Inevitably, post-TIFF conversations involve being asked two questions:
- What did you see? (this blog is primarily an attempt to provide an answer to this question)
- Who did you see? (although given my interests, providing a list of who I saw would produce little in the way of recognition and many more questions. The biggest "star" I saw this year was probably Steve Coogan).
I was thinking about the latter on the weekend while reading the obituary of the actor Jackie Burroughs, who died earlier this month. Aside from appearing in a number of films that made an appearance at TIFF, Burroughs was a near constant presence in lines and theatres for many years.
In my early pilgrimages to the festival, it wasn't unusual to see several Canadian celebrities lining up to see films. Besides Burroughs, I remember seeing Geddy Lee and Bruce McCulloch at TIFF screenings.
That seems to happen a lot less now, although for what reason(s) I have no idea.
2010/09/27
2010/09/20
Back to Porridge*
TIFF 2010 ended yesterday with a full slate of screenings (this is something they used to do in the "old days", although at that time, the last day's schedule was released on the final "official" day of the festival. The idea was that the last Sunday represented a collection of fan favourites). For me, it was a day for resetting myself and getting ready for the return to work.
Sunday was also the day when various awards were handed out at a end-of-TIFF luncheon. The People's Choice award for feature was "The King's Speech"; as in most years, I did not have this on my list of films, so I can offer no comment, nor did I hear any comments about it in the lines).
The best documentary was "Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie" and the People's Choice in the Midnight Madness program was "Stake Land". I was three-for-three, not having seen any of them.
However, I did see "Incendies", which was given the award for Best Canadian film, an excellent choice and easily the best of the few Canadian films that I did see.
The last couple of days of the festival were full of a number of interesting films, including two of the best that I saw this year. Over the next few days, I'll provide a few comments on some of the more notable films.
(* a favourite expression of my father's, meaning the special time has ended and it's back to the daily grind)
Sunday was also the day when various awards were handed out at a end-of-TIFF luncheon. The People's Choice award for feature was "The King's Speech"; as in most years, I did not have this on my list of films, so I can offer no comment, nor did I hear any comments about it in the lines).
The best documentary was "Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie" and the People's Choice in the Midnight Madness program was "Stake Land". I was three-for-three, not having seen any of them.
However, I did see "Incendies", which was given the award for Best Canadian film, an excellent choice and easily the best of the few Canadian films that I did see.
The last couple of days of the festival were full of a number of interesting films, including two of the best that I saw this year. Over the next few days, I'll provide a few comments on some of the more notable films.
(* a favourite expression of my father's, meaning the special time has ended and it's back to the daily grind)
2010/09/18
Rare Exports
A unique Christmas story from Finland, less Miracle in 34th Street than Lord of the Rings.
In the lead-up to Christmas, a mining expedition in Lapland determines that a mountain is actually a large burial mound. Their attempt to extract an object from the mound creates havoc on the nearby village and especially the children.
Although it has an engaging performance from a young actor, this is not a film for young children. That said, it was good fun for the audience.
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In the lead-up to Christmas, a mining expedition in Lapland determines that a mountain is actually a large burial mound. Their attempt to extract an object from the mound creates havoc on the nearby village and especially the children.
Although it has an engaging performance from a young actor, this is not a film for young children. That said, it was good fun for the audience.
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2010/09/17
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Werner Herzog has produced a number of excellent documentaries over the years (his doc on Antarctica, "Encounters at the End of the World", was a highlight for me at TIFF from a couple of years ago).
His latest is a voyage into the Chauvet caves in France, a treasure trove of cave art from 30,000 years ago). The trip into the caves is enhanced by the use of 3D camera equipment.
The use of 3D accentuates the confines of the cave and its features -- the stalagtites and stalagmites; the ridges formed by the accretion of calcite on the cave floor -- as well as how the artists placed their work to take best advantage of the contours of the cave walls. Parts of it work very well to provide the immersive experience sought by many directors of 3D films.
The narration is provided by Herzog along with commentary from a number of the research scientists who work on and in the caves.
I was fortunate and was able to get a seat dead centre in the theatre, which should have been in the "sweet spot" for viewing.
Unfortunately, I had the same experience that I had with Avatar -- at its best, 3D is a novel viewing experience but the combination of the 3D glasses and my own induced a pretty nasty headache by the end of the film. It appears that barring any improvement in the technology (or my brain chemistry (:->)), I will be sticking with 2D.
