Reviewed: Triage

(This review can also be found on Mondo Magazine)

Triage is an emotionally complex film dealing with the psychological effects war has on people.

According to director Danis Tanovic, he did not intend to make another film about war and soldiers after his brilliant No Man’s Land. However, when the 1998 novel Triage by Scott Anderson came into his hands, Tanovic knew that it was a story that deserved to be told on screen.

Intrepid and seasoned photojournalist Mark (Colin Farrell) has seen his share of gruesomeness in the world. Determined to show the world what is really happening in war torn countries, Mark and his best friend and fellow photojournalist Colin embark on their latest mission to
Kurdistan. Intent on getting some great pictures of uprisings within Iraq to sell to Time Magazine, the duo spend some time with Dr. Talzani (Branko Duric) operating a triage unit in the middle of the desert. When Mark returns home without Colin, the duo’s wives become worried that Colin has not yet appeared. Injured with a deteriorating condition, Mark cannot seem to recall what happened to himself or his friend. Showing signs of severe psychological stress brought on by the fighting in Kurdistan, a seasoned psychiatrist (Sir Christopher Lee) tries to get to the bottom of Mark’s illness and find the missing Colin.

Triage is a wonderfully adapted film, with all-around great performances. Cutting between
Kurdistan and Mark’s post-war recovery, the film effortlessly glides between two opposing worlds of war and peace, life and death, and injury and recovery. Winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001 for No Man’s Land, Tanovic proved to be a great director. His skill behind the camera comes through in this film, and whether directing an intense firefight, rudimentary surgery in a bloodied cave turned triage unit, or healing conversation in a quiet city apartment, Tanovic handles each scene with ease.

For a film largely dealing with war, there is not as much blood and gore as one might expect. There are some intense scenes featuring the wounded war victims, but Tanovic chooses not to focus on the injury, but rather the healing and recovery process, which is the overarching theme of the film. It’s not so much about war, as it is regrouping and dealing with the lingering effects of war.

Colin Farrell gives an emotional performance as Mark, the main focus of the story. He is not a war hero or a buff action star, but an artistic man hardened by years distancing himself from war and genocide through his camera lens. Farrell carries a great deal of emotion on his face, perfectly suited to the inner turmoil Mark is facing as he comes to grips with his experiences. Sir Christopher Lee is perfectly cast as Dr. Joaquin Morales, who appears to have a past as a war criminal sympathizer. The duality of Dr. Morales as both healer and source of pain is fitting for the overall duality and contrasts of the film.

Emotionally and psychologically gripping, Triage is a perfect marriage of directing and performance, and one of TIFF’s best films this year.

Chatting with Brendan Gleeson

I can't say it enough: I love TIFF. The atmosphere, the crowds, the films, and also the celebs. Unlike other film festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival is a welcoming and open environment. here, stars aren't secluded from the asses. They watch not only their own films, but the films of colleagues, past co-stars and creative talent, encouraging and lending support to their fellow actors. At TIFF the stars sit among the general public, and from my previous festival experience, have for the most part been friendly, and genuinely happy to talk to fans, pose for photos, or sign a quick autograph.

At the Triage premiere at the Elgin Theatre, I had the pleasure of sitting directly in front of Perrier's Bounty star Brendan Gleeson and the film's director Ian Fitzbiggon. Having enjoyed the film the previous night, and being a fan of Gleeson in the Harry Potter franchise, In Bruges, and TIFF05's Breakfast on Pluto, I waited for a break in the film's introduction before the lights dimmed to turn around and congratulate Fitzgibbon and Gleeson on their delightful black comedy. The two accepted the praise, and seemed to whole-heartedly enjoy hearing my reaction. It's not every day Brendan Gleeson taps you on the hand and says, "Thanks so much. Aren't you a dear?!" A much smoother encounter than running into U2's Bono in 2005, and in a star-struck panic, took a picture of the ceiling instead of him.

This is only an example of how stars interact with audiences and fans at TIFF. I have had freinds tell tales of sharing cab rides with directors, programmers, and other stars. Or how directors and up-and-coming stars gladly sign DVDs and notebooks outside of screenings.

Fans wishing to interact with celebs, get a quick photo, or autogrpah should always remember to be polite. Taking pictures of or trying to talk to stars while filmmakers are introducing thier film, during a screening, or intruding on their personal time outside of festival events is not recommended. Use caution and judgement and above all, respect their wishes if they decline a photo or autograph.

