My first Canadian film of TIFF 2018 was special on multiple levels. "Edge of the Knife" is one of several indigenous films here this year, co-directed by Gwaii Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown.
A small family on the Haida Gwaii islands off the coast of BC is riven by the death of a child and the disappearance of a young man.
What makes the film special is that the dialogue used the native language of the island, a language that is spoken by only a handful of people in the world. A lot of attention is paid to depicting the lives of these people as accurately as possible — their clothes, their rituals and tools are carefully rendered.
Most of the story concerns the missing man and his transformation into a forest-dwelling "Wild man". This is a common story among the idea and a variety of techniques to depict his madness. The sophistication of the camera work, editing and sound design is exceptional. And the island itself is a character in the drama.
Well worth a look when it gets a release post-TIFF.
2018/09/08
2018/09/07
Ideas
Today, as it turns out, is also the birthday of the American composer, John Cage (he was born on September 5, 1912). I saw the following image posted to Twitter:
In its own way, it's a statement of what I look for each year at TIFF. In picking films, I search for the new way to tell a story. Looking forward to being surprised this year.
Fahrenheit 11/9
Over the years, I’ve seen a good number of Michael Moore’s films, starting with “Roger and Me” back in the distant past (I have fond memories of seeing that from the first row of the original Varsity theatre, staring straight up at the screen). While I’ve enjoyed most of them, at his worst he plays a bit too much to the choir (“Where to Invade Next”) really suffered from that.
So it was with a little trepidation that I approached his take on the Trump “era”. Given the latest news from the States with Woodward’s book, I figured that the Q&A would at least be interesting.
The film shows both the best and worst of his style. Actually, it felt like four films loosely coupled into a single screening. They were:
- the election and how he and we got there (this is what the description in the catalogue focussed on)
- the on-going emergency situation with the water supply in Flint, Michigan, his hometown
- the rise of the Democratic Socialist / progressive movement in the US, including the work of the Parkland high school students
- parallels between the US and the rise of Trump and Germany of the early 1930’s and the rise of Hitler
Of the four, the story in Flint is the strongest, best presented and most upsetting, followed by the emergence of a strong progressive movement in the lead-up to the American midterms. The other two are a little flimsy, especially the final section. With respect to the latter, he loses the focus of the stronger sections and indulges himself by combining Trump’s speeches with film of Hitler.
The Q&A was conducted with three of the students from Parkland and a whistleblower from Flint. The students’ poise was exceptional even if they seemed to forget that they were speaking to a foreign audience.
The film opens in a couple of weeks. The Flint story deserves to be heard and it’s worth seeing as a (recognizably biased) reflection of the State of the Union.
Later this week, there will be an interesting juxtaposition with “American Dharma”, the latest Errol Morris film. The film is an interview with Steve Bannon, the dark prince behind the Orange One. The film appeared at Venice last week and has been quite controversial, with Morris being accused by some of giving a platform to Bannon’s views.
So it was with a little trepidation that I approached his take on the Trump “era”. Given the latest news from the States with Woodward’s book, I figured that the Q&A would at least be interesting.
The film shows both the best and worst of his style. Actually, it felt like four films loosely coupled into a single screening. They were:
- the election and how he and we got there (this is what the description in the catalogue focussed on)
- the on-going emergency situation with the water supply in Flint, Michigan, his hometown
- the rise of the Democratic Socialist / progressive movement in the US, including the work of the Parkland high school students
- parallels between the US and the rise of Trump and Germany of the early 1930’s and the rise of Hitler
Of the four, the story in Flint is the strongest, best presented and most upsetting, followed by the emergence of a strong progressive movement in the lead-up to the American midterms. The other two are a little flimsy, especially the final section. With respect to the latter, he loses the focus of the stronger sections and indulges himself by combining Trump’s speeches with film of Hitler.
The Q&A was conducted with three of the students from Parkland and a whistleblower from Flint. The students’ poise was exceptional even if they seemed to forget that they were speaking to a foreign audience.
The film opens in a couple of weeks. The Flint story deserves to be heard and it’s worth seeing as a (recognizably biased) reflection of the State of the Union.
Later this week, there will be an interesting juxtaposition with “American Dharma”, the latest Errol Morris film. The film is an interview with Steve Bannon, the dark prince behind the Orange One. The film appeared at Venice last week and has been quite controversial, with Morris being accused by some of giving a platform to Bannon’s views.