That said, the documentary is recommended -- worth a look in 3D is available, but I think it would still be entertaining with only two dimensions.
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His latest is a voyage into the Chauvet caves in France, a treasure trove of cave art from 30,000 years ago). The trip into the caves is enhanced by the use of 3D camera equipment.
The use of 3D accentuates the confines of the cave and its features -- the stalagtites and stalagmites; the ridges formed by the accretion of calcite on the cave floor -- as well as how the artists placed their work to take best advantage of the contours of the cave walls. Parts of it work very well to provide the immersive experience sought by many directors of 3D films.
The narration is provided by Herzog along with commentary from a number of the research scientists who work on and in the caves.
I was fortunate and was able to get a seat dead centre in the theatre, which should have been in the "sweet spot" for viewing.
Unfortunately, I had the same experience that I had with Avatar -- at its best, 3D is a novel viewing experience but the combination of the 3D glasses and my own induced a pretty nasty headache by the end of the film. It appears that barring any improvement in the technology (or my brain chemistry (:->)), I will be sticking with 2D.
That said, the documentary is recommended -- worth a look in 3D is available, but I think it would still be entertaining with only two dimensions.
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Monsters
It's striking, though, when the subject matter requires the significant use of special effects. "Monsters" by Gareth Edwards is an example of such a film.
The premise is quite simple. Six years after a space probe containing evidence of extra-terrestrial life crash lands in Central America, the northern half of Mexico is a quarantined "infected zone". Two Americans must cross the zone to get home.
Using a mostly non-professional cast and an economical use of effects, the story focuses on the couple rather than unleashing the weaponry. Interestingly enough, the film breaks one of the cardinal rules of monster movies by showing the creature in the opening scenes of the film.
The film has a Canadian release date (Nov 5), so it will get a chance to be seen by a wider audience.
One other side note - while we were waiting outside the Ryerson theatre, a couple of people cam round and handed out T-shirts to the people in line. It's been a while since I've been at a TIFF where "stuff" ha been handed out. A pleasany surprise (especially since it provided an extra layer on a cool and breezy evening!)
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2010/09/16
Potiche
"Poriche" was this year's version of the "odd man out" film for me -- a film where the response of the audience is overwhelmingly positive and which never came together for me in any satsifying way.
It's a French farce about a trophy wife (Catherine Deneuve) who takes over her family's umbrella factory when her husband/CEO falls ill. She discovers her passion and her spine and a battle of the sexes ensues when her husband tries to take control back.
Deneuve is the centre of the film about which everything and everyone revolves, surrounded by cliched characters and situations. A film for Deneuve. And Gerard Depardieu completists only.
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It's a French farce about a trophy wife (Catherine Deneuve) who takes over her family's umbrella factory when her husband/CEO falls ill. She discovers her passion and her spine and a battle of the sexes ensues when her husband tries to take control back.
Deneuve is the centre of the film about which everything and everyone revolves, surrounded by cliched characters and situations. A film for Deneuve. And Gerard Depardieu completists only.
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Back into the Lightbox
The red box is a control room for both the audio-visual presentations in the building (for example, the swirling projection on the right of the photo) as well as security. It gives the impression that it's floating in space.
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2010/09/15
Ghosts of Toronto's Past
No more. HMV's flagship is a shell of its former self (it used to have a decent inventory of music but those says are long gone) and Sam's is literally a shell...
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Buried
Probably the most commercial studio film I'll see this year, "Buried" stars Ryan Reynolds as an American worker in Iraq who wakes to find himself trapped in a coffin below ground. With a minimum of props (a lighter, a pen and a BlackBerry with a dwindling battery), the entire movie takes place within the confines of the box.
From the opening credits (a homage to the great Saul Bass credits of the past), the film is a technical tour de force, not just for the camera work in the right space but also for its sound design. Reynolds is, with one exception, the only actor on screen, with other characters appearing only as voices on the phone.
Ironically, this is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen -- I doubt that the intensity of the film would survive a viewing in a living room.
Recommended.
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From the opening credits (a homage to the great Saul Bass credits of the past), the film is a technical tour de force, not just for the camera work in the right space but also for its sound design. Reynolds is, with one exception, the only actor on screen, with other characters appearing only as voices on the phone.
