After the sprawling Cinecast going through the variety of Toronto International Film Festival films we took in, there are several folks that are probably TIFF’ed out. And that is without even attending the festival. Indulge us a little in getting the fading lights and flickering images out of our skulls with a big round-up of titles we saw. Rowthree hit the ground running for major festival coverage (Expect more from VIFF and Toronto After Dark) and we hope there is at least a little insight as to what smaller great films are out there on the horizon. As a closer for the gargantuan Toronto International Film Festival, John Allison, Mike Rot and myself compiled everything we took in and dropped a sentence or two of text along with a loosey-goosey rating out of 5. You can get an idea of what appealed to us.

First off, it was a ‘discovery’ type of film festival this year. While there were sprawling entries from Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh and even Kevin Smith, there were some significant absences, in particular John Hillcoat’s The Road, Clint Eastwood’s The Changeling, and Gus Van Sant’s Milk were surprisingly not programmed, and I was mildly surprised that Defiance, Tropa de Elite, Choke and the compilation film Tokyo! were missing as well. Even the Midnight Madness section was light on Asian side with no films from Johnnie To, Takashi Miike or Ryuhei Kitamura.

But there was a lot of known quantities at the festival including Darren Aronofsky, Richard Linklater, The Coen Brothers, Olivier Assayas and Kiyoshi Kurosawa. These directors turned in much quieter films than they usually do, and this approach seemed to be quite successful.

Outside of the mondo film screenings and scrambling for time on the laptop to review them, it was a pleasure to get together with the Toronto bloggers (The Duke of York pub should be an annual tradition, being as successful as it was), various Film Festival Programmers from around the world, and find the occasional party between screenings offering free beer (Thanks Colin and the MM crew!), even one of the ladies from the local Pillowfight League (who can Haiku as good as Colleeny).

Capsule Reviews (ranked Best 4 to 5 out of 5, Rest 2 to 4 out of 5, and Worst 0 to 2 out of 5) are all tucked under the seat.

The Best of TIFF

White Night Wedding (5/5)
KURT – White Night Wedding is very likely the best film from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur. The film is a whopper of an ensemble piece (adapted from a Chekhov play) that sees a lot of characters who all have many motives and schemes on the go. Everything culminates and collapses and recombines in one of the most intense forms of celebration: The Wedding. It is not often that a dramatic comedy is the ‘full package’ in terms of emotional resonance, humour, wit and pathos. Furthermore have a new favourite character actor, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (who is also in the other 2008 Icelandic wedding comedy, Country Wedding). (5/5)

Slum-dog Millionaire (5/5)
JOHN – Probably my top movie for the past couple of years. What could have been a totally overblown melodrama is instead a pitch perfect combination of comedy, drama and romance. Danny Boyle shows us that he doesn’t need the twist ending and that he can create a beautiful story. (5/5)

Tokyo Sonata (4.5/5)
JOHN – Kiyoshi Kurosawa shows us that there is much more to him as a director with this beautiful story of a family trying to survive under the pressures of modern day Tokyo. The ending of Tokyo Sonata will definitely bring a tear to your eyes. (4/5)
KURT – I do not believe I have ever witnessed a Japanese director implode the social mores of their native country, and then rebuild them up from scratch so elegantly, emotionally and delightfully as Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Unequivocally earning labels such as Masterpiece and Auteur (putting him very much on the level of the more famous Kurosawa – that would be Akira), Tokyo Sonata is brimming with ideas and complicated social situations involving family, ego, desperation and desire. At no point did the picture feel manipulative or dishonest, and in unabashed tears are earned in the final act. If you see one Kiyoshi Kurosawa film (and shame on you then for just watching one), it should be this one. (5/5)

Sky Crawlers, The (4.5/5)
JOHN – Mamoru Oshii tones down the philosophy compared to Ghost in the Shell: Innocence and creates a very strong epic with beautiful CGI and amazing sound. More science fiction stories need to be this well constructed. (4/5)
KURT – Stylish. Epic. And Gorgeously produced on a grand canvas fusing 2D and 3D animation techniques, The Sky Crawlers is Mamoru Oshii’s most accessible film, a reasonably straightforward war love story. Yet at the same time, no Oshii-ness is ever sacrificed in the telling, and the love story is strengthened by the not-so-odd austerity of the piece. If Hayao Miyazaki’s Porcco Rosso is Japan’s animated Casablanca, then The Sky Crawlers is worthy of Metropolis. Using a pastiche of elements of contemporary science fiction (From Ender’s Game to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) mashed up with stirring World War II aerial dogfights and a his unique brand of austere and cold melodrama, The Sky Crawlers certainly will not be for everyone. The film is a feast for the senses, not only in the gargantuan fighter plane battles, which may be safe to say are the best ever committed to celluloid (and yes, that includes Hell’s Angels and the space climaxes of any of the best of the Star Wars pictures). (5/5)