For those without tickets to screenings, attending the red carpet events before film preimeres provide ample opportunity for getting a glimpse of your favourite star, taking a photo, or getting a handshake or autograph. These red carpet events usually occur before the first screening of a particular film at the Elgin theatre, Roy Thompson Hall, or the Ryerson theatre. Designated fan areas are set up outside of the red carpet where people may queue behind metal barricades. As well, after screenings, celebrities in attendance are often whisked out back doors by security into their waiting cars, and some may often stop for a few minutes to greet fans, however the red carpet is still the best opportunity of rinteraction.

Reviewed: Perrier's Bounty

(This review can also be found on Mondo Magazine)

Crime and comedy collide in the streets of Dublin in the new film Perrier’s Bounty, being screened at TIFF.

The latest offering by director Ian Fitzgibbon is a black comedy crime thriller featuring some of the United Kingdom and Ireland’s top stars. Michael McCrea (Cillian Murphy) is a petty crook who owes his local gangster more than he can afford. After taking on a small job and being shut out of the payoff, things take a turn for the worse and suddenly Michael, his father Jim (Jim Broadbent), and neighbour Brenda (Jodie Whittaker) are on the run through the gritty streets of modern Dublin. Gangster Perrier (Brendan Gleeson) and his cronies are hot on the heels of the trio as thrills and comedy ensue over the course of a disastrous two-night span.

TIFF programmers likened Perrier’s Bounty to Guy Ritchie’s crime caper Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, but Perrier’s Bounty is quite different in tone, with lots of Irish humour, charm, and even a hint of romance. The tongue-in-cheek humour comes mostly through the character of Jim, wise beyond his years, but with a few screws loose. Jim gets thrown into his son’s misfortune after a chance encounter with the Grim Reaper (Gabriel Byrne), who only appears as the film’s narrator, which helps keep the mood light and comic, even as roaring gun battles blaze on.

The film is not without its faults, namely that the story comes off a bit stale, but on the whole it is worthwhile to hang on for the wild ride through Dublin. That is, if you can make out the dialogue through the characters’ strong Irish accents and Dublin slang. Director Ian Fitzgibbon made a splash at TIFF in 2008 with his well-received, darkly comic film, A Film with Me in It. Fitzgibbon is carving a niche for himself in the crime thriller comedy genre, if Perrier’s Bounty is a sign of things to come. Fitzgibbon deftly handles his actors, which also include a large number of ferocious dogs. Working with the close-knit Irish film community is a rich bonus for Fitzgibbon as the pre-established off-screen relationships of the cast seem to unite the characters onscreen for added depth of relationships and interactions.

Michael, played by Cillian Murphy, is the film’s central focus, although the real scene stealers here are Brendan Gleeson and Jim Broadbent. The character of Michael is just a regular guy with a bit of hard luck. In spite of Murphy’s watchability and superb comic timing, he is overshadowed by the louder, brasher, and more comic characters in the film. Gleeson is superb as the gangster Perrier, and it looks like he is having a great time as the big, bad guy who just happens to have a soft spot for romance. The dichotomy between Murphy and Gleeson as fierce rivals is also quite intriguing to watch as the pair have previously appeared together in 28 Days Later and Breakfast on Pluto in father-son type relationships. However, the real inspiration here is Broadbent, who has a remarkable flair for comedy and provides many of the film’s heartiest laughs. As Jim, Broadbent lands equal laughs and sympathy from the audience as he finds himself along for the ride of his life, quite by chance.

Screenwriter Mark O’Rowe, who wrote the fantastic Boy A that screened at TIFF in 2007, and the equally darkly comic Intermission, has a way with Irish words. Rife with barbs and cutting dialogue, Perrier’s Bounty builds laughs upon laughs while never crossing the thin line into slapstick comedy — a line that the film may very well have crossed under the hand of another writer.

While the film has yet to secure distribution rights in North America, it has a release date of February 2010 in the U.K. and Ireland. Judging from the positive audience reaction at the world premiere, Perrier’s Bounty has something to offer to North American audiences as well, and is highly recommended for fans of Irish cinema and crime capers.

Reviewed: The Hole 3D

The Hole uses new state-of-the-art 3D technology to infuse a tired storyline with new life.