Ironically, this is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen -- I doubt that the intensity of the film would survive a viewing in a living room.
Recommended.
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2010/09/14
Stage & Screen
Last night I saw "Incendies" by Denis Villeneuve and "Of Gods and Men" by Xavier Beauvois. There's a link between the two that I'll get to in a moment, so I'll combine in a single entry.
The former had its genesis in a critically-acclaimed play by Wajdi Mouawad, also called "Incendies" in its original French version and "Scorched" in an English translation. The English version had two very successful runs at Tarragon here in Toronto.
Without giving away too much of the plot, the story opens the reading of the last will and testament of a mother of twins. In it, she directs the twins to find the brother and father they never knew.
The bulk of the story is set in Lebanon, both in the present and during the war of the 1970's..
It's a powerful story of uncovering and confronting the past. I had never seen the play, so the reveal at the end was a complete surprise.
As an adaptation, the director was given free reign to develop the story and he did a masterful job, aided by a strong cast. It didn't have the feel of a play that was adapted for film by adding a few exterior scenes; it was a film that used the medium to full effect.
"Of Gods and Men" won the Grand Prix and Ecumenical prizes at Cannes this year. It's about a monastery of French monks in Algeria who serve a small community. When Islamic extremists arrive, they are faced with a decision to either remain and face the potential of death at the hands of the extremists or flee. The film is based on actual events -- they chose the former and most were killed.
This is a film of small details. Each of the eight monks is allowed the space to establish themselves as people, through their words and actions. It's a good film that rewards the viewer, if you give the story time.
At the same time though, I felt that it would have been stronger as a play. The constraints of the stage would have heightened the isolation of the men and would have provided a stronger focus to their debates and characters. In some respects, the approach would have been similar to what David Young did with his play "Inexpressible Island", about the Shackleton expedition.
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The former had its genesis in a critically-acclaimed play by Wajdi Mouawad, also called "Incendies" in its original French version and "Scorched" in an English translation. The English version had two very successful runs at Tarragon here in Toronto.
Without giving away too much of the plot, the story opens the reading of the last will and testament of a mother of twins. In it, she directs the twins to find the brother and father they never knew.
The bulk of the story is set in Lebanon, both in the present and during the war of the 1970's..
It's a powerful story of uncovering and confronting the past. I had never seen the play, so the reveal at the end was a complete surprise.
As an adaptation, the director was given free reign to develop the story and he did a masterful job, aided by a strong cast. It didn't have the feel of a play that was adapted for film by adding a few exterior scenes; it was a film that used the medium to full effect.
"Of Gods and Men" won the Grand Prix and Ecumenical prizes at Cannes this year. It's about a monastery of French monks in Algeria who serve a small community. When Islamic extremists arrive, they are faced with a decision to either remain and face the potential of death at the hands of the extremists or flee. The film is based on actual events -- they chose the former and most were killed.
This is a film of small details. Each of the eight monks is allowed the space to establish themselves as people, through their words and actions. It's a good film that rewards the viewer, if you give the story time.
At the same time though, I felt that it would have been stronger as a play. The constraints of the stage would have heightened the isolation of the men and would have provided a stronger focus to their debates and characters. In some respects, the approach would have been similar to what David Young did with his play "Inexpressible Island", about the Shackleton expedition.
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Not sure this was what was intended
Before each screening a number of short ads are played, promoting TIFF and the role of some of its major sponsors (RBC, Bell, RIM et al).
Cadillac has been a sponsor for a few years now of the People's Choice (this is the biggest award at TIFF and will be announced on Saturday).
The Cadillac ad is a model of brevity. A black screen appears with the words "Some things you see once and remember forever"; followed by an iconic screen image; and then finally a short sequence of their CTS model racing along a tunnel.
They've created three of these -- in one, a smiling face of Peter Sellers as the mad doctor of "Dr Strangelove"; a head shot of the metal skeleton of "Terminator" and a screaming Janet Leigh from "Psycho").
As I've seen this about 20 times so far this year, I've had way too much time to think about whether this a successful ad for marketing the car and the answer is probably "no".
Usually when it appears there are a handful of derisive snorts from the audience (on the bright side, though, the snorts have not yet turned into loud comments; the sure sign that an ad has failed for a TIFF audience).
