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TIFF 2019 – Day #4

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Hello NEON Fans,

A lot came together today.  Tickets for tomorrow fell into line and I squeezed in a film that I wasn’t anticipating.

My first film of day #4 was A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. “A jaded journalist (Matthew Rhys) reluctantly accepts an Esquire assignment to profile the children’s television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), and encounters a profoundly empathetic world view that changes his life forever.” (taken from TIFF catalog) This film, though a little uneven, works in mysterious ways.   I found the opening to be rather upsetting – as though there was a tongue-in-cheek approach to the reverence of Mister Rogers.  Were they praising him while slightly mocking him?  My initial thought was “this isn’t working”…and then the film strikes.  I saw this film with a jaded press/industry audience, and there were numerous signs of sniffles and crying…and even a splattering of applause at the end (something that almost never happens at industry screenings).  Tom Hanks is wonderful, and Heller (DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL and CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? both played at THE NEON) works some magic (though it certainly lacks some of the edginess that her earlier indies displayed).  One really nice touch was a cameo (blink and you might miss it) of Fred’s wife in a restaurant scene…she arrives at just the right moment.  Even though the Focus documentary about Rogers was our highest grossing film last year, being a big studio film, this one likely won’t make it to THE NEON.

Next up, I managed to wiggle in a screening of GREED.  “Festival favourite Michael Winterbottom skewers the fast-fashion industry in this scathing farce about the grotesque inequality between a retail billionaire (Steve Coogan) and the female garment workers who toil on his trendy clothing line.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  This film is problematic.  It’s a farce.  The set-up is comedy, and the writing is scathingly good…perhaps too good.  Instead of laughs, I found most of it cringe-worthy. The main character’s true lack of compassion seemed a little too probable – and thus quite hard to laugh at.  That said, the film supplied a great deal of education as to how someone in this particular industry can make money – all legally (though drenched with moral irresponsibility).  Title cards at the end of the film provided statistics as to how much money people in the textile industry make…and how the rich keep getting richer.  It’s such an interesting piece on so many levels – and perhaps the only way to get people to see the statistics is to lure them with a comedy…but I was hardly laughing.  (That said, there are some really great moments and material here.)  There’s no trailer yet, but here’s a clip.

1982 “During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon at a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, 11-year-old Wissam tries to tell a classmate about his crush on her, while his teachers — on different sides of the political divide — try to mask their fears, in this poignant debut feature from Oualid Mouaness.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  I went to this film namely because it stars Nadine Labaki – a director and actress I greatly admire.  (We’ve shown three films she has directed, including last year’s Oscar nominee CAPERNAUM.)  This film is a slow burn, but when the war keeps creeping closer and closer, it becomes rather terrifying.  There’s a strange device regarding Wissam and his drawings that I didn’t really feel was needed, but the performances and tone are strong.

Before my last film, I came back to the apartment and caught up on some NEON-related items and then I stopped by a gathering for The Art House Convergence.  I ran into a couple friends there, but I had to quickly scurry to the Princess of Wales Theatre.

JOJO RABBIT was my last film of the day.  This was the world premiere, and many people from the cast and crew were there. “Taika Waititi (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS) directs a riotous cast — including Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Thomasin McKenzie, and newcomer Roman Griffin Davis — in this daring, touching, and comedic satire about a young German boy who discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his home and consults with his imaginary best friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi).” (taken from TIFF catalog) This film has raised a lot of eyebrows.  I’ve heard numerous people chatting about how this film shouldn’t be working…it’s irresponsible…with sentiments the likes of “How can we have a comedy about Hitler Youth?”  “How can Hitler be funny?” “This is sacred ground and we shouldn’t be laughing.”  But satire about Hitler has been around for decades – from Chaplin’s GREAT DICTATOR to Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS.  And one interesting fact is that Waititi (the director) is Jewish, and he’s the one playing the absurd imaginary Hitler. This film does tread a very risky line, and some may find it in poor taste.  But ultimately, it’s a film about family and realizing that hate is a learned behavior. Waititi talked about how in 1933, Hitler came to power and little by little, he made changes.  People realized the changes weren’t good…but they didn’t seem “that bad.”  But he continued to make more and more changes…and citizens never revolted – they allowed the changes to happen until it was too late.  Waititi believes that we have to find different ways to tell these cautionary tales – because we need to learn from mistakes.  The production design, costumes, photography and performances are all fantastic, and this little film is an off-color gem.

