Countdown to TIFF: 2001 in Review

TIFF 2001

As the saying goes “you always remember your first time.” Having just graduated from university, with no job lined up, I decided to do what any unemployed movie lover would do...drop a bunch of money at the Toronto International Film Festival. Okay, it might not have been the most sensible move for a person as cash strapped as I was at the time. Yet I figured it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I just could not pass up. It was a crazy move but ultimately one of the best decisions I have ever made.

As it was my first year at the festival, I leaned a little more towards the star driven films (a common rookie mistake!) As the festival went on it became clear that the smaller films were the ones that left a lasting impression.

Total Number of Films Watched: 25

My Top 5:

In the Bedroom

No Man’s Land

Monsoon Wedding

The Son’s Room
Waking Life

Honourable Mention: The Grey Zone, Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner), Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise

The Disappointments: The Piano Teacher, Training Day, Enigma

The Whale Riders (a.k.a. I regret passing on these films) : Y Tu Mamá También, Mulholland Drive, Amélie, The Devils Backbone, Lantana

Memorable Moment: September 11, 2001, the moment when the modern world stood still. This was my official “Hollywood Day” at the festival as I had several big budget studio films to see. When the first plane hit the tower I was in line to see John Dahl’s film Joyride. I was not aware of what was going on in the world until I made my way to the Uptown (a wonderful theatre in that is no longer around) for a noon screening of the Johnny Depp film From Hell. As I talked to more and more people in line, a large number of which were Americans, the sense of fear and uncertainty was everywhere. As reports of airports and train stations shutting down started to surface many festival goers had no idea how they were getting back home once the festival was over. Heck, we did not know if the festival was even going to continue. We were advised before the screening started that the festival would be shutting down for the remainder of the day immediately following the From Hell screening. As we sat in the theatre, one man who had a walkman was providing our row with news updates on the latest events. It was only later that night did the news channels report that the film festival would in fact resumed the following day but on a much more sombre note.

Random Star Sightings: I had purchased a festival day pass which meant my chances of seeing famous folk was slim at best. The stars only come out a night for screenings as they are being interviewed by the press all day. Regardless I still got to see the likes of Molly Parker, Atom Egoyan, Antoine Fuqua, Todd Field, Danis Tarnovic, and Tim Blake Nelson.

Oh! Canada

As today is the annual Canada Day holiday, I thought I would offer up a Canadian playlist of sorts for all the non-Canadians who frequent this blog. While it would take forever to highlight all the great films that come out of this country, I opted to highlight a few of my favourites. I recommend renting any of the following movies if you want to feel like an honorary Canadian for a day.

Hard Core Logo

Depending on where you live Bruce McDonald’s Pontypool might probably be easier to find at your local video store, and is worth the rental by the way, but Hard Core Logo is my top pick from his stellar list of films. McDonald’s mockumentary about the fall of the Hard Core Logo punk band is funny, bittersweet, and immensely entertaining. The film is a Canadian classic in my opinion!

waydowntown

Man I love this film! waydowntown takes place in Calgary where many of the downtown buildings are connect via tunnels and skywalks. A group of co-workers make a bet to see who can survive the longest without going outside. The film follows the group over the course of one rather harsh lunch hour in the competition. If you have every worked in an office, I am pretty sure you will find this film amusing on several levels.

Rude

Clément Virgo has really established himself nicely as a director. I have been a big fan of his ever since I saw Rude. The movie follows three separate narratives over the course of one weekend. The thing that connects them all is the omnipotent pirate radio deejay named Rude. The films film may not be as polished as Virgo’s other work, Love Come Down or Lie With Me for example, but that only adds to the overall charm of the picture.

Marion Bridge

If you are a fan of Ellen Page and/or Molly Parker then let me bring your attention to a small film that never got the love I thought it deserved. Marion Bridge looks at three unique sisters who are forced back together when their mother becomes ill. The film is an honest look at both the joy and pain that comes with family

Cube

Vincenzo Natali’s film Cube is one of those films that still amazes me every time I see it. The premise is simple: a group of strangers wake up and find themselves stuck inside a big Cube. Within the cube are a series of rooms that are filled with deadly traps. The fact that Natalia crafts such a tense, and visual thrilling, film on a small budget is a sight to behold.

Love, Sex, & Eating the Bones

Similar to Clement Virgo, David “Sudz” Sutherland is another director to keep an eye on in the future. While Love Sex & Eating the Bones is easily the most mainstream film on today’s list, this does not mean it should be ignored. The story revolves around Michael, a guy who must confront his addiction to pornography or risk losing the woman who is his perfect match. I liked that Sutherland made an urban love story with characters that were not mere stereotypes or caricatures.

Maelström

Denis Villeneuve’s Polytechnique was one of my top ten films of 2009. Yet if you ask me which film of his is my absolute favourite? The answer is simple…Maelström. The film is tale about a woman who accidentally kills a fishmonger…only to end up falling in love with the fishmonger’s son soon after. Did I mention that the film’s narrator is a fish being butchered? Odd as the whole thing may sound this is a fantastic film that dissects love and guilt in a unique way.

Again this is only a small sample of some of the Canadian films I adore. It would literally take me a month to go through the rest of films on my list. Happy Canada Day!

Road Safety Is Key For Survival

The Full List of Big Thoughts From A Small Mind's 2009 Reviews

This review was originally posted in my 2009 Toronto Film Festival Recap. The review has been re-posted as the film will finally be released in select cinemas this week

The Road

Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, John Hillcoat’s The Road is bleak look at a world on the brink. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, a father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) struggle to survive by any means necessary. As duo travel aimlessly day to day, they encounter various individuals (Robert Duvall, Michael K. Williams, etc) that will ultimately blur the lines between good and evil even further.

As weird as it may sound, I always find stories about the decay of society fascinating. The Road is a very bleak film that reminded me of Fernando Meirelles’ Blindness in many ways, though The Road is not nearly as graphic and the overall execution of is far better. The interesting thing about this film is that it does not care what caused the world to get to the point that it is at. The real focus is on the theme of family; and the lengths that people will go through to protect the ones they love.

There is also an underlying question of whether childhood innocence can exist in such a horrific world? There are times in the film where Smit-McPhee’s character comes off a little too naïve for my liking. Especially if you take into account everything that he has experienced up to this point. Having not read the source material I cannot say whether the character was originally written this way or if it was more a result of Hillcoat’s direction.

The real strength of the film is found in the casting. Viggo Mortensen is very good in the lead role; he has the right mixture of vulnerability and jadedness needed for the role. I also really liked the supporting performances of Duvall and Williams. Though I wish Molly Parker and Guy Pearce were given more to do. I understand their character’s roles are minor but, with actors of their talent, it would have been great to see them play some of the darker roles in the film. While it did not blow me away like other post-apocalyptic films have, say Children of Men for example, The Road did hold my interest the throughout.