CCFF: Selected movie reviews

For full festival schedule, go to www.capitalcityfilmfest.com

RATTER

Branden Kramer / 2014 / 80 minutes / English / United States 

A remote access Trojan, or RAT, is a piece of malicious software that gives a third party covert access to a computer, smartphone, or other device. A ratter is someone who uses such software, usually for criminal or voyeuristic purposes.

“Ratter” is an intense cyber-thriller that plunges you into the world of a young college student, Emma (Ashley Benson), who finds her own technology is being turned against her.

This film is innovative in its approach: It is seen and heard entirely from the viewpoint of Emma’s devices — her smartphone, her webcam laptop, and a camera built into a Kinect-like gaming system.

It soon becomes apparent that we are seeing these images through the eye of Emma’s hacker. A sense of unease sets in as we view Emma’s most intimate moments — sometimes re-wound and viewed again, other times captured in screenshots.

As Emma’s stalker is no longer satisfied to watch at a distance, the tension ramps up to an inevitable confrontation between the two. Benson convincingly plays the role of a young women driven to the edge of a breakdown by paranoia and fear.

In an age of ubiquitous technology and constant connectivity, this thriller’s emotional impact lies in its plausibility. As technology spreads faster than our ability to understand it, the border between private and public becomes more and more permeable.

You may not want to make plans to hang out with friends after this movie. You may feel an intense desire to go home immediately and change all of your passwords.

Tyler Measom, Justin Weinstein / 2014 / 90 minutes / English / United States

This documentary examines the life of James Randi, aka the Amazing Randi. A disciple of Harry Houdini, Randi gained fame as a magician and an escape artist. Later in life, he re-invented himself as an exposer of phony psychics, faith healers and spiritualists.

At first, Randi is easy to love. A masterful entertainer who becomes a champion for truth. Knowing the secrets of deception, he sets his face against those who would manipulate the public for personal gain.

The waters become murky, however, when Randi engages in elaborate deceptions himself, in order to expose the deceptions of his targets. Through the course of the film, we also discover that Randi himself has built his life around two incredible deceptions.

This film gives the viewer an intimate look into the life of the man behind the stage show. Interviews with comedians/ magicians Penn & Teller, Adam Savage of “Mythbusters,” mentalist (and target of Randi’s scrutiny) Uri Geller and a host of magicians and entertainers provide context and perspective.

“An Honest Liar” is both a touching biopic and an exploration of the deceptions we commit — and those we allow ourselves to believe.

Peter Baumann / 2013 / 15 minutes / German (subtitles in English) / Germany

A quintessentially German dark comedy, “Border Patrol” is worth every bit of the 15-minute lead-up to its punchline.

The short film centers around two German border guards stationed at the Austrian border. Carl is anxious to finish work so he can watch the big soccer match against Austria, but his partner, Franz, is content to take his time and be a general pain-in-the-ass. Their plans are altered, however, when the pair discover a suicide victim in the woods.

Franz hatches a plan to rid themselves of this problem. Carl anxiously agrees at first, eager to catch the football match, but becomes ever more uncomfortable as the plan unfolds.

Xaver Xylophon / 2014 / 22 minutes / German (subtitles in English) / Germany

Julius has a comfortable life. He has enough money, he is healthy and has a nice place to live with a comfortable bed. So why can’t Julius sleep?

“Roadtrip” uses insomnia as a metaphor for that lingering sense of unfulfillment and loneliness that is so common to the human experience. Julius is restless. He seeks relief from his sleeplessness in all the usual places — music, drugs, sex, whiskey — to no avail.

He craves a road trip. A new place, a clean slate. But a series of events seems to keep Julius where he is. Stuck.

In a landscape dominated by hyperrealistic, Pixar-like animated films, the charmingly crude, hand-drawn animation of “Roadtrip” is refreshing. Everything feels dream-like, as if we are experiencing insomnia with Julius.