Madonna's directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, which is playing the Berlinale in the artsy "Panorama" section, opened today, and our good friends over at indieWIRE had one of the few one-on-one interviews Her Madonna-ness granted to her film fest subjects. indieWIRE reports that buzz from folks coming out of the screening was (some might say surprisingly) mostly positive.

The film, originally envisioned as a short but expanded to 85 minutes, tells the tale of "three friends desperate to better their lot in life, who must duel with the reality of their circumstances." There's A.K., a would-be rock superstar who keeps things afloat while waiting for his ship to come in by turning tricks as a cross-dresser; Holly, who trains as a ballerina by day while working as a stripper at night to survive; and Juliette, who works in a pharmacy while saving money to live her dream of moving to Africa to help children in need.

Madonna chose to show her film at Berlin and, according to the indieWIRE piece, has no plans for further fest screenings. Instead, the film's team is exploring distribution options, "both traditional and non-traditional," so you may be able to see it sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can check out indieWIRE's excellent writeup of their Madonna interview, and see a sneak-peek three-minute scene from the film. Added bonus for all you guys out there (well, girls too, let's not make gender assumptions here) -- most of the clip is a scene of strippers practicing pole dancing. In, you know ... an artsy way.

You know how there's often this "rift" between film critics and general moviegoers? Like when something like Meet the Fockers scores only 38% from The Tomatometer -- yet goes on to gross well over $279 million domestically and $237 million overseas? Yeah, that kind of thing happens a lot. (koff-NORBIT-koff) And it looks like it might be happening with Zack Snyder's 300 at the Berlin Film Festival.

A few days back our Erik Davis informed us that during and after the press screening for 300, a small-yet-vocal contingent of the audience was, well, let's just say they were unimpressed. And since it's a European Film Festival (where "cineastes" often behave like childish jerks), their disdain devolved into a round of scattered jeers and boos. Frankly I don't think it's that big a deal. (I remember a press screening of The Two Towers in which a few people booed. Those people were morons.)

But now comes word that Snyder's mega-sweaty 300 was not only well-received during its "ticket-holder" screening; the folks absolutely devoured the thing and greeted the end credits with a big fat standing ovation. (Two things that seem pretty prevalent at European film festivals: booings and standing ovations.) According to Bloody-Disgusting.com, the flick elicited big waves of applause throughout and people really seemed to like it. So I guess the moral of this story (and the Marie Antoinette story and the Clerks 2 story and the Southland Tales story and the Fountain story) is that you shouldn't judge a film's quality by the pleasant/nasty reaction it receives at swanky film festivals. Better to either stick with your favorite and most-trusted film critics -- or, heck, just drop the nine bucks and see the flick for yourself. (300 opens on March 9.)

If there's one thing In Memory of Myself ( or In memoria di me) taught me, it's that it's painful enough watching men train to become priests for five minutes, let alone two hours. Despite its gorgeous camerawork, Saverio Castanzo's film (which is playing in Berlinale's competition section) fails to really tell us anything about what it's like for a man to trade in his life for one dedicated solely to religion. Instead, pic glides from hallway to hallway -- peering around one empty corner after the next -- while it searches for the rest of its non-existent plot.

Fed up with where life has taken him thus far, and desperately in search of an "idea or reason to live for," Andrea (Christo Jivkov) heads for the seminary where he is to begin training to become a priest. In the opening scene, Father Superior (Andre Hennicke) informs Andrea that he has passed the initial test and must now give all of himself to The Lord -- immerse himself in the silence, the prayer, the honesty -- and only then will he be ready to join the ranks.

Now that the glitz and glamor is out of the way, we have officially arrived at Berlinale's halfway point. And, depending on who you talk to, this is where the festival really starts to get interesting. A majority of the big premieres are old news, and the rest of the week is packed full of -- what we hope are -- a cornucopia of hidden gems. The second leg, for me, begins tomorrow with four films: The Other (or El otro), The Walker, Irina Palm and Interview. Will one of those turn out to be the pot of gold every journalist in town has been searching for? That ray of shining light at the end of a long week full of rain, sleet and snow? Fingers and toes are crossed, folks.

