47 -- and looking great 47 -- and looking great (April 23, 2004)

San Francisco Film Fest comes to Mountain View this year

by Jeanne Aufmuth

The City by the Bay calls it its own, but the San Francisco International Film Festival is generous enough to spread the wealth throughout the Bay Area.

This year, Mountain View's Century Cinema 16 is doing the honors, hosting an international lineup of 10 films over four days (April 25-28), with offerings from Sweden to Taiwan.

The 10 offerings are a small portion of the 47th annual festival's fabulous offerings: 175 films from 52 countries, 113 special programs (including the Peter J. Owens award for brilliance, independence and integrity for maverick actor Chris Cooper), world and North American premieres, and 28 outstanding documentary features (see sidebar).

The country and the world are slowly recovering from the shock of war and economic downturn, a fact reflected in many of the cinematic offerings at the world's longest-running festival. This year more than ever, filmmakers are speaking out against tradition and navigating the treacherous waters of underground movements in culture, the arts and politics.

The local faction of the festival kicks off on Sunday afternoon with "Burning Dreams" (Taiwan, 2003; 75 minutes), a delightfully improbable story of 70-something Liang Yi, who regards himself as China's second-coming of Fred Astaire. Founder of the Shangai Dreams 52 Dance School, Liang is a demanding taskmaster whose controversial teaching methods are at the core of this dream-making and shattering documentary. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

Take a walk on the wild side with "El Alamein: The Line of Fire" (Italy, 2002; 117 minutes). Sinister undertones support this powerful anti-war film that spells doom from the first frame. As an isolated and ill-equipped Italian ground troop readies itself for WWII's battle of El Alamein in the North-African desert, the soldiers are understandably cocky but frightened, exhausted and poised for the inevitable. Its message is unfortunately as timely as it was more than 60 years ago, chronicling the futility of war and the victims' tragic price. In Italian with English subtitles.

Next, the festival takes a sharp upturn in the form of the classy French comedy, "After You" (France, 2003; 110 minutes). French superstar Daniel Auteuil plays Antoine, an overly attentive waiter who exists to make things right. In his zeal to help a suicidal stranger mend his ways, Antoine bites off a little more than he can chew. Comic legend Jose Garcia co-stars. In French with English subtitles.

Sunday comes to a close with the flamboyant comedy "Chouchou" (France, 2003; 104 minutes). A North-African transvestite arrives in Paris and is taken in by a sympathetic priest, who finds him a job with a savvy psychiatrist who allows him to work dressed as a woman. A comedy of errors leads this Gallic Mr. Bean on a collision course with a gay cabaret and the man of his dreams. In French with English subtitles.

Monday evening offers up black comedy/drama in Chen Daming's "Manhole" (China, 2002; 108 minutes). Recently released from prison for an altercation defending the honor of his lover, Tang Daxing struggles to find work so he can finally wed his lady love. Desperation rears its ugly head and finds Tang reluctantly drawn into a heist involving the wealthy businessman for whom his lover has left him. Effective narrative twists and dark wit add to the film's appeal. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

Next, a "Raghu Romeo" (India, 2003; 99 minutes) takes to the screen in all his obsessive glory, reveling in his addiction to an Indian soap-opera star and dreaming mawkish dreams a la "Nurse Betty." Bollywood-ish musical numbers pepper the cinematic landscape, born of a healthy sense of whimsy and fantasy. In Hindi with English subtitles.

Tuesday night goes Scandinavian with the lively coming-of-age drama "The Handcuff King" (Finland/Sweden, 2002; 90 minutes). Twelve-year old Esko has retreated into a fantasy world for all the wrong reasons. His father is an alcoholic, Mom has one foot out the door and the school bullies have his number. Esko fancies himself the heir apparent to Harry Houdini, desiring only to disappear, until he develops a tentative friendship with a sickly Swedish boy. Funny, sobering and bittersweet. In Finnish with English subtitles .

Audience members can wallow in the gentler sex in "Then and Now" (Philippines, 2003; 130 minutes). Four female friends who were making tentative life choices in the tumultuous 1980s ("Moral," 1982) continue to struggle with the consequences of change. The characters include a woman returning to her homeland to care for her dying mother; a widow attempting to discover her individuality; a scorned wife left by her husband for another man; and an aspiring singer who's mending fences with her daughter. Together they form a quartet of femininity on the cusp of maturity and dignity. In Tagalog with English subtitles.

Wednesday night offers the last chance to enjoy the San Francisco International Film Festival in its local glory. "B-Happy" (Chile, 2003; 90 minutes) centers on 14-year-old Kathy, who wants nothing more than to be happy, a state of being she hopes to achieve when her father is released from jail and reunited with the family. Her dreams are dashed when her family members steadily abandon her, relegating her to a solitary journey of pain and discovery. Survival of the fittest and the durability of adolescence are powerful forces in this face-of-adversity drama. In Spanish with English subtitles .

Finally, it's back to France for "Love Me If You Dare" (France, 2003; 94 minutes). Eight-year-old Julien and his Polish classmate, Sophie, form a tight-knit bond by inventing a highly imaginative game of "Dare," taunting each other into crazy challenges in order to prove their love. The game continues through adolescence and into adulthood, , becoming increasingly dangerous and crossing the line to the outer limits of loyalty and friendship. Hilariously wacky and borderline psychotic, this is a true valentine to the giddiness of love and longing. In French with English subtitles.

What: The local portion of the San Francisco International Film Festival

When: Sunday through Wednesday.

Where: Century Cinema 16 Theaters, 1500 North Shoreline Blvd. in Mountain View.

Cost: Tickets are $12 regular admission; $10 for seniors/student/disabled persons. Tickets may be purchased online at www.sffs.org or by calling (925) 866.9559. Day-of-show tickets may be purchased at the Century Cinema 16.

Info: Please visit www.sffs.org.
San Francisco International Film Festival Local Schedule
Sunday, April 25
Burning Dreams, 2 p.m.
El Alamein: The Line of Fire, 4 p.m.
After You, 6:30 p.m.
Chouchou, 9 p.m.
Monday, April 26
Manhole, 6:45 p.m.
Raghu Romeo, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, April 26
The Handcuff King, 6:45 p.m.
Then and Now, 8:45 p.m.
Wednesday, April 26
B-Happy, 7 p.m.
Love Me If You Dare, 9 p.m.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.