TIFF 07: Day 3 "I felt like a gumball in a machine"
I thought I could relate to the above quote after my rush line experience at Young People Fucking, but I had no idea how true it was. I'm going to start at the end and work my way to the start for this entry. So here goes:
I just got back, after a longer than usual streetcar ride (some traffic jam), the biggest slice of pizza I've ever had (it was bigger than my head...which says a lot), and...
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (dir. Andrew Dominik, 2007):
Well. Things were off to a rough start here, and it may take a second viewing to confirm whether it was situational, or the movie itself. I think it was the movie (although being hungry and swept away in "ohmygoshisthatbenaffleckmattdamonanddoncheadle" mode might have something to do with why I had a hard time following the first two reels). Basically, the title tells you exactly what the movie is about. It follows Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), a young fella who's in awe of Jesse James (Brad Pitt), the notorious outlaw. Ford becomes a double agent, and things get tense.
After hearing that it was long, and slow (from the director nonetheless), I ended up expecting something different. But I'm completely satisfied with what I got. Two things stood out (for me): The performances by the two leads, and the incredibly tight command Dominik has on the tension that's steadily maintained throughout the film.
To elaborate: I didn't know Brad had this much depth. All of the traits that make Brad Pitt the star that he is are used (and twisted) to his advantage as Jesse James. The sly charisma, the "piercing blue eyes," and his bad boy nature (which gets taken to the next level, and then some). James alternates between a genuinely nice guy, family man, celebrity, friend, and a nervous, cruel, and suspicious outlaw. Casey Affleck holds his own as Ford, the man destined to takes James out. He's the perfect choice for the part. He's got the innocence, but intelligence. You can sympathize with his conflicted feelings over James (civic duty vs. hero worship).
And now for the tension. Dominik really gets points for this one. First off, the title. It tells us exactly where things are going, and Dominik does a few things to keep you on the edge until you get there.
He said it was slow, but of course, when you slow things down it ups the ante. The pacing (which you may call elegant), did wonders for the movie. It reminds me of Leone in a way (especially the... assassination scene--which does reference The Good the Bad and the Ugly).
Dominik also makes use of opposing forces to heighten the response. Or so I thought. You've got James and Ford, two different types playing against each other. Visually, scenes alternate between very warm, candlelit interiors and cool, unforgiving exteriors (it could also be read as an expression of James' character).
The other great thing about The Assassination... is that it's an epic. And nobody makes those anymore. It's very classic, mythic, etc. I like it.
Also, the music rocks. I was happy to find out it was done by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Mad props.
Grade: A- (entertaining, fascinating characters, nice spin on a familiar plot (the double agent meets the western), and there are some experience points, for the star-studdedness of it all)
REVISED GRADE: A (the more I think about this the more I like it. And it keeps coming back to my mind. Which is odd. I've been getting more and more fascinated by the how different it is. All the genre bending. The way it fits in with older offbeat westerns, but doesn't actually involve the typical "wild west." It was just so good.)
But to get to this movie, I had to wait in line...for 3 hours. And I already had a ticket. Basically, TIFF does this stupid thing at the Elgin, where VISA gold/platinum cardholders get in before regular ticketholders. Being VISA platinum-less, I was stuck in the regular line. And being in line for a movie starring...Brad Pitt, the wait for everyone to arrive and the crowd to settle took longer than expected. A lot longer. But I did get to see Brad and Angelina (close-ish, enough to get a semi-decent picture on my ever so crappy cell phone camera). It was insane. My heartrate went up, I was straining on my tip toes to catch a glimpse and snap the shot. Unlike anything I've been through before in poor, celebrity-free Syracuse.
So that's where the application of the quote comes in. After waiting FOREVER, we got squeezed out (like gumballs) in little groups, so as to avoid the already enormous havoc caused my so much starpower in one theater.
