Film Preview: Upcoming Final Weekend at 58th Chicago Intl. Film Fest

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Fairy Folk (India)
Photo credit: ChicagoFilmFestival.com

”Empire of Light” (UK/USA) – A CIFF “Special Presentation,” this film celebrates humanity and the cinema through a series of well-performed relationships. Written and directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes, it features Hilary (Olivia Coleman) working at a British seaside cinema in the early 1980s. Her humdrum life … which includes an affair with theater owner Mr. Ellis (Colin Firth) … is shaken up by a new co-worker Stephen (Michael Ward). As their relationship develops, secrets about Hilary’s past come to light, and threaten to destroy everyone around her. Coleman is her usual transcendent self as Hilary, anchored by a A-list supporting cast, including Toby Jones as a heroic projectionist. The film suffers a bit from “too many ending” points, but celebrates cinema in a way that celebrates who we are.

”No Ordinary Campaign” (USA) – To know and understand this story is to experience the power of the human spirit to accomplish anything. Chicago power-couple Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, who met and fell in love during the 2008 Obama campaign, found their world upended by Brian’s diagnosis of ALS when he was only 37. Given just six months to live, the otherwise healthy former athlete and lawyer at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago forms an awe-inspiring partnership with his wife to challenge the broken medical establishment, and take to the halls of D.C. to fight for his life. Brian and Sandra were the right people and the right moment to found their organization I AM ALS, and has done more for combating the disease since Lou Gehrig gave it a name. Simply extraordinary. Special Saturday afternoon event on October 22th, with appearances by Brian Wallach, Sandra Abrevaya and Executive Producer Katie Couric.

”Fairy Folk” (India) – In one of the more wacky and eclectic films in the fest, “Fairy Folk” works on several levels, including the concepts of gender, desire and orientation. Squabbling couple Ritika and Mohit come across a mysterious naked creature in the woods, who follows them home and insinuates itself into their lives. When the once-happy lovers realize that the entity can shapeshift, Ritika and Mohit sense an opportunity … and each hopes to transform the creature into idealized versions of the other. Weird and wonderful, with twists and turns that are as unexpected as what or who the creature is, and a surprising perception of India’s film output that feels perfectly contemporary.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor & Film Critic/Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com