Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Nine - "Red Lights," "The Big Picture," "At Ellen's Age"

Red Nights

Director(s): Julien Carbon & Laurent Courtiaud
Stars: Carrie Ng
Country of Origin: France/Hong Kong

Why I Chose this Film: I have never seen a film with cult icon Carrie Ng, best known for her work from the late 80's and early 90's, such as Naked Killer (1992). She doesn't work very often, and I was interested in this Midnight Madness selection from these first time directors.

The Rundown: Red Nights felt like a pretty uninspired film. I didn't see the midnight premiere, and about 15-20 people left halfway through the screening I attended due to a very graphic mutilation scene that looked very similar to Martyrs (2008). The plot is a bit silly and it's apt to describe the film as similar to Italian giallo cinema. Carrie Ng is captivating to watch, though she didn't have much of interest to do. 4/10

The Big Picture

Director: Eric Lartigau
Stars: Romain Duris, Niels Arestrup, Catherine Deneuve
Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: Well, Catherine Deneuve again, though I usually enjoy seeing Duris and Arestrup as well. I was unfamiliar with the Douglas Kennedy novel on which this is based, along with the director.

The Rundown: I was very pleasantly surprised with this engrossing drama, which stars Duris as a man that, well, accidentally kills his wife's lover and must dispose of the body. Deneuve has a small role as Duris' boss, but it's a completely unpredictable and satisfying drama. 9/10


At Ellen's Age

Director: Pia Marais
Stars: Jeanne Balibar
Country of Origin: Germany

Why I Chose this Film: I do love German cinema and was intrigued by the positive word of mouth and also the presence of French star Balibar.

The Rundown: Balibar stars as a flight attendant that receives two bad pieces of news in a matter of hours that changes her life considerably. Basically we're led on a strange and exciting journey as we watch her become involved in what seem to be random situations. She seems to floundering, but is she? An interesting and unpredictable story about a woman at the end of her rope, Balibar is captivating. 8/10