Toronto International Film Festival 2011

[Stay Puft]

Yes.

September 8-18, 2011. 41 days until the best time of the year.

I'm going to be volunteering at the festival this year, so that'll be awesome. Apparently as a perk for volunteering for the TIFF group, I'm allowed to go to press screenings (rush priority only, though, obviously). Neat.

The opening night film this year is a documentary, first time in the festival's history for that, I believe they said. Unfortunately, it's a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim, responsible for such amazing works as I'm Al Gore and I Had a Pony When I Was a Kid, and Nothing to See Here, Let's Blame the Teachers and Corporatize. Anyways it's about U2 and it's called From the Sky Down.

50 some odd films have been announced to start, as per usual. Galas and Special Presentations so far. Check 'em:
http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/toronto-international-film-festival-announces-stellar-line-up-of-galas-and-special-presentations

Galas

Albert Nobbs Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland
Butter Jim Field Smith, USA (World Premiere)
A Dangerous Method David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/United Kingdom/Germany/Canada (North American Premiere)
A Happy Event Rémi Bezancon, France (World Premiere)
The Ides of March George Clooney, USA (North American Premiere)
The Lady Luc Besson, France/United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Moneyball Bennett Miller, USA (World Premiere)
Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding Bruce Beresford, USA (World Premiere)
Take this Waltz Sarah Polley, Canada (World Premiere)
W.E. Madonna, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)

Special Presentations

11 Flowers Wang Xiaoshuai, China/France (World Premiere)
50/50 Jonathan Levine, USA (World Premiere)
360 Fernando Meirelles UK/Austria/France/Brazil (World Premiere)
The Artist Michel Hazanavicius, France (Toronto Premiere)
Americano Mathieu Demy, France (World Premiere)
Anonymous Roland Emmerich, Germany (World Premiere)
A Better Life Cédric Kahn, France (World Premiere)
Burning Man Jonathan Teplitzky, Australia (World Premiere)
Chicken with Plums Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud, France/Germany/Belgium (North American Premiere)
Coriolanus Ralph Fiennes, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Countdown Huh Jong-ho, Korea (World Premiere)
Dark Horse Todd Solondz, USA (North American Premiere)
The Deep Blue Sea Terence Davies, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
The Descendants Alexander Payne, USA (World Premiere)
Drive Nicolas Winding Refn, USA (Canadian Premiere)
Elles Malgoska Szumowska, France/Poland/Germany (World Premiere)
The Eye of the Storm Fred Schepisi, Australia (International Premiere)
Friends With Kids Jennifer Westfeldt, USA (World Premiere)
Habemus Papam Nanni Moretti, Italy/France (North American Premiere)
Headhunters Morten Tyldum, Norway (North American Premiere)
Hick Derick Martini, USA (World Premiere)
The Hunter Daniel Nettheim, Australia (World Premiere)
Jeff, Who Lives at Home Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, USA (World Premiere)
Killer Joe William Friedkin, USA (North American Premiere)
Like Crazy Drake Doremus, USA (International Premiere)
Machine Gun Preacher Marc Forster, USA (World Premiere)
Martha Marcy May Marlene Sean Durkin, USA (Canadian Premiere)
Melancholia Lars von Trier, Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany (North American Premiere)
The Oranges Julian Farino, USA (World Premiere)
Pearl Jam Twenty Cameron Crowe, USA (World Premiere)
Rampart Oren Moverman, USA (World Premiere)
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Lasse Hallstrom, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Shame Steve McQueen, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
A Simple Life Ann Hui, Hong Kong, China (North American Premiere)
The Skin I Live In Pedro Almodóvar, Spain (North American Premiere)
Take Shelter Jeff Nichols, USA (Canadian Premiere)
Ten Year Jamie Linden, USA (World Premiere)
Trishna Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Twixt Francis Ford Coppola, USA (World Premiere)
Tyrannosaur Paddy Considine, United Kingdom (Canadian Premiere)
We Need to Talk About Kevin Lynne Ramsay, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Where Do We Go Now? Nadine Labaki, France/Lebanon/Italy/Egypt (International Premiere)
Woman in the Fifth Pawel Pawlikowski, France/Poland/United Kingdom (World Premiere)

[Raiders]

Davies!

All those below are ones I am very much anticipating. I remember when I thought this year would be disappointing (granted, I likely won't see half of these until well into next year)


A Dangerous Method David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/United Kingdom/Germany/Canada (North American Premiere)
The Lady Luc Besson, France/United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Take this Waltz Sarah Polley, Canada (World Premiere)
The Artist Michel Hazanavicius, France (Toronto Premiere)
Chicken with Plums Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud, France/Germany/Belgium (North American Premiere)
Coriolanus Ralph Fiennes, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
The Deep Blue Sea Terence Davies, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
The Descendants Alexander Payne, USA (World Premiere)
Drive Nicolas Winding Refn, USA (Canadian Premiere)
Killer Joe William Friedkin, USA (North American Premiere)
Martha Marcy May Marlene Sean Durkin, USA (Canadian Premiere)
Melancholia Lars von Trier, Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany (North American Premiere)
Rampart Oren Moverman, USA (World Premiere)
Shame Steve McQueen, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
The Skin I Live In Pedro Almodóvar, Spain (North American Premiere)
Take Shelter Jeff Nichols, USA (Canadian Premiere)
Trishna Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Twixt Francis Ford Coppola, USA (World Premiere)
Tyrannosaur Paddy Considine, United Kingdom (Canadian Premiere)
We Need to Talk About Kevin Lynne Ramsay, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Where Do We Go Now? Nadine Labaki, France/Lebanon/Italy/Egypt (International Premiere)

[Ezee E]

Nice. I'm staff on Telluride and it makes it all the more easier to see movies. Totally worth it.

What will you be doing?

[elixir]

Davies!

Good starting point for the guy? I'll see whatever you say. My fate is in your hands.

[elixir]

I really want to go to this. I go to school in upstate NY so I figured I might go for the weekend of the 10th, 11th, and 12th...but I guess I'll have to wait and see what's playing. Do you know when the information comes out?

[Raiders]

Good starting point for the guy? I'll see whatever you say. My fate is in your hands.

Distant Voices, Still Lives

But, there's only five films (including his 2008 doc). This new one makes six.

[Stay Puft]

Nice. I'm staff on Telluride and it makes it all the more easier to see movies. Totally worth it.

What will you be doing?

That'll depend where I get staffed, won't know for sure until the volunteer meetings in a couple weeks.


I really want to go to this. I go to school in upstate NY so I figured I might go for the weekend of the 10th, 11th, and 12th...but I guess I'll have to wait and see what's playing. Do you know when the information comes out?

I think August 23rd is when they finalize the screening schedule. They usually announce the films for different programs each Tuesday from late July to late August.

[Kiusagi]

Great lineup. So glad Rampart is there. Been looking forward to that one for a while.

[NickGlass]

I'm so there; I'll list my (admittedly small) festival slate when I figure it out.

[Stay Puft]

Colin Geddes just announced three of the Midnight Madness films this year.

Kill List (Ben Wheatley, UK) - played at SXSW earlier this year
Smuggler (Katsuhito Ishii, Japan) - director of The Taste of Tea
The Day (Douglas Aarniokoski, Canada) - director of Highlander: Endgame

And tomorrow we get the full lineup announcements for the Midnight Madness, Vanguard, Real to Reel, City to City and TIFF Kid programs. So hopefully a lot of cool announcements tomorrow.

[Boner M]

Kill List rules.

[Stay Puft]

Documentary films have been announced. Werner Herzog steps into the abyss! Ron Fricke makes a sequel to Baraka! Jonathan Demme goes to New Orleans! Wim Wenders goes 3D! Frederick Wiseman oogles naked women! ARIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!111

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festival-unveils-highly-anticipated-world-premieres-of-documentaries-from-werner-herzog-morgan-spurlock-jessica-yu-nick-broomfield-and-more


Masters

Pina Wim Wenders, Germany/France (Canadian Premiere)
This is not a Film Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Iran (Toronto Premiere)


Real to Reel

Arirang Kim Ki-Duk, South Korea (North American Premiere)
The Boy Who Was King Andrey Paounov, Bulgaria/Germany (World Premiere)
Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope Morgan Spurlock, USA (World Premiere)
Crazy Horse Frederick Wiseman, USA/France (North American Premiere)
Dark Girls Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, USA (World Premiere)
Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell Rithy Panh, France/Cambodia (International Premiere)
Gerhard Richter Painting Corinna Belz, Germany (International Premiere)
Girl Model Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, USA (World Premiere)
I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad, and the Beautiful Jonathan Demme, USA (North American Premiere)
In My Mother’s Arms Atia Al Daradji and Mohamed Al Daradji, Iraq/Netherlands/United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Into the Abyss Werner Herzog, USA (World Premiere)
Last Call at the Oasis Jessica Yu, USA (World Premiere)
The Last Dogs of Winter Costa Botes, New Zealand (World Premiere)
The Last Gladiators Alex Gibney, USA (World Premiere)
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, USA (World Premiere)
Paul Williams Still Alive Stephen Kessler, USA (World Premiere)
Samsara Ron Fricke, USA (World Premiere)
Sarah Palin – You Betcha! Nick Broomfield and Joan Churchill, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
The Story of Film: An Odyssey Mark Cousins, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
The Tall Man Tony Krawitz, Australia (International Premiere)
Undefeated Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, USA (International Premiere)
Urbanized Gary Hustwit, U.S./United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Whores’ Glory Michael Glawogger, Austria/Germany (North American Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

And briefly here is this year's line up for TIFF Kids (formerly Sprockets Family Zone):

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/toronto-international-film-festival-invites-kids-of-all-ages-to-its-cinematic-playground


TIFF Kids

First Position Bess Kargman, USA (World Premiere)
The Flying Machine Martin Clapp, Geoff Lindsey and Dorota Kobiela, Poland/China (International Premiere)
A Letter to Momo Hiroyuki Okiura, Japan (World Premiere)
A Monster in Paris Bibo Bergeron, France (World Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

And here are this year's Midnight Madness films:
http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/when-the-clock-strikes-twelve-midnight-madness-delivers-wild-cinematic-thrills


Midnight Madness

The Day Douglas Aarniokoski, USA (World Premiere)
God Bless America Bobcat Goldthwait, USA (World Premiere)
The Incident Alexandre Courtes, France (World Premiere)
Kill List Ben Wheatley, UK (Canadian Premiere)
Livid Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, France (World Premiere)
Lovely Molly Eduardo Sanchez, USA (World Premiere)
The Raid Gareth Evans, Indonesia (World Premiere)
Sleepless Night Frederic Jardin, France/Belgium/Luxembourg (World Premiere)
Smuggler Katsuhito Ishii, Japan (World Premiere)
You're Next Adam Wingard, USA (World Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

This year's City to City focus is Bueno Aires:
http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/buenos-aires-takes-centre-stage-in-festivals-city-to-city-programming

On September 13th there will be a free panel discussion entitled "Buenos Aires - A Conversation" that explores the relationship between urban life and film art with guest speakers including some of the filmmakers and experts on urban culture. And then of course there are ten films...


