nov 10-14 2010 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society

feaTuRe fIlms
34
Welcome to the jungle known as the Melbourne
underworld. Animal Kingdom uses this edgy locale to
unspool a gripping tale of survival and revenge. Pope
Cody, an armed robber on the run from a gang of
renegade detectives, is in hiding, surrounded by his
roughneck friends and family. Soon, Pope’s nephew,
Joshua “J” Cody, arrives and moves in with his hithertoestranged
relatives. When tensions between the family
and the police reach a bloody peak, “J” finds himself
at the center of a cold-blooded revenge plot that
turns the family upside down. Wielding a formidable
cinematic lexicon, writer/director David Michôd shows
complete command of every frame as he shifts between
Anita (Alejandra Manzo) lives with her mother Dora
(Norma Aleandro). Sweet and loving, Anita has Down
Syndrome. Her idea of a good time is a trip to the Zoo
or the local pastry shop. One afternoon her mother
goes to the AMIA (Jewish Mutual Aid Center) to pick
up Anita’s support check. She leaves Anita in charge of
the family stationary shop. Suddenly, a flash and a loud
noise temporarily stuns Anita. She comes to and finds
the shop is a shambles, hit by shrapnel from the pipe
bomb that destroyed the nearby center, killing many
people . Anita wanders through Buenos Aires looking
for her mother and brother. Her gentle spirit attracts
several benefactors, though it soon becomes clear she’s
aniMal KinGdoM
GRAND JuRy PRIze, WORLD CINeMA AT The Sponsored by:
SuNDANCe FILM FeSTIVAL
WEd Nov 10 7:40 PM-9:40 PM Emily Abbott
Thurs Nov 11 7:25 PM-9:20 PM Allen Stafford
FrI Nov 12 4:45 PM-6:40 PM Philip Morton Gallery
suN Nov 14 12:25 PM-2:20 PM
simmering intensity and gut-wrenching drama. There isn’t a false note
in the film as it follows through on the tantalizing promise displayed in
his short films and unleashes a fierce new voice in Australian cinema.
Winner of this year’s dramatic jury prize for world cinema at Sundance,
Animal Kingdom is a monstrously entertaining crime film that revels in
its sinister mood, smart script and superb ensemble.
[dir. david michod, 2010, australia, 35mm, 112 mins]
Website: www.animalkingdommovie.com
[this film is part of lights, camera...action!: Sidebar]
anita
Best Film, Los Angles Latino Film Festival Sponsored by:
WEd Nov 10 5:30 PM-7:20 PM State Farm Lewes, O’Donnell Agency
Thurs Nov 11 8:05 PM-9:55 PM Dolphin Dreaming
FrI Nov 12 12:45 PM-2:35 PM James & Lynn Fuqua
suN Nov 14 2:25 PM-4:15 PM Happy Birthday Alissa Ruggieri
their guardian angel rather than the other way around. Writer-director
Marcos Carnevale (RBIFF‘s Elsa and Fred) masterfully draws us in from
the outset with his admirably controlled, mature cinematic style and the
superb performances he gets from an expert cast—though first among
them is the novice, and completely captivating, Alejandra Manzo, in the
title role. Wrenching, lovely, suffused with life, Anita is a profoundly
hopeful study of human innocence, compassion and resilience in a
fragile, troubled world.
[dir. marcos carnevale, 2009, argentina, 35mm, 104 mins. in Spanish
with English subtitles]
Website: www.menmshafilms.com/anita