Alvin’s new roommate, and Lacey Chabert is excellent as his hopeful and tireless fiancee/caretaker.

Many exchanges of dialogue ring false and disrupt the suspension of disbelief, but its pure intentions and refusal to give in to substitute substance with style make “Reach For Me” watchable.  3/5 – Reviewed by Eric M. Armstrong.

Day 3 – Sunday, October 25

Traveling light Shorts
The traveling light shorts were presented as a string of 10 short films meant to be funny, light-hearted counter-programming to the typical brooding, thought provoking films that seem to overflow at independent festivals. It was nice to just sit back and relax and be entertained by short films from all over the world, some funny, and some that made me say, “what the?”

The group’s clear standout was “Official Selection,” a short by local Vincent Masciale. It was simple utterly hilarious.  It was about two guys trying to come up with a short film to enter into film festivals, and neither wanting to submit what the other wants to make.  One wants to make an artsy, deep, thought provoking type, while the other wanted to make an action packed blockbuster style film.  It’s hilarity may have outweighed anything I saw the entire weekend, including features.

Tony Manero - Directed by Pablo Larrain
“Tony Manero” is Chilean film directed by Pablo Larrain starring Alfredo Castro, who also wrote the film.  It’s set in Dictator Pinochet’s communist regime, and deftly portrays the tough times the country was saddled with during that period. Castro, as Raul Peralta, was obsessed with John Travolta’s legendary character Tony Manero from “Saturday Night Fever.”  He would do anything it took to win a look-alike and dance contest, and I mean anything.  He was a sick, and deeply disturbed character, who honestly had no likable qualities — not a single one.  At first it was a bit humorous to see this man, probably around 50, trying to dance like Travolta’s disco king, but about halfway through that novelty wore off.

This film is disturbingly dark — one kids should stay away from.  Raul was dull and emotionless, even while committing murder for something as little as a color TV. “Tony Manero” isn’t without its proponents.  Many critics are raving and it’s even Chile’s official entry into the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film, but I just couldn’t find anything about it to grasp on to. I know it was a dark time for Chile, and that message couldn’t come through any clearer, but there’s got to be something to invest in to really enjoy a film and this one had nothing of the sort. The three female characters had some weird infatuation with Raul, which led to some rather graphic sexual encounters. I’m not sure if it was his dancing that made the three of them want to love him or what, because that was the only semi-positive characteristic he portrayed. He abandoned his family, killed people and did whatever it took to try and make it as Tony Manero. The film was shot using almost entirely dark tones, and it went in and out of focus, probably to continue to portray the world they lived in under Pinochet’s rule. There were plot holes, and nothing good about the protagonist and overall I just didn’t feel like it was a good movie. By the end of it I was just hoping for something bad to happen to these miserable characters, and that usually isn’t a good sign. So pick this DVD up if you want to see what all the fuss is about (especially if it wins an Oscar), but I won’t recommend it. 1/5

Audience Award Winners

Audience Choice Feature Film – Sweet Crude

Beginning with the filmmaker’s initial trip to document the building of a library in a remote village in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, SWEET CRUDE is a journey of multilayered revelation and ever- deepening questions. It’s about survival, corruption, greed and armed resistance. It’s about one place in one moment, with themes that echo many places throughout history.

SWEET CRUDE shows the humanity behind the statistics, events and highly sensationalized media portrayal of the region. Set against a stunning backdrop of Niger Delta footage, the film gives voice to the region’s complex mix of stakeholders and invites the audience to learn the deeper story. The issues are local and human, yet they have far- reaching political, environmental and economic implications. It’s a powder-keg situation that affects the daily lives and futures of the people who live there. Left unchecked, its consequences will be felt around the globe. Yet barely anyone outside the Delta knows what’s really happening.

Audience Choice Short Film – Lost Paradise

A man and a woman are tenderly making love in a one star hotel room.  A moment later when they are both dressed up, the idyll that seamed authentic is now gone.  A present-day Adam and Eve story.

There you have it!  The 2009 Tallgrass Film Festival has been another great success.  A victory for the city of Wichita and the whole of independent film.  Great people, great movies, and great fun.  How many world-class events like this will it take before the naysayers accept Wichita as one of the nation’s prime centers of artistic vibrancy?  My guess is, not many more.  Cheers to a great weekend and here’s to another one next year!

Tallgrass Film Festival Official Website