Maybe I'm easily pleased but not easily enraptured as every film gets the same rating today. Overall a pretty good day

COMRADES IN DREAMS
7.5/10
This was a documentary about cinema owners in unusual/unlikely places. It would cycle between four different cinemas and their respective owners, talking not just about cinema necessarily but the lives of those who run them. One was in Africa where three men run an outdoor cinema with the hope of one day owning their own. You could see how passionate these guys were, even at the expense of a decent work/life balance. Another was in India where a 25 year old man runs a cinema in a large tent that goes from town to town. His dream is to have a proper cinema - oh, and to find a wife. Peggy is an American who runs a cinema in a small town somewhere in the USA, and appears to be using the cinema to escape from loneliness and boredom. And finally there was the woman from North Korea - this was a little disturbing in that her whole persona on screen looked forced. She was always smiling (but not naturally) and would always try and lead conversations into the hard work that needs to be done for the good of the 'collective' - Either she's really drinking the kool-aid or she was so mindful of her government that she didn't want to put a foot wrong when talking about the glory of North Korea and how showing films helped build a better nation, etc. Worth checking if it shows up on SBS.

YEAR OF THE DOG
7.5/10
I walked into this session knowing the name of the film, but not having remembered anything more about it. I was expecting an asian sub-titled film, but immediately remembered at opening credits that this was an American comedy starring Molly Shannon (from Saturday Night Live). However, this wasn't a run of the mill summer vehicle, but a more intense look at a woman who is a dog-lady (think cat-lady but with dogs). It's an interesting story of how she deals with grief and her relationships with a variety of interesting characters that are a part of her life. Having several relatively serious moments, I think it did a good job keeping a sensible balance between overboard/unlikely situations while maintaining several amusing scenes, usually from her brother & sister-in-law.

LIGHTS IN THE DUSK
7.5/10
This film was about a security guard with hopes and dreams for a better future who's path is obstructed by manipulation of others. It was very beautifully filmed with vivid colours and shadows - several times I was impressed by the imagery used for what might have otherwise been considered a simple shot (like sitting in a cafe). It had an almost timeless feel to it. It was a pleasure to sit through and if it weren't for a couple of niggly points with the character, this would have been my top film at MIFF so far. The problem really comes down the lead character - he has hopes and dreams, and can be seen to try and attempt realising them - however, he is also manipulated, and when that happens, seems to do very little to attempt to stop it. I thought these were conflicting characteristics, which confused me. Nevertheless, it was worth seeing and I'll have to try and track down some of the Aki Kaurismäki's other films (none of which I've seen, but include 'The Man Without a Past', 'Drifting Clouds' and 'Leningrad Cowboys'.

SNOW ANGELS
7.5/10
This is a canadian drama filmed in Halifax (but am unsure if it was set there). Definitely not an uplifting film, but I really liked it. Shot in a snowy town it tells the story of relationships between several interconnected people, largely between a separated couple who have a small daughter, both of whom seem to have lost their way and don't appear to be managing well at getting back on track. I found it interesting how prevalant guns in the home were in this one - it's not something I associate with the typical canadian home. Good to see Kate Beckinsale choosing a decent film for a pleasant change after several poor choices in many of her recent roles.