Day 2 at the festival started bright and early at 8:30am with WEST OF MEMPHIS.  I won’t go into the film now, you can check out the full review at the previous link, but it really is a terribly frustrating story that will leave you questioning whether justice was served. After the at-dawn screening, the snow started to come down hard and I found refuge at the Yarrow Hotel.

See below for some blurbs on all the films seen on Day 2, and further info about full reviews.

After a quick bite, I made my way back to the theater for Sean Penn’s THIS MUST BE THE PLACE. From filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo), THIS MUST BE THE PLACE is an oddball film about a bored-out rocker who goes on a coming-of-age story to find his father’s Holocaust executioner. While waiting on line for the film I met the talented Stephen Pizzello, executive editor of American Cinematographer magazine.  I enjoyed THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, a movie that gave me something I did not expect. Don’t read too much into the jew hunting aspect because this film is really a dark comedy.  Call it a pleasant surprise. See below for more info.

My late night viewing was the much talked about Norwegian film OSLO, AUGUST 31 from Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, a film that was a late addition to the festival added as part of the ‘Spotlight’ series.  OSLO, AUGUST 31 won best film for at the 2011 Stockholm Film Festival and takes us through one day in the life of Anders, a drug addict given a day outside his rehab clinic. This film used a lack dialogue to enhance some major intensity in this raw portrayal about a destructive person who simply can’t handle life’s possibilities. Anders is played by the amazingly multi-talented Anders Danielsen Lie, who told a crowd at the film’s premiere that he is a actually a doctor and acts as a side thing. I guess his patients were willing to give him a couple months off to make this movie.

Day 2 was crazy busy ending around 11:30pm.

Movies:

West of Memphis – The terrible murder of three 8 year-old boys puts 3 innocent teens in jail, but sets in a motion an amazing story of public support. Written and Directed by Amy Berg, this documentary

This Must Be The Place – Sean Penn plays a burnt out former rocker suffering from extreme boredom (or the repercussions of drug abuse – whatever you think but doesn’t really matter).  If you crossed Edward Scissor hands with Napoleon Dynamite, you get Sean Penn’s Cheyenne. Moments of dry humor mixed with some charming characters made this a solid festival film.

Oslo, August 31 – In the first 20 minutes of this movie, Anders, the film’s star, said about 7 words. His face conveys all you need to know about him. A mid 30′s drug addict seeking the rush of his mid 20′s party days, Anders lets nostalgia consume him and pushes away all those he loved. This is a display of authentic filmmaking and gritty storytelling at its finest. Well done!