SBIFF ’24

Lest I forget, I should thumbnail the seven films I saw at SBIFF (not counting the extra-festival free showing of Zone of Interest), from best to worst:

Wicked Little Letters – our best festival experience, augmented by having our names as sponsors highlighted before both showings. Jessie Buckley should get a BAFTA nomination for her performance as the louche Irish neighbor, and Olivia Colman was wonderful as usual. Everyone else was a kick, too, and the story provided laughs galore.

The Cowboy and the Queen – a documentary from our backyard with an enlightening, inspiring story about a better way to “break” horses. And a good supporting role for QEII.

Suze – We enjoyed the lighthearted very Canadian story of the overdoting mother who takes care of her daughter’s ex-boyfriend.

Before It Ends – Well made story of moral dilemma in Denmark weeks before the German occupation ended.

Snow Leopard – not a good movie by Western standards, but an insight into Tibetan culture and humor, not unlike ours.

Dance First – a fantasy about Samuel Beckett that shed little light and left me cold.

Let Me Go – Sorry, but an unattractive lead and unsexy sex made me wish I were elsewhere.