The 2010 Toronto International Film Festival (35th Anniversary Edition)

[transmogrifier]

Looking forward to Meek's Cutoff, even though I thought Old Joy was complete wank. Probably the promise of an actual story and some drama, I guess.

[Qrazy]

Looking forward to Meek's Cutoff, even though I thought Old Joy was complete wank. Probably the promise of an actual story and some drama, I guess.

Nope.

[B-side]

Nope.

Phew. Good.

[Stay Puft]

So tired. Too tired for writing, rating, whatever.

Day 8
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

Day 9
Nothing.

Day 10
The Anthem (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Fire of Conscience (Dante Lam)

Day 11
E-100 (James Andean & Francois Xavier Saint-Pierre)
8½ Screens (Atom Egoyan)
Hauntings (Guy Maddin)

I enjoyed all of them to varying degrees. Will write some words tomorrow.

[Qrazy]

Sorry to say that Mysteries of Lisbon was not that good. It wasn't a complete failure, but it's unbelievably tedious for the majority of the film (4+ hour film). The acting/drama was largely poor, in this one Ruiz really needed to pick up his beats. His actors are forced to hold individual moments for awkward lengths of time which often gives the work an incredibly amateurish feel.

The feature was originally made for TV and it shows. The lighting is pretty close to top shelf but almost the entire film occurs in mid shots and a couple tight long shots. People walk around in and talk in rooms. That's the long and the short of it. Still the film isn't a complete waste. By the end the narrative does come around almost full circle and there is a certain sense of emotional inertia to the various plot threads of the tale. It's not a very good story really. It's redundant (but that's part of the point I suppose), needlessly lengthy and just kind of silly.

But there are singular scenes, moments and shots in the film which work. Here Ruiz quite likes using the whole frame as much as possible, or at least the two far sides of the frame. He frequently will employ extreme close-up left or right frame and then a long shot in the other half of the frame. Every once in a while this approach works well tonally, but at other times it also feels like he's just trying to force some stylistic life into an otherwise dull experience. A couple of lengthy tracking shots embarrassingly express the bluntness of their blocking.

Right now I"m going to say ehh... C-

[Qrazy]

Phew. Good.

And now for the bad. ^

[transmogrifier]

Phew. Good.

Movies with a story > Movies without a story

[B-side]

Movies with a story > Movies without a story

Movies with a unicorn > movies without a unicorn

[B-side]

And now for the bad. ^

And now for the ugly. ^

:D

[Qrazy]

And now for the ugly. ^

:D

Just prepare yourself for disappointment... and tedium.

[B-side]

Just prepare yourself for disappointment... and tedium.

Oh. I just saw your Ruiz post. I thought you were taking a stab at me.:P

That's disappointing to hear. Hopefully I end up disagreeing with you.

[Qrazy]

Oh. I just saw your Ruiz post. I thought you were taking a stab at me.:P

That's disappointing to hear. Hopefully I end up disagreeing with you.

Keep in mind that I quite liked Three Lives and Only One Death. I was rooting for the man.

[B-side]

Keep in mind that I quite liked Three Lives and Only One Death. I was rooting for the man.

I'd probably trust you a bit more if you'd seen some of his period films. I mean, I generally do trust your opinion, but Ruiz is pretty special to me, and even when he's at his worst, he's still at least interesting.

[transmogrifier]

Movies with a unicorn > movies without a unicorn

Ridiculous.

[Ezee E]

Did any of you guys meet up?

[Qrazy]

Did any of you guys meet up?

Yes.

Boner M, Stay Puft, Endingcredits, Melville, Spaceman Spiff and I all met up.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yes.

Boner M, Stay Puft, Endingcredits, Melville, Spaceman Spiff and I all met up.

We were supposed to (well not really) meet up again for lunch before the end of Tiff, but real life (school and UofT French Club duties - heh) is happening to me in pretty rapid clips. We should grab some eggs benedict at Future's or something one of these days though, Qrazy. Preferably with giant pints of Hoegaarden.

[Qrazy]

Beer with breakfast? I dunno... I guess I'd be willing to try it.

