TIFF BITS: Monday, September 13

I decided that I had to cut back on my day today.  I am feeling much better this morning than yesterday but that does not mean I need to keep making life harder for myself.  I have decided to scale back from three movies to two.  I figured maybe I would get some writing in, maybe do some laundry.  It is TIFF Day 5 and I am running out of clean socks!

Tonight's big galas and special presentations are pretty impressive.  Get a ticket to BLACK SWAN if you can.  It is the best thing I've seen at the festival thus far. Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila
Kunis and director, Darren Aronofsky, are expected to attend.  I've not seen the other three but they are definitely hot tickets.  You've got RABBIT HOLE, directed by John Cameron Mitchell and starring Nicole Kidman.  French director, Francoi Ozon's POTICHE, starring Catherine Deneuve is at Roy Thompson Hall tonight.  And then that leaves Mike Leigh's ANOTHER YEAR at the Elgin.

I will be leaving shortly to see Xavier Dolan's HEARTBEATS and then I have an interview with Julian Schnabel.  I am finishing my screening day with Tom Tykwer's THREE so it should be an interesting day all around.  What about your day, you say ...

EVERYTHING MUST GO
Winter Garden Theatre - 4:30
Whenever a comedian plays something serious, it is always a big deal.  Will Ferrell chose this film because he just really liked the script, not because he was trying to do something intentionally dramatic for street cred, or so he said when I met with him the other day.  Here he plays a guy who loses his job because he is an alcoholic only to come home to find all his junk strewn across his lawn. His wife has left and the doors have been locked.  It is a great tale of redemption and Ferrell's performance is solid.

MIRAL
Ryerson Theatre - 6:00
Julian Schnabel is a hybrid of a conceptual artist and a film director.  Every frame always looks like a painting and here he decides to take a creative look at the Israel/Palestine conflict.  It is a decidedly political film but it also has a reassuring sensitivity to it, likely due to the nature of the story.  It follows a few strong Palestinian women who have been affected by the conflict in ways that they never imagined.  It does at times feel more about the cause than the characters but it is still an engaging and delicate experience.

LET ME IN
Ryerson Theatre - 9:00
Matt Reeves, the director of CLOVERFIELD, could not possible come away from directing this film as a winner.  Adapted from the Swedish film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, this American remake is so loyal to the original, it is eerie but that won't matter.  Fans of the first film are loyal so it doesn't matter whether Reeves is successful or not, it shouldn't have been done.  I enjoyed his take but that being said, his take is the same as the first one, only now In English so North American audiences don't have to read the movie.  He did a good job but will that matter?

ALSO PLAYING AND RECOMMENDED

127 HOURS
Danny Boyle
Ryerson Theatre - 3:00

COOL IT
Ondi Timoner
AMC - 2:15

Also, don't miss my brand new TIFF review for BURIED, starring Ryan Reynolds.  I cannot wait to be sitting across a table from him.  I will try to stay seated calmly but I cannot guarantee this.

Happy TIFF!

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TIFF'D: Sunday, September 12

So I'm completely spent at the moment.  I'm not complaining but all this running around, not eating and not sleeping is somehow draining me.  Crazy.  I was exhausted when I got up this morning.  I slowly made my way over to see Julian Schnabel's MIRAL.  I will be interviewing the director tomorrow and I'm happy to say I enjoyed the film.  It is sensitive and political, an interesting combination for sure.  Up town after that to speak with the fascinating Bjorn Lomberg, the man at the center of one of the festival's more buzzed about documentaries, COOL IT, followed by a great chat with the director, Ondi Timoner.  When I left there, I was going to catch Dustin Lance Black's WHAT'S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA but instead my red carpet request was approved to attend the YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER North American premiere.  I was instantly freaked out at the prospect of meeting Woody Allen.  When it was over, I ended up not meeting him.  I almost didn't even see him as he was ushered into the theatre.  I'm not sure he was even taking questions really.  What has he not already been asked anyway.  I almost got to speak with Josh Brolin and Freida Pinto but they too were whisked into the theatre before reaching me.  I did however get to speak with Sir Anthony Hopkins.  He described working with Allen as the highlight of his life.  He was thrilled to work with him apparently and describes him as delightful.  He was a pleasure to speak with.

It was still lovely to be a few feet away from an icon like Woody Allen.  I had one wish for this festival and that was to meet Woody Allen.  Seeing him pass by me and hearing his voice trail off as he entered the theatre is still pretty darn good.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Black Sheep's review of the Ryan Reynolds vehicle, BURIED.

Oh, by the way, the videos are still not working.  I'm not sure they will make it back during the festival.  I will keep trying though.

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TIFF BITS: Sunday, September 12

It's Sunday morning, Day 4 of TIFF.  I'm a little sleepy and I need a hug but that's OK.  I have coffee for the former and may just hug a total stranger by the end of the day, who knows.  It could be considered fitting given that this evening is the North American premiere of Woody Allen's YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER.  I will be requesting a spot on the red carpet for that one so keep your fingers crossed for me.  This year, you have to stick around for both premieres if you get a red carpet spot.  If I do get it, that means I have to stay for the world premiere of Clint Eastwood's HEREAFTER, starring Matt Damon.  Life could be worse, I guess.

Today is also the opening day for TIFF's Bell Lightbox theatre.  I will be definitely heading over there at the end of my screening day to check that out.  TIFF has a whole big block party planned so if you're in the fine city of Toronto, you should head on down to King Street and John Street.  There are free movies playing all day and special musical guests throughout as well.  I haven't looked outside my window yet but if it is nice out there, head on out!

And if you're looking for movies to pay for today, why don't you check these one's out ...

127 HOURS
Visa Screening Room - 6:00
I accidentally caught this film yesterday when one of my other screenings was pushed back.  I had heard that Danny Boyle's follow-up to his Oscar winning phenomenon, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, was really intense - paramedics had to be called to a screening at the Telluride festival just last week. 127 HOURS tells the story of Aaron Ralsten, a moutain climber who gets caught between a rock and hard place for oh about 127 hours or so.  Jmes Franco stars and, much like Ryan Reynolds in BURIED (coming up later in the week), he has to command out attention in a cramped spot the whole time.  I like this one better than that Slumdog movie but be warned, there are some harder moments in the film.

COOL IT
AMC - 6:45
This Maple Pictures documentary snuck into the festival a little later than most of the films but instead of going unnoticed, it has caused quite a stir.  Director Ondi Timoner presents his subject, Bjorn Lomberg, an infamous figure in the debate over climate change.  I can most certainly understand the controversy; it is a very challenging film to watch.  Lomberg asserts a rather contrary view on how the world should be confronting our environmental woes but Timoner provides him the goods to make his approach seem credible.  The trouble is it goes against everything we've been programmed to think all this time.  I am interviewing director and subject today and I'm very curious to hear what they have to say.

ALSO PLAYING AND RECOMMENDED

THE TOWN
(click for review)
Visa Screening Room - 11:00 AM

MADE IN DAGENHAM
Varsity - 9:30 AM

I am off now for my first screening of the day, Julian Schnabel's MIRAL, featuring Freida Pinto.  I have an interview with the French director/artist tomorrow afternoon!  In the meantime, don't miss Black Sheep's TIFF review for YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, just below.

Happy TIFF!

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