Black Sheep's TIFF11 Review

Officially, it has been eleven days since TIFF sucked me into its unique brand of vortex but I've been dedicating my time to the festival for what seems like weeks now. I caught my first pre-TIFF screening on  August 16 and finish today with my 35th and final film. Sure there is a lot of time in a month to see 35 films but more than 20 of them were in the last 10 days alone. Factor in all the writing, all the interviews and all the running around too and it is easy to see why some in the industry describe this festival as an endurance test.

I know a few people in the biz here and there but, for the most part, I keep to myself. I hear things though. I hear other journalists who have been doing this way longer than I have talk about how happy they are that its ending, complaining about everything from the free food to the films themselves. And while TIFF seems like such a burden for them, its like Christmas for me. Sure, its easy for even me to complain when I have six interviews in a day and not one of them seems to start on time, but I am always grateful for the amazing opportunities being part of this festival affords me.

Meeting Roger Ebert at big book signing

This year, I did three times as many interviews as I did last year. I met with filmmakers I admire a great deal, including Gus Van Sant, Steve McQueen and Jean-Marc Vallee. I interviewed actors I love to watch, including Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender and Matthew Goode. I met the reigning king of all film criticism, Roger Ebert. I even stood three feet away from the biggest artistic inspiration of my life, Madonna, on her red carpet for W.E.. Sure, I never got to fit in A DANGEROUS METHOD into my schedule and my Jessica Chastain interview was canned at the last second but that's TIFF. You can plan as much as you want, and I assure you I did a great deal of advance planning this time around, but something will always change. You just have to ride it out, wherever it takes you. And if you just sink into the journey, you will have plenty of time to appreciate it.

I took this at the W.E. red carpet. I was shaking a lot.

And now, I would like to run down my 10 favourite TIFF11 films and five least enjoyed, beginning with the latter. (Click any linked film title for the full Black Sheep Review.)


TOP 5 WORST TIFF11 FILMS I SAW
(in alphabetical order)

ANONYMOUS
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Mr. Emmerich tries to break away from the genre he is famous for with this period melodrama about the authenticity of Shakespeare's work but only ends up making yet another disaster movie.

BUTTER
Directed by Jim Field Smith
Any hope of this Jennifer Garner political satire having any bite whatsoever melts away in the first ten minutes. Though the subject is butter carving, this film never takes proper shape.

LIKE CRAZY
Directed by Drake Doremus
This movie about two young people in love and trying to make it work with an ocean between them should have been called "Like Tedious and Insipid".

TAKE THIS WALTZ
Directed by Sarah Polley
I know a great deal of people who loved this movie about a woman torn between two men but I never really saw why other man (Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby) would want the woman (Michelle Williams) in the first place.

TRESPASS
Directed by Joel Schumacher
First of all, Mr. Schumacher has no business at TIFF to begin with. This was the funniest film I saw at TIFF and it's supposed to be a hostage thriller.

Mia Wasikowska and Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs

TOP 10 TIFF11 FILMS I SAW
(in alphabetical order)

50/50
Directed by Jonathan Levine
It'd billed as a cancer comedy but, as I've now told everyone I know, I cried five times watching this. The fantastic cast, led by Joseph Gordon Levitt, make this a must see fall film.

ALBERT NOBBS
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia
Glenn Close gives the performance of her career as a male butler in this fascinating period drama about gender identification and sexuality. She is a shoe-in for an Oscar nod and I hope the film picks up a few more for itself too.

THE ARTIST
Directed Michel Hazanavicius
Everything you've heard about this enchanting black and white, silent film is true. It is a simply told and brilliantly executed celebration of the cinema. You cannot help but feel happy when you see it.

THE DESCENDANTS
Directed by Alexander Payne
I love Hollywood storytelling when it's done right, with heart and intelligence. This George Clooney vehicle is an incredibly unique tale that reminds us that we never know what will happen in our lives that will bring us closer to ourselves and the one's we love.

DRIVE
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
I feel like people are all Drive'd out at this point but I personally want to see this movie again and again. It has an energy and tone to it that you don't often see come out of Hollywood. In time, this will be a cult classic.

Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk about Kevin

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
Directed by Sean Durkin
This was the first film I saw for TIFF this year and it remains one of the most disturbing experiences I had throughout the entire festival. Elizabeth Olsen is incredible in her debut and I hope she is able to hold the momentum she has started until she earns an Oscar nod for this.

MELANCHOLIA
Directed by Lars von Trier
I'm not ordinarily a huge fan of this man's work but I was fully absorbed by Lars von Trier's fascinating and visually stunning contemplation on depression set against the end of the world. Somehow, despite its subject matter, it still manages to be amusing.

SHAME
Directed by Steve McQueen
Michael Fassbender will pick up his first Oscar nomination for this incredibly honest look at sexual addiction. Audiences have been somewhat polarized on this but that often tends to happen when the mirror is held up to them with such strength.

TYRANNOSAUR
Directed by Paddy Considine

Actor turned director, Paddy Considine, has written a tale of two people struggling with the misery that has consumed their lives. To say it is dark would be a grand understatement but if you can find the hope in the film, it will move you significantly.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Directed by Lynne Ramsay
This is by far one of the most striking and colourful films I saw this year. Tilda Swinton is unbelievable as a mother grappling with the love she feels for her sociopathic son. Bloody brilliant.

That's me with my pass! Always an honour.

I want to thank everyone that made TIFF11 possible for me. First of all, my editors at Hour Community and Ottawa Xpress for sending me. My boss at the bank for giving me the time off to pursue my passion. All the great PR people at Alliance, StarPR, AMPR, Fox Searchlight, Sony and eOne for all their assistance with booking advance screenings and interviews. And of course I need to thank my readers and fellow film enthusiasts for keeping the conversations going on the site, on Twitter and in person during the festival.

TIFF brings film fans from all over the world to Toronto and it is a pleasure to share this experience with everyone who truly appreciates just how rare and amazing it is. I am truly blessed to have had this opportunity for a second year and hope it comes around again next year. Thank you again for all your support and until then, Happy TIFF!

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Black Sheep previews TIFF 2011

This will only be my second year covering the Toronto International Film Festival, in any official capacity that is. Last year, I had no idea what to expect from TIFF, as it is more affectionately known. I wanted to hit the festival running but TIFF just ended up running me ragged instead. If I wasn't sprinting from one venue to the next to catch another screening, I was rushing to an interview or trying to squeeze in some of the mounting writing that was waiting for me at home. I wasn't eating or sleeping properly and the moment I thought I had two minutes to breathe, my body shut down and I suffered through the last stretch of the festival with a massive head cold. Despite all of this, it was still one of the best times of my entire life.

A reader took this shot at the TIFF Box Office and sent it to me.

It may be naive to suggest but I am determined that this year is going to be even better. This year I will be sure to take my vitamins daily and to buy a subway pass so that I don't have to show up to interview filmmakers I admire with sweat dripping down my brow. I will also be stepping up my film intake as well. I devoured 30 films last September and this year I hope to hit 40. Having caught a bunch of films in pre-TIFF press screenings, I am already nicely on track to accomplish this. I'm also in a pretty good position to make some last minute recommendations for anyone looking to scour craigslist for exorbitantly overpriced tickets.

Keeping in mind that I've only seen 10 films so far, here are a few I don't think you should miss ...

THE ARTIST

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

This much buzzed about silent film is my early prediction for the Cadillac People's Choice Award, an honour based solely on festival goer votes. It is charming and simple but its execution is an intricate design that will surely wow both audiences and critics, just as it did earlier this year at Cannes.

DRIVE

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Refn took the directing honours at Cannes for this fact paced, ultra violent thriller. This is none too surprising considering how smooth the ride really is; it swerves through its seedy premise just as easily as it does the streets of Los Angeles. And with Ryan Gosling at the wheel, Refn can take me anywhere he likes.

THE IDES OF MARCH

Directed by George Clooney

And if you didn't get enough Gosling after that, you can catch him in the starring role in Clooney's first directorial effort in three years. To be honest, I cannot decide which movie I prefer him in; his abilities are becoming more and more remarkable with each passing year it seems and Clooney more than redeems himself for his last film, LEATHERHEADS, too.

