Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2016 kicked off last September 8th and ran for 11 days thru the 18th. The largest film festival in North America hosted more than 1,200 screenings of the 296 films and attracted over hundred thousands of audiences in the busy festival village.
It was an awesome two weeks here in Toronto. the city was not only the haven of remarkable world premieres but also tons of celebrity sightings, must try international cuisines in the food trucks, friendly and smiling TIFF volunteers in orange tee-shirts, a street party with Pharrell Williams, and virtual reality booths in the streets. The festival gets bigger and bigger every year and grabbing a ticket for popular movies in the event is an online battle and many screenings were sold out immediately after few minutes of opening the individual ticket sales.
Along with co-F.P.R. staffer Carlos Laron, we managed to see a total of 23 movies in the festival and here we’re sharing short reviews of these films, which we truly enjoyed or hated, but in either ways, being a part of the audience and jury is an amazing experience for us.
[divider]The lowdown[/divider]
The Best: Arrival, La La Land
The Huge Discoveries: Colossal, The Edge of Seventeen
Hidden Gems – World Cinema: The Road to Mandalay (Taiwan/Burma), Raw (France)
The Worst: Planetarium, The Secret Scripture
[divider]Rolando’s Dispatches[/divider]
FIRE AT SEA
Gianfranco Rosi | Italy | Documentary
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he recipient of the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival is an elusive study of two worlds colliding together. In the island of Lampedusa, a boy is living normally with his parents and community but unknowingly, in the same island, thousands of people are dying or risking their lives reaching its shore. Rosi’s juxtaposition in such geometric proximity is an unbiased observation of the European migrant crisis. His simplistic vision and immersion in the island of Lampedusa is a microscopic version of the world. The film captures two elements, water, and the sky. Sky is the common ground but water is where we see the contrasts. To the refugees, water is their barrier and to the islanders, it is their life, their environment. “Fire at Sea” captured both the ordinariness and gruesomeness in humanity within few square kilometers.
VOYAGE OF TIME
Terrence Malick | U.S. | Documentary
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]errence Malick’s Voyage of Time is a contemplative documentary that works well as a recollection on how far we’ve gone in a very insignificant part of our universe. Several decades in the making, the outcome is expected to be a masterpiece but sadly, I think it falls short of being one. It is undeniable that the cinematography is superb in every frame but it lacks fluidity and coherence in terms of its overall organization. Through the one hour and forty minutes length with Cate Blanchett as the speaker, the narrative seems to be repetitive and I can’t help but compare it to the more superior meditative film Samsara that works well with its structure and editing in absence of any dialogues. Despite the shortfalls, I think Voyage of Time still met what it promises and truly an artistic piece of documenting the wonders of our existence. It is probably more rewarding to catch this film in IMAX with a total of forty minutes length.
PLANETARIUM
Rebecca Zlotowski | France | Drama, Fantasy
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]t first, the casting of Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp in a period piece set in France seems to be promising but the whole movie ended up as a total misfire. Portman and Depp play as sisters who are believed to possess supernatural ability met a visionary film producer in the city of Paris. Like Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon, Planetarium has the opportunity to clearly show the dawn of the upcoming war, the signs can be perceived in some of the settings and conversations but the production design hardly captures the nostalgia and environment being in the difficult and uncertain era. The plot becomes adrift somewhere in the second act and there are a lot of unclear outcomes towards the ending. The film at some point joggle between supernatural and earthly narrative course, and it is really unsure where it is heading. Planetarium, a film that should have dissected a lot of interesting subjects ended up wandering and reluctant of its purpose.
