Quick Thoughts: Ringo Lam

I recently reviewed Hong Kong director Ringo Lam's latest Sky on Fire.

Many thoughts ran thru my head as I watched it. Way beyond the realm of which I would use in a Toronto Film Scene review.

While I was searching for Lam trademarks, and comparing this to all of his other films that I'd seen the entire time I was watching. My thoughts also strayed to how he's never received the same international acclaim as some of his peers, who together built the HK Action Genre from the ground up in the 80's and 90's.

I'm not fact checking here so hopefully my adolescent memories aren't way off, but masters such as John Woo, Tsui Hark, Johnnie To, and Ringo Lam made the genre what it was. So isn't it worth noting that Lam's name usually falls to the wayside as we discuss the waning genre?

The film I probably remember most as a child was Prison on Fire, which was I undoubtedly too young to be watching, but it was the 90's so such a notion didn't exist. (Yay!) I remember that while I comprehended what was happening on the screen, I was also looking to the adults in the room for reactionary cues.

Of course now City on Fire is the film in which I like to discuss at great length (despite not having seen it in some years now). Once the topic of hot debate whether it merely influenced Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs or whether QT blatantly ripped it off, even that's largely forgotten now.

I guess the bottom line is, I'm glad to see Ringo Lam still writing and directing, staying true to his tales and style, and overall staying in the game. Sky on Fire was nostalgic for me in some ways, not just by way of its title, and while his stories and films will never be flawless, I have a certain fondness for them.

Here's a pretty good bio of Ringo Lam including his Toronto connection: http://www.hkfilm.net/ringo.htm

Here's a more in-depth review of Sky on Fire than what I turned out for TFS, that largely arrives at the same opinion that I did: https://asianfilmstrike.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/sky-on-fire-2016-review/

Ada's Top 10 Films of 2015

Happy Oscar Day!

Once again I find myself in the ever familiar dilemma... not having posted my 10 Top Films of the previous year...

After last year's debacle in which I never even posted a Top films list, I'd drafted up this year's list before December was even through.  It was actually a nice tidy list, titles off the top of my head totaled 10 exactly and I thought I was off to the races. Then...

...I started reading everyone else's lists. I started making mental notes of which films I had not seen. The rash of Christmas/awards season releases.  The higher than normal amount of leaked screeners available online...

Ok, I'm being a tad dramatic. All these things happened, and I've squeezed in a lot of films between Christmas until now (thanks 30 Films in 31 Days!) but overall my initial top 10 has largely held fast.  The "honourable mentions" though... sit tight, that's grown a little in length.

While I had a couple top picks already for the year, it all came together on December 21, 2015, which I now refer to as the greatest day of cinematic viewing... possibly of my whole life.

Those who know me know that my day job has little to nothing to do with film, but it all fatefully started aligning when I was tasked to set up a special private screening of Star Wars for my team's holiday celebrations.  I was e-introduced to a gentleman named Aldo who explained to me that they've been booking these screenings for a year now, in other words, even though we knew a Cineplex Board member, we were damn lucky to score a 9am slot a mere three days after the film's opening date.

The early start proved to be handy when I was able to get a pass to the preview screening of the 70mm Roadshow Edition of The Hateful Eight :), which meant I wound up watching the two best films of 2016 on the same day.  Epic.

Enough pre-amble though, here we go:

Qualifying films for Ada's Top 10 Films of 2015:

• any film from a film festival that I attended in 2015
• any film with a Canadian theatrical release dated in 2015
• is listed on www.imdb.com as released in 2015

1. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
2. The Hateful Eight
3. Northern Soul
4. Our Times
5. SPL 2
6. The Danish Girl
7. The Dressmaker
8. The Martian
9. Seoul Searching
10. Mad Max:: Fury Road

Honourable mentions:
Zoom
Port of Call
Obvious Child
Peggy Guggenheim
Women He's Undressed
Shooting the Musical
Seth's Dominion
Banksy Does New York

1. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Hopefully this one doesn't need explanation as to why it tops my list. Between the nostalgia, my love of Star Wars, and J.J. Abrams' respectful handling of the franchise, it all makes for a film most audiences can rally behind. I've had the argument that it's a rehashing of A New Hope, and I have some issues with the lastest (not greatest) supreme villain, but ultimately, it was still the film I was most anticipating in 2015 and it delivered. Top marks.

