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From tarpaper to cutting-edge

Returning to the Des Moines Art Center, the Black Maria Film Festival turns 25

How long have motion pictures been around? Eighty years? One hundred? Thomas Edison, inventor, entertainer and entrepreneur, built the world's first motion picture studio - with rotating tracks to follow the sun, and a hinged roof with tarpaper to further control light - in 1893 to experiment with the new medium of celluloid. Some of those first experiments included graceful and sensuous dancer Annabelle Whitford, a white sheet and a windy day. When finally exhibited, the resulting "peep shows" raised eyebrows, thrilled, delighted and left some scratching their heads. Making its sixth visit to the Des Moines Art Center, the Black Maria Film and Video Festival honors Edison's spirit of experimentation and often produces similar audience results.

Festival Director John Columbus helped establish the Black Maria as an outlet where independent short film artists could exhibit their cutting-edge works.

"It was a simple idea," he says. Debuting in 1981, appropriately at Thomas Edison's film lab, a national park, that "simple idea" now evaluates 700 submissions per year, far exceeding Columbus' expectations. A jury selects 50 winners in three categories to travel around to universities, colleges, libraries, film societies, and museums. Each of the 70 venues custom tailors its own program, which here falls to the Art Center's Jill Pihlaja, the museum's Education Director, who collaborates with Black Maria Associate Director and Registrar Alvin Larkins.

"Year after year," Pihlaja says, "I look forward to bringing their award-winning entries to Des Moines. I'm very proud that the Art Center has continued to support the Black Maria over the past six years."

Ranging from five minutes to 56, and coming from places like Spain and England, the Art Center's program features short narratives, animation and documentaries - a few more than previous years. Typically, these aren't sweeping dramatic affairs with famous narrators; they embody the essence of documentary filmmaking: unearthing new stories, shining a light on neglected subjects or looking at an old subject in a new way. This reviewer previewed two documentaries: "The Legend of Black Tom" and "The Cole Nobody Knows." In 16 minutes, "Black Tom," from director Deron Albright, illuminates the pugilistic story of freed slave and bare-knuckle boxer Tom Molineaux; who, in 1810, fought England's greatest (white) champion a century before Jack Johnson stepped in the ring. According to Columbus, Albright used green screens for the actors and animated his hand-drawn backgrounds. His enthralling result resembles a living woodcut.

The "Cole" in the latter film is Freddy, the youngest of the Chicago clan that produced his famous older brother, Nat, who later adopted "King." Clay Walker's endearing 21-minute piece profiles one of the hardest working jazzmen today. Freddy's smooth vocal tone does echo his brother's, though is a touch more bluesy, and man, can he play! This jazz devotee was astonished to discover the 74 year-old Freddy was so prolific - and virtually unknown. Also previewed: "The Mantis Parable," a fluid and inventive bit of animation by Josh Staub. In eight minutes, he packs nearly as much story and emotion as "Finding Nemo," in a similar, though nowhere near as costly, crisp, colorful digital style.

Among the other works, watch for Tiffany Shlain's "Tribe," examining the complex connections between Barbie, feminism and American Jews; "Lot 63 Grave C," by Sam Green, follows a race-related stabbing at the Rolling Stones Altamont concert made famous in "Gimme Shelter"; and "Ridin' and Rhymin'," a profile of Georgie Sicking, America's beloved 82-year-old cowgirl poet. In years past, Oscar nominated short films were on the card - the Black Maria is an Oscar qualifying festival for Short Film Animation and Documentary, something Columbus said has helped sustain their venture - but no such luck this year.

Columbus admitted that the Black Maria's silver anniversary is hard to believe. Though the festival visits about as many venues as humanly possible for their small staff of humans, there are still places he'd like to take the festival, such as Baton Rouge, La. "It's meaningful to go to places and be uplifting," he said, alluding to the still hurricane-embattled state. Also on his wish list is Paris (the festival has played Italy, among others overseas), but mostly he just wants to concentrate on "sharing the work from coast to coast."