[Spaceman Spiff]

All day breakfast FTW

[Stay Puft]

Well? You liked it a bit more than me it seems.

Yeah, I'm digging his documentaries. This one is better than 24 City, as it jetisons the obnoxiously cute stuff like Joan Chen's fictional interview, and finds a better context for the non-fiction interviews. (Wuyong is still my personal favorite, but no matter.)

Jia gave a lengthy introduction to the film, which probably helped me appreciate it as much as I did. He talked mostly about politics, however, and I was surprised how much the film ended up being about Shanghai as seen - or understood - through the cinema. That was the thread that propelled me through the film, the aspect that resonated the most afterwards. I suppose it's a film that's only interesting insofar as the various interviews are engaging, but there are so many great personal stories here from people involved in the filmmaking industry, or somehow related to the cinema, that I found it both engaging and rewarding. The story about the guy who followed Antonioni around while he filmed Cina is brilliant behind the scenes style material. The segments dealing with Mu Fei's Spring in a Small Town are equally wonderful.

I loved the stories, I loved the visuals, I loved Lim Giong's music (some of his best yet). I'm not really sure what else to say?

[baby doll]

Beer with breakfast? I dunno... I guess I'd be willing to try it.Now you're thinking like a Canadian.

[NickGlass]

Now you're thinking like a Canadian.

No way, really? From my perspective, there weren't enough drunks in Canada. And, yes, beer--or, really, any alcohol--is wonderful with breakfast.

Also, I need to accept the fact that, other than NYC, no city stays open later than 2am. It disappointed me every night.

As for the films I caught, I'm very mixed. One very good, one decent enough, one thoroughly mediocre, and two horrible flicks.

1. Leap Year: 8.0
2. Blue Valentine: 6.5
3. Rabbit Hole: 5.0
4. Cold Fish: 3.5
5. Stake Land: 2.5

I'm beyond annoyed, as well, that the Midnight Madness feature, Stake Land, was full of nazi volunteers who watched me like a hawk as I tried to drink a bottle of red wine we smuggled in. c'mon--it's a midnight madness feature! The audience needs to be as drunk as possible to get through it.

[Boner M]

I wrote a 1500 wd wrapup at my blog (http://sydneyfilmhappenings.blogspot. com/2010/09/tiff-epic-wrap-up.html).

Here're my tiers of quality, based around items from the Tim Horton's menu.

Maple dip donut (Awesome)

Meek's Cutoff
Leap Year
Wavelengths in general, esp. the Dorsky's
The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
The 'Mavericks' conversations w/ Apichatpong & Kelly Reichardt
Qrazy rating Meek's with a B- in person

Butter caramel iced capp supreme (tasty indeed)

Curling
Promises Written on Water

Timbits (minor but satisfying)

Boxing Gym
Kaboom
The Ward
Griff the Invisible
Sleeping Beauty

Vegetable soup (ehhhh)

Essential Killing
Tamara Drewe
Insidious
The Ditch
Cold Fish
Oki's Movie

Basically, I had a whale of a time, even though the single-ticket thing meant I didn't see as many movies as I'd liked.

[Qrazy]

No way, really? From my perspective, there weren't enough drunks in Canada. And, yes, beer--or, really, any alcohol--is wonderful with breakfast.

Also, I need to accept the fact that, other than NYC, no city stays open later than 2am. It disappointed me every night.


Montreal is up and running until 3am.

[Qrazy]

I wrote a 1500 wd wrapup at my blog (http://sydneyfilmhappenings.blogspot. com/2010/09/tiff-epic-wrap-up.html).

Basically, I had a whale of a time, even though the single-ticket thing meant I didn't see as many movies as I'd liked.

Did you end up going to see that Russian film or Mysteries of Lisbon?

[soitgoes...]

Montreal is up and running until 3am.Las Vegas.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Also, I need to accept the fact that, other than NYC, no city stays open later than 2am.

Um, what?

EDIT: What part of town were you hanging round? Obviously bars close at 2 - I take it NYC bars are 24/7? But plenty of places are 24/7 or close enough. If you can't find a piece of good pizza or a terrific shawarma after a night of heavy drinking or a nice lounge with some not-so-reputable characters where you can just sit around past 2 am, you're not looking hard enough. And that's not to mention clubs and such (although I've been interested in them). I take it you came here alone? Meh, any city is better when you have a place to crash at.