City to City

Caprichosos de San Telmo Alison Murray, Argentina/Canada (World Premiere)
The Cat Vanishes Carlos Sorin, Argentina (International Premiere)
Crane World Pablo Trapero, Argentina
Fatherland Nicolás Prividera, Argentina (World Premiere)
Invasion Hugo Santiago, Argentina (Canadian Premiere)
A Mysterious World Rodrigo Moreno, Argentina/Germany (North American Premiere)
Pompeya Tamae Garateguy, Argentina (North American Premiere)
The Stones Román Cárdenas, Argentina (International Premiere)
The Student Santiago Mitre, Argentina (North American Premiere)
Vaquero Juan MinujÃ*n, Argentina (International Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

And finally the last program announced today is Vanguard, which always has a few treats. Joachim Trier! Pen-ek Ratanaruang! A new film by Lou Ye starring that guy from A Prophet!

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festivals-vanguard-programme-presents-convention-defying-genre-twisting-international-cinema


Vanguard

Carré Blanc Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, France/Luxembourg/Belgium/Switzerland (World Premiere)
Generation P Victor Ginzburg, Russia/USA (North American Premiere)
Headshot Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France (World Premiere)
Love and Bruises Lou Ye, China/France (North American Premiere)
Oslo, August 31 Joachim Trier, Norway (North American Premiere)
Snowtown Justin Kurzel, Australia (North American Premiere)
The Year of the Tiger Sebastián Lelio, Chile (North American Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

Canadian films announced this week. We got your Guy Maddin right here.
http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/thrillers-docs-dramas-road-movies-comedies-and-a-classic-festival-announces-impressive-lineup-of-canadian-features


GALAS

Starbuck Ken Scott, Canada (North American Premiere)


SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Afghan Luke Mike Clattenburg, Canada (North American Premiere)
Breakaway Robert Lieberman, Canada (World Premiere)
Café de Flore Jean-Marc Vallée (North American Premiere)
Edwin Boyd Nathan Morlando, Canada (World Premiere)
Goon Michael Dowse, Canada (World Premiere)
Keyhole Guy Maddin, Canada (World Premiere)
Monsieur Lazhar Philippe Falardeau, Canada (North American Premiere)
The Moth Diaries Mary Harron, Canada/Ireland (North American Premiere)


CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

388 Arletta Avenue Randall Cole, Canada (World Premiere)
Billy Bishop Goes to War Barbara Willis-Sweete, Canada (World Premiere)
I'm Yours Leonard Farlinger, Canada (World Premiere)
Sisters&Brothers Carl Bessai, Canada (World Premiere)


MASTERS

Hard Core Logo II Bruce McDonald, Canada (Toronto Premiere)


REAL TO REEL

Pink Ribbons, Inc Léa Pool, Canada (World Premiere)
Surviving Progress Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks, Canada (World Premiere)


VANGUARD

Doppelgänger Paul Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand, Canada (World Premiere)
i am a good person/ i am a bad person Ingrid Veninger, Canada (World Premiere)


CANADIAN OPEN VAULT

Hard Core Logo Bruce McDonald, Canada

[Stay Puft]

Also, short films from Canadian filmmakers. There are a whole lot of 'em, so hit the link to check 'em all out.
http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/a-yodeling-farmer-an-angry-clown-and-3-d-dancers-leap-off-the-screen-in-short-cuts-canada-lineup

And finally, features films from first time filmmakers from Canada.
http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/northern-lights-shine-bright-on-first-time-filmmakers-in-canada-first


CANADA FIRST

Wetlands (Marécages) Guy Édoin, QC (North American Premiere)
Amy George Yonah Lewis, Calvin Thomas, ON (Canadian Premiere)
Leave It On The Floor Sheldon Larry, ON (Canadian Premiere)
Nuit #1 Anne Émond, QC (World Premiere)
The Odds Simon Davidson, BC (World Premiere)
The Patron Saints Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatzky, QC (World Premiere)
Romeo Eleven (Roméo Onze) Ivan Grbovic, QC (North American Premiere)

[Spaceman Spiff]

How did you get a volunteering gig, Puft? TIFF are notoriously clique-ish when it comes to hiring people, so I'm surprised you got accepted. A buddy of mine with 5 years of programming experience and a degree in media arts didn't (he wasn't buddies with anybody there). Anyways, congrats!

I have no idea what I want to see. Maybe the new Almodovar and Melancholia but waiting an extra 2 weeks to see them for 20 dollars less is always tempting after I've paid off tuition and find myself broke.

[Stay Puft]

How did you get a volunteering gig, Puft?

After your post... I'm sitting here wondering the same thing. I don't know anybody!


I have no idea what I want to see.

I've got my eyes on Headshot and Oslo, August 31 at the moment, and also maybe A Letter to Momo (there's some good talent there and a Satoshi Kon connection). TIFF is still going to be announcing a lot more films though (I think they've pushed the total number back over 300 this year) so it's really wait and see until the final schedule.

[Boner M]

Has Wavelengths been announced yet?

So peeved that I'm not going to TIFF this year; had a blast last time & the program this year looks even better. Should just move to Toronto, really.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Has Wavelengths been announced yet?

So peeved that I'm not going to TIFF this year; had a blast last time & the program this year looks even better. Should just move to Toronto, really.

Yes! The best town there is.

[Stay Puft]

Has Wavelengths been announced yet?

Nope, but looks like that's going to be announced tomorrow, along with Future Projections, Visions, Contemporary World Cinema, and more Galas & Special Presentations. So hopefully lots of cool stuff to look forward to tomorrow to get you even more peeved.

[Stay Puft]

So many films announced today and we still don't even have the Masters program! Anyways, let's start with Wavelengths for Boner who will not be joining us this year.

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festivals-wavelengths-programme


WAVELENGTHS

Wavelengths 1: Analogue Arcadia

Edwin Parker, Tacita Dean (USA/United Kingdom)
Loutra/Baths, Nick Collins (United Kingdom)
99 Clerkenwell Road, Sophie Michael (United Kingdom)
Empire, Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand/Austria)
Sack Barrow, Ben Rivers (United Kingdom)
Ars Colonia, Raya Martin (The Philippines/The Netherlands)
American Colour, Joshua Bonnetta (USA/ Canada)

Wavelengths 2: Twenty Cigarettes

Twenty Cigarettes, James Benning (USA)

Wavelengths 3: Serial Rhythms

Found Cuban Mounts, Adriana Salazar Arroyo (Costa Rica/Germany)
I Will Forget This Day, Alina Rudnitskaya (Russia)
Sea Series #10, John Price (Canada)
Sailboat, Joyce Wieland (Canada)
Bouquets 11-20, Rose Lowder (France)
A Preface to Red, Jonathan Schwartz (USA)
Resonance, Karen Johannesen (USA)
Optra Field VII-IX, T. Marie (USA)
Chevelle, Kevin Jerome Everson (Canada/USA)

Wavelengths 4: Space is the Place

349 (for Sol LeWitt), Chris Kennedy (Canada)
Black Mirror at the National Gallery, Mark Lewis (Canada, United Kingdom)
Untitled, Neïl Beloufa (France)
Space is the Place, Eriko Sonoda (Japan)
Young Pines, Ute Aurand (Germany)
Coorow-Latham Road, Blake Williams (Canada)

Wavelengths 5: The Return/Aberration of Light

The Return, Nathaniel Dorsky (USA)
Aberration of Light: Dark Chamber Disclosure, Sandra Gibson, Luis Recorder and Olivia Block (USA)

[Stay Puft]

More avant-garde announcements with Future Projections. Holy shit you guys, it's Mr. Brainwash!

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festivals-2011-future-projections


FUTURE PROJECTIONS

James Franco and Gus Van Sant, Memories of Idaho (1991; 2010 and 2011) – World Premiere
Mr. Brainwash, Mr. Brainwash in Toronto (2011) – World Premiere

Seriously, read this nonsense:

"Made famous by the film Exit through the Gift Shop as legendary street-artist Banksy's alter ego, Thierry Guetta , a.k.a. Mr. Brainwash, has continued to produce provocative and playful Pop art. His work hungrily appropriates contemporary visual-art masters and cheekily tweaks the nose of gallery-based convention. He will be engaged in multiple projects during the Festival, including a significant, multiple-piece exhibition at Gallery One. His presence will also be felt outside Roy Thomson Hall, with his spray cans towering over the red carpet, providing emergency assistance for evenings requiring additional glamour and pomp. And, finally, he will collaborate with TIFF on 'Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess,' our fall exhibition. His unique tribute to the style icon will be seen wildposted all over town. Presented at David Pecaut Square, 55 John Street, September 8 to 18, and in collaboration with Gallery One, 121 Scollard Street, September 8 to October 22."

