Drive (2011)
DRIVE (2011): Just saw this movie. This is truly a director’s film. Not your typical crime/action flick. I ‘d recommend it to film aficionados not to the popcorn crowd, though there is some suspense filled action.
Problems: perhaps too gory, music choices questionable and font choice is so wrong.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/
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Guilty
GUILTY: What happened to this family was certainly a tragedy. I felt for them, the lead character especially. As a last film for TIFF 2011, I left satisfied. I still don’t know why I watch 25 films every but know I will do it agin in 2012.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/guilty
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Elles
Elles: Engaging. Good performances. Liked the cross-cutting. Somewhat ambiguous ending leaves me wanting. I’d still say worth watching.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/elles
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Violet and Daisy
VIOLET and DAISY: Starts off with a blast. Hitwomen with a child-like innocence, that’s pretty original. Funny banter. But then the second act starts to drag out into a repetitious talkie. I really wish to the second act was true to the first act but overall I think it’s worth watching on the big screen.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/violetdaisy
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Tiff People's Choice Award Winner 2011
The $15,000 Cadillac People’s Choice Award went to Where Do We Go Now?, about a group of Lebanese women trying to protect their village from religious violence through inventive schemes. It’s the second feature from writer/director Nadine Labaki, whose film Caramel played TIFF in 2007.
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Heleno
Heleno: This really was the soccer version of raging bull. Having used that comparison, it never quite reached the same level of tragic.
It could also be that crosscutting through time didn’t help us feel the impact of his fall from grace…though this guy may have never had grace.
Worth Watching.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/heleno
Lucky
Lucky: Low key. Has some nice moments which really bring out emotion.
One of my favs of the fest.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/lucky
Worth watching on the big screen
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/freemen
Dark Girls
Dark Girls: Very important subject matter and I’m glad I saw it but couldn’t help but feel that this film just scratched the surface. See it on DVD.
Can you tell I’m running out of steam after 19 films? 6 more to go…fingers crossed for a GREAT one.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/darkgirls
Romeo Eleven
Romeo Eleven: This is a character study with a very unique person……normally the kind of film I like and aspire to make. Neo realistic feel. Diverse cast. But this film put me to sleep! Now that could have been the burger I had before I saw the film but for someone reason I never got into this.
Pass.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/romeoeleven
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Machine Gun Preacher
Machine Gun Preacher: Title says it all. Not sure I bought Butler as the lead. He never quite felt like a trailer park biker. Same with his wife Monaghan. It’s an interesting story but not a life changing film. Maybe I’ve watched too many and now I’m dead inside…
This is a rental
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/machinegunpreacher
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Lovely Molly
Lovely Molly: I practically jumped out of my seat at one of the beginning moments of this film and then…..nothing. This movie started off well enough and had me going into the second act but then things started to not make sense. And then it was over.
Skip this.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/lovelymolly
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Warriors of the Rainbow
Warriors of the Rainbow: Epic is a good word to describe this film. Indigenous people fighting against their oppressors appeals to my romantic nature. Having said that this is a well paced underdog war film…….with too much CGI but I understand the practicality involved especially when this film took ten years of planning and four years of execution. Forgiven. Mostly.
PS: The Japanese are pretty one-dimensionally bad…
See it.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/warriorsoftherainbow
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Pariah
PARIAH: When I saw this in the ‘discovery’ programme at TIFF I was worried because I’ve nearly always been disappointed. Not this time!
A unique coming of age film with solid acting and solid direction. In many ways one of the best crafted films I’ve seen so far. You should see this film. Open your eyes to a world you likely don’t know about.
Recommend.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/pariah
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Snow Town
Snow Town: Not a family friendly flick that’s for sure…unless you enjoy years of therapy. A very unique look at a serial killer: not just a simple evil killer but a dual-sided human being. Very natural, gritty and understated. Probably one of the more disturbing murder scenes ever filmed. If you enjoy dark and different go for it.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/snowtown
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Livid
LIVID: Midnight Madness is really its own separate film festival. With that preface, I will say that this gives the gore, ballerinas, and moodiness that would be expected plus a few laughable horror moments. I always laugh in horror film, few truly scare me so this delivered in some ways and disappointed in others.
