TIFF 09 Round Up - The Last of It

Woah, sincerely apologies for being a sucky blogger and completely dropping the ball on these reviews.  I could give you a string of mundane excuses but the truth of the matter is, I put em off until the end of October then the guilt caught up to me on the flight home from San Francisco and I rattled off a string of critiques until my netbook battery died (btw don't fly United, not only do they charge you for each piece of luggage you check, their planes also have no a/c outlets for your laptops).  But that only takes me to Halloween right?  Well, I've no excuse for every day after, I just didn't get off my bum to cut and paste these bad boys until now...

Micmacs a tire-larigot - dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The decision to see this film was based on my love of Amelie, it had fallen off and gotten back on my list several times due to a background premise that I wasn't necessarily interested in.  However Jeunet makes you adore his main character and the film as a whole with all his whimsy, from the supporting cast to everyone's humourous brushes with fate.  Micmacs also features the most delightful inventions and mechanical critters.  If you liked Amelie you must see Micmacs.

4/5

Le Refuge - dir Francois Ozon

What began as a time-filler for me, became a film that I was genuinely interested in when I realized it was from the maker of 8 Women.  Sadly it then transformed into a rather uncomfortable, if long, nap at the Winter Garden theatre.  I think that I might've had the patience for this film had it not been sandwiched somewhere between film 15 to 20 on an exhausting day 8 of TIFF.  What you're dealing with is a slower-moving story that focuses intricately on the somewhat mundane lives of a young pregnant woman in the aftermath of her lover's death.  Like Almodovar, I like watching Ozon's portrayal of women, the lead actress in Le Refuge is complex and full of internal struggle, it was just a little too slow and quiet for that day.  I would like to see it again some day to give it a slightly more objective rating.

2/5

Deliver Us From Evil (Fri os fra det onde) - dir Ole Bornedal

I must sneak in an extra apology for taking 2 months to get my reviews posted.  As it is many weeks after the fact, I will have to admit that this movie is mostly forgettable after all this time.  During the initial time of viewing I remember it to lag a little in the middle but was truly a psychologically disturbing piece.  There was a lull in the first half where the film almost lost me, but then the group psyche's decent into darkness... When I walked out of the theatre I thought it would be something that would stay with me, now I suppose I was wrong, most of the story is lost to me now (I can't even check IMDB to give myself a reminder because I'm writing this on a plane), but I guess overall I still remember being disturbed.

2.5/5

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - dir Don Roos

First and foremost, be warned, this is a chick flick.  My friend J nearly perished trying to watch this film while I found it reasonably enjoyable.  It's your usual Hollywood affair trying not to be Hollywood, or less Hollywood... tackling some tougher issues, not heavy on the Hollywood cliches, though not free of the chick lit/Oprah cliches - blatantly imperfect women with many overt emotional struggles, conflict after conflict, stuff that's probably supposed to make you tear up, etc.  It's a good story on screen, but I can't comment on the adaptation as I've never read the book. Natalie Portman never gives less than a good performance, it's a tad on the long side but moves at a decent pace and keeps you engaged.

3.5/5

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky - dir Jan Kounen

This film was worth every minute of sleep I sacrificed in order to go rush the 9am press & industry screening.  A shame Coco Avant Chanel (which I've also seen since TIFF) wasn't in the festival as well because they would've made good companion pieces. I thought this film was truly a standout in art direction and wardrobe (although the latter probably shouldn't come as a surprise), her estate was just stunning in decor.  The performances by the two leads was great and the story drawn out to just the right degree, the transformation from mutual admiration to attraction.  This was one of the best films I saw at the festival this year.

4/5

Whip It! - dir Drew Barrymore

Who doesn't have a good time watching Roller Derby?  Try no one.  Whip It has a delightful, if not slightly cliched, youthful cast that hits all the right notes for a light entertaining fun time.  Don't over think it, just have a few laughs.  Ellen Page & co. look like they're having a blast in the film and it translates on screen.  I think Drew chose a great project for her directorial debut, pass me the popcorn and I'll gladly watch it again.

3.5/5

Gun to the Head – dir Blaine Thurier

Gun to the Head made me want to put a gun to my head.  I don't know what the hell this was supposed to be, but I guess maybe being warned about low production values in the intro should have set off alarm bells.  They claimed it was sacrificed in order to focus on the story, but all I saw was a huge mess.  A mess of unlikable characters, doing things that didn't make much sense, who get denser and denser as the movie progresses.  It reached a point where I didn't even care what happened to them, and then they continued to torture me by not ending the movie.  I did try to sit it out to the credits, but in the end I was too preoccupied about making it to my next movie on time and just took off in the last 5 mins or so.

1/5

 

Perrier's Bounty - dir Ian FitzGibbon

Cillian Murphy, one of my favourite actors, portrays a quasi-loser in trouble with a low-level loan shark in Perrier's Bounty.  It's not the most original film ever made, but it was entertaining and smart, composed of an interesting string of events and decent performances.  Worthwhile to see.

3/5

Hipsters (Stilyagi) - dir Valery Todorovsky

Russian films worry me sometimes, most of the ones I've seen in the past where hard to stay awake in.  Not so with Hipsters though, which is a musical look at an interesting group of counter-culturalists in Russia in the 50's.  The communist regime adds an extra dimension to the pressures of conforming and the somewhat skewed ideals of what it takes and means to be counter-culture.  This all wrapped up in fun musical numbers and bright costumes, definitely worth seeing even if it is a little on the long side.

