Invictus details the attempts made by newly elected South African President Nelson Mandela to sooth the divide between the black and white populations of his country by encouraging the national rugby team to win the 1995 world cup. The testament to how truly involving Invictus is lies in the fact I was able to become completely invested in its plot having only a very basic knowledge of Nelson Mandela, a vague idea about the troubles in South Africa at the time and virtually no clue about the rules of Rugby. In spite of this the film becomes absorbing because its themes are universal. Morgan Freeman was clearly born to play Mandela, and his performance captures the man’s warmth, wit and grace almost perfectly, whilst director Clint Eastwood balances this out by reminding us that Mandela was only human and as such has flaws like all men.  The countries division is made very clear at the beginning of the film, and Eastwood develops the film at a steady pace, showing the mild changes of attitudes towards Mandela and thus towards race. Matt Damon gives a good performance as captain of the rugby team and remains strong when the heavy duty of attempting to take his team from underdogs to front runners is put on his shoulders by Mandela. It becomes a powerful film and the build up to the last game become truly gripping and the last scenes nerve wracking. It may not be what you would expect a biopic on Mandela to focus on, but its own original angle is truly fitting to this inspirational figure.

A Single Man is the debut film from Tom Ford, who although is more famously known as a fashion designer than a film director, does a sterling effort delivering a truly emotional and captivating piece of cinema. Set in the late sixties, the film follows Colin Firth as George, a quiet and sensitive academic who as the film begins loses his lover Jim in a car crash.  What follows is George’s painful but dignified grief, not being allowed to attend Jim’s funeral because of the resentment of his family, to the slow realisation that his world was Jim. The film details Georges slow detachment from the world around him, a world now devoid of the love of his life sends George into a quiet depression as he begins to plan his own suicide. Firth’s portrayal of George is outstanding a truly career defining performance, he shows Georges intelligence, his calm demeanour, his appreciation of life and beauty perfectly, whilst always lacing it with an edge of sadness and despair. Scenes with Julianne Moore who plays old lush Charley are dynamic, whilst scenes with him flirting with his young student played by Nicholas Hoult are exciting and playful.  George’s pain really resonates off the screen and is felt by the audience throughout the film. As you would expect from a fashion designer, every element of the film is meticulous preened resulting in amazing set pieces and decor, realistic costumes and scenery, and a fantastic score to accompany the acting.  The film does not set out to examine attitudes about homosexuality in late 1960’s America, but it certainly does address many of the difficult issues en route. The end result is a very admirable and emotional film with the highlight most definitely coming from Firths vulnerable portrayal of a grief stricken man and the beauty he still finds in life after such a terrible and crippling loss.

The Lovely Bones comes courtesy of Peter Jackson, and is based on the bestselling novel by Alice Sebold. Set in the1970’s it tells the story of 14 year old Susie Salmon and how she is murdered by one of her neighbours. Susie becomes trapped in a place between death and the afterlife, a magical world full of colour and imagination. However, Susie realises she only remains in this place because her murderer goes unnoticed and justice for her death has not been gained.  She sets about trying to give clues to her grieving parents from ‘the inbetween’ world so that she can prevent her killer from striking again and find peace in the afterlife. The Lovely Bones begins as a very bright and fun film, Susie is portrayed as girl with a lot of zest and imagination who comes from a warm and loving family.  The sudden and terrifying nature of her death makes the shock all the more resonant, and the audiences attachment to Susie really propelled my involvement in the plot. Stanley Tucci is really the star of The Lovely Bones, playing serial Killer George Harvey, a quiet and assuming neighbour pleasant to others and totally devoid of suspicion. He conducts himself in such a stiff and affable way to his neighbours and yet in private we see his cold blooded psychotic nature as he sets about planning his next murder.  It’s a truly chilling performance that shows an outwardly friendly and civil man who has a vicious and evil obsession lurking beneath. The imagery of Susie’s world is also spectacularly animated, and although the story has a few kinks, The Lovely Bones emerges as a solid and intriguing piece of cinema.