[Qrazy]

Las Vegas.

Haha nice, there's a wikipedia page for last call.

* Alabama: In Birmingham and Mobile, bars serve alcohol 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Varies in other cities.
* Alaska: 5 a.m.; while most cities restrict this further, some do not (primarily smaller Matanuska-Susitna Valley towns), and some villages are dry.
* Florida: Last call set statewide to 2 a.m., some cities have passed exemptions to the law, notably Tampa (3 a.m.), Broward county (4 a.m.) and Miami (24 hours in the Miami Entertainment District). Liquor store closing times vary by county.
* Hawaii: 4 a.m., however not all bars qualify for a 4 a.m. license and must close at 2 a.m.
* Indiana: 3 a.m., 12:30 a.m. on Sundays. (A state law has recently been passed that will soon do away with the earlier Sunday closing time and push it back to 3 a.m.)
* Louisiana: There is no set statewide closing time. Bars may remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Except, Louisiana law provides:
* Nevada: There is no set statewide closing time. Bars may remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. [/B]
* New Jersey: While state law is 3 a.m. certain areas on the Jersey shore are considered resort areas and are allowed to serve alcohol up until 5 a.m.
* New York: Under state law, establishments must stop serving alcohol by 4am, however the actual closing time is left up to each of New York's 62 counties. The 4 a.m. time holds in New York City, Buffalo, and Albany. Binghamton has a last call of 3 a.m., Syracuse and Rochester have a time of 2 a.m., and Elmira, Geneva, and Ithaca have a time of 1 a.m. Rural counties may be even earlier.
* West Virginia: 3:30 a.m. (3:00a.m. Saturday)[6]
* Albany, New York: 4 a.m.
* Atlanta: 2:30 a.m.; 4:00 a.m. in Underground Atlanta. Midnight on Sunday night/Monday morning.
* Atlantic City, New Jersey: 24 hours
* Bloomington, Indiana: 3 a.m.
* Buffalo: 4 a.m.
* Chicago: Some bars may choose to close at 2 a.m. or earlier. They may alternately get an extension which allows them to close at 4 a.m. or earlier. On Saturdays, closing times are shifted an hour back to 3 and 5 a.m.
* Florence, South Carolina: 2 a.m. for hard liquor, 3 a.m. for beer. This includes Sundays where any bar that is defined as a private club may operate 7 days a week, otherwise last call is midnight Saturday night, until the establishment reopens for business on Monday.
* Indianapolis: 3 a.m.
* Las Vegas, Nevada: Bars may stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
* Louisville: 4 a.m.
* Miami: 5 a.m.; Bars may stay open 24 hours, 7 days a week in the Downtown Entertainment District
* New Orleans: Bars may stay open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
* New York City: 4 a.m.
* Pensacola, Florida: 3 a.m. (within city limits, 2 a.m. for county)
* Peoria: 4 a.m.
* Savannah, Georgia: 3 a.m.
* Tampa: 3 a.m.
* Washington, D.C.: 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night, 2:00 a.m. other nights.

-----

I just made myself a new list of places to visit.

[Derek]

Qrazy rating Meek's with a B- in person

:lol: That's awesome. So bummed I missed out.

[endingcredits]

* Las Vegas, Nevada: Bars may stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


But there the bartenders usually cut people off pretty fast.

[Watashi]

I think the most important question is... who out-hipstered the others the most?

[Ezee E]

But there the bartenders usually cut people off pretty fast.
What places in Vegas did you go to? hahaha

[Derek]

What places in Vegas did you go to? hahaha

Heh, yeah. A bartender cutting someone off in Vegas is about as likely as a casino manager telling a gambler that its time to call it quits for the night.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I think the most important question is... who out-hipstered the others the most?

Hmm. This is an important question.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hey Boner (or Boney - I can call you Boney, yes?), Liars and the XX are playing this week. You like 'em both don't you? I am trying to give you grief.