Greta
A late addition to TIFF and my first film of 2018 was Neil Jordan’s “Greta”, with Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Grace Moretz in a thriller about an obsessive mother (Huppert) and the object of her affection (Moretz).
At its heart, there’s a dark fairy tale quality to the film. Hints are dropped fairly early and a little clumsily into the narrative, but when it goes dark, it does it with gusto. It’s the first part of the film, though, that is a problem. It didn’t seem to manage the transition from the opening urban environment to the conflict that emerges between the two leads.
Huppert is probably the best thing in the film, adding to her filmography of dangerous women.
At its heart, there’s a dark fairy tale quality to the film. Hints are dropped fairly early and a little clumsily into the narrative, but when it goes dark, it does it with gusto. It’s the first part of the film, though, that is a problem. It didn’t seem to manage the transition from the opening urban environment to the conflict that emerges between the two leads.
Huppert is probably the best thing in the film, adding to her filmography of dangerous women.
2018/09/05
Could have been a movie
It's the eve of TIFF 2018 and I was out and about this morning, getting a little cycling in before the bike goes in storage for the next 11 days.
On the trail leading to the Leslie Spit, I rounded a corner and a vision appeared, heading in my direction. A young woman was riding a commuter bike, in full nun's habit. It was about 9:15 in the morning and the sun was almost directly in front of me. As a result, the sun's rays lit her habit from behind, creating a nimbus around her. At the very least, an Instagram moment if not one from a movie.
As we passed, I said good morning to her and she smiled. A few metres further on, a small serpent was attempting to cross the path (I gave it some room and it went on its way).
An interesting start to the day, with symbols both divine and sinister.
On the trail leading to the Leslie Spit, I rounded a corner and a vision appeared, heading in my direction. A young woman was riding a commuter bike, in full nun's habit. It was about 9:15 in the morning and the sun was almost directly in front of me. As a result, the sun's rays lit her habit from behind, creating a nimbus around her. At the very least, an Instagram moment if not one from a movie.
As we passed, I said good morning to her and she smiled. A few metres further on, a small serpent was attempting to cross the path (I gave it some room and it went on its way).
An interesting start to the day, with symbols both divine and sinister.
2018/08/22
Bubbles
Yesterday was the official start to TIFF season for 2018, with the release of the catalogue and Program Book. In the old days, this would have involved a very early start to the day and a long line wherever the Festival decided to set up its box office. With the rise of online ordering, assigned windows for film selection and the like, it's a much less onerous activity.
I went down to the Lightbox and arrived there around 9:45, with about 15 minutes to go before the box office opened. There were perhaps a dozen people ahead of me in line and, as we approached the magic hour, another three or four dozen people appeared behind me.
The line at this time of day consists mostly of what I imagine are retirees and about 90% of these are female. As in TIFFs past, spontaneous conversations erupt in the line and there was a certain prickly quality in the exchanges. Lots of discussion about what films weren't in the list and why didn't the director hold his/her film to show at TIFF, rather than release it in the summer?
The woman directly in front of me turned to the man behind her and offered one of the better comments I've heard in a while. She remarked that on being offered champagne, too many people complain that there aren't enough bubbles, rather than simply reflecting on and enjoying the wonderful flavours on offer. Words to live by.
I completed pass #1 of the catalogue last night and the whittling of a host of films down to a manageable number has begun. Some first impressions:
I went down to the Lightbox and arrived there around 9:45, with about 15 minutes to go before the box office opened. There were perhaps a dozen people ahead of me in line and, as we approached the magic hour, another three or four dozen people appeared behind me.
The line at this time of day consists mostly of what I imagine are retirees and about 90% of these are female. As in TIFFs past, spontaneous conversations erupt in the line and there was a certain prickly quality in the exchanges. Lots of discussion about what films weren't in the list and why didn't the director hold his/her film to show at TIFF, rather than release it in the summer?
The woman directly in front of me turned to the man behind her and offered one of the better comments I've heard in a while. She remarked that on being offered champagne, too many people complain that there aren't enough bubbles, rather than simply reflecting on and enjoying the wonderful flavours on offer. Words to live by.
I completed pass #1 of the catalogue last night and the whittling of a host of films down to a manageable number has begun. Some first impressions:
- There are quite a few science fiction films this year compared to last year. Always interested in what people can do in this genre, especially when you can get clear of the Star Wars/Trek/MCEU/DCU sets of orthodoxies
- Midnight Madness seems to have taken a turn to the respectable, moving the two big studio films (the Hallowe'en and Predator sequels) away from the Ryerson Theatre to the Elgin/Winter Garden. As someone who remembers seeing "Meet the Feebles" at the Bloor long before it was cleaned up, this is a big change.