Haha! Anyways...

Peter Lynch, Buffalo Days (2011) – World Premiere
Eve Sussman | Rufus Corporation, whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir (2009-2011)
Gregory Crewdson, Sanctuary (2009) – Canadian Premiere
Nicholas and Sheila Pye, Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board (2011) – World Premiere
Duane Hopkins, Sunday (2009) – North American Premiere
David Rokeby, Plot Against Time (2007-2011) – World Premiere
Ben Rivers, Slow Action (2010) – Toronto Premiere
Elle Flanders and Tamira Sawatzky, Road Movie (2011) – World Premiere
David Lamelas, Time as Activity (Buenos Aires) (2010) – International Premiere

[Stay Puft]

Visions, a series of films that purport to push boundaries and challenge notions of mainstream cinema... regardless, it's a collection of 18 films from around the world. We got the new film from Yorgos Lanthimos but of course I'm personally freaking out like crazy over here because Shinya Tsukamoto has a new movie and I didn't even know about it and Shinya Tsukamoto in Toronto means I'm sitting a rush line for fifteen hours if that's what it takes.

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festival-announces


VISIONS

ALPS Yorgos Lanthimos, Greece/France (North American Premiere)
Century of Birthing Lav Diaz, The Philippines (North American Premiere)
Cut Amir Naderi, Japan (North American Premiere)
Dreileben (Three Lives) Christian Petzold, Dominik Graf and Christoph Hochhäusler, Germany (North American Premiere)
Fable of the Fish Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., The Philippines (International Premiere)
House of Tolerance Bertrand Bonello, France (North American Premiere)
KOTOKO Shinya Tsukamoto, Japan (North American Premiere)
The Last Christeros Matias Meyer, Mexico/The Netherlands (World Premiere)
The Loneliest Planet Julia Loktev, USA/Germany (North American Premiere)
Monsters Club Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan (World Premiere)
The Mountain Ghassan Salhab, Lebanon/Qatar (North American Premiere)
Mushrooms Vimukthi Jayasundara, India/France (North American Premiere)
Play Ruben Östlund, Sweden/France (North American Premiere)
Porfirio Alejandro Landes, Colombia/Spain/Uruguay/Argentina/France (North American Premiere)
Random Debbie Tucker Green, United Kingdom (International Premiere)
The River Used to be A Man Jan Zabeil, Germany (International Premiere)
Swirl Helvecio Marins Jr. and Clarissa Campolina, Brazil (North American Premiere)
This Side of Resurrection Joaquim Sapinho, Portugal (World Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

Also announced, the rest of the Galas & Special Presentations for 2011. Marc Forster gets an upgrade, and we get new films from Whit Stillman, Johnnie To, Andrea Arnold and so on.

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/something-for-everyone


GALAS

Page Eight David Hare, United Kingdom (International Premiere)
The Awakening Nick Murphy, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Beloved Christophe Honoré, France (International Premiere)
Hysteria Tanya Wexler, USA/United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Killer Elite Gary McKendry, USA/Australia (World Premiere)
Machine Gun Preacher Marc Forster, USA (World Premiere)
Trespass Joel Schumacher, USA (World Premiere)
Winnie Darrell J. Roodt, South Africa /Canada (World Premiere)


SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

The Cardboard Village Ermanno Olmi, Italy (International Premiere)
Damsels in Distress Whit Stillman, USA (North American Premiere)
Death of a Superhero Ian FitzGibbon, Germany/Ireland (World Premiere)
The First Man Gianni Amelio, France/Algeria/Italy (World Premiere)
In Darkness Agnieszka Holland, Canada/Germany/Poland (World Premiere)
Intruders Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Spain (World Premiere)
Life Without Principle Johnnie To, Hong Kong (North American Premiere)
Low Life Nicolas Klotz, Elisabeth Perceval, France (North American Premiere)
Mausam (Seasons of Love) Pankaj Kapur, India (World Premiere)
My Worst Nightmare Anne Fontaine, France/Belgium (World Premiere)
Rebellion Mathieu Kassovitz, France (World Premiere)
Sleeping Beauty Julia Leigh, Australia (North American Premiere)
Terraferma Emanuele Crialese, Italy (International Premiere)
That Summer Philippe Garrel, France/Italy/Switzerland (North American Premiere)
Violet & Daisy Geoffrey Fletcher, USA (World Premiere)
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale Wei Te-Sheng, Taiwan (North American Premiere)
Wuthering Heights Andrea Arnold, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

And finally, the biggest announcement today in terms of volume, 51 films from around the world as part of the Contemporary World Cinema program. Lots of filmmakers here I don't even recognize, but some notable announcements include new films from Goro Miyazaki, Mia Hansen-Løve, Sion Sono, Gerardo Naranjo (Miss Bala is on my must-see list), Han Jie (Jia Zhangke is his producer) and Xiaolu Guo.

http://www.tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/world-premieres-from


CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

Always Brando Ridha Béhi, Tunisia (World Premiere)
Azhagarsamy's Horse Suseendran, India (International Premiere)
Beauty Oliver Hermanus, South Africa/France (North American Premiere)
Blood of my Blood João Canijo, Portugal (World Premiere)
Bonsái Cristián Jiménez, Chile/France/Argentina/Portugal (North American Premiere)
Colour of the Ocean Maggie Peren, Germany (World Premiere)
Death for Sale Faouzi Bensaidi, Belgium/France/Morocco (World Premiere)
Elena Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia (North American Premiere)
Extraterrestrial Nacho Vigalondo, Spain (World Premiere)
Footnote Joseph Cedar, Israel (North American Premiere)
The Forgiveness of Blood Joshua Marston, USA/Albania/Denmark/Italy (North American Premiere)
Free Men Ismaël Ferroukhi, France (International Premiere)
From Up on Poppy Hill Goro Miyazaki, Japan (International Premiere)
A Funny Man Martin P. Zandvliet, Denmark (International Premiere)
Future Lasts Forever Ozcan Alper, Turkey/France/Germany (World Premiere)
Good Bye Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran (North American Premiere)
Goodbye First Love Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany (Canadian Premiere)
Guilty Vincent Garenq, France (North American Premiere)
Gypsy Martin Å*ulÃ*k, Slovakia (North American Premiere)
Heleno José Henrique Fonseca, Brazil (World Premiere)
Himizu Sion Sono, Japan (North American Premiere)
Hotel Swooni Kaat Beels, Belgium (International Premiere)
Islands Stefano Chiantini, Italy (World Premiere)
Juan of the Dead Alejandro Brugués, Spain/Cuba (World Premiere)
Land of Oblivion Michale Boganim, France/Germany/Poland/Ukraine (North American Premiere)
Last Days in Jerusalem Tawfik Abu Wael, France/Israel/Palestine/Germany (North American Premiere)
Last Winter John Shank, Belgium/France (North American Premiere)
Lena Christophe Van Rompaey, The Netherlands/Belgium (World Premiere)
Lipstikka Jonathan Sagall, Israel/United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Lucky Avie Luthra, South Africa/United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Man on Ground Akin Omotoso, South Africa (World Premiere)
Michael Ribhu Dasgupta, India (World Premiere)
Michael Markus Schleinzer, Austria (North American Premiere)
Miss Bala Gerardo Naranjo, Mexico (North American Premiere)
Mr. Tree Han Jie, China (North American Premiere)
Omar Killed Me Roschdy Zem, France (North American Premiere)
Restoration Yossi Madmony, Israel (Canadian Premiere)
Rose Wojciech Smarzowski, Poland (International Premiere)
Rough Hands Mohamed Asli, Morocco (World Premiere)
A Separation Asghar Farhadi, Iran (North American Premiere)
The Silver Cliff Karim Aïnouz, Brazil (North American Premiere)
Sons of Norway Jens Lien, Norway (International Premiere)
Superclásico Ole Christian Madsen, Denmark (North American Premiere)
Think of Me Bryan Wizemann, USA (World Premiere)
UFO in her Eyes Xiaolu Guo, Germany (World Premiere)
Union Square Nancy Savoca, USA (World Premiere)
Your Sister's Sister Lynn Shelton, USA (World Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

The rest of the films have been announced. Here are discovery films, debut and sophomore efforts from around the world.

http://tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festivals-discovery-programme-spotlights-25-dynamic-works-from-around-the-globe


DISCOVERY

Las Acacias Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina/Spain (North American Premiere)
Alois Nebel Tomáš Lunák, Czech Republic/Germany/Slovakia (North American Premiere)
Among Us Marco van Geffen, Netherlands (North American Premiere)
Avalon Axel Petersén, Sweden (World Premiere)
Back to Stay Milagros Mumenthaler, Argentina/Switzerland/Netherlands (North American Premiere)
Behold the Lamb John McIlduff, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Breathing Karl Markovics, Austria (North American Premiere)
The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best Ryan O'Nan, USA (World Premiere)
Bunohan Dain Said, Malaysia (World Premiere)
Cuchera Joseph Israel Laban, Philippines (International Premiere)
The Good Son Zaida Bergroth, Finland (International Premiere)
Habibi Susan Youssef, Palestine/USA/Netherlands/United Arab Emirates (North American Premiere)
Hanaan Ruslan Pak, South Korea (North American Premiere)
Historias Que So Existem Quando Lembradas Julia Murat, Brazil/Argentina/France (North American Premiere)
The Invader Nicolas Provost, Belgium (North American Premiere)
J'aime regarder les filles Frédéric Louf, France (International Premiere)
Lost in Paradise Ngoc Dang Vu, Vietnam (World Premiere)
The Other Side of Sleep Rebecca Daly, Ireland/Hungary/Netherlands (North American Premiere)
Pariah Dee Rees, USA (International Premiere)
Roman's Circuit Sebastián Brahm, Chile/Argentina (World Premiere)
Summer Games Rolando Colla, Italy/Switzerland (International Premiere)
The Sword Identity Haofeng Xu, China (North American Premiere)
Twiggy Emmanuelle Millet, France (World Premiere)
Twilight Portrait Angelina Nikonova, Russia (North American Premiere)
Volcano Rúnar Rúnarsson, Denmark/Iceland (North American Premiere)