Crazy Heart stars Jeff Bridges as washed up country singer Bad Blake, a man struggling to make ends meet whilst battling the many demons in his life. He travels the southern states playing whatever venues he can, piano bars to bowling alleys, all the while scrounging for his next drink or one night stand with women who remember him from his heyday. That is until he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and young single mother working as a journalist to whom he takes a shine to. Blake becomes ever entwined in her life, becoming fond of her 4 year old son and through her he starts to take responsibility for his mistakes (being a negligent father) and face up to his drinking problems. He even begins to write music again for his young protégé, with whom he has deep resentment for eclipsing his career. The movie has a laidback pace and no major emotional moments or events, but Bridges performance as Bad Blake is almost effortless, he transforms into this likeable but flawed individual so comfortably on screen and really portrays his charm but vulnerability in a subtle and engaging fashion.  It’s truly Bridges performance you will remember long after the film finished alongside the catch country songs written specifically for the film.

“Order of Chaos” chronicles the duplicitous relationship between a naive attorney (Coiro) and a neighbor-colleague (Ventimiglia) and their fierce competition to move up in the firm and get ahead in life.

Starring Rhys Coiro (TV’s “24″ and the upcoming films, “MacGruber,” “30 Days of Night: Dark Days” and “Straw Dogs”), Milo Ventimiglia (“Rocky Balboa,” “Gamer,” TV’s “Heroes” and “Gilmore Girls”), Samantha Mathis (”American Psycho,” “Broken Arrow,” “Pump Up The Volume”), Susan Ward (”Wild Things 2,” TV’s “Make It or Break It” and “Sunset Beach”), Maggie Kiley (”We Own The Night”) and Mimi Rogers (”Austin Powers,” “Lost In Space,” “Ginger Snaps,” TV’s “The X-Files”).
Written and directed by Vince Vieluf.

Q&A with cast and filmmakers after the Friday and Saturday 7:40 p.m. shows.

Back on DVD from Cinema Epoch!
After an 8 month censorship battle Shane Ryan’s “Amateur Porn Star Killer 2” has returned to DVD. If you’ve been trying to find a copy order now before your freedom of speech is burned.

On DVD Today from Cinema Epoch!
Cinema Epoch releases 5 new films for February 9, 2010. “Night Of The Flesheaters,” “Boobs: An American Obsession,” “When Soldiers Cry,” “Chuck Lidell’s Girls Fight Club” and “Tito Ortiz’ Girls Fight Club.” Get your copies today at Amazon, Deep Discount, Best Buy, and most available retailers.

Links
http://cinemaepoch.com
http://alteregocinema.com/Features/AMATEUR2.html
http://orderofchaosmovie.com/
http://www.whensoldierscry.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1479183/
http://www.girlsfightclub.net/

To begin  a new year,  I aim to have a look back over the best releases from the past month and highlight some great films to keep an eye out for. For January my top picks would have to be The Road, It’s Complicated, Up in the Air and Precious.

The central story of The Road is fairly bleak, focussing on a Father and Son (who remain nameless throughout) attempting to survive in post-apocalyptic times on the dying Earth. The event which has wiped out the majority of civilisation and all the wildlife is unseen on screen; the films main concern lies with how the two survive a now endless winter. The premise and realisation of the film appears fairly stripped, characters with no names coping with an event that is not seen. Further to this there’s a very limited storyline, the two are attempting to make it to the coast where hope supposedly lies. Stripped of major twists or big action scenes, it becomes very much about a dying fathers love for his child and the extent he will go to in order to keep him from harm. It’s touching, and the turmoil of the Father character is really where the depth of The Road lies. There is something eerily beautiful about the images of the dying planet, they are quietly understated and the stark silence of the landscape creates a tension and intensity within the film. Scenes in which the two try and out run cannibalistic gangs that roam the land are some of the most gripping moments of the film, though they are sadly few and far between, perhaps to stop The Road from crossing over into Horror film. If the prospect of the world ending and how those individuals still left alive get by intrigues you then definitely give this film a viewing. Be warned though it does make for grim viewing in parts.