- Normally, films may have one, two or three screenings during TIFF. Two films have more than half a dozen -- "First Man", a Neil Armstrong biopic with Ryan Gosling and "Roma", by Alfonso Cuaron. Both are studio films which are getting some heavy promotion as we head into the fall, but the sheer number of screenings is exceptional. At this point, I doubt that either will end up on my short list. I'd rather use my available time to see something that might not come this way again.
More to come.
2017/09/15
Faces Places
It's been a disrupted TIFF for me this year with some significant family health issues occupying the foreground for much of this week.
I had a brief window in which to see a film and it was a perfect restorative to the stresses of the week. "Faces Places" was jointly directed by Agnes Varda, an octogenarian French film-maker whose previous work I've enjoyed and JR, a thirty-something photographer who is famous for taking pictures of people and pasting huge enlargements in public spaces (JR was involved in one of Toronto's Nuit Blanche events from a couple of years ago). The film represented both the combination of each of their talents, and framed it within a conversation between two friends about a host of subjects.
And it was beautifully playful in documenting the travels of two very different companions around the French countryside. In a festival that seemed to have a lot of films that stretched well beyond 150 minutes, Faces was concise, entertaining and thought-provoking.
Watch for this at the Hot Docs (I believe it's coming up fairly soon).
I had a brief window in which to see a film and it was a perfect restorative to the stresses of the week. "Faces Places" was jointly directed by Agnes Varda, an octogenarian French film-maker whose previous work I've enjoyed and JR, a thirty-something photographer who is famous for taking pictures of people and pasting huge enlargements in public spaces (JR was involved in one of Toronto's Nuit Blanche events from a couple of years ago). The film represented both the combination of each of their talents, and framed it within a conversation between two friends about a host of subjects.
And it was beautifully playful in documenting the travels of two very different companions around the French countryside. In a festival that seemed to have a lot of films that stretched well beyond 150 minutes, Faces was concise, entertaining and thought-provoking.
Watch for this at the Hot Docs (I believe it's coming up fairly soon).
2017/09/13
This is the violence that is inherent in the system
I was familiar with Armando Iannucci's through watching the scabrous political satire of his "The Thick of It" show so was curious when I saw a first trailer for "The Death of Stalin".
"The Thick of It" was brutal in its depiction of a political game to be won at all costs. Stalin shares some of that and some of the best bits in the film are when the difference between nastiness and comedy is razor-thin. With the security forces of the NKVD out and either imprisoning or executing rivals to power, the threat of violence is always close at hand.
Into this is added the machinations of the various members of the politburo to identify or become the main player in the post-Stalin world, with Lavrentiy Beria (the head of the NKVD, played by Simon Russell Beale) and Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) as the main competitors.
A decision was made to allow each of the actors to use his or her own speaking voice for the film, resulting in a melange of accents. The dialogue takes on a somewhat distracting quality and, for me, moved it in the direction of sketch comedy, rather than a coherently presented feature. While very funny in parts and occasionally chilling, I found the end result a little disappointing. I was looking for something with the teeth of "The Thick of It" and got something closer to the political satire of "Monty Python".
"The Thick of It" was brutal in its depiction of a political game to be won at all costs. Stalin shares some of that and some of the best bits in the film are when the difference between nastiness and comedy is razor-thin. With the security forces of the NKVD out and either imprisoning or executing rivals to power, the threat of violence is always close at hand.
Into this is added the machinations of the various members of the politburo to identify or become the main player in the post-Stalin world, with Lavrentiy Beria (the head of the NKVD, played by Simon Russell Beale) and Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) as the main competitors.
A decision was made to allow each of the actors to use his or her own speaking voice for the film, resulting in a melange of accents. The dialogue takes on a somewhat distracting quality and, for me, moved it in the direction of sketch comedy, rather than a coherently presented feature. While very funny in parts and occasionally chilling, I found the end result a little disappointing. I was looking for something with the teeth of "The Thick of It" and got something closer to the political satire of "Monty Python".
2017/09/11
What Happens After
"The Cured" is an Irish film by David Freyne which looks after the world after the zombie outbreak has occurred. It's his first feature, adapted from a short he made called "The First Wave".
The Maze virus has ripped through the world and Ireland was particularly hard-hit. A new cure has been developed which restores 75% of the infected to normalcy, although they are cursed with retaining the memories of their actions during the time of infection (the plague has more in common with the world of "28 Days Later" than "The Walking Dead" or Romero's creations. These are fast zombies!).
