Attendance at any film festival needs to be supported by a philosophy of zero expectations. The tenets of such a philosophy are a hope for the best possible outcome (a memorable screening of a film that would have otherwise been missed) tempered by little emotional involvement ahead of time and no entitlement to anything beyond ninety minutes of entertainment.
Grinders seems to be inspired by Sportnet’s incessant coverage of poker events. The tales of anonymous Toronto poker players are balanced with an interview with superstar Daniel Negreanu about the life he lives in Las Vegas. Negreanu has long since outgrown the underground games of his hometown – although it took two attempts to do so – and is shown practicing his golf swing on the putting green that he installed at his house.
Andre, Danny, and Lawrence come from different backgrounds but share the same dream of poker success. Whether by capturing a big championship or appearing on a reality show, they hope to win big. Like the film, the characters have lofty goals but fail to achieve them. Director Mike Gallagher, a grinder himself, never convinces the audience to care about these individuals. The players, not the game, are mostly not that interesting. In many ways, Grinders is like an episode of All Night Poker: harmless but meaningless fun.
The secretive nature of illegal poker clubs is matched by the desperation of the players, two elements in the city that many would prefer to ignore. Before anyone can match Negreanu’s level, they have to make a living first. Many must go to great lengths to do so. While they may be breaking the law, the grinders are not bad people. The same factors that draw them towards gambling motivate them to make bad choices, which hurts them in the long term. **½
Shown with the above film, Chance Encounters is a student film about two Toronto Transit Commission conductors who share two things in common: they are married and have both witnessed people commit suicide in front of their trains. Like Grinders, Chance Encounters deals with fate and the effects that it can exert on humans. There was nothing Shelley and Kevin could do to avoid these suicides yet they have to live with the consequences of choices made by others. No one exists in a vacuum but the film makes the mistake of keeping the two stories separate. The length of the short film prevents deep introspection but greater meaning could have been reached by showing how the husband and wife help each other cope. **
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop packed the Bloor Cinema, including the balcony and a good time was had by all. Films do not require drama to stand out. Conan’s tenure as host of The Tonight Show may have contained a great deal of drama but little of that is contained in this documentary, which instead focuses on the six-month period after he left the show when he was banded from appearing on television or DVD. During this time, he embarks on a cross-country tour which is humorous albeit not as funny as the improvised exchanges with Andy Ritcher and other writers.
The film includes many funny people and manages to at least equal the sum of its parts. Some of the comedy echoes the Late Show exchanges between Conan and Andy which added a great deal to the early days of the show. The film includes many funny people and manages to at least equal the sum of its parts. Some of the comedy echoes the Late Show exchanges between Conan and Andy which added a great deal to the early days of the show.
It’s challenging to assign a critical score to a film like this. While it profiles a very interesting comedian and the difficulties he experiences during his tour, such as exhaustion, demanding fans, frustrations with the tour manager, and separation from his family, the main value lies in the entertainment created by the steady stream of humour. ****