[endingcredits]

What places in Vegas did you go to? hahaha
It was after a phish show several years back that me and my friends got cut off a two different bars before sun up. The second one was probably warranted because my buddy pissed his pants in the bar stool but I think the first was just a guy bar tender being a snooty. I can't remember the names of the places.

[NickGlass]

Um, what?

EDIT: What part of town were you hanging round? Obviously bars close at 2 - I take it NYC bars are 24/7? But plenty of places are 24/7 or close enough. If you can't find a piece of good pizza or a terrific shawarma after a night of heavy drinking or a nice lounge with some not-so-reputable characters where you can just sit around past 2 am, you're not looking hard enough. And that's not to mention clubs and such (although I've been interested in them). I take it you came here alone? Meh, any city is better when you have a place to crash at.

Oh, I wasn't alone. I stayed with two friends at different apartments (one who lives off Spadina, and the other off Ossington). I certainly saw the city--there's no doubt about that. I must have walked at least 50 miles (or however many km that would be) over my four-day stint. Essentially the whole stretch of Bloor, Dundas, College, Church st. (which was...aggressive), and Queens West (and, well, "West Queens West"/Parkdale)--and neighborhoods like Kensington and Lesleyville. I did, indeed, end up going to the Maple Leaf Tavern, too, which totally lived up to my old-man-dive expectations (my favorite detail: they only serve red wine chilled).

I apologize, too, because I should have particularly pointed out that it was booze I hoped to find after 2am--and the people at Sweaty Betty's, at least, allowed us to hang around until 3am anyway (even after kicking us out of the back patio at 2am). There are places to drunkenly eat, sure, but hanging out at the 7 West Cafe every weekend night after 2am isn't exactly my cup of tea. Also, in Toronto, I think the pizza is awful (how do you people even accept "Pizza Pizza" as a legitimate pizzeria?) but the schawarma is good. Oh, and clubs have hefty cover charges and I'm most certainly not a club-type.

Oh, and thank you for that list, Qrazy.

[baby doll]

Montreal is up and running until 3am.You haven't lived until you've had poutine at 4am in Montreal's gay quarter after a night of karaoke. Or maybe you have, I dunno.

[NickGlass]

Yeah, even though Montreal is smaller and quainter, it seemed to be a bit more "alive" after hours. Perhaps it's due to the density--and, yes, delicious poutine. I remember I went to a poutine establishment that was formerly a billiards hall.

EDIT: I hope none of my comments misled anyone into thinking I did not enjoy, or respect, Toronto. I think it's a wonderful city.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yeah as far as food goes, you just have to know where to go. We have terrible pizza (although I don't think Pizza Pizza is that bad) and amazing pizza (Cora's on Spadina/Harbord are open till 4 am and a slice there is a quarter of a entire pie - for 4$ no tax) just like I'm sure most major cities do. Cool beans, in any case.

And Parkdale! Cool that you visited - I grew up there. How'd you like it? It's a lot less sketchy nowadays (thanks to hipster gentrification - which is not always a bad thing) than back in the early-mid 90s, let me tell you.

[NickGlass]

Yeah as far as food goes, you just have to know where to go.

Yeah, I did some research and exploring, and my friends were quick with the recommendations. It seemed like most of my meals were brunch/lunch (Auntie and Uncles, Bonjour Brioche--both fantastic; Sneaky Dee's is pretty crappy but it's a Toronto institution so I "get it."), as occasionally I forget to eat dinner or was just too busy/drunk/broke to go to a restaurant. I just didn't trust most of the pizza, but I admit to being a total NYC pizza snob (even still--Pizza Pizza? I went into one to use the washroom and the pizza looked inedible)


And Parkdale! Cool that you visited - I grew up there. How'd you like it? It's a lot less sketchy nowadays (thanks to hipster gentrification - which is not always a bad thing) than back in the early-mid 90s, let me tell you.

Yeah, you can totally see the hipster gentrification--and now the douchebag gentrification; the process is essentially finished, too. This was most evident in the unfinished condos on Queens West between Ossingtin and Dufferin that are called "Bohemian Embassy"--what an absurd joke. Of course, it seemed that most of the idiots inhabiting The Drake and the Gladstone wouldn't even get the joke. Nonetheless, I did actually enjoy some bars in that area, and Egoyan's gallery/cinema was pretty snazzy. Ever go to the Done Right Inn or Motel?

