Author: Julie

I’ve just seen the first Academy Award worthy film of 2017.

Christopher Nolan came under fire during last week’s San Diego Comic-Con for suggesting that Netflix was a risk to the film industry, particularly theatrical productions. That’s debatable and creating some noise. As an aside, I do believe Netflix is opening the doors for more diverse story telling and new talent which is a good thing but back to Nolan’s new film. I think what he really meant to say is that you shouldn’t see Dunkirk on your iPhone, that it must be seen on a huge screen in an IMAX theatre so you can feel as though you are on the beach with your heart in your throat. Yes, that’s definitely what he meant, because he has made a film specifically for this experience. Whatever damage Netflix might be doing to major theatrical film productions, Nolan has certainly balanced the score with this masterpiece. Filmmakers are bound to be inspired by this film. I’ve heard on the news that a 98 yr old British war veteran who was on the beach in Dunkirk saw the film and was very moved by it. My Great Uncle, a career soldier, was there and never really spoke about it. All we have heard is that he came home without many clothes on his back and now I know why. But he came home.

This film is an experience, a memory to be shared. You can almost taste the salt water, feel sand on your tongue and most of all, feel frustration, fear and hope. All of this is amplified by one hell of a riveting musical score masterfully composed by Hans Zimmer. I may be going out on a limb here in suggesting Hans is a lock for an Oscar without seeing any other contenders at this point, but it would have to take something pretty extraordinary to change my mind.

This is not a talky film. You have no idea who these soldiers are, where they are from, or whether they have families. Save for a flash of a wedding ring, an accent, the rank of a uniform and an occasional name and title, you have no additional information about the characters in the film. And this doesn’t matter. You’ve been helicoptered in to a point in time in history. You don’t know them, but you feel them and you can imagine what they are thinking. So much is said without being said in this film. There is an intimacy that is created through action, nuance, texture and expression. They say the eyes are the windows of the soul. I want to rewatch the film just to analyze close-ups and eyes. 

The theatre I saw it in was one of those older IMAX threatres where the seats are situated very close to the screen. If you are from Toronto, think about the screen at Ontario Place and The Science Centre.  I really felt as though I was in the screen, on the beach in the action. Perhaps it was too close and maybe I missed something. I need to see it again. I haven’t felt this way since Mad Max : Fury Road. I need to see it again soon.

My Great Uncle Jack (Northern Ireland) –  A drawing of him by one his brothers in arms, his medals and a photo of him from the 40s.  He served throughout WWII from beginning to end (Europe and North Africa) and well after the war itself (Middle East). I was blessed to have known him towards the end of his life. 

The 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, based on Patricia Highsmith’s great novel, is one of my favourite films. I didn’t realize until recently that an earlier film adaption had been made in 1960 by René Clément, starring French heartthrob Alain Dolen. I snapped up a chance to see it on the big screen this past weekend at TIFF’s retrospective on French crime classics. This film, along with so many other critically acclaimed French films, was never released in North America. A shame it didn’t get wider release, as it did really well in Europe. While not Alain Dolen’s first film, it is the film that launched his career. Martin Scorsese was the one to finally release Purple Noon in America, but it has taken some time to get to the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

This version of Highsmith’s Tom Ripley is apparently not exactly like the book, and I am told that the author did not like the ending, but she did think it was a beautiful a film. It is a very beautiful film, but aren’t all films shot in southern Italy. Unfortunately she never saw Minghella’s 1999 version, which is apparently closer to her original story. I’ve seen Anthony Minghella’s film several times, and the two films are different in some ways and exactly the same in others.  Both equally intriguing in their portrayal of the characters and telling of the story, with the exception of the ending.  The one thing that seemed odd in the earlier version was that they were French actors playing Americans characters in Italy, speaking French, in French accents. Well all but one, Philippe (not Dickie) Greenleaf’s friend Freddy played by Bill Kearns, is an American actor speaking French with an American accent but it was the most unnatural accent of them all. Possibly because it seemed his audio had been dubbed over and perhaps because he was the only American accent in the film.

