Transsiberian

Brad Anderson talks about making Transsiberian following the screening


PARK CITY

Exceptional suspense. That's what I'd call Transsiberian, the latest work from director Brad Anderson premiering at this year's festival. The basic premise follows a couple, played by Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer, as they depart from a church mission helping kids in China on a journey from Beijing to Moscow aboard the Transsiberian Express. It's a journey through a land of beautiful desolation, filled with colorful locals and snow cover trees. The couple makes fast friends with their backpacking bunkmates, a Spaniard played by Eduardo Noriega and a 20 year old girl from Seattle played by Kate Mara. The claustrophobic train warms with their friendship as they share stories of their travels and their past. But not all is as it seems. The film's story soon turns to one of heroin trafficking, murder and corruption, fueled by layer upon layer of lies as Russian cops (one played by Ben Kingsley) and mobsters enter the fray.

What emerges is a film that defies expectations: a film that takes you deep within the psychology of the characters and continually keeps you on your toes. This is a film that never stoops to cater to an audience, instead establishing early on that you can't believe most of what you hear and can't expect that things will ever go as planned. Never rushed, and never feeling like artistic masturbation, Transsiberian ultimately delivers an incredible rollercoaster ride that shortens your breath (though some of that may be the altitude here in Park City) and keeps you guessing until the very end. The performances are all hugely engaging and top-notch, including Woody Harrelson who, for once, doesn't play Woody Harrelson (he's a huge train buff with a spotless past who's not yet wise to the realities of traveling outside of the US).

Though at it's core Transsiberian is an independent film with a European flavor, there's enough commercial appeal that I expect it will easily find a buyer at Sundance and will make a full theatrical run in the not too distant future, especially considering the pedigree of those involved.

Now... grub.

Young@Heart

Filmmaker Q&A following the Young@Heart screening


PARK CITY

Just got back from a screening of Young@Heart down at the Broadway in Salt Lake. This is a film I've wanted to see now for several weeks, having seen a trailer for it at one of the Landmark theaters in LA. Fox Searchlight is releasing it in April, so this is one film at the fest that won't have to worry about trying to find a buyer.

So... The basic premise: senior citizens singing rock and roll songs? They can't necessarily carry a tune, but they sure can warm your heart. Founded in 1982, the Young@Heart chorus, composed entirely of senior citizens in their 70s, 80s and 90s, has entertained audiences around the world with "unique" renditions of rock, punk and other songs by artists such as the Clash, Coldplay, James Brown and Talking Heads. The film follows the group through six weeks of heavy rehearsal leading up to their new concert, for which their choral director has introduced six new songs for them to learn, including Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia" and Allen Toussaint's "Yes, We Can Can."

At first glance, you're pretty much thinking this is a one trick pony... a gimmick if you will. Sure, it's great fun to watch these elders try to learn lyrics to songs that they can barely stand, but there's more going on here. Beneath the hilarity lies a heartwarming look at a group that's found new life together - a group that, despite all the gripes about not liking various songs and being annoyed at the time they have to spend memorizing lyrics that muddle their tongues, still meets regularly for rehearsal even when one of their members is going through chemotherapy. This is a tale about finding a reason to get up in the morning and scream when you're at an age where being passive and quiet are mostly expected. And, inevitably, it's also a tale about death and the loss of close friends (which I won't detail for fear I'll ruin too much of the story).

Ultimately Young@Heart is a film that manages to be funny, inspirational and touching all at the same time. Anyone who thinks that life ends after 70 should absolutely see this film. And even if you're quite sure life doesn't end after 70, you'll still get a total kick out of watching these vibrant characters perform song after song in a way you've never heard it before.

Following the film we had a great Q&A with the filmmakers (director, producer, editor) as well as Bob, the choral director of Young@Heart. As with nearly any documentary, these Q&As really help to flesh out the story within and beyond the film, giving insight into how the group got started, how Bob chooses songs for the group and how the filmmakers even hit upon the idea to document the group in the first place.

We're off bright and early tomorrow morning for an 8:30 screening of Transsiberian. For now, time to sleep.