It’s opening night at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, and the first night of our daily coverage of this stellar, growing fest. As festival director and founder Shira Dubrovner remarked while introducing the opening night film, “This is the 4th year of the festival…we’re here to stay.” Along with programmer Paul Sbrizzi, Dubrovner has a wide ranging slate on tap for this year’s edition of MLFF — so drive on up to Mammoth and join us. There are tickets to many events still available at the box office.
Tonight’s opener, Damsel, premiered at Sundance in January, and it is a quirky, twisty, fresh delight. Set in the old west, the titular damsel, Penelope, ( a galvanizing Mia Wasikowska) is not in distress and does not need rescuing, but that doesn’t deter her persistent former-beau Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson) from trying, aided and reluctantly abetted by Parson Henry (played to lonely perfection by co-writer and co-director David Zellner, who shares writing and directing credits with his brother Nathan).
Devious twists and turns edge between comedy and tragedy – a lot like real life, but with a touch of ironic whimsy and abrupt bursts of violence. The Zellner siblings share some of these traits with two other related filmmakers, the Coen brothers, but their take is fresh and on point. One of the most delightful aspects of the film is its complete unpredictability, signaled from the very first scene, when an exhausted minister gives up the cloth to Henry, before wandering off into the desert. Henry is as reluctant a preacher as he is an accomplice to Samuel’s “rescue” of Penelope.
The film plays on Western tropes and turns them in a surprisingly feminist direction; it touches on current mores and offers a gentle send-up of classic Westerns. But best of all it is dark and funny, dry and yet edgily sentimental. It’s no small thing to wonder where a film or even a scene is going, feel a jolt of adrenaline-producing surprise, and have that sensation occur repeatedly while watching. Lush and at times eerily symbolic cinematography, plus strong acting all around, make this film a winner, and a nicely outside-the-box opener for MLFF.
Following the screening, an opening night party at the Sierra Nevada Center served up Blue Moon and St. Archer beer, Black Box wine, and munchies including Swedish meatballs and crunchy cheese tots.
With a full day of programming tomorrow, no one needs snow as a reason to head to Mammoth.
- Genie Davis; photos: Jack Burke