If laughter and romance is what you need to warm these cold winter nights, then why not try Nora Ephrons latest rom com It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep as Jane,  a successful bakery owner and doting mother who undertakes a regrettable fling with her ex husband.  The film has several strong points that elevate it from run of the mill rom com into a much more fun and memorable affair. Meryl plays Jane as both likeable yet vulnerable; it’s easy to empathise with the tricky love triangle she creates with her ex and new on the scene love interest the extremely lovable and fragile Steve Martin. Streep has fantastic chemistry with her ex played by Alex Baldwin, who perhaps due to his part in successful sitcom 30 Rock has really found his niche as a terrific comedy actor. He uses his hulking size and demeanour combined with a bumbling pompous charm to great comedic effect in It’s Complicated, much to the point you relish the moments he’s on screen more than anything else in the film. It’s also a film with some fantastic sets and scenery, from Jane’s picturesque home to the idealistic bakery; it’s easy to fall in love with the affluent lifestyle of the characters. It’s an easy story that roles along nicely due to the strength of its cast, and the rom com expertise of Miss Ephron. It is perhaps Meryl Streeps reputation (and deservedly so) as the most prominent and successful actress of our time that gives the film credence and mileage.

However if your looking for a love story that’s a little bit more offbeat, than why not try George Clooney’s latest, Up in the Air. Clooney oozes charm all over the screen without ever seeming sleazy or unappealing, which is difficult to do when starring as a man whose job it is to fire people. He works for a ‘middle man’ company which businesses hire to come in when they have to let employees go but can’t quite handle the confrontation themselves. In steps Clooney to carry out the dirty work. A task which most other humans would find excruciating, Clooney character tackles effortlessly, transforming the painful task of ruining someone’s life into looking like a fresh new adventure for the individual. It’s begrudgingly admirable and thrilling to watch him weave his magic. His character is also in a league of his own when it comes to being non committal. He spends the most part of the year travelling the country for work, describing his home as being on an airplane, the place he is happiest. Living mostly in hotels his only ambition in life is to accrue loyalty memberships and enough air miles to join and exclusive club. He lives by one night stands from city to city and seems to have no relationships or bonds to anyone. As if the fact he has no real home doesn’t render him unattached, he also lectures in seminars that encourage others to get ahead in business by losing all possible baggage. However his own livelihood and lifestyle is threatened by a cocky newcomer in the form of an overly confident and far reaching graduate Natalie (played superbly by Anna Kendrick) trying to revolutionize Clooney’s industry. Thus he is lumbered with her as he shows her the ins and outs of what he does. Simultaneous to this, he meets his female mirror image, a woman who also lives an unattached lifestyle travelling round the country. As the two lives increasingly intermingle, begins to rethink his life. Up in the Air is a little bit similar to About a Boy, it has a ‘no man is an island’ undercurrent running throughout, and acts as a touching, humorous but also painful lesson in what happens when you stop flying solo .Although it would be easy to stand back and judge Clooney’s character as cold, his non committal lifestyle is not borne out of distain for domesticity, it’s merely a boyish mind frame. It’s a great film, both slick and charming, well written and with a cast that is on top form.   

Perhaps though the most powerful release in January has to be precious (based on the novel Push by Sapphire). This film tells the troubling story of a young, overweight black teenage girl, named Precious, and the difficult upbringing she has had and the current predicament she finds herself in.  The film makes for very difficult watching; it covers such harrowing topics as domestic abuse, incest, rape, inner city poverty and the rise of the AIDS virus of the late eighties.  The film tackles such weighty issues in a stark and unrelenting fashion, it pulls no punches and presents the harsh realities of Precious’s life in a shockingly bold manner. At times viewing becomes uncomfortable, disturbing even in parts, yet there is a glimmer of hope and determination in the character that becomes really endearing and inspiring. When dealing with such serious themes and heavy issues, the story can become difficult to digest, but I thoroughly recommend watching this film because it does have a hopeful message, and has some terrific acting from both its lead and its supporting cast, particularly Mo’Nique as the damaged, bitter and abusive mother. There is a scene toward the end that is so raw and engaging you’ll be hard pushed to find a better ten minutes of cinema through the rest of 2010.