REAL TO REEL

The Education of Auma Obama Branwen Okpako, Germany (World Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

The masters, "influential filmmakers" from around the world:

http://tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festival-masters-lineup-delights-with-13-films-from-the-worlds-greatest-filmmakers


MASTERS

Almayer's Folly Chantal Akerman, Belgium/France (North American Premiere)
Faust Alexander Sokurov, Russia (North American Premiere)
Le Havre Aki Kaurismäki, Finland (North American Premiere)
I Wish Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Japan (International Premiere)
The Kid with a Bike Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Belgium/France/Italy (North American Premiere)
Once Upon A Time in Anatolia Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey/Bosnia & Herzegovina (Canadian Premiere)
Outside Satan Bruno Dumont, France (North American Premiere)
Restless Gus Van Sant, USA (North American Premiere)
Snows of Kilimanjaro Robert Guédiguian, France (North American Premiere)
The Turin Horse Béla Tarr, Hungary (North American Premiere)

[Stay Puft]

And finally, the Mavericks panels, discussions with people from the film world about their life and work, this year even featuring world premieres of new films (including another Jonathan Demme documentary) and discussions about these new works.

http://tiff.net/press/pressreleases/2011/festival-brings-mavericks


MAVERICKS

Barrymore
Barrymore brings Christopher Plummer’s Tony Award-winning tour-de-force stage performance to the screen in this film version of the Broadway hit adapted and directed by Erik Canuel. Acknowledged as one of the greatest actors in the world, Plummer took on the mammoth task of portraying legendary actor John Barrymore as he struggles with inner demons and the result is a breathtaking performance. Playwright William Luce’s Barrymore opened at the Stratford Festival in 1996 before moving to Broadway, where Plummer won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor. In an on-stage conversation following the film, Plummer will address the full span of his remarkable career.

Deepa Mehta and Salman Rushdie
Published in 1981, Salman Rushdie’s second novel, Midnight’s Children, which chronicles India’s transition from British colonialism to independence, won him the Booker Prize. The book then went on to become a perennial bestseller and the core of countless university courses on postcolonial literature. For the past several years, Rushdie has been working with acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta on a film adaptation of Midnight’s Children. It is a challenging task, but Mehta has already proven herself fearless in bringing to the screen films such as Fire, Earth, Water and Heaven on Earth. In this Mavericks conversation, Mehta and Rushdie will discuss bringing the story from page to screen. Having just finished shooting Midnight’s Children this summer in Sri Lanka, Mehta will also offer a sneak peek at scenes from the film. Moderated by Cameron Bailey.

In Conversation With... Francis Ford Coppola
As much as any living filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola, a prolific writer, director, producer and innovator, has seen it all. He began his film career working under the auspices of legendary producer Roger Corman, gaining respect as a hard-working screenwriter and eventually as a director. He was already well versed in the art and craft, and the business of movies by the time of his ascent to auteur-stardom with a string of canonic masterpieces: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now. Later in his career came his S.E. Hinton adaptations The Outsiders and Rumble Fish; his spectacular reclaiming of Bram Stoker in Dracula; and his recent reinvention as a maker of modestly budgeted yet utterly visionary artisanal works like Youth Without Youth, Tetro and, screening at this year’s Festival, Twixt. Coppola’s dogged endurance and restless inventiveness make him an inspiration as we look ahead to cinema’s future. Moderated by Cameron Bailey.

The Island President
In this whirlwind political documentary, Mohamed Nasheed wins the presidency after a 20-year battle for democracy in the Maldives, only to face an unfathomable challenge: to save his island nation from rising seas. The Island President follows Nasheed as he takes the climate fight to backroom chambers of power in New York, London, Delhi, and finally into the fierce realpolitik of the Copenhagen Climate Conference. The film gains remarkable access to Nasheed’s first year in office as he sets out to influence the world’s superpowers. In this Mavericks session, TIFF presents the world premiere of The Island President, followed by a live conversation with President Nasheed and director Jon Shenk, moderated by Thom Powers.

The Love We Make
Over several weeks in October 2001, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles followed Paul McCartney as he prepared for The Concert for New York City, a 9/11 memorial concert he helped organize to uplift New York during a period of distinct uncertainty and vulnerability. For years the footage went unseen, requiring the passage of time to put it in perspective. Now ten years later, Maysles, along with director partner Bradley Kaplan and editor Ian Markiewicz, have emerged with a deeply intimate film that uniquely explores the roles of art and artists in time of crisis. This Mavericks event presents the world premiere of The Love We Make, followed by a live discussion with Maysles, Kaplan and members of their production team. McCartney has pre-recorded an exclusive introduction to the film. Moderated by Thom Powers.

Neil Young Life
At the culmination of Neil Young’s solo “Le Noise� tour, director Jonathan Demme documents the legendary rocker’s masterful return to Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall, with concert footage interspersed with a road trip through Ontario. At sixty-five, Young retains a youthful vitality and musical curiosity that balances his wisdom and experience. Filmed over two nights and highlighting both new songs and some of the classics, Neil Young Life is a musical journey like no other. For this Mavericks event, Young and Demme will present the world premiere of Neil Young Life in the splendid Princess of Wales Theatre, followed by a live conversation. Moderated by Thom Powers.

Sony Pictures Classics: 20 Years in the Business
Sony Pictures Classics founders Michael Barker and Tom Bernard boast a roster of directors that reads like a pantheon of world talent: Woody Allen, Pedro Almodóvar, Susanne Bier, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, Norman Jewison, Ang Lee, Errol Morris, Gus Van Sant, Mike Leigh, Zhang Yimou, and the list goes on. To celebrate the company’s twentieth anniversary, Mavericks presents a special conversation with Barker and Bernard. The discussion will be moderated by Jonathan Demme, who worked with the duo most recently on Rachel Getting Married. They have an unlimited supply of stories from behind the scenes at the Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes and the Oscars. For cinema lovers, this is a unique opportunity to hear how some of the most lauded films of our time were shepherded to success.

Tahrir 2011: The good, the bad, and the politician
On Jan 25th 2011, Egyptians woke up not expecting that the commemoration of the burning of Cairo and ‘Police Day’ would turn into a revolution that would end the 30-year reign of the regime. Through social media, the new generation of Arabs and Egyptians were able to witness the atrocities that President Hosni Mubarak’s regime had caused over the past 30 years. For 18 days, the world watched as Egyptians marched out calling for an end of the injustice, poverty, and corruption. Among this new generation, three directors decided to tell the story in a unique cinematic point of view. The Good, directed by Tamer Ezzat, gives voice to the everyday heroes from Tahrir Square. The Bad, directed by Ayten Amin, films a rare account from four internal security officers assigned to crush the uprising. The Politician, directed by Amr Salama, offers a satirical take on “how to become a dictator in ten steps,� and a smart deconstruction of Mubarak’s persona over his 30-year rule. In this special Mavericks presentation, the screening will be followed by a conversation with two of the Cairo-based filmmakers, Ezzat and Amin, who will offer their personal reflections on the changes taking place in their country.

Tilda Swinton
Passionate cinephile and controversial movie star Tilda Swinton is one of those rare performers who has forged a relationship with Hollywood on her own terms, using her stardom to support often challenging film projects. Audiences know that a Swinton performance will give them an uncomfortable glimpse into our own frailty, and she has been richly rewarded for her honesty as an actor with multiple accolades, including an Academy Award® for Michael Clayton. Swinton has produced several exceptional films, including I Am Love, and is at the Festival this year as lead actress and executive producer of We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay’s startling new work based on a book once thought unadaptable. Swinton talks about her career in this Mavericks session moderated by Noah Cowan.

[Stay Puft]

Yo, less than a week! Tickets are on sale tomorrow!

Trying to work out a list of stuff I want to see. Miss Bala was recently picked up for distribution and will apparently hit soon after the festival, so I suppose I can scratch that off my list. Other stuff I want to see like the new Almodovar is supposed to turn up commercially soon after as well so I'll probably just be skipping all of that at the festival.

To start, I'll probably try to get tickets to the Shinya Tsukamoto premiere and maybe some Wavelengths. Mike D'Angelo was recently pimping a couple films he thought deserved a look, The Silver Cliff and The Other Side of Sleep. Both sound interesting, so I may try to fit them in my schedule.

[NickGlass]

At first the schedule seemed like a mixed bag, but now I'm realizing I want to see more and more films as I find out more about them. I'm only going to be there for the second half, so the first film I'll be seeing (hopefully) is Stillman's Damsels in Distress.

Once tickets are purchased tomorrow morning, I'll post what my schedule is looking like. I only plan on seeing a few, though.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I am only in town for a few days, but my TIFF tickets:

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
OUTSIDE SATAN
ELENA
HUNTER
MELANCHOLIA
TWITX
SHAME
LIVIDE
Mr.s BALA
MARTHA MAY MARCY MARLENE

[Stay Puft]

Great success! Mostly!

I went to the box office at Metro Hall today thinking that would be my best bet, only to be met by a poorly coordinated nightmare. I waited in line for over five hours (busted ass online ticket sales, I miss thee) and the Wavelengths stuff I wanted was sold out.

