Every September the city of Toronto seems to perk up a bit with the advent of its international film festival. Despite it being Canada’s largest city, Toronto has a dearth of theatres willing to play unique, independent films. When interesting indie movies do manage to make it to good old Toronto, they often end up hiding in some obscure cinema with little or no promotion advertising its existence. For those who live here, a proactive attitude about hunting for movies becomes a necessity. So you can understand the appeal of an internationally renowned, 10-day film extravaganza.
With 350-plus titles to choose from in all possible genres, the festival, running from September 7-16, is a cultural infusion. Inevitably, images of original and offbeat cinema spring to mind, films that will have some profound effect on my life. But this jovial imagery is quickly replaced by the more realistic outlook that reminds me of enormous line-ups, oppressively hot summer days, and mediocre movies touted as groundbreaking innovative achievements with overly-enthusiastic audiences all too ready to respond accordingly. Rather quickly, I am robbed of my gusto. This internal struggle has become as reliable as the festival itself. Every September I get all revved up, only to lose stamina before I make it to the first screening. But the lingering hope of seeing something spectacular (paired with a determination not to become a cynic) usually wins out. So I gather up all my energy and optimism and head on downtown to take part in the annual event.
The Magic Flute
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Kicking off the festival was Kenneth Branagh’s anglicized and modernized rendition of The Magic Flute. It is campy, absurd, and a whole lot of fun. Even the most novice opera fan will find something to like about Papageno singing his heart out to a giant pair of lips or the Queen of the Night flitting about in time with her song. Beautiful scenery, great costumes, and an over-the-top silliness add new dimensions to Mozart’s classic opera without detracting from the love story at its core. Branagh has successfully turned this classic into a visual as well as an aural delight.
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Requiem
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid
Oh God, no, please not another exorcism movie! So I thought before settling down to see this German import, but this is unlike others of its sort. Director Hans-Christian Schmid somehow manages to lend some credibility to the hackneyed and sensationalized theme. He eases us into the story, at first carefully avoiding any mention of the supernatural. This inspired-by-true-events film about a 23-year-old woman who died of starvation in the aftermath of an exorcism centers around Michaela (ably played by Sandra Hüller) whose periodic “fits” are hastily attributed to an epileptic condition. This diagnosis induces her overprotective parents to keep her close to home. Her longing for independence, however, trumps her parents’ concern when Michaela finds her application accepted an out-of-town college. But away from home her episodes grow more sever. Though Michaela has long suspected herself to be the victim of a possession those around her begin to question her sanity. When all medical treatment proves futile and Michaela’s seizures become more closely bound in her mind to religious experiences, Schmid makes it easy for us to believe in a demonic aspect to her affliction.
[Trailer | Official Site]
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The Bothersome Man
Director: Jens Lien
Set against gorgeous Icelandic landscapes, The Bothersome Man is a bizarre and at times gruesome drama. This Norwegian film begins with Andreas (Trond Fausa Aurvaag) throwing himself under a screeching subway train. We next see Andreas alone on a bus bound for a small gas station in the middle of nowhere where a giant welcome banner anticipates his arrival. From here, the gas station attendant chauffeurs Andreas into a stark, modern city and kindly provides him with a house and new job at a top accounting firm. Andreas soon discovers that in this world food has lost its flavor, alcohol has no effect, and even sex offers little pleasure. It is a world with no children, no emotions, and no consequences that seems to channel some David Lynch-like surrealism. The monotony of Andreas’ new life is temporarily broken when he hears faint traces of music coming from a basement window; music that reminds him of passions he once knew. He desperately strives to get at the source of this song, which he hopes will show him the way out of Lien’s gloomy interpretation of the afterlife. Horror, drama and comedy are skillfully blended to make this film a welcome treat.
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Venus
Director: Roger Michell
Venus is the ultimate May-September romance story. This British dramedy stars Pete O’Toole as a veteran actor who develops romantic intentions toward a sassy teenager. A love story between a 70-something man and a teenage girl is controversial at the very least, but it is pulled off remarkably well. Newcomer Jodie Whitaker, who plays the object of O’Toole’s desire, holds her own alongside the screen legend. The clever and inventive screenplay makes this unlikely romance believable.
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Confetti
Director: Debbie Isitt
Here’s a film that is entirely unworthy of any praise. Starring Martin Freeman of The Office and Jessica Stevenson of Spaced, I thought I could bank on Confetti having some fantastic comedic appeal. Five minutes into this disaster, however, it became clear as day that this mockumentary about three engaged couples vying for the title of ‘most original wedding’ was not going anywhere near funnytown. With humdrum characters (requisite stereotypical gay wedding planners and wannabe singers who happen to be tone-deaf) and punch lines seen coming a mile away, this movie is little more than a poor man’s version of any Christopher Guest flick. I didn’t even make it to the end, and believe me, I sure did try, but there’s only so much recycled, humorless tripe that you can put up with, especially when your expectations are heightened by the cast. It’s one thing for a movie to be bad, but a festival film should at least be bad in a less run-of-the-mill kind of way. Previous festival years brought us Happy Times and May, both of which are terrible, but original; and there’s something to be said for that.
[Trailer | Official Site]
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The White Planet
Directors: Thierry Ragobert and Thierry Piantanida
The White Planet takes us through all four seasons of life in the Arctic. There is much good to be said of this documentary. Ragobert and Piantanida achieve some truly amazing shots of spectacular and unusual wildlife. But even the more commonly recognized animals like the polar bear — Lord of the Arctic — are captured with remarkable intimacy. Footage of a mother polar bear tending to her surprisingly tiny cubs would melt any heart. Ultimately, though, The White Planet doesn’t differentiate itself enough from any other nature documentary. Last year’s March of the Penguins was able to attain a huge, wide-spread success, a feat which this documentary will have trouble matching.
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The Banquet
Director: Feng Xiaogang
This retelling of Hamlet set in 10th century China is a fine example of a good thing gone bad. It is not, however, entirely devoid of redeemable qualities. Lavish costumes and stunning scenery are right on point; just what you would expect from the team who brought us Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Featuring prominently in this film are bamboo forests, vast palatial settings, and the snowy plains of northern China. Unfortunately, the story itself is lost in this expanse. It drags on slowly, tries (unsuccessfully) to be funny in places, and ultimately does a discredit to Shakespeare’s original. Equally disappointing is the scarcity of fight sequences. Xiaogang seems to want to make up for this shortage with added, gratuitous brutality. Consequently, The Banquet hangs somewhere in between, not appealing to the faint-hearted, but also not catering to action lovers.
[Trailer | Official Site]
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