Sunday, October 24, 2010 - Hollywood Halloween: Sin-gnettes - Six Six Six Scary Short Films

Hello all you whores and hussies! Please join Joseph and I on Sunday, October 24th for our annual Halloween movie night. This year's theme is sin-gnetts (get it? like vignettes) and we will be featuring 6 delightful short horror films, or rather segments of horror film anthologies that I love and cherish. You will oooh, ahhh, and probably consume some alcohol.

Our corresponding food theme will be Horror D'oeuvres. I will be making delightful Monster Fingers, Eerie Empandas with Blood Cranberry Sauce, and the ever popular Witch's Bubbling Brew Punch. We ask that you also join in the fun and bring your own Horror D'oevre for sharing.

Also, the party theme will be Hollywood Halloween, so we encourage you to "dress up." Most of you may already have a costume by the 24th so if it's not Hollywood "themed" come dressed up anyway. During intermission we will play Hollywood Charades and the Best Performance (based on the votes of your peers) will be awarded a homemade Oscar.

The film line up will consist of the following:

1. Twilight Zone: The Movie: Segment 4 (1983) – Directed by George Miller (Mad Max; The Witches of Eastwick)
2. BugCrush (2006) – Directed by Carter Smith (The Ruins)
3. Creepshow: “The Crate” (1982) – Directed by George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead; Martin)
4. Night Gallery: “Eyes” (1969) – Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Joan Crawford
5. 3 Extremes: “Dumplings” (2004) – Directed by Fruit Chan (Don’t Look Up)
6. Trilogy of Terror: “Amelia” (1975) – Directed by Dan Curtis (Burnt Offerings)

Please RSVP....and many of you will be receiving a homemade invitation in the mail. Muahhhh!

Toronto Film Festival 2010: The Rundown

Well, I've managed to see a total of 35 cinematic features at this year's TIFF, and quite a few good ones. This year I have divided my selections into five groups. Merde Cinema, The Banal, Of Interest, Recommended and Best of Fest.

Merde Cinema:

1. Film Socialism (2010) Dir. Jean Luc Godard – France

The Banal, The Blah, the Banausic:

1. The Strange Case of Anjelica (2010) Dir. Manoel De Oliveira – Portugal

2. The Ward (2010) Dir. John Carpenter – US

3. 22^nd of May (2010) Dir. Koen Mortier - Belgium

4. The Sleeping Beauty (2010) Dir. Catherine Breillat – France

5. Heartbeats (2010) Dir. Xavier Dolan – Canada

6. Red Nights (2010) Dir. Julien Carbon & Laurent Courtiaud – France/Hong Kong

Of Interest:

1. Trust (2010) Dir. David Schwimmer – US

2. Bad Faith (2010) Dir. Kristian Petri – Sweden

3. Monsters (2010) Dir. Gareth Edwards - UK

4. Julia’s Eyes (2010) Dir. Guillem Morales – Spain

5. What’s Wrong With Virginia (2010) Dir. Dustin Lance Black - US

6. Kaboom (2010) Dir. Gregg Arakki - US

7. A Night For Dying Tigers (2010) Dir. Terry Miles – Canada

Recommended:

1. Cold Fish (2010) Dir. Sion Sono – Japan

2. At Ellen’s Age (2010) Dir. Pia Marais - Germany

3. In A Better World (2010) Dir. Susanne Bier – Denmark

4. The Housemaid (2010) Dir. Im Sang-Ho – South Korea

Best of Fest:

1. Black Swan (2010) Dir. Darren Aronofsky - US

2. Dirty Girl (2010) Dir. Abe Sylvia – US

3. Incendies (2010) Dir. Denis Villeneuve – Canada

4. Potiche (2010) Dir. Francois Ozon – France

5. Special Treatment (2010) Dir. Jeanne Labrune - France

6. Three (2010) Dir. Tom Tykwer - Germany

7. Insidious (2010) Dir. James Wan - US

8. Buried (2010) Dir. Rodrigo Cortes - US

9. Love Crime (2010) Dir. Alain Corneau – France

10. Our Day Will Come (2010) Dir. Romain Gavras – France

11. Essential Killing (2010) Dir. Jerzy Skolimowski - Poland

12. Good Neighbours (2010) Dir. Jacob Tierney – Canada

13. Beginners (2010) Dir. Mike Mills – US

14. Blue Valentine (2010) Dir. Derek Cianfrance – US

15. Beautiful Boy (2010) Dir. Shawn Ku - US

16. Rabbit Hole (2010) Dir. John Cameron Mitchell - US

17. The Big Picture (2010) Dir. Eric Lartigau - France

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Eleven - "Essential Killing"

Essential Killing

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Stars: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner
Country of Origin: Poland

Why I Chose this Film: Vincent Gallo as a member of the Taliban and directed by Polish auteur Skolimowski? I was intrigued.

The Rundown: Skolimowski's film follows Gallo as he is taken prisoner after killing several US soldiers and his subsequent escape and survival in the snow mountainsides of an unnamed European countryside. Gallo doesn't have any dialogue and neither does a mute Ms. Seigner (wife of Roman Polanski) who helps him out towards the end of his journey. A beautiful, entrancing film with little to no dialogue, Essential Killing includes several scenes of violence and desperation. The best way to describe his performance is primal. As I write this I learn that he won Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for performance---and I can see why. Gallo isn't my favorite film presence, but he picks compelling material to be involved in and this virtually silent film is poetry in motion----poetry of survival. 10/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Ten - "Special Treatment," "Rabbit Hole," "22nd of May"

Special Treatment

Director: Jeanne Labrune
Stars: Isabelle Huppert
Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: The inimitable Isabelle Huppert---once of my favorite actresses of all time, second only to Sigourney Weaver. Without the Toronto Film Festival, I would never have had the opportunity to see in theaters L'amour Cache (2007), The Sea Wall (2008), and White Material (2009). I hope to see an Izzy Huppert film every year I attend! Also, I am familair with Labrune's previous film, Beware of My Love (1998) starring Nathalie Baye, a rather disturbing film about a somewhat toxic relationship.

The Rundown: Well, I loved it. Huppert plays Alice, a 40-ish high class hooker that's become depressed and eagerly wishes to find a way another line of work but is not quite sure how to succeed in her endeavor. She becomes involved with a psychoanalyst as a client and begins to navigate her options...but not in the typical way you'd think. The film is surprisingly subtle and Isabelle gives an excellent performance, making the film, in my eyes. Ms. Huppert is no stranger to playing a prostitute, both early in her career in Godard's Every Man For Himself (1980), Heaven's Gate (1980) and more recently in La Vie Promise (2002). An exceptional treat. 10/10

Rabbit Hole

Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Weist, Sandra Oh
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: The combo of Mitchell and Kidman was irrestible in this adaptation of the celebrated stage play.

The Rundown: All three headliners give excellent performances in this meditation on grief and where you seek comfort in the process. Kidman and Eckhart lost their 4 year old son in a tragic car accident 8 months prior to the start of the film and we watch them basically try to pick up the pieces. It's always a treat to see Weist, here playing Kidman's pathetic mother. I'd be surprised if Kidman was overlooked in this year's Oscar race if the film is released in 2010. 9/10


22nd of May
Director: Koen Mortier
Stars: Sam Louwyck
Country of Origin: Belgium

Why I Chose this Film: I've read a lot about director Mortier's much hailed 2007 debut Ex Drummer and made a point to catch a last minute screening of this film.

The Rundown: 22nd of May centers around a bomb that goes off in a shopping mall. Afterwards, we follow Sam the security guard as he blames himself for not being able to have stopped this incident, and we watch him converse in his head with several victims of the incident. While this sounds compelling, I was failed to be moved by this somewhat tedious process. While Mortier finally manages to attain some level of pathos during the last 20 minutes, it wasn't soon enough for me to enjoy the flick. 6/10

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

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Eight - "Blue Valentine," "What's Wrong With Virginia," "Three," "Monsters"

Blue Valentine

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Stars: Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: After its Sundance premiere, the film was hailed as one of the most tragic love stories ever seen, at least as far as realism goes. Williams is an intriguing actress, constantly picking difficult and innovative directors to work with.

The Rundown: Well, it is extremely tragic and heartbreaking to watch the disintegration of a couples, especially as the director chooses to switch back and forth from when they forged their commitment to one another and the present time. Gosling and Williams are pitch perfect, and the climax is moving, memorable and quite sad. I also found myself it a an interesting study on all the wrong reasons a couple should get together. I'm curious to see what people think when it's released as I found myself definitely siding with one part of this couple over the other. 9/10


What's Wrong With Virginia

Director: Dustin Lance Black
Stars: Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Toby Jones
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: The directorial debut of the screenwriter of Milk (2008) has such a delightfully gay title I couldn't pass this up.

The Rundown: I felt a little lukewarm about this dark comedy coming of age tale about a teenager and his schizophrenic mother. Connelly turns in an interesting performance, but I was very distracted by her honey blonde hair. It's not that there's anything innately wrong with the film---I just thought it rang false throughout most of it, in particular, the teen boy's relationship with a terribly underwritten Emma Roberts. 7/10


Three

Director: Tom Tykwer
Stars: Sophie Rois, Devid, Streisow, Sebastian Schipper
Country of Origin: Germany

Why I Chose this Film: This is a return to Tykwer's native country after his venture into English speaking cinema with the excellent Heaven (2002), the dismal Perfume: Story of a Murderer (2006) and the entertaining but somewhat forgetable The International (2009).

The Rundown: Three tells a story of a childless couple of 20 years that both fall in love with the same man. It has to be hands down, the most classy, elegant and thought provoking film about a threesome that I've ever seen. I loved every minute of this feature and was delighted to see Tykwer at the North American premiere---a film to look for and experience. 10/10


Monsters

Director: Gareth Edwards
Stars: Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able
Country of Origin: UK

Why I Chose this Film: The plot, concerning an alien invasion on earth 6 years prior to the beginning of the tale, and a photojournalist who must get his rich boss' daughter from Mexico through the Infected Zone to the US.

The Rundown: It's an interesting and quite well made low budget film---but it's definitely not a monster movie. Rather it's a commentary about immigration with a pseudo District 9 (2009) atmosphere. Scoot McNairy revisits loserhood as he did with his other indie cred, In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2008). While the effects are quite good, I couldn't quite feel frightened about aliens that looked exactly like giant octopi. Or why travelers could only go North if they had means, and not fly to a different country and then to the US....but no matter. It's worth a look. 7/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Seven - "Buried," "Heartbeats," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Kaboom"

Buried

Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Stars: Ryan Reynolds
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: Receiving a ton of hype upon its premiere at Sundance, director Cortes revealed in May that his next projection, Red Lights, would be toplined by Sigourney Weaver. Also, this film did peak my interest on its own.

The Rundown: Yeah, the film is set entirely in a coffin with Ryan Reynolds, a contractor working in Iraq who has been abducted and is being held for ransom. Needless to say, there's several claustrophobic moments, and Reynolds gives a surprisingly intense performance. Kudos to Cortes for keeping me entranced for 90 minutes in one setting with the action consisting of his lead being on the phone---the only piece of film I can say it's like are filmed versions of Jean Cocteau's play, The Human Voice (as part of a 1948 Robert Rossellini film, Amore with Anna Magnani and a 1966 TV version with Ingrid Bergman). The final ten minutes are fucking great. 10/10


Heartbeats

Director: Xavier Dolan
Stars: Xavier Dolan
Country of Origin: Canada

Why I Chose this Film: I loved Xavier Dolan's 2009 debut I Killed My Mother, which he wrote, directed and starred in. Credited as cinema's latest wunderkind, he quickly followed up his feature a year later with this sophomore effort. While his first film was endearingly prententious, I was very excited to see what I felt about his latest.

The Rundown: Unfathomably pretentious. I was bored silly in this dull tale about a gay boy and his girlfriend becoming obsessed with a curly haired college kid. They both vie for his attention, and apparently experience some growing up in the process. Weak characterizations and a dull script aren't overcome by what appears to be Dolan attempting to create a visual flair or ambience. In the end, this threesome tale reeks of Bertolucci's The Dreamers (2003), (which I also didn't quite care for) and Dolan's repeated use of the song "Bang Bang" by Sheila (unless this was a different French cover, I'm not sure) also seems missplaced, especially if you've happened to see Francois Ozon's use of this cover in his short film A Summer Dress (1996). I wish he had taken a little more time before filming his sophomore effort so quickly. 4/10


The Sleeping Beauty

Director: Catherine Breillat
Stars: Carla Besainou
Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: Catherine Breillat, one of the most brilliant and prolific working directors today.

The Rundown: I enjoyed but was rather cool about Breillat's film last year, Blue Beard, a sort of modern retelling, or comingling with modern stories about women and their relationship to classic fairy tales. One of the young girls from the modern portion of that film stars in this latest fairy tale exploration. However, as interesting as I considred Blue Beard to be, I was bored silly with The Sleeping Beauty, mostly due to the performances of the young and older "Beauty." I felt like I could grasp what Breillat was doing here, and she excels at creating rather unflattering but intriguing portraits of femininity, but it was no sell for me. While it was a treat to see Breillat in person, I look forward to a return to material from earlier in the decade, such as Fat Girl, (2001), Brief Crossing (2001) or The Last Mistress (2007). 5/10


Kaboom

Director: Gregg Araki
Stars: Thomas Dekker, James Duval, Kelly Lynch, Juno Temple
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: Araki is one of the most intriguing directors working today. He cut his teeth in the New Queer Cinema movement and I've loved almost everything he's done. This latest work is considered an amalgamation of his body of work. After his last two stupendous features, Mysterious Skin (2004) and Smiley Face (2007) I was amped for this.

The Rundown: Sadly, I was a bit disappointed in Kaboom. I didn't find this to be like a hodge podge of his previous work, but more like a less daring and interesting reworking of his 1997 film Nowhere. I was extremely irritated with his male lead, Thomas Dekker, leaving Juno Temple the brightest spot of amusement in this mess about the impending end of the world and college students having pan sexual sex. It's interesting that the Kinsey scale is pointedly mentioned here and in Dolan's Heartbeats---both to ill effect. 6/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Six - "Beautiful Boy," "Incendies," "The Housemaid," "In a Better World," "Good Neighbours," "Insidious"

Beautiful Boy

Director: Shawn Ku
Stars: Maria Bello, Michael Sheen
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: Maria Bello, horribly underrated, is an actress who chooses daring, dark work. If you haven't seen her in fare like Downloading Nancy, 2008 or The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, 2009, seek them out.

The Rundown: And Ms. Bello doesn't disappoint here. Married to Sheen, they play a couple whose college age son is responsible for a violent rampage on a college campus killing several people and then killing himself. Focusing on the aftermath of an incident like this on the unassuming parents, Sheen and Bello anchor this moving and thought provoking film. The film is subtle, and kudos for director Ku for not making a film that could easily have been cliche. And Ms. Bello deserves an Oscar nod. As usual, she'll probably be neglected in the US come awards season, but she's extremely compelling to watch here. 8/10


Incendies

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Lubna Azabal
Country of Origin: Canada

Why I Chose this Film: Villeneuve has developed quite a reputation with his two previous films, Maelstrom, 2000, and Polyechnique, 2009, neither of which I've had the opportunity to see.

The Rundown: I must say, after seeing this film, I know I must see this director's previous films. Concerning a pair of fraternal Canadian twins whose mother dies leaving ominous instructions to her boy and girl to travel to the Middle East to find their father and a long lost brother. On their journey, they discover some shocking secrets about her, and their origins. With music by Radiohead (which I personally loved), the film is not what you think it's going to be. A dark, moving surprise, Incendies features a terrific performance from Lubna Azabal---if you see it, you won't forget it. 10/10


The Housemaid

Director: Im Sang-soo
Stars: Jeon Do-yeon
Country of Origin: South Korea

Why I Chose this Film: I'm not familair with Sang-soo's work, though I've been eager to see his past features, such as The President's Last Bang, 2005. Also, he cast Jeon Do-yeon, Best Actress winner at Cannes for Secret Sunshine, 2007. This is a remake of the 1960 film from Kim Ki-young.

The Rundown: On the surface, this film looks like a suspense thriller about a conniving young woman hired as a maid for a very rich and manipulative family. She gets pregnant by the man of the house, which quickly sours her relationship with the mistress of the house and the bitchy mother of the mistress. While the film was more of a social commentary piece, you won't soon forget the conclusion, with an entertaining performance form Do-yeon, though the woman that hires her, steals the show. Slightly trashy but entertaining, it's a film to look for. 8/10


In a Better World

Director: Susanne Bier
Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Mikael Persbrandt
Country of Origin: Denmark

Why I Chose this Film: Susanne Bier. If you haven't seen her work, check it out, favorites being the original Brothers, 2004 and After the Wedding, 2006. And I'd even champion her unfairly maligned American film, Things We Lost in the Fire, 2007.

The Rundown: A very compelling film and well made, In a Better World tells the story of two Danish families whose lives collide when two young boys become friends. The film depicts dangerous ideations of outcast and depressed children, and really speaks volumes about parenting and education. While not my favorite entry from Bier, it's worth watching. 8/10


Good Neighbours

Director: Jacob Tierney
Stars: Emily Hampshire, Jay Baruchel, Scott Speedman
Country of Origin: Canada

Why I Chose this Film: I haven't seen Tierney's much hailed 2009 film, The Trotsky, but the plot and cast sounded like a must see.

The Rundown: I was surpised to see Emily Hampshire (who played Sigourney Weaver's daughter in the excellent 2006 film, Snow Cake) looking so grown up---at first I thought she must be the daughter of Ally Sheedy. Good Neighbours is set during a snowy Canadian winter, where a serial killer is ravenously killing young women and three neighbours in an old apartment complex slowly find out strange things about one another. This is a bare bones synopsis, but this is a delightful dark comedy with Hampshire giving a hugely entertaining performance. 9/10


Insidious

Director: James Wan
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: While I don't particularily find James Wan (responsible for directing the first Saw, 2004) an intriguing director, the plot and principal cast sounded awesome.

The Rundown: I loved it. Completely creepy in the first half, and comical and entertaining in it's second, Wan described the film as this generation's Poltergeist, and I'd have to agree. I'm sure it will be released theatrically sometime soon and I highly recommend not reading anything about the film and just go see it. 9/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Five - "Our Day Will Come," "Potiche," "Black Swan," "The Ward"

Our Day Will Come

Director: Romain Gavras
Stars: Vincent Cassel
Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: The directorial debut of Gavras, son of Costa, and cousin of Kim Chapiron (who directed the underrated Cassel starrer, Sheitan, 2006).

The Rundown: Gavras has created a stunning film about a made up minority (red heads) and their fictionalized stigmatization in society. Olivier Barthelemy (also star of Sheitan) is our lead pariah, a lonely, pale red head that is taken under the wing of a dangerous and bored therpaist (Cassel, here a grizzled red head) and the two scour the French country side in a bizzare road trip concerning a possible rebellion or revolution. Gorgeous cinematography and beautifully arresting music intermingle with the dread of difference in this moving and memorable debut. 10/10


Potiche

Director: Francois Ozon
Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Jeremie Renier
Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: Francois Ozon is one of my all time favorite directors. This is the third Toronto fest I've had the opportunity to see his work (Angel in 2007 and Le Refuge in 2009 I would never had the chance to see in a theater without TIFF) here and he is paired with one of my all time favorite actresses once again, Ms. Catherine Deneuve. (Does anyone remember her comments after working with Ozon in 8 Women in 2002, where she griped that he loved actresses but not necessarily women?)

The Rundown: An excellent social commentary set in 1970's France about the women's movement, Deneuve is given an excellent role as the wife of the owner of an umbrella factory (which is of course a wink wink to her iconic role in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 1964) who must take his place running the company during a strike. A frothy, French and fucking witty film from Ozon, this is his lightest fare in quite some time. And I was able to be in the same room as Ms. Deneuve, who showed up to this North American premiere. She looked fabulous. 10/10

Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: I've been an Aronofsky nut ever since I saw Requiem For a Dream (2000) and it is perhaps the first film I saw where I realized that I was completely in love with cinema. I've loved every film he's done, thus far.

The Rundown: Believe the reviews---this is a cinematic tour de force. Ms. Portman's performance had chills running down my spine, perhaps enhanced and helped by Clint Mansell's score and the music of Swan Lake. Portman deserves an Oscar nod and Barbara Hershey I found to be stunningly creepy as well. I don't want to say too much other than that I loved this film and it's one of the best of it's kind. Cassell, Ryder and even Kunis excel here---see it when you have a chance. 10/10


The Ward

Director: John Carpenter
Stars: Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: New John Carpenter in a nearly a decade? I'm interested. An iconic director of such fare as the Halloween, 1978, and The Thing, 1981, he lost his stride in the 90's (I did enjoy his Village of the Damned 1995 remake, however) and I was hoping he took a much needed break and return with an amazing film.

The Rundown: Wrong. One of the most banal horror films I've seen for some time, this is like an overly long entry in the Masters of Horror series (which Carpenter directed two entries) and features some incredibly bad acting (Ms. Amber Heard) and some incredibly campy acting (Ms. Mamie Gummer, spawn of Meryl Streep) with an atrocious script and shoddy plot (in fact, I think this rips off Shirley Jackson's novel The Bird's Nest, for anyone familiar). I would be surprised if this gets a theatrical release. Poor John Carpenter. I was hoping for more, and it doesn't help that I saw it right after Black Swan. 4/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Four - "Julia's Eyes," "Beginners," "Dirty Girl," "Cold Fish"

Julia's Eyes

Director: Guillem Morales
Stars: Belen Rueda, Lluis Homar
Country of Origin: Spain

Why I Chose this Film: I loved the plot synopsis (woman slowly going blind of degenerative disease finds her already blind twin hanged in the basement) plus Guillermo Del Toro produced this film that also stars the lovely Belen Rueda, the star of the 2007 Del Toro produced The Orphanage.

The Rundown: While it gets a little wishy-washy melodramatic with some subplots that could have been eliminated, in my opinion, there are several noteworthy spooky moments. As Julia's impending blindness becomes inevitable, the tension is ratcheted up to a nice degree with a decent twist about the identity of the killer. While the ending borrows mercilessly of from Wait Until Dark, that awesome 1967 thriller starring Audery Hepburn, Morales manages to give it his own unique spin. And Rueda is always a treat to see, so I love that I managed to be at the world premiere where she showed up, along with the director and produce Guillermo Del Toro. 7/10


Beginners

Director: Mike Mills
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, Christopher Plummer
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: A fan of Mike Mill's 2005 film Thumbsucker, I was keen on this project learning Plummer would be playing a 75 year old dad coming out of the closet. I also have loved the gorgeous Melanie Laurent ever since she played Isabelle Huppert's in the 2007 L'amour Cache and I'm happy that Tarantino gave her a delicious breakout role in Inglourious Basterds, 2009. And Ewan has a very gay friendly year with I Love You Phillip Morris at last scheduled to be released stateside this December.

The Rundown: I loved this movie, which is more of a mid-life crisis movie for the McGregor character than it is a coming out story about his 75 year old father. Plummer is extremely moving and touching in his role as a crusty old man getting to experience a life he couldn't have lived when he married the mother of his child in the 1950's, waiting until she passed away to come out. Meanwhile, McGregor develops a comical and realistically quirky relationship with a traveling actress played by Laurent. My husband attended this screening and found it boring, but I found this film sad, beautiful, pathetic, life affirming and I was completely enchanted. I felt that Mills hit all the right notes with a quiet little story. Look for some great appearances from Mary Page Keller and Goran Visnjic. 10/10


Dirty Girl

Director: Abe Sylvia
Stars: Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Tim McGraw, Mary Steenbergen, Dwight Yoakam and Jeremy Dozier
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: I loved the description and word of mouth surrounding this film. I'm familiar with Juno Temple and her involvement with a number of high profile films in supporting roles---also, great word of mouth and stellar supporting cast.

The Rundown: Hands down, may be one of the best films I've seen in a long time, and certainly one of the best first features I've yet to see. Dirty Girl is a growing up comedy/drama set in 1980's Oklahoma about the self professed "class whore" and a chubby gay boy struggling with an abusive father and a passive mother. This is Juno Temple's star making performance, and quite an impressive first screen role for newcomer Jeremy Dozier. A film about growing up, discovering yourself, friendship, and a fabulous gay 80's soundtrack featuring several tracks from Melissa Manchester (who showed up for the premiere) Dirty Girl is an extremely moving, satisfying and entertaining film. 10/10


Cold Fish

Director: Sion Sono
Stars: Mitsuri Fukikoshi
Country of Origin: Japan

Why I Chose this Film: I've been eager to see Sono's last feature for some time, the 4 hour long Love Exposure (2008) and I've also been meaning to watch the cult favorite Suicide Club (2001) for some time as well. I happened to catch his Strange Circus (2005) some years back and remember it as ultra-violent and very strange.

The Rundown: Let me first say that my husband saw this film with me and absolutely hated it. While I can understand his negative response, I found the film compelling and subversive in it's way. An exercise in controversial ultra violence (but nowhere near something like, say, Ichii the Killer, 2001 from Takashi Miike) Cold Fish tells the tale of a tropical fish store owner, who happens to be a psyhcotic serial killer. Purportedly based on a true story of a dog kennel owner from the 1980's, Sono sets his tale in early 2009. Lots of gore, extreme violence and rape of women and strange and violent bloody sex of course aren't very funny, but there is a lot of black comedy threaded throughout Sono's feature---which made me laugh uncomfortably and guiltily several times. While it's frustrating to watch our lead character be so passive as to become a serial killer himself only because a more powerful and established tropical fish store owener is telling him what to do, the results, while based on a true story, are every telling about a cultural problem in Japan---standing up for what you believe in as an individual. While Sono's film depicts the ultimate nightmare and extreme of a possible predicament, it's not so implausible as to be written off as a straight up horror film. While it may not be for everyone, it definitely is compelling and controversial---and worthy of discussion. 9/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Three - "Trust," "The Strange Case of Anjelica," "Love Crime"

Trust

Director: David Schwimmer
Cast: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Viola Davis
Country of Origin: US

Why I Chose this Film: While not part of my top 30 picks, the trifecta of Owen, Davis and Keener (with emphasis on my love for Ms. Catherine Keener and the always moving Viola Davis) overrode any preconceptions I have for David Schwimmer as director (I've yet to see his first feature, Run, Fatboy, Run--2007). A time slot open on the morning of my third day at the fest found me bopping down to a screening of this drama.

The Rundown: While the title is rather forgettable and hardly memorable and the plot sounds like something that has the potential to drop into television film territory, I was actually moved to tears several times by some very powerful performances. Newcomer Liana Liberato stars as Annie, the second child of Keener and Owen. At the tender age of 14, she has been chatting online with a boy she thinks is only two years older. Film's dealing with "chat room" scenes often falter considerably, usually in tech thrillers like The Net (1995) or Halle Berry's A Perfect Stranger (2007). The film's use of Annie's chatrroom conversations appear on the screen as subtitles, usually while the characters are engaged in other activities---nice multi-tasking, but even so, the establishment of the relationship via chat convos still feels contrived and distracting. It's after the meeting of Annie and her online boyfriend (who turns out to be a 35 year old pedophile) and what he does to her that the film picks up speed and observes a quietly entrancing tension as Annie's family members find out what happened. All the key players are quite good, but it's Clive Owen that really knocked me out here as an angry, confused father that desperately wants to find the man that did this to his daughter. While the story is simple, overall, it's an imporant film for people to see due to the obvious but often overlooked subject matter. Being part of a generation that first began to experience "chat room" conversations as a young teenager, much of what happens in this film felt real, plausible, and terrifying. A suprise effort from actor cum director David Schwimmer. 9/10

The Strange Case of Anjelica

Director: Manoel de Oliveira
Stars: Ricardo Trepa, Pilar Lopez de Ayala
Country of Origin: Portugal

WhyI Chose this Film: Well, lauded as a Cannes favorite this past May, I regretted having missed out on Oliveira's Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl at the 2008 Toronto fest and I made it a point to get this in my lineup. Also, Oliveira, at 101 years of age, is the world's oldest filmmaker. With the recent deaths of French auteurs Alain Corneau and the amazing Claude Chabrol, I felt I better make an effort!

The Rundown: Oliveira's film tells the story of Isaac, a Portuguese Jew, who takes photographs as a hobby. One stormy night, he is sought out by an important family, whose young, beautiful daughter, Anjelica has tragically died. While he photographs her, he catches Anjelica's corpse smiling at him through the camera lens, which no one else sees. Isaac becomes obsessed and falls in love with her, imagining her spirit visits him at night and they float majestically together through the night skies. While a metaphysical/philosophical conversation among the tenants of where Isaac resides sheds some light on what may be happening with his, "spirit" or "energy," this doesn't add any weight to this simply, inarticulate, and elliptical tale. While not a bad film, Anjelica suffers from an extremely stiff performance from it's lead actor and in the end, I felt nothing in particular for what happened. 6/10

Love Crime

Director: Alain Corneau
Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Ludivine Sagnier
Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: Well, French master Alain Corneau passed away after I had made my selections, so I felt extremely lucky to have picked this as I've not seen any of his major works. My original reasoning was to see the incomparable Kristin Scott Thomas and one of my favorite French starlets Ludivine Sagnier go toe to toe in this black comic thriller.

The Rundown: I loved this movie. Kristin Scott Thomas was spot on as a manipulative, ballsy and bitchy viperous boss that manipulates the hell out of her underling Sagnier. Both women are sexy, intelligent, intense and engaging. I loved every minute of this frothy, French, sexy and cynical film. I would go more into plot details, but it's a revenge thriller that should just be seen to be enjoyed. 10/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day Two - "Bad Faith," and "A Night For Dying Tigers"

Bad Faith Director: Kristian Petri Stars: Sonja Richter, Jonass Karlsson Country of Origin: Sweden Why I Chose this Film: This film was on my radar, but didn't make my initial top 30. Strangely, all of it's screening times fell on holes in my film going schedule. The Rundown: An interesting little Swedish film that sets itself up like Repulsion (1965) on the streets, I think I appreciated the film the more I thought about it. Mona, a young woman who has just moved to Sweden and joined what appears to be a law firm (we’re given no details of her background or reason for moving to Sweden, though she speaks the language fluently) is portrayed by Sonja Richter in an intriguing performance (she resembles a young Amanda Plummer, and I thought she was about as twitchy). Mona’s creepy boss wants to hit on her and demands she meet him and her co-workers for a drink after work. On the way to meeting her co-workers, she stumbles upon a man recently stabbed in an alley, the victim of a serial killer currently terrorizing the city, known as the Bayonet killer. She examines the man, getting blood on her hands, stooping over him as the life slowly ebbs out of him. Rather than report this to the police, she stumbles in a daze to the bar where her co-workers are and promptly has to leave. On her way home, she sees another crime of violence, in which a long haired man beats another man senseless over a traffic incident. Threatening her to not stare at him, she walks away. Convinced she has just seen the Bayonet killer, she goes home and calls in to work using sick leave, and thus begins a potboiler of a thriller that involves Mona’s creepy boss, a stranger named Frank that enters her life the same evening, and the man she suspects to be the killer. All the while, we suspect that Mona may not have all her marbles in a row…..Interestingly, the film title refers to Sartre’s theory of Bad Faith----meaning, when you’re letting the outside direct how you act, you’re not being your authentic self---you’re being what people/society want you to be. 8/10

A Night For Dying Tigers

Director: Terry Miles

Stars: Jennifer Beals, Gil Bellows

Country of Origin: Canada

Why I Chose this Film: Sounding a bit like a Canadian Lawrence Kasdan picture mixed with something like Home for the Holidays (1995) and featuring the gorgeous and talented Jennifer Beals, this was a delightful sounding film of which I'd heard no word of mouth whatsoever.

The Rundown: From Canadian director Terry Miles, Tigers is one of those dysfunctional family movies where there’s way too much dysfunction to be realistic and the film often feels like a soap opera written by J.D. Salinger (whose work Franny & Zooey is reference accordingly). Three genius brothers and adopted sister are throwing a party for the eldest brother (Gil Bellows) the night before he is to serve a five year prison sentence for killing the supposed rapist of his mistress. His wife is played by the film’s strong point, a drop dead gorgeous Jennifer Beals. His other brother is the author of a canonized piece of literature and hasn’t written anything sense (more Salingerisms) and he brings his 19 year old girlfriend to the party. His youngest brother just filmed a movie in Swedish and has optioned the rights to his other brother’s famous novel. Meanwhile, the director has been having sex with the adopted sister, herself a pill popping mess whose lesbian college friend is catering the party and is also in love with her. The director is currently engaged to the ex-lover of the author brother and has just left his Icelandic producer or editor behind in Iceland. Their parents killed themselves in a cult-like Hale-Bop incident and everyone makes a lot of money in some type of artistic, creative way and they’re all viciously unhappy. Like I said, Beals gets to shine in a handful of key scenes, but all the happenings were more cause for eye-rolls than any genuine emotion. 7/10

Toronto Film Festival 2010: Day One - "Film Socialism"

Film Socialism

Director: Jean Luc Godard

Stars: Patti Smith, Alain Badiou

Country of Origin: France

Why I Chose this Film: Why, the last chance to see a major premiere of a new Godard film, of course (and blatantly overlooking most of the criticism it received at Cannes in May).

The Rundown: The film I was least looking forward to seeing this year (I usually don’t have one of those in my lineup) happened to be my first screening, and what may also stand as the last chance I would have of seeing the premiere of a new Jean-Luc Godard film. Overlooking the lukewarm criticism it received at Cannes, I plowed on ahead to Godard’s latest, Film Socialism. Unfortunately, this film was not only dreadfully dull, but an exercise in cinematic pretension. Apparently the film consists of three different threads, but I missed what exactly what was going on. While I have enjoyed some of Godard’s previous attempts at alienation and mind fucking the audience (like Pierrot Le Fou), I believe he has hit the pinnacle of mind fuck excess. What appears to have been a documentary filmed in digital set on barge looks like it has been dropped into a vat of corrosive liquid then dried out and pieced together into a reel. Patti Smith shows up to warble nothing (much like Marianne Faithful’s bizarre cameo in Made In USA except much more useless here) and there’s some interesting footage of two furry cats communicating with each other. The film ends with the words “No Comment” flashing across the screen. Yeah, tell me about it. Interestingly enough, while waiting in line I was accosted by a blonde witch in a track outfit warbling at me about what line I was in. Turning off my Ipod, I said, “This is for the Godard film.” Her face rearranged itself as she squinted at me and asked, “Is that the director?” Before I could respond she added, “I don’t have time to memorize all that.” I hope she enjoyed herself, though I should have asked what she thought sounded remotely interesting about this painfully non-subtitled film (yes, I don’t speak fluent French---excuse moi). 4/10

Out of the Past: The Week In Film

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:

1. Clash of the Titans (2010) Dir. Louis Leterrier - US

2. Repo Men (2010) Dir. Miguel Sapochnik - US

Recommended:

1. $5 a Day (2008) Dir. Nigel Cole - US

2. Smiling Fish & Goat on Fire (1999) Dir. Kevin Jordan - US

Essential Cinema:

2. Suzanne's Career (1963) Dir. Eric Rohmer - France

1. They Drive By Night (1940) Dir. Raoul Walsh - US

Theatrical Screenings:

3. Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008) Dir. Jean Francois Richet - France 8/10
2. The American (2010) Dir. Anton Corbijn - US 10/10

1. The Last Exorcism (2010) Dir. Daniel Stamm - US 10/10

Rewatched Goodies:

4. Uninvited (1988) Dir. Greydon Clark - US 1/10

3. Why Did I Get Married, Too? (2010) Dir. Tyler Perry - US 7/10

2. Sleepwalkers (1992) Dir. Mick Garris - US 9/10

1. The Girl in the Park (2007) Dir. David Auburn - US 10/10

Out of the Past: The Week In Film

Cess Pool Cinema:

1. Bangkok Dangerous (2008) Dir. Pang Bros. - US

2. The Back Up Plan (2010) Dir. Alan Poul - US

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:

1. The Raspberry Reich (2004) Dir. Bruce La Bruce - Germany/Canada

2. A Secret (2007) Dir. Claude Miller - France

Essential Cinema:
6. The Flower of Evil (2003) Dir. Claude Chabrol - France

5. Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970) Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder & Michael Fengler - West Germany

4. Nothing Sacred (1937) Dir. William Wellman - US

3. The Girl at the Monceau Bakery (1963) Dir. Eric Rohmer - France

2. Comedy of Power (2006) Dir. Claude Chabrol - France

1. Fury (1936) Dir. Fritz Lang - US

Theatrical Screenings:

5. Centurion (2010) Dir. Neil Marshall - UK 7/10

4. Animal Kingdom (2010) Dir. David Michod - Australia 7/10

3. Machete (20010) Dir. Robert Rodriguez & Ethan Maniquis - US 9/10

2. Agora (2009) Dir. Alejandro Amenabar - Spain 10/10

1. Cairo Time (2009) Dir. Ruba Nadda - Canada 10/10