The Hole presents your standard horror film plot: a family moves into a new house and discovers that their home sweet home holds a terrible secret. The secret in this case, is a hole, as the title suggests. Padlocked and forgotten, the hole leads to a seemingly vast emptiness. What the black hole contains is rendered delightfully creepy by the use of new 3D Dolby Digital technology, providing some genuinely scary moments.

With tired plot conventions aside, the real attraction of The Hole is the aforementioned 3D. The movie had its North American premiere at TIFF, after picking up the Venice Film Festival’s first ever 3D award for technical innovation. The Dolby Digital 3D technology was developed for the long-awaited and much anticipated new film by James Cameron, Avatar. The audience was told the expensive mirrored glasses cost $150 a pop, and theatre-goers were instructed to hand their glasses in if they left the theatre for a bathroom break. And yes, the glasses actually fit pretty comfortably over regular prescription lenses.

Director Joe Dante of Gremlins- yes, Gremlins- fame, is no stranger to subject matter about the bizarre things that happen in Suburban America. It is a subject he has visited with the Gremlins movies, in films such as The ‘burbs, and during his stint directing episodes of the short-lived TV show “Eerie, Indiana.” The Hole is entirely filmed in 3D. Instead of playing with a lot of in-your-face 3D with objects coming towards the screen for cheap thrills, Dante instead focuses on the use of depth to stage his scenes. By not resorting to simple tricks, Dante shows his skill for staging in the third dimension. Here, the use of depth ups the creepiness factor by making the viewer feel that they are experiencing the scene first hand. The use of 3D is really the only reason to go see The Hole, and without 3D, the film will suffer by comparison in later DVD releases. Without it, the film is predictable and lacks as much substance as a horror film could have. Rated only 14A, The Hole doesn’t have any blood, guts, or gore, and borders on being family friendly as the main characters are children, and there isn’t any real violence to be seen.

Even though The Hole relies on a few too many conventions, like creepy little girls in bloody dresses and terrifying clown dolls, the use of the 3D adds a fresh spin to things. The novelty of watching a horror film with high production values elevates what would have been your standard B movie with cheap thrills turns The Hole into an enjoyable film, no matter how predictable the plot line is.

Reviewed: Whip It

Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with the ensemble film Whip It, which follows one girl’s odyssey through the Texas roller derby circuit.

A chick flick with wheels, Whip It tells the tale of misfit Bliss (Ellen Page), trying to find a place to fit in, in her suburban Texas town. Not one for the beauty pageants her former beauty queen mother (Marcia Gay Harden) has her competing in, Bliss is turned on to the world of bad ass chicks of the roller derby circuit. With more grrrl power than pageants can offer, the Hurl Scouts derby team has Bliss enamored with the sport and the ladies themselves. Lying about her age, Bliss makes the team and enters the world of over-21 derby, balancing her boring home life with her wild nights on the skating track as Babe Ruthless.

Triple threat actress, producer, director Barrymore, is impossibly hard not to like, especially after hearing her speak at the film’s world premiere. She is genuinely grateful and excited to unleash Whip It on the world. Unfortunately, Whip It never rises to the challenge, though that’s not due to her directing skills, but rather to a ho-hum plot. The film’s not bad by any means, but it’s just not that great either. Based on the novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, Whip It has a solid block of material to work with, but the problem is that the film stops short on actually taking off beyond the usual problems teen girls face in movies: the cheating boyfriend, best friend issues, career path choices, and maternal bonding. Just this time, it’s all done on wheels. Without this unique angle, the storyline is simply your run-of-the-mill after school special about finding one’s identity and all that comes with being 17 years old.

The roller derby scenes are expertly directed and feature so much speed and action, I am sure the Toronto Roller Derby League is going to have dozens of new converts to the sport each with a feisty skater name. With an all-star ensemble cast featuring Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis, rapper Eve, Daniel Stern, Marcia Gay Harden, Alia Shawkat, Kristen Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, and Barrymore herself, Whip It’s best scenes take place on the roller skating track.

Ellen Page’s character Bliss- or Babe Ruthless if she’s on the track- isn’t too far removed from Juno, but with a lot less sass, and ultimately less annoying. Page however, is a great actress, which is one of the main reasons Whip It is endearing and entertaining. Page is so believable as teenage Bliss as the character’s complex emotions are conveyed so simply in her facial expression.