THE ROAD TO MANDALAY
Midi Z | Taiwan | Drama
[dropcap size=small]B[/dropcap]urma/Taiwan co-production The Road to Mandalay is a beautiful, realistic and tragic film about two migrant workers from Burma who decided to leave home and work in Bangkok, Thailand. Director Midi Z captured through his lens the naturalistic and credible approach in showing the difficult situations of people in Asia who are crossing countries to work without permits. Lianqing (Wu Ke-xi) plays a girl who is strongly driven by her purpose to earn money for her family back home and eventually plans to acquire a work permit in order to secure a more decent job. Guo (Kai Ko) portrays his boyfriend who is quite possessive and despite having empty pockets, money is only secondary to Lianqing’s attention. The convincing chemistry of the two leads gives an authentic atmosphere of the recurring social problem and Midi Z’s direction maintains a stunning melancholic and truthful ambiance.
BRIMSTONE
Martin Koolhoven | U.K. | Drama
[dropcap size=big]B[/dropcap]rimstone is one of the most engaging and controversial films at the festival. The extremely violent narrative was told in reverse order and following references in some of the chapters of the holy bible (Revelation, Exodus, Genesis and Retribution). Liz (Dakota Fanning) plays a young mother who is on the run when a mysterious priest (Guy Pierce) beleaguers her. Guy Pierce is absolutely amazing here as he plays a religious evil reverend who always reconfirms his acts with the word of God and yet, he seems to be coherent with his unsettling ferocious and exploitative attitude. The pacing of the film is adequate even though the film’s length is almost two and a half hours. Family secrets, well acted short appearances of supporting actors (ie. Kit Harrington), continuous brutality and noteworthy story arcs will silence the viewers toward the predictable and yet satisfying ending.
THE BAD BATCH
Ana Lily Amirpour | U.S. | Thriller, Drama
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] follow-up to A Girl Walks Home at Night, Ana Lily Amirpour’s latest The Bad Batch is a film is about a girl wandering in the savage wasteland of post-apocalyptic United States. In the opening credits, we hear that officials are told to avoid eye contact with The Bad Batch, a group of people who are eating human flesh and putting people in captivity as part of their meat reserve. The first 25 minutes of the film is intense and vigorous like this is a synthesis of Mad Max Fury Road and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but after the heroine Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) escape from the cannibals, the movie runs out of steam and seems to be overly long in the last two acts. The choice of music is great, though, pop culture and techno tunes sounds really quirky and contrasting to what we see on the screen. Jim Carrey is worthy and unrecognizable as The Hermit while Keanu Reeves as The Dream and just really a porn star is equally unsatisfying as the whole movie itself.
THE SECRET SCRIPTURE
Jim Sheridan | U.S. | Drama
[dropcap size=big]R[/dropcap]ooney Mara, Eric Bana and Vanessa Redgrave headline a comeback film for My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father director Jim Sheridan, but sadly, the outcome is an incoherent tale of punishment and love story which is more like an unpolished hallmark TV movie. In the film, Rose (Vanessa Redgrave) recalls to Dr. William Grene (Eric Bana) how she was locked up in a mental institution for several decades, and Rooney Mara plays the younger Rose who is accused of killing her infant child. It can be noted that plot developments are so sporadic that series of events branches out from nowhere and the twist is so loose that the film does not hold interest anymore towards the end.
THE BELKO EXPERIMENT
Greg McLean | Australia | Action, Horror, Thriller
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he collaboration between director Greg McLean (Wolf Creek) and screenwriter James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) sounds very promising but the result; The Belko Experiment is a neatly executed slasher film with a very limited and not so original storyline. Eighty Americans were locked out in a high-rise building in Bogota, Colombia in an unknown social experiment, and a mysterious man is ordering them to murder each other, or else, face the consequence. The subgenre is already very exhausted, from Battle Royale, Hunger Games franchise, Maze Runner, Das Experiment and Thailand’s 13 Beloved (which is a hidden gem), these films explore the “flight or fight” response in human behavior under extreme pressure and provocation. The idea might not be new but the script and casting is something to look out for. Fans of horror movies will still find this very satisfactory as the series of events unfolds on whose fate will come to an end.
THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE
Andre Ovredal | U.S. | Horror
[dropcap size=big]N[/dropcap]orwegian director Andre Ovredal (Troll Hunter) continues to explore genre films with spine-chilling The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch play father and son coroners who are in the late-night autopsy of a young woman and tries to unravel the ambiguities of her mysterious death. The first half is the highlight of the film as the main characters discover bits and pieces of clues as to why the particular case is a peculiar or rather irrational one and does not conform to the norms of science. This also establishes the very terrifying atmosphere that’s quite neglected towards the end of the movie. The second half, although not that original is scary enough to make you jump on the edge of your seats as it captures the right lighting needed to make more the mortuary scenes very disturbing. Overall, The Autopsy of Jane Doe is an effective straightforward horror movie that falls short from an anticlimactic conclusion.
RAGE
Lee Sang-il | Japan | Drama, Thriller
[dropcap size=big]H[/dropcap]aving previously helmed films like Akunin and Unforgiven, Lee Sang-il has cemented himself as one of the pillars of Japanese crime thrillers, his latest feat, however is a very uneven one. The opening scene is a gruesome crime scene, a couple is found murdered and the police can’t find the clues about the whereabouts of the perpetrator. Investigation resurfaces that the suspect has undergone plastic surgery and he can be anywhere in the country. This premise spawns out to three unrelated stories in different Japanese cities and one of the three mysterious drifters is probably the culprit. Ken Watanabe and Satoshi Tsumabuki stood out among the cast as they portray two souls who are both in doubt about the identities of two strangers who they now treat as part of the family. Although the message of the film is clear that there is a fine line between doubt and trust for the people who love, two of the story arcs are way better than the main subplot. This reduces the capacity of the film to provide clear backstory about the murderer and Rage is a film seems to be better remembered in parts than as a whole.
HEADSHOT
Mo Brothers | Indonesia | Action, Thriller
The symptoms may include frequent need or urgency. levitra side effects One of the major reasons for its growing popularity and demand is its usage as cialis soft order it gives less stress to the hands while using it. Kamagra as well as viagra 100mg for salee highly potent medicines that can give benefit as well as cause serious side-effects. When it happened, I experienced the viagra online prices bliss that occurs then you become totally involved in something to the exclusion of everything else. [dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]ko Uwais is back in action with Headshot, a film directed by homegrown talents Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto, collectively known as the Mo Brothers. Unlike the first two films helmed by Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid: Berandal), which turned Uwais into an action star and owning the splatter genre, Headshot has a very thin and predictable storyline. While the action scenes are still very enjoyable and the choreography is something that Hollywood action films will have a hard time to recreate, Uwais needs to have smart choices in choosing his projects to prolong his presence in the genre. Headshot marks a tipping point if the demanding audiences will still buy the acts they have already seen. High hopes for Uwais is still there since Gareth Evans was tipped to direct the 3rd installment of Raid. Hopefully, it can maintain the quality set by the first two movies.
RAW
Julia Ducournau | U.S. | Horror, Drama
[dropcap size=small]F[/dropcap]irst feature film from writer/director Julia Ducournau is a fusion of Suspiria and We Are What We Are in terms of its style and plot, but with a more humorous, witty and naturalistic touch. Justine (Garance Marillier) is a vegetarian but a school hazing ritual awakened her inner cravings for meat and blood. What’s special about Raw is the exposition that human’s carnal behavior and twisted psychology towards our organic nature is already very ghastly even before seeing the act of cannibalism or violence itself. The colored (mainly red) and symmetrical shots, peculiar camera angles with its main character at the frame center reminds us a lot of Dario Argento’s Suspiria. The narrative is also seamless as it reveals the characters secrets one by one in somewhat unconventional ways. Raw will probably turn your stomach upside down and destroy your appetite but its very substantial storyline is a rewarding takeaway.
