Film festival time!

Although I've not mentioned it recently, I've been looking forward to the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival which began tonight with 'locals night' and runs through Sun. This film festival is a highlight of my year, of which I try to take the utmost advantage.

For many years when I worked a traditional Mon-Fri schedule, I would take vacation days on Thurs & Fri so I could see as many films as possible during the festival. Now that I don't work a traditional Mon-Fri schedule and can't be off for 4 days in a row, I've had to adjust and compromise. But that's a key ingredient to happiness in life, right? Better to compromise and enjoy as much of the festival as I can than to be severely disappointed that I can't be off work for all 4 days of it. At least that's how I see it.

Tonight I saw a wonderful Italian film called "Loose Cannons". Here's the film society's synopsis:
Tommaso has a comfortable life in Rome as an aspiring writer and a steady relationship with his boyfriend Marco - a life he has kept secret from his family. So when he’s called back to his hometown of Lecce in Italy’s deep-south to help run the family pasta business, he decides to finally reveal his homosexuality to his conservative family and hopefully get out of his business obligations in the process. But when his plans are thwarted by his brother, Tommaso gets stuck on the path that he was desperately trying to avoid. Director Ferzan Ozpetek takes a playful approach to this family dramedy, matching a critique of provincial Southern values with an eccentric cast of characters that includes a philandering conservative father, a boozing aunt, a pair of disgruntled maids, and Tommaso’s bubbly friends. As each family member’s quirks slowly come to the surface, Ozpetek’s heartfelt film reveals that Tommaso isn’t the only one struggling to navigate between a good public image and his true desires.

My thoughts:
I thought this film was delightful! The individuals' and the family's struggles were heartbreaking at times, yet laugh-outloud funny at times. The cinematography was beautiful, the characters were dimensional and fully developed yet not characatures, and the acting was true and believable. Things get particularly tense but hilarious when 4 of Tommaso's gay friends try to play it straight when they stop by his parents' house to say hello on their way to the beach!

I would highly recommend seeing this film, either at an art house theatre or eventually via Netflix.