It does raise an interesting question of why they only chose images of a frightening nature, rather than similar more positive images (for example, a joyous Gene Kelly swinging off the lamppost in "Singing in the Rain"; Audrey Tautoo's smiling face in "Amelie", etc.). Are they suggesting that only images that frighten are instantly and permanently memorable and, if so, are they trying to link their car to this notion?
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Cadillac has been a sponsor for a few years now of the People's Choice (this is the biggest award at TIFF and will be announced on Saturday).
The Cadillac ad is a model of brevity. A black screen appears with the words "Some things you see once and remember forever"; followed by an iconic screen image; and then finally a short sequence of their CTS model racing along a tunnel.
They've created three of these -- in one, a smiling face of Peter Sellers as the mad doctor of "Dr Strangelove"; a head shot of the metal skeleton of "Terminator" and a screaming Janet Leigh from "Psycho").
As I've seen this about 20 times so far this year, I've had way too much time to think about whether this a successful ad for marketing the car and the answer is probably "no".
Usually when it appears there are a handful of derisive snorts from the audience (on the bright side, though, the snorts have not yet turned into loud comments; the sure sign that an ad has failed for a TIFF audience).
It does raise an interesting question of why they only chose images of a frightening nature, rather than similar more positive images (for example, a joyous Gene Kelly swinging off the lamppost in "Singing in the Rain"; Audrey Tautoo's smiling face in "Amelie", etc.). Are they suggesting that only images that frighten are instantly and permanently memorable and, if so, are they trying to link their car to this notion?
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2010/09/13
The Atrium at the Lightbox
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The Illusionist
Based on an never-filmed screenplay by Jacques Tati, this is Sylvain Chomet's follow-up to his "The Triplets of Belleville".
Like Triplets, this is a very traditional, hand-drawn animated film, set in the Edinburgh of the 1950's. A French magician ends up in Scotland to find work in a world where his craft is being superceded by the new media of rocknroll and television.
As a film about the dying of an age, it's terribly bittersweet. Consistent with Tati and Triplets, there is almost no intelligible dialogue in the film, but the quality of the drawings and an evocative soundtrack give you all the information you need.
Although I enjoyed it, I wonder how it will survive in the current movie distribution environment. It will be interesting to see how this film is marketed. It's probably too quiet to be a film for kids. It may be destined to be a film that will rely on word-of-mouth to succeed.
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Like Triplets, this is a very traditional, hand-drawn animated film, set in the Edinburgh of the 1950's. A French magician ends up in Scotland to find work in a world where his craft is being superceded by the new media of rocknroll and television.
As a film about the dying of an age, it's terribly bittersweet. Consistent with Tati and Triplets, there is almost no intelligible dialogue in the film, but the quality of the drawings and an evocative soundtrack give you all the information you need.
Although I enjoyed it, I wonder how it will survive in the current movie distribution environment. It will be interesting to see how this film is marketed. It's probably too quiet to be a film for kids. It may be destined to be a film that will rely on word-of-mouth to succeed.
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The Trip
"The Trip" is a mostly improvised road trip through the north of England, featuring several inns, some mind-blowing geography and the comic talents of Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden, directed by Michael Winterbottom.
The three were also involved in Winterbottom's adaptation and the two films share a common spirit, although "The Trip" is more comic.
Easily the funniest movie I've seen at the Festival so far. It's the kind of film where good portions of the dialogue are obliterated by the laughter of the audience. A sequence where the two riff on a sort of Agincourt speech from Henry V is a standout. Many in the audience were in tears by the end of it.
A beautiful soundtrack by Michael Nyman complemented the scenery and a few more melancholic scenes which were interspersed through the film.
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The three were also involved in Winterbottom's adaptation and the two films share a common spirit, although "The Trip" is more comic.
Easily the funniest movie I've seen at the Festival so far. It's the kind of film where good portions of the dialogue are obliterated by the laughter of the audience. A sequence where the two riff on a sort of Agincourt speech from Henry V is a standout. Many in the audience were in tears by the end of it.
A beautiful soundtrack by Michael Nyman complemented the scenery and a few more melancholic scenes which were interspersed through the film.
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Tabloid
The latest documentary by Errol Morris ("The Thin Blue Line", "The Fog of War", et al) is about Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming who became famous for two events in her life -- an incident in the UK in the late 70's known as "The Case of the Manacled Mormon" and a more recent event in which she paid a Korean company $150,000 to clone her deceased pit bull, Booger.
it's the first story that is the main subject of the film and which provides the title -- it prompted a battle in England between the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express on who could dig up the juiciest stuff.