2. The Hateful Eight
Again, no surprises this is near the top of my list. I actually struggled to rank 1 & 2.  I've seen both films twice, I actually saw The Hateful Eight twice before it even opened in wide release, and despite the slow upstart (I had similar issues with Tarantino's Deathproof but that film grew exponentially on me as did Hateful Eight on the second go round) Ultimately tho, on a pure enjoyment level, Star Wars topped it. I'll reiterate I'm no fan of westerns, but QT's storytelling always gets me in such a way that it draws me in across genres.

3. Northern Soul

This one is a little more obscure, but it was one of my TIFF highlights that I wrote in a bit of detail about in a previous blog post. Like Eden of 2014, Northern Soul spoke to me on a personal level despite its central topic was one I had no previous knowledge of.  It's one of those films I wished had reached a wider audience because I think it deserves a cult following at the very least.

4. Our Times

Ok, this movie gives me all the feels. More than any other film I saw in 2015, and the crazy thing is... I almost didn't see it!  My friend and neighbor Ariane offered me tickets that she couldn't use, I read the corny romantic synopsis and wasn't overly excited. Teen romances are better than adult romances on the whole, but Asia usually does it in the cheesiest of ways.  So I was delighted to discover this was the best teen romantic comedy drama I've seen since the Korean film The Classic in 2003!  Now I didn't go to high school in Asia, but I was a teen of the 90's and spent a little time in the Hong Kong school system when I was 6 and 7.  It was enough to give me a cultural understanding, I knew who the superstars the girls were swooning about were, and the story was just darling. The film is in Mandarin, but between what's happening on screen, and a great job on the subtitles, the dialogue and story really come through.

5. SPL 2

2015 is really the return of Asian films to my top 10! Like the first one, I got asked repeatedly to attend the Midnight Madness screening at TIFF.  However this time I played it old and responsible and declined... and fully lived to regret it.  Now my TV is great, and my neighbors are saints because they didn't freak out when I had this blaring on my home theatre and started screaming at the events on the screen at midnight.  Yes, that's right, I yelled and cheered alone in my livingroom and exhibited behaviour that I normally reserve for MM.  I didn't think SPL 2 could be a fraction as good as the first one, and I was dead wrong.  The slightly less superb story is quickly made up for by stylish ultraviolence and kick ass fight choreography. (SPOILER: When dude's about to fire his gun and gets his trigger finger sliced clean off!  AMAZING!) What a great date movie SPL 2 would make...

6. The Danish Girl

Also previously discussed in my TIFF wrap-up blog. The performances are just that good, the costumes beautiful, and the story is meaningful even if it is a bit condensed. I rarely find myself saying "that film could have used an extra 30 mins" but I think if any film could have benefited from being longer, it'd be The Danish Girl.

7. The Dressmaker

This and not Steve Jobs was my favourite Kate Winslet film of the year.  Kate fully deserves her Oscar nomination, but this dark comedy is simply more to my tastes.  Hopefully we'll see it in theatres in North America soon and that they don't try to change the ending to make it more p.c. or moral (morality has no place dark comedy).

8. The Martian

Again, knowing my love for films like Sunshine and even Interstellar, it's not a stretch to see The Martian on this list. Especially given it's actually an acclaimed film.

9. Seoul Searching

The third Asian entry on my list this year, though this one is American-made. It's a nostalgic homage to director Benson Lee's Korean heritage, as well as John Hughes.  I saw this one at the Reel Asian Film Fest, just a few days after Our Times, which was going to be a hard film to top.  Top Our Times it did not, but a highly enjoyable film it was. I also have my own great memory of discovering Benson Lee, which was back in 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival for Planet B-Boy. Seeing his b-boy subjects battle in the middle of Times Square on my first trip to NYC, followed by seeing his film with my dear friends Carrie & Adrian (ending with a Mena Suvari sighting lol).  Every time the topic of Benson Lee comes up, it conjures up happy memories.

10. Mad Max: Fury Road

Deciding on who got spot #10 on this list was not easy, but in the end Mad Max edged out Zoom. This was another film that many friends insisted I had to see in theatres and I paid them no mind, only to severely regret it later.  Like SPL 2, Mad Max: Fury Road just grips you with its action and doesn't let go for the full length of its running time. I don't even know how this is possible and I'm supposed to be a writer. As an audience member you don't have time to catch your breath, it's one intense scene after another brimming with action and violence. Mad Max has a simpler plot than SPL 2 but it is more than sufficient to drive the film, I'm not ashamed to admit I yelled and cheered at my TV a little bit during this film too.

Talking about the top 10 films are almost easy, compared to trying to justify why all these honourable mentions didn't make it... and yet I still feel the need to highlight them...

2015 was a good year in my books for documentaries.  I've never considered myself an authority but increasing over the past few years I find I've been watching more and more of them. The appeal of them still stems from the subject, but what's come to leave a lasting impression is how the material is presented.

Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict, Women He's Undressed, Seth's Dominion, and Banksy Does New York were among the best films I saw this year.  All based on topics that greatly interests me, but especially Women He's Undressed with its dramatizations and cheeky allusions, and Seth's Dominion mimicking its subjects art and style to showcase the person, here is where method of presentation really made the films. I got to watch the bulk of these in conjunction with my work at Toronto Film Scene, you can click on the titles for my TFS reviews.

Zoom was the third film I called out in the TIFF wrap-up, so maybe if you haven't clicked on the link above to see that post by now... you should ;) I almost awarded it a top spot because of it's originality and story. A story within a story within a story... but which is the reality from which it all stems? It's like a fractal, I love it.

Port of Call was another film from Reel Asian that I reviewed. I called it Asia's answer to Seven, but a worthy re-imagining.

Obvious Child is a feel good movie stemming from the decision to not have a kid. Moms of the world condemn me, but that last sentence there is a perfect example of Ada logic, so this movie just felt very genuine to me.  It's a breath of fresh air in stale saturation of rehashed rom-coms.

Shooting the Musical, which screened at the Can Film Fest, is probably the most obscure of this list. A black comedy absent of all morality, about a shotgun production in the filmmaker is trying capitalize on his best friend's passing. Sounds amazing doesn't it?

And there you have it, most of what I have to say about the year 2015 in film. Now I'm ready to sit back and watch the Oscars. Prepare yourselves for a barage of live tweets!

Top 10 Films of not-2015 (aka Ada's top 10 films of 2014)

Friends, we've reached that time. I have officially begun discussions and received text message from friends asking what the best thing I watched in 2015 was.  Yes, that's right, because this is what cool kids text each other about ;)

But before I can get started on 2015 I have some unfinished business to take care of... that is, my top 10 films of 2014!

I'm sure none of you will remember, but I spent the bulk of February 2015 sick as a dog (where does that saying come from anyway?) Nothing serious, just seriously annoying. I have memories (delusions?) of typing up Oscar predictions the night before, apologizing to cyberspace how I have my top 10 films jotted down but never properly wrote up a blog.

Then things got so comically delayed that I joked I was going to randomly post them in July, and now here we are at December... embarking on 2015 lists.  So, let's dust off the cobwebs and see how many of these films I even remember...


Films that qualify for Ada's Top 10 Films of 2014:

- any film from a film festival that I attended in 2014
- any film with a Canadian theatrical release dated in 2014
- is listed on www.imdb.com as released in 2014

This was the "long list" I had jotted down:

Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mommy
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
The Lego Movie
That Awkward Moment
Eden

Interstellar
What We Do in the Shadows
Life Itself
Pride
Whiplash
Nightcrawler
Fasten Your Seatbelts

Note the space... in my scribbles that often means everything above the space is a shoo-in, everything below needs deliberation to see what makes the cut. But now... 12 months later, this is how I would (approximately) rank them:

1. Boyhood
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (I think, I need to watch it again)
3. The Imitation Game
4.What We Do In the Shadows
5. Eden
6. Mommy
7. The Theory of Everything
8. Pride
9. The Lego Movie
10. Interstellar (I think, again I need to re-watch)

Interstellar edges out Whiplash, and That Awkward Moment/Nightcrawler/Life Itself came off the top 10 without hesitation.

Which moves them all to...

Honourable mentions:

Whiplash
Fasten Your Seatbelts
That Awkward Moment
Nightcrawler
Life Itself
American Sniper

Note 2014 was the first year there were no Hong Kong films in my top 10!

During this year I have re-watched #'s 1, 3, 4, and That Awkward Moment. This may or may not have played a role in my final decision and cuts.

It's pretty hard to dispute Boyhood was the greatest cinematic triumph of 2014, regardless of all that Birdman nonsense at the Oscars. Yeah I said it. (I said it previously too right? If not I guarantee you I shot off my mouth alllll over Twitter)  Birdman was a technically flawless execution, Boyhood had its audiences by the heart as well as being groundbreaking cinema.  In terms of groundbreaking, I rank it right up there with Pulp Fiction, and for those who know me, you'll know that's one of the highest compliments I can pay you.

I remember really liking The Grand Budapest Hotel, but it has been 21 months since I saw it.  I *think* it was the only other film of 2014 that even came close in entertainment value to Boyhood for me.  So based on that I'll let it keep the #2 spot.

I saw the Imitation Game twice in 2014 and went and bought the blu-ray so I could watch it again in 2015 (I haven't done that yet, but I will...)

What We Do in the Shadows was the best laugh I had in 2014, and possibly 2015 as well. Honestly, if I re-watch Budapest and it's not as good as I remember, I'm giving What We Do in the Shadows the #2 spot.

Eden was one of those films I couldn't stop talking about after I saw it. Then I got the chance to talk about it some more in 2015 for Toronto Film Scene, and listen to some podcasts from the Hansen-Love siblings on the making of the film.  Not that it needed to grow on me some more, but it did.

I have some vivid memories associated with Mommy.  It was a turning point with me and Xavier Dolan.  No, I'm not on the wagon per se, but I have had a great deal more respect for him since seeing this film. I will not forget how emotionally gripping this film was, and how close I came to never seeing it (thanks Jerry N, I don't how know you can rescue or save a person in the sphere of film-watching, but you definitely did me a solid by taking me with you that night)

The Theory of Everything, Pride, The Lego Movie... that's moving stuff.  Got me right in the heart, just the right mix of good performances (great in the case of The Theory of Everything), story, and feel good.

And finally Interstellar (over Whiplash), a film that got mixed reviews but Christopher Nolan never ceases to win me over. I recall being all about Interstellar, whereas my appreciation of Whiplash is just that... appreciation.  Not that J.K. Simmons didn't nearly make me fall out of my chair, but let's face it, Whiplash is memorable, but it's not going to be part of any of my movie marathons anytime soon (with the possible exception of 30 Films... but more on that later)

Onto the thick of the honourable mentions... Fasten Your Seatbelts was an Italian film I reviewed as part of the European Union Film Fest of 2014. I knew nothing about it, and I'm not sure that it received any critical attention internationally (hell, I'm not even sure how it did at home really) but it struck a chord with me. Between the narrative, the story, and the main character... I found myself thinking about the movie in the months following (less now... instead I think about how to get my hands on a copy to re-watch it)

I sorta felt the same way about That Awkward Moment as I did for Fasten Your Seatbelts the first time I saw it. In addition it's also a great bromance pic. It's still a very good movie, best North American romcom since The F Word probably, but not as refreshing on the second viewing.

Nightcrawler and Life Itself, different as night and day, both good, but both not as memorable as I initially thought. And American Sniper... my original "honourable mention"... great film. Worth watching. Not the kinda stuff that's gonna make my top 10 (Sorry Bradley Cooper, this is no way means I want to sleep with you any less)

*stops to take a breath*

And there you have it folks, my top 10 films of 2014. Now I can get started on 2015 guilt-free. Hope to get you that list before December 2016! ;)

Must watch...everything! (and other movie/artsy woes)

Does anyone else come out of the TIFF haze to find a crushing amount of television to catch up on from mid-August (historically a TV dead zone, and yet there seem to be more and more spring/summer series now) to the present?

I felt a wave of panic when I realized that American Horror Story had begun... and I still don't know how the season of Under the Dome ended. Which is kind of ironic because I'm pretty well over both shows but continue to watch out of compulsion.

Not to mention that it's also the best time of year for good movies in theatres.

I find myself constantly wracked with guilt that I'm not in a theatre.  I tell myself if I'm not in a theatre I should at least be mad downloading TV episodes and binge-watching Netflix.  I try my best, when I'm not distracted by the large number of books I seem to have purchased the first 8 months of this year... (the comic geeks might appreciate that I finally read all six issues of Sandman Overture.  They were SO GOOD, and while I still don't like buying issue to issue and prefer a collected graphic novel, I guess I am grateful that I didn't have to wait for the single volume to come out before I could read them)

There might be a possibility I need to start my hibernation early this year lol.  Not sure if I'll be coming out to Toronto After Dark too much (as I doubt I'll get accreditation), and I have yet to look over the Reel Asian line-up. 

As always I'm grateful to my bosses at Toronto Film Scene for not firing my ass even though my writing submissions are sporadic and I don't remember when was the last time I showed up to a staff meeting.  As well I may be doing a piece on a Canadian cinematographer, publishing date/details are all TBD (2016).

It may have just been in the haze of Nuit Blanche, but Jae and I have talked on and off for years about submitting our personal projects to the (questionably-fated ??) art festival.  Because I always seem to have (largely unsolicited) suggestions for Jae's project he said I should produce it.  Man, if he's serious I'm so in! Otherwise I'll plug away at my own project - I'll give you a hint: http://littlelostshoe.tumblr.com/

In the meantime, here's a recap of what I've been watching (I've dropped the ball on what I've been reading, 80% of it is not captured :( ) over the past few months (don't feel obliged to read)

-------------------------
Legend:

numbered = films
not numbered = TV
" " = started books/plays
n = 2015 release
f = my first time viewing 
(#) = number of episodes watched 

-------------------------

7/1
93. Magic Mike XXL - f n

7/2
True detective (1)
Under the dome (1)

7/3
Salem (1)
Mind of a Chef (1)

7/4
Salem (1)

7/5
Salem (2)

7/6
Salem (1)

7/7
Salem (1)

7/8
Salem (1)
The mind of a chef (1)

7/9
Salem (1)

7/10
The mind of a chef (1)
Salem (1)

7/12
94. Night at the Museum 2 - f

7/13
Salem (2)

7/14
Salem (1)

7/15
Salem (1)

7/17
95. How to make an American quilt - f
Moonlight (1)

7/18
Moonlight (2)

7/19
Moonlight (1)

7/20
Under the dome (1)

7/21
The Mind of a chef (1)
Moonlight (1)

7/22
96. Vacation- f n
Moonlight (2)

7/23
Moonlight (1)

7/24
Moonlight (1)

7/28
Asteroid (short)
Bosniak (short)
Into the weeds (short)
Moonlight (2)

7/29
Moonlight (1)

7/30
Moonlight (2)

7/31
Moonlight (1)

8/1
Moonlight (1)

8/3
97. Safety Not Guaranteed - f
Jesse (short)

8/4
A new reflection (short)
Pretty dangerous (short)
Phoebes declassified guide To unwanted pick ups (short)
Tanabatta (short)
The Mind of a Chef (1)

8/5
The mind of a chef (1)
Scrubs (1)

8/7
Under the dome (1)

8/10
Under the dome (1)

8/11
Under the dome (1)

8/12
Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown (1)

8/15
98. The Thieves

8/16
99. The diary of a teenage girl - f n

8/18
100. Superman Returns

8/19
Heroes (2)

8/20
Heroes (1)

8/21
Heroes (1)

8/22
Heroes (2)

8/23
Heroes (1)

8/24
Heroes (1)

8/25
Heroes (1)

8/27
101. Ninth Floor - f n 

8/28
Heroes (1)

8/29
Heroes (1)

8/30
Never Happened (short)
Wolkaan (short)

8/31
The swimming lesson (short)
Bam (short)

Sep1

Heroes (2)

Sep 2

Heroes (1)

Sep 3

102. Brooklyn - f n

Sep 4-20

Heroes (1)

103. Hitchcock/Truffaut - n f
104. Te Prometo Anarquia (I Promise Anarchy) - n f
105. Demolition - n f
106. Lolo - n f
107. Girls Lost - n f
108. Maggie's Plan - n f
109. Anomalisa - n f
110. The Danish Girl - n f
111. Heat
112. Women He's Undressed - n f
113. The Man Who Knew Infinity - n f
114. The Dressmaker - n f
115. Being Charlie - n f
116. Zoom - n f
117. Victoria - n f
118. Baskin - n f
119. The Steps - n f
120. The Family Fang - n f
121. Northern Soul - n f
122. Ville-Marie - n f
123. Stonewall - n f
124. Keeper - n f
125. I Smile Back - n f
126. Legend - n f
127. The Paradise Suite - n f
128. Mr Right - n f
129. Vertigo
130. Der Nachtmahr - n f
131. Room - n f

Sep 21 

Heroes (1)

Sep 22

Heroes (1)

Sep 23 

Heroes (2)

Sep 26

The Muppets (1)

Sep 27

Heroes (2)

Sep 28

Heroes (2)

Sep 29

Heroes (2)

Sep 30

Heroes (2)

Oct 1

Heroes (1)

Oct 5

132. Black Mass - f n

Oct 6 

Heroes (1)

Oct 8

133. Southpaw - f

The TIFF Hangover - 2015

Indeed what a hangover it was.  In TIFF 2014 I pathetically caught the TIFF cold right at the start of the festival and was ship shape by the end, watching everyone else fall prey. This year I held out until the very end, then as soon as I got home from watching the People's Choice film, my nose instantly started running. Grr...