THE AGE OF SHADOWS
Kim Jee-Won | South Korea | Action
[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]outh Korea’s recent submission to the Oscars is a marvelous technical achievement with well-executed gun fights, ambitious production design and convincing period costumes. Kim Jee-Won’s return to the big screen has already drawn more than 6 million admissions in South Korea as it showcases big stars from the local scene such as Song Kang Ho, Gong Yoo, and Han Ji Min. While the film is deeply engaging and beautifully edited, it has a few shortcomings in developing its central characters and since trust is a pivotal attribute of the movie, it can perhaps do better in justifying the point of no return aspect of the plot. Despite this, Age of Shadows is still a very gratifying blockbuster that educates us about an important slice of Korean history.
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
Tom Ford | U.S. | Thriller, Drama
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]om Ford (A Single Man) comes back with his second feature Nocturnal Animals, a stylish revenge film with not so surprising but very eloquent and artistic twists. The story arc that features lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal is tremendously haunting and the realistic domestic violence will make us feel unsafe in our own neighborhoods. With Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the lead stars, the film provides an excellent cast populating a very limited plot but masterfully elaborated by Tom Ford and Austin Wright’s screenplay. In reference to Ford’s first film A Single Man, it is very easy to notice the references to his definitive style as a filmmaker; the slow motion or overhead shots, mysterious subtle music and the occasionally sensual touch of the cinematography. Nocturnal Animals is a Hitchcockian tale with a mix of Lynchian menace in the structure, thus, this makes the revenge genre more elegant than ever.
THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN
Kelly Fremon Craig | U.S. | Comedy
[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]n the tradition of Juno, Easy A, Clueless, Mean Girls and all of the teen classics that feature angry and confused teenagers, The Edge of Seventeen is surely destined to become one too. First time director/writer Kelly Fremon Craig stunned audiences and critics alike at the closing of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival with a very smart, humorous, sharp, dark and well-acted film led by the versatile Hailee Steinfeld as Nadine whose high school days become more intolerable when her best friend starts dating her older brother. The central female lead is supported by several strong supporting roles with Woody Harrelson who plays as Nadine’s pragmatic teacher whose strings of advice will make the crowd burst into laughter. Hayden Szeto also marks a scene-stealing acting debut as Nadine’s classmate Erwin who also feels awkwardly insignificant as she does. The Edge of Seventeen, with its intelligent screenplay and clever casting choices is an instant landmark of the teenage coming of age genre.
ARRIVAL
Denis Villeneuve | U.S. | Drama, Science Fiction
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]rrival, a cerebral science fiction film directed by the Sicario director Denis Villeneuve is by far the most superior film at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival I have seen. Amy Adams plays Dr. Louise Banks, a linguist who was contacted by the military to communicate with the aliens that mysteriously arrived in 12 different sections of the globe. Just when we thought that the science fiction genre is already exhausted to stem some new smart ideas, Arrival undeniably pulls it off by profoundly assimilating science and language in a form that will challenge the very foundation of our existence. The editing is very seamless as it renders the perplexing plot, which keeps back and forth from two important parts of its storyline. Aside from multifaceted acting from its lead (Amy Adams), soul-stirring score and realistic approach in direction, Arrival succeeds because it throws more stimulating questions to the audience than answers, and will make us revisit the film again and again. The ultimate message of the film is now more relevant than ever, instead of building walls, we, the sentient and humbling species on this planet (or in the universe) should open our consciousness more to communicate and connect, rather than to divide or isolate.
[divider]Carlos’ Dispatches[/divider]
LA LA LAND
Damien Chazelle | U.S. | Romance, Musical
[dropcap size=big]D[/dropcap]amien Chazelle’s take on the tricky genre of Romantic Musical. For us to say that it is a success is an understatement; the film is beyond marvelous. Inspired and influenced by films from the 30’s and the great era of jazz, Chazelle’s new film takes us into a audiovisual spectacle of frenzied colors and exuberant soundtrack. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone deliver stunning performances, perhaps their best as a pair (the two have starred in previous films such as Crazy, Stupid Love and Gangster Squad). La La Land is a dream, a pleasure for both senses of sight and sound.
COLOSSAL
Nacho Vigalondo | U.S. | Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
[dropcap size=big]N[/dropcap]acho Vigalondo’s auspicious, high-concept science fiction film Colossal stars Anne Hathaway as an aimless party girl in the throes of a mental breakdown. In brief flashes of vision, she sees a gargantuan beast wreaking havoc on Seoul, Korea. It is revealed in the film that her mental instability is directly connected to the wreckage that the residents of South Korea are enduring. Some may find the film a wee dumbfounding but not for nothing: Vigalondo’s execution is superb.
CATFIGHT
Onur Tukel | U.S. | Comedy
[dropcap size=small]C[/dropcap]atfight is a film written and directed by Turkish filmmaker Onur Tukel. It stars Sandra Oh and Anne Heche as archrivals who take the titular word to a completely different level. In this pitch-black comedy, we are enlightened at how Oh and Heche’s characters arrive at the grave, violent acts that they do. It also boasts heaps of social and political commentary, which is relevant as ever to the Americas. The story does falter midway through the film, but the two lead’s fiery portrayals are welcome consolations.
LOVING
Jeff Nichols | U.S. | Drama, Romance
[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]oving is Jeff Nichols’ Oscar contender for 2017. It tells the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the first interracial couple to have been married in the United States. The film takes us back into the Civil Rights Era where discrimination against African-Americans was rampant and life in the country was simply tough for the working class. Nichols directs with such an ambient approach; on scenes that call for it, however, he proves unafraid to go to the deepest depths of his heartbreaking subject. Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, meanwhile, deliver pitch-perfect performances as Richard and Mildred.
BLAIR WITCH
Adam Wingard | U.S. | Horror
[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]dam Wingard’s Blair Witch―previously titled The Woods―is the “secret” direct sequel to the seminal 1999 classic, The Blair Witch Project. It has been some fifteen years since the world shook with Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick’s found-footage horror, but for fans of the first film, there is a sense of standard, an urge to compare, that lingers. Sure, the new film gets scary towards the end, becoming a film of its own, but overall, it never quite finds its footing to rediscover what the first film had offered. While it stays thematically true to its franchise, and the new generation of characters donning fancy camera equipment in an attempt at finding out what’s lurking in the woods is conceptually fair, the byproduct does not give horror fans much of a follow-through.
CHRISTINE
Antonio Campos | U.S. | Drama
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]wo films about the infamous broadcaster Christine Chubbuck have premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. TIFF has managed to screen one of the two, Antonio Campos’ film simply titled Christine. It stars Rebecca Hall as the heavy-browed, hazel-locked journalist who struggles with her professional and personal life and commits a shocking act of violence during a live broadcast in 1974. The main strength of the film is how it is able to approach sensationalism without being sensationalistic, and how, in a performance worthy of an Oscar recognition, Rebecca Hall delves deep into her character with sheer abandon.
PERSONAL SHOPPER
Olivier Assayas | France | Drama
[dropcap size=small]P[/dropcap]ersonal Shopper is Kristen Stewart’s second time working with French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. The new film is a character drama and a ghost story set in Paris, France. Stewart stars as Maureen, an assistant whose principal occupation is taking care of a celebrity’s wardrobe and running errands for said celebrity. Aside from this, we also see Maureen’s attempts at contacting a spirit inside a big mansion, the spirit being that of her twin brother who had died of a heart attack. Despite the bare plot, Assayas ably builds the mystery and delivers decent scares: a scene, in particular, is set inside of an iPhone screen in which we see a tense exchange between Maureen and a stranger. The film seems reliant on Kristen Stewart’s performance, and that pressure carries weight; the young thespian, however, holds her own. Ultimately, Personal Shopper is bogged down by its spare, anticlimactic plot.