But back to the first half of the fest; the theme: Boredom. Most of the exciting films arrived in Berlin with a big "SOLD" sign draped across the front, and those that haven't already been snatched up are nothing to write home about. Last night, Teeth (which premiered at Sundance and was subsequently bought by The Weinstein Co.) enjoyed its premiere in the Panorama section. Between watching it blaze through Sundance, seeing it for the first time in Berlin and sitting down for an interview with the pic's star, Jess Weixler, I think I've had more than enough vagina-talk to last me until I arrive home and my wife picks me up the airport.

However, the high-point for me came today when I finally met David Hudson, editor of GreenCine Daily, and sat down with him to discuss the 57th Berlin International Film Festival as it heads into part two. Before watching the third installment of my video diaries, I must warn you that the video abruptly cuts off at the end. But fear not, all you missed was me complaining to David that my camera's memory card is a piece of crap. And then there may have been an I'm A Cyborg, But That's Okay reference from David ... I forget. Anyway, enjoy!

Though it's still early in the festival and I have yet to see a few of the films in competition, I feel pretty confident in saying Goodbye Bafana will win the Golden Bear award this year. Every once in a blue moon you stumble across a perfect movie -- one that gets it all right -- and flows slow smoothly from start to finish, you almost wish it could go on and on ... and on. This year, in Berlin, Goodbye Bafana is that film. Not only is it an important real-life film based on two important men, but it's sincere, emotional and inspirational -- to a point where you just want to reach out and give Joseph Fiennes a hug, he's that believable. Pic, which is primarily set on Robbin Island, a prison off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, begins in 1963 and spans 27 years. But, unlike La Vie en rose (which confused the audience with its jumping here, there and everywhere), Goodbye Bafana gracefully and seamlessly fades from one year to the next ... with each moment in time becoming increasingly more significant.

Story documents 27 years in the life of James Gregory (Fiennes), a prison guard looking for a way to move up the ranks during one of the most critical times in his country's history. With two young children and a wife to support, Gregory lands a job where is to take charge of the censorship office on Robbin Island -- a position that could easily lead to a promotion or two -- seeing as one of his main responsibilities is to look after South Africa's most feared terrorist, Nelson Mandela (Dennis Haysbert). Gregory, a severe racist (not because he chooses to be, but because he has to be), is to inspect all incoming and outgoing mail, while keeping an eye on Mandela and his cohorts. Because Gregory grew up on a farm, in which he was best friends with a black boy named Bafana, he knows how to speak Mandela's African dialect and proves useful in that he can play spy for the higher-ups.

If you took Annie Hall and Meet the Parents, threw both films -- as well as a Paris backdrop -- into a blender, out would pop 2 Days in Paris (or Deux jours à Paris) -- a charming, hysterical and sometimes gut-wrenching new film from writer-director-actress Julie Delpy. Pic, which is celebrating its World Premiere here in the Berlin fest's Panorama section, follows one couple's desperate attempt to remain calm and committed to one another while enjoying a two-day holiday in Paris, France.

The film's stuck-in-the-moment quirkiness is not all that unfamiliar to Delpy, as images of her co-starring role opposite Ethan Hawke in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset certainly dance in our minds throughout. But, instead of Hawke's dry, boring "someone slap some energy into this guy" persona, we get Adam Goldberg in all his neurotic glory. To say the film will simply put a smile on your face is a huge understatement -- if you're not wiping off tears of laughter and heartache by the time the end credits roll ... well, then you're simply not human.

After spending the past couple years immersed in his intense "revenge trilogy" (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance), director Park Chan-wook decided to lighten the mood, step away from the violence and tell a love story. With its zany, colorful characters and off-the-wall imagination, I'm A Cyborg, But That's Okay (or Saibogujiman kwenchana) is definitely a change of pace for Chan-wook -- an alternate route, if you will. But, it's a route packed with energy and creativity; the kind that forces you to pull over every few minutes in order to observe its beauty, its grace and its fresh air.

