Reunion (Dogme #17). Well, two out of three ain't bad. This was the third (of 17) films I'm seeing at this year's Mill Valley Film Fesitval, and it was disappointing. It's an old and tired idea: a 20th high school reunion. What's become of so-and-so? I wonder if what's-her-name is the same as I remember. cliché Made under the rules of the Dogme 95 Vow of Chastity (see below), this is an American production made for somewhat less than $500,000. It's a Big Chill only with a low-budget, handheld digital-video look. All but one of the characters are cliché, written one dimensionally. The plot is predictable. If Amélie was one step ahead of the audience, Reunion is about two steps behind. Thumbs down for this one. Posted Saturday, October 06, 2001 11:04:29 AM

Amélie. Also an opening-night selection, we saw this on the second night of the Mill Valley Film Fesitival. It, too, was terrific. The screenplay is as creative as Memento's, but fanciful and comic as opposed to intense and dramatic. The central character is a shy charming waitress (played by Audrey Tautou) who discovers a old box hidden behind the wall in her bathroom. It contains the treasures of a young boy, and she's determined to find him (40 years later) and return his stash. She decides that if she's successful, she's going to embark on a life of good deeds. The film is bright and intelligent. The characters are always just a step ahead of the audience. Just right. Another "thumbs up." Posted Saturday, October 06, 2001 10:57:17 AM

Italian for Beginners. Thursday was the opening night for the Mill Valley (California) Film Festival. I've been a MVFF junkie for many years, and this year my wife and I have tickets for 17 films in 11 days. Well, I have that many; she's going to pass on two of them. We saw Italian for Beginners on opening night and loved it. It's from Denmark and was made within the guidelines of the Dogme Vow of Chastity. This is an experimental manifesto of filmmaking that includes such rules as no artificial light, no set dressings (only real-world as-is sets), and so forth. This film is about people in a small town whose lives interact in surprising ways and who come together in an evening Italian class. A terrific script and excellent performances by everyone. You know how, in many films, one or two characters are such that when they appear on screen you become more engrossed? In this film, that's true of every character. I hope you can see it where you live. It was the big hit of the 2001 Berlin Film Festival. Posted Saturday, October 06, 2001 10:48:43 AM