To Be Understood

It has been quite a week and it isn't over yet.

On Sunday, my son Aaron sounded giddy on the phone. He was talking fast as he has always done when he is excited and his mind is racing ahead of his words. We discussed the feature in the Sunday Times, the week of scheduled interviews and appearances, and of course the opening of Cold Weather at IFC on Friday. In the midst of all the excitement, I could hear some tension when he spoke about the esteemed New York Times reviewer who would be writing about his film in the Friday paper. I asked if he had any idea what to expect and he replied somewhat nervously, "I'm hoping she wouldn't have taken the assignment if she didn't like the film."

I have a Google Alert set up on my computer that generates an email every time something about Aaron's movie is posted on the Internet. When I counted them this morning, I found more than 50 alerts since Monday and each one of them leads to several postings. All week, every few hours, I've checked my computer, read the blog postings, read the articles/interviews, and I still can't get my head around this phenomenon. My little boy and his little movie have been hashed around in the New York Times, New Yorker Magazine, Wall Street Journal, NPR, ABC Entertainment, Time Out New York, and Village Voice, to name just a few.

A lot of people are enthusiastic about the film, some luke warm, and a few hate it. Most writers mention the DIY independent film movement referred to as Mumblecore. Many go on to say Aaron's films have always stood out from the others as having a more polished aesthetic and a keen sense of place and character. They all talk about the detective genre and the connection to Sherlock Holmes. Those who like it are drawn to the quirkiness of the characters, the subtly infused humor, the cleaver twist of plot, and the stunning image of Portland's gray skies.

All day yesterday I nervously checked the New York Times website looking for the promised review. When it finally came through around 3 pm, I immediately knew Aaron would be pleased and why the words from this reviewer mattered. Manohla Dargis saw through all the hype about film movements and genre conventions and understood what Aaron was trying to achieve:

"With only the most natural of conversations and an exacting relay of close-ups, intimate two shots and meditative landscapes, Mr. Katz reveals how the self-knowing individual becomes known to others, and me turns into we."

"With no grand speeches or oversized gestures, Mr. Katz creates a specific world that gracefully enlarges with universal meaning. It's a world in which a simple coffee table (carried home by Doug in the beginning) becomes the literal centerpiece for newfound friendship, as the four characters meet for the first time one night, hanging out while Keegan Dewitt's tinkling percussive music keeps them company. As the camera (the cinematographer is the gifted Andrew Reed) moves around the table from one to the other, the warm light brightens their faces, pulling them out of the dark and toward shared discovery."

Last night even though the Skype connection was choppy, I could hear a calm in Aaron's voice. The final outcome of the whirlwind in New York no longer mattered. Aaron had achieved what he came for - to be understood.

Link to the New York Times review: click here

In the New York Times

I knew the article would be there, I had already read it on-line, and I still let out a gasp when I opened the Sunday New York Times Arts & Leisure section to an article about my son's new movie, Cold Weather. There it was a half page feature complete with a photo of the young director looking pensive, his head turned to the side. Tears of pride and joyful celebration welled up as I carried the paper to the car.

No matter what happens from here on, my son has had a chance to live his dream and be recognized for his art. As a mom, the best part of this is that he is still the thoughtful, sensitive, and unassuming boy who was crazy about dinosaurs, unusual musical instruments, buses, Uncle Scrooge comics, and Sherlock Holmes.

Congratulations to Aaron, Ben, Brendan, Reed, Cris, Trieste, Raul, Robyn, Lars, Jay and all of the other talented and dedicated filmmakers who put their hearts into this project!

PS - Hot off the presses: New York Times review of Cold Weather 2/4/2011

Cold Weather - The Mom's Movie Review

The positive reviews and comments have been pouring in ever since my son Aaron's film Cold Weather premiered to a a sold out crowd at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas a couple of weeks ago. As a mom, it is especially heartening when the reviewers notice the deeper meaning and the beauty of his work:

. . . Katz succeeds because he stays true to his belief that filming the honest reactions of sensitive human beings is as worthwhile a venture as dazzling your audience with explosions and melodramatic confrontations. He believes in the power of intimate moments and creative modesty. Josh Rosenblatt-Texas Observer

. . . striking visual sensibility. . . impressive experiment in genre. . . nobody does unspoken tension and unforced sensuality quite like Aaron Katz. Karin Longworth-LAWeekly

Some directors experiment with various moods before discovering their sweet spots, but Aaron Katz pulls off the impressive trick of experimenting within the boundaries of his sweet spot. Eric Kohn-IndieWire

Cold Weather has just enough of a jolt of conventional plotting to make it a more audience-friendly and, dare one say it, commercial picture. Mark Olsen-LA Times

The last one really got my attention - you mean Aaron could sell this film? That would certainly be better than auctioning off his comic book collection to pay the rent.

After reading all this praise from strangers, I thought maybe it was time for the mom to weigh in with a review.

