The Wrestler While maybe not offering up anything as stunning or innovative as his earlier work, the latest from Darren Aronofsky is a very solid and enjoyable film. You get really invested in Mickey Rourke’s character, and despite his obvious failings you want to root for him. A sad, touching, [...]]]> Films seen Saturday, September 13th …

The Wrestler
While maybe not offering up anything as stunning or innovative as his earlier work, the latest from Darren Aronofsky is a very solid and enjoyable film. You get really invested in Mickey Rourke’s character, and despite his obvious failings you want to root for him. A sad, touching, and very well-executed movie.
8/10

Borderline
Isabelle Blais is excellent as the (trying to be) former party-girl, attempting to reconcile her previous wild ways but who still hasn’t quite moved past some of that behavior.
7/10

RocknRolla
Guy Ritchie back at his best. Lots of action, a twisty plot, and plenty of humor.
8/10

Inju, la bête dans l’ombre
In the end, I don’t think the story quite holds up. Some interesting elements, but there was something lacking. A few times it was hard to tell if the scene was supposed to be silly-funny or was serious and just done poorly.
5/10

Afterwards
Maybe it was last-film-of-the-festival fatigue, but I can’t seem to recall the specific end of the movie. I remember the main character’s epiphany of where his journey had brought him, but his final voiceover is just a blur. Unfortunately I think this character was a little weak to carry the film, and for something that moved at such a leisurely pace, this was a detriment.
5/10

Martyrs Gory, disturbing, and thoroughly messed up … as advertised. But it was entertaining from the get-go. 7/10

Tokyo Sonata I’m still having a hard time judging this one. It was an interesting story of dysfunctional family members dealing with their own issues, but something seemed off with how the story turns [...]]]> Films seen Friday, September 12th …

Martyrs
Gory, disturbing, and thoroughly messed up … as advertised. But it was entertaining from the get-go.
7/10

Tokyo Sonata
I’m still having a hard time judging this one. It was an interesting story of dysfunctional family members dealing with their own issues, but something seemed off with how the story turns partway through. There’s some good, dark humor and I liked following the characters’ stories … but something in the end — that I can’t put my finger on — wasn’t quite satisfying.
6/10

Pontypool
I was very intrigued by the idea of Bruce McDonald doing a horror film. But then I heard it wasn’t really a horror film, per se, as it focused on characters in an underground radio studio reporting on the unseen chaos outside; so my excitement was a little tempered as I wondered how they would sustain the film with such a narrow focus. But I needn’t have worried. Stephen McHattie was awesome as radio personality Grant Mazzy, and his eccentric personality carries the film along nicely. There is also plenty of suspenseful action that hits close to home in the studio, so the setting isn’t as isolated as I once thought.
8/10

Deadgirl
Controversial premise, to be sure, but I think it avoids some outrage by having a supernatural element. Overall it was ok, with a few scares along the way.
6/10

Gomorrah Explores the many reaches of an organized crime syndicate. The film was engaging, but there wasn’t much of an overall plot … just a bunch of stuff that happened, albeit often violent and tragic and worth the viewing. 6/10

The Brothers Bloom A fun movie, but mostly memorable for the excellent cast [...]]]> Films seen Thursday, September 11th …

Gomorrah
Explores the many reaches of an organized crime syndicate. The film was engaging, but there wasn’t much of an overall plot … just a bunch of stuff that happened, albeit often violent and tragic and worth the viewing.
6/10

The Brothers Bloom
A fun movie, but mostly memorable for the excellent cast rather than the story. There’s an offbeat tone that is likely to turn off some people (not as much as for Brick, though), but I enjoyed it.
7/10

Gigantic
The more I think about this film, the more flaws I find. It was entertaining at the time, though. I don’t buy that Zooey Deschanel’s character would have any interest in Paul Dano’s, and there were some plotlines that didn’t seem necessary (scientist friend) or were just straight inexplicable (imagined (?) stalker who provided the beat downs). Editing issues, or something that I’m missing?
5/10

