The Be All and End All

**Seen at the Chicago International Film Fest**

Note: This was the first time American audiences got a taste of this film. And at the start of the film, the director gave up his seat so an older couple could sit next to one and other. I love Brits.

Imagine being a 15-year-old horny kid who gets the grim news death is waiting right around the corner. Enter Robbie. Robbie just wants a shag. That's all he wants. And it's his dying wish. Enter best lad Ziggy. Ziggy tells Robbie he'll help him fulfill the wish. The boys run into numerous problems, as one would imagine. Robbie's in the children's ward, since he's only 15, which means not only does he not have his own room, he's surrounded by a "dykey" nurse and tons of tots.

The film focuses on Ziggy, trying to deal with the fact his best friend is dying, feeling the need to help fulfill his last wish and deal with the trials of being his Mom's "man." Ziggy's father left the scene and his mom hides the fact he still reaches out to Zigmond. Viewers see Ziggy deal with all these different emotional baggage and see how he navigates through it all.

From call girls, to soliciting "help" from school, to visiting a brothel, Ziggy stops at nothing to make sure Robbie doesn't have to die a virgin.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Robbie and Ziggy and seeing how the looming death affected them. They still get angry at one and other, say horrible things and leave the room angry. I feel when someone close to us is sick, we tend to put on an act and ensure we are always friendly and never rude. But when was the last time you didn't snap at your closest friend? That's what your closest friend is there for, to be a punching bag, call you out when you're acting crazy and still be there at the end of the day.

We also really enjoyed the "dyke-y" nurse from the film. She was a real treat.

After this film, we were fortunate to attend a Q&A with the director Bruce Webb, who said he was drawn to this film as he was an adopted kid and from a divorced family. He was drawn to Ziggy's story of searching for his father. The storyline was brilliant as was the directing in this film.

We also learned the boy who plays sex-crazed Robbie got his acting start in a Sex Ed video. Fate much?

As of yet, this film hasn't been well received in the homeland (UK). Hopefully some type of distribution will come for the film as they get ready to head for the Rome Film Fest.

Sex may not be the all and end all of life, but a best lad sure as hell is.

Side note: Sam held in all of her snorts as the director was sitting just a few rows up and the executive producer was right in front of us. Quite the feat.

Taking Woodstock

A film about Woodstock would mean six words: drugs, sex and rock & roll. Wrong. I think WayneStock in Wayne’s World 2 had more musical acts than Taking Woodstock. It was like Titanic without the ship or Rudy without football.

I love Demetri Martin and found myself highly anticipating this film especially since Liev Shreiber and Ang Lee were in the lineup. So imagine the disappointment I felt sitting in the theatre. It was like I arrived on the wrong day for Woodstock. You just keep sitting there wondering when the show will start.

There were a few fantastic opening acts for this film. Demetri Martin’s character was honestly, just a wet blanket I couldn’t wait to dry up. Granted the story is about him finding his way and exploring his homosexual tendencies, but unless old women or his parents were in the shot, he just did not deliver at all.

The old ladies: fantastic. Demetri Martin’s parents: hilarious. It made me want Russian Jews for parents. Emilie Hirsch plays a war vet who just can’t shake what he did and saw. His scenes are few, but he really takes hold of you as a viewer.

Schreiber’s character Vilma was funny, but then the schtick got old. And seeing big, burly Victor Creed from X-Men dressed in a dress didn’t really ring true for me. Love Liev in nearly everything else he’s done, but just couldn’t get comfortable seeing my big, strong man wearing a dress, lipstick and panty hose.

One particular scene really confused me as well. We see Elliot heading up to see Woodstock and when he’s nearly there, he befriends VW Guy and VW Girl who pull them into their VW van and give him drugs and they have this psychedelic, acidic and trippy fifteen minutes. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope someone threw up in. I had to look a few times away from fear of nausea. Screw D.A.R.E. classes, make fifth graders watch this. Scene is very reminiscent of the Bono scene in Across the Universe, hard to understand and the perfect opportunity for a potty break.

Bottom line: No storyline, great cast. Wait for the DVD as I’m sure the extras would include concert acts, but then again, it’s never safe to assume.