Varie

The Little White Cloud That Cried, made in tribute to underground filmmaker Jack Smith, and described as: “Goddesses unharnessing the power of the sea and putting it into a whole new element as they engaged in orgiastic battles and whoopla.” Maddin talked of how he sat some friends down to watch it, and all they could think to say was: “Well, that’s something.” Were they shocked with weirdness? Unlikely. If you’re a fan of Maddin’s you surely delight in a little kooky cinematic wonder.

Let me describe it by telling you how he said it came to be. He took some friends to his family’s cottage, and one debaucherous night he set out to make an unscripted story. So far, so normal. But what if I tell you that the friends in question are transsexual, and that the night was filled with a drug-fueled orgy? That, too, might be minimally surprising, considering how sex has played into a lot of his work, and the tribute he was making. So here’s one final aspect: It’s in bright, candy-filled color, a mixture of moving video and ultra-crisp, high-res stills — glam bursting from the screen without any of Maddin’s usual grainy, black and white haze. There is, however, Maddin’s quick-cut style and the usual intermingling of shocking imagery, humor, and classic tendencies. All the bits together — not your usual Maddin. (Monika Bartyzel, Moviefone.com)