On Nov. 5, actor Aaron Eckhart received the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award at the closing night of the 2011 Savannah Film Festival.

In an interview prior to the event, the actor, who has more than 30 films under his belt, quipped, “Maybe I should go make some movies before [they] honor me.

“I’m happy to be an actor and get jobs,” he said. “I’m happy to be here with people who love movies.”

A successful film is all about the “story, story, story,” he added. Every aspect of a film is there to “enhance, protect and nurture the story.”

We all see a lot of good films. We all see a lot of bad films. But I keep going back to the cinema (and the Savannah Film Festival) in pursuit of great films. Those rare, elusive gems that click in your mind and grab ahold of your soul. I reread that and it sounds melodramatic, but if I didn’t believe that films could touch you in a spiritual, important way I wouldn’t waste my time in this business. And for me, the only student film that’s had me rattled since I saw it last Spring is ‘Bone’yeerd.’

There’s a reason this was the only student film to be featured on the Savannah Film Fest homepage.

I’ve known Tom Salvaggio, the jack-of-all-trades Writer-Producer-Director-Editor of this film,  since Freshman year, but I first saw the undeniable skillset of this filmmaker with his 2010 Savannah Film Festival Bumper entry, ‘Film is Sexy‘. Keeping a provocative trend, ‘Bone’yeerd’ falls into that rarely used ‘necrophilia’ genre. I describe it in that grotesque oversimplification simply because that’s how you might have heard it described. But if you dive into the finely woven fabric of the 12-minute narrative you’ll find much more than the average story of someone who likes to sleep with dead people.

This film has so many layers that I even feel like the Savannah Film Festival program missed the mark. On pg. 54 the film is described as, ‘The Gothic tale of a lonely farmer who descends into madness when he cannot let go of the woman he loves.’ Missing from this brief synopsis is the inclusion of the town’s priest, a vital element that make this the most unique gravedigging film I’ve ever seen. The priest adds an important external element, boldly representing the controversy that society would take with the lonely farmer’s love. But it isn’t just an external manifestation; it also represents a brash commentary on the often hypocritical stance and actions of the Church.

After our opening scene where we establish the graves and our farmer (in picturesque compositions that resemble American gothic painting) the priest harshly inquires as to the location of a missing woman’s body. Inquiry turns to violence as the priest proclaims ‘My town does not tolerate perverts.’ Irony abounds. Yet despite the violence of his ‘spiritual leader’ the farmer is devoutly religious, and as he weeps at the pain of his flogging, he asks the Lord for guidance.

Slow and innocent, the farmer’s care and love for Caroline is as far from grotesque as the priest is far from moral. As he continues on, he continues his prayers and decides to venture out into the world, vowing to Caroline that he won’t let anything happen to her and that ‘It’s in God’s hands now.’ Immediately after, in a stunning 1-shot sequence near the end (that reminded me, strangely enough, of Soderbergh’s economic filmmaking in ‘Ocean’s 11′) we see what ‘God’s hands’ bring to the farmer: the priest…with a shovel (the skillfull reveal here always elicits a nervous gasp from the audience, one of my favorite parts of attending a screening for this film).

With (to my count) only 18 different shots throughout the entirety of the film, ‘Bone’yeerd’ is gorgeous. For an idea of the haunting look, one only has to see the poster:

From the film stock that was used to the succinct storytelling that’s utilized to the subtle use of irony and subtext to the flawless acting to the still-life-esque, classical compositions, I really can’t stress the artistry that is visible on screen. Upon my third viewing of it yesterday morning in Trustees, it reinvigorated my student spirit of filmmaking, and I couldn’t go another day without blogging about it. Although the screenings are over, I am sure that the film will be honored tonight (as it was earlier this week for Best Screenwriting in a Student Film by the Silver Screen Society) and you’ll be hearing it’s name more and more.

I implore you to do whatever you can to see this film, whether it’s contacting the film through Facebook and asking for a link or meeting Tom himself at the after-party and asking for his card. I’ve already been rattled and I can’t go back. Hopefully, soon enough, you’ll have the opportunity to do the same.

(Full Disclosure: Garett DeLuca, the DP of the film, became my roommate this fall. However, that was months after I fell in love with this film in the Spring.)

The Muppets – who knew they could shock and entertain an entire theater filled with adults who have spent the entire week with some pretty dang mature films. I know my first thought, after “OMG it’s The Muppets!,” was that I wish my two and a half year old daughter could have been there as I’m sure she would have loved it.

I vaguely remember The Muppets from my childhood, but I’m sure for most of the audience, the film was a fun, nostalgic throwback to a very different era of tv and film. What I appreciated most about the movie was the fact that it played to everyone’s unique and individual reaction to the comeback of The Muppets. For example, if you were rolling your eyes at the thought of these intentionally cheesy characters stepping back in your life, the filmakers agreed by positioning their comeback as impossible and so far off the “cool” map. However, if you remain a lifelong fan of the series, they did a fantastic job of keeping the Muppet magic alive. Also, the younger generations unfamiliar with the franchise could fall in love with the characters like their parents and grandparents did with this “Glee”-like musical layout featuring songs like Cee Lo’s “Forget You” and a cameo by Selena Gomez.

Overall, the most important factor is that we were the very first people in the WORLD to see this highly anticipated film, and that speaks volumes about how amazing Savannah Film Festival has become. To say I’m honored to be a part of it all is an understatement!

