The second half of the movies I watched:
American Swing
This movie was decent. It was a documentary about the rise and fall of a club in the 70s called Plato's Retreat. Like all self-serving docs this one illustrates the grandeur this club brought, and how people at the time were naive of the implications that were slowly going to arise from frequenting the sexy night club. I think stories like this are great, but at the same time they're so predictable. I'm no documentary expert, but I totally could have called the entire film, from the first 2 minutes. It's a shame there can't be more originality in the documentary form. Content-wise, docs are awesome, and I guess that's why this genre has a good, steady following, but I'd really like it if someone could change it up.
Synecdoche, New York
This was my second favourite movie at the festival. Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Catherine Keener, I had high hopes for this film, but didn't try to get over-excited. The movie itself was really confusing, but it was so profound and I left feeling so detached and existentially void (yeah man, here lies the big issues) that I know I need to see this movie 2 or 3 more times to try to wrap my head around. While not nearly as abstract as other existential films (perfect example: 2001), it definitely makes you question your mortality, and relationships with people who you are emotionally attached to. In the Q & A after the film Kaufman said how before he started writing the film, he and Spike Jones were thinking about doing an actual "scary movie". I can really see what he means by a scary movie, mortality and loneliness, what two things could realistically be scarier.
Every Little Step
This movie was really enjoyable. The second documentary I saw at the festival, while the form was also pretty predictable as American Swing, the content of this film was really awesome. It's about the audition process of the revival for A Chorus Line. The film gives a history behind the show itself, talks about the original cast, but most of the film follows the struggles and obstacles that faced the performers auditioning. The fact that this was about a musical was reason enough for me to see this film. Anything singing and dancing is pure escapism, and I'm so there. Watching the film, you know that this audition will change their lives, if they get the part. They put so much energy into trying to impress the producers, you just break-up inside, whenever you learn someone else is cut. But at the same time this film is really motivational. These people are trying to live out their dream of performing on Broadway. They have worked so hard, and it makes you want to put more effort into your own endeavours.
Control Alt Delete
This was a very silly film. It's about a film about a guy who is obsessed with internet porn. That being said, this film is also Canadian, so the production value was only decent, and some of the story lines seemed random and incongruent. However, I definitely enjoyed this film. The protagonist is played by a fairly well known Canadian TV actor, which was really cool, and I felt good supporting a Canadian production.
The Rest of the Night
I wasn't too sure on the message of this film, but it was well-made and was a good story. An Italian film about a group of people who are interconnected and are living out their day-to-day lives, seemingly average, and with an average amount of drama. One group is a family who are well to do. They fire their housekeeper on pretenses that she has stolen the wife's jewelry. The housekeeper then goes to her ex-boyfriends house because she needs a place to stay, and he and his friend and brother make up the second group.
Both groups have their own troubles, involving money and their general happiness. The film runs along smoothly, with good pacing and flattering cinematography. The film ends in tragedy, which seems fitting because the film has a very character-driven story, and tragedy tends to end this type of work. Enjoyable to watch.
33 Scenes from Life
This was a sad film from the beginning to end, probably the most depressing film I saw, but it was also inspiring to not take things in life for granted. A Polish film about a woman who is losing her mother to cancer, and is having marital problems. Throughout the entire film the audience is taken along with her, through her emotional hardships. The film was modestly shot, but definitely portrayed the story well.
Uncertainty
This movie can be typecasts as one of those indie-American movies, that has a strong cast, strong story, good cinematography, but will remain under the radar because it is not mainstream enough. The premise is a young couple start the movie off with the dilemma of how to spend their fourth of July. The film portrays two different results that could have occurred in juxtaposition, going back and forth through the whole movie. I thought this was a clever premise. One funny part, the filmmakers obviously knew that the audience would have trouble distinguishing between one story and the other, so to be able to tell which story is being shown present, they had the couple wear green in one story, and yellow in the other. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a girl I don't recognize. While I guess there characters were supposed to be young free-spirited/artistic people. A lot of the time the characters just annoyed me. In the story where their lives are being threaten I kept thinking, they could have avoiding all this drama if they just acted like normal people, and not answered the cell phone that wasn't their's.
Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World
This was an awesome movie literally about the biggest Chinese restaurant in the world. The restaurant is in China, of course, and illustrates the lifestyle and workmanship of Chinese people. The film was made by western European filmmakers, and this is really evident, as the perspective has an outsiders look. A lot of the time the film shows how the workers and servers are pushed to their limits, in order to make end's meat. While this restaurant depicts how the Chinese society has developed over the past few decades, the film shows how there are still a countless number of people who live in poverty. Most of the workers at the restaurant work there so that they can send money home to their families. One scene shows how a server "chose" to stay and work, instead of going home because her mother was sick. Chose is in brackets because it is implied that she would have been fired if she went home.