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Directed by Sean Durkin

This was my first TIFF11 film of the year and it has set the bar pretty high for everything I've seen since. Durkin's first feature made an indelible impression on Sundance audiences earlier this year and while that was surely in no small part due to his disturbing screenplay and direction, it is the breakout performance by newcomer, Elizabeth Olsen, that everyone will be talking about come awards season.

MELANCHOLIA

Directed by Lars von Trier

I would not have believed you if you had told me that one of my favourite movies of 2011 would be by the notorious Lars von Trier. While the director will not be in attendance at TIFF (he does not fly and lives in Denmark), his presence will surely be felt by anyone who sees his latest. I have never seen such a darkly humorous take on the apocalypse, nor one that is as unforgettable as this one.

Score tickets to any of those films and you will not be disappointed, I assure you.

Here now is the full list of films I hope to catch during the 36th annual Toronto International Film Festival.

50/50

Directed by Jonathan Levine

THE ARTIST

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

A DANGEROUS METHOD

Directed by David Cronenberg

A MONSTER IN PARIS

Directed by Bibo Bergeron

ALBERT NOBBS

Directed by Roberto Garcia

ANONYMOUS

Directed by Roland Emmerich

BURNING MAN

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky

BUTTER

Directed by Jim Field Smith

Quebecois director, Jean-Marc Vallee returns to TIFF with CAFE DE FLORE

CAFE DE FLORE

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee

CHICKEN WITH PLUMS

Directed by Marjane Sartrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

COMIC-CON: EPISODE IV - A FAN'S HOPE

Directed by Morgan Spurlock

CORIOLANUS

Directed by Ralph Fiennes

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS

Directed by Whit Stillman

DEATH OF A SUPERHERO

Directed by Ian Fitzgibbon

THE DESCENDANTS

Directed by Alexander Payne

DRIVE

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

FRIENDS WITH KIDS

Directed by Jennifer Westfeldt

TIFF opens with this Davis Guggenheim directed documentary about U2

FROM THE SKY DOWN

Directed by Davis Guggenheim

THE IDES OF MARCH

Directed by George Clooney

INTO THE ABYSS

Directed by Werner Herzog

JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME

Directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass

KEYHOLE

Directed by Guy Maddin

THE KID WITH THE BIKE

Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

THE LADY

Directed by Luc Besson

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS

Directed by Jennifer Yu

LIKE CRAZY

Directed by Drake Doremus

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Directed by Sean Durkin

MELANCHOLIA

Directed by Lars von Trier

MISS BALA

Directed by Gerardo Naranjo

MONEYBALL

Directed by Bennett Miller

TIFF then closes the festival with PAGE EIGHT, from Oscar nominated screenwriter, David Hare.

PAGE EIGHT

Directed by David Hare

PEACE LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING

Directed by Bruce Beresford

PINA

Directed by Wim Wenders

RAMPART

Directed by Oren Moverman

SHAME

Directed by Steve McQueen

THE SKIN I LIVE IN

Directed by Pedro Almodovar

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Directed by Julia Leigh

TAKE SHELTER

Directed by Jeff Nichols

Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams try not to step on each other's feet in Sarah Polley's TAKE THIS WALTZ.

TAKE THIS WALTZ

Directed by Sarah Polley

THINK OF ME

Directed by Bryan Wizemann

TWIXT

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

TYRANNOSAUR

Directed by Paddy Considine

W.E.

Directed by Madonna

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Directed by Lynne Ramsay

WINNIE

Directed by Darrel Roodt

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 until September 19.

For more information, visit the TIFF website.

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BLACK SHEEP @ TIFF 2011

When I woke up this morning, I still didn't know. Even by the time I was sitting amongst friends at the TIFF 2011 press conference, I still had no idea whether my press accreditation request would go through or not. By the time I got home though, my confirmation e-mail was sitting pretty at the top of my inbox. There may have been an exuberant jig around my living room, I can't be sure.

What a great year to be covering TIFF. It is their 36th and they continue to outdo themselves. Sure, I've only been going to TIFF for going on five years now, and can't really say what the previous 30 were like, but it feels to me like they up the excitement every year. And this year is no exception.

