2007 June « Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.

Little Chenier

There is a little independent film waiting to be picked up by a distributor about Louisiana. It promises to be really good. I went to high school with the producers and my mom (who taught them high school French) was the dialect coach for Tamara Braun in the film that was shot around Lake Charles right before Hurricane Rita.
This is pretty exciting considering how my mom and I used to sit around and criticize movies for having faulty accents. Especially New Orleans and Cajun accents. Actors just fall into some default Southern accent but if you are from the South, you can tell what town someone is from by their accent. Even sometimes what family. And it seems to me, but maybe I’m biased, that this is especially true in Louisiana. I think any movie made down there should have her as a dialect coach. She would be perfect for it.
Anyway. I’m thoroughly excited to see and own this film eventually. Here are some of the reviews:

“Little Chenier could be the only movie to ever realistically capture the intricate beauty of Cajun life… As if the deliverance of a never before seen culture was not enough, the film manages to generate a story line that could hold its own in any setting. Be it a small Cajun bayou town or New York City… The actors deliver. They are commanding, fluid, and potent.I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, running through a gamut of emotions that included suspense, awe, empathy, sadness, laughter, anger, romance, and pride. This is a must see film.” -Price Savoie, Austin, Texas

And here is another one that I’ll just have to print in its entirety because its such a good story:

Quite possibly, the best film in Park City during the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, wasn’t in the Sundance Film Festival.

I fancy myself a “Film Aficionado.” Like my cigar counterpart, I scour the obscure establishments across the world, searching for that rare gem. The inviolate masterpiece. The virgin Emerald void of corporate America’s stamp.

By God I found one.

True to character, my interests began to pall after viewing several cliché independents trying way too hard to be independent. I found myself wandering, trying to escape the ennui brought forth by vapid cinema. This flight led me to the Main Street Mall, wherein I noticed a banner tucked away 20 feet or so behind the elevator, displaying the Park City Film Music Festival. The name sounded familiar. I felt as though it was destined, so I perused the film listings strewn beautifully, independently, across an uncelebrated table littered with film flyers.

The lady at the counter suggested “Little Chenier.” What the heck, I’ll try it, it starts in an hour.

The best “spur of the moment” in the history of “spur of the moments.” For a film dork like me that is.

Without revealing too much, the film almost seductively dances the audience into a magical world of Cajun bayou life of monolithic reptiles and floating villages, through fluid, floating camera movements.

“Novel introduction,” I thought. “Someone got lucky.”

My skeptical American nature was unwilling to concede to the possibility of a random good film find. Yet, the surprises didn’t stop. Characters, characters, characters. Wonderful characters with personalities as interesting as their names (Pemon, Beauxregard ,T-Boy, Sugar Man, Toothless Jimmy) are introduced. Even with such characters, the film manages to stay pertinent to the story, many film makers wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation, and would delve into unrelated character tangents. The director showed great film discipline and stayed on course.

My hands began to sweat from the anticipation. Could this be “the” find? The Emerald Jewel of the Independent Film Nile?

Frame after frame of visually stunning celluloid, threatened to pull me away from my conscious search for a gem; from my constant critiquing. The careful balance between uplifting innocence, humor, and intense drama, soon found me spellbound and emotionally connected to the two main characters, Beauxregard Dupuis (Johnathon Schaech, That Thing You Do ), and his mentally handicapped brother, Pemon (Fred Koehler, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood), deliver a cathartic performance of tragedy and triumph, as they fight to save each other from the vituperative actions of their jealous rival and town sheriff, Carl LeBauve (Jeremy Davidson).

All the players were amazing, and I did recognize a few faces: Chris Mulkey (Broken Trails, Twin Peaks), Marshall Bell (Capote), Clifton Collins Jr. (Capote, Traffic, Tigerland), and Isabella Hoffman.

The film stayed true to its guts with an equally surprising, jaw-dropping seat-clinching ending.

I found my Emerald. My unmarked Cuban.

Just remember, when “Little Chenier” comes to a theater near you…
…I found it first. Well, me and the other audience members, that is. “Little Chenier” was given the Audience Award for Best Film Saturday night at the festival’s award ceremony. It will still be my own Emerald find when I tell the story in smaller circles, of course.
-Patrick Sweeney, Tempe, AZ

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT- Going to a town

I love Rufus’ music. His music is that kind that leaves you feeling like if you never heard anything new you’d be okay because you had been able to savor the best.
However, this song also makes me feel a bit unpatriotic, being an American. But he recorded it from Berlin and you can see where the comparisons to the United States’ current maniacle egotism and the decisions made by the government is something that I’m grateful to RUFUS for so elequently singing out about.
I agree that America has too much potential for positive change in the world to be going around with the arrogance of a 7 year old leaving ruin in its wake. It’s just not neccessary or right.