62. Black Bread (***)
20th century conflicts continue to provide fertile soil for heavy European drama. In this case, it's Spain after the Civil War. A original, shockingly brutal opening sets the stage. An adolescent boy perspective suggests innocence, but as reality slowly emerges and dark secrets surface, social and sexual politics clearly still have a long way to go. As for morality, there isn't even room on the table. War and its aftermath are hell!
63. Happy, Happy (**)
A quirky snow-bound comedy that keeps taking unexpected turns, mainly due to Scandinavian open-minded directness. Love ducks and weaves and ultimately settles, all punctuated by four-part harmony transitions supplied by a spiritual singing Greek chorus.
64. Nuit #1 (***)
This one blew me away and I was tempted to give it my first 4 star rating of the festival. Two thirty-somethings hook up and have urgent, graphic sex. The aftermath, however, is more challenging. Over the course of the night, these two people bare their souls to each other and end up raw, exposed and vulnerable. And, somehow, in the process, they expose the condition of a whole generation. Intensely honest and impossible to look away from. Fiercely committed performances.
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