01 December 2004

Santa Fe Film Festival

for the past decade I've been doing my share of festivals. budget permitting I like to purchase a festival pass so I can take in pretty much what I want. but as I've begun to age the notion of seeing 5 or 6 films right after each other for 4 or 5 consecutive days seems less appealing. so for my current local festival I bought a 10-pack. that's abt as many movies as I feel I want to handle.

the festival began tonite with "The Assassination of Richard Nixon." it marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Niels Mueller & immediately makes him a director to watch. the lead role is playd by Sean Penn who remains one of our most watchable actors. his interior work can be amazing. I tend to have trouble when he goes for the hysterics -- altho nothing in this film is as bad as his daughter-screeching scene in "Mystic River."

Mueller was on hand for a q & a afterward. he's an honest & personable young man.

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