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In with the old

Catching up with the world at Febiofest

By Steffen Silvis
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
March 21st, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
A pensive moment in Danny Boyle's Sunshine, one of many premieres at this year's annual Febio Film Fest.
For those who lack the time, money or energy for Karlovy Vary, the annual Febio Film Festival makes for a nice alternative. Of course, some of the festival’s “premieres” have been on DVD for months elsewhere on the globe, but so what? You’re at least given a fighting chance to catch up with the times and trends.
As with most Czech festivals, Febio is fractured into innumerable mini-festivals, providing something for everyone. Also, many of the foreign films will have English subtitles, with the parochial exception of the Czech efforts. The following is a mere wisp of a list of films to look out for.
Febio Film Festival

March 22–30 at Anděl and Ponrepo
For a complete schedule, check www.febiofest.cz/en

Sunshine—UK, 2007. Danny Boyle, director. Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Troy Garity and Rose Byrne star. Boyle’s back with his 28 Days Later scriptwriter (novelist Alex Garland) and star (Cillian Murphy) with a beautifully filmed and often gripping sci-fi drama. The end goes a bit pear-shaped, but Sunshine manages to generate heat. Anděl, March 26 at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 9:30 p.m.
Marie Antoinette—USA, 2006. Sofia Coppola, director. Kirsten Dunst, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne and Marianne Faithful star. Coppola’s first effort after her overrated Lost in Translation received very mixed reviews. Still, the brio behind her vision (and soundtrack: Air + Rameau!) cannot be faulted, though her casting of the wooden Dunst can. Anděl, March 24 at midnight and March 28 at 9:30 p.m.

Hollywoodland—USA, 2006. Allen Coulter, director. Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins star. Praised by critics, ignored by audiences, killed at the box office. The mystery surrounding the death of TV’s Superman, George Reeves, may be one of the best American films of last year — not that many Americans knew. Anděl, March 24 at 4:30 p.m. and March 28 at midnight

The Painted Veil—USA, 2007. John Curran, director. Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber star. Rumored to be the closest film version to W. Somerset Maugham’s novel, though it has stiff competition cinematically against Ryszard Bolesławski’s exquisite 1934 version. But word from the critics has been generally very positive. Anděl, March 23 at 4:30 p.m. and March 25 at 7 p.m.
Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno)—Mexico, 2006. Guillermo del Toro, director. One of the most talked-about films of last year arrives with English subtitles. Del Toro is quickly becoming a master to reckon with, as anyone who has seen his superb Devil’s Backbone and Chronos (See below) can attest. Anděl, March 27 at midnight and March 29 at 4:30 p.m.
Other films to look out for include Greek director Theo Angelopoulos’ latest, The Weeping Meadow, with English subtitles (Anděl, March 24 at 2 p.m. and March 27 at 8 p.m.). As for del Toro, there will be a chance to see his 1993 debut, Chronos (Anděl, March 24 at 8:15 a.m. and March 27 at 5:45 p.m.), along with Love in the Time of Hysteria by del Toro’s friend and fellow rising Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, who recently directed the excellent Children of Men (Anděl, March 28 at 3:15 p.m. and March 30 at 8:15 p.m.). Both films will be shown with English subtitles.
Fans of 2001’s marvelous Ghost World are in luck, as director Terry Zwigoff’s new film, Art School Confidential, will get two screenings (Anděl, March 23 at 10:30 p.m. and March 25 at 8 p.m.). Documentary film buffs should try to catch Jerome Hill’s autobiographical Film Portrait (Ponrepo, March 28 at 8 p.m.). Experimentalist and animator Hill was also a great documentarist, with his film on Albert Schweitzer winning an Oscar in 1957.
America’s Comedy Central has finally spawned a film version of the wickedly funny Strangers with Candy, starring Amy Sedaris, naturally, along with CC’s Stephen Colbert, Sarah Jessica Parker and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Anděl, March 24 at 4:15 p.m. and March 27 at 6:45 p.m.). If your Czech is good, Radek Beran’s new film, The Losers (Chcípáci) sounds promising, with a great cast headed by Jiří Ornest, Anna Geislerová, Matěj Hádek and Pavel Liška (Anděl, March 23 at 2:30 p.m.).

Steffen Silvis can be reached at ssilvis@praguepost.com


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