The movies keep playing: The 32nd annual Three Rivers Film Festival continues through Nov. 23. Films screen at four area theaters: Pittsburgh Filmmakers' venues — Regent Square, in Edgewood; Harris, Downtown; and Melwood, in North Oakland — as well as the Waterworks Theater, in Aspinwall. Below are reviews for films screening this week:
MOON MAN. In Stephan Schesch's captivating, visually resplendent animated film, the man in the moon, bored, hitches a ride to earth (on a comet). But this gentle, child-sized soul's plan to return home puts him afoul of the self-aggrandizing President of Earth. Meanwhile, our planet's children pine for Moon Man's comforting presence in the night sky. This adaptation of Tomi Ungerer's children's book, set in a modern-ish fable-world, pits wonderment against regimentation and imagination against control; it's simple enough for small children to follow, but witty enough for adults. And if the premise bears a significant (and acknowledged) resemblance to E.T., no matter; like The Iron Giant, this is an emotionally potent "kids' movie." 4:30 p.m. Thu., Nov. 14 (Waterworks) and 2 p.m. Sat., Nov. 16 (Regent Square) (Bill O'Driscoll)
BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN. Take a hanky to this heart-wrenching tale of a Belgian couple, whose carefree relationship is tested when their young daughter gets sick. The pair also plays in a bluegrass band, and that genre's sorrowful songs of enduring life underscore the powerful, well-acted drama. Director Felix van Groeningen relates the story in a non-linear fashion, pairing happy and sad scenes that only serve to make the experience sadder. In Flemish, with subtitles. 9:30 p.m. Thu., Nov. 14. Waterworks (Al Hoff)
IN BLOOM. This coming-of-age story from Nana Ekvtimshvili and Simon Gross doubles as a look at post-Soviet Georgia, itself a country struggling to find its footing. The two teenage girls suffer the usual troubles (family, boys), but lawlessness and the violence of their homeland's growing pains also indelibly mark their lives. A quiet but compelling drama held up by two strong performances from the young actresses. In Georgian, with subtitles. 9:15 p.m. Fri., Nov. 15 (Regent Square) and 7 p.m. Tue., Nov. 19 (Melwood). (AH)
NO HORIZON ANYMORE. Could you spend the winter at the South Pole, cooped up in a building with just 42 other people, and no sunlight? Pittsburgher Keith Reimink did (he worked as a chef), and made a film about his experience. Besides amazing vistas (and the Southern Lights), Reimink introduces us to various polar projects, and, most fascinating, how a modern facility sustains itself in such a harsh, remote environment. 2 p.m. Sat., Nov. 16. Melwood (AH)
HARRY DEAN STANTON: PARTLY FICTION. In this documentary, David Lynch and Harry Dean Stanton sit together, drinking coffee and smoking. "How would you like to be remembered?" Lynch asks. "Doesn't matter," Stanton replies. At 87 — and after many, many movies — Stanton has a lot to be remembered for. But filmmaker Sophie Hurber isn't so concerned with making a detailed, linear biography; instead, she allows Stanton's story to unfold delicately, through movie clips, interviews with Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard and Kris Kristofferson, and through Stanton's own enigmatic story-telling. The result is moving, moody and visually striking. In other words, exactly the kind of film one would expect to star Harry Dean Stanton. 9:45 p.m. Sat., Nov. 16, and 3:45 p.m. Sun., Nov. 17. Regent Square (Margaret Welsh)
SAL. James Franco directs this intimate look at the last day of actor Sal Mineo's life. Its point is apparent — it's an ordinary day, turned extraordinary by our knowledge that these are Mineo's final hours before being murdered — but this is still a pretty tedious (and poorly shot) film to sit through. 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 17, and 4 p.m. Sat., Nov. 23. Harris (AH)
KEN LOVE PRESENTS. The local filmmaker screens two recent shorts about key Pittsburgh artists. "We all need magic, we all need fantasy," says the subject of "Margo Lovelace and the Magic of Puppetry." The 28-minute film details the painstaking construction of marionettes, and tells how she launched her successful Lovelace Puppet Theatre, in the 1960s, on then-funky Ellsworth Avenue. Love's portrait draws heavily on some nice vintage performance footage, but this work is short on voices besides Lovelace's. Much more substantial is "Thaddeus Mosley: Sculptor," about the 87-year-old creator of monumental, hand-carved abstracts in wood. Though built around images from Mosley's huge 2009 Mattress Factory show, the 36-minute film beautifully details his process, notes his inspirations (Brancusi, jazz, African tribal art, etc.), sketches his biography and incorporates insights from Manchester Craftsmen's Guild's Bill Strickland and Richard Armstrong, director of the Guggenheim Museum. 5: 30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 17. Regent Square (BO)
S#X ACTS.A 16-year-old Israeli girl strives for popularity by hooking up with the cool guys, a plan that soon finds her losing control of her narrative. Jonathan Gurfinkle tells the tale in six acts, each depicting a sex act and consequences that grow increasingly unpleasant. It's a gutsy, provocative portrayal (don't expect any heartwarming lessons) that accurately captures the reality of some teens' messy lives. In Hebrew, with subtitles. 7 p.m. Sun., Nov. 17, and 9 p.m. Thu., Nov. 21. Harris (AH)
IDLE THREAT. If nothing else, Idle Threat proves that not every Wall Street banker is a sociopath. George Pakinham, of Deutsche Bank, has spent years trying to get everyone — drivers and city officials alike — to respect a New York City law against idling car engines. Idling, we learn, doesn't just waste gas; it's an environmental hazard, too. The film is earnest to the point of hokiness (NPR's Car Talk guys feature prominently), and sometimes strains to fill its 65 minutes. After all, there's no villain here except sloth and short-sightedness. But those, it seems, are enemies to match even Pakinham's zeal. 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 20 Harris (Chris Potter)
Follow CP's Blogh for continuing coverage of the film festival at www.pghcitypaper.com/blogh.
