So what movies did you like?

So I go back to work tomorrow and will have to answer the inevitable question “so what was the best movie you saw?”

Here’s the thing about TIFF – while you do get your fair share of mainstream picks, you also get a lot of pedophilia, incest and tears. Not necessarily the types of movies that you would rec to the boss. So this posting is mostly to help remind me at a glance what I watched and liked – and also to help me when I am building my schedule during TIFF10.

When thinking about my approach for next year, I did have a moment of – why not just make it an all Jane/Thom/Colin festival – but then I wouldn’t have seen the totally awesome Cell 211.

So for now to help me remember what (and who) I liked, I’m going to list the movies I saw, separated by programmer with the ones I would watch again/recommend in bold.

Cameron Bailey

Fish Tank
Good Hair
Triage

Noah Cowan

The Informant!

Colin Geddes

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Bitch Slap
Vengeance

Steve Gravestock

Year of the Carnivore
Valhalla Rising

Piers Handling

Nr. Nobody

Michèle Maheux

Cracks
Partir

Raymond Phathanavirangoon

Accident

Thom Powers

Waking Sleeping Beauty
Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags
Cleanflix

Diana Sanchez

Cell 211

Jane Schoettle

Beautiful Kate
Up in the Air
Bran Nue Dae
Leaves of Grass
Balibo
Tanner Hall
My Year Without Sex
Bunny & the Bull
The Vintner’s Luck

Jesse Wente

Defendor

Review: Waking Sleeping Beauty

No talking heads and no old men reminiscing was the mission statement behind the approach to using all archival footage for Waking Sleepimg Beauty. In doing so they totally achieve their goal of taking us back in time to the animation building on the Disney lot in the dark days before the rebirth and record-breaking revenue ushered in by Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid.

The story of the fall and rise of animation at Disney, along with great details about the corporate tug-of-war between of Michael D. Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Roy Disney provides a dramatic story to keep you engaged throughout the film. That would have been more than enough for a good doc, but this one has the added magic of meeting the younger versions of legends like Don Bluth, John Lasseter and Tim Burton and getting more insight into how some of the upheaval may have influenced their career choices.

Add to all of that the music (I couldn’t stop myself from lip-synching along with everything) and you get the perfect combination of entertainment and education that you would expect from the best documentaries.

PN grade: A+

Review: Defendor

This one takes a while to get going, I think I was expecting more in the way of ‘funny ha ha’ and not a sweet and charming character study of a man who lets his only guide be his moral compass. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few laughs, but they are surpised out of you while you are slowly falling in love with Arthur (Woody Harrelson).

This is not your normal David vs Goliath story-actually this is not your normal anything story. All I can say is give it time. It takes until halfway into the final act for us to totally understand Defendor, as it does Kat Dennings’ hooker and Sandra Oh’s doctor. But once we do, it’s a lot like Arthur-simple and perfect.

PN grade: B

Review: Cracks

After hearing about an alleged swarming/assault involving a group of boys from my old high school, I realized when questioning the friend that told me about it that I fully expected there to be a reason. Partially beacuse they were boys, and most of the gentlemen I know of from high school-like most I know now try to avoid drama. And usually if they start somthing, there is usually a cause (not that anything justifies violence) that is common knowledge to those involved.

I think if I had heard that it was a group of girls, I would not have expected the reason to be known already. Whether it’s a high school in Scarborough or a boarding school half a century ago in the UK, I think the common factor amongst all girls of a certain age is the propensity to hold on to grudges and secrets with equal ferocity.

Cracks takes us deeper into girl world than Mean Girls. Compared to present day the unofficial hierarchy in relationships is more strictly enforced based on rank within the school. The same factors can increase or decrease the power one might wield within the group, attractiveness, talent, personal wealth, and of course the most important, the desire for leadership.

In the film when a new girl arrives with an abundance of gifts in all areas except without the thirst for status and power, she throws the equilibrium of the entire group out of balance. Their diving coach, Miss G, played as a slightly left-of-sane Pygmalion by Eva Green is equal parts seductive, childlike and nuts.

However the most disturbing character to me when watching the film was the
mob. No one girl will ever be as powerful or potentially destructive as a group hell-bent on destruction.

A good effort by first-time director Jordan Scott, although the pacing was a bit slow in the first act, and a bit rushed in the end.

PN grade: B-

Review: Triage

I think for a couple of years there I forgot that Colin Farrell could act, then I saw In Bruges, and watched Minority Report again when it was on tv and remembered that he’s kind of great. Triage was initially a timeslot+director choice for me (fit in my schedule, directed by Danis Tancovic who did No Man’s Land. I’m really happy that I saw this film, and although it doesn’t have US distribution yet (someone buy it please) it will be released in Canada.

First off, this one gave me my first tears of the festival. Usually by this time at least two or three movies have had me crying like a Kanye at an awards show, but so far this year I have been more amused than weepy. I’m sure the  Scott Anderson novel is even more of an emotional journey into the most harrowing memories of war photographers, but the movie gave me more than a good taste at 9:00 AM on a Monday morning. The friendship between Mark (Farrell’s character) and David (Jamie Sives) in the middle of the carnage keeps the viewer grounded in the first act, and provides a welcome relief from some of the more heartbreaking scenes in the makeshift field hospital.

Branko Djuric (also from No Man’s Land) gives a fantastic performance as the cold, yet charismatic Dr. Talzani. Watching his character walk through the rows of men with this blue and yellow triage tags you find yourself holding your breath, while his character appears unbothered. You see moments where he reveals what the nature of his work has done to him – the way he asks Mark for a cigarette at one point is part of one of the best scenes in the performance – but for the most part the doctor has to just keep it moving.

Good performances from the entire supporting cast – great job by Christopher Lee as the best grandpa-in-law ever.