One of the contenders for best film of 2009 has to be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a lovingly told story with some visually impressive computer imagery. Starring Brad Pitt as the lead, this simple tale explores the life of a man born with a unique defect that causes him to age backwards. Benjamin Button truly engages the imagination it’s a fairytale for the 21^st century, displaying real heart with fantastic graphics. A definite must see.

Another film I particularly enjoyed was Milk. Sean Penn’s performance really gives this film spark, portraying historical figure Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected into Office in the United States. Penn portrays Milk as a loveable eccentric, flawed but passionate in his cause, never flinching or comprising who he is in the face of adversity. Penn’s performance transforms Milk from simple bio-pic into something endearing and touching.

On the more light and frothy side, the cooking based comedy Julie and Julia was a particularly bright, breezy and fun film with parallel stories starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.  Streep’s larger than life performance as over the top real life personality and celebrity chef Julia Childs practically spills of screen. It’s hard not to get captivated by her lovable foibles, whilst Adams compliments this as the sweet natured and aspiring Julie, a modern day call centre worker who attempts to cook a different dish from her hero Julia’s cookbook every single day. It’s a light hearted affair with plenty of tender moments.

Woody Allens Vicky Christina Barcelona is another great film from 09, telling a love parable of two best friends with very different views on love both falling for the same man. The sun soaked Spanish scenery makes this a very pleasant film on the eyes, but it’s truly Penelope Cruz’s fiery performance as the volatile and sultry ex wife that steals the show.

This was also the year Tarantino released a war film in the form of Inglourious Basterds. Complete with his usual mix of violence and strong female characters, Tarantino mixes scenes of true tension with outbreaks of humour. It’s Christopher Waltz performance as the ‘jew catcher’ that really makes this film worthwhile though. It’s both charming and menacing, making his every appearance on screen subtly chilling yet mesmerising.  And on the subject of great performances, it would be criminal not to mention Mickey Rourke’s portrayal of a washed up eighties icon in The Wrestler. It’s tragic but touching, as Rourke plays Randy ‘The Ram’ a man whose life has revolved around wrestling at the expense of family or relationships. You may have no interest in wrestling but I guarantee you’ll still find this film hugely involving, a testament to how fitting Rourke is for the role.

 2009 also provided a few must see horror treats. My personal favourite would have to be the terrific Paranormal Activity, a low budget, simplistic film that packed plenty of tension and chills. Despite its no thrills plot revolving around one normal suburban couple setting up a handheld camera to capture ghostly goings on, Paranormal Activity blurs the line with voyeurism so successfully it feels spookily real. The frightening nature of the escalating events will have you hiding your eyes behind your hands as it builds to a tension fuelled crescendo. Equally fantastic is Swedish vampire film Let The Right One In, which puts a fresh spin on the vampire franchise of late by making the central ‘villain’ a 12 year old girl. This film displays some real touching moments as the vampire child struggles to cope out in the world alone, befriending a bullied school kid neighbour who helps her in her plight. The relationship between the two makes for intriguing viewing, with the most outstanding scene involving what really happens when a vampire crosses your threshold uninvited. It’s captivating viewing, and the backdrop of a snow covered, icy cold Swedish landscape adds to the stark and foreboding feel of the film. Other highlights for me include Zombieland and Drag Me to Hell. These films really bring the humour into horror. Where Paranormal Activity has shocks, Zombieland and Drag Me to Hell have laughs. They offer their own little post-modern lampooning of the genre without crossing over into silly or spoof.

It would be difficult to talk about great films of the last year without also mentioning James Cameron’s latest offering Avatar. This is a Blockbuster of epic proportions, with jaw dropping computer effects that are particularly astonishing in 3D. It’s a sweeping tale of love and war on a distant planet that really comes to life through the computer imagery and technology. The story isn’t anything particularly mind blowing, but the special effects certainly are.

