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DaveinNYC
Reviews
Fetisch (2004)
Abstract short film.
This 7 minute long German short with (minimal) English dialog can be seen on Youtube (posted by the director). It's a bit confusing the first time but after watching it again a couple of times it makes a little bit more sense. We see an old man who seems to be reflecting on his youth. Bizarrely he appears in the same scenes switching with his young self (played by the brilliant and beautiful Tom Schilling). A young woman is involved who is clearly someone from his youth. There is a scene in a park with the woman picking up a necklace off the snowy ground and offering it to him then running off with it and getting hit by a car. In the end the old man is watching a small shack burn down which it appears he set aflame. Past and present are blurred and some details add to the confusion (such as the phone call the old man receives from the woman who says 'I'm here now. I have it'). I'd be curious as to what other commentators would say, particularly about the title.
Beat the Drum (2003)
Three thumbs up
Powerful and touching are two descriptors that come to mind. I felt drawn in from the opening scene in a small village in KwaZulu-Natal, and the movie just kept delivering from start to end. I don't want to spoil any of it for anyone so I won't go into any plot detail. Just watch this one. I'm so glad I did. The cinematography (I love the colors of Africa), the acting, the dialogue, and the story line are all superb. The movie deals with a subject of global importance and does it with finesse - I was expecting something preachy because of the subject matter but at no time did I feel that was the case. Absolutely riveting. I'm glad I have Showtime On Demand because that's how I stumbled upon it - it's not available at Netflix or Blockbuster.