The Cured are back in society but are under heavy surveillance, out of fear that they will revert or repulsion about what they've done. There is also the open question of what can be done about the 25% of the infected population that is resistant to the cure, with a culling operation planned.
It's the above part of the story that is handled best in the screenplay. They did a great job of dressing Dublin as an occupied city, still under some form of martial law.
The narrative focuses on one of the Cured and his relationship with his late brother's wife and newborn child (what she didn't realize at the beginning was that he had torn his brother apart while under the spell of the virus).
I didn't think this worked as well and lost interest with the film when the inevitable chaos of the third act descended. That said, there was enough here to suggest that Freyne could be someone to watch in the future.
The Maze virus has ripped through the world and Ireland was particularly hard-hit. A new cure has been developed which restores 75% of the infected to normalcy, although they are cursed with retaining the memories of their actions during the time of infection (the plague has more in common with the world of "28 Days Later" than "The Walking Dead" or Romero's creations. These are fast zombies!).
The Cured are back in society but are under heavy surveillance, out of fear that they will revert or repulsion about what they've done. There is also the open question of what can be done about the 25% of the infected population that is resistant to the cure, with a culling operation planned.
It's the above part of the story that is handled best in the screenplay. They did a great job of dressing Dublin as an occupied city, still under some form of martial law.
The narrative focuses on one of the Cured and his relationship with his late brother's wife and newborn child (what she didn't realize at the beginning was that he had torn his brother apart while under the spell of the virus).
I didn't think this worked as well and lost interest with the film when the inevitable chaos of the third act descended. That said, there was enough here to suggest that Freyne could be someone to watch in the future.
2017/09/10
Considering Ourselves Warned
I was at a screening of "Occidental" yesterday and the director spoke briefly before the film. He noted that it was the "heaviest" film that he had ever done. Just before the lights went down, he said "Good Luck". A somewhat ominous message for the audience.
"Occidental" is part of the Wavelengths program this year, a home for the more "difficult" films. Set in a European hotel during the night of street riots, the film followed staff and patrons of the hotel, with occasional shots of the action outside. It was odd and didn't really hang together as a film, but interesting in parts. On the plus side, it didn't overstay it's welcome -- I've had a couple of films which didn't seem to know when to end.
"Occidental" is part of the Wavelengths program this year, a home for the more "difficult" films. Set in a European hotel during the night of street riots, the film followed staff and patrons of the hotel, with occasional shots of the action outside. It was odd and didn't really hang together as a film, but interesting in parts. On the plus side, it didn't overstay it's welcome -- I've had a couple of films which didn't seem to know when to end.
2017/09/09
Scenes from the line
Yesterday, I saw "The Death of Stalin" at the Winter Garden theatre (I'll put some thoughts down about the film later).
The entrance to the Winter Garden and Elgin is through the main entrance, although part of the entryway is roped off for red carpet-type arrivals. It can make for a very congested passageway, esp if it's a popular film with stars in attendance.
That happened with Stalin. As I turned the corner and headed for the ticket-taker, I found myself less than a metre behind the female star of the film. Her very slim back was towards me and a bank of three or four squares of high-intensity LEDs shone in my face, putting her in silhouette. In the glare, I could see that she wore a black mini-dress, encrusted with sequins (more glare) and her short blonde hair was pulled back into a small bun. There was an over-riding impression of an almost lethal amount of polish.
At the same time, her face was obscured by the lights. To make matters worse, I couldn't remember who the female star was for the film (if you've seen the trailer, the film is about the machinations of the Politburo following the death of Stalin and the cast is, as a result, mostly male). She [I later learned that she was Andrea Risebrough] was a dark star, evidence of her presence mostly defined by the lights around her.
The entrance to the Winter Garden and Elgin is through the main entrance, although part of the entryway is roped off for red carpet-type arrivals. It can make for a very congested passageway, esp if it's a popular film with stars in attendance.
That happened with Stalin. As I turned the corner and headed for the ticket-taker, I found myself less than a metre behind the female star of the film. Her very slim back was towards me and a bank of three or four squares of high-intensity LEDs shone in my face, putting her in silhouette. In the glare, I could see that she wore a black mini-dress, encrusted with sequins (more glare) and her short blonde hair was pulled back into a small bun. There was an over-riding impression of an almost lethal amount of polish.