Patrik Age 1.5
This was the last film I saw at the festival, and it was so cute, and happy, that it was a great note to leave it off, of. The film is about a gay married couple who want nothing more than to adopt a baby. One day they receive a letter saying there is a child waiting for them: Patrik age 1,5. Of course this was a typo, as we soon learn, and Patrik is really 15 years old, and a delinquent. The whole movie is about each of the characters getting over their prejudices toward one another. Patrik has trouble getting over living with a gay couple, and the couple have trouble parenting a troubled youth. This makes the film look out to be some melodramatic soap opera, but it's really not. This was definitely the most family-friendly and accessible movie I saw at the festival.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
TIFF '08
RocknRolla
I enjoyed this film for what it was. It was a Guy Richie wham-bam shoot-em up mobster flick, so if you've seen Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you know what's coming to you if you sit down in front of this film.
Guy Richie is a director I feel indifferent towards. I could do without the incomprehensible English accents his actors have, but his cinematography and editing is so slick I can't turn away, even if the characters are being dunked into a tank of live, starving crayfish. The soundtrack was cool, Gerard Butler was as sexy as ever, but Thandie Newton was annoying as hell. Her body is like a toothpick; I was just waiting for someone to accidentally snap her in half.
O'Horten
I fairly enjoyed this film. It was the complete opposite to my morning film that day, RocknRolla, but I felt O'Horten had a good message. The film was about train conductor as he's about to retire. It shows how his life revolved around his job, and he didn't have much else of a life beyond that. The film follows him as he is picking up the pieces of his life. He visits old acquaintances, he has an awkward unplanned run-in with a 6 year old, and pretty much learns how to spend all his free time. Set in Norway, the landscape really fits the mood of the character. The character of O'Horten didn't seem ready to retire. His job was his identity, and I think anyone can relate to the sense of loss when something significant in your life is over.
Cold Lunch
This was the second Norwegian film I saw at the festival. Lately I've really wanted to visit Scandinavian countries, so I tried to pick movies from this geographic area. Cold Lunch was also a very touching film. The characters all have problems in their lives that they need to come over themselves, but have trouble acknowledging that they have these problems. One girl lived his life isolated in her father's apartment, so then the day he dies, she has trouble having an independent life. One other guy has trouble saving money and being honest to the people around him. He also does not know how to take initiative. Then another lady has a baby, but is in an abusive relationship with his husband, but she is so passive toward him, that she never has the guts to leave him. All these stories are told in vignettes, all separate from one another, but still told over the same time. The ending was pretty disappointing without giving any factual information away, none of the characters learn how to get over their troubles. They are all the same as how they were at the beginning of the movie. I guess this film is trying to say that in essence people don't change, when they don't feel like changing.
Edison and Leo
This movie was really cute. It was the first Canadian movie I watched at the festival and I really enjoyed it. At first thinking it was a children's movie, I was quickly corrected with the obvious display of adult humour and innuendos. The film is a claymation fictional story about Thomas Edison and his son Leo. The humour is pretty ranchy, and it's hilarious watching claymation version of Edison trying to hook up with all these random women. Definitely something to check out for some ridiculous humour, with a random historical twist.
JCVD
This has got to be my favourite film at this years festival. It had most, if not everything that I look for in a film. Satire, action, humour, self-deprecation, good cinematography, good pacing, French language, and an non-Hollywood ending. The premise is Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself, in a fictional story, where he is being framed for holding up a post-office. Without giving anyway any tasty details, just imagine the possibilities, ha. I really enjoyed this film. It'll be hard to top.
My Mother, My Bride & I
This was a heart touching German film about a middle-aged man who lives with his mother, but it looking for love. He goes through a mail-order service, in neighbouring Romania, and comes back with a charming young lady. The mother and bride have conflicting values, so drama ensues through most of the film.
I really like how this film was shot. No tripods were used, and, as the director said in the Q & A, he made all the shots come from a person's point of view, so at eye level. This perspective gave the film a very natural look and got the audience involved with the film. The actors were very realistic, and gave very good performances. I enjoyed this film also.
Me and Orson Welles
This was a cute film, it wasn't profound in anyway, I didn't learn any of the great misteries of life, but it definitely had some spunk. The story is a high school kids finds himself working on a production of Julius Caesar directed and staring Orson Welles. This is the kid's dream (note: Zac Efron plays the kid, so much of my reason to see this film was to be able to make fun of Efron, in my head, ha).
