TORONTO – The Victoria Day weekend marks the time of the year when thousands of lesbian and gay filmgoers will flock inside crowded Toronto theatres to celebrate a diverse crop of celluloid that comes from as far as China and the Middle-East and includes thrillers, whodunits, romantic comedies to revealing documentaries.
Now in its 13th year, the festival had its humble beginning at the Euclid Theatre with floor seating to its height when the films were screened side-by-side with “Star Wars – Episode 1” at the newly opened Paramount Theatre.
Running for 10 days from May the 15th – 25th , the festival covers a total of 293 features and shorts. This year’s focus is France. The Centrepiece Gala, “My Life on Ice” (Ma Vrae Vie a Rouen) by Jacques Martineau and Olivier Ducastel (“Drole de Felix”) is followed by other independent features, shorts and documentaries. The opening Gala is first-time director, Toronto own playwright, Brad Fraser’s debut “Leaving Metropolis” based on his successful play “Poor Super Man”.
As in past years, Inside Out will continue to fascinate audiences, both gay and straight alike. Below are capsule reviews of a sample of the films I have seen:
“9 Dead Gay Guys” (UK 2001) ****
Directed by Lab Ky Mo
“Trainspotting”-spirited Brit gay comedy in which grossness outweighs plot, message and pretty much everything else in the story of two Irish wankers, Kenny and Byron who opt to make it good in the big stack (London). But out on the dole (and money), their only option is to wrangle free pints from the customers at the local gay pub. The trouble begins here when bodies start dropping dead one after the other. The Queen – not the royal monarch but the other kind of queen i.e. the male homosexual – is first. The clue to the murder is the murder weapon, the cattle prod, which Byron just happens to nick in the dark room one evening. The film is downright outrageous. Director fills his story with oddballs (the Iron Lady, Dickcheese DePak (don’t ask) and the dwarf with the 3 inch willy to name a few) that get weirder and odder as the story reaches its climax. “9 Dead Gay Guys” got mixed reviews at Cannes last year but won the audience award at the Dublin Lesbian and Gay film festival. Appropriately selected by the Inside Out programmers for the midnight slot! A fucking gem!
“Alma Mater” (USA 2002) ***
Directed by Don Canosa
Besides the little known fact Professor Knight guards that he was once President John F. Kennedy’s freshman roommate, this elderly gentleman hides a darker secret. He buggers his long-time teaching assistant at Harvard University, the ‘Alma Mater” of the film title. Set in the 60’s, very much like the recent “Far From Heaven”, the two films appear remarkably similar not only because of the atmosphere and look (credit to be given to Canosa and his
team for what they have done with the limited budget) but for the fact that Knight’s wife, Glen discovers the dark deed eventually. Canosa takes the film one step further by having Glen go out of her way to win her husband back. Not so much a melodrama but an exercise in the study of relationships among the young undergraduates and the older counterparts, the film fails to draw any meaningful conclusions. Well shot and convincingly performed by a cast of unknowns, the film is not, however, without charm and class.
“A Bizarre Love Story” (Korea 2002) **
Directed by Lee Moo-Young
The first scene, set on the moon in 2030 A.D. and quickly followed by images of vivid colours, rotating camera and jumpy action shots is indicative of director Lee’s aim at telling an unusual and upbeat story. The plot concerning three Korean characters, two girls with an attraction towards each other and the guy stuck in between is, in reality quite tame after removing all the eye candy. The guy Doo-chan, a quite unfunny comedian by western standards, suspects his pretty and bored wife Eun-hee of having an affair with another man. But she is doing her Tae Kwon Do master, the other girl (Keum-sook) in the story. Of course, he finds out, goes crazy before all three come to a compromise. Lee takes a while before telling his tale. The subplots involving Keum-sook imprisoned and a baby in need of a bone marrow transplant (this one in extremely bad taste) are distracting not to say in the least boring. The three leads do not display at talent for comedy. Anything can happen in this movie, but this is not saying much. For example, Eun-hee unexpectedly shits in her panties in one scene. Lee’s film moves from the bizarre to the melodramatic but the entire enterprise is an unfortunate waste of time and effort.
