TORONTO, Ontario – After last year’s 25th anniversary extravaganza, which took a fond look back at this increasingly important festival’s impact on world cinema, the 2001 edition presents a unique challenge. At this stage it would be easy for the festival and director Piers Handling to go the safe route: bloated Hollywood premieres and road-tested international fare that has already played the festival circuit.
To his credit, Handling appears to be taking a riskier approach that harks back to the festival’s origins. Make no mistake, the festival’s celestial bodies – and their sizeable entourages – will still be shining in full force, but Handling and his programmers are taking steps to ensure that the real stars in the Toronto sky are the films.
What’s the first sign? Thursday night’s opening gala, Bruce Sweeney’s dark relationship comedy, Last Wedding, demonstrates that the festival is committed to breaking Canadian film, in Canada of all places (and boy do we need it). It’s not a radical step, but it demonstrates that TIFF (as it has come to be known) has no intention of abandoning its Perspective Canada mandate or resting on its international laurels.
Taking a look at this year’s line-up, the programming looks typically diverse, with as much emphasis as ever on emerging national cinemas (Singapore, Bosnia, and others), established hotbeds of reliable art-house fare (France, Iran, China, Japan and the UK), and lumbering, increasingly bloated studio systems (USA). In other words, it’s really business as usual, but with a gutsier, on-the-edge agenda.
It’s a smart move that simultaneously gives the festival a whiff of hunger and credibility, while sticking with the cleverly disguised formula that has become its calling card. There’s nothing transplanted film aficionados love more than embracing their commitment to non-commercial, difficult foreign films while reveling in the sheer crush of frenzied media and their Hollywood prey. This brilliant collision has worked wonders for the festival, and each and every year it works like a charm. A spoon full of sugar does indeed make the medicine go down.
Of course, for the cinephiles, the sugar is totally unnecessary, and this year’s festival looks to have all the bite it needs to appease those looking for a six-hour Hungarian epic, documentaries on all manner of human degradation and suffering, as well as other celluloid pursuits that won’t be seen outside of a festival screening. And that’s the beauty of Toronto – there really is a festival track for every type of moviegoer, regardless of national heritage, aesthetic disposition or political bent.
On that note, let’s take a look at what is here, in Toronto, on this 26th anniversary of the festival. Read the online pages of Digital Journal.com l for more capsule reviews and updates.
Á ma Soeur! (Fat Girl) (France/Italy 2000) ****
Directed by Catherine Breillat
Under age sex is becoming more commonplace and less shocking in today’s films. Writer/director Catherine Breillat (Romance, 36 Fillette) realises this and uses the sexual act of 15-year old Elena (Roxane Mesquida) as a catalyst to something more intriguing — the awakening of the true nature and hidden desires and of her pudgy 12-year old younger sister Anais (Anais Reboux). Breillat often overuses shock tactics and violence to make an obvious point. The press notes indicate Breillat’s aim at creating a deeper profundity of her images. Whether she succeeds is arguable, but her images (particularly of the Mercedes zigzagging between speeding trucks on the highway) are nevertheless impressive and unforgettable.
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des Loups) (France 2000) ****
Directed by Christophe Gans
Gans takes one small fact of history – a beast that terrorized a region of France during the reign of Louis XV — and turns it into a basic tale of good versus evil. Imagine French noblemen in their long cloaks displaying their Kung-fu prowess in an 18th century period setting. If that is not all, the film’s stunning shots, resembling classic Chinese cinema (think King Hu’s A Touch of Zen) are mixed with digital graphics. The events get weirder. The dead are reanimated, the tormented become the tormentors, and the wild are domesticated. Though the story gets clumsy and incoherent at the end, Gans’ film is nevertheless highly enjoyable, largely because of the breathtaking fight scenes, outlandish sets, expert editing (by David Wu, a veteran of Hong Kong cinema), stunning costumes and the poetic dialogue. The actors, brooding Vincent Cassel (The Crimson Rivers), Marc Dacasos (the native with a body you would die for), and Jean Yanne, all appear to be having a rollicking good time as well.
The Bunker (UK 2001) ****
Directed by Rob Green
A World War II anti-tank bunker with dark inter-connecting tunnels deep in a German forest form the perfect backdrop for this eerie classic horror film. To add to the psychological terror, director Rob Green dumps a troop of mentally exhausted German soldiers — forced into this hellhole by the American enemy. Worst of all, conflicting personalities and paranoia force these men to fight against each other as well as their inner demons. Director Green takes Clive Dawson’s raucous script and cranks up the tension, while terrific performances from Jason Flemyng and Andrew Lee Potts keep the film anchored in a compelling human drama. A credit to this year’s Midnight Madness series.
La Café de la Plage (France 2001) ***
Directed by Benoit Graffin
Graffin co-wrote La Café de la Plage with Andre Techine (director of Les Roseaux Sauvage) , a lazy but breezy tale of the odd relationship between Driss, a handsome teenager, and Fouad, the bitter old womanizing owner of the café of the film’s title. Of course, Driss has the attention of two pretty local girls. The backdrop is a sunny Moroccan beach littered by bottles, cans and the ugly café. Graffen’s film works primarily from his effortless storytelling, where nothing seems to happen though depth and emotions are hidden beneath each passing event. As Driss’ intentions of friendship are revealed, the viewer is slowly moved by this tale of simple pleasures.
La Chambre des Officiers (France 2001) ***
Directed by Francois Dupeyron
Based on the play of the same name, Dupeyron’s study of the human condition is set in an officer’s at the end of the 1st world war. The story centres on young Adrien (Eric Caravaca) whose face is severely damaged after a shelling. Dupeyron’s film, covering Adrien’s four-year stay in the ward, tends to over-sentimentalize too often, but his humour and sensitivity more than make up for it. Beautifully shot (by Tetsuo Nagata) in a subdued yellowish palette and scored by Arvo Part, the film is aided tremendously by veteran French actors Sabine Azema (playing a nurse) and Andre Dussollier (the surgeon).
Chicken Rice War (Singapore 2000) ***
Directed by Cheek
What begins as a Romeo and Juliet love story that takes place with two warring chicken rice stalls at a hawkers center, turns out to be quite a delightful celebration of Singapore culture (or the lack of it). Director Cheek puts in plenty of local nuances like its Singlish (what they call the pigeon English), fixation on gum chewing, food obsession, admiration for western culture and frequent use of local cuss words like Wah Lan. Cheek’s film dismisses the modern Singapore of skyscrapers and modern technology (the only glimpse being Romeo’s visit to Tiffany’s to purchase Juliet’s expensive gift) in favour of the nitty-gritty of the working class. It would be unfair to dismiss this simple comedy as an amateur film, but considering that Singapore never had a film industry 10 years ago, Chicken Rice Wa r is quite an impressive achievement.
Un Crabe Dans la Tete (Canada 2001) **
Directed by Andre Turpin
The breathtaking but lengthy underwater photography in the first scene establishes writer/director/cinematographer Turpin’s affinity for indulgence. Like his protagonist Alex (David La Haye), a compulsive lover hopping from one relationship to another yearning to be liked, Turpin seems too eager to please with aesthetics. His film is visually good-looking, but his attempt to build complex characters into intimate relationships set in an imaginative arts world falls apart. In one scene, a film critic dismisses a film for having an empty story about empty people in an empty setting. Turpin proves that an equally appalling film can be made from a complex story about complex people based on too complex a script filled with too many loopholes.
Enigma (UK/USA 2001) ***
Directed by Michael Apted.
Enigma is one of those British period films that looks better than it actually is. Based on a true story of British code-breakers, this is a spy thriller written by veteran Tom Stoppard and directed by Michael Apted (Gorky Park, The World is not Enough, 7 Up series) . The film gets too technical (strange for Stoppard), and is extremely difficult to follow. At least, it has gorgeous settings (both natural and period), and is well performed by a cast of extremely good-looking actors like Kate Winslett, Jeremy Northam and Saffron Burrows.
The Fluffer (USA 2001) **
Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash West
Boyish and naïve Sean arrives in L.A. and rents Citizen Kane only to find a gay porn video in its box. He falls for and stalks its porn star Johnny Rebel to ‘Men of Janus Productions’ where he gets a job as a cameraman. They form a relationship, though Mr. Rebel is straight and has a stripper girlfriend. Part Love and Death in Long Island part Orgasmo’, the film covers material traversed many times before in gay films. You can tell the directors are running out of ideas when they keep showing off the titles of other porn flicks like Annie get your Cum and Citizen Cum as humour. Curiously, this gay film will be more entertaining to straight people unfamiliar with the gay porn industry.
The Frank Truth (Canada 2001) ***
Directed by Rick Caine
Frank is the Ottawa based magazine that burst into fame after then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney angrily threatened to shoot publisher Michael Bates for running a deflowering contest for his daughter. Frank magazine targets politicians, media luminaries, and bloated, egotistical stars – ripe fodder for a social satirist with the touch of a sledgehammer. Director Caine’s well chronicled and often hilarious documentary covers Bates’ personality, his work ethic and work routines, interspersed with interviews from his victims, friends and employees. Ultimately, Bates is revealed neither as a media watchdog nor a manipulating rumormonger, but as an ordinary family man who etches out a living just like everyone else.