The breakout star of Whip It would have to be “Saturday Night Live” comedienne Kristen Wiig, who moves away from comedy and plays one of the straightest characters in the film, Malice in Wonderland. Wiig gets a chance to shine outside of farces like The Brothers Solomon in a leading role which she deftly handles with as much grace and charm one could have on roller skates. Juliette Lewis as Dinah Might is a formidable foe for the Hurl Scouts, taking bitchy cat fights to a whole new level in the contact sport. Moving from behind the camera, Barrymore is one of the Hurl Scouts, Smashley Simpson, which she plays to a stoner-comic hilt. Barrymore blurs the line between director and actress as she subjects herself to the same brutal stunts that she subjects her cast to, and it looks like she is having a great time doing it

Whip It features some serious stunts, as well as superb skating by the ladies of the film who jump, block, and check each other like seasoned rugby players. The action and excitement of the sport come through the screen. Barrymore makes the rules of roller derby easy to understand which a great benefit to the film is as it’s easy to get in on the action and understand the rules of the game. And it’s the roller derby scenes that help break the film out of its conventional mold. It is a shame that the rest of the movie doesn’t quite reach the levels of excitement and interest that the derby sequences ignite. The film is also not as funny as one might expect with the likes of Wiig and Fallon in the cast, and perhaps this is also one of the reasons the film suffers some. The laughs that are in the film, are too few and far between, and never amount to more than a slight chuckle.

All told, Whip It is a solidly entertaining film, it just isn’t groundbreaking cinema. Barrymore delivered a well packaged film for her first effort behind the camera, and hopefully, this won’t be her last.

Reviewed: Bad Lieutenant- Port of Call New Orleans

(This review can also be found on Mondo Magazine)

I love Nicolas Cage. If you’ve read my review of Knowing, you’ll remember that I am the one person who enjoyed Bangkok Dangerous, paid money to see Next, and will line up to see Kick-Ass in 2010. My love for Nicolas Cage doesn’t stem from his resume of work, because, let’s face it, he hasn’t been in a good movie since 2002’s Adaptation. I love Nicolas Cage because you never know what you’re going to get from him. He’s often over-the-top and crazy with his dead-eye gaze, spouting one liners in a halting manner, frequently while wielding a gun. Cage seems to perfect this persona in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans since it has all of that and more.

A remake in name only, Bad Lieutenant is a wild ride through the seedy underbelly of post-Katrina New Orleans, and Cage is our tour guide, steering us through crime, guns, drugs, and bad cops. Promoted to lieutenant for acts of bravery during Hurricane Katrina, Terrence (Cage) is seemingly a rather bad cop — he snorts cocaine on the job, steals from the seized inventory locker at the police station, takes sexual bribes, dates a prostitute, and deals drugs with thugs. All of this and yet you can’t help but like the guy and even empathize with him. As he and partner Stevie (Val Kilmer) investigate the drug related murders of a family of fresh immigrants, Terrence begins to spiral more deeply into his drug addiction. At a roadblock with suspects, Terrence begins to befriend them for financial gain to pay off his crippling gambling debts. Through a series of plot turns, Terrence has the chance to redeem himself and become one of the good guys, and the crux of the film hangs on his decision.

Director Werner Herzog has a reputation for being — to put it mildly — an eccentric. He once cooked and ate his shoe in public as the result of failing a challenge he put forth to director Errol Morris while they were working on competing projects on pet cemeteries. (Morris completed Gates of Heaven while Herzog never followed through with his plans.) The shooting of his film Aguirre Wrath of God is the stuff of legend, as it was rumored that Herzog forced his star Klaus Kinski to act at gunpoint. It is simply a myth, and in fact it was Kinski who shot at an extra on set, yet the myth continues to be used as an example of working with difficult directors. Herzog has been shot by a fan’s pellet gun, and also claimed to have rescued Joaquin Phoenix from a burning car wreck. To sum it up, Herzog is a wild card. For a Herzog film that is about derangement — a film that includes point-of-view shots from an alligator’s perspective, no less — I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to turn away. But throw out your initial reaction, for Herzog skillfully directs a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable film.