Synecdoche, New York (4.5/5)
KURT – Sure to batter folks around on an intellectual level as well as (by the end) and emotional level. This is clearly screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s 8 1/2. One of the most stunning graduations of screenwriter to director, the film is akin to starting at the dark center of those Russian dolls and peeling your way out, shell by shell. A large ensembles of the best actors working today give the heady stuff the emotional and human resonance the picture needs. A film I suspect will get even better with age. (4.5/5)
MIKE – Everyone I have talked to who has seen this film appear to have the same impression: unsure if they liked it after it was finished only to feel a momentum to their reflections that give it near masterpiece-level status in retrospect. There are probably flaws, there are things that do not make a whole lot of sense if you think too deeply about what they mean, but much like one of those 3-D illusions once you let go of the interest in the details and let the whole overwhelm your senses something magical occurs. I think it is a masterpiece, Kaufman’s headiest head trip. (4.5/5)

Blindness (4.5/5)
KURT – Ignore the Cannes buzz on Fernando Meirelles adaptation of Nobel laureate José Saramago’s novel. It may just be the first apocalypse film that is wearing a dinner jacked and bow tie (Michael Haneke’s Time of the Wolf is perhaps the closes analogue). However, when the clothes comes off, it reveals the stinking humanity contained underneath and pulls no punches. While I did not care for the last couple minutes of the film (which were unnecessary and perhaps even facile without the film continuing for another act), everything up to that point is stylish, brutal, and above all questioning on how different people utilize ‘privileged’ when it is handed to them in the strangest of circumstances. (4.5/5)

Hunger (4.5/5)
MIKE – During the Thatcher era, IRA prisoners were denied political status and in an act of rebellion a group of them orchestrated what meager protests they could in confinement, one of the final acts being
the hunger strike. An entrenched film of the prison genre film that goes deeper than most at exposing the institutionalizing effects of confinement, gritty by way of Midnight Express, with a mesmerizing performance by relative unknown Michael Fassbender as the emasculating spirit of hope. This directorial debut by Steve Mcqueen heralds the coming of a master of future cinema. (4.5/5)

Tears for Sale (aka Vendetta and Charleston) (4.5/5)
KURT – If you see one Serbian digital backlot gypsy film about women losing their virginity in a town filed with bats and landmines, I humbly suggest Tears for Sale. Combining spectacular imagery with a very playful mulch of eastern European European myth and WWI tragedy, comparisons to Jean-Pierre Jeunet are apt, but only scratch the surface here. I do not believe I had more pure fun at TIFF than this film. The mine-yard, spiderbrandy, girls fighting on broken glass, ghosts, F. Scott Fitzgerald, occult promises, breasts, and the explosive climax culminated to a rare visual treat. (4.5/5)

Pontypool (4.33/5)
JOHN – If this is an average Bruce McDonald movie then I really need to check out his other movies. I loved the feel of the three main characters being trapped in a radio station while the world seems to be collapsing in on itself. It has a great sense of humour and shows the terror of only being partially aware of a disaster you are in the middle of. (4.5/5)
KURT – Probably the worlds first semiotic zombie film, the film defies expectations at every turn and plays out much more like a science-fiction chamber piece. A career topping performance from character actor Stephen McHattie, who gets to chew mightily on Tony Burgess’s sharp screenplay. If language and meaning and communication are of any interest to you, look past the Z-word (which is never uttered in the film) and give this one a shot. It is nice to see that there is a number of intelligent genre flicks coming out of Canada. (4.5/5)
MIKE – A great little Canadian horror film by Bruce MacDonald that takes the zombie genre in a whole new direction. Possibly the most enjoyable film I saw at the festival. More comedic than scary, with a lot of the humor coming at the expense of small town Ontario and our dubious grasp of the French language. (4/5)

