MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK (Jonathan Holiff, Canada). 89 minutes. Friday (June 15), 7 pm, Toronto Underground Cinema Sunday (June 17), 2:30 pm, NFB.
NXNE FILM FESTIVAL at the NFB Mediatheque (150 John), the Royal (608 College) and Toronto Underground (186 Spadina) through Sunday (June 17). $10, NXNE wristband or $25 films-only wristband. nxne.com. See listings. Rating: NN
Jonathan Holiff’s documentary purports to explore the relationship between the filmmaker’s father, Saul Holiff, and a fellow named John R. Cash, whom Saul managed through the 60s and into the 70s. But it’s really an attempt by a son to understand his contentious relationship with his father and come to terms with Saul’s 2005 suicide.
Every now and then, My Father And The Man In Black breaks through its maker’s intimacy issues to show us a fascinating snapshot of the music industry in the 60s. And even though he only appears in archival material, Cash remains a compelling, dynamic figure. But the constant use of re-enactments quickly becomes grating and self-indulgent do we really need a scene where the filmmaker recreates his experience of watching the Walk The Line trailer in a movie theatre?