If you like horror it’s worth peeping but I would not go so far as to recommend.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/livid
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Killer Joe
KILLER JOE: Uninspired. Inconsistent. Felt like there really wasn’t a director steering this boat. The script wasn’t remotely believable BUT the audience seemed to laugh it up…perhaps because it was all so awkward.
SKIP IT.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/killerjoe
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Your Sister's Sister
Your Sister’s Sister: Classic indie. Dialogue/character driven film. Nice realism. Great sense of humour. A director to watch. Looking forward to checking out the rest of her work. She’s best with dialogue, the visual elements not so much.
RECOMMEND. In my top three for the fest.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/yoursisterssister
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In Darkness: Maybe I’ll just preface this with the fact that I’ve never directed a feature-length movie but…It seems like there was a great story here that somehow got lost by a lack of direction. And the people who saw it with me agreed. I can partially blame the editing. Where was the tension? Where was the fear? I never felt it. You think Nazis it’s a no brainer. I’d be very interested to read the book IN THE SEWERS OF LVOV
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/indarkness
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Rampart
Rampart: Sometimes your brain just focuses on a small detail of an otherwise reasonable film. For me it was the spinning camera about a quarter of the way into the movie. A dialogue scene shot so sloppily that I knew the cinematographer must have just been humouring the director by shooting it. He couldn’t have ever intended it to be included? Could he?
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/rampart
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Martha Marcy May Marlene
Martha Marcy May Marlene: Never thought I’d like an Olsen but this one can act! Enjoyed how the story unfolded. Very believable film. You’ll feel for this character and be wrapped up in this journey.
Check it out preferably in the immersive world of a theatre.
RECOMMEND
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/marthamarcymaymarlene
This graceful portrait of a young woman trying to extricate herself from a cult has the flavor of an early Terrence Malick film like Days of Heaven.
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Wetlands
Wetlands: If you see only one film set in a farm in Quebec this year make sure it ain’t this one… The first sign was the small theatre I was in. Sure the acting was decent. Some nice cinematography. Stuff happened. But it never had a sense of focus or that there was a story headed in any specific direction. However if you want to see a stillborn calf birth, this may be your movie!
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/wetlands
If you enjoyed this review why not like my 60 second short by clicking here:http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com/films/fresh-start
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Where Do We Go Now
Where Do We Go Now?: Laugh. Cry. Be engaged by this film which is Lebanon’s official academy award entry. Well acted ensemble worth watching. I would have stayed for the Q&A but alas I needed to line up for another film.
RECOMMEND
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/wheredowegonow
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Trishna
TRISHNA: It’s hard to say no to Winterbottom and while I wouldn’t say this was a stinker, I think perhaps this film needed a different person at the helm– sorry Michael. Never really had a sense of direction, so when things started to get going I was disinterested. Many of the scenes felt forced.
I’d skip this one.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/trishna
If you enjoyed this review why not like my 60 second short by clicking here:http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com/films/fresh-start
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Beauty
BEAUTY: Repressed. Tense. Definitely opened my eyes to a world I know nothing about and that’s what a good TIFF film does. Dark. Not a popcorn flick.
Recommend
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/beauty
If you enjoyed this review why not like my 60 second short by clicking here:http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com/films/fresh-start
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Wuthering Heights
WUTHERING HEIGHTS: Andrea Arnold is a certain kind of director. She gets you the texture and atmosphere (and not in a bad way where I see that word in the program and run away from the film.) The story perhaps was so-so but the acting was solid and the cinematography was superb – makes me want to shoot everything handheld. Dark and worth seeing.
Recommend. But it won’t be for everybody, be warned.
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/wutheringheights
If you enjoyed this review why not like my 60 second short by clicking here:http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com/films/fresh-start
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Into The Abyss
Into The Abyss Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Grizzly Man)
Worth watching and as always Werner finds us some interesting people…You laugh. You might cry. Your universe will expand ever so slightly. The Q&A which I usual loathe was very informative and amusing; certainly worth hanging around.
RECOMMEND
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/intotheabyss
Good start to 25 films!
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