The sun has come out in Seattle, it’s beginning to warm up and feel like summer… and of course I’m shuttering myself away in the cinema for (at least) six hours a day. I clearly have my priorities in order.

Translucent skin notwithstanding, I’m incredibly excited because the Seattle International Film Festival is about to kick into full gear. I’m so pleased to be working with them again in a photographic capacity, and because of that I’ve already seen some early screeners and am armed with suggestions as you plan out your viewing spreadsheet for the festival. (Oh, that’s only me? Okay then.)

Apart from those wonderful festival gems, I encourage you to join Thanos as he seeks out a completely different set of gems in the biggest blockbuster film ever (or something like that). It’s a fantastically good time!

Get Thee To The Cinema!

‘Avengers: Infinity War’

Of course it’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. There was never really any doubt that this was going to be my cinema recommendation for the week. The only question was how I was going to recommend it. So here goes.

If you are: a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, who has enjoyed all the previous movies, and has seen all the previous movies, this film is pretty much amazing. Crossovers in general are hugely satisfying (when done right) because it is always a fun pastime to surmise how certain characters would interact with each other, or what a team-up of certain groups could look like if you were to combine franchises or universes. These are totally normal conversations to have, and to a large degree that’s what makes crossovers so fun (and why they keep getting made).

And ‘Infinity War’ does it right, albeit with some pre-requisite viewing. There are fantastic pairings, regroupings, and general one-line introductions between characters from all the different franchises, and they are played almost to perfection. I don’t want to spoil the genuine joy I felt from those surprise moments by telling you my favorite pairings, but trust me, there are many and they are enjoyable.

Besides all that, Thanos makes an intriguing villain, as the studio has vastly changed his motivations from the comics to give him a crusade against a problem that feels unsettlingly timely. There’s a lot crammed into this movie, so there are some finite details of his plan that don’t necessarily stand up to scrutiny; but then again, when has an evil villain ever truly thought their dastardly plan all the way through? And he proves to be more than a match for our team of heroes, setting up a daring yet dire situation to contend with for the next Avengers movie.

Seriously though, this shouldn’t be your first Marvel movie. It can’t be, really - that would be like walking into German 303 on your first day of college without having taken any prior German classes. Guten Tag, you will be utterly confused. But for those who have enjoyed this cinematic journey, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is a fantastically fun culmination of the last ten years. (Also, fun fact: ‘Infinity War’ is currently ranked #11 on IMDb’s Top Rated movies of all time list. Which is hyperbolic, but fun.)

(Early) SIFF Standouts

‘Under the Tree’

Every year at SIFF I tend to seek out Scandinavian films, especially those from Iceland. Something about the way they are filmed always grabs me - they tend to echo the landscapes of those countries in really fascinating, engaging ways. So when this film cropped up on my radar described as a ‘black comedy out of Iceland’, I was definitely in.

And once again, I found an Icelandic film I really enjoyed. Fair warning - this is a black comedy, which is a sub-genre I very much enjoy when done well, but is definitely one of the more polarizing genres. ‘Under the Tree’ operates as part black comedy and part tense neighborhood drama, as the characters in the film seem to be on a collision course for something terrible right from the start. The art direction spurs this along, with the colors becoming colder as the film progresses, and the locations feeling starker and more hostile as the characters continue to butt heads.

The prime source of contention in the film is a huge tree which casts a shadow over the neighbors’ porch. But ‘Under the Tree’ doesn’t stop at surface-level dark humor. It goes deeper to examine the damage we as humans can cause to each other through petty, angry actions, and how that damage eventually comes into our own lives.

‘Sweet Country’

From the start, ‘Sweet Country’ creates a slow-burn tension that builds throughout the film. But it builds slowly, ever so slowly, like molasses in summer, in a pleasingly unhurried manner as the story moves steadily forward to its inevitable conclusion. In a way, the film reminded me of ‘High Noon’, where the waiting game of it all provided the ever-steady tension, and while you could probably figure what was coming, the story nonetheless keeps you engaged.

Beautifully shot in the Australian Northern Territories, this period piece follows the aftermath of a fatal shooting in which a black Aboriginal farmhand was forced to defend himself and his wife against an unstable white rancher. The look of the film is stunning, and the varied backdrop of the expansive wild country landscape is used to great visual impact as he and his wife are pursued by a posse of townspeople into the wilderness beyond.

Intertwined within the straight narrative are brief flashes of scenes that were either flashbacks or flash-forwards. At first, I found these a bit distracting, as they started off ambiguous and just seemed to break the narrative flow. But as the film builds, so does the impact of these scenes, and by the end one ‘flash’ scene in particular adds a level of tension to the final sequence in an incredibly successful way. ‘Sweet Country’ is a visual, tense delight, whose plodding pace is deliberate and necessary, and ultimately a triumph.

‘Making the Grade’

One of the delights of SIFF is the abundance of documentaries from around the world. On the average day, I don’t seek out documentaries, but there are always a few that I fall in love with during the festival. I was completely charmed by ‘Making the Grade’, which explores the piano examination system in Ireland, through which over 30,000 students a year take exams as they progress in their piano education.

Filled with humor, heart, and lots of piano playing, this documentary is largely vignette-based. Instead of following a single thread through the entire film, the audience is presented with snapshots of students at each grade level, which stretches from beginners at the elementary level all the way to Grade 8, the highest level attainable. Both students and teachers speak to the camera, providing anecdotes and insights into the piano players we get to meet. It’s a sweet film, incredibly enjoyable to watch, with just the right amount of uplifting narratives to make your day better.