Preview (about 10:30am):
The only two screenings of The Light Thief are today, first at 11:20am in Granville 2, then again at 6:20pm in Granville 3. It's an unusual schedule, without fanfare or promotion, even in the "Under the Radar" updates from the VIFF media machine. The story doesn't look like much either: a good natured electrician re-routes electricity for pensioners who can't otherwise afford it and runs afoul of some corrupt politicians, but the context adds some weight: from Kyrgyzstan by director Aktan Arym Kubat, a PG rating with coarse language, violence and nudity.
TODAY'S SCREENINGS:
- Oct 12th 11:20am @ Empire Granville 7 Th 2
- Oct 12th 6:20pm @ Empire Granville 7 Th 3
Post view (about 3:30pm):
For most of the movie, I was delighted and easily composing a short review in my head: "each beautiful shot is filled with finely-crafted details, wasting nothing in the frame." Then I stopped thinking and just watched this heartwarming story, set in a small, poor village (is ther anywhere in the world that has a small, rich village?) of Mr. Light, the village's benevolent electrician (and film's director) as he goes about his 'work', and gets involved in just about everything else going on. Then I tried to get ahead of the ending: the villagers rally around Mr. Light and thwart the slimy politician--no, not going there; the slimy politician is really a sincere wheeler-and-dealer with the village's best interest at heart--no, not going there either. Then, bam! The last 20 minutes goes somewhere dark and sad. And I'm stunned by this amazing, little movie.