Wrestler, The (4.33/5)
JOHN – Darren Aronofsky is right in his comment that all you need to make a movie is a camera and a strong performance by a good actor. Mickey Rourke delivers the performance of his lifetime as a too old wrestler who is trying to survive. Marissa Tomei is also truly stunning as the aging stripper who is dealing with similar problems to Rourke but has chosen a different path. (4/5)
KURT – The Wrestler is built kind of like the sport that it is set in. The story is familiar, a bit shop-worn, even contrived, and perhaps a bit faked. While things are playing out on screen, it archives a genuine emotional workout: the best kind of cinematic magic. The film is a weepy and a crowd-pleaser in the best sense of both of those terms. Above all, it shows a talented filmmaker at the pinnacle of his career, working with two actors at the pinnacle of their game. All those rough years boxing and slumming serve Mickey Rourke’s features well in this one, and he carries the film mightily. While it may or may not do any favours to legitimize the modern cartoon that is WWE, it is a strangely positive love-letter to the sport (witness the charming ‘shop talk’ in the Wrestlers greenroom) and those who grind themselves away practitioning it. (5/5)
MIKE – Every bit as good as you have heard, but none of the flash that one expects from an Aronofsky film. A very subdued tender story about the Willy Loman of wrestling, while inside the ring its Passion of the Christ. Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Rachel Evan Wood are awesome. (4/5)

Good, The Bad, The Weird, The (4.25/5)
JOHN – Take a Spaghetti Western, transfer it over to Korea, update the action for a modern day audience and have a closing chase seen that rivals anything Road Warrior and you have one hell of a movie that was worth the $40 as a Gala Presentation. As a light movie it fully succeeds but it also has something to say about how Korea has become a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures. (4.5/5)
KURT – The phrase balls-to-the-wall is an easy one to throw in the direction of Kim Ji-Woon’s kimchi western. As much a homage to Sam Raimi and George Miller as it is to Sergio Leone, it surprisingly becomes a vicious commentary on South Korea’s political failures at the dawn of the twentieth century. This one is going to have a big fan club and a long life, but like the films it emulates, is best seen on the big screen. (4/5)

Public Enemy Number One (Part 1) (4.25/5)
JOHN – A balls to the wall half Scarface half Bonnie and Clyde French action thriller that never lets up for a minute. The full on assault jail break by itself makes this movie one to watch. I can not wait to see Part 2. (4.5/5)
KURT – Honourable mention for one of the most pure mainstream entertainments. Call it the OUT OF SIGHT of biopics, although narratively it is a warped fusion of Goodfellas and Bonnie & Clyde. While we get little real insight into one of Frances most notorious criminals, Jacques Mesrine, what we do get is one of the most snappy crime thrillers in quite some time. One of the most iconic Vincent Cassel performances (and that is saying something!). And all this is presented in a stylish presentation and driving narrative do not let up. The film asks you to root, cheer, and laugh for a truly despicable human being, and with its stars charm and menace at the helm, you might just find yourself doing so. Bring on Part 2 in TIFF ‘09! (4/5)

Ashes of Time Redux (4/5)
JOHN – I am sure this movie will become one that I truly love upon a second visit. Unfortunately, I was very tired during the movie and it had trouble keeping my attention. This is not the movies fault but solely due to a lack of sleep before the viewing. (3.5/5)
KURT – A new musical score, and a tighter edit of Wong Kar Wai’s much maligned wuxia film makes his poetry come to the forefront, and relegates the batshit craziness to the cutting room floor. Ultimately a more satisfying film. (4.5/5)

JCVD (4/5)
JOHN – Other than the fact that the JCVD needed to be tightened up it is a terrific movie that looks at B level celebrities and how they are treated by the general public. It is a truly real heartfelt movie that shows that Van Damme really can act. While the opening 4-5 minutes rival and perhaps surpass the single take battle scene in Children of Men JCVD is not an action movie. (4/5)
KURT – Believe the hype. Jean Claude Van Damme proves his acting chops by maximizing pathos and humour in a refreshingly fictional biopic. The film was worth seeing for the first 5 minutes, perhaps the greatest intro to a Van Damme flick of all (or any) time. The film has only the slightest misstep in the middle with pacing and convoluted structural trickery, but it is easily forgivable due to the audaciousness of the story and situations (A great throwaway scene in the film should convince celebrities to take a limo (or personal driver) and not a cab from the airport). (4/5)

Chocolate (4/5)
JOHN – A completely fun action movie with an amazing final fight scene that takes place on the side of a building. The action completely insane and it is hard to believe that the actors / stunt men were not permanently hurt by the falls. Also this is the only movie I can think of that has two autistic martial artist fighting each other. (4/5)
KURT – Like most of Thai action cinema, the plot is both ludicrous and an excuse to stage some elaborate and showy fight sequences. This time, young and female JeeJa Yanin shows that Tony Jaa is not the only game in town. The final showdown, on the side of a 4 story building is a bone-crunching good time. (4/5)