3/5

Mr. Nobody - dir Draco van Dormael

This was my favourite film of the festival.  Jared Leto actually is perfect for the role of the oldest man in the world who lives out multiple lifetimes at once.  As we try to figure out truth from what ifs, reality, memories, dreams, present, past, and future, we come to see that some things in life are destined no matter what you change, and that no one life lived is necessarily happier or better than any other life you could have lived.  Mr. Nobody is everything Darren Aronovsky's The Fountain should have been.  I don't know if I even fully understand Mr. Nobody but I found it moving, disturbing, and enthralling.  I could probably sit and dissect this film with fellow viewers for a long time to come.

4.5/5

Dogtooth (Kynodontas) - dir Yorgos Lanthimos

I'm deeply disturbed that this film a) got good reviews at Venice (??) and b) was enjoyed by persons that I know.  Yes I understood from reading the synopsis that I could be walking into some heavy incest content, which I'm pretty uncomfortable with.  But if it propels the film and is part of a disturbing tale I can accept it, even something like Savage Grace which broke my brain I could handle and I could see the need for certain scenes.  Dogtooth on the other hand is just gratuitous dysfunction, with no aim, cause, or purpose.  I was subjected to absurdity, nonsensical behaviour, and then scenes of incest for not apparent reason. Not cool.

0/5

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - dir Terry Gilliam

Again, one of the highlights of this TIFF.  Highly anticipated and it delivers!  This was, of course, the great Heath Ledger's final role and he's terrific as always.  Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law also provide excellent and seamless performances as they slip into Heath's shoes.  The imagery is wonderfully surreal, it's eye candy whether or not you're a Dali worshiper.  The story itself is fine, a bit take it or leave it for me, I wasn't really there for plot though it is a pretty coherent one.  The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is every bit as magical as they make it seem in the trailers.

4/5

 

The Young Victoria - dir. Jean Marc Vallee

My favourite thing about the Young Victoria (where the subject is obvious) is that it doesn't bite off more than it can chew.  It's a look at Queen Victoria leading up and following her coronation, her strong will in both exercising her principles and her devotion towards her husband Albert.  There's no overblown grandeur or over-exaggerated plot which period films can fall victim to in my opinion, but it's not boring either.

3.5/5

Ong Bak 2 - dir. Tony Jaa

The best part of Ong Bak 2 was that I was able to sleep through most of it.  I don't show up expecting intelligence, not really even coherence, so long as there was some seriously stylish ass-kicking.  Ok, so maybe my expectations in ass-kicking were too high?  I just wanted to see something original and have someone to root for, what I saw was just a bunch of same old same old, a mess of fights where nothing stood out.  What a downer.  It was a lame way to end TIFF, good thing I'd seen a number of other good films in the past couple of days to make up for this one.,

I'm not even going to rate it because I slept through so much of it.

And finally there you have it....Ada's TIFF 2009!

Until next year...

TIFF 09 Round Up - Part 5

Continuing with films that were not what I expected...

Jean Charles - Dir. Henrique Goldman

I read this as a film about the man with the same name, who was mistaken for being a terrorist in the London subway bombings in 2006 - a topic of interest to me as I travelled to London shortly after these events.  I guess that is what the film is about, but somehow I thought it would be more centered around the bombings themselves rather than an intricate look at this man's everyday life and his significance to those around him.  To sum it up, it was more Brazillian than British, focusing on a minority community & their specific culture within London.  We get an up close look at the finer workings of the lives of illegal Brazillian immigrants working in the city and different roles and hierarchies of people in the community, how they interact with each other and those not of their ethnic minority.  The terrorist events were really just a vague backdrop, which is fine, but then the last 15 mins it seems to take on a new focus, which confused me.  Jean Charles went from being an everyman story to a martyr almost.  It felt like with his death we were suddenly pulled out from this intimate setting and the focus became more documentary-like, with meetings with British officials and of the family seeking retribution, etc.  I realize it's meant to portray the injustice and suddenness of what took place, but the shift in tone was too abrupt for me.  That along with clashing with my preconceptions, made this film not work for me.

2/5
 
Leslie, My Name is Evil - Dir. Reginald Harkema
 

Leslie, My Name is Evil had a much more political and less campy backdrop that I expected, the filmmaker even emphasized camp in the intro, but I certainly didn't see enough of it for my tastes.  Not surprisingly it attracted a lot of Manson fans (interested parties and not followers I hope :P) given that the story plays out similarily.
 
The Q&A for Leslie, My Name is Evil was quite interesting, much intellectual political prefacing - although borderline too much explanation.  I always feel like the film should be able to stand on its own and only that which is meant to be questionable or mysterious gets revealed.  On the flipside, it was interesting to know that the director named his characters after his family members, and also the commentary on how the staunch republican/hippy divide still exists in the USA today.
 
This film was worth checking out, however I would still classify as a "Canadian effort" in that the ideas are good, but I still feel like they didn't go full tilt.  This movie had the potential to be much more, but in the end still comes off as tame and watered down to me.

2.5/5

Youth in Revolt - Dir. Miguel Arteta

This is both 'more Michael Cera being Michael Cera' and 'Michael Cera not being Michael Cera at all!' at the same time.  Lose you, did I?  Call it the film where the guy finally gets to expand on his talent a little.  I've never read the book so I'm not in a position to make a comparison, but I can tell you that the result is decent, light entertainment that keeps you engaged.  It's not the most original piece of cinema you'll ever see, but I think both filmmaker and lead actor put their stamp on it.  Portia Doubleday is fine as the lead actress, but I don't really see what the huge fuss over her is about.

3/5

Soloman Kane

First viewed as an underdog in the Midnight Madness, but with growing hype as we approached the fest, I finally caved in the first few days of TIFF 09 got myself a ticket to Soloman Kane.  And in the end all I got from it was:

a) relatively simple story (ie. I slept through most of it but still understood the plot)

b) nice digital effects (ie. my friend J was not elbowing me to get me to wake up and pay attention to the story but rather to comment on the cinematography)

c) flashy battle scenes (ie. everytime I heard swords and weapons clanging I'd open my eyes and think "well that looks cool")

d) will likely garner a mainstream audience (ie. afterwards Adil's comments were that it was like "part Punisher, part Lord of the Rings...." etc etc.

