Films Listed Alphabetically:A-B • C-E • F-O • P-Z • Special Events
Following, in alphabetical order, are reviews of selected films screening through Thursday, October 18 (though repeat screenings after that date are also noted). For reviews of films screening Friday, October 19, through Thursday, October 25, come back next week to read the second part of our festival coverage.
Benji The entire city convulsed in grief when Ben Wilson—a point guard for Simeon Vocational High School in Auburn Gresham and the top-ranked high school basketball player in the country—was shot to death on the street by a couple of punks in November 1984. This video documentary on his life, death, and legacy was produced by ESPN, whose investment in creating sports heroes tends to work against the story’s inherent tragedy: what makes Wilson’s murder an outrage is that it was so routine, and that young people of promise continue to be gunned down in the streets of Chicago every year. For all the celebration of Wilson’s athletic accomplishments, the most compelling personality in the video turns out to be his mother, Mary, a nurse who made the brave decision to take him off life support, delivered a stunningly dignified eulogy for him at Simeon the following afternoon, and subsequently became a powerful advocate for gun control. Coodie and Chike, best known for their hip-hop videos, directed. —J.R. Jones 79 min. The directors attend the screening. Sun 10/14, 11 AM; Wed 10/17, 6 PM; and Thu 10/18, 8:30 PM.
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Boys Are Us In this Swiss teen drama, two sisters decide to take revenge on boys after the younger one gets her heart broken; they decide she’ll seduce the first naive guy she finds on an online dating service, then dump him as soon as he falls in love. There’s a great film to be made about the impact of online communication on how young people think about sexual relationships and power dynamics in general. Writer-director Peter Luisi offers some insights, particularly in his characterization of the callous older sister, but his flashy narrative conceits—such as having three different actors play the sisters’ mark—prove more distracting than illuminating. In German with subtitles. —Ben Sachs 73 min. Luisi and various cast members attend the screenings. Wed 10/17, 6:15 PM; Thu 10/18, 8:30 PM; and Fri 10/19, 3:45 PM.
The Cleaner As a deadly virus sweeps Peru, a lonely forensic cleaner (Victor Prada) scrubbing down the home of dead woman finds her young son hiding in a closet; the local shelters are overrun with children, so the cleaner takes the boy under his wing. Director Adrian Saba shows a keen understanding of mise-en-scene, using the stark lines of door and window frames to create a visual design reminiscent of a de Stijl painting, and the dystopian setting feels authentic (the constant sound of barking dogs subtly communicates just how few people are left). But the cliched relationship between the man and the boy gradually drowns the film in sentimentality. In Spanish with subtitles. —Drew Hunt 95 min. Saba and Prada attend the screening. Mon 10/15, 8:30 PM; Tue 10/16, 5:45 PM; and Fri 10/19, 4 PM.
The Exam Director Peter Bergendy has a rich premise: on Christmas Eve 1957, secret police in Budapest stage an exercise to test one of their prized agents, but in the process they uncover his tryst with a woman who may be a revolutionary soldier. The movie’s mordant critique of a communist police state invites comparison to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others (2006), which dealt with the East German Stasi. But whereas that drama was highly focused, Bergendy tries to incorporate humor, suspense, and romance into an already complex narrative, and the whole film feels undercooked. Nevertheless, the numerous plot twists keep this entertaining, and actor Peter Scherer is terrific in a supporting role as a slimy, opportunistic operative. In Hungarian with subtitles. —Tal Rosenberg 88 min. Sat 10/13, 2 PM; Mon 10/15, 8 PM; and Mon 10/22, 3:45 PM.
Gimme the Loot Small but bursting with energy, this indie comedy follows a pair of teenage taggers from the Bronx over two days as they hustle for the $500 they need to realize their dream of spray-painting the giant apple at Citi Field. Writer-director Adam Leon brings wit and genuine suspense to the various scenes of haggling, scamming, and petty theft. The colorful characters vary in age and class, though to Leon’s credit he doesn’t make a big deal of this; the movie is endearingly relaxed about the homogeneity of modern New York, while its feistiness and street-level detail evoke such Depression-era comedies as Raoul Walsh’s Me and My Gal and Roy Del Ruth’s Taxi! —Ben Sachs 81 min. Leon attends the screenings. Wed 10/17, 8:10 PM, and Thu 10/18, 6:30 PM.
VENUE: River East 21, 322 E. Illinois
ADMISSION: Unless otherwise noted, all tickets are $14 ($11 for students, seniors, and Cinema/Chicago members). A ten-admission pass is $125 ($95 for members), and a 20-admission pass is $240 ($180 for members). Weekday matinees through 5 PM are $5; late shows after 10 PM are $10. Special packages for opening- and closing-night galas.
ADVANCE SALES: In person: Cinema/Chicago, 30 E. Adams, suite 800 (weekdays 10 AM-6 PM) or River East 21 (daily noon-8 PM; beginning October 12, one hour before the first show until the last film has begun). Online: ticketmaster.com/chicagofilmfestival (individual tickets only) or chicagofilmfestival.com. By phone: 24 hours in advance at 312-332-3456; weekdays 10 AM-6 PM.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 312-332-3456 or go to chicagofilmfestival.com.
SPECIAL EVENTS: There are a bunch.
