1) Coming Through the Rye (Thur. 4/7, 4:20 p.m. @Tower City)
We figured we'd mention this one, seeing as it co-stars Chris Cooper (mentioned in Demolition's review, above) as reclusive author J.D. Salinger. The film is about a young prep school kid (Alex Wolff, brother of Nat) who has adapted Catcher in the Rye at his school and goes off with an accomplice in search of Salinger. Though it's set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, it is nonetheless steeped in the "humor, charm and angst" that made Salinger's novel such a runaway success.
2) The Art of Burning (Sat. 4/9, 9:25 p.m. @Tower City)
We alluded to this one on last week's film page. It's the first CIFF film to be screened in 3-D, and why not? It's a documentary about Burning Man, that monolith to experimental arts, hippie drugs and uninhibited sex. This film focuses less on the debauchery and more on the interactive artistic displays, spotlighting the work of the AfrikaBurn Fire Collective, Peter Hudson, Georgia Collard-Watson and others who have made their mark at the festival.
3) A Good Wife (Sat. 4/9, 7:20 p.m., and Sun. 4/10, 12:10 p.m. @Tower City)
This one's part of the Central and Eastern European film competition, and it's a relevant flick for anyone who's been following the convictions and acquittals of Serb leaders at the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague. The film revolves around Milena, a good wife with a happy life whose world is turned upside down by two events. One: A lump is discovered in her breast during a routine checkup. Two: She finds a videotape of her husband executing bound Bosnians during the Bosnian war. This one's as tightly wound as a rubber-band ball.
4) Akron (Fri. 4/8, 8 p.m. @Akron Public Library)
This one's part of a series on LGBTQ issues and takes place locally. Benny and Christopher are students at the University of Akron who meet during a football game and are soon inseparable. Their families are cool with the relationship and everything seems peachy, but before a Spring break trip, Christopher makes a "shocking discovery" of a past tragedy involving their mothers. "The two young lovers are about to discover how the distance between loyalty to your family and to the one you love can be as deep and wide as the Cuyahoga River."
5) Miles Ahead (Sun. 4/10, 6:55 p.m. @Tower City)
Close the festival out in style with this behind-the-scenes look at legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, as portrayed by the incomparable Don Cheadle. It's a "no holds barred" portrait of Davis in the late 1970s, holed up in his home away from public view and haunted by his past. Ewan McGregor co-stars as a music reporter, and together, they embark on "a wild and sometimes harrowing adventure" to recover a stolen tape of the musician's latest compositions. A dazzling, impressionistic view of the 1970s.