I don't feel it's appropriate to rate this film since I didn't really see most of it.  My only argument is that no matter how tired I am, if a film is worthy, I will somehow find it in me to stay awake.  I slept like a baby through the great part of Soloman Kane.


High Life - Dir. Gary Yates

As I set out to write the review for High Life, I momentarily got it mixed up with another Canadian effort.  I guess what I'm trying to say is:  although it was sandwiched in the middle of 30 films in 10 days, the fact remains that 3 weeks later, this film has become utterly forgetable.  I remember it to be a coherent and stripped down heist movie (the latter is not necessarily a bad thing), with adequate talent and passable production values.  It's enjoyable at the time of viewing, but doesn't stand out among the dime a dozen heist movies.

2.5/5

TIFF 09 Round Up - Part 4

Half way into TIFF this year, I came to the realization that many of the films I'd seen up to that point have not been what I expected in terms of story/style/genre, ie. The Loved Ones, Jean Charles, and Leslie, My Name is Evil just to name a few.  I suspected that I spent the equivalent of a day and a half with that dumbfounded look on my face watching these while wondering if I was in the right theatre.  I wondered how much of this had to do with me misinterpreting the synopsis I'd been reading?



The Loved Ones - Dir. Sean Byrne

Each year the Midnight Madness program has certain programming mandates, or so it would appear.  MM is usually never without a) some form of zombies, b) something off the wall from Japan, c) wild rollicking Asian martial arts, d) a torture flick, e) some B horror, and f) a couple of flicks that mind f*ck you over to say the least.  These can be combined, duplicated, and/or modified, but you can always expect the above when showing up at Ryerson during the Witching Hour.

From its description in the program book, I expected some B horror in the tradition of Carrie meets Pretty in Pink.  I was expecting a lot of groans for cheesiness factor and laughs and cheers for acts of campy heroicism and/or horror cliches.  Instead what I got was a mostly irrational torture flick was more like the Martyrs meets 80's camp.  While I was engrossed (more so than grossed out), it really was just shock horror for the sake of shock horror and dementia.  I was sitting between Jack and Darrin who in squirmed more for the twisted incest factor than any of the gore itself.  In many ways I guess it was still your standard B horror - lousy acting, story that doesn't entirely make sense, and lots of gore.  I can't say I didn't like it, but ... I'm rather indifferent to it.  I wouldn't recommend oer se, but no need to run away from it either... it's not my type of movie I guess.

SPOILER:  I really feel like it should've ended with them backing up and smacking her in the head. Although it's not the only thing that felt unecessary, it is overall an insane sadistic film like that doesn't need a family reunion for an ending.

2.5/5


Wheat - Dir. Ping He

When I read the synopsis for Wheat I was already wary.  It didn't sound like the type of film I'd enjoy watching after a long day at the office, but Ping He's last film was the Chinese historic epic Warriors of Heaven and Earth which I enjoyed very much.  Where there is the backdrop of war in common between the films, that's were the similarities end.  Where Warriors focus is on the battlefield, Wheat is about the village of women left behind and the two deserter enemy soldiers that stumble into their world one day.

There definitely wasn't enough action in this film to sustain my attention.  It's an interesting look at the characters' complexities and emotions,  they do not live in easy times.  Overall it just seemed like too many people who didn't necessarily like one other but forged alliances all the same based on life's mandates.  I'll admit to nodding off for a bit somewhere in the middle, it really wasn't my kind of movie.

2/5

The Invention of Lying - Dir. Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson

Ricky Gervais is always a pleasure to watch and The Invention of Lying is no exception.  He also wrote this film that takes place in a world where the concept of lying does not exist - until Ricky's character stumbles upon it.  This is definitely one of the freshest ideas I've heard come out of Hollywood in a while.  However it does still fall into a few of the Hollywood traps... the cliched romance, and storybook ending.  I also thought that he didn't go far enough given his personality and writing talents, I believe his audience and fans could've taken it.  Extremes that were more outlandish, scandalous, and just pushing the envelope, but no, he plays it safe.  It's still a great movie, very appropriate for a first date, or something to take your mother to (which I did! haha)

3/5

Bitch Slap - Dir. Rick Jacobson

On one hand, Bitch Slap could garner the same comments as The Loved Ones - lousy acting, flimsy story, don't really care what happens to characters, doesn't make much sense... But it's clearly a homage and sexy stripped down love letter to Russ Meyer.  Style, homage, and boobs over substance for sure, but hey, it's not like anyone ever expected different from Russ Meyer himself.  There's nothing really innovative about this movie, but damned if it isn't a great time.  It's like the R rated version of Charlie's Angel 2, you know it's going to be horrible, so down a couple beers first and don't expect to witness cinematic history and you'll have a blast!  The flashbacks may get more and more ridiculous, but take solace in the fact that all the stunts were coordinated by the amazing Zoe Bell, who clearly thought this movie was worthy of her time and effort.  The story just gets more and more ridiculous as it goes along, but so do the relationships between the girls... get my drift?

3.5/5

TIFF 09 Round Up - Part 3

The following two films I did not see consecutively.  I did not even see them on the same day.  But like the year I chose to have my reviews of Control and Joy Division side by side (for obviously reasons), I feel strongly about discussing Accident and Vengeance together.

The main link between the two are that they are both Hong Kong productions that involve Johnnie To, one of my favourite Hong Kong filmmakers.  To produced Accident and directed Vengeance, and while they gravitate towards some of the same cinematic goals, there is a vast difference between them.