TIFF co-directors, Cameron Bailey and Piers Handling announced a hefty handful of the films that will screen at this year's festival to dozens upon dozens of journalists and one Sarah Polley. Among the gala presentations, of which only half were announced this morning, there are already five I cannot wait to see. David Cronenberg's A DANGEROUS METHOD stars Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keria Knightley and looks at the complicated triangle between Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and a patient they shared. Bennett Miller finally follows up his brilliant debut, CAPOTE, with the Brad Pitt baseball true story, MONEYBALL, also starring Jonah Hill. George Clooney's latest directorial effort, THE IDES OF MARCH, gets political and stars Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The aforementioned Polley, gets behind the camera again for TAKE THIS WALTZ, a relationship comedy starring Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen. And the one and only Madonna will hold the North American premiere of what is being billed as her directorial debut, W.E., at TIFF. She put out a feature previously (FILTH & WISDOM) but we're apparently pretending like that didn't happen.

Oh my God ... I might meet Madonna. Again, oh my God.

42 Special Presentation announcements took place today, which represents a good chunk of them from what I understand. New films from directors like Pedro Almodovar, Fernando Meirelles, Alexander Payne, Lars von Trier and Francis Ford Coppola will screen as part of this series. Amongst the other titles, I am most excited for 50/50, the cancer comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen; FRIENDS WITH KIDS, a contemporary comedy with Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig; JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, from the guys who brought us CYRUS; SHAME, Steve McQueen's follow up to the brilliant, HUNGER, staring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan; the much talked about and mega hyped up DRIVE, starring Ryan Gosling; and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, only because that is all I remember people talking about at Cannes.

TIFF is also getting it's rock and roll on this year. For the first time in its history, a documentary will open the festival and this one is about one of the biggest bands in the world - U2. Davis Guggenheim, the Academy Award winning director of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, which screened at TIFF last year, returns with FROM THE SKY DOWN, a look back at "Achtung Baby", one of U2's more definitive releases. And if that isn't enough rock for you, Cameron Crowe will be holding the world premiere of his rockumentary, PEARL JAM TWENTY, a portrait of the band throughout their 20-year career.

Other tidbits from today's conference include the announcement that the Princess of Wales Theatre has been added to the venue list this year for large premieres and that TIFF Bell Lightbox will be stepping up its presence at the festival this year, now that it has a year's experience under its belt. There will also be increased public screenings during the day and something respectful is being planned to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States, as the date falls during the festival. Finally, all of TIFF's marketing is being done in-house for the first time this year and they have given us, "See it happen here." This is TIFF's new slogan and it is meant to encourage discovery of new films and artists.

There are 10 more Galas to be announced still and now that I know I will have full access to all of them, I can't wait to find out what they are! Now, if you will excuse me, I believe another jig is in order.

For more information, please visit tiff.net.

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BLACK SHEEP @ TIFF 2010

I feel like I've lived in another world for the last 11 days.  As much as TIFF felt like this unstoppable force that was going to devour my life before it began, its end feels just as bizarre because I'm not sure how to go back to my regular life after this.  That being said, as much as I am sincerely appreciative for this incredible opportunity, I also need it to end.  I'm spent.

After seeing THE ILLUSIONIST this evening, I will have seen a total of 30 films this year at TIFF.  That's about a dozen more than I saw last year and a solid benchmark I can be proud of.  I also banked a total of nine interviews and did my very first red carpet, for Woody Allen no less.  I know it isn't about the bling but I met Javier Bardem, Ryan Reynolds, Anthony Hopkins, Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, Will Ferrell, Julian Schnabel and Xavier Dolan.  I also crossed paths with Zach Braff, Paul Giamatti, Freida Pinto, Josh Brolin, Minnie Driver, Bruce Greenwood, Jay Baruchel, Jacob Tierney, Scott Speedman and Roger "freaking" Ebert.  I didn't actually meet Mr. Allen but he did pass by me and shoot me a somewhat confused look.  I love him.

