I'm seeing a lot of films now that the festival has kicked into gear, so comments may be briefer than usual---I'll write more when these films open for regular runs.
Certainly the funniest, and sure to be one of the most popular films from SIFF 2012 is a smash hit from France called THE INTOUCHABLES, the unlikely but true story of a poor Senegalese immigrant from the Parisian projects who becomes the live in care-giver to a wealthy quadriplegic man. This odd-couple story delivers consistent laughs, while maintaining a strong humanistic point of view. Since I first saw him in TELL NO ONE, I've thought Francois Cluzet could be Dustin Hoffman's twin brother, and visions of an inevitable Hollywood remake would cast Hoffman with a youthful up and coming Eddie Murphy type. This one should be seen before it is Americanized. GRADE-------A-
A beautifully creative documentary on the iconic fashion editor and personality, DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL is a revealing and entertaining look at the her life and friends and family with interviews and clips featuring Dick Cavett, Ali McGraw, Anjelica Huston, Diane von Furstenberg and many others. GRADE-------A-
Epic looking film SACRIFICE from Chinese director Chen Kaige (FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE) featuring big Shakespearean themes of betrayal, revenge, respect and loyalty. The first 30 minutes is a violent swirl of characters and several babies (!?!), and it is difficult to sort through all the chaos, but once the air clears, the focus becomes centered on four characters, and the film becomes a very strong, if slightly melodramatic, journey towards tragic revenge. GRADE--------B+
From Great Britain comes an intense, gripping MY BROTHER THE DEVIL set in the London housing projects, as an older brother involved with drugs and guns through his gang tries desperately to keep his younger brother out of that life-style. When his best friend is violently killed, he tries to break out of the gang life, but finds himself compromised by his political and sexual awakenings. This is a smart, effective thriller that benefits from the strong relationships between brothers and their family and friends. An impressive feature film debut for Sally El Hosani, it is marred only by the strong accents and slang that sometimes made it difficult to understand. GRADE--------B+
From Iran comes the solid drama GOODBYE, about a young pregnant woman whose husband is a political dissident in hiding. Her career as a lawyer has been politically stalled, she must endure indignities of continual harassment from a repressive government, she's thinking of (an illegal) abortion, and she desperately wants to leave the country. The film builds tension with a number of scenes that detail her struggling existence---she's not allowed to make any medical decisions without consulting her absent husband, her pet turtle's container keeps developing slow leaks, even her mother's nagging seems ominous. GRADE-------------B
I could have used less politics and more music in the infectious documentary UNDER AFRICAN SKIES about the creation and success and then backlash around Paul Simon's classic album GRACELAND, but this is still an intriguing and toe-tapping experience. This film is scheduled to show on TV's A&E channel this month. GRADE-----B
He may have impressive muscles, but the body builder's mother seems to have an eerie control over his "manhood" in the Danish film TEDDY BEAR . It's a sweet natured film about a 38 year old man very timid in his attempts to find a girlfriend, so he travels to Thailand to meet someone, like his uncle did. Simple, straightforward, pleasant. GRADE-------B-
Haunting documentary with interviews and dramatic reconstructions, this is the true story of a single 38 year old woman who mysteriously died in 2003 while wrapping Christmas presents, and whose body was not discovered for OVER 3 YEARS, all the while her apartment stank, bills piled up, and her TV was on the whole time. DREAMS OF A LIFE raises questions on why someone would not be missed for 3 years in this society filled with technology. The film asks more questions than it answers, and should be shortened by 20 minutes--mostly from staged scenes of her singing and dancing alone in her apartment---still this raised lots of discussion after the screening. GRADE--------B-
Granted I was rather sleepy watching the French/German film KILL ME about a depressed teenager who runs away with an escaped convict and dragged throughout the country side trying to escape capture by authorities, but nothing very engaging seemed to be happening whenever I'd open my eyes to watch some more. GRADE-------C+
No narration, plot or special effects or fancy editing, BESTIAIRE (French Canadian) is straightforward shots of animals in a zoo looking mostly head on into the camera for sometimes minutes at a time. The film is sometimes meditative and fascinating. At other times the camera placement seemed awkward---only the legs are seen, or only the sky, with the heads occasionally coming into view. It's running time is only 72 minutes, but at times it seemed like the animal version of JEANNE DIELMAN (1975). GRADE----C+
Actress turned director/writer Sarah Polley's first film was the moving exploration of dementia with Julie Christie called AWAY FROM HER (2007). Her new film, while intriguing at times, is not nearly so good. TAKE THIS WALTZ, which features the Leonard Cohen song by the same name in a montage of sexual proclivities (!), is a familiar, leisurely story of a seemingly happily married woman (Michelle Williams) who becomes fascinated by the attentions of her hunky neighbor. I just couldn't get a grip on what made her want to leave her marriage, what was so attractive about this new man when her loving husband (an underplayed Seth Rogan) seemed like a good match. There are some charming/effective scenes: a full frontal scene in a woman's shower is bold; she and her husband sit on opposite sides of a window, yet much is communicated between them, and in another scene, she and her would be lover swim like dolphins in a public pool--twirling around each other in synchronized beauty. But there were other scenes that were just plain stupid---she tries to distract her husband's business call by playing with his lips and sticking her fingers in his mouth--and in another scene she's called home because her (estranged) sister-in-law has been out on a drunken binge (!?!). Better luck with the story next time , Sarah. GRADE---------C
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