Vinyan (4/5)
JOHN – The director originally wanted to do a remake of Who Can Kill a Child. Since, he was unable to get the copyright to do so, thus, reworked things into a chilling assault on the senses. A married couple search for their lost child in the jungles of Burma. (3.5/5)
KURT – Fans of great poetic horror films or simply good old fashioned exploiters should be flocking to the child-in-peril shocker Vinyan. Taking a page from the recently resurfaced cult classic Who Can Kill A Child, it is most definitely not meant to be processed literally. Adding in the tactile desensitization of Werner Herzog’s jungle tales of woe and the visceral sights and sounds of Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible, Vinyan is for those game to soak up an horrific inevitability: Our world is destined to never get along when different cultures collide on the crest of 21st century natural disasters. (4.5/5)

Waltz with Bashir (4/5)
JOHN – It is fairly common for soldiers to block out memories of traumatic situations during a war. Waltz with Bashir takes a very personal look at one soldiers attempt to regain those memories by meeting up with other soldiers and discussing their experiences from the same battle. The animation is beautiful and the story has a lot to say. Be warned that the end packs a brutal emotional punch. (4/5)
KURT – A documentary about war, and the atrocities and banality within; but more particularly on how individuals and their experiences are processed after it is all over. Director Ari Folman makes things quite personal and revelatory and he does this at the remove of rotoscoped style animation. It’s a beautiful and sharp way to make a documentary on one of the most universal of subjects: perception. (4/5)

Appaloosa (4/5)
JOHN – A fun light hearted western that plays as an excellent popcorn flick. Going in I was worried most about how the love triangle would play out. My worries were completely unfounded as the movie handles it excellently. It was also great to see Lance Henriksen and Timothy Spall in supporting roles. (4/5)

Burn After Reading (4/5)
KURT – A subtly clever spy-romp that takes all those classic paranoid films of the Cold War and turns them into a great screwball farce. The mega-star wattage on hand in this picture surprisingly play things low-key, in favour of making themselves as pathetic and unlikable as possible. When all the threads of the convoluted set-up being to tighten together, you see that something as delightful and goofy as this could only come from the minds of the Brothers Coen. (4/5)

Che (4/5)
KURT – This was the four and a half hour version of the film (before it is split into pair of films, The Argentinian and Guerrilla. A brilliant central performance from Benicio del Toro anchors a film that aims much more for understanding the challenges and philosophies behind a revolution than an understanding of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Methodical and precise with some top-shelf cinematography on the new Red digital camera. (4/5)

Inju, la bête dans l’ombre (4/5)
JOHN – It is not often that you get told by a director that a movie has a twist beginning. The opening scene really had me worried that this was going to be complete schlock. Once the movie really gets going this is a great little tribute to pulp movies of the 50s and it has a beautiful Hitchcock-ian score. (4/5)

Miracle at St. Anna, The (4/5)
KURT – Ultimately less a war film (or the expected meditation on race) than a film about human mercy and frailty. The film deserves its lengthy run-time, and when it finally comes to a conclusion, it is cathartic and emotional. (4/5)

Treeless Mountain (4/5)
KURT – A small drama about the discovery of the hardships in life by very young children (in this case, abandonment by their mother). The film is very intimate and low key. At every step it could have gone into sappy, precocious or melodramatic territory, but it does not, and is pretty much note perfect for what it is. (4/5)

Zift (4/5)
JOHN – A fun creative film noir from Bulgaria. This is one of the few genre films from Bulgaria and I hope they create more as one was quite a pleasant surprise. It gets big points for the music and quirky characters. (4/5)

The Rest of TIFF

Acolytes (3/5)
JOHN – A solid well done thriller that keeps from falling into the typical plot contrivances. The inclusion of childhood sexual abuse is an interesting basis for a horror movie that has not been fully delved into. (3/5)
KURT – Brash and unpredictable little slasher that never wrecks the story in favour of pulling wool over the audiences eyes. There is something about creepy Australian bullies (Romper Stomper, Wolf Creek, Mad Max) that is universally appealing. (3/5)

Afterwards (3/5)
JOHN – A fairly solid drama with spiritual overtones with good acting by the two main leads. Unfortunately it was a bit predictable and also a bit bloated but it still kept my interest. (3/5)
KURT – There simply are not enough existential thrillers. While Afterwards wants to be far more The Highlander rather than Wings of Desire, it remains a compelling enough yarn about the angels of death and their duties to the living. Not surprisingly, John Malkovich is gives a well modulated creepy-compelling performance. (3/5)
MIKE – A moody film about dying that is competently done, has the right amount of intrigue, some strong performances (and one not so strong performance by Evangeline Lilly), but which fades fast in my
memory. (3/5)

