Choosing between Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and The Town last week required careful consideration at first. However, after reading how the sequel to the 1986 opus against unbridled capitalism fell off the rails in the final moments – apparently Oliver Stone chose traditional Hollywood fare over meaningful social commentary – the decision became much easier to make. Luckily, despite occasional threats to do the same, Ben Affleck kept it together — to the relief of all in attendance. Affleck’s second turn as a director demonstrates both skill and the potential for further improvement. The camera angles adeptly capture the …
T.I.F.F. 2010, Part V: Jaloux
The final film that I screened at this year’s festival was Jaloux, directed by Patrick Demers. The low-budget work was filmed over sixteen days in Northern Quebec without a script; the director began with a storyboard that outlined the action and the small cast refined each scene by reviewing each day’s rushes every evening. Consequently, the cast was invested in the product as much as the financial backers and everyone cared deeply about the final product. It is unusual for the cast to review their own work during production. Sophie Cadieux, Maxime Denommée, and Benoît Gouin were able to get …
T.I.F.F. 2010, Part IV: Essential Killing
If there is one piece of conventional wisdom challenged by the Toronto International Film Festival on a yearly basis, it is Hollywood’s reliance on traditional plot structure and repetitive themes. When a director brings their work to the festival, they can create something original based on a kernel of an idea that has formed in their head, exposing the audience to unique characters, surprising twists, and an entirely new experience. Essential Killing is one of those novel motion pictures. A Taliban soldier named Mohammed is captured and rendered to Poland after he is tortured by United States forces. On a …
T.I.F.F. 2010, Part III: The Big Picture
Also known as L’Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie, The Big Picture proved to be another excellent film. “Thank you for choosing this f—— film,” director Eric Lartigau told the capacity crowd at the Toronto International Film Festival. The f—— film focuses on Paul Exben, played by Roman Duris. Early in the film, his learns that his marriage has collapsed. Paul confronts Grégoire, his wife’s lover, and accidentally kills the man. He realizes that he must disappear so he assumes Grégoire’s identity and moves to the Balkans. The film is a dark character study of a tragic hero. Lartigau often …
T.I.F.F. 2010, Part II: Film Socialism
It was an odd sight to see a quarter to a third of the audience walk out of the Ryerson Theatre throughout the opening night screening of Film Socialisme at the Toronto International Film Festival. Many spectators struggled to make sense of the film that was purposefully obfuscated. This version of the film did not include subtitles; the premiere at Cannes included Navajo subtitles. Whether it is difficult to understand because of the language barrier or difficult to understand because of the subject matter is irrelevant to Jean-Luc Godard. The film must be difficult to understand because it seeks to …
T.I.F.F. 2010, Part I: Easy Money
After viewing countless flawed films, tolerating several superficial screenplays, and living with too many loose ends that have not been tied up, I was very happy to see Easy Money at the Toronto International Film Festival. A crime caper film with a twist, director Daniel Espinosa spends as much time exploring the personal lives of those who control the drug market in Sweden as he does the cocaine deal about to unfold. Consequently, the characters are fully developed and their motivations are known and understood. J.W. is a business school student who drives a cab and runs errands for a …
The Tillman Story
Another work which chronicles the brutality of war, The Tillman Story is incredibly disappointing. Not because the film is of dubious quality – the documentary is capable and competent – but because many leaders lied and let down the public who they were supposed to serve. Pat Tillman was a safety who played for the Arizona Cardinals before he decided to leave millions on the table and enlist in the Army Rangers. Tillman never articulated the reasons behind his decision and expressed a desire to be treated like any other soldier. Both wishes were ignored after he was killed in …
Lebanon
The emotions of soldiers at war is a topic that has been explored in countless films over the years, including documentaries, buddy-films, patriotic films, and tragedies. Lebanon is a bit of all four genres. Filmed entirely inside a tank, it provides a novel perspective on the Israel-Lebanon war of 1982. A tank crew undertakes a mission – succeeding some times and failing at other moments – knowing only what they hear over the radio or through the vehicle’s scope. The soldiers are overwhelmed by the situation (and apparently incompetent) although this seems to be part of director Samuel Maoz’s message: the …
The American
Based on the mediocre attendance Friday night at the Varsity Cinemas, it is dubious that The American will garner a significant share of the weekend’s box office receipts. This is unfortunate news because the film is likely one of the better films that is out there at the moment. It is not a top film – those will be released later in the fall – but it is wholly enjoyable. I have not seen The Expendables but I can imagine how that film might feature more explosions and more action with less substance. This is a slow-paced thriller that gradually …
Kurosawa Retrospective
Since 2010 is the centennial of Akira Kurosawa’s birth both Cinémathèque Ontario and the Bloor Cinema have organized screenings of some of the filmmaker’s most notable works. Watching Kurosawa’s films, especially those from his classic period during the 1950s and 1960s, one can appreciate his contributions as a director and screenwriter. The Seven Samurai: I’ve reviewed this film previously and can reaffirm that the film deserves its exalted place among cinema’s greatest achievements. The film introduces many storytelling techniques to cinema, such as introducing the protagonist via an unrelated caper that showcases their bravery, fighting skill, or sometimes ingenuity and …
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
The first installment of a two-part series, Killer Instinct chronicles the first part of Jacques Mesrine’s life of crime. when the gangster operated in France and Canada in the 1960s. Many aspects of the film are taken from other pictures; the film seems to be part Goodfellas, part Bonnie and Clyde, there is even a scene taken exactly from Thelma and Louise. Though the derivations – camera angles, plot elements, even a couple of nearly identical scenes – are obvious, the way that everything is deftly combined does not cheapen the film. Ultimately, there is no shame stealing from master directors …
Kubrick Retrospective
The works of Stanley Kubrick are innovative and insightful. Kubrick followed an esoteric career path, seemingly trying to master each major film genre – noir, war, science-fiction, period drama, horror, erotic thriller – while exploring what defines humanity. Many of the films are criticized for their length and lack of action; on the other hand, the pacing adds impact to the climactic scenes. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Stop the Bomb: Incorporating elements from many war films, such as archetypal characters with a cynical twist, Dr. Strangelove portrays how the military handles a critical situation …
Solitary Man
I meant to see Solitary Man for almost two months but something always got in the way. The film is mostly known for the performance of Michael Douglas as a disgraced businessman looking back on his youth and trying to move on. Actually, this film should have been the sequel to Wall Street; the screenplay seems better and it does not star Shia LaBeouf. A former car magnate experiencing a midlife crisis ruins his personal and business life with a series of indiscretions. After experiencing a significant amount of success, Ben Kalmen somehow became extremely arrogant. Believing that the rules …
Get Low
Some of the best character actors in recent memory carry Get Low. Robert Duvall plays Felix Bush, an infamous hermit who wishes to throw himself a funeral party, Bill Murray is struggling funeral home director Frank Quinn, and Sissy Spacek is Bush’s former flame Mattie Darrow. Director Aaron Schneider faithfully recreates a rural community in Depression-era Tennessee (the tough economic times are the sole reason why Quinn – who is in financial trouble despire working in the one business everyone needs – humours Bush’s wishes); like America, the small town is full of characters both old and young who are …
Discourse on Documentaries, Part I: War and Sheep
Complex criteria are employed to evaluate documentaries, even more than other genres. Is a documentary judged based on the story or cinematography and direction? The best documentaries showcase a bit of both but a film about a controversial and enthralling issue can surpass a tiresome topic filmed with more craft. Restrepo is a shocking film, chronicling an American platoon’s fifteen month tour in the Korengal Valley. The Korengal region is one of the most dangerous in Afghanistan, on par with Kandahar and the Pashtun regions. Two documentary filmmakers imbedded in the unit film dangerous operations and mundane daily activities. The …
Inception
Inception is the rare film which is critically acclaimed, visually stunning, and a box-office success. Reviews advertised that the plot would be complicated but anyone who possesses the ability to note details and a short-term memory of at least two hours should be perfectly fine. Unfortunately, cinema-goers who screened Shutter Island will be distracted by similar plot themes and Leonardo DiCaprio’s nearly identical performance. What is real? What is imagined? Where does reality end and dreams begin? Too many films have covered this question and this detracts from the film’s appeal. I was bracing for an ultimate clichéd twist but …