Vengeance – Dir. Johnnie To

Some of my fellow TIFF-ers loathed Vengeance.  I didn’t.  I was expecting it to be horrible given the budget and unlimited artistic license that I knew Johnnie To would allow himself, I had predicted pretentious, over-the-top noir imagery so that helped in lowering my expectations.  But I think even without that mindset the film was adequate, and none of the things I’d expected.  Agreed the story progression slowed down in the 2^nd half and I felt some aspects of Johnny Haliday’s character were brought in a little too late, making it feel tacked on to invoke our sympathy towards his somewhat extreme motivations.

And despite any shortcomings, I have no regrets attending this screening for the opportunity to hear the Q&A with Colin Geddess and Johnnie To, which included humorous tales about when Colin went to visit the Milky Way Films’ studio.  Johnnie To also talked about his usual crew of actors, and gave us some background on how Lam Yeut got his start.  Very interesting and fun.  Then signing autographs and being an all around decent guy on his way out, well that was an even bigger bonus.  It all became a highlight of my festival.

3/5

Accident – Dir. Pou Soi Cheang

For much of TIFF, Accident was the most thought-provoking film of the fest for me.  Deliberate acts carefully crafted to look like accidents is attention grabbing unto itself, but Louis Koo does a good job of taking us further into his character, the obsessive leader of this group of “accident” stagers whose delusions overtake his abilities to reason.  The brilliance is that we start to unravel with him, the world he’s shown to us begins to overtake our objectivity as well.  Also intriguing is the ebb and flow of fate portrayed in this story – SPOILER:  how he suspected the every day guy was stalking him, but the every day guy had no reason to kill him until he wound up giving him a reason in his delusions.  Makes you think.

Philosophy aside… Contrary to my expectations, Accident wound up being more noir-ish than Vengeance, it summoned images of Seven and made me think of Melville’s work with the strong focus on a single lead that lives his life neither black and white but in a perpetual shade of grey.  I believe both Vengeance and this film had a common goal, but Accident’s story is fresh and inspired.  It draws from the genre rather than copy it.

4/5

TIFF 09 Round Up - Part 2

My Queen Karo - Dir. Dorothee Van Den Berghe

Amsterdam, 70’s, squatters, leftist free thinkers, revolutionaries and not to mention good advance buzz, just a handful of reasons why I was looking forward to seeing My Queen Karo. But that’s just the back drop, the story centres around a young girl and the relationships within her expanding family in the age of free love, giving it a more universal theme told with innocence and free of convention from the eyes of child. The Q&A following this film also provided some insight on the casting of the child lead and the filmmakers relationship to the setting. I enjoyed My Queen Karo but when sandwiched in the middle of 30 films, it doesn’t shine. It’s subtle complexities are thoroughly engaging and I would recommend checking it out.

3.5/5

I, Don Giovanni – Dir. Carlos Saura

Half music history lesson, half mind-blowing cinematography is how I would describe I, Don Giovanni, which is about De Ponte’s life in and around the time he and Mozart composed this very famous opera. Maybe it was because I was very tired, maybe it was because the emphasis really was on the aural and visual aesthetic, but I didn’t really feel like I absorbed enough of the story. Not to mention I have a tendency to stop reading subtitles during the singing numbers, I’ve always thought it more important to really hear the music rather than read and derive meeting from the words (might have something to do with my belief that “opera in English is still opera” haha). If you’re an opera fan or want to see some terrific sets, you should definitely take a look at this film.

2.5/5

TIFF 09 Round Up - Part 1

Hey, we're talking 30 films here, there will be nothing short and sweet about this no matter how you dice it.  That being said I have decided to dish it in small doses.

Ada's TIFF 09 got off to a good start but lacked real stellar-ness until day 8.  This was the first year I'd reached the 30 film mark and when you're trying to absorb that much in this timeframe, it really takes an extra something to stand out.  Many a film that I would normally recommended just becomes part of the movie mush in my brain come TIFF time.

Bright Star – Dir. Jane Campion

Like nurturing love, Bright Star takes patience and devotion to appreciate.  The finer points of the film are somewhere between the characters and the story, and need to be found between the layers of seeming tragedies bestowed on these doomed lovers.  There are scenes that are indescribably beautiful, but same as first love, it doesn’t last.  Mostly Bright Star is delicate, pretty, and slow.  I think one needs to be very used to British period romantic dramas to enjoy this, and even then it’s still trying.  I’d say it’s worth watching, and my pessimistic views might also come partially from the unfortunate reminder that I don’t really like Keats.  *shrug*  If you want to get into spoiler territory:  I didn’t like the ending.  In an earlier entry I made some quasi-joke about “is it better to burn out or fade out?” (hey I’m a child of the 90’s), not having seen the ending.  But now I’d like to revisit… I didn’t like the fade out ending, let’s face it, it was depressing – and not in a way that added to the film.  Ending with seeing his death firsthand would’ve been expected (not necessarily ideal), but for it to be nothing but a delivered message?  I thought there were better ways to end the film without making it too fairy tale or cliche.  Perhaps showing Fanny’s longing after he’s departed to Italy, and giving the details of Keats’ death in one line of text over black (because we all know he dies anyway).  Some voice over passage of his poetry describing love, or a past letter to Fanny as the picture fades… there was a part near the end where she reads one of his letters, which had some dreamy nostalgic imagery.  I think I was left more dissatisfied by the plodding in and around and after his death.  Any of my suggestions would have not only kept my interest, but probably shaved a good 10 mins off the film too – which I think audiences would have appreciated (considering the number of walk outs in the theatre) 

2.5/5

Broken Embraces – Dir. Pedro Almodovar

I'm not overly familiar with Almodovar's work other than Volver, but he’s got a way of propelling a story forward even when amidst a series of somewhat mundane events.  It contains strong and developed characters backed by a coherent story.  Penelope Cruz is terrific as usual.  The plot really wasn’t as abstract as I’d thought, on the contrary.  If you liked Volver, you must see Broken Embraces.  Almodovar is an auteur and I am sold, even if his work doesn’t bowl me over, I’ve developed a taste for its fluidity and beauty. 