But I still managed to set myself up for a nice opening night. I got:

Into the Abyss - the new Herzog, 6pm @ Ryerson
The Raid - Midnight Madness opening night film @ Ryerson

Plus to my great joy:

Kotoko - the new Shinya Tsukamoto, 9:15pm @ AMC (Wed. 14th)

The rest of the festival will pretty much involve me working volunteer shifts so whatever else I see will be decided on a day by day basis.

[Stay Puft]

Oh yeah, one great thing about going to the box office in person: When I bought the tickets, they gave me a coupon for the Lightbox which allows me to buy one ticket and get a second ticket free. It's eligible for any general screening in the month of October. On the front of the coupon is a little ad for some films they'll be screening in October, as an example of what I can use the coupon for - and, hey, fucking awesome, the new Jackie Chan film, 1911, is going to be playing at the Lightbox next month! I already know what I'm using my coupon for!

Jackie Chan hasn't been in the director's chair for a dozen or so years, so I'm pretty hyped for this.

[Duncan]

Bought tix for:

LE HAVRE 09/08/2011 09:30pm
(1) Visa Screening Room (Elgin)

FAUST 09/11/2011 09:45pm
(1) Scotiabank 3

THE TURIN HORSE 09/18/2011 12:30pm
(1) TBLB Cinema 3

ALMAYER'S FOLLY 09/18/2011 06:30pm
(1) Scotiabank 3

If anyone wants to grab a coffee or drink around those times I'm down.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm always down for showing people around the city (food and bar wise) like last year.

[Stay Puft]

Well this hasn't been discussed yet but.. Match Cut meetup?

Who's all going this year and who would be interested? I can see we've got a couple people who weren't here last year or haven't been here before. We could try to set up a time and place like last year depending on everybody's interest and schedules (and I assume defer to Spiff's knowledge of the land for location suggestions).

[Philosophe_rouge]

I would be down at some point. Though I'm there for only a few days, I don't have that much time unfortunately :/

[Spaceman Spiff]

Well I go back to UofT on the 13th, so anytime before would be better. I also work part time, so there's that. Dunno how or who wants to organize this, but keep me in the loop.

[Stay Puft]

This weekend would probably work best for me, too. My first volunteer shift is Sunday night and then I'm also back in school and have more volunteer shifts pretty much for the rest of the festival, but I've got a couple days I could swing later in the festival.

Say we shoot for Saturday again (the 10th). Yay/Nay? I could try to organize this but will need to hear from more people.

[Stay Puft]

Oh by the way tomorrow and Friday's screenings of This is Not a Film (Mojtaba Mirtahmasb & Jafar Panahi) are free! I've already got tomorrow planned out but I may try to get down for Friday's screening in the afternoon. Free is good!

The documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey is also going to be screened free but it's ten hours long (!!!) and screened in parts throughout the fest (every morning at 10, 9 on weekends). That just sounds like a pain in the ass.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Saturday night is good for me. I am seeing Melancholia, but after that am free all night.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I am also down for Saturday night.

[Boner M]

I'll be there in spirit.

[B-side]

I'll be there in the nude.

[Ezee E]

The documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey is also going to be screened free but it's ten hours long (!!!) and screened in parts throughout the fest (every morning at 10, 9 on weekends). That just sounds like a pain in the ass.

This was also at Telluride and got little to no notice whatsoever.

[Stay Puft]

Apologies for my lack of communication re: potential Match Cut meetup. The shit hit the fan so to speak at the Stay Puft household and I've been spending most of my time pulling my hair out.

Anyways I sent a message to Duncan to see what's up since he hasn't said anything and I sent a message to Spiff to discuss location. It seems like 9 PM would be a good time to meet assuming we still want to do this? I'll try to get details hashed out and see what's what.

[Stay Puft]

Oh and despite suddenly having the worst time of my life, the opening night of the film festival went well! I got the bright idea to squeeze tonight's free screening of This is Not a Film into my schedule on the assuminption that I could make it work if I hauled some serious ass. And I did, and I did. Here's to not doing that again for the rest of the festival.

I've got a lot to talk about but I picked up a volunteer shift tomorrow and it's time for sleep so that'll have to wait until... probably Saturday. Reviews (i.e. poorly scattered thoughts) shall be forthcoming.

[transmogrifier]

Looks like A Separation is the film to see. D'Angelo gave it a 95 (!, given his grading) and the AV Club an A, and it sounds damn good. A drama that is heartfelt and thoughtful. Sign me up.

[Ezee E]

Looks like A Separation is the film to see. D'Angelo gave it a 95 (!, given his grading) and the AV Club an A, and it sounds damn good. A drama that is heartfelt and thoughtful. Sign me up.
Yeah, was probably one of the top three out of Telluride too. I missed it.

[Stay Puft]

assuminption

lol okay

Words are still gonna have to wait a bit. Too exhausted to have a go.



Looks like A Separation is the film to see. D'Angelo gave it a 95 (!, given his grading) and the AV Club an A, and it sounds damn good. A drama that is heartfelt and thoughtful. Sign me up.

D'Angelo also gave an 84 to The Loneliest Planet. Both sound pretty damn good, gonna have to see if I can still catch a screening of either.

[Stay Puft]

Oh and here's what I've seen so far:

Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life (Werner Herzog) ***
This is Not a Film (Mojtaba Mirtahmasb & Jafar Panahi) ***½
The Raid (Gareth Huw Evans) ***½
The Other Side of Sleep (Rebecca Daly) ***

Plus the first section of Wavelengths, Analogue Arcadia, which featured:
Loutra/Baths (Nick Collins)
Edwin Parker (Tacita Dean)
99 Clerkenwell Road (Sophie Michael)
Empire (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Sack Barrow (Ben Rivers)
Ars Colonia (Raya Martin)
American Colour (Joshua Bonnetta)

No ratings for the avant-garde stuff because I'm a noob, but I'll talk about them later.

Now, it's off to volunteer at the Ryerson theatre, where I'll be most of the week. Tonight, I'm on staff for the premieres of Your Sister's Sister and Killer Joe, plus Midnight Madness selection Livid.

[Boner M]

Yeah, was probably one of the top three out of Telluride too. I missed it.
Me too; I pegged it as a guaranteed Oscar-nominee and decided to wait til its general release, but the universal good word has made me disappointed I've passed on the few opportunities I've had to see it. Seriously, I haven't read one bad word against it - it's probably the most acclaimed film I've encountered since my very early days of following film buzz.

[TripZone]

Not too far off a DVD release though:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Separation-DVD-Leila-Hatami/dp/B0058GVP5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315812098&sr=8-1

[Raiders]

Not to mention it won five awards at Berlin, including the Golden Bear.

[dmk]

It's also in the IMDB Top 250. None of this fares well for the film, keeping in mind the obviousness of the director's previous film, and well, all this Nolan-esque instant acclaim. I smell something Foreign Oscar-winning, and worse: temporary.

I'd be happy to eat my words when I do see it.

The real find of Berlin is Innocent Saturday, though. Masterpiece, revolutionary form, anti-Current Art Cinema as we know it, see it, etc.

[dmk]

The Raid (Gareth Huw Evans) ***½
Loved the trailer for this.

[Stay Puft]

Loved the trailer for this.

I posted some brief thoughts in the upcoming forum not long ago. Gonna try to start posting capsules for other stuff here in a moment.

[Stay Puft]

http://media.tiff.net/contents/stills/IntoAbyss.jpg

Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life
(dir. Werner Herzog)

Herzog's latest documentary feels like something of a departure from his previous work. A series of talking head interviews, police footage, and a straightforward pursuit of "the facts" (the details of the crime are walked through step by step) gives much of the material, at least early segments of the film, a true crime documentary vibe, more of an accountant's truth than an ecstatic truth. The film's origins as a television series are also evident; Peter Zeitlinger's usual sharp and instinctive camerawork is reigned in, and quite often simply locked on a single subject, mounted on a tripod. I have to admit these stylistic departures threw me for a loop at first.

Not that the material isn't engaging, or that Herzog's sincere and inquisitive nature is not a great match for this story. The film starts to open up as Herzog becomes more fascinated with the family of the victims, and Herzog's immense skill as an interviewer (as he says in his own words, he does not interview subjects, he has conversations with people) yield plenty of surprising insight and humor and absurdity, whether he's emotionally ambushing a preacher to have him tell us about an encounter with a squirrel, or simply asking a local resident and acquaintance of one of the criminals what will happen to his tattoo, the name of his girlfriend across his left forearm, should his relationship with his girlfriend come to an end.

The film builds to a powerful conclusion, in which Herzog attempts to bring the various strands running throughout the film together into an argument for what he calls the urgency of life. Herzog claims to have no argument for or against capital punishment, only a story, though he does explicitly state that he is against capital punishment. I would argue that he does in fact have an argument here (the final cut to black in the film is quite evident of Herzog's bias). His argument for the urgency of life is not simply a story, and it's an argument that applies for capital punishment, though to be fair not specifically; Herzog's intent is more broad, more of the human condition. I don't want to spoil any of the surprises late in the film, but I will say the success of Herzog's argument is in the respect he shows for all life, in the generosity he affords to everybody he interviews: the criminals, the families of the victims, and one particular woman who falls in love with one of the criminals. Herzog weaves a sophisticated tapestry of emotions that is challenging but nevertheless, to quote one audience member who praised the film during the Q&A and really does sum it up perfectly, life affirming.

[NickGlass]

Despite the fact that it's a 9:15am screening, I couldn't get tickets to DAMSELS IN DISTRESS (Stillman) and I'm not exactly happy about it. I have some last minute plans to quire a ticket (friend at box office, and I'm going to rush), but I'm not going to assume I'll get in.

Here's what I do have tickets for:

ALPS (Lanthimos)

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME (Duplass Bros.)

