Florida Film Festival Report #2

Some quick notes and mini-reviews of some of the films I've seen so far (by my count, 59 as of Wednesday midnight -- though not all of those are features of course). If it's possible to do so, I'll mention at the end of each review when you can catch another showing here in Maitland:

HAMILTON MATTRESS is a cute animated film from England (actually a UK/Denmark co-production) in the style of Chicken Run with the subtle humour of Wallace & Gromit. Kids and adults will love the charming Sludger the Aardvark as he dreams of a better life, gets a chance to go to the big city and gets an image makeover before finding out that -- you guessed it -- what really counts is being yourself. Extremely well-done and highly enjoyable, you can see this film as the opening short preceeding the fascinating (and at times awkward) Party Animals, in which a tenacious 12-year-old reporter manages to charm his way into interviews with most of the heavy hitters of the 2000 "sElection" and offers his innocent take on the dirty business of party politics. A real wake-up call, that one.
Final festival showing: Saturday June 15th @ 2pm, Colonial Promenade Theatre #1.

SPELLBOUND -- Simply one of the finest "sports/competition" documentaries I have ever seen, this doc takes you right into the dark heart of the most brutal, cruel and heartless elimination contest ever -- the all-American spelling bee. The film follows eight kids as they win their local/regional matches and move on to Washington DC for the final. If you spell one word -- one letter -- wrong, you're gone. It's just that simple. The words used have no limits or boundaries save that they are used in English-speaking countries -- meaning lots of medical, religious, slang and obsolete terms are thrown at the (mostly pre- and early-teen) contestants. Your mind will be blown at what they expect these kids to be able to spell.

The film spends a good portion of time getting to know these kids, and the incredibly diverse backgrounds they come from. A better cross-section of the real America hasn't been seen since Studs Terkel's Working hit the bestseller lists. Spelling is, truly, a great equaliser -- if you can spell, nothing else matters. The documentary looks at how much the parents are involved, how they are involved, to what extent they are living through their child's ability, and much more. Some of the kids in this contest come from families so bone-stupid you can scarcely believe it, others are middle-class and rich kids who's families have completely reorganised around helping them win. Despite all the different backgrounds and locations, one thing is for sure -- you will care about them. They are all great kids, even Harry the spazz who is the film's poster boy (literally, see image). That kid needs Ritalin bad, but you love him anyway.

Once the big competition starts, you realise quickly that only one child out of the 270 or so that are competing will survive, and so you mentally prepare yourself for the inevitable: the elimination of the kids we've come to know. You can taste the pressure in this film, and you are right there with the parents and siblings as they yelp, pray, hold their breath ... and wait for that elimination bell to ring (and cheer when it doesn't).

I'm not about to give away the ending except to make a couple of observations: the audience were quite literally on the edge of their seats at the end, and when a child was eliminated or overcame the impossible and survived another round, the gasps and/or groans were very audible. This is a movie that is impossible not to be drawn into, and affected by. Since I actually do know how to spell pretty well (no cheeky emails about the spellings in this blog -- I spell things the English way, not the US way), and even know a fair few medical terms (thanks to my late mother, a nurse), I was mouthing the spellings right along with the kids (we get to see quite a few beyond the main eight). At one point, when I (and the contestant on screen) spelled a term one way and suddenly heard the elimination bell, I almost stood up to protest!

You start this film wondering why people even bother getting so worked up about spelling anyway (or at least this antiquated contest), and by the time it's over, the strange mix of disappointment and adrenaline gives you the answer. It's not about spelling, it's about distinguishing yourself. It's about setting a goal. It's about discipline and discovering your limits. It's about finding yourself ... in the dictionary.

If you enjoy being moved by the movies, please don't miss this film.
Final festival showing: Sunday, June 16th @ 2:30pm at Colonial Promenade #1.