So we're past hump day at the Toronto Film Fest this year... I'm working "red carpet" in the evenings down at the Scotiabank, basically rounding up the talent and programmers when they arrive and making sure they get where they need to go.... it's been a lot of fun this year, but very busy for me! This is about the first free moment Ive gotten to write so far, so i figured I'd post some of the highlights so far before writing my own little post-mortem...
Movies I've seen:
JCVD (Jean Claude Van Damme) - Brilliant and honest film. Highly recommend it. A very European-style drama that examines the nature of fame through the eyes of JCVD himself in an extraordinary situation where an aging actor/stuntman plays the human being behind the "name". Amazing monologue at the end. Must see.
Religulous (Bill Mahr) - Very funny and witty examination on the effect religion has on society. Bill Mahr spreads what could be surmised as "intelligent doubt" as he pulls back the curtains of ignorance that plague many of the world's religions. I think this is a MUST SEE for sure, as it sparks an excellent debate and shows the true colors of the mindless sheep VS the reasonably religious.
Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist (Michael Cera) - AMAZING! A sweet, good-hearted romantic comedy with that "indie" vibe that makes this a very unique movie. Great performances and a quirky script make this movie a prized gem in my eyes. See it with a loved one if possible!
Ghost Town (Ricky Gervais) - Funny as hell, mainly due to Ricky Gervais himself. Plot is a bit "studio comedy" and fairly predictable, but the dynamic between Greg Kinnear, Ricky, and Tea Leoni is really great. Ricky's character arc is the best part of the movie.
Three Blind Mice (Matthew Newton) - Aussie film about three naval officers on the last night out before going to Iraq. Amazing performances and extremely realistic in nature. I would call this the "perfect low budget indie flick". Very smart, witty, charming and human. The script comes together very well in the end as the antics of three very different sailors brings us to some very subtle yet profound (read- dynamic) realizations about the men behind the uniforms.
Blindness (Julianne Moore) - An adaptation of one of my favorite novels. AMAZING cinematography, and the direction really does wonders communicating to the audience the feelings and results of a world thrown into moral chaos after everyone (but Mrs. Moore) goes blind. Although I liked it quite a bit, it stuck very much with the novel, and I think I would have preferred to see it use the novel more as "inspiration", because the story didn't work as well in film then as a book. However, great performances and cinematography make it worthwhile!
Detroit Metal City - Again, AMAZING... one of the best so far! A hilarious Japanese comedy that is essentially the spritual successor to Detroit Metal City. Amazing performances by the lead characters drive the age-old story of a boy chasing his dreams and realizing even though they didn't seem to turn out as he imagined, they were still realized in the end. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. This movie will have a HUGE following I'm sure. The lead character plays an almost super-hero role, a nerdy geek with dreams of being a "trendy" (starbucks, fashion and bubble tea) musician while he moonlights in a Death Metal band singing about rape and murder... again, just an incredible pic!
And i think that's it so far... tonight I'm seeing "The Burrowers" (JT Petty), a monster movie (like Tremors) set in the wild-west. Then it's "Che" (Sodenberg), "Synechdote, New York" (Kauffman), "The Wrestler" (Arronofsky), "It might get loud" (doc on the electric guitar) and whatever else I happen to pick up along the way!
For now, I've got to shower and get to work! So for those who haven't been to TIFF before- what are you waiting for? It's amazing!
Over and out...
Movies I've seen:
JCVD (Jean Claude Van Damme) - Brilliant and honest film. Highly recommend it. A very European-style drama that examines the nature of fame through the eyes of JCVD himself in an extraordinary situation where an aging actor/stuntman plays the human being behind the "name". Amazing monologue at the end. Must see.
Religulous (Bill Mahr) - Very funny and witty examination on the effect religion has on society. Bill Mahr spreads what could be surmised as "intelligent doubt" as he pulls back the curtains of ignorance that plague many of the world's religions. I think this is a MUST SEE for sure, as it sparks an excellent debate and shows the true colors of the mindless sheep VS the reasonably religious.
Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist (Michael Cera) - AMAZING! A sweet, good-hearted romantic comedy with that "indie" vibe that makes this a very unique movie. Great performances and a quirky script make this movie a prized gem in my eyes. See it with a loved one if possible!
Ghost Town (Ricky Gervais) - Funny as hell, mainly due to Ricky Gervais himself. Plot is a bit "studio comedy" and fairly predictable, but the dynamic between Greg Kinnear, Ricky, and Tea Leoni is really great. Ricky's character arc is the best part of the movie.
Three Blind Mice (Matthew Newton) - Aussie film about three naval officers on the last night out before going to Iraq. Amazing performances and extremely realistic in nature. I would call this the "perfect low budget indie flick". Very smart, witty, charming and human. The script comes together very well in the end as the antics of three very different sailors brings us to some very subtle yet profound (read- dynamic) realizations about the men behind the uniforms.
Blindness (Julianne Moore) - An adaptation of one of my favorite novels. AMAZING cinematography, and the direction really does wonders communicating to the audience the feelings and results of a world thrown into moral chaos after everyone (but Mrs. Moore) goes blind. Although I liked it quite a bit, it stuck very much with the novel, and I think I would have preferred to see it use the novel more as "inspiration", because the story didn't work as well in film then as a book. However, great performances and cinematography make it worthwhile!
Detroit Metal City - Again, AMAZING... one of the best so far! A hilarious Japanese comedy that is essentially the spritual successor to Detroit Metal City. Amazing performances by the lead characters drive the age-old story of a boy chasing his dreams and realizing even though they didn't seem to turn out as he imagined, they were still realized in the end. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. This movie will have a HUGE following I'm sure. The lead character plays an almost super-hero role, a nerdy geek with dreams of being a "trendy" (starbucks, fashion and bubble tea) musician while he moonlights in a Death Metal band singing about rape and murder... again, just an incredible pic!
And i think that's it so far... tonight I'm seeing "The Burrowers" (JT Petty), a monster movie (like Tremors) set in the wild-west. Then it's "Che" (Sodenberg), "Synechdote, New York" (Kauffman), "The Wrestler" (Arronofsky), "It might get loud" (doc on the electric guitar) and whatever else I happen to pick up along the way!
For now, I've got to shower and get to work! So for those who haven't been to TIFF before- what are you waiting for? It's amazing!
Over and out...