In classic Morris fashion, she is the key and very willing participant in telling her story. What emerges is a portrait of a woman whose sense of romantic entitlement drove her to extreme actions. The first story including a kidnapping of her intended, a Mormon missionary, a sex-filled weekend in a cottage in Devon to deprogram him, flights from justice and a host of other details.
Each sequence of the film serves to add more detail of a woman who is, in the words of the Daily Express reporter who followed her story, "barking mad". Although this is arguably correct, it's also interesting to see the degree to which they were complicit in the legend.
Good fun and recommended.
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it's the first story that is the main subject of the film and which provides the title -- it prompted a battle in England between the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express on who could dig up the juiciest stuff.
In classic Morris fashion, she is the key and very willing participant in telling her story. What emerges is a portrait of a woman whose sense of romantic entitlement drove her to extreme actions. The first story including a kidnapping of her intended, a Mormon missionary, a sex-filled weekend in a cottage in Devon to deprogram him, flights from justice and a host of other details.
Each sequence of the film serves to add more detail of a woman who is, in the words of the Daily Express reporter who followed her story, "barking mad". Although this is arguably correct, it's also interesting to see the degree to which they were complicit in the legend.
Good fun and recommended.
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2010/09/12
There's another world out there
A local backdrop to TIFF this year is the municipal election. Traditionally, the Labour Day weekend is the official start of the campaign, although candidates can file papers as soon as Jan 1.
This particular election will produce a new mayor, as the incumbent, David Miller, announced that he would not run. Five "serious" candidates are in the running at this time, long with the usual plethora of fringe candidates.
I had to get from the AMC to the Scotiabank yesterday afternoon, so set out along Dundas for the first leg.
At the Ryerson School of Management, I passed through milling clumps of supporters for each of the five, carrying signs and wearing the colours of their favourite -- purple for George Smitherman, red for Rocco Rossi, white for Rob Ford, etc.
I presume that there was a debate on when I passed, but hopefully there was more energy and passion in the room because there was neither on the street. There weren't that many non-supporters on the street, so they were spending most of their time circling each other without intent of any kind.
As I continued my journey westward, I saw a large purple Smitherman cube van coming south on Bay and a white Ford cube van coming along Chestnut behind City Hall. They were the only vehicles on the street at the time, odd for a Saturday afternoon. Add some minor chords and some good editing and a battle could have been arranged at the point where they would have met. (we weren't so lucky. The election grinds along)
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This particular election will produce a new mayor, as the incumbent, David Miller, announced that he would not run. Five "serious" candidates are in the running at this time, long with the usual plethora of fringe candidates.
I had to get from the AMC to the Scotiabank yesterday afternoon, so set out along Dundas for the first leg.
At the Ryerson School of Management, I passed through milling clumps of supporters for each of the five, carrying signs and wearing the colours of their favourite -- purple for George Smitherman, red for Rocco Rossi, white for Rob Ford, etc.
I presume that there was a debate on when I passed, but hopefully there was more energy and passion in the room because there was neither on the street. There weren't that many non-supporters on the street, so they were spending most of their time circling each other without intent of any kind.
As I continued my journey westward, I saw a large purple Smitherman cube van coming south on Bay and a white Ford cube van coming along Chestnut behind City Hall. They were the only vehicles on the street at the time, odd for a Saturday afternoon. Add some minor chords and some good editing and a battle could have been arranged at the point where they would have met. (we weren't so lucky. The election grinds along)
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Lightbox Red Carpet for Trigger
Callum Keith Rennie works the red carpet.
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The Lightbox opens...
Today is the official opening of TIFF's new home at King & John. The Bell Lightbox features five new theatres and will greatly expand the capacity of the Cinematheque and provide a focal point for film in the city.
They shut down the street for a block party this afternoon. I arrived in time to see the red carpet for the first film at the Lightbox -- Bruce McDonald's "Trigger". I'll be seeing Trigger next weekend and will have more on that later. I'll post a couple of snaps from the red carpet next.
If the proverbial bomb had gone off here this evening, it would have wiped out an entire generation of Canadian filmmakers -- besides Bruce, some of the folks at Trigger were Atom Egoyan, Patricia Roszema, Peter Mettler, Don McKellar and several others.
