TIFF films are organized within sub-programs, each having a particular perspective. In some cases, inclusion in a program carries certain expectations about theme or tone.
A relatively new addition to TIFF is Vanguard. Vanguard films are promoted as being slightly off the mainstream, approaching the mayhem of a Midnight Madness (many of the films are programmed by the same person, Colin Geddes).
Friday I saw two films in the Vanguard program and they were very different.
In terms of presentation, an Asian film called "Interchange" would fit the parameters of the program most effectively. A mix of horror and film noir, it's about the investigation of a series of ritualistic murders that may have a connection to an antiques dealer. There is definitely a fabulist one to it but there's a lack of attention to the real world that takes the whole film down a couple of notches. Interesting visuals but it's let don bu The screenplay.
On the other hand, "Message from the King" is much more conservative but works much more effectively within the constraints of a revenge flick. A young South African man travels to LA to find his sister. His discovery that she was killed in a particularly gruesome manner sets him on a path to avenge her death. I wasn't sure that this fit within the Vanguard category, but it worked nonetheless.
2016/09/10
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City
Torontonians have a long association with Jane Jacobs, from her leadership in stopping the Spadina expressway project in the early '70's and subsequent work in support of a "livable" city to the walks which were set up in her name following her death.
"Citizen Jane", however, focuses on the time when the "light bulb" went off for her and set her career in motion, transforming her from a journalist working on stories about architecture to a very active participant in the debate on what makes an effective urban environment.
During the 50's and 60's, the US went through a period of embracing modernist principles of architecture and urban planning, expressed theoretically by Le Corbusier in Europe and Robert Moses in practice.
Moses was a planning czar in New York City at the time and he was an active proponent of urban renewal, mostly expressed by the replacement of so-called slum neighbourhoods with banks of bland, widely spaced high rise projects. He rarely faced any effective opposition to his plans, at least until Jacobs started to organize following a proposal to drive 5th Avenue directly through Washington Square Park. That was the beginning of a highly adversarial relationship between the two, which also led to the publication of her "Death and Life of American Cities".
The film uses a mix of archival footage, speeches and Jacobs' writing to show the polarization of the two views and proponents. Given the debates that have hit Toronto City Council in the past few years (eg the Gardiner East discussion), it's a debate that continues to this day.
"Citizen Jane", however, focuses on the time when the "light bulb" went off for her and set her career in motion, transforming her from a journalist working on stories about architecture to a very active participant in the debate on what makes an effective urban environment.
During the 50's and 60's, the US went through a period of embracing modernist principles of architecture and urban planning, expressed theoretically by Le Corbusier in Europe and Robert Moses in practice.
Moses was a planning czar in New York City at the time and he was an active proponent of urban renewal, mostly expressed by the replacement of so-called slum neighbourhoods with banks of bland, widely spaced high rise projects. He rarely faced any effective opposition to his plans, at least until Jacobs started to organize following a proposal to drive 5th Avenue directly through Washington Square Park. That was the beginning of a highly adversarial relationship between the two, which also led to the publication of her "Death and Life of American Cities".
The film uses a mix of archival footage, speeches and Jacobs' writing to show the polarization of the two views and proponents. Given the debates that have hit Toronto City Council in the past few years (eg the Gardiner East discussion), it's a debate that continues to this day.
2016/09/09
Free Fire
Over the past few years, director Ben Wheatley has been a pretty reliable bet for films. Although he plays in many genres ("Kill List" was a mix of crime thriller and horror; "Sightseers" a (literally) bloody romp through the English countryside; and "A Field in England" a magic mushroom-fuelled trip though Medieval England to name just three), his films have been linked by a ready, frequently blackly comic wit and a willingness to subvert the conventions of whichever genre he is playing in.
"Free Fire" changes the playground again by moving the setting to a warehouse on the docks of Boston in the 1970's and the cast representing and groups of gun-runners, IRA sympathizers and a couple of wild cards. The film has a fairly short set-up before the main action, which consists of a lot of weapons and munitions put in play in ways both devastating and ineffective in equal measure. And it's very funny.
This is probably the best ensemble casts that Wheatley has been able to bring together for a project and he puts them through their paces. Cillian Murphy, Brie Larson, Michael Smiley and Armie Hammer create recognizable characters quickly and through the mayhem that is the bulk of the film.
Special credit goes to Wheatley and his wife Amy Jump, who collaborated on the writing of the screenplay and the editing. Given the chaos in the confines of the warehouse, the film never loses a sense of place and the characters within it -- the editing is critical to maintaining this for the viewer.
A fun way to start day 2 of TIFF.
"Free Fire" changes the playground again by moving the setting to a warehouse on the docks of Boston in the 1970's and the cast representing and groups of gun-runners, IRA sympathizers and a couple of wild cards. The film has a fairly short set-up before the main action, which consists of a lot of weapons and munitions put in play in ways both devastating and ineffective in equal measure. And it's very funny.
This is probably the best ensemble casts that Wheatley has been able to bring together for a project and he puts them through their paces. Cillian Murphy, Brie Larson, Michael Smiley and Armie Hammer create recognizable characters quickly and through the mayhem that is the bulk of the film.
Special credit goes to Wheatley and his wife Amy Jump, who collaborated on the writing of the screenplay and the editing. Given the chaos in the confines of the warehouse, the film never loses a sense of place and the characters within it -- the editing is critical to maintaining this for the viewer.
A fun way to start day 2 of TIFF.
Be prepared
Standing outside the Isabel Bader theatre on Charles Street around 5:30 pm. A woman in a car was waiting for traffic to clear and rolled down her window.
"What film are you waiting for?"
"All Governments Lie"
"is it a doc?"
"Yes"
"Who directed it?"
"I don't remember. I didn't know they'd be a quiz"
"There's always a quiz..."
Didn't have the heart to tell her that I went to a film this morning and I couldn't remember what it was about or why I picked it!
And it's only day 2...
"What film are you waiting for?"
"All Governments Lie"
"is it a doc?"
"Yes"
"Who directed it?"
"I don't remember. I didn't know they'd be a quiz"
"There's always a quiz..."
Didn't have the heart to tell her that I went to a film this morning and I couldn't remember what it was about or why I picked it!
And it's only day 2...
The Box Office
When TIFF announced that they were changing their box office earlier this summer, I was curious about what benefits we would see. When the Ticketmaster logo appeared at the top of the screen, my thoughts also turned to what we would lose or what the cost would be (my experience with Ticketmaster as a vendor of event tickets has been mixed and I try to avoid using them where possible).
On the plus side, we now have the option of either printing the tickets at home or sending a ticket to our smartphone. Gone are the days of lining up at the box office to collect a stack of paper tickets. That's definitely been a plus.
Unfortunately, the procedures in place are designed for the person who has purchased a small number of tickets, not the 45-50 that I normally get each year. As with many processes that have introduced self-serve options, the labour has been transferred to the individual and not terribly efficiently.
We've already seen the classic Ticketmaster "sting" of service charges, although TIFF has waived some of them for members this year. But it's the addition of another recent feature of the Ticketmaster experience that I think will result in the greatest cost to patrons.
TIFF has introduced "demand-based" pricing this year, which means that films that are popular are charged at a higher rate. As a member purchasing tickets in advance, my per-film cost is $20, although it is possible to reduce that cost slightly once TIFF starts up (each day, the festival promotes films that have a lot of seats available at a sale price. The base price for one-time purchasers is $25, although tickets for galas is charged at a pretty hefty premium.
I was standing in line with a woman who purchased single tickets last week and one film started at $42 (I don't remember the title, but it was a film with studio backing and would likely have a theatrical or VOD release somewhere down the line). Add Ticketmaster's fees and the price for a ticket moves towards $50.
We've seen the impact of demand-based pricing in the concert arena, with the exorbitant rates charged for Tragically Hip tickets this summer. Some would argue that this is capitalist system working as it was designed to, but the end result is that it will discourage people from purchasing tickets to films at TIFF and reducing its cachet as a "people's film festival". The impact on students and seniors in particular makes the change in box office a negative change overall.
On the plus side, we now have the option of either printing the tickets at home or sending a ticket to our smartphone. Gone are the days of lining up at the box office to collect a stack of paper tickets. That's definitely been a plus.
Unfortunately, the procedures in place are designed for the person who has purchased a small number of tickets, not the 45-50 that I normally get each year. As with many processes that have introduced self-serve options, the labour has been transferred to the individual and not terribly efficiently.
We've already seen the classic Ticketmaster "sting" of service charges, although TIFF has waived some of them for members this year. But it's the addition of another recent feature of the Ticketmaster experience that I think will result in the greatest cost to patrons.
TIFF has introduced "demand-based" pricing this year, which means that films that are popular are charged at a higher rate. As a member purchasing tickets in advance, my per-film cost is $20, although it is possible to reduce that cost slightly once TIFF starts up (each day, the festival promotes films that have a lot of seats available at a sale price. The base price for one-time purchasers is $25, although tickets for galas is charged at a pretty hefty premium.
I was standing in line with a woman who purchased single tickets last week and one film started at $42 (I don't remember the title, but it was a film with studio backing and would likely have a theatrical or VOD release somewhere down the line). Add Ticketmaster's fees and the price for a ticket moves towards $50.
We've seen the impact of demand-based pricing in the concert arena, with the exorbitant rates charged for Tragically Hip tickets this summer. Some would argue that this is capitalist system working as it was designed to, but the end result is that it will discourage people from purchasing tickets to films at TIFF and reducing its cachet as a "people's film festival". The impact on students and seniors in particular makes the change in box office a negative change overall.
2016/09/08
Toni Erdmann
TIFF 2016 began for me this evening with Maren Ade's "Toni Erdmann", a film about the reunion and emotional collision between a driven German management consultant and her slightly anarchistic father.
It's a comedy founded mostly on the discomfort of the relationship between the two and the impact, mostly on the daughter, of that relationship. Although parts of it are quite funny, overall I don't think it worked very well. It required a suspension of disbelief around the ease with which her father is able to insinuate himself in her life, even in the foreign city of Bucharest, where she is working to develop a plan to outsource the maintenance of oil rigs in the area which I was not able to provide. I also found that it didn't establish the relationship very well between the two, so the emotional payoff later on just doesn't have the strength that it needs.
It's a comedy founded mostly on the discomfort of the relationship between the two and the impact, mostly on the daughter, of that relationship. Although parts of it are quite funny, overall I don't think it worked very well. It required a suspension of disbelief around the ease with which her father is able to insinuate himself in her life, even in the foreign city of Bucharest, where she is working to develop a plan to outsource the maintenance of oil rigs in the area which I was not able to provide. I also found that it didn't establish the relationship very well between the two, so the emotional payoff later on just doesn't have the strength that it needs.
2016/09/04
Reload
four days from now, I will be about halfway through film #1 of TIFF2016, "Toni Erdmann". For now, the film's have been selected and booked and, technology willing, my iPhone will be full of barcode admissions to this year's box of treasures.
So, where are we now? A brief summary
So, where are we now? A brief summary
- TIFF is a little smaller this year, with 296 films on the schedule (the past few years had somewhere in the mid-300's). They've also dropped back the number of screenings to two per film rather than three for many of the titles.
- TIFF overlaps with the Venice and Telluride festivals. They seem to have been scooped by one or the other two to a greater extent this year. From where I will be sitting, this won't have a big impact for me (the films which are the focus are not the ones I generally pick), but this must be a bit of a discomfort for the Festival. Bragging rights can be important!
- TIFF also shifted their box office software to one managed by Ticketmaster, just before the system was opened for this year's festival. There have been a number of irritating but not fatal glitches (see my earlier comment about technology being willing). We'll see how things go as we dive into the cinematic pool on Thursday.
I will again try to document what I've seen and heard over the next couple of weeks. Keep watching this space as the fun starts in a few short days.
2015/09/23
The Witch
This film, written and directed by Robert Eggers, got a lot of attention when it played at Sundance earlier this year. I saw it and the attention is warranted.
Set in New England during the time of the Puritans, a family of two adults and four children are exiled from the local village and sent into the forest to survive on their own. At a most basic level, this may be beyond their skills to survive but they quickly realize that there is another presence in the woods, a presence that is interested in them for its own reasons.
It's a horror film driven by dread rather than gore, although it is prepared to go there when it has to. Atmosphere is augmented through some excellent cinematography and the soundtrack by Mark Korven, a mix of choral pieces and other music that is quite unsettling.
On leaving the theatre, my thought was that this may end up being one of the best films I would see in 2015 (a feeling that was borne out in the remaining days of TIFF). Highly recommended.
Set in New England during the time of the Puritans, a family of two adults and four children are exiled from the local village and sent into the forest to survive on their own. At a most basic level, this may be beyond their skills to survive but they quickly realize that there is another presence in the woods, a presence that is interested in them for its own reasons.
It's a horror film driven by dread rather than gore, although it is prepared to go there when it has to. Atmosphere is augmented through some excellent cinematography and the soundtrack by Mark Korven, a mix of choral pieces and other music that is quite unsettling.
On leaving the theatre, my thought was that this may end up being one of the best films I would see in 2015 (a feeling that was borne out in the remaining days of TIFF). Highly recommended.
The Clan and The Club
Over the years, I've seen some excellent films from South America, in particular from Argentina and Chile. That continued with a pair of films in 2015.
From the former came "The Clan", set in the years after military rule in Argentina and based on a true story. A family commits a series of kidnappings over a period of a few years but instead of releasing its victims after the ransom is paid, they kill the hostage.
The key to the film is the character of the father, excellently played by Guillermo Francello. He's a manipulative SOB who has turned his family into accomplices as well as emotional hostages themselves. It's a chilling performance.
From Chile comes "The Club", a film about a group of excommunicated priests living in a communal house as penance for precious sins. When a new arrival is accused by an outsider of sexual abuse (and who subsequently commits suicide), it sets in motion a series of events that put their ordered world at risk.
