Los Angeles Film Festival Diary
Monday, June 16, 2014
Saw two films at the LAFF yesterday. And I loved both. Both dealt with stories about men in prison. One was a documentary called "The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest" – my favorite film at this year’s festival, so far, and another was this Irish feature film called "Starred Up", which was a tough film to watch but an excellent film nonetheless.
"The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest"
I have featured "The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest" (dir. Gabriel London) among the movies to watch at this year’s fest and I was not wrong. It is a gripping and frustrating piece of cinema. The film tells the story of Mark Defriest, whose initial brush with the law resulted in him being locked up for more than half his life now. He has been in jail since 1981 with no chance of ever getting out. He is infamous for his daring and creative escapes from prison and his tendency to disobey the rules inside the prison. The film tries to get inside his mind and mine some information that could somewhat explain why someone whose initial "crime" was "stealing" some tools that his father willed to him would end up in a state prison alongside the likes of Ted Bundy and other notorious criminals. His story is both frustrating and heartbreaking. The penal system is in place so that thr public can be protected from criminals but sometimes the rules that were meticulously crafted works against the very individual it is supposed to protect. Mark’s case is an aberration. The system could have helped him years ago if he was only diagnosed correctly. He could have been one of the most brilliant artists of our time, he could have become somebody but instead he is languishing in jail with little hope of ever gaining freedom.
The filmmaking in "Mark Defriest" is astounding. The animation combined with archival footage make for an incredible, riveting and eye-opening cinematic experience.
Rating: 5 Stars
"Starred Up"
The opening sequence of "Starred Up" reminds one of the opening scenes of "A Prophet." But the similarities end there. Whereas "A Prophet" chronicled the rise of a gangster, "Starred Up" gives us a rare look into the life of a young violent offender transitioning into adulthood. This film from Irish filmmaker David MacKenzie is a tough one to watch. I would describe the narrative approach as lighthearted if only because the movie offers some laughs that somewhat mitigates the violence that threatens to erupt anytime. The film is set inside a prison and the audience would somewhat feel the isolation and frustration of being inside one while watching the movie. It does not look down into the criminals but instead humanizes them and makes them as relatable as possible to us. I am not sure if I should reveal here the central story but I would rather not. But I would cite the outstanding performances turned in by the cast specially the anguished performance of newcomer Jack O’Connell.
If I have one minor criticism about the movie it would be the lack of subtitles because the accents are sometimes too difficult to decipher and it somewhat lessens the audience's ability to grasp what's going on.
Rating: 4 ½ Stars
xxx
Raymond Lo
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