WHORES' GLORY (Glawogger)

DARK HORSE (Solondz)

ALBERT NOBBS (Garcia)

KILL LIST (Wheatley)

OSLO, AUGUST 31ST (Trier)

A mixed bag, perhaps, but I sort of shot myself in the foot due to my personal restrictions to see anything that will be coming out within the next two months, or is playing at NYFF (where I'm seeing 5 higher-profile films).

[number8]

Nick, did you see Pariah and Curling for the first time at TIFF? Or is your signature super old?

[Stay Puft]

I'll assume it's old. Curling was at last year's fest and Pariah was at Sundance (it's at TIFF this year but hasn't screened yet).

[NickGlass]

Nick, did you see Pariah and Curling for the first time at TIFF? Or is your signature super old?

Super old. I saw them at ND/NF in NYC back in March.

[number8]

Super old. I saw them at ND/NF in NYC back in March.

Figures. Same here.

[Stay Puft]

http://media.tiff.net/contents/stills/ThisNotFilm-2.jpg

This is Not a Film
(dir. Mojtaba Mirtahmasb & Jafar Panahi)

I feel as though this film, the second documentary I saw on opening night, could also be said to be about the urgency of life. More specifically, perhaps, the urgency of artistic freedom. There's a palpable sense of both restlessness and urgency in this film, as Iranian director Jafar Panahi spends another seemingly ordinary day under house arrest, barred from making films or leaving the country for twenty years, waiting to hear about the outcome of an appeal to his sentence, which could mean six years in prison in addition to the twenty year ban. His family out for the day, Panahi invites his colleague Mojtaba Mirtahmasb over to his house, to discuss the details of the film he had been working on at the time of his arrest. Unable now to produce the film, he thinks it would at least be nice to create some document of what he had hoped the film to be, or at least have Mirtahmasb create a document (in one humorous scene, Panahi tries to remember the specific details of his filmmaking ban, to make sure "acting" and "reading a screenplay" wouldn't get him in more trouble).

But this film, or whatever it is (Panahi scoffs at the idea that they're making anything that could be called a "film"), becomes increasingly restless, as Panahi struggles with his "re-enactment" and begins watching scenes from a couple of his previous films, to highlight some of his specific filmmaking ideas and philosophies, modes of expression that are instrinsic and vital to the actual filmmaking process, and his own artistic needs, and which they cannot hope to replicate (and yet still do, in a certain way; this "film" has been no less staged, planned, and improvised in all manners of cinematic gamesmanship). Panahi's struggle for the freedom to express himself cinematically becomes a pointed argument for political freedom, displayed in sequences such as a phone conversation with Panahi's lawyer, and Panahi's express desire not to involve some of his Iranian colleagues, knowing full well the political difficulties they face.

According to festival co-director Cameron Bailey, This is Not a Film was smuggled out of Iran in a loaf of bread, on a USB stick, for its Cannes premiere. Panahi's wife and daughter were in Toronto to introduce the film and talk about Panahi's political trouble (he is no longer under house arrest, but still faces the twenty year ban). Even more worrying, Mirtahmasb, who was supposed to be in Toronto as well, was stopped at the Iranian airport and apparently now faces a similar ban. It is difficult perhaps to seperate this film from the political events that surround it (I remember Mike D'Angelo predicting everybody would love the film, regardless of its quality, because of sympathy for Panahi), but perhaps that's not the point. This film is a political statement, and the restlessness and urgency within give it its quality, along with Panahi's engaging on screen presence.

Also, real talk: The final segment of the film is a powerful work of cinema, as Panahi takes up Mirtahmasb's camera and accompanies a college student working as a custodian, collecting garbage from the apartment building, and carries on a conversation. I'm reminded immediately of the powerful dramatist evident in Offside (the only other Panahi film I've seen). This sequence is wonderfully constructed, whether scripted or not (though definitely staged), with pointed dramatic and political exchanges (the constant interruptions, the lack of resolution to the story about Panahi's arrest), and a final line of dialogue and accompanying image powerful in its thematic density, speaking volumes to the particulars of Panahi's ordeals and the political climate of Iran as a whole. That final image has been resonating with me throughout the festival. There is no question in my mind that this is a great film, whatever the context, however we define it.

[Stay Puft]

Now, I have to go to class, then work a Midnight Madness volunteer shift. And then another shift tomorrow, plus an attempt to get into press screenings.

More extended thoughts / reviews / whatever on films to resume... Wednesday, maybe?

[Boner M]

Shame and Alps aren't faring as well with the Toronto crix I follow; D'Angelo (the first to put Dogtooth on mine and many others' radar) called the latter 'utterly hollow' and gave it 39, Sicinski - one of Hunger's biggest champions - gave the former 4/10. ...it's still good, it's still good!

[Stay Puft]

Yo, anybody want to see Lovely Molly at Midnight Madness on Wednesday the 14th? As a volunteer perk, there are some screenings where I can redeem a voucher for multiple tickets, up to four sometimes. I can get a few free tickets to this screening if anybody wants to go, just holla at me. Gonna try to pick them up at the box office tomorrow assuming the deal is still available.

I could probably get some extra tickets to the Kotoko screening on Wednesday as well because I know how much Match Cut loves Shinya Tsukamoto.

LOL:cry:

[number8]

What are you implying?

[Stay Puft]

Unless I'm misremembering, Tsukamoto's consensus thread was met with overwhelming indifference and generally low scores, especially for Tetsuo (lots of 3's, etc.). I know the forum has its fans, but we're few and far between. My impression is that he's a filmmaker Match Cut doesn't generally care about or even discuss, which saddens me, because he's one of my personal favorites.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Shame is incredible. I am shocked it's getting anything but the highest praise. I have seen a lot of great films this year and it is without question my favourite. It's harrowing, compelling and original. McQueen is proving to have one of strongest emerging cinematic voices in recent years.

[Watashi]

Shame is incredible. I am shocked it's getting anything but the highest praise. I have seen a lot of great films this year and it is without question my favourite. It's harrowing, compelling and original. McQueen is proving to have one of strongest emerging cinematic voices in recent years.
Don't lie. It was Fassbender's penis that made the film for you.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Don't lie. It was Fassbender's penis that made the film for you.

The penis helped.

[Ezee E]

Big penis for a white guy.

[Stay Puft]

Went to the press screening today for Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's new film, Headshot. Nice to see the other side of the festival for once, and was particularly amused to witness how the press instinctively negotiate their screenings, by immediately swarming and claiming every single aisle seat, from front row to last. Makes sense, though. I was obviously not press since I was the only person who came in and sat in the middle of a row.

A little annoying to see that the press have to watch all those stupid TIFF advertisements before their screening. Or at least I'd be annoyed if I was press. What a waste of time.

[TripZone]

was particularly amused to witness how the press instinctively negotiate their screenings, by immediately swarming and claiming every single aisle seat, from front row to last.

Yeah, Adrian Martin does this. I know because I'm his stalker.

Also, I appreciate your updates, Puft.

[Philosophe_rouge]

It's not only press though, a lot of time it's distributors and buyers. They want the aisle so they can run out and phone up the right people to gain rights over the film. Press screenings in general are quite frustrating, people popping out phones, running along the aisles, it's distracting.

[Stay Puft]

Good point about the buyers. I've mostly just seen the white badges around, which I assumed are press (I saw a lot at the Wavelengths screening). Might be a combined press & industry badge, though, for getting into screenings (they get access to screenings by having barcodes on their badges scanned).

[Stay Puft]

http://media.tiff.net/contents/stills/Raid-2.jpg

The Raid
(dir. Gareth Huw Evans)

As I said in the upcoming film discussion forum, Iko Uwais was born to punch and kick people on camera. This guy deserves to be the next big action star. Merantau surprised me with some creative choreography and sharp scene construction; the film moves fast, but with plenty of long takes and wide angles, delivering the kind of brilliant martial arts madness you can only get from watching bodies move through space and time in continuous, unbroken shots.

The Raid takes things in a somewhat different direction, going for a more claustrophobic aesthetic. Scenes are more tightly framed, and the cuts come faster, and from different angles. For the most part, however, Evans maintains the same coherence of space and movement as in Merantau. One of his techniques for pacing within fight scenes is to cut quickly around close angles, matching movements to simultaneously maintain continuity of action and build intensity, and then use unbroken takes to capture a combatant rolling out of the action, or being thrown across a room (or whatever), reassessing his opponent, and quickly moving back in; the technique continually keeps the combatants (and thus the viewer) oriented within the total space, while they continue to trade blows in tighter shots.

The action in the film keeps building and building, and the film's ultimate success is in its sustained intensity from one scene to the next, even between the action scenes (as I also mentioned in the thread for the film, the best scene might be when Iko and one of his comrades are hiding behind a wall, while a group of machete wielding thugs try to root them out). The only misstep, I felt, was an occassional desire on the part of the filmmakers to go for a violence pandering quote unquote money shot. (The gore wounds will love this, I'm sure, though I don't personally care as much for this kind of material.) And now that I'm thinking about the film again, I just realized the two sniper characters who appear early in the film apparently just disappear half way through. Or maybe I'll catch that on a second viewing. Regardless, this is the best action movie I've seen this year.

[Stay Puft]

http://media.tiff.net/contents/stills/Other-Side-of-Sleep.jpg

The Other Side of Sleep
(dir. Rebecca Daly)

The entire time I was watching this film, I was struggling to remember where I had seen the lead actress, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, before. I had to look it up when I got home, at which point it finally clicked into place: she was the maid Paul Schneider impregnates in Jane Campion's Bright Star. This strange, vexing sort of familiarity (I knew the actress, but didn't) seems to have put me into the appropriate headspace for watching The Other Side of Sleep, where everything is familiar and yet somehow alien, in which the recognizeable and mundane take on ineffable qualities.

