Today is my last day of needing to wait in line for early-morning tickets…thus my last day of waking up at 6:00am. How refreshing!
In addition to seeing 3 films yesterday, I got to hang out with a dear friend, Bill Taylor, who I met in line at a screening of TALK TO HER (one of my favorite Almodovar films) back in 2002 (my first year at TIFF). Bill just completed his first feature film (which I will soon get a chance to see), and we have played 2 of his short films at the Dayton LGBT Film Festival over the years. It was great to catch up.
VIOLETTE was the first film of the day, and it made me want to go out and pick up a bundle of books. This is a film about Violette Leduc and how she became a well-known author. A large portion of the film focuses on her relationship with Simone de Beauvoir, and several other renowned French authors work their way into the narrative. The film is gorgeously directed by Martin Provost – director of SERAPHINE (if you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend it – available via netflix, etc.), and it’s a wonderful story of self-discovery through writing.
IDA, perhaps the most visually stunning film I’ve seen this year, is a lovely, quiet film (shot in black & white in a 1:37 aspect ratio (which means it appears more like a square than a rectangle)). A young Catholic girl – about to take her vows as a nun – goes into the city to meet her aunt for the first time. During the trip, she discovers her true roots and the life she had before being brought to the convent. I loved this film.
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRzbCZtiWYc’]
TOM AT THE FARM is the new film by Xavier Dolan. Based on a play, this is the first time Dolan has directed material that was in-part written by someone else…and it works. I felt that Dolan’s last film suffered from its length – this one feels just right. Tom visits the family of his recently deceased lover, and the mother didn’t know of her son’s homosexuality. Very different in tone from Dolan’s first three films, this is a psychological thriller that becomes rather creepy. Though I questioned a couple script choices, I ultimately really liked this film. (The clip below doesn’t do the film justice…but at least you’ll get a small glance.)
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8bq-MGazn0′]
Thanks for reading! Off to more screenings!
