Charting the extremes

We're barely past the first weekend of TIFF and I think I may have seen contenders for both the worst and best films of this year's schedule.

The former is well (poorly?) represented by a little South African film called "Impunity". A young couple embarks on a killing spree while being pursued by a pair of cops, against the backdrop of political and criminal turmoil in the country.

It seems that the director wanted to make a statement about larger societal issues in South Africa, but the linkages just aren't well established. The film plays like a young adult version of "Natural Born Killers" and the two cops commit tactical errors in the film that are beyond believe. A mess that began with the script.

On the plus side, however, was "Luna", designed and directed by Dave McKean ("designed" is a key characteristic of this film, as it incorporates live action, set design, illustration, animation and a host of other techniques). McKean is an illustrator who has worked with a who's who of the comics and graphic novel world, including his work on Neil Gaiman's Sandman series and the novel "Coraline".

It's a film about grief and finding a way to let go. Two couples in a remote seaside cottage confront their feelings about a shared tragedy. It's visually (and aurally) stunning. The actors do a great job of creating characters that aren't overwhelmed by the technology around them. Highly recommended.