At first, I thought this was going to be a film about dreams; it opens with an atmospheric, almost abstract sequence that first appears to be set in a bedroom, but is actually a forest. The reality is far more exciting: this is not a film about dreams, but a character, Arlene, with sleep disorders, whose waking life becomes somewhat ethereal, untrustworthy. (I don't want to spoil too much of the film, but that incredible opening sequence is exactly as it appears, which is to say the character simply wakes up in a forest and then goes home). Much of the film, at least in its first half, feels like something of a horror movie (and props here for the sound design). There's even a cliche jump scare at one point, which appears, humorously, after an extended slow motion sequence of Arlene checking over her shoulder, as if something was sneaking up on her. Arlene's senses begin to run her through the ringer. The film continues to build in this way, and I found it getting under my skin, putting me on edge, yet simultaneously pulling me in further and further.

I'm not sure if this is a great film, or entirely successful, though not for the same reasons I've heard from other critics. One review I found claims the film ends with an M. Night Shyamalan twist, and I can confidently say I have no idea what the fuck that reviewer is talking about or what movie he was watching. I don't think this film is a put on, or a game, of any kind. It is rather, as I suggested, entirely straightforward; the film's success, insofar as it works, is in the way Daly defamiliarizes the world around Arlene. I think the reason for so many mixed and generally poor reactions to the film is due to this defamiliarization, to those ineffable qualities I mentioned. There's nothing here that the film is "about" really; the whole point is simply the journey I described, the ebb and flow, the push and pull, of Arlene's troubled sleep and fascination with death (or at least one death in particular, but I don't want to say too much here), a fear and attraction (certainly a desire for understanding). As I said, I found myself on edge yet continually drawn in, and for that I did enjoy the film (and as a film debut, I certainly admire it and anticipate what Daly will do next). But I'm still having trouble even putting this post together, because I'm not sure how to say what I want to say. I hope I've been clear enough up until now.

A supporting character in the film said it best, I think, when she tells Arlene that, like her mother, there was always something pulling her away. I don't think this summarizes the film in any thematic way, but it certainly describes part of the journey being undertaken. There are no answers here, but then I'm not even sure there were any questions (or a need for them). The second half of the film is occupied more with the emotional fallout of the central murder, as Arlene starts spending time with the family. Again, trying to avoid spoilers, but I suspect the fascination with death, the desire for understanding, that drives so much of the film is in actuality a fascination with life (or, again, one particular life; this perhaps part of the ambiguous nature of the film). I found the ending of the film incredibly powerful in this context. It's a quiet scene, and the last line of dialogue could not be more simple or mundane, but through the film's process of defamiliarization, it resonates with surprising force.

[TripZone]

You said "gore wounds" instead of "gore hounds", an amusing typo.

[Stay Puft]

I'm leaving every typo intact for posterity.

http://media.tiff.net/contents/stills/99-Clerkenwell-Road-3.jpg

WAVELENGTHS 1: ANALOGUE ARCADIA

I'm an avant-garde noob, as I admitted earlier, which is perhaps part of the reason I don't make it out to the Wavelengths sidebar that often. And with this particular selection, indeed, I found myself struggling to find any sort of context from which I could appreciate some of what I was watching. But part of the reason I tend to struggle through the Wavelengths programs is that I'm not convinced the Wavelengths sidebar, as it is currently established, is all that good a venue for viewing these films. Some of these films demand a lot of thought and patience and attention, which I am always willing to give to the best of my ability, but which I often find I cannot give when I don't have time to decompress from one film before leaping into another. Moreover, I find a lot of these films, in their demands, require a certain degree of engagement that I cannot afford in one single viewing beyond my control (a sixty second film like Ars Colonia requires multiple viewings, I feel, and so forth). I'll explain with some examples, as I talk about each film a bit in turn.

Loutra/Baths, I'm willing to admit, went straight over my head. I liked what the film was doing with subjectivity and perspective, but only insofar as it was something of a visual novelty, and one that I actually found somewhat distractingly amateurish much of the time. I was struggling for context here, though certainly through my own failing. It will similarly be the case with American Colour, that without the filmmaker in attendance to articulate some theoretical groundwork (or a program note to read beforehand, or...), the film itself will leave me with next to nothing.

Edwin Parker, however, is one of the best films I've seen at the festival. It's a portrait of artist Cy Twombly, a painter I know by reputation alone, but even without significant knowledge of his work, Tacita Dean's ridiculous formal chops create a vivid and sophisticated atmosphere that balance a wide range of emotions (it often feels sad and mournful, but it's also relaxed, warm and inviting - I suppose the dominant mood is bittersweet). The film first fixates on Twombly, sitting in a chair, and then roams around his studio, fixating on various mundane details. This part of the film feels mournful, perhaps even nostalgic; the details tend to relate to the passing of time, and the incompleteness of things, capturing images both of an artist in his twilight (and Twombly did pass away earlier this year) and of unfinished work around the studio, and forgotten items like paper clips on corner posts, collecting dust and cobwebs.

The second part of the film follows Twombly and a couple others to a restaurant, and the atmosphere here is relaxed and warm and full of humor. In the first part of the film, people come and go from the studio, and conversations pick up and end and then resume again, though the sound is mixed low and sometimes even difficult to hear. This continues in the second part, as Twombly mumbles on about something and then asks a waitress about some of the items on the menu. Twombly and his guests eat and chat, and what Dean accomplishes here even on a formal level is astonishing; the atmosphere is so casual, so laid back, that she almost seems to be de-emphasizing every detail, removing everything of any possible significance. But in doing so she takes what looks like a conventional narrative scene (a dialogue scene in a cafe, or something) and renders it with a fresh and invigorating style (it may seem more realistic or true to life, but I will argue is not a mode of realism). The third part again returns to the studio, tracing paint blotches and shadows on walls. I don't know what else to add, but I do want to reiterate, this might be the best film I've seen so far at the festival.

Now, then, the rest of the films. 99 Clerkenwell Road, like Loutra/Baths, left me at something of a loss. The filmmaker answered a question at the Q&A which "explained" the order behind the madness, so to speak, but that didn't change my inability to get onboard with the film's rhythm. And speaking of rhythm, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Empire builds nicely, but in a curiously conventional and then suddenly recognizeable way: surprise, it's a trailer for Viennale fest, like the Godard film I saw here two years ago. A trifle, and unlike Joe's usual work, almost readily forgotten. Ben Rivers was up next with Sack Barrow, a portrait of a factory in the days before it is closed, but unlike Tacita Dean's film, rendered in such a way as to seem utterly inert, and not in a way I found thematically rewarding (if that was even the point, or if my mind was just fucking restless and bored at this point).

Now, here's where the Wavelength programs just starts to piss me off again. Raya Martin's rich and evocative sixty second sketch of a conquistador, Ars Colonia, was practically ruined when the screen at the AGO began adjusting itself to fit the frame (it did this a few times, going widescreen for Empire, coming back in for Sack Barrow). The process appears to be done manually from the control room in the back, however, as the frame kept fidgeting around to get an exact fit. So whatever may have been going on in Ars Colonia, all I could focus on for thirty seconds was the, as I said, rich and evocative aesthetic, apparently hand colored, which looked stunning. The other thirty seconds was spent being completely distracted by a schizo movie screen humming and whirring mechanically and fretting over fitting the proper frame.

The last film was American Colour, which I mentioned near the beginning of the post. I did end up liking this one, though. There was again an order to the madness here that was not readily apparent to me; it's an ode to Kodachrome, and the director was explaining something about the order and rhythm of the specific colors he was using, which I forget now, but which still looks completely random to my eyes even at the time with knowledge of the process. It's also something of an ode to America, as a rapid fire succession of single color frames are interrupted with images shot during a one week road trip, and the predominant theme, in keeping with its use of Kodachrome, is something like the end of an era. I did find it building with a beguiling sort of power, however, and this is thanks to the sound design, easily the best part of the movie (and there was even an interesting connection here between the sound and the Kodachrome images that the director explained, but at least in this case I found I didn't need any context to simply appreciate the film for its formal qualities). The film then surprisingly and even alarmingly increases the tempo until the colors start flashing like machine gun fire, eventually combining into a white, colorless fury of epileptic flashes and strange optic shapes. I actually had to look away from the screen, though there was really no escape. For what felt like a good minute, the AGO screening room looked like a rave.

[Fezzik]

Has anyone at TIFF seen Rampart? I've heard good buzz, especially for Harrelson's performance.

[Stay Puft]

Haven't updated with ratings lately, so here we go:

Headshot (Pen-Ek Ratanaruang) ***
Kotoko (Shinya Tsukamoto) WTF
Lovely Molly (Eduardo Sánchez) **
Vaquero (Juan MinujÃ*n) ***
Bunohan (Dain Said) ***

That's the second time I've had to bust out a WTF rating during TIFF (first was for Kitano's Glory to the Filmmaker! back in 07). Too much to process in a single viewing, and quite unlike anything he has ever done before (though still visually recognizable as a Tsukamoto film). Going to need a second viewing before I can start to unpack my intense reaction (and it's quite an intense film, indeed).

Otherwise, I continue to have a remarkably and consistently solid festival experience. Lovely Molly is my first negative rating (indeed my first rating below three stars), though there are some things I liked about the film. Usually, I seem to run the gamut in terms of quality, but I've picked 'em pretty well this year. Almost nothing but three star films up to this point. Hopefully, I can cram some movies into the last two days, ala the first two days (the batch of ratings in this post covers everything I've seen from day three to day nine; been spending most of my time volunteering).

[Rowland]

Lovely Molly is my first negative rating (indeed my first rating below three stars), though there are some things I liked about the film..Oh shit, I didn't know Eduardo Sanchez had a new movie playing. His last effort, the horror movie Seventh Moon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-KKxNRhIJM) starring Amy Smart, had some elements I liked, but was utterly ruined by some of the worst handheld cinematography ever, and I say that as someone who loves Blair Witch.