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They shut down the street for a block party this afternoon. I arrived in time to see the red carpet for the first film at the Lightbox -- Bruce McDonald's "Trigger". I'll be seeing Trigger next weekend and will have more on that later. I'll post a couple of snaps from the red carpet next.
If the proverbial bomb had gone off here this evening, it would have wiped out an entire generation of Canadian filmmakers -- besides Bruce, some of the folks at Trigger were Atom Egoyan, Patricia Roszema, Peter Mettler, Don McKellar and several others.
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2010/09/11
A Piano in the Factory
A Chinese film about a soon-to-be-divorced father who enlists his friends in a series of schemes to provide his daughter with a piano.
There were some nicely played scenes between the characters but the overriding problem was that there was too little story to sustain its 2 hour running time. The last 20 minutes in particular were a mess -- while the necessary (and some unnecessary) plot points were addressed, the editing was so messy that it felt at times like the reels were out of order.
Could easily have lost a half hour without losing anything critical.
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There were some nicely played scenes between the characters but the overriding problem was that there was too little story to sustain its 2 hour running time. The last 20 minutes in particular were a mess -- while the necessary (and some unnecessary) plot points were addressed, the editing was so messy that it felt at times like the reels were out of order.
Could easily have lost a half hour without losing anything critical.
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The Edge
Another northern film (I've seen more snow in the past 24 hours than I saw in February in Toronto this year), set in a work camp in Siberia after the war.
An engineer arrives at the camp to work on one of two aging steam locomotives. The inmates of the camp were Soviet nationals who were captured by the Germans during the war; under the Stalin regime, they are viewed as collaborators with the Nazis and restricted to the camps.
A third train is discovered on an isolated island near the camp, along with a German woman who has newn trapped there for years and has become almost feral.
The middle section of the film is the rescue of the train and the woman by the engineer (note the order), culminating in a train chase that forms the climax.
The attention paid to the production values (and, in particular the three steam trains) is excellent; unfortunately the story never rose above the mediocre.
We were told at the beginning of the screening that this will be the official Russian entry for best foreign film at the Oscars. While visually impressive, I think it would be surprising if this made the short list of nominees. The story and characters are too under-developed to compete with the calibre of films that usually end up on the short list.
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An engineer arrives at the camp to work on one of two aging steam locomotives. The inmates of the camp were Soviet nationals who were captured by the Germans during the war; under the Stalin regime, they are viewed as collaborators with the Nazis and restricted to the camps.
A third train is discovered on an isolated island near the camp, along with a German woman who has newn trapped there for years and has become almost feral.
The middle section of the film is the rescue of the train and the woman by the engineer (note the order), culminating in a train chase that forms the climax.
The attention paid to the production values (and, in particular the three steam trains) is excellent; unfortunately the story never rose above the mediocre.
We were told at the beginning of the screening that this will be the official Russian entry for best foreign film at the Oscars. While visually impressive, I think it would be surprising if this made the short list of nominees. The story and characters are too under-developed to compete with the calibre of films that usually end up on the short list.
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Toronto is a big tent
On the way home on the subway last night, the car filled at St George with dozens of kids and a few adults. The kids were clutching programs and wearing the paraphrenalia of some kind of "wrestlemania" event somewhere downtown. They made quite a contrast to the crowds of people I spent my day with.
Just before I left the office, I was asked what people wore to TIFF. In some respects it depends on how much time people spend going to movies. The "frequent fliers" tend to favour comfort over style, careting their supplies and provisions in canvas bags and back packs.
On the other hand, those who tend to come for one film (these folks are more visibly on evenings and weekends tend to dress up more, even for the screenings in the regular cinemas (I have no direct experience with the Gala crowds; I can only imagine what that might be like!). The tendency here is a hybrid of high school prom and cluvland attire.
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Just before I left the office, I was asked what people wore to TIFF. In some respects it depends on how much time people spend going to movies. The "frequent fliers" tend to favour comfort over style, careting their supplies and provisions in canvas bags and back packs.
On the other hand, those who tend to come for one film (these folks are more visibly on evenings and weekends tend to dress up more, even for the screenings in the regular cinemas (I have no direct experience with the Gala crowds; I can only imagine what that might be like!). The tendency here is a hybrid of high school prom and cluvland attire.
