TIFF 09 – Wrap Up
I was going to do separate, detailed posts for everything I loved, but I’m going to have to freeball it here quickly or I’ll never get around to it. So here are all the rest of the films that I saw:
Dogtooth
Along with Ondine, Enter the Void and Hadewijch, one of the best I saw. It’s a brilliantly inventive Greek film about three kids raised to believe some crazy bullshit. Works as a comedy, drama, and parable.
Ondine
Neil Jordan sure can write. He makes what could be a jumbled mess of genres and topics come across as a modern fable. Quite impressive – also great music & Irish people, including Mr. Farrell.
The Loved Ones
Entertaining, unpredictable, and shallow Australian horror-comedy. Fun, better than most US horror releases, but ain’t no Citizen Kane.
Youth in Revolt
Felt like it had a half hour cut out of it. Meandering, charming Michael Cera flick that I’m sure will kill at the box office.
Cell 211
Superior Spanish jailhouse thriller in which a prison guard poses as an inmate during a prison riot / revolution. Will undoubtedly be remade stateside starring Sly Stallone and Ving Rhames or whomever.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Yes this movie is real, hilarious, and (hopefully) the start of the world’s most unlikely film franchise. It’s refreshing to like Nick Cage in a movie again, but he’s still performing and not acting. Come for the iguanas, stay for the lucky crack pipe.
The Ape
Fascinating film with little substance but some great technique and some psychological insights. For more, read Ram’s review-, with which I agree.
Backyard
Riveting, powerful Mexican police thriller about murdered women in Juarez that winds up being about much more than that.
Perrier’s Bounty
Entertaining Irish Guy-Ritchie-alike. That’s Tarantino-alike twice removed.
Symbol
Patience-testing but ultimately rewarding surrealist comedy about a Mexican wrestler and a guy who wakes up in a mysterious white room. Battling with Trash Humpers in my mind for weird-funny champion of the festival. Need to learn more about this dude
The Disappearance of Alice Creed
Workmanlike but unremarkable low-budget British thriller.
The Front Line
Italian historical thriller falls down as its confused structure doesn’t help us sympathize with some left-wing guerilla/terrorists.
Videocracy
Documentary about Berlusconi and his media empire. Floats around the edge of the ring with three topical, eccentric characters, but never lands the knockout punch.
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That was everything. Phew. It was quite a week. I also wanted to jot down some impressions of the fest as a whole, but we’ll see what Lady Time gives me this week.
Stuff I wrote up already:
Enter the Void
Trash Humpers
Hadewijch, Daybreakers, Valhalla Rising
My angry day two post