Indeed, Indeed.
It's the most wonderful time of the year and this year of years is THE year.
Without the daily grind to hold me back I'm diving head first into the deep end, saying yes to everything but sleep on my way to becoming a certified film & life lunatic by next Sunday. But we'll deal with that me then. For now, it's TIFF immersion as I volunteer (clap extra hard for me, please!) for the first time AND see 31 movies over the course of ten days.
Why not? What the hell else do I have to do?!
Blogging will be fast & furious, as without the daily grind I eluded to earlier, the sense of "having to do" anything at all has eluded me for a couple months now. It's glorious. And freeing. And so anti-me it's rather scary. Scarier still that I really, really like it. I recommend it to everyone - good for the heart, soul & mind. So if you're looking for something a bit more consistent, why not follow me on Twitter, where I will be espousing extremely mini reviews on the regular.
For the more verbose, I give you Days 1 through 4:
The Humbling - Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig
I didn't want to see this movie. I'm done with the old guy / young girl love story. Done with it in the real life and in the movie life. DONE. But. I'm not all that stubborn when it comes to joining a party and I wanted to be with my girls. I didn't hate this movie because hate is a word we must save for special occasions, but I sure didn't really like it very much. It was so confused - pick a genre, any genre! I love Greta Gerwig so much and now I love her just a tad less and I'm blaming this movie for that. I'm blaming this movie for making me focus on Al Pacino's oddball hairdo for two hours (like I already haven't done that enough in the Phil Spector story?!). This isn't the way I wanted to start off TIFF2014, but you can't win them all I guess ...
Mary Kom - Priyanka Chopra
I love sports movies. Underdogs, cliches, last plays of the game - all of it, I'm all in. It pains me to say that this was one of the worst sports movies I've ever seen. It was overwrought, amateur, terribly scored, long and repetitive. Aside from the fact that the smoking hot (hey, even Cameron Bailey said so!) Priyanka Chopra played her, this film really let Mary Kom down.
Clouds Of Sils Maria - Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart
Finally! A good movie! No. A GREAT ONE. I loved this movie so much. Juliette Binoche was absolutely perfect portraying an actress coming to terms with ageing in this very meta piece co-starring Kristen Stewart. Stewart finally moves beyond her one note scowl face and really delivers here. The acting was so natural that at times I felt like I was watching a documentary. Incredible scenery and perfectly paced. I loved it. Did I mention that I loved it?
Welcome to Me - Kristen Wiig
Wiig portrays a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins 80 million bucks and buys an Oprah-esque TV show for herself. Cute premise, sure, but after awhile I felt like I was watching yet another way too long SNL sketch. The film tried to tackle the severity of mental illness (as per the Q&A) but without a proper foundation backstory for Wiig's character, the film felt like it was playing for cheap laughs. I was entertained, but I wasn't entirely connected.
The Drop - Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini
It's the script, stupid. Thank you Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island, Mystic River and so many more) for adapting your book to screen. This was a sly, clever crime drama that surprises you with its calm. Stellar performances, including of course the last one by the great James Gandolfini. A really terrific film and I'm not even going to get into the marvel that is Tom Hardy. Like, holy shit Tom Hardy.
Preggoland - Sonja Bennett, James Caan
Oh, what silly fun! A late 30s loser is ostracized by her married with kids high school buds, so she pretends she's pregnant to fit in. Really silly. Really fun. Really possible. But maybe not the jello.
St Vincent - Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy
I've always disliked movies that try too hard to get you to like them. They're over emotional and a bit cloying and just push your buttons in such a way that you have no choice but to feel the way the director wants you to feel. That's what I thought I was walking into with St Vincent. And truthfully, I DID end up feeling exactly how I was 'supposed' to, but by some sheer point of magic I am totally okay with it. This film was so touching and poignant and funny and dare I say charming that it rose well above the schmaltz factor. Bill Murray returns to fine perfection and everyone else is pretty great too. Did I cry? Of course I cried. You think I'm made of stone or something?
Guidance - Pat Mills
This is my second mini - budget Canadian Comedy at TIFF (Preggoland being the first) and can I say, YEAY Canada! Guidance was ridiculous. And silly. And absurd. And very, very good. Pat Mills wrote, directed & starred in what was basically a one man show. A host of Second City vets round out the cast.
Riot Club - Max Irons, Sam Clafin
Boys Behaving Badly? ok! Posh British Boys Behaving Badly? hell, yes! Brilliantly disturbing inside view of the world of secret university clubs, this one at Oxford and full of all the pomp and privilege you'd expect. Great cast of British semi-knowns who soon will be very well knowns.
Miss Julie - Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton
Damn I wanted to love this. I liked it, I guess. Adapted from the August Strindberg play, the film remained very true to the text. The action is slight and the premise tight but overall somewhat long and slow. Maybe it should have stayed a play? That said, Jessica, Colin & Samantha were all incredible - remarkable, really.
10 down, 21 to go .... Onwards!
YAY Olgie...welcome back...its really is the best time of the year for your blog to! xo
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