Oh, and can we talk about how cute James Marsden is?? Love that he said that he wants to be that 80 year old actor that someone says “oh you know him; you’ll recognize him – he’s been in everything!” That was my exact description of James Cromwell earlier in the week! I would say young James is well on his way.

What a fun night at Film Fest!! So sad for it to come to an end tomorrow.

“You are the first audience in the world to see this film.”

With that, Savannah Film Festival Exective Director Danny Filson pulled back the curtain on Friday night’s Director’s Choice, which – to the delight of the supercharged audience in Trustees Theater – was James Bobin’s joyous, fantastically clever “The Muppets.”

Thunderous applause bookended the screening, which was an admittedly out-of-left-field choice for a festival that, so far, had screened mature, Oscar-worthy fare like David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method,” Roman Polanski’s “Carnage” and Lynne Ramsay’s harrowing “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”

“The Muppets” was the perfect antidote, a vibrant mixture of nostalgia and Charlie Kaufman-esque, pop-culture punchlines wrapped in a comfortable, getting-the-band-back-together structure. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the vaudeville gang of cornball entertainers reunite after decades of separation, hoping to stage a telethon that’ll raise enough money to prevent greedy Tex Richman (Chris Cooper, who raps) from bulldozing their beloved theater. Jason Segel and Amy Adams play innocent tourists inspired to help the Muppets, while Zach Galifianakis voices Walter, Segel’s “brother” and the latest addition to the Muppet family.

To borrow a line from one of the movie’s winning musicals, “I can’t seem to wipe this smile off my face.”

Co-writers Nicholas Stoller and Segel obviously grew up on the weekly variety program that entertained those of us now know as Generation X. And there’s a loving subplot about reclaiming family entertainment from the vapid, insensitive reality programming that passes for television these days.

But beyond that, “The Muppets” – much like their feature films of old – is infused with goofy charms and non-ironic glee. The Muppet voices are a little off, but the humor and sentiment associated with the beloved franchise is spot on. Rapid-fire jokes appear to grow smarter as the film progresses, and the movie-concluding variety show will transport you back to your childhood living room, where you gathered as a family to laugh and sing along with the Muppets and their weekly celebrity guest host.

“The Muppets” is wonderful. Segel, Stoller and Bobin cracked the code, recreating a Muppet movie that can win over a new generation of clever kids as it reminds their parents what they found amusing about Jim Henson’s creations in the first place. Checking out “The Muppets” means casting a vote for quality family entertainment. Supporting “The Muppets” is a necessity.

Kudos, Savannah Film Fest, for going out on a limb and hosting the surprise screening of this winning comedy. It was a wonderful night for “The Muppets,” a surprising night for Savannah Film Festival patrons, and a very special night for movie lovers.

– Sean O’Connell, @Sean_OConnell

about Director’s Choices.

They’re always full of mystery. Only a select group of programmers, volunteers, and higher-ups are bestowed with the surreptitious and well-kept secret that is the Director’s Choice. Day after day before 7pm on Friday, the question remains hushed on the lips of everyone alike:

What is it?

Is it a comedy? Is it a thriller? A horror? Will it be a mixture of a few common themes of this week which include but are not limited to dysfunctional families and the empowering of female protagonists by putting them through difficult situations and seeing where they emerge (victorious, of course!)? Is it going to be another fantastic Weinstein-produced flick, or a few reels from a completely unknown source?

Who knows? Well, I know who knows, but that’s neither here or there. What I do know is that my inclinations for a movie that’s going to rock the house. The slow and steady rise of each night’s showing being even more engaging than the last (Another Happy Day! Butter! Carnage!) spells an imminent result for tonight’s screening being a real treat.

I’m all out of ideas, but until 7, I’ll be waiting…

?

As James Marsden walked to the front of a Crites Hall classroom on Friday, he was welcomed by a deafening applause. “Did you tell them that James Franco was coming?” he asked with humility. “I think there’s a mistake.”

No error was made. The audience that filled the master class to standing-room-only capacity was eager to hear from the actor whose wide range of film roles include appearances in “X-Men,” “Straw Dogs,” “Hop,” “27 Dresses,” “Hairspray,” “The Notebook,” and many others. Marsden will receive the Savannah Film Festival Spotlight Award at the 7 p.m. film screening Friday evening–an honor that reflects the magnitude of his accomplishment since moving from Oklahoma to Los Angeles as a 19-year-old with dreams of becoming an actor. “When I first started out I had this blind confidence, ” he said. “There was nothing for me to lose.”

Marsden learned about the entertainment industry through a few “lucky” connections and now has nearly two decades of on-screen experience. “The process has been demystified a bit…but the enthusiasm for the work hasn’t diminished at all,” he said.

During the question-and-answer-style master class, Marsden was asked how he selects his roles.  He said, “It’s striking the balance between creative fulfillment and paying the mortgage,” as well as the opportunity to work with an excellent director. “As an actor you really have to give yourself up to a director because he’s the one putting your performance together in the editing room.”

Marsden has completed five movies this year and has a variety of upcoming projects in progress. He plays Tina Fey’s new love interest on the NBC hit “30 Rock.” He found filming this role to be an interesting experience because he joined a close-knit cast in the show’s sixth season. “That’s like showing up to a party where everyone knows each other and has known each other forever,” he said. “Then you have to get up and dance by yourself.”