At the same time, her face was obscured by the lights. To make matters worse, I couldn't remember who the female star was for the film (if you've seen the trailer, the film is about the machinations of the Politburo following the death of Stalin and the cast is, as a result, mostly male). She [I later learned that she was Andrea Risebrough] was a dark star, evidence of her presence mostly defined by the lights around her.
2017/09/08
Beginnings and endings
I kicked off TIFF42 last night with a pair of films at the Winter Garden theatre. In one of those coincidental occurrences, both films dealt with tragedy although the approach taken for each was very different.
The kick-off film was "On Chesil Beach", based on a novel by Ian McEwan (he also wrote the screenplay). The film shows the first night of a young married couple on their honeymoon, played by Saorise Ronan and Billy Wolfe. Through flashbacks, the characters of the two are revealed, along with how their family histories have moulded them in ways that will make the marriage a problem. The failure to meet their own expectations ends in tears and different paths are taken.
It was followed by "loveless", the new film by Andrey Zvyagintsev (I saw his last film, "Leviathan" at a previous TIFF). It's similar to "On Chesil Beach" in that it focuses on a couple in crisis. The difference is that the marriage has also produced a young boy, who is 12 when the film opens. Their marriage has already disintegrated and a divorce is imminent, although there are complications. When the boy disappears, it drives additional wedges into their tense relationship.
Both films display their settings with a stark beauty, although the Dorset countryside is a more traditional one ("Loveless" finds its beauty in the decaying environment of a Russian city). "Chesil" feels a little like a theatrical play transferred to film, the two leads struggling at times to overcome the stainless of the material. In the end, though, they are able to overcome this and create compelling portraits of two people in love, but who are not sure what that really means for them.
Loveless is a much more visceral and grittier affair and its pacing is masterful. As a result, the tragedy of the film hits harder. The leads are equally strong but there is little if nothing to like about them. The ending suggests that history may be about to repeat for them, although the players are different.
All in all, a good start to 11 days of film.
The kick-off film was "On Chesil Beach", based on a novel by Ian McEwan (he also wrote the screenplay). The film shows the first night of a young married couple on their honeymoon, played by Saorise Ronan and Billy Wolfe. Through flashbacks, the characters of the two are revealed, along with how their family histories have moulded them in ways that will make the marriage a problem. The failure to meet their own expectations ends in tears and different paths are taken.
It was followed by "loveless", the new film by Andrey Zvyagintsev (I saw his last film, "Leviathan" at a previous TIFF). It's similar to "On Chesil Beach" in that it focuses on a couple in crisis. The difference is that the marriage has also produced a young boy, who is 12 when the film opens. Their marriage has already disintegrated and a divorce is imminent, although there are complications. When the boy disappears, it drives additional wedges into their tense relationship.
Both films display their settings with a stark beauty, although the Dorset countryside is a more traditional one ("Loveless" finds its beauty in the decaying environment of a Russian city). "Chesil" feels a little like a theatrical play transferred to film, the two leads struggling at times to overcome the stainless of the material. In the end, though, they are able to overcome this and create compelling portraits of two people in love, but who are not sure what that really means for them.
Loveless is a much more visceral and grittier affair and its pacing is masterful. As a result, the tragedy of the film hits harder. The leads are equally strong but there is little if nothing to like about them. The ending suggests that history may be about to repeat for them, although the players are different.
All in all, a good start to 11 days of film.
2016/09/11
Colossal
In an earlier post, I talked about the Vanguard program and contrasted two films from that group.
As it turned out, I saw a third Vanguard film on Saturday. "Colossal" was similar to "Interchange" in that it attempted to combine the real and unreal worlds, but did it in a much more successful way by committing fully to both sides of the story.
Anne Hathaway is an alcoholic writer recently dumped by her boyfriend and back in her old hometown trying to rehabilitate herself. At the same time, a giant monster is destroying parts of Seoul. The plot involves tying the two stories together in a charming and frequently funny way.
One of the more pleasant surprises so far this year.
As it turned out, I saw a third Vanguard film on Saturday. "Colossal" was similar to "Interchange" in that it attempted to combine the real and unreal worlds, but did it in a much more successful way by committing fully to both sides of the story.
Anne Hathaway is an alcoholic writer recently dumped by her boyfriend and back in her old hometown trying to rehabilitate herself. At the same time, a giant monster is destroying parts of Seoul. The plot involves tying the two stories together in a charming and frequently funny way.
One of the more pleasant surprises so far this year.
2016/09/10
Two faces of Vanguard
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.
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.
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.
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