3.5/5

Daybreakers – Dir. The Spierig Brothers 

This is not only a rip-roarin’ vampire gore-fest, it is a genuinely good movie that I would recommend to all horror/sci-fi fans regardless of their stance on cult/b movies.  All that is required is the ability to tolerate gore – squeamish need not apply.  Here you have all the makings of a respectable film – enjoyable performances by talented actors – Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe, good writing by the Spierig brothers, and all the bells and whistles of a decent-sized Hollywood budget.  I thought it was truly innovative portraying vampires not only as the dominant race, but one struggling for its survival and exploring so many relevant social and moral issues from a fresh perspective.  This is likely the most impressive horror film I’ve seen since The Eye by the Pang Brothers broke new ground for Asian (esp Thai) horror suspense, and the best Midnight Madness film programmed this year. 

4.5/5 

Stay tuned for many, many more reviews...

Day 13 and still recovering

10 days, 30 films, 4 volunteer captain shifts, 2 cabs, 4 naps during screenings, 2 autographs, and 1 party

And all too soon, another TIFF has wrapped.  My last few days became so hectic I began shedding all things non-detrimental, and after a while that included my netbook.  Let me tell you, it's easier to "run" from venue to venue without it.

I saw my best films in the final days of the fest and hope to share my reviews soon.  Some friends complained of mediocrity this festival, I would agree my picks weren't the best they ever were, and it ended on a very mediocre note with Ong Bak 2, but I wouldn't say it was bad (the fest, not Ong Bak 2, that was blatantly bad)

Many of us comemorated the end of TIFF by sleeping more in one night that we had for 1.5 weeks, and met up that evening at the Staff & Volunteer Party.  Then the return to real life, which has been anti-climatic to say the least.

I hope you will check back in the days to come for the full reviews.

Can't wait for TIFF 2010!

SIX films on Day 9 and still standing!

Ladies and gentlemen, I finally have a stand-out film for TIFF 09 - Mr. Nobody

It's a real thinker, to the point that if by some miracle it were chosen for People's Choice tomorrow, I would gladly see it again.  Many have broached the topic of alternate lives, the butterfly effect, and love through different worlds and time, but few quite as spectacular as what Jaco Van Dormael has done here.  You'll leave the theatre after 2hrs 15mins with your head spinning and brimming with questions, but entertained and awed at the same time.

Of the other films today, I'm delighted to say I have a number to recommend.  They include:

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
Whip It
Perrier's Bounty
Hipsters

I'll see EVERYONE at The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus and Ong Bak 2 tomorrow!

Dazed and Confused on Day 8

At least I think it's day 8... lol

I've been on holiday from my regular job since yesterday and done my volunteer shifts as of last night - how did I celebrate?  I celebrated by sleeping through the bulk of Soloman Kane! :P  I find that a little odd since I still managed to pick up on all the important plot points and survey the scene composition, special effects, and battle sequences.  Not sure what the says about the movie and it's potential simplicity.  I won't venture a review though, I don't think it would be fair.

I've made lots of notes on films throughout the festival and will post them here shortly (I hope).  We've all been struggling to name our stand out film of TIFF 09 but I have to say, after seeing Micmacs today, that might have to be it.  It didn't surpass the rest by miles or anything, but is definitely of a higher calibre and I greatly enjoyed.

For now I want to end of my blurb about Vengeance, which I saw two nights ago (on day 6, where I also got to meet and greet Johnnie To - by meet I really mean saying "can I get your autograph?" in Cantonese but whatever)...

Much as I admire Johnnie To, I had pretty low expectations for Vengeance.  I mean, this is a man who does dirty HK gangsters and low/mid level hitmen, and now this is his foray into the Melville-esque film noir realm - let's face it, LOTS of room for error there, getting over the top, especially when you're blessed with a big budget and a french rock star.  But no, it was fine.

You could argue that the story progression stalled halfway through the film, or that certain parts felt like they were written in too suddenly to give the character more significance, but none of it was a deal breaker for me.

The Q&A with Colin Geddess and Johnnie To (this is video from my camera - currently "being converted" on Megavideo at the time of this posting, so you might have to wait to see it, it's the full Q&A though) was the best part of the screening though.  Colin inserted little tales of him meeting Johnnie To and visiting Milky Way's studios in Hong Kong.  Johnnie talked about the crew of actors he often works with, gave us a back story and Lam Yuet and how he got his start.

For me personally, it was all topped off by getting Johnnie To's autograph :)  When he was leaving out the front of Ryerson he had to walk by me, I smiled at him and he even patted my arm as he went by!  What a great guy! :)

In the ticket line for Vengeance on Day 6

It's not another year at TIFF without a Johnnie To film so here we are on Gerrard, catching up and catching a quick bite.

Only problem with blogging amidst a crowd of friends... is you are terribly distracted.  Hearing some buzz about Bad \Lieutenant 2.

Jean Charles was more Brazillian than British - than I expected, not that it was bad.

Film Recap halfway through day 6:

1 Bright Star
2 Broken Embraces
3 Daybreakers
4 My Queen Karo
5 I, Don Giovanni
6 Accident
7 Loved Ones
8 Wheat
9 Invention of Lying
10 Bitch Slap
11 Jean Charles

What have you seen so far?  Recommendations?

