Movies: Toronto International Film Festival (and any other Film Fest for that matter)

[kihei]

My grading scale for movies:

10=a masterpiece: one of the best movies ever
9=one of the best movies of the decade
8=one of the best movies of the year
7=very good
6=good
5=run of the mill
4=below average
3=bad
2=very bad
1=worst among the worst


A=accessible
B=mildly challenging in one way or another
C=difficult
D=extremely difficult

 

[BonMorrison]

Loveless - 9/10

An ugly divorce between two people that cannot stand each other is made even uglier when their twelve year old son goes missing. This film is bleak - very bleak. At first presented as shallow caricatures of unloving parents, the film barrels on and tears into the flaws and insecurities of the leads - showing the destruction that a divorce can cause in a family. Zvyagintsev uses the setting of an early Russian winter beautifully, weaving in long chilling takes and utilizing the uneasy grey setting to really display how hopeless of a situation the characters are in as more time passes in the film. Like Leviathan, the film does not provide much way in catharsis and is much more interested in showing the emotional warfare and aftermath of what can happen in a family comprised of empty people.

TIFF 17:
Loveless - 9/10

 

[kihei]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Gotta say, we are off to a dandy start.

 

[BonMorrison]

I like when they had to restart the film because the subtitles weren't working.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Seeing Papillon this afternoon to kick off my TIFF run:

Papillon
Dark Is The Night
Cocote
Jane
The Seen And Unseen
Sweet Country
Dragonfly Eyes
Insyriated
The Crescent
Good Favour
The Battle of the Sexes
Zama
Short Cuts #6
Félicité
Short Cuts #8
Faces Places

 

[kihei]

Loveless--marital breakdown with consequences; slow for some, with rich ambiguity; a great start for the Festival. Russia/subtitles 8B
The Other Side of Hope--the plight of a Syrian refugee in Finland shown with deadpan humour and compassion. Finland/subtitles 6A
Valley of Shadows--a little boy walks into a dark, mysterious forest. Not a horror film, but a haunting mood piece of the slow burn variety. Norway/subtitles 7B

 

[snowden]

I like when they had to restart the film because the subtitles weren't working.

Working a film festival is full of issues. If that's it, be lucky. I had a much anticipated foreign film look great when we checked it before debut only to have the subtitles get cut off when we played it and there was nothing we could do to change it during the screening. The butthole reeming I got was intense lol

 

[kihei]

Valley of Shadows knocked me on my ass. On the review page, I said it really wasn't a horror movie, though creepy as hell in places. The Now Magazine reviewer here in Toronto disliked because it is, shall we say, very deliberately paced; gave it only two stars out of four. Maybe it's the first slow cinema horror movie. If you are aficionados of atmosphere and unease, though, and can take the leisurely pace, it is a beautiful work.

It's all one of the reasons why TIFF is so valuable. Valley of Shadows is a first film by a Finnish director. It may never get picked up for distribution on these shores which would be a pity. I'm thankful to TIFF to give me opportunities to see movies like this that I otherwise might never know existed.

 

[Puck]

edited a p.s. and the entire post disappeared. sorry.

 

[nameless1]

I like when they had to restart the film because the subtitles weren't working.

You are lucky that the projectionist actually restarted. I was at a couple of screenings where half of the subtitle was cut off, but the people in charge simply continued the movie, and only fixed the issue after a quarter of the movie had already played.

 

[nameless1]

I am very surprised that kihei does not have Borg vs. McEnroe or Battle of the Sexes on his itinerary. Is Borg vs. McEnroe available at TIFF?

Also, is BPM (Beats Per Minute) available as well? I do not see it on anyone's list, so I am curious.

 

[kihei]

I am very surprised that kihei does not have Borg vs. McEnroe or Battle of the Sexes on his itinerary. Is Borg vs. McEnroe available at TIFF?

Also, is BPM (Beats Per Minute) available as well? I do not see it on anyone's list, so I am curious.

Actually there is a third tennis film, Love Means Nothing, a documentary about super-coach Nick Bollettieri, which is the one I was most tempted by. Borg/McEnroe I fully expect to be a disaster, and Battle of the Sexes I will probably pick up upon its release in Toronto. Not expecting much from that one either. BPM is playing here, but I haven't been able to fit it into my schedule.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Loveless--marital breakdown with consequences; slow for some, with rich ambiguity; a great start for the Festival. Russia/subtitles 8B
The Other Side of Hope--the plight of a Syrian refugee in Finland shown with deadpan humour and compassion. Finland/subtitles 6A
Valley of Shadows--a little boy walks into a dark, mysterious forest. Not a horror film, but a haunting mood piece of the slow burn variety. Norway/subtitles 7B
The Journey--a surprisingly entertaining movie about a suicide bomber and the con-man who tries to talk her out of it. Iraq/subtitles 7A

 

[nameless1]

Actually there is a third tennis film, Love Means Nothing, a documentary about super-coach Nick Bollettieri, which is the one I was most tempted by. Borg/McEnroe I fully expect to be a disaster, and Battle of the Sexes I will probably pick up upon its release in Toronto. Not expecting much from that one either. BPM is playing here, but I haven't been able to fit it into my schedule.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Loveless--marital breakdown with consequences; slow for some, with rich ambiguity; a great start for the Festival. Russia/subtitles 8B
The Other Side of Hope--the plight of a Syrian refugee in Finland shown with deadpan humour and compassion. Finland/subtitles 6A
Valley of Shadows--a little boy walks into a dark, mysterious forest. Not a horror film, but a haunting mood piece of the slow burn variety. Norway/subtitles 7B
The Journey--a surprisingly entertaining movie about a suicide bomber and the con-man who tries to talk her out of it. Iraq/subtitles 7A

If I manage to watch Borg vs. McEnroe, I will let you know what I think. As of now, I have it planned on the very last day of the festival, so who knows if I will still be functional by then.


The Journey is not available here at VIFF, but it does intrigue me.

 

[kihei]

If I manage to watch Borg vs. McEnroe, I will let you know what I think. As of now, I have it planned on the very last day of the festival, so who knows if I will still be functional by then.


The Journey is not available here at VIFF, but it does intrigue me.

What is your lineup for VIFF so far?

I think I may have given The Journey just a little extra love because it was nice to see Iraqis (even "movie" Iraqis) presented as humans very much like the rest of us. I hope it gets released here for that reason but also because with its entertainment value, it just might catch on with the art house/international movie crowd.

 

[MsMeow]

We seem to be getting conflicting info. Has anyone been to Roy Thomson Hall for a TIFF premiere and has there been a dress code? I figure for regular theatres it isn't an issue but I'm a bit worried there might be one for this.

 

[BonMorrison]

No dress codes at TIFF but people tend to dress slightly nicer for Roy Thomson because they feel inclined to due to the venue but there's no rules and no one judges anyone really.

---

Mom and Dad - 7.5/10

An absolute mess in the best way possible. I mean if the film on paper is a movie about Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair getting infected by an unknown disease that makes them want to kill their children, you know you're gonna be in for a ride. Throw in the cinematography, editing, and music styles of all the Crank films and yeah - holy ****. Cage and Blair both turn in hilariously off-beat and ridiculous performances that will likely go viral on YouTube compilations of their greatest acting moments. This was just a whole lot of fun, perfect for midnight madness, and also aided by drunk Nicolas Cage guffawing loudly in the audience for the entirety of the film.

TIFF 17:
Loveless - 9/10
Mom and Dad - 7.5/10

 

[nameless1]

What is your lineup for VIFF so far?

I think I may have given The Journey just a little extra love because it was nice to see Iraqis (even "movie" Iraqis) presented as humans very much like the rest of us. I hope it gets released here for that reason but also because with its entertainment value, it just might catch on with the art house/international movie crowd.

I will get a pass, so I will go all out again for the third year in a row.

I might not make every movie that I want to see, because there are some where I have a very short interval to travel between two theatres, but so far, I have:
The Desert Bride
Lucky
Hotel Salvation
Thelma
The Bolshoi
Breathe
The Square
Azar
Meditation Park
BPM
Okja (It is on Netflix, but the director will be there)
No Date, No Signature
Newton
Claire's Camera
Dalida
Ava
Loveless
Western
Reseba: The Dark Wind
A Fantastic Woman
The Divine Order
Killing of a Sacred Deer
Gabriel and the Mountain
Happy End
Last Days in Havana
Milla
Los Perros
Queen of Spain
In The Fade
Vazante
The King's Choice
Summer 1993
The Line
The Insult
Good Manners
Casting
No Bed of Roses
God's Own Country
Disappearance
The Hidden Sword
The Florida Project
Nile Hilton Incident
Farewell
King of Peking
Columbus
Call Me by Your Name
The Dragon Defense
Paradox or Golden Exits
Sexy Durga
Other Side of Hope
Yound Karl Marx
Beauty and the Dogs
Cocote
Sami Blood
Felicite
Isamel's Ghost
La Enerezza
Tales of Mexico
Sour Apples or Swallows and Amazons
Thirst Street
The Nest of the Turtkedove
The Wound
Directions
Django
At the End of the Tunnel
Borg vs. McEnroe
Bad Genius
Wonderstruck

That will be 68 films in 15 and a half days, if all goes according to plan. It will not be the 70+ films I saw the last two years, but it shoul be fun. I just hope my body will hold up.

 

[kihei]

Loveless--marital breakdown with consequences; slow for some, with rich ambiguity; a great start for the Festival. Russia/subtitles 8B
The Other Side of Hope--the plight of a Syrian refugee in Finland shown with deadpan humour and compassion. Finland/subtitles 6A
Valley of Shadows--a little boy walks into a dark, mysterious forest. Not a horror film, but a haunting mood piece of the slow burn variety. Norway/subtitles 7B
The Journey--a surprisingly entertaining movie about a suicide bomber and the con-man who tries to talk her out of it. Iraq/subtitles 7A
The Square--a modern art museum curator gets himself in several kinds of hot water in the Cannes Palme d'Or winner. Sweden/subtitles 7B
The Killing of a Sacred Deer--a surgeon befriending a young teenage boy leads to unforeseen consequences in a brilliant movie that combines some very funny moments with a real cruel streak. Ireland/US 8C

 

[kihei]

We seem to be getting conflicting info. Has anyone been to Roy Thomson Hall for a TIFF premiere and has there been a dress code? I figure for regular theatres it isn't an issue but I'm a bit worried there might be one for this.

I've been to several TIFF movies over the years at Roy Thomson Hall and there is no dress code. There is no dress code for classical music concerts at the Hall for that matter. I've been to dozens of those, too.

 

[kihei]

nameless1: if you are looking for something to trim, cut Queen of Spain. Not good. I gave it a review back there somewhere--thought it was a waste of time and Penelope Cruz.

 

[BonMorrison]

The Square - 7/10

Ostlund's latest comedic satire that takes a ruthless swipe at the world of modern art as well as the relationship between the rich and the poor. The first two acts of this film are an absolute treat - laugh out loud hilarious with biting satire that while lacking subtlety, is still extremely well done. Unfortunately the final act of the film spiralled off the rails a bit for me, the humour that carried the film to this point faded away and it got a bit too serious for it's own good. The film ends somewhat abruptly and almost feels incomplete with how the final act was handled. A good film that could've been great if it was thirty minutes shorter.

Sidenote - so many people walked out of my screening after Terry Notary's iconic scene in this.

TIFF 17:
Loveless - 9/10
Mom and Dad - 7.5/10
The Square - 7/10

 

[nameless1]

nameless1: if you are looking for something to trim, cut Queen of Spain. Not good. I gave it a review back there somewhere--thought it was a waste of time and Penelope Cruz.

Ok. Thanks kihei. I took out that movie, and I fit in 2 more instead.

 

[kihei]

Not as much chatter in lineups so far this year. Could just be luck of the draw. Or cell phones.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Papillon. I vaguely remember seeing the Steve McQueen-Dustin Hoffman version of this escape-from-Devil's-Island yarn on TV back in the Late Industrial Age. Was it as lame as this? I dunno, I remember thinking it was pretty cool but maybe my 13-year-old self was just easily impressed. Maybe 13-year-olds today will like this one too, it's pitched to a TV-movie audience with its generic script and prison-escape clichés---the last guy over the wall hesitates, you know he's going to twist his ankle when he lands, setting up the obligatory moral crisis of whether to leave him behind or let him slow the escapees down. Even if you haven't seen the original, you've probably seen this all before. [C+]

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

I will get a pass, so I will go all out again for the third year in a row.

I might not make every movie that I want to see, because there are some where I have a very short interval to travel between two theatres, but so far, I have:
The Desert Bride
Lucky
Hotel Salvation
Thelma
The Bolshoi
Breathe
The Square
Azar
Meditation Park
BPM
Okja (It is on Netflix, but the director will be there)
No Date, No Signature
Newton
Claire's Camera
Dalida
Ava
Loveless
Western
Reseba: The Dark Wind
A Fantastic Woman
The Divine Order
Killing of a Sacred Deer
Gabriel and the Mountain
Happy End
Last Days in Havana
Milla
Los Perros
Queen of Spain
In The Fade
Vazante
The King's Choice
Summer 1993
The Line
The Insult
Good Manners
Casting
No Bed of Roses
God's Own Country
Disappearance
The Hidden Sword
The Florida Project
Nile Hilton Incident
Farewell
King of Peking
Columbus
Call Me by Your Name
The Dragon Defense
Paradox or Golden Exits
Sexy Durga
Other Side of Hope
Yound Karl Marx
Beauty and the Dogs
Cocote
Sami Blood
Felicite
Isamel's Ghost
La Enerezza
Tales of Mexico
Sour Apples or Swallows and Amazons
Thirst Street
The Nest of the Turtkedove
The Wound
Directions
Django
At the End of the Tunnel
Borg vs. McEnroe
Bad Genius
Wonderstruck

That will be 68 films in 15 and a half days, if all goes according to plan. It will not be the 70+ films I saw the last two years, but it shoul be fun. I just hope my body will hold up.

Holy ****.

That's a lot of Twizzlers! Good luck. How much is a pass at VIFF?