N.Y. Film Festival flounders

If USG DVD isn't enough for you, the newly wrapped 45th annual New York Film Festival offered several movies to watch — and a few to avoid. While this year's festival screened several gems, many were downright bland, making the event less than a sure bet for the discerning movie buff looking for this season's top films.

Things started off with a bang at the Festival, which ran from Sept. 28 to Oct. 14, with a screening of Wes Anderson's newest film "The Darjeeling Limited" in a packed Lincoln Center. It was clear that the audience was in for a special treat when acclaimed thespian Bill Murray, apparently drunk, walked out on stage while leaning on a glamorous Angelica Huston. Seemingly unsure of whether Murray was joking or actually tipsy, the audience applauded halfheartedly. The tepid response prompted Murray to slur into the mic, "Thank you! Thank you very much," before Huston dragged him off stage. His bizarre but very entertaining performance was the perfect setup for Anderson's equally funny feature.

Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody, "Darjeeling" tells the story of three brothers who take "a spiritual journey" across India. Enhanced by Anderson's lush palette of reds and blues, the exotic environment lends a deep melancholy to the story of three rich eccentrics who ignore the poverty and hardship around them. India allows Anderson to make what is easily his most beautiful and moving picture.

"Darjeeling" set the bar so high that other comedies paled in comparison, including Noah Baumbach's star-studded "Margot at the Wedding." When Margot (Nicole Kidman) goes to her estranged sister's wedding, only to be disgusted by her pathetic wannabe rockstar fiancee Malcolm (Jack Black), hilarity ensues. Baumbach's brand of humor ranges from the peculiar to the very twisted, such as when Margot's sister casually mentions that her soon-to-be spouse "was fondled by a male babysitter as a child." The laughs which stem from incest and pedophilia cheapen the dramatic elements so much that the movie comes off as a forgettable mess.

The festival fared better with its selection of international films, with its offerings including some bizarre and fascinating pictures. Surprisingly, it establishes itself as a platform for the finest Gothic horror movies out there with the Spanish language film "The Orphanage." Recalling last year's "Pan's Labyrinth," the Guillermo del Toro-produced feature is a suspenseful affair about a mother who slowly becomes haunted by the imaginary friends of her missing son. The film uses the old horror trope of the creepiness of little children to brilliant effect, expertly perverting even the most innocent of childhood games like the Spanish equivalent of "Red Light, Green Light." But beyond the scares, the film contains an emotionally involving story, practically guaranteeing it as a serious contender in this year's Oscar race.

More traditional festival offerings from abroad were not nearly as exciting or well executed, including the French movie, "The Romance of Astree and Celadon." Directed by 87-year-old Eric Rohmer, it tries to envision how readers imagined a romance novel set in ancient Gaul. This compelling experiment ultimately fails due to its ponderous pace and overly melodramatic performances. Films like Rohmer's seemed to have been chosen simply because they have a "prestigious" feel about them.

In the midst of the sometimes underwhelming cinematic grab bag, the centerpiece film, "No Country for Old Men," exemplified just how good movies can be at the New York Film Festival. The nihilistic film features two of America's most distinctive auteurs, the Coen Brothers, at their brutal best. After a drug deal goes bad in the middle of nowhere, a Texan small-town cowboy (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a few million dollars only to find himself chased relentlessly by the crazed hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). The Coens use the harsh lighting of the Texas outdoors and its pitch-black nights to create a sparse and beautiful looking noir. Without a doubt, the highlight is Bardem's psychopathic killer, who finds pleasure in the pain of others and decides whether someone lives or dies based on a coin toss. His performance, at once menacing and magnetic, gives "No Country" an almost unbearable tension that cements it as one of the year's best films.

The range in the quality of the films presented at the New York Film Festival underscores the very eclectic and sometimes questionable taste of the film festival's selection committee. The major features like "Darjeeling" and "No Country" are as good as films like "Margot at the Wedding" are mediocre. If you do a bit of research before venturing to New York, you'll find your cinematic bliss amongst Oscar hopefuls; otherwise prepare for one humdrum time at the movies!