Traumatized when her schizophrenic grandmother (who thinks she's a mouse and eats radishes all day) is sent off to the loony bin, Young Goon (Lim Soo Jung) becomes convinced she's a cyborg (or robot), stops eating (for fear the food will damage her mechanical insides) and is carted off to a sanitarium by her mother when she cuts open her wrists in an attempt to re-charge her inner batteries ... or commit suicide, as mom sees it. With her grandmother's dentures by her side (which she uses to communicate with lights and vending machines) Young Goon makes it her mission to find a way to re-charge so that she can return the dentures to grandma, kill those holding her hostage and, while she's at it, discover the purpose of her existence.

Upon arriving in Berlin, Germany yesterday, I got my first taste of festival life when I stood next to Willem Dafoe while picking up my baggage. Dare I say it, but he looks pretty old. From there, I traveled by taxi to my hotel and continually beat myself over the head for forgetting my English-to-German translator -- making it near impossible for me to communicate with anyone, save for using these bizarre hand gestures. But then I realized most people here speak English, and so I was safe ... for now.

The 57th Annual Berlin International Film Festival begins tomorrow, and so far I've made my way over to Potsdamer Platz to pick up a festival badge and check out the scene. One word: Busy. Lots going on and, since I am by myself, I went looking for some familiar faces. Luckily, Eugene Hernandez from indieWire popped up in the press room and helped make me feel more comfortable (yay! Americans!) by showing me the ropes. Above you'll find my first attempt at a video blog (or diary) which provides you with a little taste of what I'm seeing here in Berlin. Keep in mind, it's pretty raw -- all I have is a camera and shoddy editing software -- so don't expect the works. Basically, you're seeing what I'm seeing.

If you dig it, let me know ... and also, leave a comment telling me what else you'd like to see and perhaps I can throw it into my next video diary. Until next time ...

I want to immediately buy a plane ticket to Berlin, to attend the 57th Berlin International Film Festival. Organizers just announced that they will be screening -- for the first time ever -- a restored and color corrected version of the 1921 film version of Hamlet. I can't imagine what it would look like in color -- somewhat jarring I bet, since silent film goes hand in hand with black and white. Hamlet stars the silent film diva Asta Nielsen who I just learned from IMDB created her own production company to make this film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the restoration project is part of the Berlin Festival's Retrospective program, honoring of the women of the silent film era.

If you love film, you have to watch the purveyors of this art form. It is literally watching cinematic history unfold itself and ... you get entertained at the same time! I've spent much time idolizing Clara Bow and Buster Keaton and I still don't understand why Wings has not been put on DVD yet -- it was only the first Academy Award winning film after all! But if you do have the opportunity to see these stars and filmmakers projected in a movie house -- with a live pianist accompanying preferably -- then you simply have to do it. Let Berlin be your start if you are anywhere in the area starting on February 8. Hamlet will premiere on February 10. Go forth! Enjoy for me!

I just bought a ticket to Berlin. Actually, no, I didn't, but if money and time weren't an issue I'd be there in a heartbeat to see the world premiere of La Vie en Rose. This Edith Piaf biopic will open the Berlin International Film Festival on February 8.

La Vie en Rose is titled after one of Piaf's most famous songs -- a song so famed, it's part of the Grammy's Hall of Fame. Edith Piaf was an extraordinary talent; by far one of my favorites singers of all time, her life was as interesting as her voice. She spent four years of her childhood blind and touring with her father in the circus. She performed in nightclubs, then became a French icon right before one of the world's most tumultuous times in history, World War II. She found herself in the middle of murder investigations, helped prisoners of war escape during the French Resistance and wrote the haunting, unforgettable lyrics for her still-sung ballads. Her talent and life experiences are all ingredients that could make for an incredible script.

Biopics can be difficult to make, though. What do you cut out of a lifetime? Martin Scorsese could have found a few things to get rid of while making his Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator -- he might have shaved off an hour from the three hour epic. Even Walk the Line, Johnny Cash's biopic -- and, like Piaf, an internationally respected musician -- was a little over two. Between the music, lovers, heroism and fame I'm not sure what Olivier Dahan will choose to omit. But no matter what he does, as long as "La Vie en Rose" and "La Via, L'Amour" and -- okay, I'll stop -- play throughout the film, I will be content.