While in line, I devoured my third cup of coffee for the day (man did it help). I just went against my coffee-ban of the past... 6 months or so? Maybe longer. But now I really appreciate it. And I REALLY need to stock up on some snacks for future screenings, since the whole "oh I'll just pick something up quick between shows" will never work. I don't want to starve myself here. I noticed during Assassination that the whole hunger thing kind of impairs your ability to... follow a story. Although I think the celebrity thing was part of the distraction as well.
Anyhow, before the Brangelina insanity, I was at...
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS (dir. Cristian Mungiu, 2007):
Also known as "that romanian abortion drama"
Which is as good as they're saying it is.
It's one of those movies that in theory, isn't inherently cinematic, but at the same time couldn't work any other way. It follows a woman whose friend is getting an abortion (the title is how far into the pregnancy she is). And it's in the new... Romanian Realism style (a la Lazarescu, but I liked this more). It puts you right there, and as many people said after the screening, that's how it was. Most shots are long, everything is dark. I found myself completely engaged throughout.
Grade: A (Wonderful, and affecting [at one or two choice moments], grade will probably get bumped up from A- to A when I've slept and can think about it.[after sleep: yes, it does get an A.])
Also, Mungiu was there for a Q&A afterwards. He basically said that he wanted to present things as they were (which many agreed that he did). He refused to give an explanation or interpretation of events, saying that it's really up to the viewer (which it is). He also said that he just writes. He doesn't sit down and say "ok, this character is going to be naive and needy, while this one is that other thing" life's not that simple, according to Mungiu. It's chaotic, and frenzied and imperfect, and that was what he was going for with the film.
And before that...
THE MAN FROM LONDON (dir. Bela Tarr, 2007):
I'm not crazy about Bela, I guess. I mean, I respect what he does and I appreciate that he's doing it. But it's boring to me. As much as I love camera movement, I don't want to have to sit and think about it for over 2 hours. Everything was well choreographed and beautifully shot. But, it was just boring. It should have been interesting, but no. However, if you go by Tarr's Q&A afterwards, he did exactly what he wanted. He said that he was most interested in the atmosphere of the place, and he captured that incredibly well. You get that it's a monotonous, dead town. You get that this man's life is less than interesting. And you get that Tarr had something specific in mind and achieved it.
And lastly, I devised a little game going into this that I call "count the walkouts." After hearing about lots of walkouts at Cannes I wanted to see what would happen here in Toronto. Total count: about 40. It was fantastic.
Final Grade: B- (I respect it, even though I didn't enoy it.)
Tarr did a Q&A afterwards, more to follow soon.
Oh and there was also a minor flash of film nerd celebrity awareness... Chicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum was at this screening, and Tarr was present as well. After the screening the two of them were planning a dinner or something... like two steps behind me on the escalator. I really wanted to talk to them, but being the shy movie-nerd that I am, I didn't say anything. Maybe next TIFF.
And before that... the biggest surprise of the day...
CONTROL (dir. Anton Corbijn, 2007)
Which I was planning to hate and find over-rated. But boy was I wrong. It was devastating, in the best possible way. The reason I wanted to hate this was because I've only seen a handful of Corbijn's music videos, and I hated them all (I turned them off before the chorus, in most cases). But wow. Maybe it's that he knew the parties involved, maybe he just got lucky. I think a lot of it was thanks to Sam Riley's work as Ian Curtis. It was so gut-wrenchingly-tear-jerkingly perfect. Basically, I got misty a lot and cried a few times, and when it was over for a while. Maybe it was fatigue, maybe it was the early morning, or maybe I just saw something amazing. I think it's the last one.
Final Grade: A (devastating, in the best possible way. an experience I can safely say I've never had in a theater before.) [note: I'll follow up with a repeat view once it either gets to Syracuse or DVD, so I can actually comment instead of enthusiastically gushing about how amazing it was.]
Naturally, the morning was a commute in to the Scotiabank, so nothing terribly exciting there.
