Rampart [US, Oren Moverman, 4] During the 1991 Rampart scandal, a beating incident triggers a reckoning for a brutal, racist patrolman (Woody Harrelson.) Bad cop character drama convincingly executed by an impressive cast.
Extraterrestrial [Spain, Nacho Vigalondo, 4] Man and woman waking up after one-night stand realize they missed the evacuation of Madrid due to hovering UFOs; bedroom farce ensues. Delivers delightfully throughout on its inspired mix of seemingly unrelated genres.
The above is now my new fave so far. I've seen a good number of solid works in their respective modes; this is the first film to fully score on the "I've never seen this before" meter.
You’re Next [US, Adam Wingard, 4] Masked killers hunt down members of a well-heeled family's anniversary gathering--unaware that one of the new girlfriends wields a seriously bad-ass skill set. Musters more wit and character detail than you'd expect from a gory neo-exploitation thriller.
Invasion [Argentina, Hugo Santiago, 4] Agents of a shadowy conspiracy fight to prevent younger, more casually dressed rivals from invading the city of Aquelia. Cryptic, deadpan, action-packed exercise in narrative deconstruction is what you'd get if Jorge Luis Borges wrote a spy thriller--because he did, and this is it. This 1969 archival rarity, once thought lost, screened as part of the fest's spotlight on the cinema of Buenos Aires.
