Yummy or Crummy?

Lucretia and I aren’t going anywhere for the Memorial Day weekend… Just too much to do around the house and to prepare for our trip to Japan in July. But that doesn’t mean we can’t check out a few films!

Youth Run Amok is a collection of short films about being a child or a teenager. It was mostly sad and depressing — but one of them, called Warlord, was funny and didn’t take itself too seriously, so it stood out. I also liked Aruba, about a boy who takes matters into his own hand so he can escape a bad situation. The photo is from another one, The Saddest Boy in the World, which was OK.

Then we stayed at Harvard Exit for Paris je t’aime, a collection of 18 mini features, all directed by a different director, all set in Paris, and all about love. Mostly love between two adults, but with some exceptions. It felt a bit long towards the end, but almost all the mini stories were beautifully shot and enjoyable to watch. Some were pretty funny, too. Gus Van Sant, the Coen brothers, and Wes Craven are among the directors, and Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman star in the film… along with many more famous names and faces.

Short stories are great for film festivals. If it sucks (which wasn’t the case for most part today), it’ll be over soon! We sat near the aisle for both screenings today, but didn’t get the urge to get up and leave.