24 City
Wow, borrrring! I don’t get the good reviews this part-documentary/part-fiction film received. Stuck with talking heads throughout, the stories told by the interviewees/characters tended to just ramble on and on and weren’t interesting at all.
3/10

Revanche
This is the kind of film that I love the film festival for, in the sense that’s it something I likely wouldn’t come across anywhere else. Not knowing much about it, it was a nice treat to watch as this suspenseful film unfolded and took unexpected (certainly by Hollywood standards) turns.
7/10

Ashes of Time Redux Not the film to see when you’re sleepy and can’t pay attention. I couldn’t keep track of who the brothers and sisters were, or the romantic connections. Nodding off here and there, I completely lots track of the story. Will have to re-evaluate this [...]]]> Films seen Wednesday, September 10th …

Ashes of Time Redux
Not the film to see when you’re sleepy and can’t pay attention. I couldn’t keep track of who the brothers and sisters were, or the romantic connections. Nodding off here and there, I completely lots track of the story. Will have to re-evaluate this film one day, and so for now assigning a grade wouldn’t be fair.

The Catsitter
Played before Cooper’s Camera. A hilarious short film that perfectly sets up the concluding punchline.
9/10

Cooper’s Camera
Funniest movie I saw. Jason Jones gets the lame but well-meaning dad schtick down without going overboard, and the 80s feel of the movie seems perfectly done. An xmas movie about family, but probably not something you want to be watching with your young (or old & prude) relatives! Gets an extra point because I have a soft spot for funny xmas films. I’ll eventually add this to my DVD collection.
9/10

Medicine for Melancholy
The grown up and serious version of a movie like Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, where boy and girl meet each other and explore the city together. Likable cast and the characters’ conversations touch on some interesting subjects.
7/10

Control Alt Delete
A silly comedy that gets surprisingly decent mileage out of the joke of a guy who gets it on with his hardware … the electronic kind, that is. The Y2K conceit is pretty stale, though.
6/10

Maman est chez le coiffeur Completed my trifecta of French-Canadian coming of age stories set in the 60s, each with different approaches and styles. This one was more family-focused and grounded/realistic, but not without many moments of humor. The three children of the film’s family each had their own issues to [...]]]> Films seen Tuesday, September 9th …

Maman est chez le coiffeur
Completed my trifecta of French-Canadian coming of age stories set in the 60s, each with different approaches and styles. This one was more family-focused and grounded/realistic, but not without many moments of humor. The three children of the film’s family each had their own issues to deal with, and the story felt very genuine.
7/10

Short Cuts Canada Programme 3

• Pat’s First Kiss – the animation style was jarring at first, but then kinda neat. A funny story of the creepy encounter that gives this film its title. 6/10
• Forty Men for the Yukon – an interesting and humorous look into the lives of a couple of old guys in a tiny Yukon town. 6/10
• Bedroom – a 15-minute take of a couple in bed discussing their dysfunctional sex life; serious tone, but also with very funny moments. 6/10
• Midi – I didn’t really get what was going on, and it only made a bit of sense after re-reading the description afterwards. 4/10
• Passage – now that’s an awkward sexual experience. I still wonder if the final scene is frustration or revenge. 7/10
• Sunday – not sure what to make of this one. The build up was good and the ending was cool, but I don’t fully understand how they are connected. 6/10
• Green Door – very funny story of mistaken identity and unrequited love. 8/10

Films seen [...]]]> I’m pretty behind on these recaps as there just hasn’t been much down time to tackle them. So what I’m going to do is cut down a bit on the comments to just some essential notes; the longer I go without writing something then the more likely it is I’ll forgot what I watched!

Films seen Monday, September 8th …

Hunger
Powerful film of the abuses the human body can withstand; doesn’t shy away from graphic depictions. Very strong directing, especially for a first timer.
8/10

New York, I Love You
As expected, very well done even though only a rough cut (and the producers asked the press not to comment). Nearly all of the stories were good, and I liked the little transitions between them (sometimes a quick moment with some of the characters, rather than just straight jumping into next story).
8/10

Uncertainty
Got tickets to this day-of, after missing out in the lottery. The separate directions of the story — which are intercut quite well — aren’t that noteworthy by themselves, but as a whole the film shows how life is filled with decision points and even a minor one can drastically affect how things play out. That said, even an action/thriller or family-drama can lead to the same conclusions.
7/10

The Hurt Locker
Doing away with the politics of the conflict, this film focuses squarely on the action in the battlefield. But rather than the chaos and adrenaline of battle, this tensely shows a bomb squad unit and the nerve-wracking situations they face.
8/10

Un été sans point ni coup sûr
Nice little story in the summer when the Expos arrive to Montreal. Coming of age story for a boy who just wants to play ball, but doesn’t make the neighborhood team. An alternate team is put together by his father, who also comes to appreciate that times are changing and maybe so should he.
7/10

Lost Song A sad and moving story of a family adjusting to life with a newborn baby and living away from the urban environment they are accustomed to. This was a late addition to my schedule; I had the slot open and I saw a few very good reviews for this [...]]]> Films seen Sunday, September 7th …

Lost Song
A sad and moving story of a family adjusting to life with a newborn baby and living away from the urban environment they are accustomed to. This was a late addition to my schedule; I had the slot open and I saw a few very good reviews for this film. The main focus is on the mother, and I assume she is suffering from postpartum depression. The film evolves gradually, punctuated by moments that force you to catch your breath in surprise or shock. The two lead performances were excellent, particularly
Suzie LeBlanc as the mother.
7/10

Wendy and Lucy
Simply told, yet very effective, story about a girl making her way to Alaska for hopefully a better situation in life. Besides a meagre budget, she has two things to her name: her aging car and her dog Lucy. Michelle Williams give a quiet, sad, and immediately sympathetic performance. Each setback, from losing Lucy to the breakdown of her car, are heartbreaking events for her struggling character and she conveys them wonderfully.
7/10

White Night Wedding
Another entertaining entry from the Icelandic film industry. The characters in this story are quirky and amusing, although at its core it is a drama about love and loss.
7/10

Of Time and the City
I must be part of the wrong demographic to appreciate this film. While new footage is shot beautifully and Tarrence Davies has a great narrator’s voice, I wasn’t engaged at all by this very personal documentary about his hometown of Liverpool. I knew nothing of the city going in, and knew little else about it afterwards. It really is a poetic ode by Davies, as there is often little context for the scenes shown from the stock footage. Yet I overheard from numerous audience members just how much they loved it! These tended to be folks who look about twice my age. I have also seen a number of glowing reviews online. Perhaps all these folks were very familiar with Davies’ work and there was something more about his storytelling that I just didn’t connect with.
4/10

Edison & Leo This is my biggest disappointment so far. The film is much more lighthearted than I anticipated and the character animation was poor to the extent of distracting. I can understand that in the tedious world of stop-motion that human mouths must be a real chore; it [...]]]> Films seen Saturday, September 6th …

Edison & Leo
This is my biggest disappointment so far. The film is much more lighthearted than I anticipated and the character animation was poor to the extent of distracting. I can understand that in the tedious world of stop-motion that human mouths must be a real chore; it seems here the the mouths were probably separate pieces from the rest of the head and repeatedly swapped out for different shapes to achieve the look of talking. But there’s no attempt to disguise the seams, and the overall effect just seemed like bad dubbing. It’s one thing for the male characters to look this way, it’s kind of a Homer Simpson look going on. But when all the females are like this too, it just looks really weird. And not the interesting kind of weird I was hoping for from this movie. There were a few neat designs, but overall it was fairly simplistic. As for the story, take out a few graphic scenes and some mature dialog and you’ve got a lightweight children’s story.
5/10

Vinyan
How to describe this one? I think the best sequence is early on, as the camera races through a crowded Thai marketplace at night as a husband searches for his wife who has disappeared into the sea of people. The scene is tense, driving by the wife’s desperation to locate a local gangster who can help locate their son who may have been taken in the chaos following the tsunami. The premise is intriguing, as it leads to a dangerous trek through Burmese villages. But there are only so many plausible places for this story to go, and it eventually veers far, far away from any of those. And instead of having the story drive the tension, there are a few occasions where the director has resorted to visual and especially annoying audio effects to assault the system. The last bit of the movie is perplexing, though memorable, seemingly having little to do with where the story started out from. Maybe I’m missing something.
4/10

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
This was a very fun and enjoyable movie. It doesn’t have the same maturity and heart of say, Juno, nor the absolute zaniness and hilarity of Superbad (contemporary films it’s sure to be compared to), but as far as all-night teen adventures go it hits the mark. It’s very funny and believable and will do well with mainstream audiences. As expected, Michael Cera and Kat Dennings were very good; Ari Graynor has a bunch of scene-stealing moments.
7/10

Religulous
I didn’t go into this expecting a philosophical treatise on the world’s religions and the concept of faith … I doubt most people would, but I wanted to get that point out of the way. As a comedy routine at the expense of religion, though, this totally hits the mark. The hypocrisy and illogic of all religions is fertile ground for humor, and Maher mines it well. This film won’t be converting people to actually take a critical look at their beliefs and admit any shortcomings with their chosen religion, but for the skeptics out there who like a good laugh, this certainly delivers. Amen to that!
8/10

Now, I’m [...]]]> One positive for the AMC as a venue … or rather, for Toronto Life Square in which it is located. I’m currently in the food court and there is free wi-fi; this particular network is named “Futureshop”, but there were others available. There are also power outlets to use in strategic locations.

Now, I’m not likely to be here often with my laptop, but I have it with me to help kill some time until my 9:45am showing (it’s currently almost 8am). I got up early and arrived at the Roy Thomson Hall box office a little after 6:30, putting me about 10 people from the front. I was hoping to get some of the Zack and Miri tickets that were available, but unfortunately by the time I got to the head of the line they were sold out. Sven was able to get some for him and Sandra by going online before they left for Toronto. Online is by far the most convenient option, but the unused vouchers from my ticket pass can only be used in person. After spending so much on the pass and having tickets to spare, I’m not about to pay more money to see films at the festival. It would have been nice to grab tickets for Mike and I, but I can certainly wait the few months until the movie has its regular release.

The Sky Crawlers Anytime the characters take to the skies, this film is just gorgeous. The aircraft look amazingly realistic, and when they engage in dogfights the action is intense and thrilling. Now, I didn’t expect the movie to be all action, but the shift in pace outside the cockpits really [...]]]> Films seen Friday, September 5th …

The Sky Crawlers
Anytime the characters take to the skies, this film is just gorgeous. The aircraft look amazingly realistic, and when they engage in dogfights the action is intense and thrilling. Now, I didn’t expect the movie to be all action, but the shift in pace outside the cockpits really slowed things down. It just took too long for bits of story to progess, was at times overdramatic, and my interest waned.
4/10

C’est pas moi, je le jure!
Other problem kids have nothing on the one in this story. Fond of suicide attempts, colorful lies, and breaking into neighborhood homes and stealing things … at the tender age of 10. Yet Léon’s behavior isn’t particularly malicious, there’s still a childish quality to it as he gets himself in over his head. And it’s all absolutely hilarious, with a bit of heartbreak thrown in. I laughed loudly and often, and the performance of Antoine L’Écuyer as Léon was fantastic. The standing ovation from the 800+ audience members was well-deserved for pulling off such a mature, charming, humorous, and believable performance.
8/10

Derrière moi
I didn’t know much about this one going in, as it was a pretty last-minute selection to fill an empty spot in my schedule; Mike was already going, so I decided to join him. It was a nice surprise, although you need patience for a film that moves at such a deliberate pace. In the developing friendship between a small-town girl (Léa) and a big-city partier (Betty), you first worry about corruption of the innocent and naive teen. There’s the usual drugs & alcohol. But Betty’s intentions often veer towards other unsettling territory … but as you’re expecting it and nothing materializes, you wonder if you’re imagining something that isn’t there. Then it turns out worse than you thought. Fine performances from both of the lead actresses.
6/10