Saturday, September 13, 2014

TIFF 2014 Part 1

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Nobody asked for it, but here's mini-reviews of 8 of the films I saw at TIFF.  The other 9 will follow later today.

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Stories of Our Lives


            A documentary consisting of 4 thematically intertwined shorts, Stories of Our Lives delves into the issues facing the LGBTQ community in the heavily prejudiced country of Kenya.  The stories themselves vary in quality, with the first pair being noticeably lesser than the latter.  The two shorts that work are complex and challenging, yet familiar enough for audiences everywhere to connect to them.  That’s one of the brilliant things about this piece; the observation that stories of discrimination are universal and often play out in similar ways no matter the setting.  Occasionally trite dialogue and odd editing choices gives away that the film was made by first-timers, but they also show a clear sense of what makes a story connect to an audience.  It’s hard not be affected by this one.

Ø  The group that made this film is called The Nest, and it’s possible that the Kenyan government will take action against them for making the film.  Please support brave people such as The Nest that fight for a good cause.  Their website is www.becauselifeisart.org

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Life in a Fishbowl


            From Iceland comes Life in a Fishbowl, a multi-narrative drama that sprawls out with all the messiness of real life.  The cinematography captures a dim, moist vision of Iceland where everyone has fallen victim to the country’s economic struggles in one way or another.  This economic commentary will likely go over the head of non-native viewers (myself included), but the overall dark tone should clue everyone in that the three main characters aren’t headed for any happy endings.  Those familiar with the multi-narrative approach will see the story’s twists coming, which lessens the ending’s punch, but the three superb central performances will keep you engaged throughout.  With every other aspect of the film being carried out at such a high level, it’s well worth your time to search this one out.

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Love & Mercy


            Love and Mercy tells the story of Beach Boy Brian Wilson in two parts:  one while he was writing the acclaimed album Pet Sounds and the other years later during a low point in Wilson’s struggles with drugs and mental illness.  Now, I enjoyed hearing the Beach Boy’s big hits, but what thrilled me was the way they were used in the film.  There’s no musical breaks or big, showy numbers that stop the film in its tracks.  Instead, director Bill Pohlad uses them as they would have appeared in Wilson’s life, and since Wilson was the primary writer they fit effortlessly into his narrative.  Paul Dano is great at showing Wilson’s obsession and descent while writing Pet Sounds, but John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks as the older Wilson and his love interest steal the show.  They’re the emotional core of this film, and despite some narrative missteps in their story, they manage to make you truly care.

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The Theory of Everything


            Based on the book by Stephen Hawking’s longtime wife, The Theory of Everything focuses on the couple’s personal lives from their first meeting (before Hawking’s diagnosis of ALS) until close to present day.  Eddie Redmayne gives a great performance as Stephen, capturing the physicality of Hawking’s disease and imbuing him with a vivacious personality.   Unfortunately, the film fails to match his performance, skimming the surface of what appears to be an emotionally rich and complex relationship.  With such thin material, the other actors competently roll along beside Redmayne, never shining nor drowning.  The pleasing cinematography and soft lighting leads me to believe that the filmmakers wanted to make a feel-good story, but in doing so I’m afraid they left the meat out.

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Tour de Force


            On the other end of the emotional spectrum, Tour de Force aggressively wants you to feel pain, to contemplate death, and to consider the possibility that it was made by a monster that feeds on human tears.  This German film is about a group of long-time friends going on a bike trip that culminates in one member’s assisted suicide.  Your personal beliefs on assisted suicide may put you off of this film, but if you go with it you’ll find a tender portrait of friendship that doesn’t settle for easy answers.  Each character is wonderfully drawn and portrayed, and not all of it is gloom and doom.  Those moments of normalcy serve to emphasize what they are about to lose, not only a friend, lover, brother, etc., but the ability to carry out their traditions unimpeded.  It’s a tear-jerker, no doubt, and although the ending is a bit too drawn out, it’s undeniably affecting.

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Backcountry


            And now we come to the one stinker of the group.  Backcountry sets out to be a thriller about a couple going on a doomed backpacking trip.  That it’s doomed isn’t a spoiler, the film clues you in early using a variety of tired clichés (an old guy gives them an ominous warning, they refuse a map, etc.).  The film sticks close to formula and cliché, which can make for a forgivably fun thriller if executed well, but jerky editing and intentionally blurry camerawork muddles the action sequences, robbing them of any thrill.  It’s too bad this wasn’t shot in a more coherent way; the lead actors (Missy Peregrym and Jeff Roop) seem game, and there’s one breakdown scene between the pair that is well written and acted.  If the filmmakers had leaned on their actors more and worked out a few holes in the story this could have been fun, but as is it doesn’t build to anything particularly thrilling.

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Cake


            A film that surprisingly doesn’t have a distribution deal yet, Cake is about a woman suffering from chronic pain who’s stuck somewhere between surviving and moving on.  An acerbic tone keeps the film away from pure melodrama, and the excellent cast (Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, and Sam Worthington) walk the comedy-drama tightrope with subtle skill.  It would have been easy for this movie to go big and flashy, but it refreshingly remains rooted to the humane story it’s telling.  The ending is feel-good, which may make some dismiss it, but the journey it takes is anything but easy.  Plus, you get to see Kendrick say the c-word.  Who wouldn’t enjoy that?

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The Keeping Room


            The American Civil War is a time period that has been told almost exclusively from the male perspective, and most often has centered on Northerners (winners do write history), so to see a story about southern women enduring the brutality of the war’s end is rather surprising.  What makes it satisfying, and a truly excellent film, is how sharp the storytelling is.  Writer Julia Hart uses the small story of three women, two sisters (Brit Marling and Hailee Steinfeld) and their young slave (Muna Otaru), to capture the massive effects the war had on the southern way of life, but never hits you over the head with its larger themes.  Instead, it tells its story almost as a home-invasion thriller, with a slow-burning sense of dread filling every ounce of the run time.  Bleak, tense, and at times difficult to watch, The Keeping Room isn’t fun, but you’ll be happy that you watched it.

Ø  What could possibly be a better metaphor of the war from the southern perspective than a home invasion?

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