Overall the film is pretty meh. Props to the guy playing Joseph Cotton. Cotton was an amazing actor back in those days, and it was good to see him represented well today. Clare Danes, playing the love interest was really annoying, but then again, I've never been a fan of hers, something about her mannerisms are just so contrived. The guy playing Orson Welles was decent, but didn't have the grandeur that the real Welles commanded (but hey, that'd be hella hard to duplicate).
Also this film was directed by Richard Linklater, which is the strongest reason why I chose to see this film. He does a fine job; I'd say this is one of his Hollywood films, a la Bad News Bears and Fast Food Nation.
Coopers' Camera
This movie was sooo funny. I can't even think of a word that could describe how funny it was. I honestly laughed for 85% percent of this film, it was great (but I'm sure the packed house of like-minded individuals only encouraged the contagious laugher). The story is of a guy who gets a video camera for Christmas for his family, and the whole film is actually shot with the camera. The film takes place in 1985, so it has a very grainy look, and is pretty much a means of representing anyone's dysfunctional Christmas celebration from back in the day (who didn't have one of those massive camcorders and stalked family members around the house, thinking they were the most creative person in the world...ha) The film is chalk full of talented Canadian actors, which was awesome, and the director is actually from my hometown, which made it ever more cool.
I hope this film gets some distribution, but seeing how it's shot to look like a grainy video, and the star quota isn't really there, the olds are looking slim for some good exhibition of this film. But I definitely recommend this one for some good laughs.
3 Wise Men
This was the weakest film I saw at the festival, sadly. They can't all be winners. The film takes place mostly in a bar, where three old friends are catching up with one another. One of them has just become a father, so they are drinking to celebrate. The pre-bar scenes I found to be disconnected and not explained well. The director, before the movie, said this film only took about 11 days to shoot, and I think that's evident in the quality of the film. I think this story would work very well as a theatre production. The dialogue was strong, but told through the cinematic medium it comes through as very diluted. I was hoping there would be a good message about life, at least toward the end of the film, but that didn't come through. It was an interesting film to watch, but I left feeling unchanged. Ah well, there's always at least one film that doesn't rub you right.
I enjoyed this film for what it was. It was a Guy Richie wham-bam shoot-em up mobster flick, so if you've seen Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you know what's coming to you if you sit down in front of this film.
Guy Richie is a director I feel indifferent towards. I could do without the incomprehensible English accents his actors have, but his cinematography and editing is so slick I can't turn away, even if the characters are being dunked into a tank of live, starving crayfish. The soundtrack was cool, Gerard Butler was as sexy as ever, but Thandie Newton was annoying as hell. Her body is like a toothpick; I was just waiting for someone to accidentally snap her in half.
O'Horten
I fairly enjoyed this film. It was the complete opposite to my morning film that day, RocknRolla, but I felt O'Horten had a good message. The film was about train conductor as he's about to retire. It shows how his life revolved around his job, and he didn't have much else of a life beyond that. The film follows him as he is picking up the pieces of his life. He visits old acquaintances, he has an awkward unplanned run-in with a 6 year old, and pretty much learns how to spend all his free time. Set in Norway, the landscape really fits the mood of the character. The character of O'Horten didn't seem ready to retire. His job was his identity, and I think anyone can relate to the sense of loss when something significant in your life is over.
Cold Lunch
This was the second Norwegian film I saw at the festival. Lately I've really wanted to visit Scandinavian countries, so I tried to pick movies from this geographic area. Cold Lunch was also a very touching film. The characters all have problems in their lives that they need to come over themselves, but have trouble acknowledging that they have these problems. One girl lived his life isolated in her father's apartment, so then the day he dies, she has trouble having an independent life. One other guy has trouble saving money and being honest to the people around him. He also does not know how to take initiative. Then another lady has a baby, but is in an abusive relationship with his husband, but she is so passive toward him, that she never has the guts to leave him. All these stories are told in vignettes, all separate from one another, but still told over the same time. The ending was pretty disappointing without giving any factual information away, none of the characters learn how to get over their troubles. They are all the same as how they were at the beginning of the movie. I guess this film is trying to say that in essence people don't change, when they don't feel like changing.
Edison and Leo
This movie was really cute. It was the first Canadian movie I watched at the festival and I really enjoyed it. At first thinking it was a children's movie, I was quickly corrected with the obvious display of adult humour and innuendos. The film is a claymation fictional story about Thomas Edison and his son Leo. The humour is pretty ranchy, and it's hilarious watching claymation version of Edison trying to hook up with all these random women. Definitely something to check out for some ridiculous humour, with a random historical twist.
