Chicago Alt.film Fest
Betty
Four felons, contracted by an anonymous client through the Internet, journey to a secluded island to retrieve a mysterious package. Dan Clark wrote and directed this suspense film. On the same program: Dillinger in Paradise, a short by John Henry Richardson. (3:45)
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A serial killer is terrorizing Los Angeles; Fred Derf, who may or may not be capable of murder, has just moved there, hot on the heels of his estranged girlfriend. He dreams of doing stand-up but spends most of his time stuffing envelopes at home, having quasi-violent flashbacks, and hanging out at a bar where the patrons discuss the killer’s MO with such gusto we’re supposed to suspect all of them. The only really disturbing thing about this enervating noir is that it seems like a cry for help. Written and directed by Aaron Downing; with Gregg Rubin. (LA) On the same program, three shorts: Roy Unger’s Requiem, Ji-Hoon Park’s Salute, and Marcos Siega’s Stung. (9:00)
SATURDAY, JUNE 12
Man Woman Film
This New York street drama provides a likable vehicle for rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who plays a petty thief torn between love and a life of crime. Fresh out of prison, the thief falls for a young immigrant woman (Bai Ling of Red Corner) who’s the trophy wife of a Chinese industrialist, and the gawky innocence of their illicit romance contrasts with the gritty activities of the small-time gang led by the thief’s brother (William Forsythe). Much of that plotline is an indie rip-off of Mean Streets, as the gang runs afoul of a brutal Asian mob, and the film is hampered by an easy, tear-jerking conclusion. But writer-director Sollace Mitchell wrings a certain amount of tension from the thief’s dilemma, Ling turns in a refreshingly intelligent performance, and Phil Ramone’s angst-ridden sound track is a plus. (TS) On the same program: The Cowboy and the Ballerina, a short by Mark Joseph Isham. (3:15)
