Miami International Film Festival Turns 30 -

March is becoming one of my favorite months of the year. Not only does it mark the official start of spring, but it’s also when the Miami International Film Festival debuts a new slate of world cinema. This year, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in grand fashion, screening more than 130 films from 41 countries March 1-10, 2013. I got to see eight of those films and, for the most part, was not disappointed. Here’s a sample of the best and worst.

The Hunt

There’s a reason why Mads Mikkelsen won the Best Actor Award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. In Danish film The Hunt, he gives a gripping performance as a kindergarten teacher falsely accused of molesting one of his students, who is also the daughter of his best friend. Viewers witness how a misunderstanding snowballs into a life-altering lie and how relationships suffer as a result. The Hunt is haunting and left me speechless. Unfortunately, Mikkelsen wasn’t on hand to answer questions, as he was wrapping up filming in Toronto for NBC’s new drama Hannibal.

Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story

“My life has been a fairy tale … with all its monsters,” says Tomi Ungerer. Miami director Brad Bernstein deftly brings that fairy tale to the screen, taking audiences into the world of Ungerer, an eccentric children’s book illustrator turned erotic artist. The film is a visual delight, using Ungerer’s illustrations to tell his story. But the main draw is Ungerer himself, who, at 81 years old, still has a glint of rebellion in his eyes. Bernstein captures his talent, dark sense of humor, severe anxiety, and insecurities. Overall, this is a complex and entertaining portrait of a complex and gifted man.

NO

Oscar-nominated NO chronicles the story of the referendum on Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s rule. Gael García Bernal plays a hot-shot advertising executive hired by the opposition to help produce a marketing campaign against the government. The film only highlights the atrocities of Pinochet’s regime, focusing more on the creative and witty efforts to oust him. Director Pablo Larraín used authentic ’80s cameras to achieve the film’s retro look, while the script mixes real testimonies and composite characters. Its only screening was on the same day Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez died, so politics was in the air. The moderator tried to steer clear of political questions, but actor Alfredo Castro responded (above).

Everybody Has a Plan

Looks good from the trailer, right? Yeah, I thought so, too. I wanted to like this so badly. I actually did, until two-thirds of the way through when I realized the film was being led down the most obvious and lazy path. And then I was annoyed. I can’t knock Mortensen because he could read the dictionary and it would be Oscar-worthy. And I might give first-time director Ana Piterbarg props because she landed Mortensen, whom she randomly met at her son’s soccer game. But I would have expected more from a script that took about six years to write. Apparently everybody had a plan, except in regard to this film. (Update: Piterbarg won the Knight Foundation Ibero-American Award for Best Director. I still dislike the movie.)

Here’s a list of the movies I saw, and the score that each received. Of course, I recommend you definitely check out the 4s and 5s, while the 3s can wait:

Everybody Has a Plan – 3
Far Out Isn’t Far Enough – 5
The Hunt – 5
Lawrence Anyways – 4
Nairobi Half Life – 4
No – 4
Ping Pong – 4
Reality – 3

Interesting Fact…

Reality director Matteo Garrone found his lead actor in a prison theater troupe. Aniello Arena is serving a 28-year term for a mafia hit and got into acting while incarcerated. “I turned over that black page in my life a long time ago and am no longer that man,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. The judge allowed Arena to participate as a type of work release. He would film his scenes during the day and return to the prison at night. The film was also partially based on Garrone’s brother-in-law, who had to seek treatment for his obsession with reality TV, making this film even stranger.