mark ruffalo | Dayton937

Hello Everyone.

Today was the first day I didn’t have to get up terribly early, and that extra 45 minutes of sleep was much appreciated.

My day started off with a screening of a film that will be on the top of my list – SPOTLIGHT, directed by Tom McCarthy. This is a newsroom procedural of the Boston Globe uncovering the Catholic Church scandal in 2001. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber, this film has a great script, tight editing and at times plays like a thriller. The material is certainly chilling – especially when one character states that when it comes to priests and pedophilia, it’s not just a few bad apples, it’s “a recognizable psychiatric phenomenon.” I think it could go the distance for numerous nominations this season.

VICTORIA, directed by Sebastian Schipper, was next on my list. This 2+ hour film was done in one long, mobile take. It’s the story of a young woman who gets caught up with a group of guys after leaving a nightclub in Berlin. She’s romantically interested in one of the guys, but the gang has a mission that night…and she ends up getting tangled up in a bank robbery. Though the last 40 minutes are quite exhilarating, it takes a long time to get moving. Because it’s one shot, we would never buy the protagonist’s motivations to join the guys on their heist if we didn’t have time for her to form a connection. Thus we are forced to watch the set-up of their relationship in what would normally be trimmed down to 15 -20 minutes (instead it takes more than an hour – some of which is rather tedious). The film is technically incredible and the performances are wonderful too…I just felt it went on too long – but I understand that’s part of the point.

JAMES WHITE, directed by Josh Mond, was my final film of the day. Cynthia Nixon and Christopher Abbott both give incredible performances in this film about a walking powder keg who is taking care of his sick mother. Abbott plays James – a hot-headed, partying slacker with bursts of violence, and the performance is riveting. The raw feel of the film truly puts us in the heart of New York without ever feeling like a triptych, and there are a couple powerful moments between mother and son which really cemented Josh Mond as a filmmaker to watch. The director and cast were present for a Q&A, and Nixon was asked about her preparation for the part. She spoke eloquently of having lost her mother to Cancer during the same year of shooting the film and of losing two close friends to AIDS in the 90’s…and how she was able to draw upon those bedside experiences to prepare for the role.

Only one more day!

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan

Hello Everyone,

I have to make a confession. Because we’re opening THE MASTER on Sept. 21, it has not been a priority for me to see during TIFF…especially because it’s always slated up against something else that I want to see. That said, I did see the first 70 minutes today…and I found it quite engaging. I’ll be anxious to see the rest!

The first film I saw today (in its entirety) was THANKS FOR SHARING – a dramedy about sex addiction. Though there are lots of really funny moments, this film really does take the sex addiction part quite seriously. Mark Ruffalo and Tim Robbins star along with relative newcomer Josh Gad …with supporting roles by Gwyneth Paltrow and Pink! (who is wonderful). The film is directed by Stuart Blumberg. Though this is his directorial debut, Blumberg has had his hand in filmmaking for a while. (He wrote THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT a couple years ago.) Though I thought this film was too long (I realize that I’m beginning to sound like Harvey Weinstein – who is famous for chopping filmmakers’ films), I do think it’s pretty good for the most part…and very audience friendly.

Next I saw the new film by Edward Burns – A FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS. This film started out on a really strong note. It was an honest, insightfully funny film about a dysfunctional family during the holidays. Sadly, the film went in a couple directions that were very problematic, and the movie ultimately didn’t work for me. However, there are a couple characters that made the film worth watching…particularly Anita Gillette (known recently as Liz Lemon’s mother on 30 ROCK).

Lastly, I saw what might be at the top of the list so far for me. Francois Ozon’s new film is spectacular. IN THE HOUSE is the story of a schoolboy who has taken an interest in writing and his grammar teacher who is helping him hone his craft. As the boy continues to write a story about his voyeuristic observations regarding a family in his neighborhood, the teacher becomes more invested in knowing what happens next…all the while teaching the boy what works and doesn’t work narratively. It’s a twisted, inventive story…and it’s as funny as it is thrilling. Both Francois Ozon and Kristin Scott Thomas were at the screening. I loved it!

Sadly, there are no trailers for the films I screened today…so I’ll leave you with one for THE MASTER.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ1O1vb9AUU’]

Thanks for reading!!!

Jonathan