I even attended the TIFF 2010 awards lunch.  Free food and the well deserved announcement that the Cadillac People's Choice Award went to THE KING'S SPEECH by Tom Hooper.  Colin Firth may have missed the Oscar last year but he's coming back strong this year.

Colin Firth in THE KING'S SPEECH

Of the 30 films I saw, I think I can honestly say I can count the number of films I did not enjoy on one hand.  As far as films that wowed me, I need another hand to do that.  Here are my 10 favourite films at TIFF 2010 ... (in alphabetical order)

127 HOURS

Directed by Danny Boyle

Starring James Franco

(Read the Black Sheep review)

BIUTIFUL

Directed by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

Starring Javier Bardem

BLACK SWAN

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Starring Natalie Portman

(Read the Black Sheep review)

BLUE VALENTINE

Directed by Derek Cianfrance

Starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

EASY A

Directed by Will Gluck

Starring Emma Stone

(Read the Black Sheep review)

Xavier Dolan in HEARTBEATS

HEARTBEATS (LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES)

Directed by and starring Xavier Dolan

(Look for the Black Sheep interview next week)

I'M STILL HERE

Directed by Casey Affleck

Starring Joaquin Phoenix

(Read the Black Sheep review)

THE KING'S SPEECH

Directed by Tom Hooper

Starring Colin Firth

(Read the Black Sheep review)

RABBIT HOLE

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell

Starring Nicole Kidman

TABLOID

Directed by Errol Morris

Joyce McKinney in TABLOID

A big thank you goes out to Movie Entertainment magazine for making this possible, the great crew at Maple Pictures and Alliance Films for the opportunity to interview such great filmmakers, the TIFF press office for all their support, Chris Bumbray from joblo.com for keeping me company for so many screenings, to Chris, Emily and Michelle at The Mark News for publishing my reviews for all new readers, and all my friends and family for their incredible support during the last couple of weeks.  I could not have made it through this without you.

And finally, a huge thanks goes out to you, my Black Sheep readers.  My coverage of TIFF 2010 made for some of the most successful days Black Sheep has ever seen and I cannot thank you enough for reading.

I'll be off for a few days but Black Sheep will be back up and running shortly with a review of CATFISH.  Thanks again for everything; this has been amazing for me.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have one more film to see.

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TIFF Review: I'M STILL HERE

Directed by Casey Affleck

Starring Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix: You’re going to look back on this and think you’re a fucking idiot.

This is what I get for not sitting down to write reviews as soon as I see the movie. I thought I had a little time to let this one simmer in my head, and there is plenty to let settle, but that just isn’t so. When I first sat to watch Casey Affleck’s directorial debut, a documentary chronicling the self-proclaimed lost years of Joaquin Phoenix, entitled I’M STILL HERE, I was completely taken in. I do not mean this to say that I felt duped. I was simply mesmerized by the debauchery and disaster that was unfolding before me. Whether it was real or not was not the point. The point was that it was fascinating.

A couple of years ago, Phoenix, an Academy Award nominated actor, famous for being moody and difficult, announced that he was retiring from acting in order to pursue his new passion, hip-hop. It was announced shortly thereafter that Pheonix’s brother-in-law, Affleck, would be documenting this transition for a film. Then came the rumours that this was all a hoax designed for the purposes of making a mockumentary. The hoax was neither denied nor confirmed and eventually, people just lost interest. Now that the film is being released though, it is no surprise to me that Phoenix has announced his return to acting and Affleck has announced that the film was in fact staged. If they hadn’t, I’m not sure Phoenix would have ever found work again after this film.

Not knowing whether or not Phoenix was putting on an act made watching I’M STILL HERE work on levels I never expected from it. Phoenix presents himself as the brooding actor that no one understands who now wants to break free of the public’s impressions of him, which he feels trapped by. When he struggles to break into the hip-hop world, he gets angry like a little boy who isn’t getting his way. He gripes about how he has dreams and that it isn’t fair that he shouldn’t be able to make them come true as if there aren’t millions of people on the planet who watch their dreams disappear every day. Don’t get me wrong; it is absolutely infuriating to indulge this spoiled dope head but, under the knowing eye of Affleck’s lens, Phoenix is making statements about celebrity that he doesn’t even know he’s making.

