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The 25th Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival began last night at the Gene Siskel Film Center and continues through Sunday at Columbia College’s Ferguson Theater and the Music Box. As always, the highlights are plentiful and diverse, ranging from quasi-narratives to purely abstract works. In my overview of the festival, I devote more space to the former than the latter; but if I had the room, I would have given greater consideration to Phil Solomon’s Empire, the new pieces by the great Lewis Klahr, and the ineffable work in Saturday’s “Talk About the Passion” program. As it’s difficult to convey in words the visceral appeal of abstract art, perhaps it’s best I left those alone—in any case, I encourage you to check them out. As for purely narrative-driven movies, this week’s issue also has a short review by Andrea Gronvall of Laurence Anyways, the latest by French-Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan (Heartbeats).
Last but not least, Passion,Brian De Palma’s first film in over five years, is getting its Chicago premiere at the Music Box. We would have reviewed it, but the release was announced just before press time. Like most people, I run hot and cold on De Palma, but I can say with certainty that anything by this idiosyncratic filmmaker will not be dull.