[Qrazy]

Yeah, even though Montreal is smaller and quainter, it seemed to be a bit more "alive" after hours. Perhaps it's due to the density--and, yes, delicious poutine. I remember I went to a poutine establishment that was formerly a billiards hall.

EDIT: I hope none of my comments misled anyone into thinking I did not enjoy, or respect, Toronto. I think it's a wonderful city.

Haha, the best part is they haven't had any pool tables there for over 50 years.

[Qrazy]

You haven't lived until you've had poutine at 4am in Montreal's gay quarter after a night of karaoke. Or maybe you have, I dunno.

Well I've had poutine at 4am many times... and I think I've had it after karaoke... but I'm not sure if I've had it in the gay village at that time. I have some friends who recently bought an apartment in the gay village though so maybe such a night is somewhere in my future.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, I did some research and exploring, and my friends were quick with the recommendations. It seemed like most of my meals were brunch/lunch (Auntie and Uncles, Bonjour Brioche--both fantastic; Sneaky Dee's is pretty crappy but it's a Toronto institution so I "get it."), as occasionally I forget to eat dinner or was just too busy/drunk/broke to go to a restaurant. I just didn't trust most of the pizza, but I admit to being a total NYC pizza snob (even still--Pizza Pizza? I went into one to use the washroom and the pizza looked inedible)


Which are the best pizza places in New York?

[NickGlass]

Well I've had poutine at 4am many times... and I think I've had it after karaoke... but I'm not sure if I've had it in the gay village at that time. I have some friends who recently bought an apartment in the gay village though so maybe such a night is somewhere in my future.

Montreal gay village (St. Catherine) > Toronto gay village (Church St.)

In Montreal, an artist flirted with me and gave me a discount on brilliantly designed t-shirts he was selling.

In Toronto, I was cat-called twice within 3 blocks and then some guy pulled up to me, asked if I needed a ride, and when I declined, saying, "Oh no, I'm fine thanks," he sped along next to me and told me to "get in the fucking car."

[NickGlass]

Which are the best pizza places in New York?

See, this is the thing: nearly all the authentic Italian pizzerias--either in Manhattan or Brooklyn--are generally delicious. You know, a nice balance of melted cheese, flavorful sauce, and crispy bottom. Sure, there are certain places with a particularly illustrious reputation, but--between ten magazines or alternative weeklies--it's hard to find a list of the best pizza places in NY that overlaps much. Basically, if you name a neighborhood I can pinpoint better (oh, and stay out of midtown!).

[Qrazy]

See, this is the thing: nearly all the authentic Italian pizzerias--either in Manhattan or Brooklyn--are generally delicious. You know, a nice balance of melted cheese, flavorful sauce, and crispy bottom. Sure, there are certain places with a particularly illustrious reputation, but--between ten magazines or alternative weeklies--it's hard to find a list of the best pizza places in NY that overlaps much. Basically, if you name a neighborhood I can pinpoint better (oh, and stay out of midtown!).

Well I lived on Mulberry/Houston for about 4 months 5+ years ago and had some pretty good pizza walking home from the south and the east, but I'm not sure if I ever found a great pizza place per se. Still, I wasn't looking very hard at the time. Which are the best in that region?

[Qrazy]

Montreal gay village (St. Catherine) > Toronto gay village (Church St.)

In Montreal, an artist flirted with me and gave me a discount on brilliantly designed t-shirts he was selling.

In Toronto, I was cat-called twice within 3 blocks and then some guy pulled up to me, asked if I needed a ride, and when I declined, saying, "Oh no, I'm fine thanks," he sped along next to me and told me to "get in the fucking car."

Yikes. Montreal gay village can be pretty rough too though, my friends already had their car broken into a couple weeks after they bought their apartment. It's really not somewhere I would buy real estate personally.

[NickGlass]

Well I lived on Mulberry/Houston for about 4 months 5+ years ago and had some pretty good pizza walking home from the south and the east, but I'm not sure if I ever found a great pizza place per se. Still, I wasn't looking very hard at the time. Which are the best in that region?

