True love, true identity, and true devotion

Four women-directed features get real in Tribeca

By Pamela Grossman
Published: June 10th, 2009 | 12:15pm

As this decade draws to a close, the 8th-annual Tribeca Film Festival found many filmmakers examining some of its themes. Cultural roots and legacies are prominent in the collective thinking, as is the inclusion / intrusion of technology in our lives (Facebook addiction, anyone?). But perhaps the biggest theme could be described as "What really matters": We’re learning (again) that in times of war and struggle, the joy of bling doesn't last; and sometimes the ability to buy bling doesn't either. Here, a look at where we stand, via some of the festival’s strongest woman-directed features: four powerful films from four fascinating cultural perspectives.

TiMER
Yes, it’s a romantic comedy, but TiMER packs thought-provoking punch. L.A.-based writer/Director Jac Schaeffer's debut feature imagines a world in which a device – a Timer – can be implanted in your wrist (for an installation fee, of course, followed by monthly charges) to tell you the exact moment when you'll meet "your one": the one person on earth with whom you’re best suited for romantic love. Thirty-year-old protagonist Oona (Emma Caulfield) has a problem: Her timer’s face is blank, indicating that her "one," wherever he may be, doesn't yet have the device. Her stepsister and best friend, Steph (Michelle Borth), who’s the same age, isn't faring much better; she's eager for love, but her Timer shows that her "one" will be along in 13 years.

The performances are strong overall. John Patrick Amedori is hugely fun to watch as a charming musician/grocery clerk with whom Oona tries to take (gasp!) a non-Timer-sanctioned leap; and JoBeth Williams is classic as Oona’s well-intentioned but controlling Mom, whose faith in Timers is unshakable. But does everyone really have a “one”? Only one? And where, in the realm of neat gadgets, is there room for what our messy hearts might say?

Tribeca Face-to-Face: While I was considering these questions (and discussing them with friends via Facebook, of course), I ran into Schaeffer and her boyfriend after a screening of another film. She told me she was inspired in part by a personals site in Japan that can sync up with users’ cell phones to “beep” when appropriate matches from the site are nearby. And she gave me a Timer keychain, which is indeed ticking (though not in my wrist) and which says I will first meet my “one” in 334 days, 7 hours, 59 minutes, and counting. (However, I’ve lived with my boyfriend for years; hmmm.)

The Fish Child
Part steamy thriller, part love story, and part feminist outcry, The Fish Child/El Niño Pez is the second feature from the multitalented Argentinian writer/director Lucia Puenzo, based on Puenzo’s own novel (one of three she has published). Lala (Inés Efron) is a rich teen from a powerful family in Buenos Aires; Guayi (Mariela Vitale) is the family’s maid. But the girls are in love, and social mores are not going to keep them apart. You’ll soon be able to see for yourself what they’re up against, as Regent Releasing and Here Media bought the North American distribution rights when the film screened recently in Cannes; it will be hitting theaters in 2010. In addition to the strong performances given by the two leads, watch for a turn by Carlos Bardem, brother of Javier, as Pudilo, a tough guy with a heart of gold.

Queen to Play
Queen to Play, French director Caroline Bottaro’s debut feature (which she co-wrote as well), centers on Helene (Sandrine Bonnaire), an intelligent and pensive woman capable of bigger things than her job as a hotel maid. When she sees a glamorous couple (including Jennifer Beals, who looks stunning) playing chess on one of the hotel’s balconies, she is intrigued and teaches herself to play. Her hope is to practice with her husband (Francis Renaud), but he doesn’t share her interest. She approaches a professor whose house she cleans (Kevin Kline, speaking French!) for help with the game; he rebuffs her at first but eventually becomes her chess partner – while they develop a deep and complex bond, and Helene learns to embrace her strength.

Most viewers will likely take away a few key thoughts: “Who is this amazing Sandrine Bonnaire, and how can I see more of her work?” (luckily she has done other well-regarded films in France); “Kevin Kline is great”; and “I’ve got to go to Corsica” (where the movie was filmed; the landscape shots are breathtaking).

Tribeca face-to-face: Not only is Kevin Kline great, but he (still) looks great, too. At a post-screening Q & A, his charm and star quality matched that of Thomas Hayden Church, who turned heads all over the press lounge when he showed up to promote his latest film, the thriller Don McKay.

Entre Nos
Entre Nos, cowritten and codirected by Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza, was inspired by the true story of Mendoza’s mother. It centers on Mariana (played by Mendoza, beautifully), who has followed her husband from Colombia to New York, along with their two young children. Shortly after the family arrives, the father announces that he will be leaving for Miami. He does so — and his promises to return or send for them come to nothing. Almost penniless, without work papers, and barely speaking English, Mariana must find a way to survive and provide for her family. In the end, New York’s can-recycling program grants some unlikely salvation and a springboard to better days.

The cast is radiant. Mariana’s determination, exhaustion, and love for her children leap from the screen; Sebastian Villada Lopez as her son, Gabriel, watches his mother and the world with burdened but sensitive eyes; and playing her daughter, Andrea, Laura Montana Cortez brings a sweet and gentle charm. It’s a beautiful tribute to familial devotion, made all the more poignant by the fact that Mendoza, a small child during her family’s struggles, has grown to make this film and lift her mother’s story to the light.