I really liked the casting of this film. Alain Delon’s Ripley and Maurice Ronet’s Greenleaf have the perfect awkward chemistry and Marie Laforêt’s doe-eyed Marge is a bit different than Paltrow’s more classic Marge, but I thought it worked well.  Delon and Ronet look much more alike than Damon and Law, easily mistaken for each other, but with vastly different personalities. It is also interesting that Maurice Ronet resembles Jude Law, and that Bill Kearns and Philip Seymour Hoffman could be relatives. But the casting of Delon, with his magnetic and beautiful face, is a bit of a different spin on that character as compared to Matt Damon. I’m not saying Matt is not an attractive man, but Alain Delon is an absolutely beautiful man.

Patricia Highsmith may not have liked the ending of Plein Soleil, but I didn’t mind it. I thought it worked for this version.

I encourage you to see Plein Soleil (Purple Noon it might be easier to find). As for me, I’ll finally be cracking open Highsmith’s book and catching up on some Alain Dolen and René Clément films.

This is by far one of Salma Hayek’s finest performances, one I’ve been referring to as Salma Unplugged. She’s natural, beautiful and outstanding in this look at capitalism in its boorish form from a perspective outside the gated shelter of wealth.

This film makes you cringe-laugh, gasp and feel an enormous sense of sadness for it depicts something we are all too familiar with these days, greed, and issues that divide many.

Not a film many will say they enjoyed but it’s certainly one many will remember.  And I will be shocked if Salma hasn’t earned herself some award dominations with this raw performance.

Worth seeing and I am sure we will see more of this genre….what shall we call it?

This film will be released on November 23rd. I had the good fortune to attend a preview screening at TIFF, followed by a Q&A with Warren Beatty and Lily Collins, hosted by Toronto’s own crazy sock wearing film critic Richard Crouse. I did enjoy the film, but the Q&A was definitely the highlight.  Warren Beatty was charming, funny and very generous with his time. It’s always great to see a film maker who is so enthusiastic about his or her film, perhaps because it is his first film in 18 years. Rumour has it has been 40 years in the making. It was made clear to us that it is not a Howard Hughes biopic or love letter. Warren plays Hughes, which is a fairly pivotal role in a film which centers around the relationship between an aspiring young actress Marla, played by Lily Collins and her young driver Frank, played by Alden Ehrenreich, both hired by Hughes for his movie making machine.

Just a quick bit about the plot here only to give you a sense but hopefully not enough to spoil it.  Marla arrives in Hollywood with her mother, played by Annette Bening, to screen test for Howard Hughes. She’s put up in a beautiful cliff side mansion and driven about by Frank who is strictly forbidden to fraternize with the actresses. Hughes’ rules. This is where I will leave you so as not to ruin the film.

While this may not be Hughes’ biopic, it may be an allegory for Beatty’s. Quite the playboy who loved and left many women in his heyday, this could be seen as an acknowledgment and perhaps even an apology. Lily Collins looks very familiar, perhaps a bit like Natalie Wood with whom Beatty had a two year affair in the 60s.

This is the third film I’ve seen this year that takes us back in time to the earlier days of film making.  La La Land and Their Finest were the other two. And last year we had Hail, Caesar! These films naturally have very wide appeal, especially for film buffs. While this might not be destined to be an Oscar classic, it’s a nice nostalgic film and the performances are solid. There are a number of great cameos throughout the film, but the film is really owned by the two young leads. We will see more great roles for both Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich. I’m sure they learned a lot from the legend himself.

During the Q&A it was shared that they took more time than is usually afforded in pre production to work through character development, that Warren will exhaust his actors and get as many takes as time allows and that the film was not derived from any particular person but imagined and perhaps influenced by memories from his subconscious. We also learned that he believes his wife Annette Bening is the greatest actress. But the most memorable moment in the Q&A was the very first question. Well it wasn’t a question exactly. As the microphone was passed to the gentleman sitting directly in front of me someone simultaneously handed Richard Crouse a business card.  Then the man with the microphone spoke. He said something like “My name is Warren Beatty. I am fourth generation African Canadian. I am 65 years old, so my mother did not name me after you.”  He then shared that he has benefited over the years from mistaken identity with presidential suites in hotels. Sure enough, the business card confirmed his name and Director / actor Warren thought this was terrific and said they needed to speak afterwards.

I hope this is not the last of Warren Beatty’s films. It is nice to have him back and something tells me he’s got more to give to the industry.