Blood Trail (3/5)
MIKE – Fascinating documentary following a war photographer through three different war zones over fifteen years of his career. The subject of the documentary is worthy of the attention, but the
director went a bit too obvious with his wailing soundtrack and overwrought slow motion. (3/5)

Brothers Bloom, The (2.5/5)
JOHN – The first half is lighthearted fun while the second half tries to go for too much of an emotional impact and it really suffers because of this. Rachel Weisz really does steal the show as the cute in-over-her-head rich girl. (2.5/5)
KURT – Stylishly mounted production with an uncanny resemblance to Wes Anderson’s recent work, likely due to the presence of Adrian Brody in the lead, Rian Johnson’s follow-up to Brick ultimately is a bit of a disappointment with its quirky execution and operatic finish not quite meshing together in a satisfying way. (2.5/5)

Burrowers, The (2/5)
JOHN – The premise was extremely promising for this western horror but it really failed to delve into racism and it lacked the humour of the movies it tried to reference. More use should have been made of Clancy Brown’s character. (2.5/5)
KURT – Falsely advertised as Tremors meets The Searchers, JT Petty’s western-horror hybrid get the ‘unexplored mysteries of the frontier’ part right, however it squanders any commentary on racism in the USA by making that aspect of the story painfully facile. The creature feature portion of the story is competent, but not particularly memorable, and Clancy Brown is unfortunately not fully used. Despite gorgeous production values and a solid idea, The Burrowers was a rather larger disappointment. (1.5/5)
MIKE – The only Midnight Madness film I caught and it was pretty boring and uninspiring despite the great potential for the concept of mixing Tremors and the Searchers. (2/5)

Country Wedding (3/5)
KURT – One of a pair of Icelandic wedding comedies. Bringing familial baggage along for the ride, two families and assorted friends have it all out in a grand old farce worthy of a more golden age of American cinema. Suspension of disbelief should be left at the door if you want to bathe in the operatic tangle of prejudices, crimes and misdemeanors. (3/5)

Disgrace (3.5/5)
MIKE– Based on a Coetzee novel I have long had an interest in reading, about a professor in South Africa who leaves his position in scandal to wile his hours away with his daughter, and suffer the ramifications of the unresolved feelings of apartheid in the furthermost regions of the country. John Malkovich is stunning as the academic fish out of water who finds himself poised for humiliation and heartache throughout this endurance test of abuses; an unlikeable but sympathetic protagonist that left me conflicted as the end credits rolled. (3.5/5)

Dungeon Masters, The (3.25/5)
JOHN – While the movie does not truly delve to deep into the various forms of gaming it does provide a very interesting and compelling look at 3 people who us their form of entertainment as an escape and are unable to truly deal with different aspects of there personal lives. (3.5/5)
MIKE – A humorous documentary on three impassioned Dungeons & Dragons gamers who have clearly lost a grasp on reality. Not much depth here, the subjects are shown as misfits who cannot find a happy balance between the make-believe of the gaming and the responsibilities that await them in life. Got a very strong David Brent vibe throughout, very much the kind of documentary subjects that The Office parodies. (3/5)

Fear Me Not (3/5)
MIKE – A Danish film that tells the story of the everyman who lives a life of quiet desperation. Reaching middle age and far too comfortable in his own skin and in his familial role, the protagonist jumps at the opportunity to be a guinea pig for a trial run of new antidepressants, which end up awakening urges in him that lead to dark and terrible places. Great concept, moderately done, with a huge misstep in a particular plot point, that left me somewhat frustrated with the screenplay. (3/5)

Flame & Citron (3/5)
It is a shame that we have seen this movie done better before. If I had not seen Black Book and Soldier of Orange (both by Paul Verhoeven) then I would have really liked Flame & Citron. As it really does not offer much new it is a movie that I would likely pass watching for other war stories. (3/5)

