And now, the REST and the ROUND UP ...
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her - James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain
Ready? This was my number one. Why? Because it was original and charming and sad and full of love. And that fucker hope. I am a big sap. But I'm also a big sap with a real weakness for story, and in The Disappearance, we get two - two sides of a story. James and Jessica play Connor and Eleanor a married couple torn apart by tragedy, and this film takes us on each of their journeys during this period of separation. Two complete films, telling the same story from their two perspectives. Each version, each film, is complete in and of itself - they are shot differently, lit differently. And depending on who is remembering, spoken differently and characters dressed differently. This is so real - you can remember the most important parts of your life in what you feel is a complete and perfect memory, and when you retell this memory to someone who lived it with you, they look at you as if you're bonkers, 'no, you didn't say that, and were wearing this. it totally wasn't raining. i didn't ask you, you told me.' - and at times the film was so intimate it felt like we were intruding. I think your feelings on the film could differ depending on whose story you see first - we got his, some screenings got hers. Having dissected this ad nauseam with my fellow TIFF'ers, we think 'his' is the way to go. For sure. It will be curious to see how this will be released - at over three hours it's not exactly standard movie fare, but releasing two individual movies would take away from the brilliant originality of what we saw. I'll leave those questions to the big wigs (happy to report that Uncle Harvey bought it!) and implore you to see this. Outstanding performances, killer soundtrack, real feelings and a fresh take on a common theme. What's not to love?
"I have only one heart in this body, have mercy on me." Slay. Me. James. McAvoy.
August: Osage County - Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor
To say I'm having a rough time at work lately would be the understatement of the year. Every day feels like I'm wading in marshland with marble slabs in my boots as I'm holding a dull machete trying to fight my way to the other side. Yes, I am prone to melodrama but seriously work blows in exactly that way. So when my boss invited me to the pre-party and Gala screening of TIFF's hottest ticket (that we were shut out of buying tickets for) I wasn't all "oh my gosh, yes of course I'd LOVE to thank you so much for thinking of me" typical styles. I was all, like, "okay, sure" on the outside and completely "fuck, YEAH, you should invite me to that but that's not making anything better" on the insides. This subtext did not ruin my night at all - in fact, I think it added to it. August tells the story of an utterly dysfunctional family who live with secrets and anger and guilt and meanness. So. Much. Meanness. All right, fine. Not exactly what's happening at the office, but there's a huge theme of dissatisfaction going on which is completely resonating with me right now. Tracy Letts adapted his Pulitzer Prize winning play, and no surprise the writing is sharp and biting. It's uproarious and uncomfortable. We laugh and we cringe. The acting is absurd. Absolutely absurd. I suppose when you're playing opposite Meryl Streep you must bring your A- game and I'm almost surprised Julia could and did. They were both riveting, portraying mother and daughter in exactly the kind of mother / daughter relationship you must have only in nightmares or horror movies. This is a powerhouse cast and an absolutely powerhouse film.
Blood Ties - Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cottilard, James Caan
Oh my god, where do I start. The story here is nothing original - two brothers caught on opposite sides of the law dealing with family history and inner demons. Whatever. At the hands of director (and co-screenwriter) Guillaume Canet, Blood Ties was clumsy, unfocused and boring. I do believe there were four movies being filmed here and my gal Marion had an accent for each one of them. I'm not sure how this happened - we know she's a solid actress, but she was terrible here. My hunch is that the Guillaume (her HUSBAND!) sort of assumes she knows what to do and lets her sort of find her own way OR she tunes him out like most wives do with their husbands. Either way, if they ever break up (which I really hope they don't because holy shit they are HOT together) this will be why. I'm sad for Clive, as I adore him and want him to be in better movies. I want him to be a better actor. But I think, really, I just want him to be in movies where he is not sporting a moustache.
Tom at the Farm - Xavier Dolan
Xavier Dolan is something of a sensation. A 24 year old writer / actor / director from Quebec who has written / acted in / directed five critically acclaimed films. Each film is completely different, yet possesses a signature Dolan style of mood and atmosphere. If he wasn't so adorable, you'd absolutely hate him. Tom at the Farm is the creepy, sinister tale of a young man who meets his deceased lover's family for the first time. Some of them are not aware of their son's sexual orientation and this secret plays to great tension as ... things happen. Dun. Dun. Dun. I think this film was let down by its overblown score which basically told me when I was supposed to be scared. I can see how some would feel that's helpful, but I was good on my own - I am pretty damn sure I know when I need to be scared. I really find this music pandering really annoying - it's no different in my mind to an actor breaking the 4th wall and saying "hey, he's behind the door grab your armrest NOW!!" But don't let this dissuade you from a view - Tom was a solid creepy thriller.
The Right Kind of Wrong - Ryan Kwanten, Will Sasso, Catherine O'Hara
Ah, the Rom Com. Has there been a genre more butchered than the Rom Com? NO! Is it hard to make a Rom Com? Not if you follow the rules! The Right Kind of Wrong was a classic - rule following - paint by numbers Rom Com. And it worked. Our perfect lovers meet cute? CHECK! Quirky best friend? CHECK! Unsuitable partner for one of leads? CHECK! Grand gestures? CHECK? Period of separation? CHECK! Montage? Oh. Crap. No montage. But you see where I'm going, right. This film wasn't all that original or earth shattering. It won't be critically acclaimed or award winning. I don't care. It was fun and I laughed and I routed for Ryan Kwanten's Leo right until the last scene. All your movies don't need to be serious and thought provoking. It's okay. It really, really is. Added bonus: this film was shot in Banff. Guys. We live in a beautiful country. If you see this film and don't fall in love with it, at least you can say you fell in love with Alberta.