Thomas Edison kept on experimenting with film (140 cinematic doodles are collected on the excellent Kino DVD set "Edison: the Invention of the Movies") as well as inventing movie machinery and gadgets (he would spend his later years fighting upstarts over patents) and running his own studio. It seems worth noting that John Columbus is also a pioneer (with an explorer's surname), if on a different plane.

So, why the moniker "Black Maria"? (That's a long "i" incidentally.) The festival is based at Jersey City University in West Orange, the very place where Edison's film experiments began, and the nickname comes from the ungainly studio's resemblance to the police paddy wagons of the era. Already the world of film had ties to law enforcement (and, in that raising of eyebrows, sex).

Each Black Maria Film Festival feels different, but there's always an incredible variety within every selection of challenging and exhilarating works. Your mind will likely be abuzz as it recalls images or rehashes ideas, and you'll probably be discussing things as you head outside. CV

The 2006 Black Maria Film and Video Festival will be presented on March 3 and 4 in Levitt Auditorium as two distinct programs. Friday's, in conjunction with Arts After Hours, runs from 6:30-8:30pm and costs $5 for non-members and $2.50 for members. Saturday's program is free and runs from 1:00-3:00pm. Although none of the films carry official ratings, the Art Center advises parental discretion for children under 13.

'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'

By Dan Vinson

The last time this reviewer wrote about Tommy Lee Jones, it was regarding the laughable, hapless "Man of the House" a year ago. Now, Jones has directed one of the most gruesome, dirty and stark western revenge tales to gallop from Hollywood since the days of Sam Peckinpah. Okay, we're even.

Jones stars as Pete Perkins, a small-time Texas rancher who befriended the titular Melquiades (Julio CŽsar Cedillo), a gentle Mexican "cowboy, nothing more," only to learn early on that he's been found shot out amidst the buttes. This Texas border town is the kind that, aside from the occasional HDTV sign in a store window, scarcely knows the 1970s have passed. A town where the local diner owner's wife (Melissa Leo) is getting it on with Pete, as well as the sheriff (Dwight Yoakum), and each knows, but doesn't care. New in town are Ohio transplants Mike Norton (Barry Pepper), a severe Border Patrol agent, and his always-bored wife Lou Ann (January Jones).

"21 Grams" screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga's diced, out-of-order flashbacks illuminate what led to Melquiades' first lackluster burial out in the hills, as well as his second among the flat, hand-marked plots reserved for illegal immigrants. Agent Norton, who beats every Mexican he can, shoots Mel after hearing shots himself. Sheriff Belmont lets the Border Patrol take over, and they, despite the discovery of very specific evidence near the scene, conclude that the killer will never be found. Hence Mel's second burial. Mel has made Pete promise that if he dies "on this side," he'll see that his body gets returned to his small hometown of Jimenez. In order to fulfill this, Pete takes matters - and Melquiades - into his own hands. Or, more precisely, Agent Norton's, since Pete kidnaps him and makes him do all the hard labor, like digging up the corpse. Then, it's off on their journey of nearly Homeric proportions.

The great Chris Menges ("The Killing Fields," "North Country") photographed the unforgiving, jagged landscape and faces, and the Tex-Mex score, equally jaunty and haunting, fits perfectly. Jones won Best Actor at Cannes last year, but Pepper also deserves much credit here, for what was surely a tough shoot. And although Jones has indicated there's no message in them there hills, it's clear that he and Arriaga, recalling "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," John Sayles' "Lone Star," as well as Peckinpah, are saying plenty about current relations of those straddling the Rio Grande. CV

Dan's Oscar Predictions

Best Actress
Will win: Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"
Should win: Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"

Best Actor
Will win: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Should win: Hoffman

Best Supporting Actress
Will win: Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Should win: Amy Adams, "Junebug"

Best Supporting Actor
Will win: George Clooney, "Syriana"
Should win: Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"

Best Director
Will win: Steven Spielberg, "Munich"
Should win: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"

Best Picture
Will win: "Brokeback Mountain"
Should win: "Brokeback Mountain"

'Imagine Me & You'

By Joshua Tyler

Rather than rejecting the morally reprehensible idea that it's acceptable to ditch your spouse the first time someone new catches your eye, Ol Parker's directorial debut, "Imagine Me & You," sets out to glorify it. Though Parker changes things up a bit by throwing lesbianism into the mix, ultimately the sexual orientation and identity of the players involved in this story is irrelevant.