But man, was a crazy day. I've seen more famous people (both actually famous and film-geek famous) in one day than I have in my lifetime. Only at TIFF...
I just got back, after a longer than usual streetcar ride (some traffic jam), the biggest slice of pizza I've ever had (it was bigger than my head...which says a lot), and...
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (dir. Andrew Dominik, 2007):
Well. Things were off to a rough start here, and it may take a second viewing to confirm whether it was situational, or the movie itself. I think it was the movie (although being hungry and swept away in "ohmygoshisthatbenaffleckmattdamonanddoncheadle" mode might have something to do with why I had a hard time following the first two reels). Basically, the title tells you exactly what the movie is about. It follows Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), a young fella who's in awe of Jesse James (Brad Pitt), the notorious outlaw. Ford becomes a double agent, and things get tense.
After hearing that it was long, and slow (from the director nonetheless), I ended up expecting something different. But I'm completely satisfied with what I got. Two things stood out (for me): The performances by the two leads, and the incredibly tight command Dominik has on the tension that's steadily maintained throughout the film.
To elaborate: I didn't know Brad had this much depth. All of the traits that make Brad Pitt the star that he is are used (and twisted) to his advantage as Jesse James. The sly charisma, the "piercing blue eyes," and his bad boy nature (which gets taken to the next level, and then some). James alternates between a genuinely nice guy, family man, celebrity, friend, and a nervous, cruel, and suspicious outlaw. Casey Affleck holds his own as Ford, the man destined to takes James out. He's the perfect choice for the part. He's got the innocence, but intelligence. You can sympathize with his conflicted feelings over James (civic duty vs. hero worship).
And now for the tension. Dominik really gets points for this one. First off, the title. It tells us exactly where things are going, and Dominik does a few things to keep you on the edge until you get there.
He said it was slow, but of course, when you slow things down it ups the ante. The pacing (which you may call elegant), did wonders for the movie. It reminds me of Leone in a way (especially the... assassination scene--which does reference The Good the Bad and the Ugly).
Dominik also makes use of opposing forces to heighten the response. Or so I thought. You've got James and Ford, two different types playing against each other. Visually, scenes alternate between very warm, candlelit interiors and cool, unforgiving exteriors (it could also be read as an expression of James' character).
The other great thing about The Assassination... is that it's an epic. And nobody makes those anymore. It's very classic, mythic, etc. I like it.
Also, the music rocks. I was happy to find out it was done by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Mad props.
Grade: A- (entertaining, fascinating characters, nice spin on a familiar plot (the double agent meets the western), and there are some experience points, for the star-studdedness of it all)
REVISED GRADE: A (the more I think about this the more I like it. And it keeps coming back to my mind. Which is odd. I've been getting more and more fascinated by the how different it is. All the genre bending. The way it fits in with older offbeat westerns, but doesn't actually involve the typical "wild west." It was just so good.)
But to get to this movie, I had to wait in line...for 3 hours. And I already had a ticket. Basically, TIFF does this stupid thing at the Elgin, where VISA gold/platinum cardholders get in before regular ticketholders. Being VISA platinum-less, I was stuck in the regular line. And being in line for a movie starring...Brad Pitt, the wait for everyone to arrive and the crowd to settle took longer than expected. A lot longer. But I did get to see Brad and Angelina (close-ish, enough to get a semi-decent picture on my ever so crappy cell phone camera). It was insane. My heartrate went up, I was straining on my tip toes to catch a glimpse and snap the shot. Unlike anything I've been through before in poor, celebrity-free Syracuse.
So that's where the application of the quote comes in. After waiting FOREVER, we got squeezed out (like gumballs) in little groups, so as to avoid the already enormous havoc caused my so much starpower in one theater.
While in line, I devoured my third cup of coffee for the day (man did it help). I just went against my coffee-ban of the past... 6 months or so? Maybe longer. But now I really appreciate it. And I REALLY need to stock up on some snacks for future screenings, since the whole "oh I'll just pick something up quick between shows" will never work. I don't want to starve myself here. I noticed during Assassination that the whole hunger thing kind of impairs your ability to... follow a story. Although I think the celebrity thing was part of the distraction as well.