Mandela - Idris Elba, Naomie Harris
Flawless. This is pretty much all you need to know about this one. It was perfect. Telling the story of Nelson Mandela basically from his time as a Johannesburg lawyer, to his inauguration as South Africa's first democratically elected President, Mandela never lets us down, and never loses us. It has a distinct point of view, but doesn't shove it down our throats. It was perfectly scored. We learn things about Mandela that we may not have known - he wasn't perfect, few people are. I'm not sure if this film meant more to me because I've just come back from South Africa, where they are still dealing with many of the issues and injustices laid out in the film, or not. It's an amazing feeling, though, to have been in Mandela's cell at Robben Island and walk through the lime quarry where he spent his days, and then to see this all play out on film. The resolve and personal will to stand up for something so ardently is simply astounding to me. I'm not sure how Idris Elba got into this part - the pressure to portray a real life, almost mythical, hero must have been immeasurable, but he did it. The voice, the cadence, the walk, the resonance was all there. I'm worried that people will think he made it look too easy - Idris is one of these chameleon actors (kinda hard when you're over 6 ft tall and play simmer - angry type of dudes) who melt into their roles. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm completely obsessed with him. I hope after seeing Mandela you will be too. Not just in Idris, but also in the beautiful and complex country of South Africa.
Dom Hemingway - Jude Law, Richard E. Grant
When a movie opens with "my cock is splendid" you know you're in for some wild fun. Loved this one. Jude plays an ex-con just released from prison who is trying to figure out what's next. He's got anger issues and daughter issues and, well, lots of issues. He doesn't have speaking issues, though, because everything coming out of Dom's mouth is fucking hilarious. This is the kind of film you could imagine Guy Ritchie making if Guy Ritchie hadn't turned into such a hack. But, really, who needs Guy Ritchie when you have Richard Shepard, who wrote and directed this romp. We all know that Jude is a very, very pretty man and what I love about him as an actor is that he rarely plays to his looks. Keep making 'em like this, Jude, and save the pretty boy stuff for GQ, okay?
Lucky Them - Toni Collette, Thomas Haden Church
Disappointing! SO disappointing! This one felt stale. Like it should have been released in the 80s. And I'm saying this as a person who loves the 80s. Thomas was fantastic, Toni was fine but I didn't buy any of this. I'm not going to trouble you with the lame-o plot. And I'm going to give you a spoiler: the best part of this movie was the cameo by a non-Claire's Accessories- wearing Johnny Depp. Sorry. But, really, don't bother.
Bad Words - Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Allison Janney
Oh my Lord, Jason Bateman! In his directorial debut, no less! Playing a bitter, biting and angry man who finds a loophole in the rules and competes in a Spelling Bee to exact revenge, Jason will make you cringe. Continuously. But you will laugh so hard. So. Hard. Loved this. The spoken words here are not for the faint of heart, but with stellar performances and kick ass humour this is absolutely one to be seen. And did I mention it all takes place at a Spelling Bee? Perfection!
Paradise - Andres Almeida, Daniela Rincon
Produced by those 2 hot dudes from Y Tu Mama Tambien, this film tells the story of childhood sweethearts who uncover a rift in their relationship when they both embark on a weight loss program but only one sees any tangible success. The film had its sweet moments, and deals with the issues of body image, acceptance, change and insecurity quite delicately. My Mom thought it was "okay".
The Lunchbox - Irrfan Khan
This film was a last minute addition to our film schedule, and it was really the perfect way to end the Fest. That the film was written and directed by my pal Jess' pal, Ritesh Batra, who she met at NYU was a complete surprise, and I only found this out when we met Jess, also by surprise, in line. Ritesh took this movie to Cannes, it was picked up and is now making its way through the Film Fest circuit and charming audiences along the way. Quite the dream come true, no? The film is indeed a charming romantic not - quite - comedy about a relationship of affection that is drawn out in the most innocent way - anonymous letters. Remember those?! It's a soft little story, almost fable - like, and absolutely recommendable! And Mom liked it too!
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Oh man ... there we have it. 19 films (+ one talk) over the 10 day Fest. I feel like a bit of a slacker! And a bit of an insane-o. While this was my least attended TIFF in years, I'll make a grand pronouncement and say that film for film it was my best - even with those 3 clunkers. There were deep ones, light ones, disturbing ones, feel good ones. We dealt with themes of freedom, perseverance, love, isolation and redemption. I hit for the cycle in terms of seeing the most buzzed about films, but also saw a few hidden gems that I hope resonate with others the way they did with me (I'm looking at you, Eleanor Rigby!).I can't wait to see how these films are discussed and viewed when they are released - some just weeks away.
So after this overwhelmingly successful TIFF schedule and two killer vacations - neither of which I spent more than maybe a nanosecond participating in the planning of, I think it's fair to say that I should take a back seat on the planning process going forward and just rely on that Little Help From My Friends. Huh. Maybe. I sure am out of practice. Maybe time to plan a party, me thinks. Surely my friends can help with that.
Here's a little lost gem from my newfound gem - yes, Eleanor Rigby. Again.
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