Only now we know that he did know exactly what he was saying. According to Affleck, only Phoenix, his agent and he knew that this was being put on. I have not seen the film again through this new perspective but I suspect that it might let all the air out of it. Watching Phoenix disintegrate on screen is at once repulsive but also disheartening. The way Affleck cuts it together, he doesn’t appear to be begging for sympathy but rather begging the question as to how we all got there. After all, it is our celebrity obsessed culture that created this monster. Letting us in on the joke though makes me think I’M STILL HERE might cease to be sharp commentary on a fame obsessed culture and just resort back to being just about Phoenix’s ego.

He will either ruin his career and ability to be a convincing actor after this or he will win an Academy Award.

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TIFF Review: NEVER LET ME GO

Written by Alex Garland

Directed by Mark Romanek

Starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield

Famed music video director, Mark Romanek, takes on Kazuo Ishiguro’s much loved and heavily praised novel, NEVER LET ME GO, as his second venture into feature filmmaking. It is a daring challenge indeed given the underlying questions about the value of human life but Romanek takes the challenge head on. I have not read the novel but, from what I understand, he gets the tone just right. That said, if the tone is meant to be one of cold disassociation, than perhaps it was never meant to be a film to begin with.

NEVER LET ME GO is a hybrid of science fiction and romantic drama. The prologue to the film tells us that a medical breakthrough discovered in 1967 has increased the life expectancy of human beings to over 100 years but does not tell us how. We are then introduced to Kathy, Tommy and Ruth (Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley, respectively) in 1978 at a boarding school called Hailsham. There is clearly something special about this school and the children that go there and it is our job to piece that together bit by bit. While that is happening though, a love triangle develops between these friends that is meant to be this great affront to love. It seems secondary to the mystery awaiting us and therefore never feels meaningful even after the mystery is solved.

When a younger Kathy sits on her bed, listening to fictional singer, Judy Bridgewater, sing, “Never, never, never let me go,” she cries quietly to herself and yearns to know what that feels like. She looks human, she emotes like a human but she knows she isn’t like everyone else. Watching the film, NEVER LET ME GO, is perhaps best exemplified in this scene. Like the little girl, it too wants to be held and cherished, for its beautiful imagery and solid performances, but whether or not that is even possible is up for debate. Again, like the little girl, the film too might be lacking a soul.

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TIFF BITS: The Home Stretch

It's bizarre to me that TIFF is actually still happening.  The festival is so front heavy that the second weekend feels a little like an after thought.  The screenings are much emptier and most of the stars have gone home but maybe that's your thing.  Maybe you don't like masses of screaming people and would rather just see a movie.  You're in luck because there are plenty of great films playing this weekend.  With your permission, I will break them down for you, in hopes that you have a TIFF-erific weekend!

FRIDAY - SEPTEMBER 17

IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
Varsity - 9:00 AM
Don't waste your time on this joke of a film.  I know you like Zach Galifianakis and he is one of the better things about this film but it is truly not worth the price of a TIFF ticket, nor is it worth getting out of bed this early for. It just isn't that funny a story.

EASY A
Ryerson - 6:00 PM
This Emma Stone comedy opens in traditional theatres today but if you're looking for that particular TIFF vibe to go along with this hilarious movie, catch this screening at Ryerson.  I'll say it again, this is one of the funniest movies I've seen all year.  Adults will love it too so fear not, Mom and Dad.  (Click to read the Black Sheep review)

WATER
Bell Lightbox - 7:00 PM
In honour of the new Bell Lightbox theatre and of the 35 years the festival has been in existence, TIFF is offering some of the films that made big splashes at the festival in past years for free, including Deepak Mehta's haunting WATER.  Free, people.  You can't beat that.

THREE 
Varsity - 7:45 PM
Tom Tykwer returns to form with his latest, THREE.  After a mediocre Hollywood experiment (THE INTERNATIONAL), Tykwer returns to Germany with the story of a couple who both separately fall for the same guy and have parralel affairs with him.  Tykwer is feeling cheeky with this one and it makes for a great look at modern relationships.

SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 18

COOL IT
AMC - 9:45 AM
Ondi Timoner, whom I had the good fortune to speak with during the festival, presents famed environmentalist, Bjorm Lomberg, in this counter piece to the Al Gore documentary, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.  It is not bent of taking down the Davis Guggenheim Oscar winner but rather to get people to see the climate change issue from another perspective.  Challenging and worth it.

RABBIT HOLE
Elgin Theatre - 11:00 AM
John Cameron Mitchell is one of the few personalities at the festival that I did not get to meet that I really wanted to.  He is an amazing director and he proves with this fantastic drama that he can handle more straight forward fare with great poise.  Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhardt star as parents who lost a young child.  Under Mitchell's direction, it feels fresh and hits hard.

NEVER LET ME GO
Elgin Theatre - 2:30 PM
Famed music video director, Mark Romanek, returns to feature filmmaking with an adaptation of a widely loved novel.  It looks very pretty and the performances are solid but it left me feeling rather cold.  I would wait on this one as it is coming to theatres pretty soon.  The full Black Sheep review is coming later today.

127 HOURS
Bell Lightbox - 6:00 PM
Take any excuse you can to visit the Bell Lightbox theatre. Danny Boyle's 127 HOURS is a great excuse.  James Franco stars as Aron Ralsten, the mountaineer who was trapped for 127 hours in a cavern back in 2003.  This film is an intense trip about man and nature but is not for the faint of heart. Ralsten has to go through a lot to get through his ordeal but if you can stomach it, you should.  (Click for full Black Sheep review)

AWAY FROM HER
Bell Lightbox - 7:00 PM
Another free offering from TIFF at the Bell Lightbox theatre.  This Sarah Polley film from a few years back exemplifies perfectly what Canadian cinema can be when done right.  Gordon Pinsett and Julie Christie give haunting performances as a wife succumbing to Alzheimer's and the husband who watches her slip away. (Click for full Black Sheep review.)

I'M STILL HERE
Varsity - 8:30
Casey Affleck is making my life real difficult.  I have yet to review this look at the supposed lost year of Jaoquin Phoenix and now he has announced that the whole thing was a fake.  I'm not sure how to write about it now but it was still one of the most fascinating films I saw at the festival.  Don't miss this train wreck; it is better than you think.

THE TOWN
Elgin Theatre - 9:00 PM
This Ben Affleck directed adult drama is a fine piece of filmmaking.  It isn't going to change the world or anything but it is a smart story and executed with finesse and care.  Affleck also stars and I have not seen him give this good a performance maybe ever.  Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner fill out the cast. (Click for the full Black Sheep review)

BLACK SWAN
Ryerson - 9:00 PM
This Darren Aronofsky picture was certainly one of the most buzzed about films at TIFF this year.  Many think it is brilliant while others, some of the more pickier critics I suspect, feel it is a B-movie with great production design.  I thought it was an intense look at the breakdown of one individual dancer and damn gorgeous to behold.  This one doesn't come back to theatres until December so if you can catch it now, please do. (Click for the full Black Sheep review)

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
Bell Lightbox - 9:00 PM
I caught this Werner Herzog documentary yesterday morning and it was definitely unlike anything I've seen from the documentary world.  This is primarily because Herzog shot the film using 3D cameras. A documentary in 3D?  Weird in concept but very well suited here as Herzog takes us deep into a cave in France that has what are likely the oldest examples of human painting in existence.  The 3D itself was definitely put to good use.

CRASH
Bell Lightbox - 10:00 PM
If you read my site at all, you know how I feel about this Paul Haggis ensemble drama about racism in Los Angeles.  It is certainly a good film but I have my issues with how manipulative it is.  That said, many of you love it and TIFF is playing it for free just for you so if you want to see it on the big screen again, here is your chance. (Click for full Black Sheep review.)

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 19

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
AMC - 12:00 PM
The latest Woody Allen farce will be released in theatres before you know it but if you can't wait, you shouldn't have to.  It is familiar but it is certainly charming and an enjoyable experience all around.  It is standard fare though so don't go expecting new from Mr. Allen. (Click for full Black Sheep review)

THREE
Scotiabank - 3:15 PM
See above.