Genova (3.25/5)
KURT – While this may be a light-weight entry into the ouvre of British chameleon Michael Winterbottom, it is an impeccably crafted experiment in stylistic fusion. A low key family drama about getting over grief sees Colin Firth and his two daughters (both superb performances) moving to Genova to find catharsis. This (surprisingly) combines some of the best aspects of Winterbottom previous film A Mighty Heart – the camera weaving through the back alleyways of a bustling city – with the supernatural and tense thriller elements of Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. (3.5/5)
MIKE – A very slight drama about a grieving family’s sudden trip to Italy. As the father of two daughters, Colin Firth’s character felt like a black hole, there was no character there, even by minimal standards. There are great moments, its nice to look at, I like the idea of what Winterbottom is doing, observing the grieving as a mundane and familiar process but it is one of those things that works better in theory rather than practice, an artistic conceit that makes for little actual drama. (3/5)

Ghost, The (2.5/5)
JOHN – A very slick and polished thriller that lacks a bit of heart but it is still fairly fun and enjoyable. It really is one movie that deserves a remake where it is tightened up a bit and turned a bit grittier. I still enjoyed it though and I enjoyed both of the main actors and their characters. (3/5)
KURT – The Ghost looked fabulous, had all the style to burn shooting department, but curiously the screenplay never really comes together on this merging of Steven King’s Misery and David Fincher’s The Game. The film was polished to such a glossy sheen that the movie itself was buffed clean out. (2/5)

Gomorrah (2.5/5)
JOHN – Gomorrah really tries to do to much. I found myself not fully becoming attached to any of the many characters and I still am not sure if an explanation was ever provided for the initial violence. (2.5/5)

Good (2.5/5)
JOHN – Another movie that really wants to be more than it is. Viggo Mortensen is fairly compelling as the good man who is drawn into being part of the German regime but it suffers as the only real ties he has to being “good” is his one Jewish friend. I would have liked to see his character being more concerned with the plight of other people who suffered under the Nazi regime. (2.5/5)

Goodbye Solo (3.5/5)
MIKE – Bahrani’s latest slice of life drama depicts the lives of a Senegalese cab driver and his emotionally wounded fare. While I enjoyed this story and could appreciate the reluctance Bahrani took
from being overly expositional in his story, in the end I longed for something more, and maybe that is a defect in me, speaking more of where I am in my life than about the characters, wanting to be shaken
into something more violent then which is ultimately presented. (3.5/5)

Hooked (3/5)
JOHN – A very small budget quirky movie that does not really fall into any of the drama, thriller or comedy genres. It succeeds enough because of its quirkiness and the relationships between the three main characters. (3/5)

In the Shadow of the Naga
JOHN – This should have been pretty forgettable because of it straight forward standard crime story but it is not. The inclusion of the whole Buddhist plot and one very strong scene where one of the criminals has to give a sermon to the local villagers turned this movie into something a bit more than standard fare. (3.5/5)

Jerichow (3.5/5)
KURT – Like Christian Petzold’s previous film, Yella, what is really going on is a talented German filmmaker injecting social commentary and playful craft into well-loved genres. Take what you know, or think you know from classic noir entries along the lines of Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, and mix them up with a successful Turkish immigrant in Germany and you get a treat for lovers of classic and modern noir. (3.5/5)

Krabat (3.25/5)
JOHN – I am absolutely positive that if you are in your early to mid teens and like fantasy novels then this is the movie for you. It has everything needed to succeed. Unfortunately it is just not compelling enough for an adult. The movie does get a few bonus points for the coolest transformation scenes where the apprentices change into ravens and later back. (3/5)
KURT – A Grimm fairytale painted large and bold on the screen, this German production only slips up in its pacing and sketchy characters. Otherwise, for the younger set, it is as dark and atmospheric a tale as is likely to come along in quite some time. (3.5/5)

Linha de Passe (3.5/5)
MIKE – A great little film about an impoverished family on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, co-directed by Walter Salles. I believe gritty is the word, and sure there is some fatigue about
seeing yet another story about the plight of the impoverished, but this felt so authentic, nearly a documentary, that I was sucked into its familiar themes. (3.5/5)

Lovely, Still (3/5)
KURT – The central couple, played by a peppy Martin Landau and a radiant Ellen Burstyn is a joy to watch, as is the distinctly cinematic Norman Rockwell-esque yuletide landscape. But third act problems reveal that a young director is at the helm, who could not let things stand on their own without an unnecessary bit of narrative trickery which dashes a lot of audience goodwill and top-shelf acting. Away From Her for dummies. (3/5)

Me and Orson Welles (3/5)
MIKE – Middling effort by Richard Linklater, a director who is squandering his talents on stories lacking any real innovation. Been there, done that back stage thespian story chock full of the usual clichés, with a standout performance by Christian McKay truly channeling the spirit of Orson Welles into his performance. (3/5)

