Tag: Film Festival

The Journey – Dir Nick Hamm

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Cast: Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, John Hurt, Toby Stephens, Freddie Highmore

My mother is from Northern Ireland and her mother, my grandmother, was Protestant and her father, my grandfather, was Catholic.  My grandmother loved Ian Paisley, and didn’t like Catholics very much at one point.  She did soften as time went on.  But when you are from a troubled country like Northern Ireland, it’s rather complicated.

When I heard that Timothy Spall would be playing the barn storming giant, Ian Paisley, I was a bit surprised.  Paisley is over a foot taller than Spall.  But Spall can do pretty much anything so why not.

Colm Meaney and Timothy Spall are perfect in this grudge match peace negotiation.  The film is  a tribute to what these two leaders accomplished.  Fierce adversaries, Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley eventually became friends who were referred to as the “chuckle brothers”. I travelled to Northern Ireland very recently and it’s a whole different place than it was when I was last there in the mid 80s.  Gone are the borders between the north and the south and the scary British military check points.  The Belfast nightlife rivals Dublin’s and patrons are free to enter bars previously designated as “IRA hangouts” without question.  There are still rivalling flags waiving just to remind you where you are.  The Orangemen still parade on July 12th. There are still some nattering on in the privacy of pubs and houses about heritage and the old days. People will not forget, and a few will not forgive, but the leaders shall set an example for the young and that matters a great deal.

I do hope this film goes viral and shows the world how to reach a compromise without sacrificing dignity and pride, how humour and friendship can build bridges stronger than concrete.  Northern Ireland should be very proud of the St. Andrews Agreement and the example they have set for the rest of the world.

And because Timothy Spall is such an incredible actor, I thought you could all benefit from some of his process. Here is a little clip from the Q&A.

The Journey is the Destination – dir Bronwen Hughes

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I didn’t know what to expect from this film, but the topic seemed compelling.  Plus it was directed by a woman and I was specifically looking for good films directed by women. Am I ever glad I picked this one, as I was very moved by the story and really enjoyed how the the film was constructed.

At 22, Dan Eldon had accomplished more than most of have in a lifetime. Fearless, compassionate and creative, he has left a legacy for his family to treasure.  The film is largely leveraged from the incredibly detailed and artistic journals he kept. I loved the way his pieces were woven into the film.

His mother stood with the director at the premiere.  I have to think that his family had a lot to do with bringing this film to the screen.

Highly recommend seeing this film, especially if you are a parent of a spirited young person!

 

LBJ – dir Rob Reiner

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This was a history lesson with a very engaging character performance from Woody Harrelson.  My mother loved it, but she remembers the time well so enjoy the historical details.  Me, I enjoyed it, especially the one-liners.  Lyndon B Johnston was a character that like to joke around and use profanity shamelessly.  This makes for some eye raising dialogue for a President.  And Woody, who is Texan, was absolutely perfect.  The only thing I found a little distracting was the prosthetic make up.  Ladybird was played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. She was great, but it wasn’t as big a role as I was expecting.

The film focused on LBJ’s early days as JFKs Vice President and then his early term as President focused on the passing of the civil rights bill.  There is a whole part 2 to be told around the Vietnam war, and if it happens, Woody will definitely have to come back to play this part again.

Expect to see Woody in the awards discussion. He is that good, despite the make up.

Salt and Fire – Dir Werner Herzog

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Cast:Michael Shannon, Veronica Ferres, Gael García Bernal, Volker Michalowski, Lawrence Krauss and Anita Briem

I saw this film accidentally.  I meant to buy Herzog’s documentary Into the Inferno. Most directors don’t have any volcano movies never mind two at the same festival.

This was an odd film all around. Jumpy plot and poor performances were a bit disappointing.  Beautifully shot though. Salar de Uyuni, the salt flat where the bulk of the film takes place, is over 4,000 square feet and void of vegetation and wildlife.  It’s a popular tourist destination where people go there to take quirky and unusual nature photographs.

I’m not clear on the merits of the story, i.e. the link between an environmental disaster and spreading of salt flats that could be detrimental to the earth.

Eventually I would like to see the documentary I was supposed to see.