Anyhow, before the Brangelina insanity, I was at...
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS (dir. Cristian Mungiu, 2007):
Also known as "that romanian abortion drama"
Which is as good as they're saying it is.
It's one of those movies that in theory, isn't inherently cinematic, but at the same time couldn't work any other way. It follows a woman whose friend is getting an abortion (the title is how far into the pregnancy she is). And it's in the new... Romanian Realism style (a la Lazarescu, but I liked this more). It puts you right there, and as many people said after the screening, that's how it was. Most shots are long, everything is dark. I found myself completely engaged throughout.
Grade: A (Wonderful, and affecting [at one or two choice moments], grade will probably get bumped up from A- to A when I've slept and can think about it.[after sleep: yes, it does get an A.])
Also, Mungiu was there for a Q&A afterwards. He basically said that he wanted to present things as they were (which many agreed that he did). He refused to give an explanation or interpretation of events, saying that it's really up to the viewer (which it is). He also said that he just writes. He doesn't sit down and say "ok, this character is going to be naive and needy, while this one is that other thing" life's not that simple, according to Mungiu. It's chaotic, and frenzied and imperfect, and that was what he was going for with the film.
And before that...
THE MAN FROM LONDON (dir. Bela Tarr, 2007):
I'm not crazy about Bela, I guess. I mean, I respect what he does and I appreciate that he's doing it. But it's boring to me. As much as I love camera movement, I don't want to have to sit and think about it for over 2 hours. Everything was well choreographed and beautifully shot. But, it was just boring. It should have been interesting, but no. However, if you go by Tarr's Q&A afterwards, he did exactly what he wanted. He said that he was most interested in the atmosphere of the place, and he captured that incredibly well. You get that it's a monotonous, dead town. You get that this man's life is less than interesting. And you get that Tarr had something specific in mind and achieved it.
And lastly, I devised a little game going into this that I call "count the walkouts." After hearing about lots of walkouts at Cannes I wanted to see what would happen here in Toronto. Total count: about 40. It was fantastic.
Final Grade: B- (I respect it, even though I didn't enoy it.)
Tarr did a Q&A afterwards, more to follow soon.
Oh and there was also a minor flash of film nerd celebrity awareness... Chicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum was at this screening, and Tarr was present as well. After the screening the two of them were planning a dinner or something... like two steps behind me on the escalator. I really wanted to talk to them, but being the shy movie-nerd that I am, I didn't say anything. Maybe next TIFF.
And before that... the biggest surprise of the day...
CONTROL (dir. Anton Corbijn, 2007)
Which I was planning to hate and find over-rated. But boy was I wrong. It was devastating, in the best possible way. The reason I wanted to hate this was because I've only seen a handful of Corbijn's music videos, and I hated them all (I turned them off before the chorus, in most cases). But wow. Maybe it's that he knew the parties involved, maybe he just got lucky. I think a lot of it was thanks to Sam Riley's work as Ian Curtis. It was so gut-wrenchingly-tear-jerkingly perfect. Basically, I got misty a lot and cried a few times, and when it was over for a while. Maybe it was fatigue, maybe it was the early morning, or maybe I just saw something amazing. I think it's the last one.
Final Grade: A (devastating, in the best possible way. an experience I can safely say I've never had in a theater before.) [note: I'll follow up with a repeat view once it either gets to Syracuse or DVD, so I can actually comment instead of enthusiastically gushing about how amazing it was.]
Naturally, the morning was a commute in to the Scotiabank, so nothing terribly exciting there.
But man, was a crazy day. I've seen more famous people (both actually famous and film-geek famous) in one day than I have in my lifetime. Only at TIFF...
posted by js munoz at
1:29 AM
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