After debuting at the Venice Film Festival just prior to TIFF, the film garnered mixed reaction, and, according to New York Magazine, one explosive comment from original Bad Lieutenant director Abel Ferrara in which he expressed his distaste for the remake, saying “I wish these people [would] die in Hell. I hope they’re all in the same streetcar, and it blows up.” Herzog reportedly stated that he has no idea who Ferrara is and has never seen any of his films, including Bad Lieutenant. In spite of, or perhaps because of the controversy surrounding it, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans had three sold-out screenings during TIFF. And judging from audience reaction during and after the screenings, Bad Lieutenant is one film that you definitely have to see.

Aside from Cage, the film boats a solid ensemble cast of seemingly randomly selected actors: Val Kilmer, Fariuza Balk, Xzibit, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Jennifer Coolidge, Brad Dourif, and Shawn Hatosy. As the titular bad lieutenant, Cage is as off-the-wall as one might hope for. He makes the character his own and once again, as in Leaving Las Vegas, makes an unlikable loser the one the audience roots for every step of the way. Thanks to an entertaining script by William Finkelstein, the movie is jam-packed with amazing one-liners including, “Shoot him again — his soul’s still dancing,” and “What are those fucking iguanas doing on my coffee table?” The film reads like it’s a joke, but the real joke is that the film is actually pretty good, and is destined to become a cult classic.

Cage and Herzog are the main draw here, and without either of their pedigrees the film would be your straight-to-video type of film. But together they are unstoppable in what was one of TIFF’s best films this year. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is definitely worth a watch before it becomes the stuff of cult legend, screened at midnight in packed art-house theatres to fans in costumes, quoting every insane line along with the film. It’s a wild ride, but one worth hanging on for.

Reviewed: An Education

(This review can also be found on http://www.mondomagazine.net/)

An Education is one of TIFF 2009’s opening night films. The film takes the standard coming-of-age tale and breathes new life into it. An Education features a fantastic ensemble cast and a clever screenplay adaptation by writer Nick Hornby, and directed by Lone Scherfig.

Jenny, a bright girl on the verge of leaving her childhood behind as she turns 17, finds herself drawn to the charismatic and handsome older man, David. The bookwormish and gung-ho student gets drawn into David’s lavish lifestyle of supper clubs, museum visits, and romantic trips to Paris. Jenny’s immature and mousy school-boy suitor is suddenly passé, as is her dreams of studying at Oxford. Why study a dead language like Latin, only to become a civil servant to the British government when you can live the jet-setting high life instead?

David is part of the well-heeled crowd, offering a life of luxury, which will have most women swooning in five minutes flat. Of course, as Jenny soon realizes, things aren’t always as they seem, and she soon finds herself not only questioning David, but also her own dreams, desires, and identity.

Moodily set in 1960s London, England, An Education dances along at a decent tempo, keeping the storyline interesting and providing some unexpected laughs. Based on an autobiographical memoir by journalist Lynn Barber, writer Nick Hornby of About a Boy and High Fidelity fame works his magic again on the screenplay to create a very interesting and adult reflection on the desires and thoughts of a young girl. Witty and engaging, Hornby keeps the dialogue light and moving, giving the actors fully formed characters to play.

Relative unknown actress Carey Mulligan takes on the role as the naïve and precocious Jenny. A refreshing actress, Mulligan plays Jenny perfectly, echoing the cockiness-meets-bashfulness of a 17 year old girl, about to take her first steps outside the school system. Jenny’s innocence is wonderfully set against that of her older beau David played by Peter Sarsgaard. Always charismatic, Sarsgaard walks that fine line between charming and smarmy, a niche that has worked well for the actor and suits his role as David to a T. Alfred Molina becomes a scene stealer as Jenny’s father. Emma Thompson is clever as the headmistress although her screen time is short-lived. Rounding out the ensemble cast are Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, and Sally Hawkins.

The film borders two separate eras: that of the middle class London, sleepily emerging from the 1950s, and that of the glamorous 1960s popularized in television’s Mad Men. Although An Education wholly takes place in the early 1960s, the time pre-dates the era of the swinging sixties in London, where women were still wholly defined by and financially dependent on their husbands. The dichotomy between the two eras is a perfect metaphor for Jenny as she is caught between childhood and womanhood, school and freedom. The set design of the 1960s supper clubs are to die for. You can almost taste the smoke hanging in the air, surrounding the beautiful people sipping cocktails and listening to French music.

Director Lone Scherfig puts all the pieces together to create a mesmerizing film, full of unexpected turns, making An Education a must-see film.