I’ll also remember 2009 for the progression made in family films, with some beginning to appeal more so to adults than children. Disney Pixar exceeded themselves with Up, which I would argue is perhaps their finest offering ever and perhaps even the best film of the year. Up blends so many themes and stories together effortlessly that by the end of it I felt like I’d been on a journey. It’s heartbreaking, it’s action adventure, it’s comedy. The transition from one to another is so seamless that Up truly deserves all the praise it gets. It’s the tale of one curmudgeonly pensioner trying to honour the life long dream of his late wife and getting much more than her bargained for. I also thoroughly enjoyed the stop animation treat that was Coraline, the closest thing to a subversive kids film there’s been in many years. Corlaine is a modern day nightmarish fairlytale, the story of one troublesome little girl whose ungrateful for the life she has. She then finds an alternate and ideal version of reality through a secret door in her house, only to discover there’s a price to be paid for such perfection. It’s menacing and beautifully animated and lacks the saccharine edge so many other family films are dripping with. Similarly is Fantastic Mr Fox, a fairly heavy and atmospheric stop motion animation that’s perhaps a little too adult in it’s themes and dialogues for children. The animation has great charm though and the banter between the characters makes for fun viewing.

And the final film I’d like to recommend is my own guilty pleasure, 500 Days of Summer. As a fan of Romantic Comedies this film was the breath of fresh air the genre so desperately needed. It has quirk, it has humour, but best of all it has imagination and the two leads play their parts at just the right amount of quirk that they become likeable and engaging. I personally find it slightly reminiscent of Annie Hall, it certainly pushes the boundary of what has come to be expected in this genre and hopefully Hollywood will take note and produce more classics in the same vein.

Benjamin Button in my opinion is the much much stronger of the two, and this is because the love story isn’t the central theme of the movie, it’s more about Benjamin’s journey and how he copes with his own strange yet remarkable condition in which he physically ages backwards. He is born a baby trapped in an old mans body and grows backwards from old age to adulthood to adolescence etc. Apart from anything else the film is aesthetically arresting, the CGI is unbelievable; it’s visually spectacular to gawp at the elderly Benjamin. It’s also a story that parallels the historic moments of the past century alongside Benjamin’s growth, from World War Two through to the moon landings. It also has some fantastic side characters such as the Benjamin’s endearing Mother, the hilarious boat captain and Tilda Swinton’s turn as a stiff cheating wife engages in midnight rendezvous with an anamoured Benjamin. Then of course at the heart of the film is his fated love affair with Cate Blanchett’s character Daisy, who strikes up a friendship as a child with the elderly Benjamin. They grow closer as the pair head towards midlife and meet at a cross roads in which physically they are the same age and finally romance blossoms. It’s a fantastic tale of impossible love with great imagination and full of interesting, humorous side characters. Of course the great sadness of this tale is that as Daisy grows older eventually becoming a dying pensioner, Benjamin grows younger digressing into childhood. Simply put, there time together is limited and thus there love is doomed. It is touching though to see the elderly Daisy care for Benjamin as he becomes a disillusioned child, unable to recall his memories or identity. It’s a story tinged with sadness, but with hope. Fantastic things are possible and Benjamin Button is both an inspiring story and an inspired piece of film making.

Similarly, The Time Travellers Wife is a story of impossible love due to Eric Bana’s character Henry having an inexplicable genetic condition that causes him to vanish and travel through time without control of where he might end up (and to further complicate it, naked every time he reappears). Rachel McAdams plays his struggling wife Claire who has great difficulty dealing with his condition. He can vanish at any point without warning and thus visits Claire throughout her life, starting as a child and putting the wheels of their future life together in motion. The problem with this film is it all gets just a little bit tricky. The many instances of jumping back and forwards through his life span gets confusing to watch. The pair first meet when Claire is a child, and this is only because later in the story the adult Claire has a chance meeting with Henry and tells him that later in his life he vanishes in time and meets her as a child. But would this have happened had she not said? It becomes very ‘what came first, the chicken or the egg?’ and pondering too long distracts from the film and really baffles the brain. It becomes hard to become fully engaged because the logistics of Henry’s condition cause a distance to really believing their ‘great love’. Not enough time is spent showing the pair as genuine lovers, there are few intimate moments and the depth of the relationship is never truly explored. It is more like we as an audience must just take the film makers word for it. There simply wasn’t enough warmth or fun moments shown to convince me they have the same love as say Blanchett and Pitt in Button, or Kate and Leo in Titanic. A little more time spent on this and little less on the ins and outs of time travel would have made this a far stronger affair.