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Marimbas from Hell
Finished Friday with a bit of a shaggy dog movie from Guatemala about a marimba player who, in order to pay an unspecified extortion fee to someone else, decides that the route to freedom involves hitching himself to a heavy metal band.
It was an odd little film very underplayed by its non-professional cast but it did have some moments of sublime comedy. If anything, they stayed away from pushing the incongruity of the marimba and a traditional metal band -- if this was a Hollywood film, this would have probably ended up at a festival with thousands of screaming fans and pyrotechnics of KISS army proportions (I think I prefer the Central American approach.
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It was an odd little film very underplayed by its non-professional cast but it did have some moments of sublime comedy. If anything, they stayed away from pushing the incongruity of the marimba and a traditional metal band -- if this was a Hollywood film, this would have probably ended up at a festival with thousands of screaming fans and pyrotechnics of KISS army proportions (I think I prefer the Central American approach.
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2010/09/10
The Legend of the Fist
We started today's slate of screenings with "The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen", directed by Andrew Lau.
It was anything but opaque -- a full-blown martial arts extravaganza set in a divided Shanghai in 1925. As Chinese nationals, a Japanese occupying army and assorted Brits and Yanks vie for control of the city, one man fights for his people.
The best part of the film were the fight scenes, which were brilliantly staged to give a clear sense of where bodies were in space (as opposed to presenting a blizzard of rapid-fire edits that serve only to confuse the viewer.
Unfortunately, the film faltered outside of these scenes. Only a few of the characters were fully developed and the relationship between Chen Zhen and Kiki, the singer at the Casablanca night club was played badly.
Worth seeing for the fight scenes and an interesting prologue showing the role of Chinese labourers in the first world war.
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It was anything but opaque -- a full-blown martial arts extravaganza set in a divided Shanghai in 1925. As Chinese nationals, a Japanese occupying army and assorted Brits and Yanks vie for control of the city, one man fights for his people.
The best part of the film were the fight scenes, which were brilliantly staged to give a clear sense of where bodies were in space (as opposed to presenting a blizzard of rapid-fire edits that serve only to confuse the viewer.
Unfortunately, the film faltered outside of these scenes. Only a few of the characters were fully developed and the relationship between Chen Zhen and Kiki, the singer at the Casablanca night club was played badly.
Worth seeing for the fight scenes and an interesting prologue showing the role of Chinese labourers in the first world war.
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There's always something new (bureaucracy edition)
One of the challenges for the TIFF theatres is managing the line-ups for films yet to be shown. At the AMC theatre at Yonge and Dundaa' there are often helf a dozen discrete lines vying for space in the common area of the theatre. At its worst, it's like the old Ottawa airport on a Friday afternoon.
Tonight the line for "Marimbas from Hell" was put in one of the vacant theatres. We trooped into the theatre, some grabbing seats; others standing or leaning on the railing.
After about 15 minutes of this, a very perky volunteer captain came in and tried to organize us in the order in which we had entered it. It was probably only her sunny disposition that prevented people from unceremoniously throwing her out and locking the door.
The "real" theatre opened up after about five minutes of this and we all happily swarmed out of the staging area to find our seats.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
Tonight the line for "Marimbas from Hell" was put in one of the vacant theatres. We trooped into the theatre, some grabbing seats; others standing or leaning on the railing.
After about 15 minutes of this, a very perky volunteer captain came in and tried to organize us in the order in which we had entered it. It was probably only her sunny disposition that prevented people from unceremoniously throwing her out and locking the door.
The "real" theatre opened up after about five minutes of this and we all happily swarmed out of the staging area to find our seats.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
2010/09/09
Life imitating Film
On the way home on the subway from the Godard film, I was struck by one of those little perfect moments that only seem to happen in film.
I was standing in the car as we moved north to Bloor. My iPod was on and, at that time, was playing Massive Attack's "Protection", featuring the sultry vocals of Tracey Thorn.
A couple of seats south of me, a young couple sat, turned in the seat so that their eyes were locked on the other's. They were holding hands but also executing something of a pas de deux with their fingers, gently stroking the other. The combination of a chemistry that was palpable three metres away, the slow, balletic movement of the hand, and a song that was beautifully synced to that motion was quite lovely.
Sometimes there is magic even on the TTC.