[Stay Puft]

I haven't seen any of Eduardo's other films (other than Blair Witch, which I also liked a lot). The camerawork in Lovely Molly never bothered me. A fair amount is handheld since part of the visual strategy is having the protagonist film what's happening to her to prove to her family that she's not crazy (because she was committed last time she encountered the demons or whatever). The worst parts of the movie are in the first half and play a bit like Paranormal Activity (which I hated). The second half has some good payoff, though.

[NickGlass]

So, err, I saw nine films and they ranged from pretty good to absolute shit.

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS (Stillman): B

ALPS (Lanthimos): Considering my love of Dogtooth, a disappointment. C+

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME (Duplass Bros.): C

YOUR SISTER'S SISTER (Shelton): B-

WHORES' GLORY (Glawogger): B-

DARK HORSE (Solondz): C

ALBERT NOBBS (Garcia): Oh, brother. D?

KILL LIST (Wheatley): Err, not exactly a fan, and vaguely baffled by praise. C+

OSLO, AUGUST 31ST (Trier): B

If you want extended thoughts, just ask. Except you, Boner--I'm not telling you anything.

[elixir]

So, err, I saw nine films and they ranged from pretty good to absolute shit.

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS (Stillman): B

Thoughts on this please!

[Stay Puft]

Well obviously my body fails me on the last two days and I get super sick. I had been hoping to catch screenings of The Silver Cliff and The Loneliest Planet, plus Guo Xiaolu's new film (since I've seen her last few at the festival), but nope. I managed to drag myself out late on Sunday for two final screenings, though, so here they are:

Oslo, August 31st (Joachim Trier) ***½
Goodbye First Love (Mia Hansen-Løve) ***½

An excellent finish to a pretty good festival. Both of these filmmakers are turning into two of my new favorites, though we'll see where they go next.

[NickGlass]

Well obviously my body fails me on the last two days and I get super sick. I had been hoping to catch screenings of The Silver Cliff and The Loneliest Planet, plus Guo Xiaolu's new film (since I've seen her last few at the festival), but nope. I managed to drag myself out late on Sunday for two final screenings, though, so here they are:

Oslo, August 31st (Joachim Trier) ***½
Goodbye First Love (Mia Hansen-Løve) ***½

An excellent finish to a pretty good festival. Both of these filmmakers are turning into two of my new favorites, though we'll see where they go next.

I was in the same theater as you for OSLO. Coolio.

I'm seeing the Hansen-Love at New York Film Festival. Absurdly excited.

[NickGlass]

Thoughts on this please!

Don't have time now, but will jot something down later. It's not very similar stylistically, but Stillman's themes are in good shape. It's a bit broader, but it is a co-ed campus comedy after all. Thankfully, the crude-r (well, crude as defined by a filmmaker as hilariously prudish as Stillman) comedic material is actually funny. Gerwig nails it, too.

[NickGlass]

Also, I totally forgot that I saw Melancholia (C+), as well. So ambivalent.

[Rowland]

I'm intrigued by the wildly polarized reactions to ALPS. It's a nice break from the almost uniform praise for Dogtooth, which I echoed.

[NickGlass]

I'm intrigued by the wildly polarized reactions to ALPS. It's a nice break from the almost uniform praise for Dogtooth, which I echoed.

For me, the conceit did not work, and the climactic final act felt as if it was desperately trying to compensate--or make you forget--the rather weak and bizarrely mishandled set-up. Given the set-up, there's a variety of directions the film could have headed--and I found the path of choice to be one of the less interesting facets.

In Dogtooth, however, the the behavior and ramifications make perfect sens within the context.

[Boner M]

Another year, another round of David Nusair reviews (http://www.reelfilm.com/tiff1100.htm). :pritch:

STARRING: 'Little Doubt'

and there's little doubt that the movie peters out significantly as it limps towards its entirely anti-climactic finale

There's little doubt that Think of Me, for the most part, comes off as a typically subdued character study

and there's ultimately little doubt that Omar Killed Me fares best in its comparatively fresh opening half hour

There's little doubt that Doppelgänger Paul strikes a thoroughly oddball note right from the get-go

and there is, in turn, little doubt that the roadtrip-centric midsection possesses a distinctly flat quality

and there's little doubt that the viewer's curiosity into where this is all going proves instrumental in initially compensating for the less-than-eventful atmosphere

There's little doubt that the unusual narrative structure employed by scripters Olivier Gorce and Roschdy Zem does take some getting used to

There's little doubt that Albert Nobbs fares best in its opening half hour,

There's little doubt that Take This Waltz gets off to a less-than-promising start

there's little doubt that the film benefits substantially from Johnston's almost ridiculously charismatic central performance

and there's subsequently little doubt that the emotionally-charged moments that have been sprinkled into the narrative - eg Daphne tearfully reminisces about her past - fall completely and utterly flat.

The uneventfulness of the narrative is, at the outset, a little bit of a problem, yet there's little doubt that things improve steadily

There's little doubt, however, that Nettheim does manage to sustain the viewer's interest throughout

There's little doubt, however, that Loktev's plotless aesthetic is occasionally pushed to its limits

There's little doubt that Under the Sky Down improves steadily as it progresses

There's little doubt, however, that the movie does contain a handful of tangents that aren't quite explored to the degree that one might've liked

There's little doubt that The Descendants is completely engrossing right from the outset

There's finally little doubt that one's efforts at overlooking the conventional atmosphere are consistently stymied by the needlessly slow-moving atmosphere

There's little doubt that it's the endlessly charming work from both McGregor and Blunt that elevates the proceedings

there's little doubt that the pervasively head-scratching atmosphere ensures that the movie is lacking in the sort of pervasive dread that defined Maury and Bustillo's earlier effort

here's little doubt that You're Next fares best when a certain survivor begins turning the tables on his/her assailants

and there's little doubt that Ten Year initially comes off as a pervasively inconsequential work that has next to nothing interesting to say.

...with supporting work by 'Decidedly'.

Okpako places a consistent emphasis on sequences of a decidedly underwhelming nature

the writer/director generally stresses banter of a decidedly theatrical nature.

finally does end on a decidedly positive note

Filmmakers Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas' ongoing difficulties in capturing the viewer's interest are exacerbated by an emphasis on scenes and sequences of a decidedly inconsequential nature

the director stresses elements of a decidedly (and dishearteningly) melodramatic nature

the director does a superb job of peppering the movie with sequences of a decidedly electrifying nature

it becomes clear early on that Ilmari possesses decidedly sociopathic tendencies

overly familiar atmosphere ultimately exacerbated by plot developments of a decidedly questionable nature

...with the usual guest appearances by 'exacerbated', 'nature' and 'pervasively'.

:pritch::pritch::pritch:

[TripZone]

Dude needs some self-awareness.

[Winston*]

"There's finally little doubt that one's efforts at overlooking the conventional atmosphere are consistently stymied by the needlessly slow-moving atmosphere"


Holy shit

[Boner M]

He's a tomatometer critic as
well! :pritch:

[Duncan]

Stuff I saw:

Le Havre (Kaurismaki) - **1/2 - Light, sweet, funny. Saw it opening night and it was definitely a good opening night kind of film.

Faust (Sokurov) - ***1/2 - Closer to Dante than Goethe. Everyone is dirty, lecherous, literally crawling over one another. Filmed in 4:3 claustro-vision. Not to imply that it doesn't step back every now and then for the pretty forest path shot. Unsettling, compelling. Liked it a lot.

The Turin Horse (Tarr) - **** - This is a difficult one. In some ways it's a very small film. A father and daughter stay for six days in an isolated house, get water from a well, eat potatoes, harness their horse...really not much else happens during the entire run time. In other ways it's hugely ambitious. It is a staging of the world's end by telling Genesis in reverse filtered through the same deliberate, patience-testing, repetitive structure of Jeanne Dielman, filmed long, graceful takes reminiscent of Tarkovsky, with a touch of Bergman at his bleakest. It's one of these films that requires a certain faith on the part of the viewer, but if you're into this kind of thing then I don't think film gets much better. Jeanne Dielman is probably its closest relative. Like that film, it can sometime exist more forgivingly in memory than while you're watching it. They also both feature potatoes very prominently.

Almayer's Folly (Akerman) - ** - Just wasn’t really feeling this one. Almayer hits the utterly pitiful mark early on and just kind of stays there. His daughter, Nina, is much more interesting and the film picks up when it focuses on her. Maybe that's sort of the point. It's a little bit feminist, a little bit post-colonial. Nothing particularly wrong with the filmmaking. Kept waiting for it to grab me, never happened.

[B-side]

Post more, Duncan.

[Derek]

Post more, Duncan.

Sentiment echoed.

[Boner M]

David Nusair takes on Goodbye, First Love. Stay Puft, whaddya make of this:


Unquestionably the slowest movie of the festival, Goodbye First Love essentially follows Lola Créton's Camille as she spends a solid decade attempting to get over the loss of her teenage boyfriend (Sebastian Urzendowsky's Sullivan). It's clear right from the get-go that filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve is more interested in establishing a very specific mood than in capturing the viewer's interest, as Goodbye First Love boasts an oppressively plotless narrative in which absolutely nothing of consequence ever seems to occur. The adolescent relationship between Camille and Sullivan is initially kind of interesting, admittedly, as it's instantly clear that Sullivan isn't even remotely as into Camille as she is to him. (It is, as a result, not surprising to note that Sullivan can't help but come off as a bit of a douchebag, which certainly colors the impact of the movie's later scenes.) The uneventful atmosphere becomes more and more problematic as time progresses, with a good chunk of the midsection devoted to countless, pointless sequences in which Camille attempts to get on with her life. By the time the character embarks on an affair with her college professor, Goodbye First Love has morphed into as aggressively dull and abstract a work as one can easily recall - which effectively does ensure that the viewer has absolutely nothing invested in Camille's ultimate happiness.

:pritch: