Angela's Film Fesitival Diary for Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6

Films: The Deal, American Teen, Deadline U.S.A.

Future Screenings:
The Deal - No future screenings at the Festival; movie is currently seeking distribution
American Teen - No future screenings at the Festival; movie opens wide this summer
Deadline U.S.A. - Today, 4/7/08, 2:30PM at The Bridge

The Deal
Adapted from a novel by Peter Lefcourt, The Deal is, as described by William H. Macy, a love letter to the film industry. Starring Macy as an emotionally bankrupt has-been producer, it's an amusing look at the absurdity that goes into making Hollywood movies. As an independent film, this movie was not as polished as may be expected and certainly had some blips in the script, but it's easy to look beyond that and laugh at the industry as a whole. Macy was present at the screening, along with actors Jason Ritter and Fiona Glascott, and spoke glowingly of the process of putting the film together. Using a script written by Macy and the director Steven Schachter, they assembled a group of "Deal Makers" to finance the film. Filmed as a movie within a movie, anyone wishing to go into the movie business should view this film as a primer.
Festival rating: Very Good

American Teen
I didn't know what to expect of this movie, and frankly I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. However off-putting it was to have the festival documentary curator tell us before the screening to vote a "5" for this, I was able to put that disgust aside and enjoy this film. The documentary, filmed in Warsaw, Indiana centers around four teen main characters as they make their way through their senior year of high school. Certainly a teen story would be lacking without the "Queen Bee," and we see a quite horrifying example in Megan, the quintessential popular girl who believes Warsaw, and quite possibly the world, revolves around her. There were points in the movie when my anger toward her repellant behavior was so strong that tears streamed from my eyes. Even so, it was fascinating to watch. And not all were bad. For the most part, the other teens showcased were likable, even with whatever faults they may have. While it may be hard to relate to any of the individuals or to mid-Western life, the film is an emotional look back at high school that viewers of all ages will be moved by.
Festival rating: Excellent

Deadline U.S.A.
It was such a treat to see this black and white Humphrey Bogart film on the big screen, especially since it is not available on DVD or VHS. The sound was slightly off (too loud at parts and uneven), but for the most part the quality was good. Not one of Bogey's best known movies, it was filmed right after his Oscar-winning role in The African Queen. He stars as Ed Hutcheson, the hardened editor of The Day, a newspaper under threat of being sold to the owner of the competing paper, The Standard. While the plot line wasn't edge-of-your-seat riveting, the movie was more enjoyable in terms of getting to see a classic Hollywood film. With the sets, enormous supporting cast of character actors, and wonderful costuming (everyone was in hats!), this was a charming look back at the glory days of American film-making.
Festival rating: Very Good

Image Credit: Flickr user pedrosimoes7