B*tchslapped on Day 5!

I'm still mulling over how I feel about the Loved Ones, I'm guessin I'm ok with it (I mean, I didn't dislike it)

But no doubt about it, Bitch Slap was awesome.  We're not talking Oscars here, more like one big Russ Myer love fest full of catfights, chessey green screen, flimsy storyline, and extended girl on girl that is sooooo bad it's good!

Please note Zoe Bell on the right, in attendance tonight.  She was the stunt coordinator of this movie.

In terms of less offensive films (haha) Wheat is beautiful but I much preferred Ping He's last film Warriors of Heaven and Earth and Ricky Gervais' The Invention of Lying is an all around crowd pleaser.  Best part of rushing the latter was Bill Nighy driving by Queen St., where he slowed down, rolled down the window and hung out of it to wave to the line.  What a great guy!

Day 4

Nailing someone's feet to the floor?  Drilling into a skull?  Nay!  If you really want to make the boys in my completely desensitized crew cover their eyes and wimper in fear... show 'em an incest film!

Gotta be in the office in 6 hours, g'nite!

Mayhem & Movies on Day 3

Call me a sap, but I think the coolest parts of today was running into some old faces from University - Wendy Foster who shot my 4th year film and Catherine MacKinnon who currently lives in LA!  Also in town from old Rye High is my good friend Rick Davis, whom I've yet to see.

Spent 9-5 at the Elgin where we had the repeat screening of The Informant with Mr. Soderbergh and then Hugh Heffner and his bunnies showed up for the documentary about him.  For a day shift, especially one where I'm back to back with Marguerite at the Winter Garden, I would have to say it was pretty darn hectic.  Not that it took away from my enjoyment of part one of Fancy Hat Weekend for the Volunteers of Elgin/Winter Garden though.

Movie-wise, getting into film #3 - Daybreakers at midnight last night was harrowing!  For the first time in who knows how long (ever?) almost the entire rush line got shut out! (Kudos to MM & Colin but crappy for the rest of us!)  Had to play every card to get myself into the theatre, so taken by surprise were all of us that I even had to leave poor Eddy outside after he lined up for me since 10pm (I owe ya one man).  I was lucky J's quick on his feet because Daybreakers so far is my top pick of the fest, whether you're a horror/sci-fi fan or not, if you can stomach a little (ok, a decent amount) gore, you HAVE to check this one out.

Successfully rushed My Queen Karo, which is really a delight.  It's got some otherwise controversial imagery but it never feels exploitative (is my grammar off there?), the girl gave such a good performance and the entire film was very engaging.  Completely unrelated to the film itself, I had to do a ticket hand-off to Ryan M. and the lights had just gone down when I entered.  Could've been quite a pickle had I not literally walked right into Ryan as he was coming out to find me lol.  It was one of those moments where we weren't quite sure it was the other except it had to be. (maybe you had to be there.) 

Got the 4 for 1 hook-ups for I, Don Giovanni after that, even rounded up Adrian so we could see a film together - the first one we've seen together at RTH since Spider!  I can't say I'm familiar with Carlos Saura's work but his vision combined with his cinematographer's was stunning!  I have to admit, it was quite a bit of opera for someone on 4 hrs sleep after a full day of volunteering, but I knew what I was going to, and I don't know too many people who've had more musical training than Adrian and I so we can completely appreciate it, are familiar with the characters etc.  Not gonna lie, I was struggling for the greater part of it, but forced myself to keep my eyes open just to see the lovely costumes and visuals.

Just finished up some 1am grocery shopping (I figured it was my only chance), going to scrounge for lunch food and pack up my bag, then grabbing some sleep before going back to the Elgin for 9:30.

Day 1

Well, that's Day 1 in the books.  It was a questionable start but in the end I'm still pleased I managed to see 1hr and 15 mins of Bright Star with a likely chance of seeing the ending tomorrow night.

Our attempts to rush Broken Embraces was a complete success, from securing spots in line to scoring good seats.  Making fast friends in line and getting a chance to catch up with old faces while waiting.  The best part of the first few days of TIFF is always seeing the people that you only get to encounter once a year :)  Followed closely by the swag lol!  Nothing grand yet (unlike the festival where I got a webcam on the first day) but the Blackberry people did come by and try to help us install a cool new BB TIFF app onto our phones!

Penelope Cruz did come to the Elgin but blew by in a breeze far, FAR from our views from the rush line.  But the real stargazers were the startling crowd position across the street from us... hope you guys had better luck.

Not to toot our own horn, but the Elgin & Winter Garden is still the best place to rush a film.  And even better when the film turns out to be pretty great!  Broken Embraces is a popular draw of course due to Director Pedro Almodovar and actress Penelope Cruz, and I have to say, if you liked Volver, you really need to see this one.  The plot wasn't nearly as abstract as my good friend Chris Beer made it to sound as he was summarizing it from the book while we were in line -- in hindsight I really wish I'd taken a video of that!  It is coming out in theatres soon, so if you don't catch it at TIFF, be sure to see it when it's released.

It's off to bed for Ada now, I have to make an appearance at the office tomorrow, before an 8 hr volunteer shift, which will most likely be capped off with the Midnight Madness screening of Daybreakers -- what can I say MM?  I just can't stay away!

Better to burn out or fade out?

Well I'd love to log my first movie review of TIFF of Jane Campion's Bright Star except that they had the last reel (or what I assume must be the last reel given the time) loaded backwards

haha rather amusing from where I'm sitting now, but at the time I was rather annoyed.  Kudos to the Varsity staff member who solved the volunteer voucher issue in a jiffy.  It's true this was the only screening of Bright Star I was able to attend, but as volunteers often have an opportunity to see part of the 2nd film of the night at the Elgin, I think I will take advantage of that perk tomorrow night and step into the theatre around 10:30 to find out how this little film ends

Thus far I recommend the first 1.5 hrs of Bright Star, I'll let you guys know how the final quarter affects my overall opinion.

Now to dash home for some dinner before heading back out to rush Broken Embraces.

One more sleep!

Laundry done? Vitamin C supplements restocked? Lunches & dinners made & frozen? Or do you have the luxury of eating take-out for the next 10 days? Any way you slice it, TIFF is finally upon us! Here's to 10 sleepless days in the surreal world we call festival!

Obviously when we think TIFF it's about the movies, but I want to take a second to tip my hat to some of the other aspects that make TIFF such an enjoyable event for me - that being the people that I keep company with during these 10 days every year. Is this just a blatant excuse for me to post embarrassing photos of yester-year of my friends? Maybe so, but there's no denying - we got our moniker as "the friendly festival" for a reason!

This is my 11th year as both a TIFF-goer and volunteer, I've spent 10 of those years putting in my volunteer hours at the Elgin, needless to say much of the laughter and tears were had and shed there. As my long-time partner in crime (and fellow volunteer captain), Candy, often says to me, what keeps us coming back to the theatre is the people. I can't speak for any other venue, but our team of captains and is a tight-knit crew.

Hanging out with the Elgin captains of TIFF 2005

This was Yonge Street outside the Elgin the night Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, etc. came to attend the screening of The Asassination of Jesse James. (Sorry for the blur, phone cameras were not nearly as advanced 2 years ago lol)

The team of captains - Melanie, me, Michael, and Candy - bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on the day after Brangelina & co. invaded the Elgin at TIFF 2007 haha

Some of our spectacular volunteers - still cheerful at the end of a long shift during TIFF 08

Some of the Elgin/WG captains & staffers on our way to rob a bank after shift at TIFF 08

When I'm not at the Elgin, the usual plan to see movies non-stop. I saw ONE film during my first year at TIFF in 1999, but have adequately redeemed myself by averaging about 25 films per festival in the last few years. This isn't an easy feat, fitting in 20-something films, especially when you're also working and volunteering at the same time. There are many opportunities to see a sold-out show by getting into the "Rush" lines at TIFF, but this can be a time-consuming practice to say the least. This is where the friends come in. A network comprised of close friends, people that I see once a year at TIFF, and those that fall somewhere in between. Together we cover each other off in rush lines, save seats for the group, do recon, act as placeholders, food deliver-ers, and even pillows for one another when you've over-taxed yourself and simply can't stay awake in the theatre.

 

Armed with caffeine and waiting in the rush line during TIFF 2005

We used to enjoy many a gala screening at Roy Thompson Hall - a couple friends and I waiting to go in during TIFF 06

Here we have a group of Asians ... waiting it out again at Roy Thompson Hall for a Woody Allen film at TIFF 07

All smiles before Sheitan at TIFF 06 - last screening

Pic 1 of the over-enthused crew at the A L'Interieur screening - the final Midnight Madness film of TIFF 07

Pic 2 of the crew waiting for A L'Interieur to start

Though never on shift and never to be taken for granted, we've also had some chances to see & meet some talent and filmmakers over the years.

Director Wilson Yip, our own Colin Geddess, Sammo Hung, and Wu Jing at the Midnight Madness screening of SPL

J and I got some prime seats for the Across the Universe Gala with a clear view of the cast including Evan Rachel Wood on the left.

The directors of A L'Interieur were happy to hear how massively disturbed we were by their film.

Darrin getting an autograph from Anthony Wong when he came to Toronto during TIFF 08

Showing Prachya Pinkaew, director of Ong Bak and Chocolate our moves after the midnight screening of the latter in TIFF 08

And with that we're off to the races!  Happy TIFF-ing everyone!

I know Harvey!

I was sent this globe and mail article by a friend and former TIFF volunteer this morning, it's about a fellow volunteer the we - and everyone who attends any arts festival in Toronto should know very well for his tireless efforts.  Volunteering is Harvey's full-time occupation, he's spent years going from festival to festival, often even doubling up in order to pitch in and provide his expertise all around.  I've personally never met another like him, and it comes as no surprise to me that filmmakers are fighting over who gets to make a documentary about him.

EVERYBODY KNOWS HARVEY
by ANTHONY FUREY


Special to The Globe and Mail Last updated on Wednesday, Sep. 09, 2009 03:16AM EDT

From tearing tickets at the Toronto Fringe to handing out programs at North By Northeast, you could spend almost every day of the year volunteering at a Toronto festival. Harvey Lalonde does just that. The 47-year-old has been a full-time festival volunteer for 14 years. On busy weeks, this film buff clocks upwards of eighty hours of service, subsisting on free popcorn and volunteer lunches and catching up on sleep during the two-hour commute to his home near Pearson airport.

But now the camera will turn on Mr. Lalonde. His life has inspired the documentary You Know Harvey, an effort that the filmmaker hopes will promote his cause of finding paid employment. "I don't think he's aware of how he represents himself," says Linda Matarasso, whose 2008 film Rockstar has been screened in Canada, the United States and Russia. Mr. Lalonde is friendly, but his rumpled fashion and poor hygiene leave a bad first impression. He frequently sports free hats and t-shirts given away at festivals and attributes his scarcity of teeth to an inability to afford dental care. "If people knew about his position," says Ms. Matarasso, "I think they'd help him."

Ms. Matarasso first met Mr. Lalonde while volunteering at the ReelWorld Film Festival in 2003 and got to know him better after casting him as a zombie in her 2008 film, Urban Zombies.

