Let me just start by tipping my hat to anyone who not only completes the herculean task of finishing their film but gets it into a festival of this size. There are so many factors that go into getting your film seen by the masses. Congratulations to all the filmmakers involved. My opinion is just one of many. On with the films…

[minor spoilers]

Gardener of Eden – Directed by Entourage‘s Kevin Connolly, the film is a suburban take on the Travis Bickle vigilante fantasy. Adam, a young Jersey fuck-up takes it upon himself to correct society’s ills and pick up the slack for local law enforcement and beyond. Connolly, who made a short film that I like a lot, is a capable director on his first feature. I just wish the material he chose to make his debut was approached with a little more discretion. There are moments that feel so reminiscent of Taxi Driver that I went into a been-there-done-that haze. There is a talented cast here. Lukas Haas is strong as Adam, I like where he’s going as an adult actor. Erika Christensen has some good moments in an underutilized storyline as the rape victim that Adam tries to save (Bobby D. and Jody Foster, you get me) and Giovanni Ribisi is pitch perfect as the punk-ass local dealer Vic (HK as Sport). Homeboy turned superhero via comic book panels was a nice touch.

Mood Enhancer – Shorts Program – I always like the shorts programs. I guess because it’s a filmmakers chance to really experiment with form and function before the big boy$ descend. Seven shorts connected by the theme of an alternate reality proved to be somewhat lackluster though. I found the standouts to be Onion Underwater about four friends in the future, three who have at some point taken a drug that erases short term memory. One is a virgin and experiences everything from chocolate cake to swimming in a pool for the first time. I Am Bob is a very comical short full of self-parody. Bob Geldof gets stranded at an inn where a celebrity look alike contest is going on. In order to win the prize money he must sing for his supper as Saint Bob himself. The song, “I Don’t Like Mondays”.

The Coen Brothers/Barry Sonnenfeld at the Apple Store Soho - This wasn’t a Tribeca run event but Apple has been doing these kind of interview sessions during the week of the festival for a while now. Barry Sonnenfeld, DP on the Coen’s first three films and director in his own right interviewed Joel and Ethan. Great to sit in on these three with all the stalled silences between question and answer. The brothers are just like their films, a mystery. They’re not verbose but what you do get is gold. Take a look at some video from the event courtesy of IndieWire.

Express Stops Only – Shorts Program – I found this program to be the most satisfying from what I saw at the festival. These were all interesting and stirring shorts that represented New York and its trials with daily life. To recognize them all, here are the films from the festival program:

September 11th is viewed through a different set of “eyes” in Say Can You See. A mother will do anything to get her child Red Shoes, and two people connect for a New York minute in Lock. A Brooklyn barber shares a story from his past in A Nick In Time. One couple tries to spice up their love life in Super Powers, while another couple dances an emotional tango in Raving. A woman discovers you can’t buy Happiness, and don’t take things at face value In Vivid Detail.

Some made more of an impression on me like A Nick of Time and Happiness, both Sundance picks this year (you can download them on iTunes). In Vivid Detail was a subtly well-acted character piece too. Super Powers was a crowd favorite that won the Special Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short.

Amexicano – This story of a good natured, working class chooch who befriends a Mexican day laborer in Queens is all heart. As the two bond and form a genuine friendship we see humanity thrive. Amexicano is sweet but not saccharine. It makes you give into the sentiment of connecting without feeling manipulated. I did have an issue with the latter half when the subject of deportation became a major pressure point in the story. If there was ever a need for denouement, the end of Amexicano begged for it.

The King of Kong – A dark overlord rules the Twin Galaxies kingdom only to be challenged by an unsure but earnest young warrior. This is not a logline for some distant future Star Wars installment. This is the video game arcade rivalry The King of Kong. The gods surely did shine on director Seth Gordon when he chose to take on the subject of video game obsession and supremacy. The documentary cleverly conjures up the thought of what is truly an accomplishment? Is it when it is a recognized? Or when one’s self gets found in the doing?

The Air That I Breathe – I found this overly slick Crash regurgitation to be slightly interesting in some of the pivitol moments but overall having major plausibility issues. There are scenes so full of melodrama I felt like I was watching a soap opera. Clichés run rampant in The Air That I Breathe. Let me state it this way, when a big bag of money drops out of the sky to correct a character’s miserable fate I think it’s probably time to call it a day. Forrest Whitaker (always great) and his storyline would have made for a more nuanced film on its own but not in these hands. If you look back at this film it’s like one of those puzzles where you slide all the little squares into the right spot and it forms a smiley face except here there is no smiley face. You would never have guessed it by the cast it attracted.