Not Quite Hollywood (3.5/5)
JOHN – I can think of a lot worse ways to spend an evening instead of watching B movie clips. Not Quite Hollywood does a good job of covering everything move the sex romps that started the Australian movie scene, through the horror movies of the 70s and 80s right up to the Mad Max apocalypse genre. Great stuff here for any cinephile. (3.5/5)
KURT – Probably the most pure fun ‘talking heads and film clips’ documentary ever made. Take a strange and wild ride though 3 decades of Oz-ploitation, the cinema of cars, boobs and a vengeful mother-nature. (3.5/5)

Other Man, The (3/5)
JOHN – The Other Man is one of those movies that just falls into mediocrity. It has good performances by both leads but just doesn’t really connect on any level. This one is not so much a thriller but more of a drama about dealing with the loss of a loved one when they have betrayed you. (3/5)

Parc (3/5)
KURT – If you combined the cool and state approaches of Jonathan Glazer and Michael Haneke, the film that comes out the other side may look a lot like this. The malaise of bubbled-in bourgeois on the outskirts of Paris is explored by way of a John Cheever novella. Also, it’s always a pleasure to see Sergei Lopez do his thing. (3.5/5)
MIKE – The director introduced this Hanekesque film as an enigma, and that is certainly one word for it. The word ‘baffling’ also comes to mind. Some interesting mood sequences set amidst a manicured upper class community outside Paris, as a menacing Mr. Hammer ingratiates himself into the world of Mr. Nail and strives to violently disrupt the elite complacency he finds. (2.5/5)

Religulous (2.5/5)
MIKE – Focusing on the three biggie religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) this thinly veiled stand-up routine of a documentary goes for the laugh at the expense of the lesson virtually
every time. That said, I did laugh, there was enough funny material in the film to make me recommend it as a comedy but unfortunately it is at the expense of deepening the trench between believers and non-believers. (2.5/5)

Sauna (3.83/5)
JOHN – A horror thriller that is both smart and creepy. The overall premise of having your sins build to such a level that the consequences come out hurting everyone around you is very interesting. It has a few jump scares but hey are fully earned by both the story and the tension that is built up before hand. (4/5)
KURT – A period horror set in Northern Europe, in particular a nasty bit of swampland which is a mirror for the main characters diseased morality. The horrors of what war makes one become is processed along the lines of Edgar Allen Poe, Andrei Tarkovsky and J-Horror techniques with a uniquely Scandanavian flair. (4.5/5)
MIKE – Sold as a Finnish horror film that never really delivers much fright. What develops instead is a plodding existential rumination on guilt and salvation that satisfies, with solid performances all around
and some interesting cinematography. (3/5)

Sexykiller (3.75/5)
JOHN – This is a near perfect Midnight Madness movie. It has tonnes of laughs lots of gore and a bunch of sex thrown in on top. It also can’t hurt the screening when the actress is a born entertainer who had the entire audience under her control during the introduction and Q&A. I really recommend the movie for a fun time with friends but if you ever get the chance to see this in a packed genre fan audience it is a must. (4/5)
KURT – A fun, fun, fun slasher comedy fusion of Scream and Drop Dead Gorgeous. It is visually playful in the way the IKEA and Disney cartoon terrorism segments of Fight Club were, and has some great Peter Jackson inspired splatter. The Sexykiller herself, actress Macarena Gómez, has the makings of major star. (3.5/5)

Sugar (3/5)
MIKE – The directorial team that brought us Half-Nelson show once again that they know how to tell a story. Sugar is a baseball prospect plucked from a recruit farm in the Dominican Republic given the coveted opportunity to live the American Dream, but things don’t go quite as planned. I cannot find a fault with how the story was told, and in the end it was the premise that posed limitations on my enjoyment. (3/5)

Summer Hours (3.5/5)
KURT – A rich and compelling look on how articles and items sink into the subconscious as signs and memories of life. The three adults (some of France’s best actors, Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jérémie Renier) charged with dealing with their deceased mothers estate have their reasons for what side of the modern/traditional line they sit, but the film evolves into a quiet statement on the youth of modern France. (3.5/5)

Tale 52 (3.5/5)
JOHN – I don’t think I’ve ever watched a movie that felt this long before. Fortunately it earns it and really has something to say about questioning and coming to terms with the end of a relationship. I’m torn as to whether is should be cut back a bit in length or not. (3/5)
KURT – Surprisingly similar to Synechdoche, NY but far more overtly a horror film, this Greek existential chamber-piece examines, Groundhog Day style, the way a guilty and confused soul can replay and replay (and replay) the actions and gestures of a failed relationship. The films answer to this self-examination is razor sharp. While the film feels more than double its actual run-time, that is a testament to the filmmakers strength on building tone, mood and killer atmosphere. (4/5)