Rachel (Piper Perabo) and Heck (Matthew Goode) are getting married. Theirs is a romance built on mutual respect, friendship, deep understanding and genuine affection. However, while walking down the aisle on her way to marry her soul mate, a woman, for a moment, catches Rachel's eye. She sees her only for a brief second, but something explodes inside Rachel's head. The woman's name is Luce (Lena Heady), and lucky for Rachel (though perhaps not so lucky for Heck) she's a lesbian.

A few days later, though Rachel has never before been attracted to women, and though till now she's clearly been quite happy with men, Rachel and Luce are utterly in love. Heck has no idea that his wife has recently rediscovered herself as a closet bi-sexual, but he does know something's wrong and he's desperate to understand her, to make her happy. Meanwhile, Rachel is confused, selfish, and lost. Will she stay with Heck or will she break her newly formed marriage vows, betray the man who two days ago she loved, throw away her years of happiness with Heck destroying him in the process, and run off with someone she met only last week?

There is a way to make this premise work, but Parker's script doesn't do it. Heck is too sympathetic; in fact he's the most likable character in the film. "Imagine Me & You" asks, no demands, that you root for Rachel and Luce to get together. But the other characters in the story are so well-drawn and so endearing that any romance is overshadowed by Rachel's shortsighted, shallow-minded betrayal of her spouse.

We needed a villain instead of a victim if the happy romance between Rachel and Luce is going to work. Without that, the cheerful music at the end is almost insulting. No one cares if Rachel and Luce kiss; we're still thinking about Heck, alone in their apartment, sobbing. CV

'Running Scared'

By Erin Randolph

One could easily say that pretty boy actor Paul Walker's role as a low-level mobster in "Running Scared" is his best performance to date. But that probably wouldn't be saying much. That said, "Running Scared" is the best Walker film to date, and mostly undeserving of the flogging it's taken at the keyboards of film critics.

Walker dirties up his good looks and sets aside his shaky acting abilities here, selling his hard-ass and scared-shitless persona in a completely believable way. What's less believable, however, is the series of events he encounters in this packed-to-the-brim action film.

In this film by critically acclaimed director Wayne Kramer ("The Cooler"), Walker stars as Joey Gazelle, a completely different role than his other film currently in theaters, the G-rated "Eight Below." Here, he's charged by his bosses to get rid of "hot" guns used in mob hits. After a drug bust involving dirty cops goes awry, the incriminating gun falls into the hands of his son's best friend, who uses it to kill his abusive, John Wayne-obsessed, Russian-mafia involved stepfather. In order to save himself and his family from his mafia cronies, the dirty cop and the Russian mafia, Gazelle must find the neighbor boy and recover the gun before he himself gets on the wrong side of a gun-wielding mob man. What ensues is a series of increasingly unbelievable near misses as he scampers around town flinging his piece in peoples' faces trying to find the troubled neighbor boy (Cameron Bright of "Birth").

Walker gets nasty in his new role, and he sells his character well for once, even if the plot of the film is a bit over the top; and it's unapparent whether or not the film is aware of its inherent absurdity, though one has to imagine, or hope, that it is. But anyone who likes an action film packed full of it - regardless of its believability - blood, sexuality and violence will like the stylish "Running Scared." Just come prepared to suspend some disbelief in order to make it through this two-hour cinematic journey overwhelmingly anchored by the performances of Walker and Bright. CV

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