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LA Film Festival 2017 – Best Of Fest ‘Wrap Up’

While a cinematic calm has come over the recent LA Film Festival 2017, there’s still some final thoughts for us here at WhySoBlu.com.  Amidst the gems and duds reviewed there were a few special notables that require a secondary shout out as being stellar damn fine film contributions.  So as is standard with any cool fest coverage for a finale we’re highlighting those who stood and let their movie moves wash over us like a smooth silky cinematic wave.  Stand and be recognized for the genius you embody (and we appreciate you!) – here are our picks of the….

WhySoBlu.com Best of Fest ‘Wrap Up’

Best Film – Humor Me

Taking a tired tale of a father and son rekindling their relationship amidst a ‘finding yourself’ story motif, the gang from Humor Me manages to infuse their special talents to make the film a must see anyway.  From Jemaine Clement and Elliott Gould as the wry father/son team to a ton of sassy side characters that chew up the comical scenery, Humor Me is a welcome walk down familiar film lane that makes you glad to be home.

Best Actress – Cortney Palm in Your Own Road

In a role that could have been played merely on a surface level, actress Cortney Palm takes her shut off sullen neighbor Ally in Your Own Road to new heights by projecting the characters many dark complexities – and then boldly and brilliantly keeps them all inside.

Best Actor – Jeff Kober in Beauty Mark

Channeling his inner Roy Gaddis (his brutal bad guy ala Out Of Bounds could have been Beauty Mark’s lecherous Bruce at an elder age!), Jeff Kober once again shows that a sick, disturbed and totally void of redemption character that makes the skin crawl is equally as important as a relatable lead to root for.

Best Documentary – Stella Polaris

Taking the whole subject of climate change from a different doc perspective, filmmaker Yatri N. Niehaus instead uses mostly the power of stunning visuals and moving music to hammer the urgency of the epidemic home – the audience is watching and listening.

Best Film…I Didn’t See

Fresh off it’s screening at Sundance which I didn’t get to see, indie darling Patti Cake$ about an aspiring white female rapper from New Jersey once again hit a scheduled spot that made sure our paths did not cross.

Best Fest Moment

When I sat down for a screening of the new doc Whitney: Can I Be Me and saw that one of my doc directing heroes Nick Broomfield was sitting in the seat directly behind me…

Worst Fest Moment

…when I then saw the disappointing flick and was so annoyed by it’s wasted wares that I bolted before the Q&A even took place. (aka more Nick in the film please!)

 

That’s all she wrote folks.  Be sure to go back and check out all of our coverage of the LA Film Festival 2017 and come back next year for even more movie reviews, interviews and the like via the famed indie fest here at WhySoBlu.com – till then!