Rush lines thwarted attempts to view Rembrandt’s J’accuse and Invisble City. The former may never be screened again in Toronto but the popularity, critical acclaim, and local content of the latter bodes favourably for future screenings. Nevertheless, I was able to screen a trifecta of films during this year’s festival.
Act of God is a subjective look at the effect of lightning.
– Why him and not me?
– Since not everyone was killed, God must know what he is doing
– How do I go forward?
The answer – uncovered differently by different people – is that you just do it. Lightning is a symptom of a universe as chaotic as our own minds and there is no real logic (that we understand) behind its actions. **
69 recounts the demolition of the Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen and the concurrent battle between the city and a tribe of outsiders who had been operating the house as a hostel since 1982 Viewers watch the year-long dispute from the perspective of the youth who protest for a new home and search for belonging in society. Some confrontations are violent as the Danish police prove far more aggressive than their Toronto counterparts; others evolve in populist demonstrations.
The outcasts outmaneuver the mayor and the issue is spun into a debate about youth and low-income housing. The original house is demolished but a new one is founded a year later. At the conclusion of the film, the exact details are unclear but there is a sense the Ungdomshuset residents proved their point although further research would suggest that the film ignored the eleven protesters sentenced to a year in prison. Nobody is innocent and perspective is entirely relative. **½
Shadow Billionaire proved to be the most interesting of the three films. After the mysterious death of enigmatic businessman Larry Hillblom, a number of illegitimate children step forward to claim their inheritance. Apparently, Hillblom had been sleeping around — everywhere. A legal tug of war ensues over the estate between the executors and the potential heirs. Scores of lawyers become involved, including the State Attorney General for California, each seeking a piece of the half-billion dollar pie.
The film gradually reveals more twists and turns as the legal web becomes increasingly tangled. The diligence and logic of a Filipino attorney in the face of large blue chip law firms finds a resolution in the details of the case. The most thoughtful argument wins, not the loudest one. ***