Tomorrow is quite a full day.

Thanks for checking in,

Jonathan

TIFF 2018 – Day #2

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Hello NEON Fans,

I caught four films today.

My first film of the day was DUELLES (MOTHERS’ INSTINCT), directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse.  This domestic, period thriller has made an interesting choice in renaming itself for English speaking audiences.  Whereas the French title actually means “dual,” they’ve gone a different direction by calling it “Mothers’ Instinct” for English speakers. Here’s the short synopsis from TIFF: “When a sudden tragedy uproots the lives of two women and their families, they begin to question the relationships they once held so dear, in this psychological thriller from Olivier Masset-Depasse (Illégal).”  This doesn’t really tell you much of anything…so I’m going to spoil the first 12 minutes.  A little boy is involved in an accident that results in his death, and the neighboring mother who witnessed the accident begins to feel as though the boy’s mother blames her for not saving the day.  As the story progresses, more unfortunate circumstances occur, and the mother in question begins to feel more and more suspicious.  We often wonder “is this maternal instinct at work…or is this just paranoia (bordering on mental illness)?”  Some of the score at the beginning of the film sets up the idea that we might not have the most reliable narrator, so we as audience members have to doubt whether or not we are always shown the truth.  Though the film works on a number of levels, there’s ultimately something missing. I’m glad I saw it, but it’s not a masterpiece.

FIRECRACKERS, a French Canadian film from director Jasmin Mozafarri, borrows a lot of spirit and tone from FISH TANK and AMERICAN HONEY.  Here’s TIFF’s short synopsis: “An intense drama about two young women desperate to escape their repressive small town, whose friendship is challenged after a night of debauchery threatens to undo their grand plans for freedom.”   The yearning to escape their current life is honest, the performances are rich, and the camera is restless.  But I couldn’t help feeling that we’d seen this before (and better) from Andrea Arnold.

And finally…a Masterpiece.  CAPERNAUM, directed by Nadine Labaki, is a film that will clearly be a highlight for me at this year’s festival.  I fell in love with Labaki with her film CARAMEL that played at the festival (and at THE NEON) several years ago.  She’s a gifted director and a talented actress.  Here’s the brief synopsis from TIFF: “Nadine Labaki (2011 TIFF People’s Choice Award winner Where Do We Go Now?) explores the lives of children living on the fringes of Lebanese society, in this political and heartbreaking story of a young boy who sues his parents for bringing him into the world when they couldn’t properly care for him.”  This film is about so many things, and it’s Labaki’s call to action for us to help the disenfranchised children of the world…and for the people who need paperwork to prove their worth.  This film is heartbreakingly honest, and I couldn’t avert my eyes.  The central performance is so strong – among the best child performances ever on screen.  With over 500 hours of material shot for this film, the documentary-like style helps create a realism that is so refreshing in a narrative film.  This movie has been picked up by Sony Classics.  That means THE NEON will almost certainly play it…and I have a feeling it will almost certainly be nominated for “Best Foreign Film” this year.

BEAUTIFUL BOY, directed by Felix van Groningen, was my last film of the day.  Though van Groningen was the only person to introduce the film, the audience was in for a treat when the cast and authors of the source material all came onstage after the screening for a Q&A.  Here is the brief TIFF synopsis: “Based on the bestselling pair of memoirs by father and son David and Nic Sheff, Felix van Groeningen’s film chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.” Timothée Chalamet gives another Oscar-worthy performance as a boy dealing with drug addiction, and his performance along with Steve Carell’s, are what help to keep this film above water – they are both magnificent.  The repetition of using, recovery, relapsing, recovery is all part of  how recovery from drug addition often works, but it becomes a little exhausting as a narrative device (as I’m certain it does for the families dealing with this very issue).  I think this film could be used as a tool, and I think as the death toll rises annually for drug overdoses, it’s a much-needed topical film about an epidemic that is plaguing us.

I met up with a friend for a couple drinks after my screenings this evening, and it was good to catch up (and realize that he’s even working with more people I know).

Looking forward to a couple even bigger films tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan

 

Toronto – Day #9+ – 2013

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Dear Readers,

I’m back in Dayton.  Yesterday evening and this morning were a whirlwind, so I didn’t have time to type this review until just now…sitting in the comfort of my living room.  Yesterday morning was taken leisurely, and I eventually saw 2 films in the afternoon and evening…then I went out for some cocktails.  Upon waking up this morning, I decided to fit in one more film before scurrying to the airport at Noon.  Thus this update includes films I screened on Friday and this morning.

EASTERN BOYS is a film about a French man who hires a male prostitute only to have his entire life uprooted by an entire gang of Eastern European hustlers.  It’s a scary film with long takes that forces us to deal with the situations, and it eventually makes way for a sort of love story that changes course.  There are moments in this film when my heart was beating so fast that I found myself holding my breath.   The film is sexually frank, and the lead hustler is both sexy and terrifying.  Though there are moments when we don’t understand a character’s motivations (like not immediately calling the police…though I’m guessing shame played a role), I ultimately really liked this film.

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ROCK THE CASBAH is a beautifully directed film about the gathering of a family for an important funeral.  Set in Morocco, this film is both funning and touching…and it’s full of amazing performances by a couple women I love – Hiam Abass and Nadine Labaki.  The film is narrated by the ghost of the recently deceased, played by Omar Sharif, and the film tackles some important issues – one being the role of women in Moroccan society.  Directed by Laila Marrakchi, this is a really solid crowd-pleaser by a woman who is shaking things up. (Abass, Marrakchi, and actress Morjana Alaoui came out for a Q&A after the screening.)

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A PROMISE was my last film of the festival.  Unfortunately not the best.  From veteran director Patrice Leconte, directing for the first time in English, this film is based on the novel JOURNEY INTO THE PAST by Stefan Zweig.  The story follows a love triangle about an ailing steel factory owner (Alan Rickman), his young wife (the lovely Rebecca Hall), and the factory owner’s assistant (the adorable, but new to me, Richard Madden – I’ve never seen GAME OF THRONES).  The costumes and sets are lovely, but the story is relatively bland with some clunky dialog and there’s some questionable camerawork (some camera moves actually made me angry).  There’s an audience for this film…but it just didn’t cut it for me.

une promesse

So here I am.  Back at home and just beginning to think of all the films I saw.  32 in fact!!  It seems like weeks ago that I was heading into CLOSED CURTAIN.  In 9 days, I’ve been to far off lands, outer space, and familiar territory.  I’ve seen a couple masterpieces, and I walked out on a couple stinkers.  TIFF is always a highlight of my year, and I appreciate your interest in reading my thoughts.

All the best.

I hope to see you soon at THE NEON!

Jonathan

Toronto – THE FILMS Day #1

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Hello Everyone,

I’m gonna keep this ever-so-slightly short.  It’s already after midnight…and I made the most of today.  Get ready.  I saw 5 films!!

First off, I saw Lars von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA.  I’ll start by saying I love DANCER IN THE DARK and I’m quite fond of DOGVILLE.  That said, I’m not a fan of MELANCHOLIA!  There is some truly beautiful photography and there are a couple wonderful moments.  In addition, the themes are compelling…but von Trier’s “meditation” on the collision of worlds (both figuratively and literally) is a serious story with lots of dark, comedic moments…and the two parts of the film (part one focuses on the marriage night of Kirsten Dunst’s character…the second focuses on the fear that  Charlotte Gainsbourg’s character has about a planet crashing into earth) are actually quite disjointed. Ultimately, I felt quite aggravated by most of the time – and not in a good way.

Next I saw Nadine Labaki’s new film WHERE DO WE GO NOW (she made the film CARAMEL – which I love).  Though there are a couple moments that caused me to raise an eyebrow, I ultimately found this film quite wonderful.  The women are absolutely delightful.  The story is about a small village that has essentially been shut off from the rest of the world (except for a small path/bridge that is quite scary to cross).  The village, inhabited by Muslims & Christians, have learned to live in harmony.  When they find out that there is unrest in the surrounding world, they begin to fight again…and the women decide they’ll do whatever necessary to keep their men alive.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NO_8Nyk-qQ’]

Next I saw THE IDES OF MARCH.  This will get a wide release in the coming weeks.  I mostly saw it because I had time, because it was shot in Cincinnati, and because I’ll be at a party with George Clooney on Saturday night (he directed it).  Except for the slight tabloid-feeling story, I actually think the film is quite solid.  The performances are good (I love Gossling) and the dialog is well-written.  For the first 30 minutes of the film, I was ready to vote for Clooney for president.  (there is also a Dayton connection)

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

For the fourth film, I saw PINA.  I posted a trailer to this film last night.  PINA was today’s highlight.  The film, under the direction of Wim Wenders (responsible for PARIS, TEXAS and WINGS OF DESIRE) is complete magic.  I’ve been moved by dance before…but never like this!  (Here is yesterday’s POSTING if you want to check out that trailer.)  Wenders introduced the film, and he put the piece into perspective.  He and Pina had been talking about making this film for 20 years.  She died before it could happen, but people twisted Wenders’ arms and he decided to move forward.  This film acts at once as a eulogy…and also a way to keep Pina alive.

Lastly, I saw RESTLESS – the new film from Gus Van Sant – starring Mia Wasikowska (from THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT and JANE EYRE) and Henry Hopper (Dennis Hopper’s son).  The story is about a boy obsessed with funerals who meets a girl (full of life) with terminal Cancer.  Mia glows at every turn, and there are a couple very good moments…but ultimately, this film had me sighing numerous times.  It’s over-scored, it has a moment of archival footage that totally doesn’t work, and the characters seem to only exist in their quirkiness – there’s not a lot of depth.  That said, some people really seemed to enjoy the film (it was a sold-out auditorium that seats 1250).  Van Sant, Mia and the producer and screenwriter were there.

Other sightings today:  Roger Ebert, Atom Egoyan, and one of my favorite film writers/critics – Peter Knegt of indiewire.

Well…it’s 1:30 now.

5 Hours sleep….then off again tomorrow morning quite early.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan

In Toronto – Films Start Tomorrow!

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Hello!

I got to Toronto this afternoon (it’s 6:00 Wednesday evening as I write this), found my way to Banting House (the B&B where I’m staying), then scurried to the Hyatt Regency where I picked up my festival materials (my Industry pass allows me access to all Press/Industry screenings + 2 public screenings per day…though I can only get those public screening tickets 1 day in advance and based on availability).

I quickly opened my schedules and began marking and cross-referencing the films that I want to see.   Most films are offered at least once or twice to the Press/Industry folks and at least twice to the Public.  It then becomes a game – trying to determine which films I’d prefer to see in a setting with the public (which are generally screenings at which directors & stars appear…not to mention, the public seem to appreciate the work more than the often cynical P/I folks).  Making my schedule is a process that will be an on-going effort as I start to hear buzz about new and exciting films.  Every night, I will determine my best strategy for the next day…and more than likely, I’ll be out the door by 7am to try and get my most-desired tickets for the following day.  (OK – sorry – that was long-winded.)

All that said, I managed to get tickets to 2 public films for tomorrow.  I got a ticket to Wim Wenders’ PINA – a performance/documentary featuring choreography of the legendary Pina Bausch…and in 3D nonetheless (this is a film I’ve been terribly excited to see).  I also got a ticket  to Gus Van Sant’s new film RESTLESS (which is already scheduled to open at THE NEON this Fall).  In addition to these public screenings, I’ve got lots more to chose from tomorrow.  Von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA, a French film called BEAUTY, Tilda Swinton’s new film WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (though I think I’d prefer to see that at a public screening), WHERE DO WE GO NOW (the new film from Nadine Labaki), and THE IDES OF MARCH (George Clooney’s film – which I think he shot in Cincinnati).  Sooooo….too many films for one day – so I have to start making decisions tonight.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4oCNsJHJDA’]

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Thanks for reading!  I’ll keep you posted.

Jonathan