PN grade – A-

Review: A Serious Man

The latest work from the Coen brothers is a lot more like Fargo and a lot less like No Country For Old Men. It’s a grass-roots story set in a Jewish community in suburban Minnesota in the late 1960s. The Serious Man in the title seems like a normal, typical, nice guys whose world starts crashing down around him. This is a story of faith as much as anything else. Despite the compounding problems of the main character he keeps true to his Jewish beliefs and even though easy outs are readily available he still strives to do the right thing. But this loveable looser just can’t catch a break (in true Coen brothers fashion).

I think this film will appeal to die hard Coen brothers fans and the Jewish community. Otherwise I think it’s a little too far off the mark for mainstream audiences. If people were pissed with the ending of No Country For Old Men, then they’ll really feel cheated with the abrupt, Sopranos-esk cut to black of A Serious Man.

Derek’s grade: C

Review: Suck

This is one of the best Canadian movies I’ve ever seen. It’s not going to win an Oscar, but it was great nonetheless. It’s about a struggling rock band whose hot female bass player becomes a vampire. Her abilities begin drawing notice of the few fans attending the gigs and suddenly the band’s popularity explodes.

This is a very tongue-in-cheek comedy about both vampires and the music industry. It’s got a lot of laughs and a lot of inside jokes. A lot of recognizable musicians make excellent cameos (Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins and Moby). The story is great, the performances are strong and the music is excellent. Throw the whole vampire thing in there and you have a hit movie.

This film has one of the best vampire deaths ever. You’ll have to see it to judge for yourself.

Derek’s Grade: A

Review: Daytrippers

This movie was great. Set in 2019 the world’s population has been infected by vampirism. Only 5% of the human population remains human and most of them are harvested for their blood. Society has advanced considerably now that everyone is a vampire, but everything takes place at night. Homes and offices have no windows and cars are equipped with daytime shielding and cameras.

Our hero (played by Ethan Hawke) is a scientist working for the corporation that supplies the world with blood (lead by Sam Neil). While Hawk’s character attempts to synthesis human blood, the vampire society is on the verge on collapse as the dwindling supply of humans die. But Hawke is a reluctant vampire and is sympathetic to humans. He meets a human who has been cured of his vampirism (played by Willim Dafoe) and together they try to create a cure that can be massed produced.

This film is a good balance of sci-fi, horror and action thriller. The look and style of the move reminded me a lot of the original Matrix and Minority Report. Expect this one to hit mainstream theaters and when it does go see it. You’ll be glad you did.

Derek’s grade: A

Review: Last Ride

Kev (played by Hugo Weaving) and his son (played by newcomer Tom Russell) take an impromptu road trip. As the story unfolds we learn that Weaving’s character is an ex-con with a temper. We get the sense that the two are on the run even though the boy isn’t aware of it in the beginning.

Realizing that his recent actions will send him to prison and away from his son, Kev takes his son on a one last road trip. Kev has clearly not been the worlds greatest father and he uses this trip to try and make up for that. He also tries to teach his son some important life lessons along the way.

The boy begins to understand why they’re taking the trip about the same time we learn how much of an ass the father really is. Although his motive may be pure in this instance, usually he finds trouble around every corner.

The film is slow, but the performances were excellent. Weaving again demonstrates his incredible range as a dead-beat dad. You forget that he played such different characters in The Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert, The Matrix and Lord of the Rings. If this film had a little more flash I’d expect Weaving to get nominated for awards come year end. Unfortunately I don’t think that will happen with this Australian film.

Derek’s Grade: B-

Review: Up in the Air

Note: After spending much of my time in my seat angrily tweeting about the movie starting late because of the talent on the red carpet, then Oprah came into the theatre with Gayle to watch the movie and for a moment I lost my damn mind. I liked-nay loved the movie but I fear the Oprah Effect may influence my overall feeling awesomeness because of the mere proximity to the mighty one.

Second note: This movie was introduced by Jane Schoettle whom I LOVE and directed by Jason Reitman who told the audience at the Ryerson that he was offered a chance to be in the Gala program and said no so that the real movie fans could see his film. If I didn’t love him before…ah hell it just made him even more adorably fantastic. And in the Q&A he gave a shout out to his dad for writing one of the biggest laughs in the movie – he may be one of the nicest people in the universe. And he’s talented. And has lovely hair. So basically this will be less of a review and more me trying not to be spoilery whilst gushing praise.

I love seeing Jason Reitman first screenings at the festival.  I’m three for three now and I have loved them all, and for both Thank You for Smoking and Juno I watched them again in the theatre when they were released. I anticipate this will be the case with Up in the Air because there were so many laughs, that occasionally you miss the dialogue.

Reitman has an eye for plucky tiny brunettes, and Anna Kendrick is bringing the balls to the wall intensity in this movie that you saw in her performance as Fritzi in Camp. The only thing that could have made it better is if her character actually sang ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ at some point. The difference in this film is that you get to see her redemption, where I imagine that Fritzi is still slipping the competition laxatives somewhere.

Jason Bateman is sublime.

George makes us forgive all Ryan Bingham’s anti-social tendencies not with his smirks and quirks but by showing us that this guy knows he is flawed. When his sister asks him for a favour with the caveat that she knows he’s not great at ‘doing things for others’ he does not look really offended or resigned. He just continues with the conversation as she is merely stating a fact. His reaction to how small his contribution was to the picture project in comparison to the whole shows that he really has created a life outside-or above-others. He’s not entirely a sociopath, since he can empathize with others, he just chooses not to connect.

I want Sam Elliott to appear magially when I hit milestones in life. Odds are I won’t even hear the words, but damn what a voice.

Umm…something negative…the beginning credits were better in Thank You for Smoking and Juno. That’s about it. Flove.

PN grade – A