Veronica Ferres and Werner Herzog

The Secret Scripture – Dir Jim Sheridan

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Cast:Rooney Mara, Vanessa Redgrave, Jack Reynor, Theo James, Eric Bana

I love Jim Sheridan’s films.  He’s the master of Irish cinema.  And when I heard that Vanessa Redgrave would be coming, I needed to see this gala to see these two cinema Titans in the flesh.

I thought this was a beautiful film and that it brought out the best in Rooney Mara. I’m so used to her playing a moody sullen empty characters, it was refreshing to see her play an empathetic person I could relate to.

Some will criticize the film for unrealistic plot points, but I think they failed to clue in that these were an old woman’s memories that might have been prone to exaggeration.  I had no trouble getting caught up in the plight of this lovely character and her saga.  The performances were great. Eric Bana was very well cast in this film. The story was heartbreaking and the ending brought me to a puddle of tears.  I wish I read the book. My mother read it and loved the film.

I hope Rooney Mara is recognized for her performance in this and that it leads to more vibrant roles for her in the future.

Here is part of the introduction, where Rooney, Vanessa and TIFF’s own Michelle go barefoot.

Their Finest

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I’m going to be honest here.  This was just okay. The film had charming moments, but it was slightly melodramatic and maudlin for my taste. I felt like I was in some sort of old fashioned movie where reality is checked at the door.  The sets seemed fake, the relationships over the top, and  the only thing that was missing was the affected speech.

This was a film about women in the film industry during WWII.  But the story seemed to be more focused on the lead character’s love life than her impact on film making.

Some will like the old fashioned style of movie making. It’s got some great people in the film including Bill Nighey who is great in everything.

Probably not one you’d seek out at the threatre but a good one to watch on Netflix some day.

Ma’Rosa – Dir Brillante Ma Mendoza

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Cast: Jaclyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Andi Eigenmann, Felix Roco, Jomari Angeles, Inna Tuason

Life in Manila is hard. Harder for some than others.  Rosa does the best she can to keep her family afloat, and yes, selling crack is one of the things she does. Everyone in the neighborhood seems to respect her, but when someone rats her out, everything comes crashing down.

This is just a little snapshot of life in Manila.  Jaclyn Jose won best actress at Cannes for this role.  Interesting and compelling film.  Not sure I’ll be visiting the Phillipines any time soon.

Daguerreotype 

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Cast:Tahar Rahim, Constance Rousseau, Olivier Gourmetand Mathieu Amalric

I do love a good ghost story.  This one had the potential for being really great. It had an incredible cast and a novel premise. Weird man living in a secluded mansion with his mysterious daughter makes a living taking old fashioned photos on mirrors.

Sadly it lost steam towards the end and missed the mark to being a truely twisty tale. It was filmed in a beautiful location and the acting was solid.  I do love Tahar Rahim and would watch him in tacky commercials. This was not a total loss, but it could have been better.

 

Una – Dir Benedict Andrews

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Cast: Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn and Riz Ahmed

Another “why” film? Based on the play Blackbird, this is another film where the subject of the film crosses a line most of us are are not comfortable with, and that subject is adults engaging in sexual relations with minors. If you are a normal moral human being, this is NEVER okay. This story seems to play with the idea that maybe it is okay. Maybe the adult here was seduced by a manipulative 13 year old. No.My head is shaking, no. Even if a silly young girl flirts with a 40 year old man, it is NEVER, I repeat NEVER okay for him to engage in romantic or sexual relationship.

Maybe this film was saying that it is not okay. Maybe I just hated both the main characters. Thank goodness for Riz Ahmed, because I otherwise disliked this movie.

Elle – Dir Paul Verhoeven

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Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Virginie Efira, Christian Berkel, Judith Magre, Jonas Bloquet, Alice Isaaz, Vimala Pons, Raphaël L Lenglet, Arthur Mazet, Lucas Prisor, Hugo Conzelmann, Stéphane Bak

Why? Is what most of us took away from Paul Verhoeven’s latest attempt at a shocker film. Why does anyone try to glorify or promote the idea that women might actually enjoy, sadistically or otherwise, being sexually abused? Why?

Paul Verhoeven has always tried to shock audiences and create controversy. This film was just plain garbage. He thought it would create a debate? No debates here.  Everyone I know felt the same way – disgusted that we wasted $25 on the ticket. In retrospect, wish I’d walked out of the theatre.

I would not support this film and for the sake of women’s safety, neither should you.