I caught 29 films during TIFF 2015, the festival's 40th anniversary, plus some stuff beforehand.  I should also note that I have seen an earlier version of Into The Forrest in one of those research screenings, but I'm told there have been some significant changes made since so I cannot accurate judge the film based on my memory of it.

The films I saw this year included:

Pre-fest:

Ninth Floor - my TFS review
Brooklyn

My Short Cuts program consumption wasn't so straightforward this year, TIFF combined Canadian and International shorts and Toronto Film Scene was only committed to covering the Canadian shorts programming.  What this means is that I probably watched just over a third of the Canadian Shorts spread out through all the SC programs.  In short, follow this link for my capsule reviews and director interviews.

During the festival:

Hitchcock/Truffaut
Te Prometo Anarquia (I Promise Anarchy)
Demolition
Lolo
Girls Lost
Maggie's Plan
Anomalisa
The Danish Girl
Heat
Women He's Undressed
The Man Who Knew Infinity
The Dressmaker
Being Charlie
Zoom
Victoria
Baskin
The Steps
The Family Fang
Northern Soul
Ville-Marie
Stonewall
Keeper
I Smile Back
Legend
The Paradise Suite
Mr Right
Vertigo
Der Nachtmahr
Room

Everyone seems to be weighing in with their top 5, for me it was more like 3 standouts, and then 5 other films I would still highly recommend:

Standouts:

1) Northern Soul
2) The Danish Girl
3) Zoom

Also highly recommended:

• Women He's Undressed 
• Demolition
• Lolo
• The Dressmaker
• Mr. Right

Beyond that the remainder of the programming that I personally saw was of high standards this year. I would recommend 21 out of the 31 features I saw, and even then, some of the un-recommended 10 are in reality ok...

Zoom is three tales woven together in a story about a story about a story, presented in the mix of live action and animation.  It's got lots of wiry, dark humour, and of course, sex dolls. A Canadian/Brazillian co-production that I caught at the end of a 5-film day that managed to keep me awake and laughing throughout.

The Danish Girl will surely be an oscar contender for something. I personally hope it's best actress (best supporting actress?) for Alicia Vikander, she was definitely the standout even opposite a powerhouse like Eddie Redmayne in a skillfully crafted film.  This is my new favourite Tom Hooper film, granted I don't normally consider myself a fan, I cannot deny the merits of The King's Speech and even Les Mis had its highlights.

That said, I will admit it's far from perfect.  I've heard a couple people remark on the story unfolding at breakneck speed, leaving the audience detached from the characters never having properly taken the time to understand who their are and their inner workings. I agree it's a lot of story to cover, but this takes me back to a discussion I had at this year's TIFF overnight line with my friends Jae and Sachin about the importance of story vs character in the making of a film...

Jae admires a director's ability to recognize when a character has become larger than just the story he's in, and to follow that character down a path even if it deviates from the original intended plot.  It's important to be able to shift focus and take your audience on that exploration. (Jae, apologies if I'm way off your original point, but this is what I took away in my sleep deprivation) Whereas I'm more focused on the story, I'm willing to overlook a few character deviations, ie. silly out-of-character actions, if it means the story hits all the major plot points and gets to where it needs to be.

Anyway, this is how I felt about The Danish Girl.  I can live with the amount of story they pack into the film's running time (though it could've easily been another half an hour longer and it would have been just fine), I can take a leap of faith in both Lily and Gerda's evolving relationship and how they come to terms with it.  If anything, my hesitation towards The Danish Girl is that it chronicles the life of a transgendered individual from a privileged class, Lily obviously had the wealth and means to undergo treatments, surgery, and seek sanctuary from those who would scrutinize her behaviour.  What of those who did not come from wealth and fortune? 

This is a slight deviation from my discussion of my standout films, but my thoughts in the previous paragraph make me think about Stonewall, which focuses on a similar minority (albeit decades later), that is getting ALL the criticism.  Ok fine, having seen Stonewall as well, it rightly deserves a good portion of the backlash it's getting.  Not being overly familiar with neither The Stonewall Riots, nor the life of Lily Elbe, I can't say for certain... but I'm guessing The Danish Girl more closely chronicles the life of Lily vs Stonewall which is a fictitious story played out against the background of the events in New York City.