Oh man, that's an absurdly great location to live in, how did you swing that? Studying at NYU over a summer, or something? Arthur's over on W Houston and Sullivan has solid restaurant-style brick-oven pizza, but for straight-up counter, re-heat a slice for $2.25 pizza joints, the two on Bleeker St. (Pizza Box and Pizza Booth--I prefer Booth, I think) are reliably tasty.

[Qrazy]

Oh man, that's an absurdly great location to live in, how did you swing that? Studying at NYU over a summer, or something? Arthur's over on W Houston and Sullivan has solid restaurant-style brick-oven pizza, but for straight-up counter, re-heat a slice for $2.25 pizza joints, the two on Bleeker St. (Pizza Box and Pizza Booth--I prefer Booth, I think) are reliably tasty.

Ah yeah I think I went to Pizza Box at least once, my hazy drunken recollections say it was rather tasty. I was taking a year off school actually, living with my sister and her roommate in this tiny little (mad expensive) location just a few houses down from Houston. I was working in a wine bar (Punch and Judy's) and had a documentary film internship. After those months I moved to Park Slope for a couple more months and lived with my brother for a bit.

[NickGlass]

Ah yeah I think I went to Pizza Box at least once, my hazy drunken recollections say it was rather tasty. I was taking a year off school actually, living with my sister and her roommate in this tiny little (mad expensive) location just a few houses down from Houston. I was working in a wine bar (Punch and Judy's) and had a documentary film internship. After those months I moved to Park Slope for a couple more months and lived with my brother for a bit.

Ah, Punch and Judy is closed now, I believe; it was never my type of bar, anyway. Did you ever go to Milano's, right where you used to live on Houston st.? That more up my alley.

Also, I lived on West 3rd and Sullivan for a few months over a year ago (got a great deal on a sublet, of course) and I've lived in Park Slope ever since then, so similar arcs. At this rate, maybe I'll end up in Canada.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yeah, you can totally see the hipster gentrification--and now the douchebag gentrification; the process is essentially finished, too. This was most evident in the unfinished condos on Queens West between Ossingtin and Dufferin that are called "Bohemian Embassy"--what an absurd joke. Of course, it seemed that most of the idiots inhabiting The Drake and the Gladstone wouldn't even get the joke. Nonetheless, I did actually enjoy some bars in that area, and Egoyan's gallery/cinema was pretty snazzy. Ever go to the Done Right Inn or Motel?

bahaha Bohemian Embassy. I'll have to look out for that. I lived on Queen W and Lansdowne, if you can visualize that. Unfortunately I've never really been to any bars in that area (I was pretty young then and nowadays have no real reason to visit), nor do I bar hop much (or again, go to clubs ever). I have a few places I like and don't tend to switch it up all that often - and they're nearly all within walking distance from the University of Toronto where it seems like I spend literally all my waking hours nowadays. Haven't gone to Egoyan's gallery either. Should check that out. I should also check out the Done Right Inn (which I have never heard of). I enjoy depressing watering holes from time to time.

[Qrazy]

Ah, Punch and Judy is closed now, I believe; it was never my type of bar, anyway. Did you ever go to Milano's, right where you used to live on Houston st.? That more up my alley.

Yeah I believe the owner/manager fled the country. Nope don't think I went there, didn't have much cash for going out to eat those days.


Also, I lived on West 3rd and Sullivan for a few months over a year ago (got a great deal on a sublet, of course) and I've lived in Park Slope ever since then, so similar arcs. At this rate, maybe I'll end up in Canada.

Well in that case start with Montreal before migrating to Toronto. :)

[NickGlass]

Yeah I believe the owner/manager fled the country. Nope don't think I went there, didn't have much cash for going out to eat those days.

Oh, they don't serve food there. Well, they may have peanuts.

http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/5a1jm8VuhczsXD4fPOyDaA/l

[Sxottlan]

This was the first year in awhile where I really just wasn't keeping up with the blogging from Toronto. And from what I did read, there doesn't appear to be any of those out-of-left-field hits that usually go on to the mainstream.