Review

KC FilmFest finishes out the week with a roar

The KC Film Fest concluded its impressive run of short and feature films, as well as several informative panels on Sunday, concluding with an awards ceremony that night at Raglan Road. Festival director Fred Andrews estimated that this was likely the most attended festival to date, and numbers will no doubt increase as the fest settles into its downtown scene.

My favorite film of the week, and not surprising because it is slated for major  release in May, remains The Brothers Bloom, a new offering from director Rian Johnson, who made the acclaimed teenage film noir, Brick. Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo play brothers who have been conning those with deep pockets their entire lives. When the younger Bloom wants out of the racket, the elder promises to do just that — if they perform one last con. What might otherwise be considered a pedestrian plotline is given an inspired and neorealistic treatment by Johnson, who delivers this fairy tale with an experienced and inspired hand.

Now — take away the studio polish and budget, and there is one film that leaps to the top of the pack, especially impressive since it is a home-grown effort. This kudos goes to Last Breath, from director Ty Jones and producer Aaron Laue. This taut thriller features all local talent, which provides top-notch production values and performances. Jones, cast as one of three main actors, proves himself to be of leading man caliber and boggles the mind with his direction and choice of images. Playing the female lead is possibly the best kept secret in Kansas City, the talented Mandy Bannon, and the extreme loose cannon of the Dark Figure was realized with gusto by Laue. What could easily be a vanity-filled, incestuous product is a humble, formidable entry in the marketplace, and it will surely find great success in the festival and sales circuit. Prepare to hear much more from these most impressive and professional filmmakers.

I also have a soft spot in my heart for The Garden by Scott Kennedy: a depiction of an epic struggle by several tenders of a community garden to keep their life affirming past-time alive in the face of a deep and threatening bureaucratic challenge. I'm quite a fan of Kennedy's early film, Our Town, and this latest entry proves that he is only moving outward and upward as one of our best documentarians.

The week culminated with a lively awards ceremony at Raglan Road with, several filmmakers on-hand to receive their hand-crafted statues. For a complete list of award winners and more information about the films, visit www.kcfilmfest.org.

Congratulations to all who participated in the festival this year and what an impressive debut of what will surely be the festival for Kansas City and possibly the region for many years to come.

See you in the movies!

-re-

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