I would still recommend a viewing of The Time Travellers Wife because the story has originality and innovation, even if portraying it on screen becomes a little bit confusing sometimes. Benjamin Button I recommend whole heartedly, its simply one of the finest films of the year.

However the critically acclaim surrounding new release The Hurt Locker certainly made me want to give this genre another chance. I knew that The Hurt Locker would not be an easy watch, no war film ever is, but I never bargained for how engaging it would be. From start to finish a palpable level of tension exists that has you gripped. The camera work seems to place us right in the midst of the situation, the footage appears raw and real. The film follows a particular Army bomb squad unit who have recently acquired a new leader, the seemingly renegade Sergeant William James who has a flagrant disregard for protocol and a thirst to get in amongst the danger. This unsettles his team immensely as James takes increasing risks and pushes his squad closer and closer to the edge. At the beginning a quote flashes on screen that states ‘war is a drug’. If this much is true then James is an addict, one who becomes increasingly too involved, reckless and cavalier in his approach. The film doesn’t have a narrative as such, just a string of different moments from the last 38 days before leave. It details suicide bombers, ambushes and quieter moments back at the barracks where the soldiers spend their personal time. It paints a picture of nervous soldiers each coping in there own individual ways with the pressures of a seemingly impossible task; trying to bring order and peace to an area rife with insurgents keen to cause chaos. There are some truly horrendous and stark images in this film, ones that truly bring the horrors of war to your straining and protesting eyes. Although it has no outward political message, the underlying current for anyone watching is that the war in Iraq is an unmitigated mess.

I can appreciate the great efforts put into this film to make it as real and as stark as possible. Every piece clicks together to really place you alongside the soldiers in action, and feel the tension every time they embark on a mission. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to see an accomplished piece of film making that truly rams the hell of war into the consciousness. You may have to have strong nerves and resolve though to sit through the two and a half hour running time though, especially when the onslaught on the senses is as full on and gripping as The Hurt Locker.

Set in a non-specific, war-torn country, Ana’s Playground is an examination of children living and dying in a world of armed combat. Told through the eyes of 11 year-old Ana, the story opens on a group of children playing soccer surrounded by the signs of conflict. When their soccer ball is kicked into a sniper zone, Ana is sent in to retrieve it. Once inside, a dangerous game of cat and mouse ensues, as Ana becomes the sniper’s target. Connected through the power of sport, the characters all listen to the same professional soccer game which plays in the background. Viewers will be kept guessing as to how the story will reach its ultimate conclusion — will their games end up in harmony or tragedy?

“Ana’s Playground is an allegory about the moment a child is forced to choose between humanity and ideology,” said filmmaker Eric Howell. “The film is not a political statement about a particular war or conflict, instead it directly examines the delicate nature of a child’s humanity and how the world at large is connected to and responsible for preserving it.”

The objective of Ana’s Playground is to raise awareness about war-affected children by communicating with the largest audience possible about these kids’ lives – also providing information about organizations working to make the lives of war-affected children better.

“Ana’s Playground powerfully communicates the effects of armed conflict on children trying to play” said Johann Koss, president and CEO of Right to Play. “The film’s conclusion will resonate with viewers leaving behind a powerful message audiences will be unable to forget.”

Raven Bellefleur, an eleven year-old actress plays Ana, leading an all-Minnesotan cast, and producers Marsha Trainer and Jillian Nodland worked hard to pull together and organize resources to shoot the film in one cold November week in the Twin Cities.