TRUST
Bell Lightbox - 9:00 PM
Directed by David Schwimmer and starring Clive Owen and Catherine Keener, this family melodrama is horrifically cliched and subsequently reasonably offensive at times.  Owen & Keener play parents to a 14-year-old girl who is the victim of sexual abuse.  The intentions were surely good but the execution is very tired.  Avoid.

PEEP WORLD
Varsity - 8:45 PM
And here is another film for you to avoid.  Do not be fooled by the intriguing cast - from Michael C. Hall to Sarah Silverman to Rainn Wilson.  This comedy is so bent on being quirky and different that it doesn't realize how completely unrelatable it is.  I chuckled here and there because the cast is what it is but it was mostly just ridiculous.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Bell Lightbox - 10:00 PM
Here is the last in the free 35 years screenings at Bell Lightbox.  I don't think I need to really say anything about this Rob Reiner film because so many people love this one.  If you've never seen it on a big screen before, here is your chance!

CADILLAC PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Ryerson - 6:00 PM
You voted and the winner will be announced this Sunday afternoon, in time for this free screening at Ryerson.  Every year TIFF lets the people decide their favourite film at the festival and then lets them watch it for free.  Last year's winner was PRECIOUS.  The year before that was SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.  And we all know how well those films did afterward.  Who will win this year?  BLACK SWAN?  We will have to wait and see.

And that's it!  Black Sheep's guide to the final weekend at TIFF 2010.  I hope you find it helpful and who knows, maybe I will run into you at screenings this weekend.  My press pass is pretty much spent at this point so I'll be doing it in public this weekend.  Hehe ... By this, I mean I will be seeing public screenings all weekend and I am very excited for this.  There is only so much time I can spend amongst press and industry people.  They barely even clap for the volunteers!

Enjoy your last weekend at TIFF and be sure to check back on Black Sheep this weekend for more reviews and Black Sheep's choices for the best films at TIFF.

Happy TIFF!

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TIFF Review: 127 HOURS

Written by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy

Directed by Danny Boyle

Starring James Franco

Aron Ralston: This rock has been waiting for me my whole life.

I thought that winning an Oscar might mellow SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE director, Danny Boyle, but it only seems to have fueled his fire. Before anything has a chance to happen in his latest, 127 HOURS, the screen is split into three and images of people going to work or running marathons are inundating the screen at rapid speeds. I understand that he has his own style but I want to see Boyle just let the action unfold for a change, instead of just chopping it up and rearranging it visually to simply make it look cooler. At times in Boyle’s career, it has felt like the images needed the overt style to become relevant or meaningful but this time is different. Boyle has finally found a story that begs for his personal yet simultaneously impersonal touch.

127 HOURS is the story of an adrenaline junkie, a nature nut, a loner. Forcing an image to wake the heck up and jump off the screen itself is akin to what protagonist Aron Ralston (James Franco) does whenever he can. And when he can’t make that happen, he would almost rather be alone. He seeks out thrills to elevate himself above the mundane just like Boyle tries to enhance his image. When Ralston gets away from the city though and into the peaks and valleys of Blue John Canyon, Boyle slows his pace and allows the sheer grandness and beauty of the landscape to speak for itself. And speak it does. It asserts itself and its immovable brilliance by reminding man just who’s in charge here after all when it almost swallows young Ralston whole.

Ralston is a real person and in 2003, he spent a sum total of, you guessed it, 127 hours literally stuck between a rock and hard place when a rock fell with him into a cavernous gap and crushed his arm against the wall. Franco’s journey as Ralston is rarely easy to bear and sometimes just as difficult for us to take as well. His spirit goes from exuberant to painfully sober to near delirium and he carries it off with a strength I’m not the least bit surprised to see. Boyle was sure to lighten the tension with flashbacks that inform us of exactly everything Ralston still has to live for, which in turn teaches him a thing or two about how to actually live for it. The point may be somewhat plain but the experience that is 127 HOURS is a testament to an amazing feat of human endurance and perseverance, as well as an adventure that won’t soon be forgotten.

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