The 48th NYFF hits its stride with bold films

With films about social media, ghosts, and bank robberies, one might worry that the 48th New York Film Festival has finally gone commercial. Yet while some of the 26 selections for the festival—which runs through Oct. 10—may look conventional, there are still plenty of bold selections. As Richard Peña, a Columbia professor and the director of programming for the Film Society of Lincoln Center said, “Film art doesn’t reside in one place, whether it’s from a great big Hollywood films to extremely modest films made with amateur video … it’s the intelligence, it’s the care, it’s the commitment that makes art.”

The word “commitment” certainly rings true, starting with last week’s world premiere of “The Social Network.” The film, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, traces the origin of Facebook—an internet staple that students know all too well. While the topic might seem a little banal, Fincher and Sorkin weave an entertaining narrative and capture the emotional journey that was Facebook’s creation.

“The Social Network” is a big Hollywood film, and a couple more films in NYFF, including Julie Taymor’s visually explosive adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” come with big budgets and stars. Yet the best discoveries at NYFF are always the smaller films. Some come off as almost pure entertainment, such as the cannibal horror flick “We Are What We Are” from Mexico, while others are pure academic experiences, like Jean-Luc Godard’s “Film Socialisme,” which addresses Marxist communication.

The best films seem to strike a balance between being campy and profound, especially the sleek and sexy “Carlos.” The film may run five and a half hours and portray the life of an ideological terrorist, but it is made with audacious fun and beauty by Olivier Assayas.

Another successful film, “Inside Job,” is a blood-boiling documentary on the 2008 financial crisis that never panders to its audience. It is both informational and entertaining, at least for its scathing attack on two Columbia Business School professors.

Cinephiles will get particularly excited for “Certified Copy,” a mystery-romance from Abbas Kiarostami. Shot in the Tuscan countryside and starring Juliette Binoche, this risk-taking film encourages viewers to become emotionally invested in what is essentially a philosophical puzzle, with each shot meticulously designed to draw the audience further into the narrative.

Peña offered his own NYFF recommendations as well, including a French film called “Black Venus,” which follows the story of the “Hottentot Venus,” a South African woman with large genitalia who was displayed in freak shows and prestigious parlors across Europe. “It’s a very, very curious film and one that is complex and treats sensitive issues with a lot of intelligence and a lot of audacity,” Peña said.

Many students in the past may have been wary of NYFF, whether because of the lack of recognizable stars or the price of tickets. However, the Film Society offers $10 rush tickets for most of the festival’s screenings, as well as a number of free tickets to their Twitter and Facebook followers. “Its been no secret for a while that audiences for art films, for specialized films, are skewing older,” Peña said.

Yet in many ways, NYFF is regarded as a tradition because of the way it’s organized. Although the Film Society has been attempting to reach out to college students through social media and a new website, the format for the festival remains the same. As Peña said, “There’s something about the festival, the structure, really the formality of it, that I like very much, and I see this as a place where each year we unveil a platform of films and we do it in the way the films are meant to be seen.”

Part of the wonder of NYFF, what truly makes it special, is walking into a film with no idea what it’s about, and walking out totally stunned. As this year’s NYFF proves, art doesn’t have to be serious—it can be sexy, thrilling, and even a pleasurable proposition