With a background that demonstrates a balance of studio films and independents, writer-director Eric Howell is on a mission to raise awareness for short films, but also the plight of war-affected children around the globe. Early in his career, Howell developed his directing skills by working as a stuntman/coordinator on numerous feature films including North Country, Joe Somebody, Fargo and A Simple Plan as well as hundreds of TV commercials and music videos. Howell has directed several short films as well as various episodic television projects. He continues to work in the industry writing and developing his own material.

“Our hope is that Ana’s Playground will entice audiences to explore more of the exceptional film work being done in the short film category,” said Howell. “Short films are covering ambitious subject matter and the quality of the final product looks like what audiences have grown to expect from feature-length films. Short films have simply never had the same kind of exposure. So we’ll continue to get the word out and let more people in on the secret.”

The filmmakers are interested in partnering with corporations, foundations and individuals who can help sponsor Ana’s Playground at film festivals and screening events to help audiences learn more about war-affected children and organizations helping them.

Production
Production of Ana’s Playground was made possible entirely through charitable donations. George Lucas’s Skywalker Sound provided all sound engineering post-production; and the Coen brothers’ latest production A Serious Man donated much of the physical set support. A long list of other industry insiders also shows up in the film’s credits.

Awards
Ana’s Playground has won awards at three of the past four film festivals it has screened at including “Best Short Drama” at the 2009 New Hampshire Film Festival, “Best Short Film” and “Best of Fest” at the 2009 Norwich International Film Festival (Norwich, England) and ‘Best Short Film” at the Cenflo Film Fest. Ana’s Playground is based on a script that also won the best screenplay award at the 2006 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival.

For details on the film Ana’s Playground or more information about war-affected children, child soldiers and the organizations that support them, visit: www.anasplayground.com.

(Bellevue, WA – October 23) – Great wealth has its side effects – good and bad – for generations to come. A filmmaker’s documentary about her East Coast, “old money” family will screen at the 2009 Ojai Film Festival in sparkling color and candor. Beyond Greenaway: The Legacy is directed by former Southern California film producer Sue Gilbert and revolves around her family’s private-island home in Connecticut, which they named Greenaway Island.

“Though you’ll see our ‘rich & famous lifestyle,’ I am much more interested in revealing the complications of wealth and the values we’ve inherited,” says Gilbert. “None of my family lives on Greenaway Island anymore, but I was curious about what my siblings and I left behind there, what we still carry with us, and the values we’ve passed on to our children. I also wanted to explore the legacy we can’t shake – how other people often treat us.”

Says Gilbert, who turns the camera on herself at times, “This film is my ‘coming out’ as a rich person. Like so many in my shoes, I prefer to create the illusion of a simpler lifestyle because showing my wealth makes me vulnerable.” In Beyond Greenaway, one of Sue’s brothers admits that heading off opportunists is “an occupational hazard,” and a niece asks to be seen for who she is – “hopefully.”

Interspersed throughout the film are Mr. and Mrs. Gilberts’ frank – and sometimes eyebrow raising – comments about wealth, the servant class, LSD therapy, and the imminent decline of American democracy into socialism “where we will all be slaves.” In the extremity of paranoia, Mrs. Gilbert concocts a plot to kidnap President Nixon for being too liberal.

Visually, the film is a rich tapestry of family movies and photos, recent interviews in family homes, and footage shot nearly 30 years ago when Sue produced Greenaway, an award-winning documentary about her parents’ vanishing way of life. Decades of private footage allow you to witness family holidays and adventures that include sailing, acting, television appearances, sword fighting in period costume and airplane aerobatics.

Beyond Greenaway is a penetrating study of bold souls not afraid to reveal their personal and family triumphs, frustrations, failures and abundant love for each other. The younger Gilberts’ humor, humility and derring-do help balance the darker side of their wealth – aspects that may never have occurred to the elders who proudly left them that money.
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Ojai Film Festival Screenings & Filmmaker Q & A:
November 6, 5:30 p.m. Matilija Auditorium; 703 El Paseo Road &
November 8, 12:30 p.m. Ojai Art Center Theater; 113 S Montgomery Street

Visit the official website here