“Leaving Metropolis” (Canada 2000) ***
Directed by Brad Fraser
The hit Aids-era play “Poor Super Man” finally gets a screen adaptation from no less than its own author, Toronto playwright Brad Fraser himself directing his first feature. Less appropriately titled “Leaving Metropolis” (the play or film could have easily been set in any North American city), the film traces the collision of the gay and straight world. When local artist, David (Trop Ruptash) takes a temporary waiting job at the neighbourhood café owned by husband and wife team, Matt (Vincent Corazza) and Violet (Cherilee Taylor), it does not take long or a genius to realize that the two men will eventually end up in the same bed. David’s best girl friend (Lynda Boyd) tie in the dramatic loose ends and his transgendered house mate (Thom Allison) adds in some spice to the proceedings. With five main characters, “Leaving Metropolis” is a tighter film than Fraser’s other adaptation “Love and Human Remains” (with eight at last count) made in the 90’s by Montreal director Denys Arcand. Despite some fairly predictable set-ups (like the opening showing of the new nude painting of Matt that David promised Matt never to showcase or the make-up between David and his best friend), obvious metaphorical comparisons (between David’s life and the rebirth of the comic strip Superman), director Fraser achieves dramatic credibility and elicits effective performances from his players.
“Leaving Metropolis” won the audience award at the Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney, Australia and opens commercially in Toronto on the 30th of May.
“Lily Festival” (Japan 2001) **
Directed by Sachi Hamano
“Lily Festival” is only interesting for the fact that it is probably the first film to show granny-on-granny kissing on the lips. Unfortunately, this scene occurs during the very last few frames, not that it is anything to watch out for. The rest of the film studies the behaviour of a group of elderly widows (youngest is 69) as they maneuver their way into the heart of the new 75 year-old tenant who moves into their apartment building. This man is no saint either, seducing the ladies one at a time until the truth finally comes out. The film might have been more interesting had the director made it into a cheesy flick in which the victims got their own back on the old letcher. Instead, the film just plods very pretentiously. The metaphor of the blossoming lilies at the end is the last straw!
“Mango Soufflé” (India 2002) ***
Directed by Mahesh Dattani
The announcement of the break up of Ed and Kamlesh is the purpose of a dinner party held among a few close friends. But when Ed arrives in an unexpected visit with Kamlesh’s sister, Kiran as his bride-to-be, the somber soiree begins to take epic proportions. There is always so much drama in the life of queens. And queens will be queens even though they be Bangalore Queens. This first gay film to arrive from the Indian continent offer no new surprises or insights in the genre of the gay comedy/drama but nevertheless provides great camp fun. The script avoids the twin pitfalls of sentimentality and solemnity and generally lets the actors do their thing. Actor Farendoondood B. is particularly affective in the film’s funniest segment when he stresses the importance of being a real man.
“Saved by the Belles” (Canada 2003) **
Directed by Ziad Touma
After pretty boy toy Chris bumps his head resulting in amnesia, drag queen Sheena and neon cyberpunk Scarlet (who call themselves the sisters) take him under their wing. This is an excuse for director Touma to give the audience an uninitiated tour of the decadent Montreal underground gay club scene. Chris and the audience are introduced to everything from taking ecstasy up the ass to downing veggie rice cakes. Everything is loud in-your-face rude, from the drag queens, music and dialogue to the accompanying saturated colours. Touma does not bother with characterizations, narrative or pacing. Worst of all, the film gets preachy at the end – with the sisters quarrelling and Chris finding himself. One character quips in the middle of the movie: “I’m fed up of this fucked up world.” It does not take long for the audience to feel the same way about Touma’s film. If only anyone could show kinky could be so boring, Touma surely can.