Tony Manero (2/5)
JOHN – The premise of a man who becomes obsessed with a dance competition and wanting to be Tony Manero from Saturday Night Fever could made a really interesting movie. Unfortunately, I did not find any reason for why all the secondary characters were really drawn to the main character as he really needed to be more charismatic. I will admit that it may have played better to viewers with knowledge of Chilean culture and history. (2/5)

What Doesn’t Kill You (3/5)
JOHN – If I had not already seen Gone Baby Gone, The Departed, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead I would have really liked this small time criminal drama. Unfortunately I have so this really felt like I’ve been there done that before. (3/5)

The Worst of TIFF

Deadgirl (1.75/5)
JOHN – Another of the Midnight Madness movies that failed because it wanted to be deeper than it is. If the movie had gone completely over the top it or if it had actually delved into the friendships or a coming of age story then it could have been a success. As it is, it is fairly forgettable. (2/5)
KURT – A film with an interesting metaphor, original premise and solid enough visual style that just sits there nearly as lifeless and brain-dead as the title character. The use of only two or three locations, issues in the acting department (particularly the supporting characters) and failure to realize the story to its fullest makes the film more than a bit of a bust. (1.5/5)

Martyrs (1.75/5)
JOHN – For all the hype surrounding Martyrs, I found myself completely bored within 5 minutes of the movie changing from a weird home invasion where the invader is being stalked by a monster to a generic torture movie. The director really wants us to think that he is delving into some philosophy but it just never succeeds on that level. (2.5/5)
KURT – Where to start with Martyrs? Controversy and buzz follows it around. (And as fest programmer Ant Timpson commented over beers afterward, it will at the very least make a fine spread of glossies in Fangoria) The film is apex of the type of modern horror picture that the phrase ‘torture porn’ is often applied. I got the sense that the film (and filmmakers) thought they were making art that had something to say, or perhaps to have a dialogue with the viewer. But the film has little actually to say (it is more interested in fist pumping its technical prowess – which admittedly the picture has in spades). Since it does not let the audience in on the concept until the last 10 minutes, a dialogue with the picture is rendered impossible, unless one wanted to watch it again, which I certainly have no desire to do. (1/5)

Eden Log (1/5)
JOHN – It is not a good sign when my mind starts to wander within 10 minutes of a movie starting. Eden Log suffers because it truly feels like you are simply following a video game character moving through a Doom like video game. unfortunately there are not enough monsters to make it interesting in that aspect. It does earn a couple of points for a few stunning sets but it really would be better as a 10 minute short. (0.5/5)
KURT – Whilst a triumph of production design and some initially great mood building, eventually tumble into the realm of watching someone else play an exploration video game. The science fiction ideas put forth were not particularly novel or engaging enough to overcome the glacial pacing. Those bummed about about last years The Chrysalis and its icy relationship with the audience, will probably find a similar reaction here. (1.5/5)

$9.99 (1/5)
MIKE – Israeli Claymation by way of the cringe worthy melodrama of a Jeremy Podeswa film. The animation aspired for something new but came off looking like a slightly better Davey and Goliath. (1/5)

Uncertainty (1/5)
MIKE – The worst film I caught at TIFF this year, a ‘what if’ academic exercise that evokes a ’so what’ from me. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as one part of a couple that lives the same July 4th in two separate paths intercut to show… you tell me, I got absolutely nothing from the concept, a waste of time and energy. (1/5)

Plastic City (0.75/5)
JOHN – I love Triad films but this one just fails on so many levels. It starts of feeling pretty generic except for the fact that it takes place in Brazil. Around the half way mark it takes about 3 or 4 other movies and squishes them all into the plot and just completely derails. (1/5)
KURT – Not in a long, long time have I seen a film go right off the rails like this one did. Things start out as a run-of-the-mill Triad film, with the difference that it is set in Sao Paulo instead of Hong Kong, and featuring solid if not particularly remarkable work from twitch faves Jo Odagiri and Anthony Wong. Around the 2/3 mark, however, director Yu Lik-wai decides to cram in 3-4 other films into the plot, message and pile on metaphors that simply do not mesh with the movie up until that point. Now, I’ve been told that the print we actually saw is still quite incomplete due to struggles in the editing room. Perhaps there is a good film in there somewhere. Hopefully someone can extract it after some more time with an Avid. (0.5/5)