The tone of the film was interesting. It's a mix of black comedy, but the director is careful at not simply turning the defrocked priests into lovable rogues. A very good ensemble cast work with him to maintain this tone. It ends in a very dark place and I know that several members of the audience were not prepared to go there, but I thought it was very well done.
Both recommended.
From the former came "The Clan", set in the years after military rule in Argentina and based on a true story. A family commits a series of kidnappings over a period of a few years but instead of releasing its victims after the ransom is paid, they kill the hostage.
The key to the film is the character of the father, excellently played by Guillermo Francello. He's a manipulative SOB who has turned his family into accomplices as well as emotional hostages themselves. It's a chilling performance.
From Chile comes "The Club", a film about a group of excommunicated priests living in a communal house as penance for precious sins. When a new arrival is accused by an outsider of sexual abuse (and who subsequently commits suicide), it sets in motion a series of events that put their ordered world at risk.
The tone of the film was interesting. It's a mix of black comedy, but the director is careful at not simply turning the defrocked priests into lovable rogues. A very good ensemble cast work with him to maintain this tone. It ends in a very dark place and I know that several members of the audience were not prepared to go there, but I thought it was very well done.
Both recommended.
2015/09/19
Our Brand is Crisis
Two rival teams of political hacks (one led by Sandra Bullock; the other by Billy Bob Thornton) from the U.S. are higher to manage competing teams during a presidential campaign in Bolivia.
Ostensibly a comedy, it didn't appear to be willing to go as dark as it wanted to be, mostly with respect to Bullock's character "Calamity" Jane Bodine (there's no attempt to make Thornton's character positive and he probably had a lot more fun with his part than she did with hers).
This was one of those films that the rest of the audience liked a lot more than I did. Political satire has been done a lot better in other films or on television. Wait for it to show up on free TV or a streaming service you've already paid for.
Ostensibly a comedy, it didn't appear to be willing to go as dark as it wanted to be, mostly with respect to Bullock's character "Calamity" Jane Bodine (there's no attempt to make Thornton's character positive and he probably had a lot more fun with his part than she did with hers).
This was one of those films that the rest of the audience liked a lot more than I did. Political satire has been done a lot better in other films or on television. Wait for it to show up on free TV or a streaming service you've already paid for.
Horizon
A quiet documentary on the modern Icelandic landscape painter Georg Gudni. It's a lovely film contrasting the stark beauty of the Icelandic countryside in film with Gudni's canvases, which have an atmospheric quality and were constructed from the meticulous application of layers of oil paint. Most of his work contained a horizon line of some kind, but the transition between land and sea or air is incredibly subtle.
Gudni died at the age of 50 in 2011 (this is revealed in the doc, but no cause of death is provided). For us, there was a slight coincidence in that 2011 was the year that Sherri and I went to Iceland and I'm sure we saw his work when we visited the National Gallery in Reykjavik.
Beautiful.
Gudni died at the age of 50 in 2011 (this is revealed in the doc, but no cause of death is provided). For us, there was a slight coincidence in that 2011 was the year that Sherri and I went to Iceland and I'm sure we saw his work when we visited the National Gallery in Reykjavik.
Beautiful.
2015/09/18
2015/09/17
The Forbidden Room
Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson's "The Forbidden Room" is a two-hour audio-visual defibrillator of a movie, a relentless series of loosely connected scenes in the style of old silent and early sound films.
Maddin's work has always played with genre from this time period in cinema history and this piece extends his use of inter-titles, over-the-top acting and surrealistic story-telling by adding rapid-fire editing and visual effects to suggest you're watching old nitrate films that are deteriorating as the film stock moves through the projector.
It's exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure and unlike anything else that I've seen at TIFF this year. Definitely not for everyone, but the experience is worth it. Should be seen on a big screen.
Maddin's work has always played with genre from this time period in cinema history and this piece extends his use of inter-titles, over-the-top acting and surrealistic story-telling by adding rapid-fire editing and visual effects to suggest you're watching old nitrate films that are deteriorating as the film stock moves through the projector.
It's exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure and unlike anything else that I've seen at TIFF this year. Definitely not for everyone, but the experience is worth it. Should be seen on a big screen.
2015/09/16
Anomalisa
A motivational speaker lands in Cincinnati to give a talk and finds his world is upended when he meets a call centre attendant who has come for his presentation.
What set this apart for me was an interesting script from Charlie Kaufman (the writer of "Adaptation" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), a strong principal cast in David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan, and the fact that it was an animated film using puppets.
To say more risks taking away some of the surprises of the film. It's a charming, somewhat bittersweet romance, which didn't try to stretch things too far (an ailment of a few too many films this week). Recommended.
They announced this morning that they had signed a distribution deal for the film, so it will appear in theatres sometime over the next year or so. Look for it.
What set this apart for me was an interesting script from Charlie Kaufman (the writer of "Adaptation" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), a strong principal cast in David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan, and the fact that it was an animated film using puppets.
To say more risks taking away some of the surprises of the film. It's a charming, somewhat bittersweet romance, which didn't try to stretch things too far (an ailment of a few too many films this week). Recommended.
They announced this morning that they had signed a distribution deal for the film, so it will appear in theatres sometime over the next year or so. Look for it.
Anomalisa
A motivational speaker lands in Cincinnati to give a talk and finds his world is upended when he meets a call centre attendant who has come for his presentation.
What set this apart for me was an interesting script from Charlie Kaufman (the writer of "Adaptation" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), a strong principal cast in David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan, and the fact that it was an animated film using puppets.
To say more risks taking away some of the surprises of the film. It's a charming, somewhat bittersweet romance, which didn't try to stretch things too far (an ailment of a few too many films this week). Recommended.
They announced this morning that they had signed a distribution deal for the film, so it will appear in theatres sometime over the next year or so. Look for it.
What set this apart for me was an interesting script from Charlie Kaufman (the writer of "Adaptation" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), a strong principal cast in David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan, and the fact that it was an animated film using puppets.
To say more risks taking away some of the surprises of the film. It's a charming, somewhat bittersweet romance, which didn't try to stretch things too far (an ailment of a few too many films this week). Recommended.
They announced this morning that they had signed a distribution deal for the film, so it will appear in theatres sometime over the next year or so. Look for it.
Schneider vs Bax
Started this morning's marathon with a Dutch film about two contract killers who eventually discover that they've been set up to kill each other.
There's lots to recommend it -- the main location is an isolated cabin in the middle of a wetland area, the acting is uniformly good and the script is fine, but I left it with a feeling that it needed to be a lot tighter than it actually was. It felt like it needed to be pitched somewhere between a black comedy and farce and it couldn't quite get there.
If this shows up on a streaming service, it'd be worth some of your time; otherwise, no.
There's lots to recommend it -- the main location is an isolated cabin in the middle of a wetland area, the acting is uniformly good and the script is fine, but I left it with a feeling that it needed to be a lot tighter than it actually was. It felt like it needed to be pitched somewhere between a black comedy and farce and it couldn't quite get there.
If this shows up on a streaming service, it'd be worth some of your time; otherwise, no.
2015/09/15
The Music of Strangers: Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
The Silk Road Ensemble is a musical mosaic, a coming together of artists from different cultures and musical traditions who have collectively decided to make something together that is greater than the sum of its parts. The cellist Yo Yo Ma is the most prominent public face of the group, although many of the other principals have established careers within their own communities.
"The Music of Strangers" looks at the ensemble and focuses on about half a dozen of the performers and tells their stories both within and outside the group. It's a vibrant, entertaining documentary full of the relentless optimism of Ma as well as introducing people to some of the others, notably the Chinese musician Wu Man and Christina Gado from the Galicia region of Spain. We see the ensemble in rehearsal and in performance, along with other scenes of their lives.
A thoroughly entertaining doc, with a theatrical release confirmed for 2016.
"The Music of Strangers" looks at the ensemble and focuses on about half a dozen of the performers and tells their stories both within and outside the group. It's a vibrant, entertaining documentary full of the relentless optimism of Ma as well as introducing people to some of the others, notably the Chinese musician Wu Man and Christina Gado from the Galicia region of Spain. We see the ensemble in rehearsal and in performance, along with other scenes of their lives.
A thoroughly entertaining doc, with a theatrical release confirmed for 2016.
High-Rise
An long-overdue adaptation of one of JG Ballard's better-known novels, the film presents the collapse of an ecosystem represented by the denizens of a massive, somewhat self-sufficient apartment building. Failure of the building's infrastructure precipitates a pitched battle between the classes inside its brutalist walls.
It's taken about 30 years to bring an adaptation to completion. Over the years, many have been tagged to do it and the ideas of the novel have been transplanted to other works, but the prize goes to Ben Wheatley for finally bringing it to the screen.
I've enjoyed Wheatley's previous films at TIFF, notably "Kill List" and "A Field in England", and thought he would be prepared to go in some interesting directions with this. I haven't read the novel, so I came to it reasonably fresh.
The design and music are very much in keeping with the 1970's of the novel (it was published in 1975). Brutalist architecture actually predates this period, but persisted into that time.
Each class is represented, with Luke Evans as a filmmaker who precipitates some of the chaos on the upper floors, Tom Hiddleston as a doctor who embraces it and Jeremy Irons as the Architect who designed the complex and in doing so, sowed the seeds of his own destruction.
It's a big, loud and chaotic dog's breakfast of a film whose ideas never really come together in a satisfying package. If there is a fault, it's with the screenplay, which doesn't get a handle on the story or where to take it.
Disappointing.
It's taken about 30 years to bring an adaptation to completion. Over the years, many have been tagged to do it and the ideas of the novel have been transplanted to other works, but the prize goes to Ben Wheatley for finally bringing it to the screen.
I've enjoyed Wheatley's previous films at TIFF, notably "Kill List" and "A Field in England", and thought he would be prepared to go in some interesting directions with this. I haven't read the novel, so I came to it reasonably fresh.
The design and music are very much in keeping with the 1970's of the novel (it was published in 1975). Brutalist architecture actually predates this period, but persisted into that time.
Each class is represented, with Luke Evans as a filmmaker who precipitates some of the chaos on the upper floors, Tom Hiddleston as a doctor who embraces it and Jeremy Irons as the Architect who designed the complex and in doing so, sowed the seeds of his own destruction.
It's a big, loud and chaotic dog's breakfast of a film whose ideas never really come together in a satisfying package. If there is a fault, it's with the screenplay, which doesn't get a handle on the story or where to take it.
Disappointing.
2015/09/14
Heart of a Dog
A meditation by the musician Laurie Anderson on story-telling and coming to terms with mortality, mainly through the life of dog Lolabelle but also through the loss of her mother and her partner Lou Reed, although his passing is handled In a much more oblique manner than the other two. Through it, she articulates her faith as a Buddhist.
There's a beautiful selection of home movies, animations, stock footage and scenes shot expressly for the film. Many of the segments are manipulated in some way and it's tied together by Anderson's lilting narration, full of ironic pauses.
As a long-time fan of her music and performance, the documentary covered all the bases. I think there is something here to entertain someone less familiar with her work.
The film was shot for HBO, but it looks like it will have some kind of theatrical release in Canada.
Recommended.
There's a beautiful selection of home movies, animations, stock footage and scenes shot expressly for the film. Many of the segments are manipulated in some way and it's tied together by Anderson's lilting narration, full of ironic pauses.
As a long-time fan of her music and performance, the documentary covered all the bases. I think there is something here to entertain someone less familiar with her work.
The film was shot for HBO, but it looks like it will have some kind of theatrical release in Canada.
Recommended.
Kill Your Friends
A first feature from Owen Harris, "Kill Your Friends" is about the rise of an A&R ("artists and repertoire") manager for an independent record label in the UK in the 90's. His sole motivation is to succeed through the destruction of others and this blackly comic flick proceeds to show you the depths he will descend to in his quest.
We know this because he (played by Nicholas Hoult) provides a near constant voice-over (if there was any more narration, it could have been a radio play).
It [the film] wants to be a lot more transgressive than it is actually is. Totally, I think they were looking for something between Richard III and Trainspotting. Unfortunately, Hout's Stelfox becomes tedious pretty quickly and it just never reaches the heights (or the depths) it so clearly desired.
The film is remarkable for the quality of its soundtrack, which starts with Blur and Oasis and cuts a swath through the top Britpop acts of the time. The author of the novel and screenplay (John Niven) was an A&R man at the time and it appears he was able to call in some favours.
We know this because he (played by Nicholas Hoult) provides a near constant voice-over (if there was any more narration, it could have been a radio play).
It [the film] wants to be a lot more transgressive than it is actually is. Totally, I think they were looking for something between Richard III and Trainspotting. Unfortunately, Hout's Stelfox becomes tedious pretty quickly and it just never reaches the heights (or the depths) it so clearly desired.
The film is remarkable for the quality of its soundtrack, which starts with Blur and Oasis and cuts a swath through the top Britpop acts of the time. The author of the novel and screenplay (John Niven) was an A&R man at the time and it appears he was able to call in some favours.
2015/09/13
The Danish Girl
Amazingly, this was the first TIFF screening I've ever seen at Roy Thomson Hall (normally they don't have films open to regular patrons that I'm interested in seeing). This year" I'm going to two here. A week from today, it will be "Vertigo".
The film focuses on the life of a painter and transgender pioneer, Einar Wegener, who adopted a persona as a model for his wife which led to his transition and tragic death when surgery to construct a vagina went wrong (Lili Elbe, as she was known at the end of her life, died in the early part of the 20th century).
The attention at the screening went to Tom Hooper, the director, and Eddie Redmayne for his performance as Wegener/Elbe. One of Hooper's previous films, "The King's Speech", saw its meteoric rise begin at TIFF and this film shares a similar style and attention to detail. It's a sumptuous film to look at. Redmayne provides a strong performance as the transitioning artist but my feeling was that it was Alicia Vikander as the wife who was the real emotional centre of the film. She gave it a spark that I think it needed to raise it up to another level.
The walk from the Lightbox to RTH is an obstacle course of advertising and promotion, from iced tea to Visa cards to cars. It's probably more concentrated here than anywhere else at TIFF and in an event devoted to the business and selling of film is saying something.
The film focuses on the life of a painter and transgender pioneer, Einar Wegener, who adopted a persona as a model for his wife which led to his transition and tragic death when surgery to construct a vagina went wrong (Lili Elbe, as she was known at the end of her life, died in the early part of the 20th century).
The attention at the screening went to Tom Hooper, the director, and Eddie Redmayne for his performance as Wegener/Elbe. One of Hooper's previous films, "The King's Speech", saw its meteoric rise begin at TIFF and this film shares a similar style and attention to detail. It's a sumptuous film to look at. Redmayne provides a strong performance as the transitioning artist but my feeling was that it was Alicia Vikander as the wife who was the real emotional centre of the film. She gave it a spark that I think it needed to raise it up to another level.
The walk from the Lightbox to RTH is an obstacle course of advertising and promotion, from iced tea to Visa cards to cars. It's probably more concentrated here than anywhere else at TIFF and in an event devoted to the business and selling of film is saying something.
Endorphine
Three women named Simone at different stages of their lives -- a theoretical physicist, a multi-media artist moonlighting as a parking lot attendant and a teenage student -- discover that their lives are starting to intersect over time, with events, memories and incidents echoing between them.
The director, André Turpin, has created a world that folds in on itself. His background as a DP also leads to some interesting visual tricks to pique the viewer's interest. An intricately plotted puzzle of a movie which would benefit from repeated viewing.
Recommended.
The director, André Turpin, has created a world that folds in on itself. His background as a DP also leads to some interesting visual tricks to pique the viewer's interest. An intricately plotted puzzle of a movie which would benefit from repeated viewing.
Recommended.
Paparazzi
Not sure what they're waiting for (either a film just ending or a film to come this afternoon), but there may be stars involved.
Sunday morning 8:30 am
2015/09/12
My Big Night
The cinematic equivalent of a paella, cooked by a demented chef. Aside from zombies and alien attacks, there is very little which did not find its way into the mix.
A New Year's Eve special is being taped for broadcast... In October. Several references are made to the taping lasting several days with no apparent end in sight. Outside the studio, an angry mob is trying to disrupt the proceedings, angered by a mass layoff triggered by the show's producer. Inside, there are battles brewing between the married hosts, between the star of the show and his son and an upstart pop singer and his libido. And there's an assassin trying to get his revenge on the star. And, there's so much more.
It's a film that constantly threatens to go off the rails, but somehow manages to keep moving forward. Would have made a good Midnight Madness film, but somehow ended up in one of the other programs. Good fun.
A New Year's Eve special is being taped for broadcast... In October. Several references are made to the taping lasting several days with no apparent end in sight. Outside the studio, an angry mob is trying to disrupt the proceedings, angered by a mass layoff triggered by the show's producer. Inside, there are battles brewing between the married hosts, between the star of the show and his son and an upstart pop singer and his libido. And there's an assassin trying to get his revenge on the star. And, there's so much more.
It's a film that constantly threatens to go off the rails, but somehow manages to keep moving forward. Would have made a good Midnight Madness film, but somehow ended up in one of the other programs. Good fun.
Hitchcock / Truffaut
Based on the seminal book detailing an extended interview of Alfred Hitchcock and François Truffaut in the mid-60's, the film adds clips from films by each directors and commentary from directors such as David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich and others to reflect on Hitchcock's style, methods and innovations and his impact on their own work.
It's an engaging look at two artists with very different styles and admiration for each others' work, serving as an effective lure for the book of the interview.
A significant part of the film is focussed on "Vertigo", timely given the special screening of that film at the end of this year's TIFF, with a live performance of the soundtrack by the TSO.
It's an engaging look at two artists with very different styles and admiration for each others' work, serving as an effective lure for the book of the interview.
A significant part of the film is focussed on "Vertigo", timely given the special screening of that film at the end of this year's TIFF, with a live performance of the soundtrack by the TSO.
Spear
Directed by Stephen Page, the Bangarra Dance Theatre of Australia combines traditional (Australian) aboriginal and contemporary dance in an abstract, yet evocative, depiction of the aboriginal experience.
Beautifully choreographed, shot and edited.
Recommended.
Beautifully choreographed, shot and edited.
Recommended.
Where To Invade Next
Michael Moore's latest starts with the premise of deciding who the U.S. can invade next in a fight it can win and becomes a tour of mostly European countries with strong social democratic traditions and policies that are much more humane than the conquering nation provides, including generous leave policies (Italy), school nutrition programs (France), education (Finland and Slovenia) and women's rights (Iceland and Tunisia, the only non-European country represented).
There's much to be said about these policies along with questions about why they aren't more present in the U.S. or, to a lesser extent, in Canada. That said, the film rarely moves beyond a superficial examination of these ideas and tries to make its points by juxtaposing the scenes in Europe with news footage of class and racial struggle in the States. There were only a few scenes where the discussion went deeper than that -- notably in Portugal with its liberal drug laws and Norway with its prison system that is focussed on rehabilitation rather than punishment. In both cases, the underlying theme presented was one of human dignity and respect. To me, it felt like they should have reduced the number of countries and explored those ideas further.
Through it all, Michael Moore plays the naive American abroad, which becomes wearing over the length of a feature film. Given the episodic structure of the film, it could easily be chopped up into short TV or YouTube segments without consequence.
Although not without its charms, it's a film that mostly preaches to the choir.
During the Q&A, they distributed application forms for the free Slovenian university system and invited the audience to a free "people's" after party down the street. I wasn't able to check it out, as I had a film right after his.
There's much to be said about these policies along with questions about why they aren't more present in the U.S. or, to a lesser extent, in Canada. That said, the film rarely moves beyond a superficial examination of these ideas and tries to make its points by juxtaposing the scenes in Europe with news footage of class and racial struggle in the States. There were only a few scenes where the discussion went deeper than that -- notably in Portugal with its liberal drug laws and Norway with its prison system that is focussed on rehabilitation rather than punishment. In both cases, the underlying theme presented was one of human dignity and respect. To me, it felt like they should have reduced the number of countries and explored those ideas further.
Through it all, Michael Moore plays the naive American abroad, which becomes wearing over the length of a feature film. Given the episodic structure of the film, it could easily be chopped up into short TV or YouTube segments without consequence.
Although not without its charms, it's a film that mostly preaches to the choir.
During the Q&A, they distributed application forms for the free Slovenian university system and invited the audience to a free "people's" after party down the street. I wasn't able to check it out, as I had a film right after his.
2015/09/11
Best swag so far
Review coming soon.
Arabian Nights vol. 1
Using the structure of Scherezade's tales, if not the content, Miguel Gomes has reflected the dire economic realities of Portugal in 2013 through a fabulist's lens. Volume 1 (there are two additional volumes screening at TIFF this year) includes some odd juxtapositions (the collapse of a shipbuilder combined with a tale of a battle against a nasty species of invasive wasp), tales of the impact of austerity campaigns on the working class and some striking images, notably a beached whale on the wind-swept Portuguese coast.
It didn't feel that it completely came together (part 1 felt about a half-hour too long), although I would be interested in seeing the other two films eventually.
It didn't feel that it completely came together (part 1 felt about a half-hour too long), although I would be interested in seeing the other two films eventually.
London Road
England's National Theatre adapts their play about the impact of a possible serial killer on a local community in 2006-2007.
The piece is a "verbatim musical" in that the dialogue is based on transcribed interviews with residents and media representatives which has been edited and performed as lyrics. The arrangements are reminiscent of the Steve Reich / Kronos Quartet piece "Different Trains", with frequent starts, stops and repeated phrases. The composers skillfully adapt the cadence of normal speech into song and there are several beautiful transitions from speech to singing.
Even though the production has been opened up to move it from stage to the real world, it still is very much a theatrical production. This isn't a problem, as the performances provide a heightened sense of reality. The "stage-y" quality is part of its charm.
Unfortunately, the ending is a bit mis-handled. They opted for a positive end to the film and it feels like it [the narrative] just evaporates without a clear finish.
An interesting experiment worth seeing.
The piece is a "verbatim musical" in that the dialogue is based on transcribed interviews with residents and media representatives which has been edited and performed as lyrics. The arrangements are reminiscent of the Steve Reich / Kronos Quartet piece "Different Trains", with frequent starts, stops and repeated phrases. The composers skillfully adapt the cadence of normal speech into song and there are several beautiful transitions from speech to singing.
Even though the production has been opened up to move it from stage to the real world, it still is very much a theatrical production. This isn't a problem, as the performances provide a heightened sense of reality. The "stage-y" quality is part of its charm.
Unfortunately, the ending is a bit mis-handled. They opted for a positive end to the film and it feels like it [the narrative] just evaporates without a clear finish.
An interesting experiment worth seeing.
2015/09/10
Taking shape
First up this year is part 1 of a three-part interpretation of "The Arabian Nights".
Ready for launch
This is the second year that they've turned King Street into a car-free space and people are starting to move off the sidewalks. A stage will arrive soon and there will be live music for the next few days.
Needless to say, traffic in the vicinity of King and John is chaotic as hell. Getting between theatres will be its usual challenge, but as long as there are relatively clear sidewalks, functioning subways and available BikeShare wheels, it will all be good!
2015/09/01
On the Horizon
TIFF15 is just over a week away and plans are well underway for this year's cinematic pilgrimage, #40 for the folks on King Street and #30 for me.
After scouring the catalogue last week, I made my choices yesterday and the tickets will be waiting for me on Labour Day, with the first film scheduled for 6 pm on the 10th.
So what does the week hold? I've tried to select from each of the separate programs on the schedule and I think I'm only missing two of them -- the shorts program and the Kids program, to be exact. There are films from every continent except for the Antarctic and several languages.
As usual, I will try to capture some of my impressions of the films and sights in the festival, getting a (necessary) break from electioneering on either side of the 49th parallel. There will be time for that once I come out the other side on Sept 20th.
After scouring the catalogue last week, I made my choices yesterday and the tickets will be waiting for me on Labour Day, with the first film scheduled for 6 pm on the 10th.
So what does the week hold? I've tried to select from each of the separate programs on the schedule and I think I'm only missing two of them -- the shorts program and the Kids program, to be exact. There are films from every continent except for the Antarctic and several languages.
As usual, I will try to capture some of my impressions of the films and sights in the festival, getting a (necessary) break from electioneering on either side of the 49th parallel. There will be time for that once I come out the other side on Sept 20th.
2014/09/13
'71
It seems somewhat appropriate that the day after I saw '71 that they announced the passing of Ian Paisley. Paisley was one of the most powerful and extreme voices in Ulster during the Troubles and he represented a particularly virulent form of intransigence.
Although the politics of the time are ever-present, it's not a political film per se. A young British soldier on his first sortie into the republican neighbourhoods of Belfast is separated from his unit. He needs to get back to his base In territory he barely understands, relying on people whose motives he doesn't know.
The motives of the various characters are key. Despite the sectarian issues of the conflict, it is anything but a black-and-white world. An impressive feature film debut from a director, Yann Damange with an extensive background in British television.
Although the politics of the time are ever-present, it's not a political film per se. A young British soldier on his first sortie into the republican neighbourhoods of Belfast is separated from his unit. He needs to get back to his base In territory he barely understands, relying on people whose motives he doesn't know.
The motives of the various characters are key. Despite the sectarian issues of the conflict, it is anything but a black-and-white world. An impressive feature film debut from a director, Yann Damange with an extensive background in British television.
Gentlemen
I've been pretty fortunate over the past few days with my lead-off films (even the impenetrable "Goodbye to Language 3D" had some lovely moments). This morning's screening proved to be one of the best of the kick-off flicks.
Set mostly in Stockholm in the 60's and 70's, "Gentlemen" is a long, detailed thriller about the skeletons that never come to rest. A writer discovers that one of his commissions leads to much darker corners than he had anticipated, leading him to two brothers and connections both known and obscured.
Intricately plotted and featuring some excellent music (it's another movie with some terrific jazz performances), it establishes its conspiratorial atmosphere very early and doesn't let go. Recommended.
Set mostly in Stockholm in the 60's and 70's, "Gentlemen" is a long, detailed thriller about the skeletons that never come to rest. A writer discovers that one of his commissions leads to much darker corners than he had anticipated, leading him to two brothers and connections both known and obscured.
Intricately plotted and featuring some excellent music (it's another movie with some terrific jazz performances), it establishes its conspiratorial atmosphere very early and doesn't let go. Recommended.
Goodbye to Language 3D
Jean-Luc Godard's latest film continues his experiments with cinema, only this time using 3D equipment. It features many of the techniques he's used in more conventional films over the past few years -- the use of repeated intertitles, a soundtrack using dialogue in multiple languages, only part of which is translated to English, violent transitions in sound and visuals, etc.
To this he's added both "conventional" uses of 3D, mostly in the area of providing an immersive experience but also attempting some approaches that stretch the possibilities of 3D, not always successfully. For example, in a couple of instances he overlays two discrete images, both in 3D. The effect for me was instantly painful as I unconsciously tried to resolve them into something meaningful.
Although there are some images that are quite beautiful, for me it never moved from the level of an interesting art installation rather than a coherent film.
To this he's added both "conventional" uses of 3D, mostly in the area of providing an immersive experience but also attempting some approaches that stretch the possibilities of 3D, not always successfully. For example, in a couple of instances he overlays two discrete images, both in 3D. The effect for me was instantly painful as I unconsciously tried to resolve them into something meaningful.
Although there are some images that are quite beautiful, for me it never moved from the level of an interesting art installation rather than a coherent film.
From inside the Bubble
TIFF has always been a rather hermetic experience. Locked in the cycle of films, queues, washrooms and more films, the events in the real world lose some of their potency and become back story to what's happening on screen.
In the past this has included events of the death of Diana and, of course, 9/11 with respect to the latter, I remember vividly the experience of leaving a film ("Joy Ride") at the Cumberland and walking over to the Varsity and seeing the images from New York on the screens outside the theatre, not immediately understanding that what seemed like a movie was horribly real.
The equivalent in Toronto in 2014 is the comic-tragic soap opera of the Ford Brothers playing out this week. The difference, though, is that the previous events were singular -- the impact occurred once and diminished over time; their "story" (and given the Fords' own history over the past few years must be seen as a story, a fiction, that will likely change over the next few days) just keeps changing. To use filmic references, it's less the Statue of Liberty at the end of Planet of Apes, more the horror film where the villain repeatedly comes back from the dead.
The city definitely needs to change the reel on this show. While it seems likely that Rob could triumph in his old ward, there is a choice to be made about the kind of leader and city we want and, in my own opinion, brother Doug provides neither.
The one hopeful sign I've seen this summer, both here at TIFF and my travels to the West Coast during the summer, is that Ford is yesterday's news. I've only heard two conversations about him this week, where a year or two ago, I would frequently get questions from friends and colleagues in other places. The story has shrunk to a local issue. With luck, we can begin to close the book on it at the end of next month.
In the past this has included events of the death of Diana and, of course, 9/11 with respect to the latter, I remember vividly the experience of leaving a film ("Joy Ride") at the Cumberland and walking over to the Varsity and seeing the images from New York on the screens outside the theatre, not immediately understanding that what seemed like a movie was horribly real.
The equivalent in Toronto in 2014 is the comic-tragic soap opera of the Ford Brothers playing out this week. The difference, though, is that the previous events were singular -- the impact occurred once and diminished over time; their "story" (and given the Fords' own history over the past few years must be seen as a story, a fiction, that will likely change over the next few days) just keeps changing. To use filmic references, it's less the Statue of Liberty at the end of Planet of Apes, more the horror film where the villain repeatedly comes back from the dead.
The city definitely needs to change the reel on this show. While it seems likely that Rob could triumph in his old ward, there is a choice to be made about the kind of leader and city we want and, in my own opinion, brother Doug provides neither.
The one hopeful sign I've seen this summer, both here at TIFF and my travels to the West Coast during the summer, is that Ford is yesterday's news. I've only heard two conversations about him this week, where a year or two ago, I would frequently get questions from friends and colleagues in other places. The story has shrunk to a local issue. With luck, we can begin to close the book on it at the end of next month.
2014/09/12
Human Highway (Director's Cut)
For the second day in a roar, I started my day yesterday with a WTF film at the Bloor. Yesterday was "Electric Boogaloo"; this morning was "Human Highway", directed by Bernard Shakey (aka Neil Young) and Dean Stockwell and featuring a cast that included Young, Stockwell, Dennis Hopper and Sally Kirkland.
The film was originally released in 1982 and the version shown Thursday morning has been restored and recut. It's an entertaining mess, set mostly at a gas station / diner in the desert, with a nuclear power station glowing menacingly in the background. There is a lot of music, mostly "Trans" era Young but Includes Devo as a group of nuclear plant garbagemen. There is a narrative for the first 2/3 of the film, at which point it sort of disintegrates into a series of music videos loosely connected to the story. A highlight is a version of "Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)" featuring both Devo and Young, with vocals by Booji Boy. From what I read after the film, this version inspired Crazy Horse to do their more iconic take on the song.
Weird and occasionally wonderful.
The film was originally released in 1982 and the version shown Thursday morning has been restored and recut. It's an entertaining mess, set mostly at a gas station / diner in the desert, with a nuclear power station glowing menacingly in the background. There is a lot of music, mostly "Trans" era Young but Includes Devo as a group of nuclear plant garbagemen. There is a narrative for the first 2/3 of the film, at which point it sort of disintegrates into a series of music videos loosely connected to the story. A highlight is a version of "Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)" featuring both Devo and Young, with vocals by Booji Boy. From what I read after the film, this version inspired Crazy Horse to do their more iconic take on the song.
Weird and occasionally wonderful.
2014/09/11
Tour de Force
A group of friends embark on their annual cycling trip and discover that the destination isn't what they were expecting.
Hannes picks Ostend in Belgium as the goal for the trip. While on the way, he reveals that he has tested positive for ALS and intends to end his life there, as Belgium is one of the European countries that supports assisted suicide. While the group has to confront the reality of letting go, it's also about celebrating friendships.
As I had mentioned in an earlier post, there are a number of films this year that deal with characters faced with the decision of when (and how) to end one's life. "Tour de Force", aided by its very good ensemble cast, treats the subject with sensitivity. There is laughter (and a lot of tears) that never descends into mawkishness. Of the films I've seen so far this year, it's the one that has provided the greatest emotional impact.
The screening I attended included an extended Q&A with the director and Robert Austin from the Munk School at UofT, which used the film to enter into a larger discussion on assisted suicide or "therapeutic homicide", as it has been termed in Canada). It was part of a program that TIFF introduced a few years ago and is one of the added benefits of going to the festival.
With the growing debate about assisted suicide in Canada and elsewhere, the film is a thought-provoking voice in that discussion.
Hannes picks Ostend in Belgium as the goal for the trip. While on the way, he reveals that he has tested positive for ALS and intends to end his life there, as Belgium is one of the European countries that supports assisted suicide. While the group has to confront the reality of letting go, it's also about celebrating friendships.
As I had mentioned in an earlier post, there are a number of films this year that deal with characters faced with the decision of when (and how) to end one's life. "Tour de Force", aided by its very good ensemble cast, treats the subject with sensitivity. There is laughter (and a lot of tears) that never descends into mawkishness. Of the films I've seen so far this year, it's the one that has provided the greatest emotional impact.
The screening I attended included an extended Q&A with the director and Robert Austin from the Munk School at UofT, which used the film to enter into a larger discussion on assisted suicide or "therapeutic homicide", as it has been termed in Canada). It was part of a program that TIFF introduced a few years ago and is one of the added benefits of going to the festival.
With the growing debate about assisted suicide in Canada and elsewhere, the film is a thought-provoking voice in that discussion.
2014/09/10
Whiplash
This was an incredibly assured debut from a first-time feature film director named Damien Chazelle. A young jazz drummer (played by Miles Teller) comes under the tutelage of a harsh, sadistic master of a music teacher (JK Simmons).
It's a somewhat cliched premise (one could substitute "music teacher" with "football coach" or "drill sergeant" with minimal effort. The young man must find his way either due to or in spite of the teacher without losing his soul.
What the film does well, it does very well. The music is an integral part of the film and it drives the narrative. Simmons shows both his monstrous side as well as a more human quality. Although he is not the heart of the film, you can't take your eyes off him.
I had a couple of problems with the film. I don't think Teller was strong enough to create the right tension in the film (he was good, but in the words of Simmons' character, the "tempo wasn't quite right". The narrative also relies on a twist in the last few minutes. To believe the ending, you have to believe the action made at that point. I didn't. The plot carried through in a reasonable way, but doubts lingered about that twist.
Still, the film suggests a bright future ahead for Mr. Chazelle. Recommended.
It's a somewhat cliched premise (one could substitute "music teacher" with "football coach" or "drill sergeant" with minimal effort. The young man must find his way either due to or in spite of the teacher without losing his soul.
What the film does well, it does very well. The music is an integral part of the film and it drives the narrative. Simmons shows both his monstrous side as well as a more human quality. Although he is not the heart of the film, you can't take your eyes off him.
I had a couple of problems with the film. I don't think Teller was strong enough to create the right tension in the film (he was good, but in the words of Simmons' character, the "tempo wasn't quite right". The narrative also relies on a twist in the last few minutes. To believe the ending, you have to believe the action made at that point. I didn't. The plot carried through in a reasonable way, but doubts lingered about that twist.
Still, the film suggests a bright future ahead for Mr. Chazelle. Recommended.
Electric Boogaloo
Mark Hartley is an Australian film maker who specializes in rapid-fire oral histories of niche cinema. "Electric Boogaloo" is the third film he has brought to TIFF and focuses on the rise and fall of Cannon Films in the 70's and 80's.
As with his previous films, this is a dizzying array of short comments from a plethora of people involved with the subject, representing all facets of the film business. Numerous clips from the films are used to illustrate points and to punctuate all the talking heads. They tend to be the documentary equivalent of a sugary cereal. Lots of energy and containing some interesting nuggets of information, but you wouldn't want to base a entire festival experience on them. That said, it was the first film of the day and was a great way to charge up the brain cells.
As with his previous films, this is a dizzying array of short comments from a plethora of people involved with the subject, representing all facets of the film business. Numerous clips from the films are used to illustrate points and to punctuate all the talking heads. They tend to be the documentary equivalent of a sugary cereal. Lots of energy and containing some interesting nuggets of information, but you wouldn't want to base a entire festival experience on them. That said, it was the first film of the day and was a great way to charge up the brain cells.
2014/09/09
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
Started this morning's marathon with Sturla Gunnarsson's "Monsoon", a compelling documentary which looks at the weather phenomenon from the perspective of people who live through and are affected by it each year (or not. One of the key points the film makes is that the monsoons will not hit the country equally and there are areas which are suffering significant drought conditions due to the lack of precipitation).
For me, the film hit the sweet spot between the science of the meteorology behind the storms and the economic and cultural impacts of the monsoon. The monsoon has a significant economic impact on the country and forecasts of impending storms seem to be constrained by the risk of providing an incorrect prognosis which could negatively impact the stock market.
It's a film that demands to be seen on a big screen (according to the director, it will have a commercial release in the November time frame). Shot in 4K digital and featuring a soundtrack of both traditional and contemporary Indian music, it makes for a great sensory experience.
For me, the film hit the sweet spot between the science of the meteorology behind the storms and the economic and cultural impacts of the monsoon. The monsoon has a significant economic impact on the country and forecasts of impending storms seem to be constrained by the risk of providing an incorrect prognosis which could negatively impact the stock market.
It's a film that demands to be seen on a big screen (according to the director, it will have a commercial release in the November time frame). Shot in 4K digital and featuring a soundtrack of both traditional and contemporary Indian music, it makes for a great sensory experience.
2014/09/08
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.
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.
The Equalizer
Antoine Fuqua's movie adaptation of Edward Woodward's TV series uses the main character (played here by Denzil Washington) and the basic premise of a man with a past who helps those in need. Beyond that it's a well-crafted thriller that is more James Bond than Robert McCall.
The story begins with a prostitute enslaved to Russian mobsters but escalates quickly and inexorably after that. That's actually the principal problem with the film -- the only constraint shown is in Washington's character. It reaches its nadir in a scene towards the end when an action initiated by McCall would have resulted in the deaths of probably hundreds of innocent lives. It was at that point that the film crossed the line for me.
The advertising for this film is overwhelming downtown. It seems that you can't turn a corner without being confronted by one of three different posters. Clearly the studio is putting a lot of support behind it, likely hoping that it will make up for the lacklustre box office receipts during the summer. It's a shame, as there are much better films being shown this week that deserve some of that attention.
The story begins with a prostitute enslaved to Russian mobsters but escalates quickly and inexorably after that. That's actually the principal problem with the film -- the only constraint shown is in Washington's character. It reaches its nadir in a scene towards the end when an action initiated by McCall would have resulted in the deaths of probably hundreds of innocent lives. It was at that point that the film crossed the line for me.
The advertising for this film is overwhelming downtown. It seems that you can't turn a corner without being confronted by one of three different posters. Clearly the studio is putting a lot of support behind it, likely hoping that it will make up for the lacklustre box office receipts during the summer. It's a shame, as there are much better films being shown this week that deserve some of that attention.
2014/09/07
Itsi Bitsi
"Itsi Bitsi" was the biggest hit of a 60's Danish psychedelic rock group called the Steppenwolves" who recorded a single, now legendary LP called "Hip" in the mid-60's. It's story before the single (and, for a short time afterwards) that's the focus of the film, a love story between Eik (the lead singer of the group) and Iben.
It's a story told during the height of the free love, anti-nuke, pro drugs culture is in full flower, but the film is so well grounded (and told with such obvious affectation by the director and co-writer) that it works extremely well. The leads are excellent and their relationship is beautifully drawn in both good and bad times.
It's a story told during the height of the free love, anti-nuke, pro drugs culture is in full flower, but the film is so well grounded (and told with such obvious affectation by the director and co-writer) that it works extremely well. The leads are excellent and their relationship is beautifully drawn in both good and bad times.
Ned Rifle
It was a little surprising to listen to the intro to "Ned Rifle" this evening and be told that the director, Hal Hartley, had been appearing at TIFF since his first film, "The Unbelievable Truth", twenty-five years ago. I was at a 9 am screening of that film that year and have been following his career ever since.
His latest is the third film in a trilogy that began with "Henry Fool" (1997) and continued in 2007 with "Fay Grim". Characters introduced in the earlier films return and several actors from his previous works take on new parts. The son born of Fool and Grim is an adult now and is on a mission to kill his father, who he blames for his mother's incarceration. It's a comedy.
Hartley's style has remained a constant over that time. Character-driven, wordy films with a consistent deadpan humour (if Buster Keaton used words the way his face resisted expression, he'd be in a Hartley film). Even the music (also written and performed by Hartley) and the cinematography (a flat pale light suffuses every frame, interior or exterior, no matter where the action is taking place) are constants.
So why keep coming back?
The humour. A wry take on the world that continues to raise a small smile, if not a chuckle. There is, I admit, a feeling similar to putting on an old comfortable pair of shoes. It's also interesting to watch an artist work similar themes in new, if not innovative ways.
For those who know his work, the film is an automatic recommendation. It's hard to say how his film would play to the uninitiated. It would be interesting to hear the reaction of someone new to his work.
His latest is the third film in a trilogy that began with "Henry Fool" (1997) and continued in 2007 with "Fay Grim". Characters introduced in the earlier films return and several actors from his previous works take on new parts. The son born of Fool and Grim is an adult now and is on a mission to kill his father, who he blames for his mother's incarceration. It's a comedy.
Hartley's style has remained a constant over that time. Character-driven, wordy films with a consistent deadpan humour (if Buster Keaton used words the way his face resisted expression, he'd be in a Hartley film). Even the music (also written and performed by Hartley) and the cinematography (a flat pale light suffuses every frame, interior or exterior, no matter where the action is taking place) are constants.
So why keep coming back?
The humour. A wry take on the world that continues to raise a small smile, if not a chuckle. There is, I admit, a feeling similar to putting on an old comfortable pair of shoes. It's also interesting to watch an artist work similar themes in new, if not innovative ways.
For those who know his work, the film is an automatic recommendation. It's hard to say how his film would play to the uninitiated. It would be interesting to hear the reaction of someone new to his work.
2014/09/06
Clouds of Sils Maria
Olivier Assayas' latest film is a story of a middle-aged actress (Juliette Binoche) who established her long career early on in a play in the part of a tragic teen who has an affair with a older, bourgeois woman. The death of the playwright and an offer from a young director to remount the play (this time as the older woman, with a Lindsay Lohan surrogate as the teen) force her to confront her own mortality and the effects of time.
Mostly set in the mountains of Switzerland (a character in its own right), it's mostly a two-handler between Binoche's character and her personal assistant, played by Kristine Stewart. Assayas does a good job of handling a number of narrative and thematic resonances that occur in the film and Stewart and Binoche have very good chemistry together. The "Lohan" character (played by Chloe Moretz) unfortunately comes across as a bit weak, when she needs to be more of a force of nature.
Assayas has done better work in the past, but "Clouds" has much to recommend.
Mostly set in the mountains of Switzerland (a character in its own right), it's mostly a two-handler between Binoche's character and her personal assistant, played by Kristine Stewart. Assayas does a good job of handling a number of narrative and thematic resonances that occur in the film and Stewart and Binoche have very good chemistry together. The "Lohan" character (played by Chloe Moretz) unfortunately comes across as a bit weak, when she needs to be more of a force of nature.
Assayas has done better work in the past, but "Clouds" has much to recommend.
A word about theatres
TIFF uses a number of theatres in the core of downtown, mostly around King Street West but stretching as far north as the Bloor and as far east as The Ryerson Theatre on Gerrard.
Aside from hoping that the technical aspects of the theatres are up to snuff, there's also the general appearance of the spaces. For better or for worse, the theatres represent the city to visitors (and there are a lot of people who come here for TIFF. More often than not, I hear people who are "from away").
That said, the old Scotiabank Theatre at John and Richmond is an eyesore that desperately needs some attention. I will spend a lot of time there this year and it's a mess -- from the lobby areas to the entrances and exits and especially the washrooms.
With the closing of the Chapters below the theatre, the corner is looking very neglected. I noticed earlier this week that the large cube which sits at the top of the escalator and which used to show trailers and such appears to be non-functional.
Renovating the space would be the responsibility of Cineplex, of course. While it wouldn't have to be a major refit (the days of Garth Drabinsky's view of the movie house may have passed), improvements would help both the moviegoer and the neighbourhood in general.
Aside from hoping that the technical aspects of the theatres are up to snuff, there's also the general appearance of the spaces. For better or for worse, the theatres represent the city to visitors (and there are a lot of people who come here for TIFF. More often than not, I hear people who are "from away").
That said, the old Scotiabank Theatre at John and Richmond is an eyesore that desperately needs some attention. I will spend a lot of time there this year and it's a mess -- from the lobby areas to the entrances and exits and especially the washrooms.
With the closing of the Chapters below the theatre, the corner is looking very neglected. I noticed earlier this week that the large cube which sits at the top of the escalator and which used to show trailers and such appears to be non-functional.
Renovating the space would be the responsibility of Cineplex, of course. While it wouldn't have to be a major refit (the days of Garth Drabinsky's view of the movie house may have passed), improvements would help both the moviegoer and the neighbourhood in general.
Life in a Fishbowl
This year's offering from Iceland was different from previous films in that it was almost entirely set in Reykjavik (it's been more typical for Icelandic films to get out into the countryside -- why not when the geography is so stunning?).
"Fishbowl" follow three characters during the lead up to the financial meltdown of 2008 (the economic situation is both foreground and background in the narrative. There is a young single mother who works at a daycare and moonlights as a prostitute; an alcoholic writer and an ex-football player who joins a financial firm at the centre of the banking scandal. Their stories begin to connect in various ways over the course of the film and the use of a slightly fragmented timeline is very effective.
"Fishbowl" follow three characters during the lead up to the financial meltdown of 2008 (the economic situation is both foreground and background in the narrative. There is a young single mother who works at a daycare and moonlights as a prostitute; an alcoholic writer and an ex-football player who joins a financial firm at the centre of the banking scandal. Their stories begin to connect in various ways over the course of the film and the use of a slightly fragmented timeline is very effective.
2014/09/05
The Dead Lands
A real mixed bag today, but the one that left the strongest, most visceral impression was "The Dead Lands" from New Zealand, a period piece about a young, inexperienced Maori warrior who swears vengeance on the men that massacred his tribe.
Reminiscent of Japanese samurai movies, it's a film about honour and warrior codes. The numerous action sequences were very well choreographed and shot. Although the story was not terribly original, the locations, the language and other details made it a unique experience. Recommended.
Reminiscent of Japanese samurai movies, it's a film about honour and warrior codes. The numerous action sequences were very well choreographed and shot. Although the story was not terribly original, the locations, the language and other details made it a unique experience. Recommended.
And we're off
A bit of an uneven start last night to TIFF2014, with two films that were good but couldn't quite ascend higher than that.
The first film of this year was "The Valley". It's a Lebanese film, apparently the second film in a trilogy, although there was no sense that seeing the first film ("The Mountain") was absolutely necessary.
In a remote valley, a man emerges from a car crash. He has no recollection of who he is or how he got there. He helps a group of people to fix their car and they take him back to their compound. An airborne assault on the valley forces them to flee the compound.
The film is structured as a series of very tightly-controlled, mostly static scenes, many of which are quite beautiful in their austerity. The music, mostly Middle Eastern with a Joy Division cut included, complements this imagery perfectly. Occasionally, characters begin to dance to music in the room -- it's quite jarring to see this in the midst of the film, but it's done in such a natural, spontaneous fashion that it works really well.
At the end though, there is just a little too little information to hold the film together.
Number 2 was a drastic shift from Lebanon to Finland and from drama to a fairly broad comedy. "The Grump". An 80-year old man is forced by circumstance to leave his solitary life in the country to join his son's family in the city.
The comedy for the most part is very one-dimensional and told entirely from the perspective of the curmudgeon. Fortunately it was redeemed at the end by a lovely ending.
Lots of action downtown, a mix of TIFF and university Frosh Week events. The move out of Yorkville a few years ago has actually provided more options for connecting the festival to the real world, which is definitely a positive.
Steamy day today and there will be a couple of mad dashes between screenings. It's going to be sweaty.
The first film of this year was "The Valley". It's a Lebanese film, apparently the second film in a trilogy, although there was no sense that seeing the first film ("The Mountain") was absolutely necessary.
In a remote valley, a man emerges from a car crash. He has no recollection of who he is or how he got there. He helps a group of people to fix their car and they take him back to their compound. An airborne assault on the valley forces them to flee the compound.
The film is structured as a series of very tightly-controlled, mostly static scenes, many of which are quite beautiful in their austerity. The music, mostly Middle Eastern with a Joy Division cut included, complements this imagery perfectly. Occasionally, characters begin to dance to music in the room -- it's quite jarring to see this in the midst of the film, but it's done in such a natural, spontaneous fashion that it works really well.
At the end though, there is just a little too little information to hold the film together.
Number 2 was a drastic shift from Lebanon to Finland and from drama to a fairly broad comedy. "The Grump". An 80-year old man is forced by circumstance to leave his solitary life in the country to join his son's family in the city.
The comedy for the most part is very one-dimensional and told entirely from the perspective of the curmudgeon. Fortunately it was redeemed at the end by a lovely ending.
Lots of action downtown, a mix of TIFF and university Frosh Week events. The move out of Yorkville a few years ago has actually provided more options for connecting the festival to the real world, which is definitely a positive.
Steamy day today and there will be a couple of mad dashes between screenings. It's going to be sweaty.
2014/09/03
2014/09/02
Almost there (again)
It's just over two days from the launch of TIFF 2014. About three weeks ago, I went through the annual ritual of taking the catalogue and slicing and dicing a schedule out of the 300+ films on offer this year.
It's an interesting way to extract possible trends for the year. A few things I noticed:
It's an interesting way to extract possible trends for the year. A few things I noticed:
- There were several films about a man with a past who, while trying to follow a new path, is dragged back into the old ways (the "one last job" film).
- Quite a few films were co-directed. In fact, it seemed at first glance that there were a lot more of these films this year than previous years.
- Several films about taking control of the end of one's life. I think this is reflective of the current debate raging in the public sphere about quality of life and having the choice to decide when one's death will occur.
It's a curious year as far as the films go. At this point, it doesn't feel that there is a "big" film or films that will capture people's attention (last year featured "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave, to name two). As usual, I've tried to mix things up in the final list, combining films from different countries and from as many of the individual programs as possible.
The fun starts on Thursday night in Lebanon ("The Valley") and ends in Finland ("The Grump").
2013/10/04
Wrapping up for another year
I've put together a post collecting a variety of films that I saw in the latter part of TIFF2013 to close the blog for another year. Here they are:
Soul
Interesting little psychological horror movie from Taiwan. A young man working in a restaurant in Taipei falls into a coma and, when he regains consciousness, claims that something has taken control of him. He is sent home to his father and sister for care and the rest of the film focuses on the relationship between the three.
It's a creepy and effective film, establishing its dark atmosphere with the first few frames and maintaining it throughout. It could be read as a film about demonic possession, but the relationship between the father and son suggests that there could be a more prosaic problem.
Most of the film is set in an orchid farm in the country, providing great visual support to the film's themes.
Intruders
A writer attempting to finish his latest work isolates himself at a cabin in the woods in this South Korean film. Isolation is the least of his problems.
What starts out as a fairly irritating farce turns into something quite different by the end. At the beginning, my mind started to wander and I started to imagine what an American remake would look like (it would be relatively easy to translate the plot and characters into a generic comedy with the likes of a Will Ferrell in the lead. I'm not sure, though, that the could handle the tonal shift of the second half as well as this film did.
A good argument for not walking out on a film. It ended on a much darker, but higher note for me.
A Field in England
This is the third film I've seen over the past few years by Ben Wheatley and he continues to surprise. "A Field in England" is his first period film, but he has a great knack for introducing twists that extend the final product in interesting and entertaining ways.
A group of deserters in the English Civil War find themselves in an isolated field (the field exists in a sort of bowl, which prevents you from seeing beyond the immediate vicinity. It's a setting that becomes increasingly otherworldly as time goes on). Led and abused by a charismatic shaman and feeling the effects of a meal of mushrooms with psychotropic qualities, things start to change.
It's shot in beautifully luminous black and white which gives it a look not unlike Peter Watkins' "Culloden".
A wondrous and strange little film. Recommended.
Soul
Interesting little psychological horror movie from Taiwan. A young man working in a restaurant in Taipei falls into a coma and, when he regains consciousness, claims that something has taken control of him. He is sent home to his father and sister for care and the rest of the film focuses on the relationship between the three.
It's a creepy and effective film, establishing its dark atmosphere with the first few frames and maintaining it throughout. It could be read as a film about demonic possession, but the relationship between the father and son suggests that there could be a more prosaic problem.
Most of the film is set in an orchid farm in the country, providing great visual support to the film's themes.
Intruders
A writer attempting to finish his latest work isolates himself at a cabin in the woods in this South Korean film. Isolation is the least of his problems.
What starts out as a fairly irritating farce turns into something quite different by the end. At the beginning, my mind started to wander and I started to imagine what an American remake would look like (it would be relatively easy to translate the plot and characters into a generic comedy with the likes of a Will Ferrell in the lead. I'm not sure, though, that the could handle the tonal shift of the second half as well as this film did.
A good argument for not walking out on a film. It ended on a much darker, but higher note for me.
A Field in England
This is the third film I've seen over the past few years by Ben Wheatley and he continues to surprise. "A Field in England" is his first period film, but he has a great knack for introducing twists that extend the final product in interesting and entertaining ways.
A group of deserters in the English Civil War find themselves in an isolated field (the field exists in a sort of bowl, which prevents you from seeing beyond the immediate vicinity. It's a setting that becomes increasingly otherworldly as time goes on). Led and abused by a charismatic shaman and feeling the effects of a meal of mushrooms with psychotropic qualities, things start to change.
It's shot in beautifully luminous black and white which gives it a look not unlike Peter Watkins' "Culloden".
A wondrous and strange little film. Recommended.
2013/09/15
All over for another year
Today was the big day in TIFF land with the end-of-festival awards luncheon. You can find the list of award winners here.
It's rare that I actually see the People's Choice award winner during TIFF, but I was able to catch "12 Years a Slave" towards the beginning of the festival. I was knocked out by Steve McQueen's first film ("Hunger"), so it was a natural to see what he could do with a period piece and a large A-list cast.
It's a powerful film, anchored by great performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o. As the film begins, Ejiofor is living as a free man in Saratoga NY. One evening he is kidnapped and shipped south to Georgia, where he spends the next dozen years as a slave working on a few plantations before he is able to earn his freedom.
Based on the true story of Solomon Northup, the film is an unflinching look at the abuse of the men and women who endured lives as slaves prior to the American civil war. It features a busload of stars in supporting roles, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giametti, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Brad Pitt and Alfre Woodward.
WRT the rest of TIFF, I'll try to finish off my thoughts on the notable films I saw this year. Watch for that in the days to come.
It's rare that I actually see the People's Choice award winner during TIFF, but I was able to catch "12 Years a Slave" towards the beginning of the festival. I was knocked out by Steve McQueen's first film ("Hunger"), so it was a natural to see what he could do with a period piece and a large A-list cast.
It's a powerful film, anchored by great performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o. As the film begins, Ejiofor is living as a free man in Saratoga NY. One evening he is kidnapped and shipped south to Georgia, where he spends the next dozen years as a slave working on a few plantations before he is able to earn his freedom.
Based on the true story of Solomon Northup, the film is an unflinching look at the abuse of the men and women who endured lives as slaves prior to the American civil war. It features a busload of stars in supporting roles, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giametti, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Brad Pitt and Alfre Woodward.
WRT the rest of TIFF, I'll try to finish off my thoughts on the notable films I saw this year. Watch for that in the days to come.
2013/09/14
Not ready for my close-up
Can't say that I've heard any buzz about any specific film this year. Be interesting to see how the critics wrap things up the year's offerings.
Cold Eyes
After 10 days of movies, it's a comfort to sit in a theatre and let a real "popcorn" movie roll in front of me. This year, a Korean film called "Cold Eyes" fit the bill.
An elite team of police surveillance experts race against the clock to bring down a team of criminals, led by a psychotic mastermind. The plot is essentially an anti-caper film and is a bit silly, but the editing is crisp and the cast attack their two-dimensional characters with enthusiasm. The ending is deliberately open-ended, suggesting that the producers have a franchise in mind.
It's interesting in a year where electronic surveillance is a common theme (along with mistrust of the governments involved in it), that there is a film that is an unabashed supporter of it to the effort to bring down the "bad guys".
An elite team of police surveillance experts race against the clock to bring down a team of criminals, led by a psychotic mastermind. The plot is essentially an anti-caper film and is a bit silly, but the editing is crisp and the cast attack their two-dimensional characters with enthusiasm. The ending is deliberately open-ended, suggesting that the producers have a franchise in mind.
It's interesting in a year where electronic surveillance is a common theme (along with mistrust of the governments involved in it), that there is a film that is an unabashed supporter of it to the effort to bring down the "bad guys".
Unforgiven
A Japanese remake of the Clint Eastwood western, with Ken Watanabe playing the equivalent of the Eastwood role.
There's a long tradition of remakes of westerns and samurai films going back to "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Yojimbo" (it's an exchange that has worked and worked well in both directions). Given the emphasis on honour and codes of behaviour, the two styles are very complementary.
The new "Unforgiven" takes the basic story of the original and presents it though the lens of Japanese culture of the 1880's, a time when the Samurai eras ending and a new culture was being established. The transition to the "new government" provides an additional layer to the story. There's a sense of time passing and of men who are being left behind.
The fact that the film works so well is a testament to the "good bones" of the original. I went back this morning and reviewed the plot of the Eastwood film and it is quite faithful to that story (any differences would amount to plot spoilers and I will not go into them here), yet it is a creature of its own. If anything, I found Watanabe's return to his samurai training more believable than Eastwood's transition to the gunslinger (when I saw the original in '92, the change felt forced to me).
Recommended. It had a Warner Brothers imprint at the beginning, so it would appear that a release in North America is coming.
One final footnote. Thursday marked the death of Ray Dolby, the founder of Dolby Laboratories. There is a credit to Dolby's sound production before each film and when it appeared during the screening of "Unforgiven", there was thunderous applause from the audience. A nice tribute.
There's a long tradition of remakes of westerns and samurai films going back to "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Yojimbo" (it's an exchange that has worked and worked well in both directions). Given the emphasis on honour and codes of behaviour, the two styles are very complementary.
The new "Unforgiven" takes the basic story of the original and presents it though the lens of Japanese culture of the 1880's, a time when the Samurai eras ending and a new culture was being established. The transition to the "new government" provides an additional layer to the story. There's a sense of time passing and of men who are being left behind.
The fact that the film works so well is a testament to the "good bones" of the original. I went back this morning and reviewed the plot of the Eastwood film and it is quite faithful to that story (any differences would amount to plot spoilers and I will not go into them here), yet it is a creature of its own. If anything, I found Watanabe's return to his samurai training more believable than Eastwood's transition to the gunslinger (when I saw the original in '92, the change felt forced to me).
Recommended. It had a Warner Brothers imprint at the beginning, so it would appear that a release in North America is coming.
One final footnote. Thursday marked the death of Ray Dolby, the founder of Dolby Laboratories. There is a credit to Dolby's sound production before each film and when it appeared during the screening of "Unforgiven", there was thunderous applause from the audience. A nice tribute.
2013/09/13
REAL
Back in the day, TIFF scheduled a program to spotlight the work of a lesser-known director. I discovered some excellent directors through this series, one of whom was Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
At the time Kurosawa had a well-earned reputation as a director of Japanese horror films. His films had more to do with dread than shocks or violence and he was very good at it. Later he moved into more mainstream film making, using the skills he had learned from his earlier work in the service of more accessible stories.
"REAL" marked a return to his more fantastic story-telling. The lover of a woman in a coma uses a technology to enter her sub-conscious mind, in an attempt to bring her back.
Based on my knowledge of his work, it sounded like a premise that would play well to his talents and, in the early going, he effectively establishes the mood and ground rules for the world of the sub-conscious. Unfortunately, it doesn't last. There is a plot twist about halfway though that, while not unreasonable, sends the film into a series of narrative dead-ends. And there are a lot of them. The film has about five or six endings and, by the time I reached the "real" ending, I was tired of it.
Disappointing. Rather than this film, I'd suggest renting "Cure" or "Pulse" (his version, not Wes Craven's remake). They're much better films.
At the time Kurosawa had a well-earned reputation as a director of Japanese horror films. His films had more to do with dread than shocks or violence and he was very good at it. Later he moved into more mainstream film making, using the skills he had learned from his earlier work in the service of more accessible stories.
"REAL" marked a return to his more fantastic story-telling. The lover of a woman in a coma uses a technology to enter her sub-conscious mind, in an attempt to bring her back.
Based on my knowledge of his work, it sounded like a premise that would play well to his talents and, in the early going, he effectively establishes the mood and ground rules for the world of the sub-conscious. Unfortunately, it doesn't last. There is a plot twist about halfway though that, while not unreasonable, sends the film into a series of narrative dead-ends. And there are a lot of them. The film has about five or six endings and, by the time I reached the "real" ending, I was tired of it.
Disappointing. Rather than this film, I'd suggest renting "Cure" or "Pulse" (his version, not Wes Craven's remake). They're much better films.
The joys of September
TIFF usually features some interesting weather. While most conditions are acceptable, one hopes for dry weather overall. Aside from the pain of adding a wet umbrella to the daily supplies, a well-used theatre can get pretty musty at the end of a day of screenings!
And then there's temperature. Two nights ago, I left an evening screening and walked out into moist air and a humidex of 41. Today it's going to be a fight to get to 13C and the night's low is forecast at 4C.
At least we shouldn't have to relive the experience of waiting in the alleyway outside the Cumberland for an evening screening and watching snow fall from the sky.
And then there's temperature. Two nights ago, I left an evening screening and walked out into moist air and a humidex of 41. Today it's going to be a fight to get to 13C and the night's low is forecast at 4C.
At least we shouldn't have to relive the experience of waiting in the alleyway outside the Cumberland for an evening screening and watching snow fall from the sky.
2013/09/12
Attila Marcel
Although the director, Sylvain Chomet, has had other films at TIFF, this is his first live-action film. That said, the style and presentation are completely consistent with his earlier animated efforts -- "The Triplets of Belleville" and "The Illusionist".
If anything, this tale of a pianist struck mute by an early family tragedy, his aunts and various neighbours and acquaintances is even more of a cartoon than the other films. The colour-palette is bright and comprised mostly of primary colours, the acting is broad and there are lots of little details stuffed in each frame. And it's very funny.
In many respects, the film is very reminiscent of "Amelie". I found with that film that the style polarized audiences -- for some, the style was utterly charming, while others loathed it from the first frame. Your reaction to that film will be a good barometer to how you might respond to "Attila".
If anything, this tale of a pianist struck mute by an early family tragedy, his aunts and various neighbours and acquaintances is even more of a cartoon than the other films. The colour-palette is bright and comprised mostly of primary colours, the acting is broad and there are lots of little details stuffed in each frame. And it's very funny.
In many respects, the film is very reminiscent of "Amelie". I found with that film that the style polarized audiences -- for some, the style was utterly charming, while others loathed it from the first frame. Your reaction to that film will be a good barometer to how you might respond to "Attila".
Jodorowsky's Dune
Alejandro Jodorowsky earned a well-deserved reputation in the early '70's as a transgressive director with a surrealistic bent, notably through his films "El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain". In 1974 he acquired the rights to film Frank Herbert's "Dune" and collected a team of creative "spiritual warriors" to film what he predicted would be a hallucination without LSD.
The film was never made, but enough artifacts (extensive storyboards, illustrations, anecdotes, etc) survived that the production became legendary as the greatest film that has never been made). It has even outshone productions that were made, including David Lynch's version and the TV mini-series from a few years back.
The doc tells the story of the film, mostly from Jodorowsky's own perspective, but includes the contributions of collaborators like Chris Foss, HR Giger, and Dan O'Bannon; critics and modern directors.
The film is interesting and mildly entertaining but it's a film made by and for fanboys. There isn't a single opposing or contrasting view presented.
While Jodorowsky is clearly an inventive film-maker, his talent may have had more to do with finding the right collaborators than from any profound understanding of the novel (in fact, many of the people involved had never read it). The people he worked with were well-established and their work on the film reflected their body of work rather than a specific response to the material.
When the production crashed and burned (the studios were impressed by the craft that had been demonstrated, but balked at the cost and commercial viability), the collaborators went their separate ways, although some of the designs for the film did get incorporated in other productions like the Alien series (Giger, Moebius, O'Bannon and Foss were all involved in the first film).
Jodorowsky offers some commentary on the Lynch version, expressing his joy that it was a failure. What he doesn't recognize is that the Lynch film made similar decisions to his take on the story (for example, odd casting choices like Mick Jagger in the first film; Sting in the second). If his film had been made, I suspect that the end result would have been the same. A different failure but a failure nonetheless).
The definitive production of "Dune" has yet to be made. Given the scope of the novel, long-form television is likely the only reasonable option.
"Jodorowsky's Dune" is a curiosity, a footnote in film history. I imagine that it will end up on Space at some point. Wait for it then.
The film was never made, but enough artifacts (extensive storyboards, illustrations, anecdotes, etc) survived that the production became legendary as the greatest film that has never been made). It has even outshone productions that were made, including David Lynch's version and the TV mini-series from a few years back.
The doc tells the story of the film, mostly from Jodorowsky's own perspective, but includes the contributions of collaborators like Chris Foss, HR Giger, and Dan O'Bannon; critics and modern directors.
The film is interesting and mildly entertaining but it's a film made by and for fanboys. There isn't a single opposing or contrasting view presented.
While Jodorowsky is clearly an inventive film-maker, his talent may have had more to do with finding the right collaborators than from any profound understanding of the novel (in fact, many of the people involved had never read it). The people he worked with were well-established and their work on the film reflected their body of work rather than a specific response to the material.
When the production crashed and burned (the studios were impressed by the craft that had been demonstrated, but balked at the cost and commercial viability), the collaborators went their separate ways, although some of the designs for the film did get incorporated in other productions like the Alien series (Giger, Moebius, O'Bannon and Foss were all involved in the first film).
Jodorowsky offers some commentary on the Lynch version, expressing his joy that it was a failure. What he doesn't recognize is that the Lynch film made similar decisions to his take on the story (for example, odd casting choices like Mick Jagger in the first film; Sting in the second). If his film had been made, I suspect that the end result would have been the same. A different failure but a failure nonetheless).
The definitive production of "Dune" has yet to be made. Given the scope of the novel, long-form television is likely the only reasonable option.
"Jodorowsky's Dune" is a curiosity, a footnote in film history. I imagine that it will end up on Space at some point. Wait for it then.
2013/09/11
Quai D'Orsay
Starring Thierry Lhermitte in a film by Bertrand Tavernier, "Quai d'Orsay" is a Gallic version of "Yes Minister", set in the French Department of Foreign Affairs. It follows a newly arrived employee who becomes the advisor on "la language" (essentially a Communications advisor).
It was fun, but was a lot less satirical than its English counterpart. There's little in the way of character or plot development, being more a collection of episodes and incidents that the ensemble cast flies through with vigour. Lhermitte plays the minister as a less shrewd version of Jim Hacker.
Would be a decent time-waster as a "rental".
It was fun, but was a lot less satirical than its English counterpart. There's little in the way of character or plot development, being more a collection of episodes and incidents that the ensemble cast flies through with vigour. Lhermitte plays the minister as a less shrewd version of Jim Hacker.
Would be a decent time-waster as a "rental".
2013/09/10
Devil's Knot
It's been some time since I've seen a film by Atom Egoyan and this year brings "Devil's Knot", a. Story about the infamous West Memphis Three case in Arkansas in the early 90's.
In the case, three young boys were brutally murdered. Suspicion quickly fell on three young men who were reputed to be devil-worshipers. They were initially convicted of the crimes and after many years and much effort, they were able to be released (although not exonerated). The case was most famously described in a series of documentaries (the Paradise Lost series). I hadn't seen the docs but was curious about the story and what he could do with this.
The film focuses on the events from the murders up to the original convictions. It details a number of errors in judgement, of omission and of commission by the local police force. The leads are Colin Firth as an investigator with doubts about the case and Reese Witherspoon as the mother of one of the boys.
It's a strange film in that it feels somewhat unfinished (because it stops at a point where the story begins to take shape) and superfluous (because of the extensive work about the case in both books and documentaries). My key question in watching it was why chose the material in the first place and I don't think I heard a satisfactory answer to the question, either by the film or in Egoyan's comments after the screening.
Oddly enough, there's a scene of the community searching for the boys that is strongly reminiscent of a similar scene in "Exotica". I don't think the reference is intentional, but it unfortunately reminded me of his earlier and much better films.
Disappointing.
In the case, three young boys were brutally murdered. Suspicion quickly fell on three young men who were reputed to be devil-worshipers. They were initially convicted of the crimes and after many years and much effort, they were able to be released (although not exonerated). The case was most famously described in a series of documentaries (the Paradise Lost series). I hadn't seen the docs but was curious about the story and what he could do with this.
The film focuses on the events from the murders up to the original convictions. It details a number of errors in judgement, of omission and of commission by the local police force. The leads are Colin Firth as an investigator with doubts about the case and Reese Witherspoon as the mother of one of the boys.
It's a strange film in that it feels somewhat unfinished (because it stops at a point where the story begins to take shape) and superfluous (because of the extensive work about the case in both books and documentaries). My key question in watching it was why chose the material in the first place and I don't think I heard a satisfactory answer to the question, either by the film or in Egoyan's comments after the screening.
Oddly enough, there's a scene of the community searching for the boys that is strongly reminiscent of a similar scene in "Exotica". I don't think the reference is intentional, but it unfortunately reminded me of his earlier and much better films.
Disappointing.
The Unknown Known
The latest from Errol Morris, this documentary is a trip through the history and mind of Donald Rumsfeld, GW Bush's Secretary of Defense.
During the Q&A, Morris mentioned that some considered this to be a companion piece to his doc on Robert McNamera ("The Fog of War"). I actually think it's a companion piece to "the Armstrong Lie", which I saw yesterday. Like Lance Armstrong, Rumsfeld is a cold, calculating and charismatic individual. Both men are practised architects of their own reality and very little gets through to them without being adapted to that reality. Where they differ is that Armstrong is prepared,to destroy opposition; it's not as apparent with Rumsfeld that he does this, but perhaps he is better at hiding the bodies.
Much of the historical context for the film comes from memos that Rumsfeld wrote over several decades. He referred to them as "snowflakes" as they were always written on white paper. He documented his thoughts obsessively. The title of the film comes from a statement that Rumsfeld made about knowledge falling into one of four categories -- the unknown known is something you think you know, but really don't.
It's an entertaining and interesting exchange between Rumsfeld and Morris. The over-riding question that emerged from the film is why did Rumsfeld agree to it? It's a question that Morris puts to him at the end of the film and it's one of the few that he answers with a "I don't know" answer. The question remains.
Recommended.
During the Q&A, Morris mentioned that some considered this to be a companion piece to his doc on Robert McNamera ("The Fog of War"). I actually think it's a companion piece to "the Armstrong Lie", which I saw yesterday. Like Lance Armstrong, Rumsfeld is a cold, calculating and charismatic individual. Both men are practised architects of their own reality and very little gets through to them without being adapted to that reality. Where they differ is that Armstrong is prepared,to destroy opposition; it's not as apparent with Rumsfeld that he does this, but perhaps he is better at hiding the bodies.
Much of the historical context for the film comes from memos that Rumsfeld wrote over several decades. He referred to them as "snowflakes" as they were always written on white paper. He documented his thoughts obsessively. The title of the film comes from a statement that Rumsfeld made about knowledge falling into one of four categories -- the unknown known is something you think you know, but really don't.
It's an entertaining and interesting exchange between Rumsfeld and Morris. The over-riding question that emerged from the film is why did Rumsfeld agree to it? It's a question that Morris puts to him at the end of the film and it's one of the few that he answers with a "I don't know" answer. The question remains.
Recommended.
The Armstrong Lie
Some of the best docs I've seen in recent years have come from Alex Gibney (his "Mea Maxima Culpa" was one of the most memorable films from last year).
"The Armstrong Lie" grew out of a project that he initiated in 2009 to film Lance Armstrong's attempt to come back and win that year's Tour de France. At the time, the suspicions around Armstrong's use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) existed but he was still vigorously denying the allegations.
It was the following year that things began to stick to him, leading to last year's interview with Oprah. Gibney is honest about his feelings of betrayal and arranged for follow-up interviews with Armstrong. As a result, the shape of the film is very different, although the 2009 Tour de France represents a foundation element of the work (one can only wonder what the original film would have looked like if things hadn't worked out the way they did. Gibney also makes the point that it was Armstrong's assertion that he would win the race cleanly that appeared to inspire many of his opponents to bring him down).
Early in the film, he makes the point that it is a film about power rather than drugs or cycling. Armstrong is given ample opportunity, both in archival and current interviews and in film of his races to show that. He is a fighter and an opponent has to be not only beaten but humiliated or destroyed. He's also incredibly charismatic and it's the juxtaposition of the two qualities that makes him so compelling. People still want to believe that he is innocent, despite all evidence to the contrary -(as Gibney puts, people prefer to believe in the "beautiful lie" than the "awful truth").
Highly recommended and not just for fans of cycling. At its base, it's a portrait of a complex human being.
"The Armstrong Lie" grew out of a project that he initiated in 2009 to film Lance Armstrong's attempt to come back and win that year's Tour de France. At the time, the suspicions around Armstrong's use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) existed but he was still vigorously denying the allegations.
It was the following year that things began to stick to him, leading to last year's interview with Oprah. Gibney is honest about his feelings of betrayal and arranged for follow-up interviews with Armstrong. As a result, the shape of the film is very different, although the 2009 Tour de France represents a foundation element of the work (one can only wonder what the original film would have looked like if things hadn't worked out the way they did. Gibney also makes the point that it was Armstrong's assertion that he would win the race cleanly that appeared to inspire many of his opponents to bring him down).
Early in the film, he makes the point that it is a film about power rather than drugs or cycling. Armstrong is given ample opportunity, both in archival and current interviews and in film of his races to show that. He is a fighter and an opponent has to be not only beaten but humiliated or destroyed. He's also incredibly charismatic and it's the juxtaposition of the two qualities that makes him so compelling. People still want to believe that he is innocent, despite all evidence to the contrary -(as Gibney puts, people prefer to believe in the "beautiful lie" than the "awful truth").
Highly recommended and not just for fans of cycling. At its base, it's a portrait of a complex human being.
Ningen
Set in modern times, but based on old Japanese myths involving a fox and a raccoon (two tricksters whose adventures seem to be based on a series of competitions in which they both impersonate and toy with humans).
It's an interesting film, but the after-film Q&A proved to be the best part of the screening, as a number of odd events leading to the making of the film both echoed and enhanced the ideas of the fox and the raccoon myth (the directors filmed in a clinic which included two women who invented their own stories about the main characters. They ended up playing principal roles in the second act of the film).
Or, perhaps, it could be that the two co-directors were the fox and raccoon in human form and we were the subject of their latest game...
It's an interesting film, but the after-film Q&A proved to be the best part of the screening, as a number of odd events leading to the making of the film both echoed and enhanced the ideas of the fox and the raccoon myth (the directors filmed in a clinic which included two women who invented their own stories about the main characters. They ended up playing principal roles in the second act of the film).
Or, perhaps, it could be that the two co-directors were the fox and raccoon in human form and we were the subject of their latest game...
Around the Block
An Australian film about an aboriginal youth in Sydney's inner city, trying to break free of a cycle of violence that has claimed his father and is looming for him and his older brother. When a teacher (Christina Ricci) proposes that he get involved in a production of Hamlet, a door begins to open.
There's a great energy to the direction and a good cast of young actors that is almost able to overcome a fairly paint-by-numbers plot. I'd be inclined to not write about it, but Hunter Page-Lochard, who plays the young man Liam with such charisma and maturity. He's the best thing in it, much better even than veterans like Ricci and Jack Thompson, and will be someone to watch in the future. Worth catching on DVD to be able to say "I saw him then".
...
Interesting footnote. I was checking the actor's name on IMDB this morning and he wasn't even listed in the top-billing list. Don't think that will happen after this.
There's a great energy to the direction and a good cast of young actors that is almost able to overcome a fairly paint-by-numbers plot. I'd be inclined to not write about it, but Hunter Page-Lochard, who plays the young man Liam with such charisma and maturity. He's the best thing in it, much better even than veterans like Ricci and Jack Thompson, and will be someone to watch in the future. Worth catching on DVD to be able to say "I saw him then".
...
Interesting footnote. I was checking the actor's name on IMDB this morning and he wasn't even listed in the top-billing list. Don't think that will happen after this.
2013/09/09
Good morning!
2013/09/08
Waiting for ???
This is on Widmar, looking north from King. Not sure who they were waiting for this afternoon, but the look is reminiscent of a pen at a petting zoo.
From the Scotiabank... Waiting to go in
Great day for a Parade!
Metalhead
An Icelandic feel-good film about the redemptive power of death metal from Ragnar Bragason.
Actually the above is partially correct, although it's really more about loss and moving on. Shattered by the death of her brother in a farming accident in rural Iceland, a young girl finds refuge in her brother's love of 1970's and 1980's heavy metal music. Refuges can become traps, however, and her family need to find a way to come to terms with both the loss and their future.
A lovely bittersweet film with comic elements and a great soundtrack of the era's music.
Actually the above is partially correct, although it's really more about loss and moving on. Shattered by the death of her brother in a farming accident in rural Iceland, a young girl finds refuge in her brother's love of 1970's and 1980's heavy metal music. Refuges can become traps, however, and her family need to find a way to come to terms with both the loss and their future.
A lovely bittersweet film with comic elements and a great soundtrack of the era's music.
Mission Congo
During the Rwandan massacres of 1994, an estimated one million people flowed across the border into Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to try to escape the bloodshed. A variety of medical relief organizations raced to the area to help as best they could.
Besides organizations like Médécins sans frontières and thé Red Cross, several faith-based groups also came. One of the most heavily publicized was Operation Blessing, a spinoff of the Christian Broadcasting Network led by Pat Robertson, a notable evangelical conservative.
What becomes clear in "Mission Congo" is that the operation had less to do with humanitarianism and more to do with securing diamond mining concessions and tax advantages for Robertson. Over the course of its approx 80 minutes, the directors start with the transmissions of CBN's "700 Club" and inexorably tear down the facade to reveal the reality of the mission. Interviews with journalists, MSF workers on the ground and members of Robertson's own team paint a damning portrait of a massive con job.
Here's one example to illustrate the deception. The "700 Club" announced that they had purchased three Caribou short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft to ferry medical supplies to Goma. Caribous can land on about 1300 feet of runway.
A landing strip was constructed at Kamonia for the planes. Kamonia was very close to the area where the diamond concessions were located and is nearly 900 miles from Goma, the location of the refugee camps. The planes were primarily used to ferry dredging equipment used in the mining operation.
If there's an absence in the film, it's a lack of a response from the Robertson camp on the allegations. The film has just been completed and is receiving its premiere at TIFF this week (I was at the second screening yesterday evening). It will be interesting to see if there is any follow-up in the weeks to come.
Recommended. I can see this as a good doc for Newsworld or TVO.
Besides organizations like Médécins sans frontières and thé Red Cross, several faith-based groups also came. One of the most heavily publicized was Operation Blessing, a spinoff of the Christian Broadcasting Network led by Pat Robertson, a notable evangelical conservative.
What becomes clear in "Mission Congo" is that the operation had less to do with humanitarianism and more to do with securing diamond mining concessions and tax advantages for Robertson. Over the course of its approx 80 minutes, the directors start with the transmissions of CBN's "700 Club" and inexorably tear down the facade to reveal the reality of the mission. Interviews with journalists, MSF workers on the ground and members of Robertson's own team paint a damning portrait of a massive con job.
Here's one example to illustrate the deception. The "700 Club" announced that they had purchased three Caribou short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft to ferry medical supplies to Goma. Caribous can land on about 1300 feet of runway.
A landing strip was constructed at Kamonia for the planes. Kamonia was very close to the area where the diamond concessions were located and is nearly 900 miles from Goma, the location of the refugee camps. The planes were primarily used to ferry dredging equipment used in the mining operation.
If there's an absence in the film, it's a lack of a response from the Robertson camp on the allegations. The film has just been completed and is receiving its premiere at TIFF this week (I was at the second screening yesterday evening). It will be interesting to see if there is any follow-up in the weeks to come.
Recommended. I can see this as a good doc for Newsworld or TVO.
Watermark
"Watermark" is his second collaboration with Jennifer Baichwal (the first was "Manufactured Landscapes", which was also shown at TIFF a few years ago). Both share an editorial focus of the impact of man on the natural environment, but "Watermark" simultaneously tightens the focus and expands the frame of the image to look at our relationship with water.
It's a film that will provide the greatest rewards by being seen on the largest, sharpest screen possible. I saw it this morning from the centre of one of the front rows. In that position, the images wrap around and over you. The scale, particularly in the sequences shot during the construction of one of the mega-dams in China is immense. I can't recall a scene from any Hollywood blockbuster that has communicated size like these images.
Burtynsky describes his work as a "lament" for the environment. As with much of his best work, they have successfully married images of great beauty with despair for what was been (or may be) lost.
Highly recommended.
Following the screening, I had a chance to wander a bit to reflect on the film. Walking up through Grange Park, I came up to the south side of the AGO, Gehry's addition shining blue in the mid-day sun, an image of solidified sky (or water).
2013/09/07
Southcliffe
Southcliffe holds the title this year of the longest screening I will attend at TIFF13. It's representative of the blurring of lines between cinema, television and new media. The piece was shot as a mini-series for TV in the UK, but its length just over three hours) and complexity make it a good choice for a festival like TIFF.
Set in a small "market town" in the south of England, it opens with the shooting death of an old woman in her front garden. The killing is actually one of many that afternoon and the story is revealed through a series of flashbacks and scenes set in the present. At thee beginning the shifts occur without warning and it takes a little while to dispel some confusion about when a scene exists in the timeline. Over the course of the four episodes, though, one's comfort with the approach settles, just as your understanding of the situation grows.
It's a powerful story and the first three episodes were gripping (while the fourth maintains the level of tension, the story goes in directions that I didn't think worked very well. Overall, it's reminiscent of "Blue Velvet" or "Twin Peaks", though without Lynch's weirdness.
It wouldn't surprise me if this ends up on the schedule for one of the specialty channels in cable land. Definitely worth a look when it returns.
Set in a small "market town" in the south of England, it opens with the shooting death of an old woman in her front garden. The killing is actually one of many that afternoon and the story is revealed through a series of flashbacks and scenes set in the present. At thee beginning the shifts occur without warning and it takes a little while to dispel some confusion about when a scene exists in the timeline. Over the course of the four episodes, though, one's comfort with the approach settles, just as your understanding of the situation grows.
It's a powerful story and the first three episodes were gripping (while the fourth maintains the level of tension, the story goes in directions that I didn't think worked very well. Overall, it's reminiscent of "Blue Velvet" or "Twin Peaks", though without Lynch's weirdness.
It wouldn't surprise me if this ends up on the schedule for one of the specialty channels in cable land. Definitely worth a look when it returns.
We'll Get Through This
Preceding each film at TIFF is a collection of short promos for the TIFF Group and their programming, along with ads from the major sponsors. They're mostly OK in isolation, but seeing them 4 or 5 times a day is recommended for masochists only.
For the past few years, RBC has been one of those sponsors. For this year, they've created a collection of short scenes from a variety of genre films (drama, thriller, horror, etc.) where a character speaks a single line of dialogue: "we'll get through this". It's not a great ad and yesterday I started to wonder if this is a line of dialogue that you want to insert in anyone's mind just before settling down to watch a challenging bit of cinema. Perhaps an unfortunate mixed message...
For the past few years, RBC has been one of those sponsors. For this year, they've created a collection of short scenes from a variety of genre films (drama, thriller, horror, etc.) where a character speaks a single line of dialogue: "we'll get through this". It's not a great ad and yesterday I started to wonder if this is a line of dialogue that you want to insert in anyone's mind just before settling down to watch a challenging bit of cinema. Perhaps an unfortunate mixed message...
Out of the Rain, into the Flood
Started this very mild and wet day in hot and dry Africa with a collection of five African short films. All had something to offer, but the last two were exceptional.
"Kwaku Ananse" was the story of a daughter's journey from her city to the country for the funeral of her father. The film combines the ceremony with the spider myths of the area (her father is named after a spider who collected all the wisdom of the world in a gourd.
"Unogumbe" is a reworking of a Benjamin Britten opera about Noah's Flood, re-imagined through an African lens. Fantastic singing combined with playful staging put smiles on everyone's faces in Jackman Hall before sending us back out into the rain.
The films were part of a program called "To Repel Ghosts".
A quick note. In walking to the theatre this morning, I crossed paths with the marchers in the "Weekend to End Woman's Cancers", in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Good luck to everyone out there this weekend and if you are able, please send your support to them as well.
"Kwaku Ananse" was the story of a daughter's journey from her city to the country for the funeral of her father. The film combines the ceremony with the spider myths of the area (her father is named after a spider who collected all the wisdom of the world in a gourd.
"Unogumbe" is a reworking of a Benjamin Britten opera about Noah's Flood, re-imagined through an African lens. Fantastic singing combined with playful staging put smiles on everyone's faces in Jackman Hall before sending us back out into the rain.
The films were part of a program called "To Repel Ghosts".
A quick note. In walking to the theatre this morning, I crossed paths with the marchers in the "Weekend to End Woman's Cancers", in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Good luck to everyone out there this weekend and if you are able, please send your support to them as well.
2013/09/06
A Story of Children and Film
The follow-up to Mark Cousin's massive documentary "A Story of Film" (shown in its entirety -- all 15 hours of it -- at TIFF a couple of years ago, takes a similar approach to the earlier doc, by providing a survey of how children are depicted in film. Cousins' voiceover describes how kids are portrayed in film along with some of the techniques used by film-makers to tell their story.
He's an unabashed proponent of world cinema and most of the examples he shows are from countries other than the US.While I thought the earlier doc had more to say about the development of film as an art form (for the curious, TCM is running this doc on Mondays at 10 pm, along with many of the films cited in the documentary), there is much on offer here. Recommended for fans of cinema.
He's an unabashed proponent of world cinema and most of the examples he shows are from countries other than the US.While I thought the earlier doc had more to say about the development of film as an art form (for the curious, TCM is running this doc on Mondays at 10 pm, along with many of the films cited in the documentary), there is much on offer here. Recommended for fans of cinema.
Only Lovers Left Alive
Last night's screening of Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive" provided the first "rock star" moment of the new TIFF. That it was for Jarmusch wasn't a surprise. Jarmusch continues to epitomize a degree of cool even though he's moved into the latter part of his career.
Lovers is his take on a vampire story, set in Tangiers and, mostly, the decayed core of Detroit. It focuses on two vampires, played by Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, facing the passing of the nights.
The rock star moment came mostly from the presence of Hiddleston at the screening and in particular from a contingent of fans of his work as Loki in the Thor and Avengers movies (in the line outside the Ryerson, I saw a variety of Thor merchandise in the arms of patrons, including one Loki action figure!
He's quite good in this, playing a Byronic musician holed up in a studio of analog equipment -- reel-to-reel tape recorders, old turntables and big tube-driven amps and speakers. His relationship with Swinton is beautifully drawn.
In many other respects, this is a beautifully drawn movie. With the exception of the music, it's a very quiet movie with lots of grace notes. The music is powerful, with old 45's and feedback-laden guitar instrumentals predominating, some of it from Jarmusch's new band Sqürl. Unfortunately, the end result is a little underwhelming. It felt like there needed to be something more to the story; that there was something missing that was needed to add some drama to what was there.
Lovers is his take on a vampire story, set in Tangiers and, mostly, the decayed core of Detroit. It focuses on two vampires, played by Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, facing the passing of the nights.
The rock star moment came mostly from the presence of Hiddleston at the screening and in particular from a contingent of fans of his work as Loki in the Thor and Avengers movies (in the line outside the Ryerson, I saw a variety of Thor merchandise in the arms of patrons, including one Loki action figure!
He's quite good in this, playing a Byronic musician holed up in a studio of analog equipment -- reel-to-reel tape recorders, old turntables and big tube-driven amps and speakers. His relationship with Swinton is beautifully drawn.
In many other respects, this is a beautifully drawn movie. With the exception of the music, it's a very quiet movie with lots of grace notes. The music is powerful, with old 45's and feedback-laden guitar instrumentals predominating, some of it from Jarmusch's new band Sqürl. Unfortunately, the end result is a little underwhelming. It felt like there needed to be something more to the story; that there was something missing that was needed to add some drama to what was there.
2013/09/05
Waiting for shivers...
From the rush line for "Shivers"...
David Cronenberg was the first feature film director that I saw in the flesh. Several (many!) years ago, I had wandered into the Book City location that was just south of Charles on the east side of Yonge. Cronenberg was doing an in-store there for a book launch and I stood and listened to him talk about the sound design for his most recent film (I'm guessing either Scanners or Videodrome).
Over the years, I've seen him speak at screenings of his own films, at the opening of an exhibition of pieces from his films (c. "Naked Lunch) and introducing a screening of Todd Brownings "Freaks" at a previous TIFF. He's always been an engaging and informative speaker and I'm looking forward to hearing him again.
Continuing with this idea of hearing directors, the first director I saw do a Q&A was Derek Jarman at the Festival of Festivals in 1977. Also a great speaker, he (and the film he presented, "Caravaggio") sparked a brand new interest for me and was a key reason why I've developed this little hobby in September. I saw a number of films over the years and, though he died many years ago, his influence lives on. Tonight I will be seeing Jim Jarmusch's latest film, "Only Lovers Left Alive", starring Tilda Swinton, who was often described as Jarman's muse.
David Cronenberg was the first feature film director that I saw in the flesh. Several (many!) years ago, I had wandered into the Book City location that was just south of Charles on the east side of Yonge. Cronenberg was doing an in-store there for a book launch and I stood and listened to him talk about the sound design for his most recent film (I'm guessing either Scanners or Videodrome).
Over the years, I've seen him speak at screenings of his own films, at the opening of an exhibition of pieces from his films (c. "Naked Lunch) and introducing a screening of Todd Brownings "Freaks" at a previous TIFF. He's always been an engaging and informative speaker and I'm looking forward to hearing him again.
Continuing with this idea of hearing directors, the first director I saw do a Q&A was Derek Jarman at the Festival of Festivals in 1977. Also a great speaker, he (and the film he presented, "Caravaggio") sparked a brand new interest for me and was a key reason why I've developed this little hobby in September. I saw a number of films over the years and, though he died many years ago, his influence lives on. Tonight I will be seeing Jim Jarmusch's latest film, "Only Lovers Left Alive", starring Tilda Swinton, who was often described as Jarman's muse.
Beyond TIFF
The Mesopotamia show at the ROM has a wealth of material on the ancient civilizations of Sumer, Assyria and Babylonia. As societies that documented their world extensively (if not excessively), they reach across time to their brethren using Facebook, Twitter and the like.
Last night we took in the Ai Weiwei show at the AGO. The integration of traditional techniques of construction with a strong social and political conscience made for a spell-binding exhibit. The image below is from the show. A series of large wooden chests provides a portal in which all the phases of the moon are visible. Beautiful.
And we're off!
Beautiful day to kick off TIFF 2013 this week. The sun is shining and, protected from the wind, it's quite warm; in the gusty winds (or in the shade of a building), the coming fall is very present. It's supposed to drop to 8C tonight. The line-up outside the Ryerson Theatre later is going to be cool!
So much for the weather. I came down early today to try to sang a rush ticket to a screening of David Cronenberg's "Shivers". Although I'm a big fan of his work, I've actually never seen one of his early horror films. With TIFF offering a big programme of all things Cronenberg this fall, it's time to correct that deficiency.
TIFF doesn't start rolling until this afternoon, so I had time to check out a show of Ralph Steadman's work in the Film Reference Library at the Lightbox (there is a documentary on Steadman at TIFF this year and the show provides an opportunity to see some of the work highlighted in the doc).
The show is a mix of his work and life collaborating with Hunter S Thompson, along with some of his photography and more political work. It was the latter that had the greatest impact on me. Some of his work, notably illustrations of Henry Kissinger and Osama Bin Laden, that were chilling. A gonzo take on Picasso's Guernica showed flashes of humour within the darkness.
The show is on only during TIFF. It's in the Film Reference Library on the fourth floor of the Lightbox.
So much for the weather. I came down early today to try to sang a rush ticket to a screening of David Cronenberg's "Shivers". Although I'm a big fan of his work, I've actually never seen one of his early horror films. With TIFF offering a big programme of all things Cronenberg this fall, it's time to correct that deficiency.
TIFF doesn't start rolling until this afternoon, so I had time to check out a show of Ralph Steadman's work in the Film Reference Library at the Lightbox (there is a documentary on Steadman at TIFF this year and the show provides an opportunity to see some of the work highlighted in the doc).
The show is a mix of his work and life collaborating with Hunter S Thompson, along with some of his photography and more political work. It was the latter that had the greatest impact on me. Some of his work, notably illustrations of Henry Kissinger and Osama Bin Laden, that were chilling. A gonzo take on Picasso's Guernica showed flashes of humour within the darkness.
The show is on only during TIFF. It's in the Film Reference Library on the fourth floor of the Lightbox.
2013/09/01
4 Sleeps to go til TIFF2013
Labour Day weekend in Toronto means many things. It's the end of the CNE and, by implication, the end of summer (as I type this, I hear the occasional roar of jets passing over Bloor West Village to thrill the spectators at the Air Show). For many, it's the last weekend before school starts up. I was out for a ride this morning and passed a number of cars delivering students to residences at the U of T Mississauga and Humber College along the Lakeshore.
And for me, it's TIFF. Over the past week or so, I've received and reviewed the catalog and made my choices. The tickets are waiting for me downtown and the fun begins on Thursday afternoon, with a free screening of David Cronenberg's "Shivers" (TIFF is presenting a massive program of Cronenberg's work in October, making this the early launch of that exhibition).
So how does one go about choosing a set of films for TIFF? For me, the catalog is like a giant bis of coloured tiles and glass and the calendar is the frame. A first pass through the catalog produces a collection of bits that far exceeds the space available; over a period of a few hours last week, I looked at each piece, compared against the rest and tried to build something that "fit".
I'm at that stage now, where the image is in place, although it's not yet clear which pieces will actually become the focal points for this year. While I hope that all of my choices will be good, I know that some just won't make the grade while others which didn't stand out may actually produce the biggest impact of the festival. It's the surprises that are often the most memorable.
Looking forward as the lights dim, the curtain rises and the images begin to flicker in a few days' time.
And for me, it's TIFF. Over the past week or so, I've received and reviewed the catalog and made my choices. The tickets are waiting for me downtown and the fun begins on Thursday afternoon, with a free screening of David Cronenberg's "Shivers" (TIFF is presenting a massive program of Cronenberg's work in October, making this the early launch of that exhibition).
So how does one go about choosing a set of films for TIFF? For me, the catalog is like a giant bis of coloured tiles and glass and the calendar is the frame. A first pass through the catalog produces a collection of bits that far exceeds the space available; over a period of a few hours last week, I looked at each piece, compared against the rest and tried to build something that "fit".
I'm at that stage now, where the image is in place, although it's not yet clear which pieces will actually become the focal points for this year. While I hope that all of my choices will be good, I know that some just won't make the grade while others which didn't stand out may actually produce the biggest impact of the festival. It's the surprises that are often the most memorable.
Looking forward as the lights dim, the curtain rises and the images begin to flicker in a few days' time.
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