I was standing in the car as we moved north to Bloor. My iPod was on and, at that time, was playing Massive Attack's "Protection", featuring the sultry vocals of Tracey Thorn.
A couple of seats south of me, a young couple sat, turned in the seat so that their eyes were locked on the other's. They were holding hands but also executing something of a pas de deux with their fingers, gently stroking the other. The combination of a chemistry that was palpable three metres away, the slow, balletic movement of the hand, and a song that was beautifully synced to that motion was quite lovely.
Sometimes there is magic even on the TTC.
And so it begins...
TIFF 2010 began with a screening of Jean-Luc Godard's latest film "Film Socialism" at the Ryerson Theatre.
I arrived about 20 minutes before the screening and ended up following the line from Gerrard, down Church and on to Gould. Around us were many many students settling into Ryerson and a loud power trio tried gamely to entertain the crowds on Church (what they lacked in rhythm, they made up in volume).
The film started about an hour late. Fortunately, I had nothing else on the schedule, so it was simply a matter of soaking up the sights and sounds of a somewhat cool late summer's night.
But what about the film...?
According to the catalog, the film is Godard's "most dense, opaque and troubling film in years" (nothing like starting the festival with the easy stuff). Structured in three parts, the film is a mix of languages (English, French, German, Russian and a few others), film stocks (everything from high def digital down to cell phone cameras), obscure inter-titles and references to classic film like "The Battleship Potemkin". There were deliberate variations in the sound mix (from crystal clear to muddy) and no subtitles.
About a quarter of the audience bailed before the end. I decided to stick with it and let it wash over me. It was worth it for some of the visuals and for raising questions like "what is the llama doing at the gas station and why is no one paying attention to it?"
Tomorrow promises to be a little less opaque.
I arrived about 20 minutes before the screening and ended up following the line from Gerrard, down Church and on to Gould. Around us were many many students settling into Ryerson and a loud power trio tried gamely to entertain the crowds on Church (what they lacked in rhythm, they made up in volume).
The film started about an hour late. Fortunately, I had nothing else on the schedule, so it was simply a matter of soaking up the sights and sounds of a somewhat cool late summer's night.
But what about the film...?
According to the catalog, the film is Godard's "most dense, opaque and troubling film in years" (nothing like starting the festival with the easy stuff). Structured in three parts, the film is a mix of languages (English, French, German, Russian and a few others), film stocks (everything from high def digital down to cell phone cameras), obscure inter-titles and references to classic film like "The Battleship Potemkin". There were deliberate variations in the sound mix (from crystal clear to muddy) and no subtitles.
About a quarter of the audience bailed before the end. I decided to stick with it and let it wash over me. It was worth it for some of the visuals and for raising questions like "what is the llama doing at the gas station and why is no one paying attention to it?"
Tomorrow promises to be a little less opaque.
2010/09/02
T-7 and counting
Just under a week to go before the launch of TIFF 2010 (by this time next week, I will likely be leaving the theatre after film #1 -- Jean-Luc Godard's "Film Socialism".
I went down to the box office tonight and picked up my stack of tickets. Of 48 selections, I received 47 (the only reject was Mike Leigh's new film, "Another Year". I'll figure out what to do with the hole in my schedule in the next few days.
This week was a good demonstration of the power of social media. A single tweet about bedbugs at the Scotiabank theatre turned into a media storm. From all the articles, one would have thought the theatres were over-run with 6' tall, bloodthirsty insects (on second thought, that might make for a good Midnight Madness film one day).
Turns out the whole thing was a mistake, but in the interim the 2010 edition of TIFF has its symbol for the week. I'm expecting lots of commentary on bedbugs in the screenings to come.
I went down to the box office tonight and picked up my stack of tickets. Of 48 selections, I received 47 (the only reject was Mike Leigh's new film, "Another Year". I'll figure out what to do with the hole in my schedule in the next few days.
This week was a good demonstration of the power of social media. A single tweet about bedbugs at the Scotiabank theatre turned into a media storm. From all the articles, one would have thought the theatres were over-run with 6' tall, bloodthirsty insects (on second thought, that might make for a good Midnight Madness film one day).
Turns out the whole thing was a mistake, but in the interim the 2010 edition of TIFF has its symbol for the week. I'm expecting lots of commentary on bedbugs in the screenings to come.
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