Philadelphia Film Fest Week Two
By Gary M. Kramer
PGN Contributor
© 2007 Gary M. Kramer

The 16th Philadelphia Film Festival concludes next week, but there are still plenty of films to see, celebrities to ogle and parties to attend before it ends.

2 MINUTES LATER

Tonight at 7:15 at the Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., is the world premiere of Robert Gaston’s erotic thriller “2 Minutes Later,” a stylish film set and shot in Philadelphia that features a lesbian detective (former Philadelphian Jessica Graham), gay twins (played by Michael Molina) and a portfolio of erotic photographs. (Disclosure: this reviewer has a cameo in the film and is credited as a co-producer.) “2 Minutes Later” has an encore showing at 2:30 p.m. April 15 at the Prince.

Hunky actor Dermot Mulroney, who has appealed to gay men since his appearance in the AIDS film “Longtime Companion” in 1990, will be honored at 7 p.m. April 14 at the Prince Theater, at the premiere of his latest film, “Dante’s Inferno.” This terrific animated interpretation of the classic epic poem features Mulroney as the voice of Dante, a young man guided by the poet Virgil (James Cromwell) through the nine circles of hell and purgatory. As he meets corrupt senators, popes and everyone from Jim Jones to Emperor Hirohito, Dante learns how to live — and what sins to avoid. (Yes, there is a sequence about sodomites, who are forced to dance in nightclubs for eternity.) The animation of “Dante’s Inferno” is dazzling, with clever bobble-head moments and shadow puppets used to convey action or emotion, and Mulroney captures the hero’s voice with just the right mix of wonder and understanding. This is a witty, worthwhile journey, especially since it condenses Dante Alighieri’s work with contemporary references to everyone from Dick Cheney to Marilyn Monroe.

Following this presentation, at 9:30 p.m. at the Prince, actor Mark Webber will be honored for his work in “The Memory Thief,” an intriguing film about a man who becomes obsessed with the Holocaust, which includes a gay character (played by Douglas Spain, of “Star Maps”) named Domenic — but pronounced “Dominique” — who is awaiting a sex change.

And while screeners were not available for “A Summer Day,” a French drama about a gay teenager coping with the death of his best friend, here are reviews of several films of queer interest or with queer appeal that are playing the rest of the festival.

THE PAGE TURNER

“The Page Turner” is a slick psychological thriller about Mélanie (Déborah François), a young pianist who seeks revenge on Ariane (Catherine Frot), the woman who destroyed her passion for playing years earlier. This French film directed by Denis Dercourt has moments of real nastiness — watch out for the spike on the end of that cello! — that enliven its otherwise somber tone. There is also a queer subtext to Mélanie’s actions, which will keep audiences guessing what is really going on behind the poker faces of the two female leads. Beautifully acted by François and Frot, “The Page Turner” may not have many jaw-dropping moments, but its moderate thrills certainly satisfy. (April 14, 9:30 p.m., Ritz East, 125 S. Second St.; April 19, 6:15 p.m., Hiway Theatre, 212 York Road., Jenkintown)

Viva

Cross adult film pioneers Radley Metzger (“Naked Came the Stranger”) and Russ Meyer (“Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”) and one gets a pretty good idea of “Viva,” with Anna Biller as writer, director, producer, costume designer and star. This tale of a 1972 Los Angeles housewife’s “adventures” as she explores her sexuality is as camp as Christmas. From the spoken advertising slogans, dumb sex jokes and cheesy musical numbers to the obligatory nudist camp and orgy sequences, nothing in “Viva” is taken very seriously and this will amuse audiences who appreciate such kitschy sensibilities. After Bambi (Biller) has a fight with her husband, she assumes the identity of Viva, a call girl, and gets sexually involved with various men and women on her journey to find herself. The film is mostly of interest as an homage to the swinging ’70s sex films, complete with brilliantly garish sets and costumes. After 10 minutes, however, most audiences will get the joke. And “Viva” runs two full hours. (April 14, 5 p.m. Ritz East; April 15, 9:15 p.m., Ritz East)

It’s sex, lies and magnetic tape in “Mojave Phone Booth,” a quartet of linked stories all united around the callers at a pay phone situated on the edge of the desert. It is damning with faint praise to say that the best vignette involves Alex (Christine Elise), a lesbian whose lover, Glory (Joy Gohring), has an alien obsession. Elise’s strong performance and sympathetic character make this the most involving episode, even if the lesbian content is pretty chaste. In contrast, the first and last episodes — respectively about a woman (Annabeth Gish) being pressured to move in with her boyfriend and a man, Richard (Robert Romanus), trying to win back his wife — are superficial and lame. The film’s other segment features Mary (Tinarie Van Wyk-Loots), a down-on-her-luck woman who participates in a threesome with her friend Rachel (Jacleen Haber) and a rich stranger (Steve Guttenberg). Alas, the weak script, co-written by director John Putch, asks most of the talented actors to phone in their performances. Still this good-looking independent film is a passable time-filler for curious audiences. (April 15, 9:30 p.m., Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.)

For more information, visit www.phillyfests.com.