JCVD
This has got to be my favourite film at this years festival. It had most, if not everything that I look for in a film. Satire, action, humour, self-deprecation, good cinematography, good pacing, French language, and an non-Hollywood ending. The premise is Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself, in a fictional story, where he is being framed for holding up a post-office. Without giving anyway any tasty details, just imagine the possibilities, ha. I really enjoyed this film. It'll be hard to top.
My Mother, My Bride & I
This was a heart touching German film about a middle-aged man who lives with his mother, but it looking for love. He goes through a mail-order service, in neighbouring Romania, and comes back with a charming young lady. The mother and bride have conflicting values, so drama ensues through most of the film.
I really like how this film was shot. No tripods were used, and, as the director said in the Q & A, he made all the shots come from a person's point of view, so at eye level. This perspective gave the film a very natural look and got the audience involved with the film. The actors were very realistic, and gave very good performances. I enjoyed this film also.
Me and Orson Welles
This was a cute film, it wasn't profound in anyway, I didn't learn any of the great misteries of life, but it definitely had some spunk. The story is a high school kids finds himself working on a production of Julius Caesar directed and staring Orson Welles. This is the kid's dream (note: Zac Efron plays the kid, so much of my reason to see this film was to be able to make fun of Efron, in my head, ha).
Overall the film is pretty meh. Props to the guy playing Joseph Cotton. Cotton was an amazing actor back in those days, and it was good to see him represented well today. Clare Danes, playing the love interest was really annoying, but then again, I've never been a fan of hers, something about her mannerisms are just so contrived. The guy playing Orson Welles was decent, but didn't have the grandeur that the real Welles commanded (but hey, that'd be hella hard to duplicate).
Also this film was directed by Richard Linklater, which is the strongest reason why I chose to see this film. He does a fine job; I'd say this is one of his Hollywood films, a la Bad News Bears and Fast Food Nation.
Coopers' Camera
This movie was sooo funny. I can't even think of a word that could describe how funny it was. I honestly laughed for 85% percent of this film, it was great (but I'm sure the packed house of like-minded individuals only encouraged the contagious laugher). The story is of a guy who gets a video camera for Christmas for his family, and the whole film is actually shot with the camera. The film takes place in 1985, so it has a very grainy look, and is pretty much a means of representing anyone's dysfunctional Christmas celebration from back in the day (who didn't have one of those massive camcorders and stalked family members around the house, thinking they were the most creative person in the world...ha) The film is chalk full of talented Canadian actors, which was awesome, and the director is actually from my hometown, which made it ever more cool.
I hope this film gets some distribution, but seeing how it's shot to look like a grainy video, and the star quota isn't really there, the olds are looking slim for some good exhibition of this film. But I definitely recommend this one for some good laughs.
3 Wise Men
This was the weakest film I saw at the festival, sadly. They can't all be winners. The film takes place mostly in a bar, where three old friends are catching up with one another. One of them has just become a father, so they are drinking to celebrate. The pre-bar scenes I found to be disconnected and not explained well. The director, before the movie, said this film only took about 11 days to shoot, and I think that's evident in the quality of the film. I think this story would work very well as a theatre production. The dialogue was strong, but told through the cinematic medium it comes through as very diluted. I was hoping there would be a good message about life, at least toward the end of the film, but that didn't come through. It was an interesting film to watch, but I left feeling unchanged. Ah well, there's always at least one film that doesn't rub you right.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Death Proof (2007)
I was surprisingly impressed with this movie. I originally had Death Proof pegged as a cheesy thrill-seekers horror movie, and I guess in a way it was, but it really stood up against my preconceived perception of the film.
In essence the film is damn sexy, and I think that’s what Tarantino intended the feel of the movie to be. The girls he chose for his victims and avengers ooze with sexiness. Their hair, their bodies, and their dialogue are all awesome, kudos to Tarantino for casting well.
Another thing I liked about this film, as I mentioned earlier, is the dialogue. Everything is just so snappy, and natural feeling, it’s hard to try to not memorize the lines.
The film nut in me is also gaga over the cinematography, and editing. Tarantino wanted to give Death Proof a vintage old feel to it, as if the celluloid had literally started to fall apart from wear-and-tear, as grind house movies from the 70s experienced. It shows that Tarantino had put the time and energy into setting up his compositions. One of my favourite shots is when the character Arlene a.k.a. Butterfly is having a smoke on the porch of the bar, during a rainstorm. The lighting is just right, as mostly a backfill, and Tarantino does this magnificent slow zoom-in on Arlene as she’s reflecting on the night’s recent events.
The soundtrack is also killer. I needs me to download that mutha.
One funny weakness to the film is Tarantino’s performance as Warren the bartender. What a douchebad. While I did laugh at his line “If Warren says it, we do it”, it really takes away from the general mood that he is trying to set for this movie.
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