Day 3: Only 3

The day was started with The Impossible, with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.  Based on a true story it follows a young family on vacation in Thailand caught in the terror and mayhem of one of the worst natural disasters in modern times.  Relaxing just a few steps from the beach they are torn from each other and thrown hither and yon, broken, bleeding and half dead.  The magnitude of the suffering is amplified by their seemingly impossible attempt to find each other or to find out what happened.  With a minimum of CGI the actual tidal wave and subsequent ebb and flow of the deadly coastal water reminded me of the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan.  As they try to grab and hold anything they are pushed down in the debris filled water and thrust back up into the air.  It is a tale of determination in the face of monumental confusion and no real avenues of communication.  Outstanding in a cast full of brilliant performances are Naomi Watts and newcomer, Tom Holland.  The Oscars are not out of the question for this impressive opus.

 

The Impossible started late and is almost 2 hours long; coupled with a full half hour LIVE, ON STAGE interview with the lovely Ms. Watts, I ended up missing my next film.  I wandered a bit with my camera.

Later that afternoon I attended The Hypnotist, a Swedish film based on a hit thriller by Lars Kepler.  It’s a fast paced atmospheric examination of a pair of brutal murders with a shocking twist and denouement.  It was directed by Lasse Hallström, who directed one of my favorites from last year’s Fest, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

I finished off the evening with another favorite director, Ferzan Ozpetek.  Magnificent Presence is a ghost story set in a disheveled mansion in Rome.  A young actor-wannabe moves into an old house inhabited by the ghosts of a WWII traveling theatre company.  It is funny and sweet with a dark subplot of jealousy and betrayal.  Wonderful music and period costume add to the feast in this delicious Italian pasticcino.