CIFF 34 Quickies: HANNAH FREE, FALKENBERG FAREWELL, TOE TO TOE

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Hannah Free (2009)–**
An aging lesbian lays in a nursing home just rooms away from the comatose partner she is barred from seeing. Even with its topical subject, this softball romance never reaches a dramatic peak. What could have been a gay The Notebook is instead a cumbersome, often boring, theater adaptation that is actually hindered by its attempts to be more cinematic. A few good lines and an endearing performance by lead actress Sharon Gless make the film watchable, but everything else makes it totally forgettable. Directed by Wendy Jo Carlton.

Falkenberg Farewell (2006)–****
Five friends try to keep on living any life they can in the small Swedish city of Falkenberg until one of them decides he’s had enough. Beautifully photographed and spontaneously acted, Jesper Ganslandt’s first feature does exactly what it sets out to do: shows what life is like is a small city for a generation of lost men. This haunting, subtle debut is reminiscent of the first films of David Gordon Green and Terrence Malick and equally as praise-worthy. Starring John Axel Eriksson, Holger Eriksson, David Johnson, Jesper Ganslandt, and Jörgen Svensson.

Toe to Toe (2009)–No Stars
An African-American girl from a tough neighborhood and a privileged white girl try to survive at a D.C. prep school. Emily Abt’s superficial teen drama is, in a word, messy. The film unfolds like a series of “previously on” clips from an ABC Family series and suffers from characters that would be considered clichés if not for being so mishandled. Not as edgy as it wants to be and not as wholesome as it needs to be, Toe to Toe is bad entertainment. As a teaching tool, it just feels out of touch. Starring Louisa Krause and Sonequa Martin.

These films were screened at the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival.