A TIFF To Remember - Volume 2 - Armed & Dangerous

This is how we should wake up every morning:  When we want to.  With the only prospects ahead being things we want to do.  Life is good.  But, enough of the self-congratulations!  It's time to get down to business - my movie odyssey has just begun and it's not for the faint of heart or ill prepared.

I'm ready.  Ready for what's next.  Here's how:

I have a journal & pen.  TIFF issued, of course.  The Wondertriplets have the same one.  Aren't we cute? Random musings, film notes it's all in here.  I am certain by Day 7 the script will be quite useful to any pharmacist as my penmanship goes the way of the dodo, but I have to keep track of things.  And, without a bloody iPad - I need an iPad - it's pen to paper for me.  Honestly, honestly I would have bought an iPad to prep for TIFF, but this week I was told by the crusty lady at my watch establishment that as my watch had "suffered an unauthorized intervention" it needed a complete overhaul to the tune of $475.  I know - doesn't it sound like my watch was raped?  And now clearly I'm being violated 475 times and while I have no problem spending lots of money, I don't like spending money on things to return them to normal.  I like spending money on new things.  Like iPads.  But somehow, I just can't do it right now.  

Starbucks Card.  I'm not a huge Bucks fan.  Their coffee, quite frankly, sucks.  They are, however, everywhere and they make a half decent Americano and as I'll be wandering the fair streets of Toronto from one movie to the next these Americanos are going to be my best friend.  I don't want to waste time looking for exact change (because I enjoy it) so I'm loading up the card. 

Fully Charged BB.  Self Explanatory.  Come on.

Covert Snacks.  I was alarmed to discover that a few TIFF venues do not offer concessions.  What?  I enjoy a good movie snack and will thus be taking in covert snacks.  Tell and die.

The Perfect Bag.  On most days, I'll be leaving my house early and coming home late.  I need a bag to fit everything but I don't want to look like a TIFF sherpa.  I really wrestled with this one - the Wondertriplets spent some time over our inaugural TIFF lunch discussing this on Thursday.   We decided I didn't need a new bag (shocking, sad), but instead would make do with what I had (suffering) and use the money I would have spent on a new bag to buy an iPad (so smart).  But I'm not doing that right now.  My TIFF bag is perfect enough.  I cringed typing that.

Upturned Ears & Watchful Eyes.  You need to be high alert during TIFF.  You never know what's going to happen.  I know I shouldn't do this, but I love to listen in on other people's conversations.  To maybe make fun of them, but to also conjure up some very interesting backstory to the current story they are telling.  Fun!  Just last night, we sat behind a guy who said "and honestly, I hate Sarah Polley so much right now".  Really?!  Why?!  We really, really wanted to ask but, well, it's more fun to imagine the possibilities. 

Onwards moviegoers!  Today it's The Artist (silent film from France, generating hardcore Oscar buzz) and U2s From the Sky Down (!!!!!!!!!!).  Reports on both tomorrow, for now, my take on last night's film.

Restless : Directed by Gus Van Zant, starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper.  Sombre tale about a girl who is dying, yet obsessed with life, who teaches a boy, who has given up on life how to live. I really wanted to love this movie, as I watched, I wanted to love it.  But, I can only say I liked it.  I think the film fell down for me (as Smartie Pants Shannon said) with Henry's portrayal of troubled Enoc.  He was flat, we were disconnected and his story a tad cliche.  Overall, though, a really powerful message on how we shouldn't let the awful things in our life define us - they didn't happen to us because of us, they just happened to us.  I like that.