I've read a couple articles lashing out against the film Stonewall.  Should the golden boy quarterback from middle America have been portrayed as the hero of rebellion?... heck no, but it's one of those things that many may have dismissed or written off it wasn't presented in conjunction with a number of characters whom they claim are based on real people who participated in the events... that gives the illusion that our fictional hero is real too. Some of Emmerich's remarks about using that character to give mainstream audiences someone they could relate to is unsettling as well.  A strong story with good characters shouldn't need a draw, it should stand by itself and compel those who previously had no connection to the subject.  Or is that only my definition of good filmmaking?

And it is within those same parameters that Northern Soul (you see what I did there? ;) ) was my standout film of TIFF 2015.  Also a fictitious story, this time set in Northern English against the backdrop of the underground soul music scene, Northern Soul feels genuine and intimate.  It hits a few cliche notes and doesn't delve into the tough topics, the accents are challenging to say the least, but the infectious spirit of the movie never makes you consider tuning out even for a second.

Perhaps I have a bit of a soft spot for underground music movements, but it was a movement I knew nothing about until I saw the film, despite always having favoured faster tempo soul music.  Northern Soul also struck me a precursor for other scenes such as New Wave, Indie Rock, and Rave (real rave, not Zac Efron DJ bullshit)  Makes me want to re-watch 24 Hour Party People, and last year's Eden. Seeing director Elaine Constantine take the stage afterwards for the Q&A confirmed that was made by someone who was familiar with the films characters and setting. (I have a video of that Q&A that I will try to upload to my YouTube)

Another thing to note about what makes a successful film within this niche is that the good ones always place the greatest emphasis on friendship instead of politics, romance, or something else.  In tightknit communities such as these, connections are made from the music and the friendships, choosing to base it on anything else I think will make it harder to win over audiences.

Speaking of friendships (I'm just full of segues!) I cannot to a TIFF hangover post without mentioning all the random run-ins and movies I unexpectedly saw with friends over TIFF 40.  I tried my best to get photos with all my old friends as I ran into them (some more closely resemble shadows of my good friends as they were taken in darkened theatres)

I'm grateful to my readers for indulging me during the month of August and all my random festival memories.  I actually have a story from this year that I think will go down in the #AdaTIFFmems history books, we'll know for sure in the years to come...

It was only day 1 or 2 but as volunteers we already had access to some special screenings, including one to Julie Delphy's film Lolo (great film btw).  My generous friend Paul got a ticket to that show that he couldn't use, so he messaged me after he got home from his volunteer shift to see if I wanted it.  I already had a ticket but knew a couple others who were interested.  The challenge quickly became how to get the ticket from Paul as it was closing in on 1am and Paul was off to work and me to a film first thing in the morning.  We came up with the great idea for Paul to stash the ticket in his mailbox so that I, or anyone else, could grab it at any point before the film.

I didn't have any luck waking the first person, but just earlier had gotten a message from my TIFF-partner-in-crime (one of a few partners in crime I guess) Jerry F. that he was at Midnight Madness so I knew he was around. I was ready to climb in bed at this point, so my message to him said something along the lines of "If ur interested in a ticket to 11am screening of Lolo tomorrow, go to ### Jarvis St, and look for a ticket in the mailbox inside a supermarket flyer"

I love how Jerry doesn't question why there's a movie ticket stuffed inside a random mailbox in the middle of the night, his response after getting out of the theatre was simply "ok, heading there now" lol.  I was asleep or half asleep for the remainder of the events, but from what he tells me, he went and grabbed a bikeshare and went up to Paul's.  First he couldn't find the townhouses, then he couldn't find Paul's mailbox.  He didn't see a ticket in the mailbox but saw some supermarket flyers sitting nearby so he leafed through all of those too (haha) before sending me several text messages that woke me up enough to go message Paul.

Paul confirmed that he put the ticket in the mailbox after a short while, during which time Jerry had biked back to his car in another part of downtown. So Jerry drove up to Paul's again and finally got the elusive ticket.  He shared the entire story of his middle of the night scavenger hunt with me the next day at the Elgin where I nearly died from laughter.  Just another one of those things that happen during TIFF...

I'll leave you with some of my favourite photos from TIFF 2015:

The one where I'm two feet away from Geoffrey Rush!

My longtime friends Judith & Sue

My beloved #teamElign and #teamWG (Winter Garden) in our annual group photo

Christopher & I - friends for 26 years!

