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