When Ms. Matarasso approached Mr. Lalonde with the idea of making a documentary about him, his response surprised her. "I said, 'You'll have to get on the list,' " recounts Mr. Lalonde. "At the time, I had about five people ask me."

Eventually Ms. Matarasso prevailed and began this June to film him working his shifts. She also interviews his colleagues, including ReelWorld Film Festival founder Tonya Lee Williams.

Mr. Lalonde worked as a restaurant attendant, video-store clerk and CNE cleaner prior to becoming a festival volunteer, a lifestyle he maintains through the small social assistance he receives. But the dozen-plus years of corralling queues and handing out programs seem like they're wearing on Toronto's supervolunteer. As a result, this year he sought paid employment with both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Bloor Cinema, which he calls "a home away from home."

But when TIFF declined hiring him they cited lack of experience as their reason. Ms. Matarasso doubts their sincerity as Mr. Lalonde has performed similar roles in his 14 years of volunteering with them. "I never see him spend money on anything - glasses, dental work," she says.

This past week she arranged for Mr. Lalonde to visit Great Glasses on the Danforth, where he was given a free replacement for his thick, outdated pair. Ms. Matarasso hopes the film will compel others to bestow their generosity on Mr. Lalonde, who is pleased with the attention he's receiving: "These days," he says, "my name seems to be on everybody's tongue."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/everybody-knows-harvey/article1277378/

This photo is of Harvey and I at a TIFF party in 2005.  If you didn't recognize his name, surely you will recognize his face.






Although I have not confirmed with him, Harvey is most commonly found at TIFF captaining during the Midnight Madness screenings at the Ryerson Theatre.

Pre-TIFF Tally

Ok, half a day pass and some volunteer vouchers, minus a few favours and "private transactions" (for lack of a better description) later, I am currently in possession of 14 hard tickets and looking forward to earning 16 more vouchers to complete my TIFF movie selections.

Each year a bunch of us wild, rollicking, and generally insane moviegoers converge around 2am to line up at the TIFF box office the night before single tickets go on sale. But long before that, our inboxes will see many a group email planning for this night. We'd assessed the issue of which box office to go to based on number of kiosks, popularity in location, acessibility to public washrooms, 24 hr coffee shop, etc.

Our initial decision was to go to Nathan Phillips Square, where, by the way, the fry truck and hot dog stand - not to mention pristine Sheraton Hotel washrooms are available all night. Although not walled, there is also some overhead shelter provided should it start to rain - no wonder it's hobo city down there, they've got it made!

I made of point of sleeping a little bit less the night before, and then enjoying a cup of chamomile tea on the walk home (maybe the word "enjoy" is the wrong description for the combination of hot tea & 24C weather, but it served its purpose) so that I would sleep like a log from the hours of 7pm to 12:30am.

However putting myself out of commission during those hours, caused me to miss Eddy's initial warning that there was already a line-up of 15 persons by 11pm at NPS! This was cause for a bit of alarm when I woke up, but all were dispatched quickly once the word got out.

Upon doing some recon at Metro Square, Darrin and Adil sent word to the rest of us, who were 20-something in line at NPS that it was still deserted over on King St. We debated spreading some (humourous to us) false rumours at NPS, but in the end just high-tailed it over to secure out first-group-in-line spots.

It takes a certain kind to do this overnight line-up, these are just a couple of pics of the fellas I'm in cahoots with:

However it's also some of the greatest company I keep on a yearly basis, these freaks and geeks inspire me to be more obsessive, more movie-informed, and throw caution and sleep to the wind. Not to mention our efforts always pay off in the end.

And with that I give you my updated TIFF 09 Schedule:

Thu Sep 10
3:45pm - Varsity - Bright Star P&I (RUSH)
9:30pm - Elgin - Broken Embraces (RUSH)

Sat Sep 12
6pm-ish - My Queen Karo/Up In the Air (RUSH)
9pm-ish - The Disappearance of Alice Creed/Solitary Man (RUSH)

Sun Sep 13
9:30pm - Scotia - Accident (RUSH)
11:59pm - Ryerson - The Loved Ones

Mon Sep 14
7:00pm - Tanner Hall (RUSH)
9:00pm - Invention of Lying (RUSH)
11:59pm - Bitch Slap (RUSH)

*I will have to obtain tickets for at least one or two of these shows if I plan to catch all 3

Tue Sep 15
6:45pm - AMC - Jean Charles
9:15pm - Ryerson - Vengeance

Wed Sep 16
9:15am - Scotia - Leslie, My Name is Evil
12pm - Scotia - Youth in Revolt
11:59pm - Ryerson - Soloman Kane (maybe)

Thu Sep 17
9:45am - Scotia - High Life
12pm - Micmacs (most likely, I have a ticket but may trade it)
4:30pm - I, Don Giovanni (RUSH)
8:30pm - A Single Man (RUSH) (maybe)

Fri Sep 18
9:00am - Varsity - Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky P&I (RUSH)
12pm - Ryerson - Whip It
2:15pm - AMC - Gun to the Head
(hop in cab)
4:15pm - Scotia - Perrier's Bounty
(hop in cab again)
6:00pm - Ryerson - Hipsters
9:00pm - Ryerson - Mr. Nobody
(go home and die)

Sat Sep 19
9:45am - Varsity - Dogtooth (most likely, I have a ticket but I might trade it)
12pm - Mother and Child (maybe - the titles & subject content are SOOO not me :P)
2:30 - Elgin - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
either 6pm Young Victoria or 9pm People's Choice, depending on the film, will be rushing either way
11:59pm - Ong Bak 2 (RUSH)

I hope to be able to obtain more advance/same day tickets as the festival gets going, so I won't be rushing more than a handful of films.