Random good looking people that I count amongst my friends (Irene, Christopher, Vincent, James, Davor) 

The Danish Girl Q&A with acclaimed director Tom Hooper

Jerry #1 (aka the 'TIFF husband' aka guy who went on the middle of the night ticket hunt) & I

The worse-lit photo in existence of Jerry #2 (aka my 'favourite stalker' - he's ok with this nickname for the record lol) and I

[pause for story:  I shared my google calendar with my schedule of films with Jerry and he accidentally merged it with his own film schedule, leaving him very confused...and very knowledgeable about my whereabouts lol]

Getting in the shot with two of my favourite ladies whom I work with the Orientation Sessions - Shaista & Lina

  Group shot from Vertigo screening and probably my favourite photo of  TIFF15... row selfie taken with the long-arm of Veronica (from closest to furthest... Veronica, Judith, me, Jerry, Sachin, Jae, Melanie, Melanie's friend (lol), Hope (hiding), and David) 

#AdaTIFFmems - Heeere's Jonny!

I have been waiting and waiting (and procrastinating... and not having my photos handy) to write this installment!  And now I'm just late with it!

So over the last 40 (41) days I've been sifting through old blogs, journals, photos, etc., sharing with friends and strangers alike some of my fondest TIFF-related memories, including zany things we've done, great films I've seen, and wonderful people I've met.

I have mentioned the gentleman featured in today's blog here and there, but I think it's time to put him in the spotlight...

In the mid-00's a young guy started volunteering at the Elgin. I knew him as Jonathan at first, Jon for a brief period of time, but of course the name in which he established his legacy is Jonny...

He was a volunteer on my team, a real superstar that we could trust to do a great job where ever we placed him.  Always willing to take one for the team, together we've shouted at line-ups until we lost our voices, fended off the hoardes pushing towards the red carpet, and diffused many a crisis in between.

It wasn't all volunteer business, Jonny and I actually became friends.  He was a friendly face year after year, coming in at recruitment sessions and into the Elgin volunteer lounge all smiles.  He'd tell me about a new exciting marketing job he'd just got, or introduce me to a new volunteer he'd convinced to join the Elgin team (that being my buddy Jack - the guy behind Jonny in the photo above, I believe they went to college together).  We'd get up to no good at Midnight Madness screenings (Jonny's king of the Rockstar energy drinks!) and party together at TIFF events.

After some years as a regular volunteer, Jonny finally made the leap to captaining and never looked back!

Captain Group Photo from 2011.  Truly one of my favourite Elgin/WG captain teams.

As a volunteer captain, he was a continued pleasure to work with.  I could always trust him to have my back, and I knew for certain the volunteers were having a good time under his command.  During this time Jonny also met and began dating one of the FOHAs of the theatre.

Flash foward to the next festival and Jonny tells me he's now officially staff at the Elgin!  I'm always a little conflicted when my beloved co-captains make the leap.  I'm happy for them, and love the idea of having staff in the venue that truly understand the volunteer experience.  But at the same time I feel I'm losing them to "the other side", and know that we won't be spending as much time together going forward.

I couldn't begrudge Jonny though... I'd been working with ticket line/inside rep Mathias for 13? 14?? festivals (we started at the Elgin the same year) and he'd become truly one of the greatest people to work with, I didn't think the inside volunteers could ever have such a great person to work with again... until I saw Jonny in action during TIFF14 as the new inside rep.  It honestly made me want to be a regular inside volunteer, just so I could work on a team with Jonny again.

This year Jonny's returning as the daytime head rep of the Elgin and I couldn't be happier for him, he's going to rock it like he does everything else.  Oh, and little lady he met at the Elgin, did I mention they got engaged???

Everything's coming up Jonny!  Here's to you my friend :)

Candy, Jonny, and I at a TIFF Party (Elgin party?)

MM line-up antics abound.

This one is definitely an Elgin party... I love how Jonny's hair changes from year to year.

More Elgin party antics (to the left of Jonny would be our night time Head Rep, the vivacious David Tomlinson)

[I ran into Jonny and his fiancee a couple weeks ago and I told her if she ever needed embarrassing photos of Jonny for a wedding slide show to give me a call, even Jonny recalled that I seem to have an unusually large number of uber close-up sweaty, drunken party shots of him.  He doesn't look very sweaty in the above, which means those must be saved on another harddrive... maybe I'll bust em out for TIFF50!]

And with that, I'm off to TIFF!  Happy festival everyone!!!