South By Southwest is largely awesome as a condition of place. Austin is an amazing case study that has much going right. It is a city of filmmakers, lovers and scholars with public and private support. An organization with the most visible influence is the Austin Film Society, which sponsors filmmaker financially through the new Texas Filmmakers Fund (partly funding two strong films I saw – Where Soldiers Come From and Five Time Champion) amongst other initiatives. I think SXSW Film has grown partly because Texas filmmaking has grown. There is a large display of strong work including the festival’s Lone Star States showcase. This is as much a local festival as it a national festival (and shockingly less so an international festival, with very little work from other non-traditional Hollywood funding bodies like Europe).
The flexibility of SXSW to discover new voices is one of their leading strengths. If I had my way there would never be any movie trailers. Walking into a theatre knowing just the running time of the film (if that) is the ideal way to experience any piece of cinema. The badge system of SXSW encourages discovery – not only of new films, but also of new people. Everyone waits in line together, there is no schedule specifically for you, and it works in a way a festival should, by encouraging exploration. There is even an app for that – to paraphrase a popular commercial for SXSW Go – “you’re hungry? What’s playing at the Alamo Drafthouse?”
My experience was shaped largely by just going with it. I had a set schedule that changed when I realized how far apart the venues were and, in one case, my schedule changed because I was invited to the Foo Fighters secret show. Yes, just go with it indeed. Along with Jon Sullivan and Jack Giroux, the other The Film Stage journalists covering the fest, here are our top ten favorite films and a rundown of everything we saw.
The Best
Armadillo
Through Janus Metz Pedersen’s striking compositions, Armadillo is a documentary that doesn’t behave like one. The filmmaker follows Danish soldiers as they set off to any army base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. A brilliant technical and dramatic feat. – John F.
The Beaver (review)
Jodie Foster‘s latest and best directorial effort yet, The Beaver, is a sad, funny and poignant film about depression and isolation. This isn’t just the Mel Gibson show, although he is fantastic as Walter Black, but the film is more so an ensemble piece. All the leads – Foster, Yelchin, and Lawrence – are trying to cope with depression in one way or another. You’d think based on the title that this is solely Walter’s journey, but The Beaver is a representation for all the lead characters. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes for depression and The Beaver is symbolic of that. And yes, Gibson does a fantastic Ray Winstone impression for his anti-shortcut puppet. – Jack G.
Becoming Santa (review)
Being new to the SXSW experience, I had assumed that the movies I would be watching would be weird or dark or just completely out there. So when I saw the documentary Becoming Santa about the process of becoming a professional Santa, I was completely taken aback. This doc was so sweet it gave me a toothache and after watching it, I had a giant grin on my face that was difficult to get rid of. This is a must-watch for any Christmas junkie and it will open your eyes at just how intense becoming a Santa Claus really is. – Jon S.
Beginners (review)
A beautiful experimental narrative with Ewan McGregor as a graphics designer whose father was a closeted homosexual for most of his life. Upon his death, McGregor grapples with the death in terms of images – much like cinema. – John F.
Blacktino (review)
Aaron Burns’ Blacktino is a warm and hilarious teen comedy, revolutionary in its examination of identity and friendship. It contains the hallmarks of teen films that have come before it, a crowd-pleaser so frank it reduces the minority to its smallest unit: the individual with rich humanity. – John F.
Detention (review)
Detention is messy, loud, and at times completely insane, but as much as I loved the other movies at SXSW, this one had the most balls. Mixing sci-fi with John Hughes and slasher movies with a ton of self-referential humor, it manages to feel completely unique despite the fact you can feel the fingerprints of those influences all over. And the coolest part is while it seems chaotic and incomprehensible at certain points, by the end all the plot lines are completely tied up. In essence, it makes sense while not making any sense. And while Super may divide audiences, Detention will divide them even more. – Jon S.
The FP (review)
An homage/spoof of the sports action movies of the 1980’s, The FP is built on a ludicrous premise but it manages to work because everyone involved knew to play it completely straight. Because of that, the jokes are even funnier and the movie is even more impressive. This is something you would watch with a group of friends while you laugh and get drunk, which I think is one of the highest complements you can give a movie. – Jon S.
Hobo with a Shotgun (review)
If Hobo with a Shotgun hadn’t been showing at SXSW, there’s a good chance I would have chosen not to go. And luckily it lived up to my expectations. Not only was it hyper-violent, bloody, and hilarious, but there was a heart to the movie as well. Rutger Hauer gave his role the gravitas that would have been missing had anyone else had been playing it. Exploitation movies have been making a comeback in recent years, but with Hobo with a Shotgun, this is the first time I’ve truly felt that it was expanding upon the genre rather than just going through the paces. – Jon S.
How to Die in Oregon (review)
A powerful personal and political documentary about Oregon’s Death with Dignity Law that enables those of sound mind to end their lives with a deadly doctor-prescribed cocktail. The film also follows political actors working to change the law in Washington and a the other side of the issue – a man who believes his state insurance made a “death panel” decision rather than cover his care. – John F.
Super (review)
Despite the vibe the trailers and posters may give off, Super is no clone of Kick-Ass or Defendor. This is a character-driven story about how a man deals with the grief of losing his wife. It just happens to be that he chooses to do so while donning a mask and administering justice on the streets with a pipe wrench. This is possibly Rainn Wilson‘s best big screen performance, and the first time in a long time I wasn’t annoyed by Ellen Page. Just be warned; its dark humor and brutal violence will turn someone people off. But those who like it, will really like it. – Jon S.
The Rest
(click title for review)
Honorable Mention: Sound of My Voice, Turkey Bowl, Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja, Self Made, Inside America, Charlie Casanova, Outside Industry, Where Soldiers Come From
The Good: Source Code, Paul, A Year in Mooring, The Other F-Word, Bridesmaids, Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, Natural Selection, Tell Your Friends! The Concert Film!, Wuss, Hit So Hard, Green, Riscatto, Love Shines, Five Time Champion
The So-So: Apart, Weekend, Insidious, Hesher, No Matter What, Something Ventured, The Catechism Cataclysm, 96 Minutes, The Future, Heaven Hell,
The Bad: A Bag of Hammers, Dragonslayer, Girl Walks Into A Bar
The Ugly: The Dish and the Spoon
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Greg Mottola on ‘Paul’
‘Apart’ Director Aaron Rottinghaus and Star Josh Danziger
Jeff Myers and Jack Sanderson on ‘Becoming Santa’
Director Billy Corben and Team on ‘Square Grouper’
Alex Shaffer, Star of ‘Win Win’
James Gunn, Writer/Director of ‘Super’
View our complete coverage here (including all SXSW-related news) and we’ll see you next year in Austin!