I couldn't resist sitting in on a few scenes a couple of days ago when my daughter was screening Cold Weather for a friend. I was supposed to be working on taxes, but found myself drawn away from my task as soon as I heard the distinctive music. I stayed on to watch close ups of our former neighbors filling in as parents in the opening dinner scene and came back for the lovely shot of Multnomah Falls gradually consuming the screen with rushing water. Finally when the mystery came into play, I had to sit down and finish it to the end. This time through, I enjoyed the film as pure entertainment with it's humorous situations, intriguing sound track, stunning photography, and quirky mystery story.

From the mom's perspective, I'm pleased to witness Aaron's skill at creating films that can be appreciated as entertainment and at the same time offer a deeper view of humanity. I always find images and thoughts floating through my consciousness days after, never fully realizing the full potential of the film until I've watched it a few times. His movies are about real people in real relationships living ordinary lives who are forced to deal with extraordinary circumstances.

There is always a lot of talk around Aaron's films about the twenty-something, aimless, naval gazing, slacker characters. I disagree with any criticism on this point. Soon approaching my 60th birthday, I can easily connect with these young people. Who hasn't bummed around playing games instead of always being responsible.

I had a unique opportunity to get to know these movie makers last year when they were working on the film and I can tell you without reservation, these young people are NOT slackers. I've baked them cookies, packed them lunches, and watched them from behind the scenes working long tedious hours striving for perfection on a smaller budget than anyone could possibly imagine. You couldn't find a more pleasant, dedicated, or hard working group of young men and women anywhere.

The bottom line is a proud thumbs up from the mom and congratulations for a job well done. On to the San Francisco Film Festival.

Pins and Needles Update

I wasn't the only one on pins and needles over the weekend. Aaron told me when he called this morning, about being tormented by "what ifs" as he waited for the premiere of Cold Weather on Saturday night. Thankfully, due to the positive press, the nerves have been replaced by a slight euphoria. Mostly he is just happy the audience connected with his film.

Aaron assured me that things are going well in Austin and he is having a good time - although after four nights of sharing a hotel room with eight people and a party every evening, he thought a quiet corner and a book sounded like a fine idea.

As I sit here writing, the second screening of the movie is just about over. I will be back to the Internet soon to see how it went.

On Pins and Needles

The premiere last night of my son's third movie Cold Weather at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas has kept me on pins and needles for days. Yesterday, I counted down the hours to the 5 pm (7 pm in Austin) show time somehow thinking my nervousness would disappear as soon as I imagined the lights went out and the movie appeared on the screen. Not so. What if no one came? What if the eight or ten people in the theatre hated it? What if the projector or the tape didn't work? What if . . . ? The tortured wonderings of the Mom sitting here more than 2,000 miles from the thick of things.

No word about the success or failure came before bed last night. My half awake, half asleep dreams were full of crazy images. As soon as the sky started to turn pink this morning, I rushed to the computer to see if there was any word. At first nothing except old news. I filled my time with making pancakes and reading the morning paper.

Then about 9:30 am a new search led me to a review by LA Weekly critic Karina Longworth. The first words that appeared on the screen were "Cold Weather - The first unqualified hit of 2010 SXSW Film Festival premiered last night to a packed crowd at Austin's Alamo Ritz." I ran around the house looking for Gary shouting "It's a hit, it's a hit." 

I spent the afternoon scanning the Internet for more reviews (there are several). My aunt called from Los Angeles to tell me she just stumbled onto a interview with Aaron in her Sunday LA Times. I've sent emails out to friends and family members with links to the reviews. My daughter called to tell me about an "I'm excited!" text she received from Aaron. Now I'm on pins and needles again wondering what happens next.

Cold Weather - The movie not the forecast

The long awaited indie film, Cold Weather, is set to premiere at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in March. The trailer has created lots of buzz on the Internet. One site even includes the film in their list of most anticipated movies in 2010. Click on Cold Weather to see the trailer.

Here is the official plot description from the SXSW site:

A former forensic science major and avid reader of detective fiction, who, after making a mess of his life in Chicago, returns to his hometown of Portland, Oregon. There, he, his sister Gail, and new friend Carlos become embroiled in something unexpected. Director and Screenwriter: Aaron Katz (my son). Cast: Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn. Caterer: ME!

OK, they don't list the caterer on the SXSW site, but they should. The film couldn't have been made without happy movie makers and no one is happy without good food. If you are interested in the food details, go to my blog posts in March and April.

So far I've only seen the trailer (no previews even for Mom). It looks and sounds promising. I don't even know the whole plot, but I can remember the food for each scene. The trailer starts with the top of a parking garage (cold ham, salads, and homemade cookies); the next shot is on the bridge at Multnomah Falls (monster custom sandwiches and fruit); followed by Indian Beach at Ecola Park (more sandwiches); and toward the end the library at Portland State (lasagna, tossed salad, and homemade cupcakes).

When the reviews come out, maybe they will give kudos to the caterer.