The Cleveland International Film Festival began in a whirlwind of activity for me. I left work at 5pm on Thursday, raced home to quickly change and grab a bite to eat. Thursday was opening night with a one time showing of the movie Lightbulb and a party after. It was the first time I think I’ve ever intentionally wore a dress to a movie theater!
Lightbulb was a pretty cool flick based on Producer and Screenwriter Mike Cram’s own life. The movie dealt with the constant struggle and fight to succeed and stay motivated when the chips, no pun intended, are down.
Yet throughout the film, I couldn’t help but constantly think the main character looked strikingly similar to the late John Ritter of 3’s Company.
Unfortunately this was a one time screening of Lightbulb.
The after party was a lot of fun. There were SO many people at the party! The drinks were great, the food was great, and the company was excellent! Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures at the party, so you’ll just have to believe me, it was a great time. Oh, and we all received a Homer Simpson talking bottle opener too!
I saw two movies Friday evening. I actually was at the Tower City Cinema for nearly 6 hours last night! Bill Guensler who spoke prior to both movies commented on this first Friday’s opening has been the largest in film fest history!
The first movie I saw, It’s Not Me, I Swear! WAS GREAT!! I recommend seeing this movie if you can. I loved everything about it. The film description in the film guide says, ‘you’ll laugh and you’ll cry.’ And boy was that right, I laughed and I cried.
This is a French film with English subtitles. The movie follows Leon, a young boy growing up in Quebec during mostly, the summer of 1968. The film deals with selfishness and selflessness, family dynamics both good and bad, and the creative and imaginative lives of children. I don’t want to give a way too much of the details on this movie, but please check it out! You will not be disappointed.
This movie is showing again on Sunday March 22 at 9:15AM as well as Monday March 23 at 11:30AM. Use the code ITSN22 for Sunday’s showing and ITSN23 for Monday’s showing.
The next movie I saw was Gomorrah. I was super stoked to see this because it’s about the Italian organized crime in Naples. If you have been following any news recently, NPR recently posted a story about the Mafia’s growing control over Southern Italy due to the world-wide economic situation. Check it out at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101934010
This movie was pretty good, very long, but pretty good. I was expecting this movie to sell out and have a demand for a second showing! The theater was filled, but it didn’t seam like the movie was as in demand as It’s Not Me, I Swear.
This movie had several subplots all surrounding the entire Camorra crime cartel. I am a loser when it comes to violence in movies, so there were several time my hand was bracing to cover my eyes throughout the movie, but overall it was not gory.
This movie, in my opinion, really shows another different side of Italy that has been glorified. It really shows that not everyone is living in a nice area, on a villa. People struggle, live in the projects, and sometimes resort to violence and crime to make money.
The movie was shot well, but at times was hard to follow, especially when the subplots where placed against a similar color background. Overall, it was a great movie, I’m not sure I’d see it again, but the drama and the true human face and very real situations shown throughout the film was worth the 2+ hours.
Unfortunately, this was a one screening only movie. So you’ll have to seek it out online or somewhere else!
Next up for me: Today I'm excited to see Children of Invention at 7:30PM. This movie is about making it big fast, immigration and once again a closer look at family dynamics. Check it out at 7:30PM TONIGHT (SATURDAY MARCH 21, CODE: CHIL21) or Tomorrow morning, at 9:20AM (SUNDAY, MARCH 22, CODE: CHIL22).
Tomorrow I want to check out The Miracle of Berlin! I am very excited about this because I love Berlin and I love this history of Berlin. Check it out at 9:25PM tomorrow night (SUNDAY MARCH 22, CODE MIRA22).
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