La Femme Qui Boit (Canada 2000) ***
Directed by Bernard Emond
La Femme Qui Boit (The Woman Who Drinks), Emond’s first feature, traces the downward spiral of Paulette (Elise Guilbault), a farm girl who first moved to Montreal with her father. She gets involved with an influential man, Joseph Belley (Michel Forget), but eventually leaves him for the womanizing love of her life, Frank (Luc Picard). Emond maintains interest in this simple tale by juggling chronological segments of Paulette’s life. The long takes, dramatic voice-overs and set pieces (especially the dinner humiliation) heightens the intensity of the events. Needless to say, this woman drinks too much. But the drinking is cleverly used both as a metaphor for the chronic state of affairs and a link in the narrative structure. An impressive first film.
Hush! (Japan 2001) ****
Directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi
What appears to be a conventional piece of gay Japanese culture — guy picks up one night stand, enters relationship, decides to have baby — turns out to be a sensitive, honest and moving drama. Director Hashiguchi, who also directed two other gay films (A Touch of Fever and Like Grains of Sand), bends the gay genre by having the gay couple’s relationship upstaged by the girl’s plight. He expertly weaves multiple characters into a common frame dealing with their individuality, while clearly presenting all points of view. Well-written and performed by a young cast of new faces, Hush! is a fresh look at commonly dealt gay issues. The confrontation scene near the end, in which all the characters collide, is gut wrenching. Hashiguchi has successfully created an entertaining universally appealing and compelling work.
Kira’s Reason – A Love Story (Denmark 2001) ****
Directed by Ole Christian Madsen
Madsen’s (Pizza King) second feature, Kira’s Reason appears appropriate to be given the Dogme treatment since most of the action takes place in a hotel room, hall or bar. The plot features Kira’s return from a psychiatric ward, similar to the well-known Casavettes’ film, A Woman Under the Influence, but with a twist. Kira is coping. Her husband gives her the responsibility of organizing an all-important business dinner to prove herself, but events take a different turn. Madsen’s intricate plotting, dramatic set pieces and clever character observations more than compensate for the minimalist filming. Performances are stellar, especially Stine Stengarde (as Kira). Madsen stages an effective climax amidst soft music fading out into silence, then upstages the scene with vivid acts. Disturbing and compelling cinema.
Lantana (Australia 2001) *****
Directed by Ray Lawrence
In 1985, Ray Lawrence directed a comedy about Harry Joy, an executive who suffers a clinical 4-minute death and sees his wife cheating on him, his partner plotting to take over the firm and his daughter giving his Nazi-uniformed son a blow job for drug money. When he awakes, he believes he is in purgatory, until he finds redemption in the arms of a woman half his age. To win her heart, he cultivates a tree that takes 3 years to yield the nectar for the special honey that she adores. He wins her over, achieving his “bliss,” the title of that great surrealistic movie. More than 15 years later, Lawrence returns with another great love story. Surrealism is replaced with the horrors of reality – deceit, murder and infidelity. A psychiatrist’s daughter is murdered. She (Barbara Hershey) goes missing after suspecting that her husband (Geoffrey Rush) is having an affair with another man. The investigating detective (Anthony LaPaglia) is himself having marital problems. Lantana is a spikey flowering weed that overruns parts of Australia. It is also a metaphor for the lying and deceit firmly rooted in everyone’s lives. Yet Lawrence has masterfully interwoven several love stories into one marvelously resolved tale. Sixteen years is well worth the wait for this rare treat.
Lan Yu (HK 2001) ***
Directed by Stanley Kwan
Kwan’s latest effort, a gay love story set in troubled Beijing stresses the universal theme of the necessity for love. Handong, a successful businessman (played by Hu Jun, last seen as the interrogating policeman in the other Chinese gay entry East Palace, West Palace) picks up a much younger university student, Lan Yu (Liu Ye), and begins an on-off relationship over the years stretching from 1988 through the nineties. Lan Yu, like Rouge and Actress, Kwan’s two better known efforts, is gorgeously photographed, but Kwan favours more subdued lighting and an effective use of shadows, possibly to highlight the troubled times (i.e. the events both leading and following the Tiananmen Square massacre). The events, though interesting, overshadow the couple’s love story, just as Kwan’s limited use of close-ups lessens its dramatic focus. Wong Kar-wei tackled the same theme more successfully in the more explosive and disturbing Happy Together.
Mariages (Marriage) (Canada 2000) **
Directed by Catherine Martin
Set in the Quebec countryside at the end of the 19th century, this debut feature of Catherine Martin is a story of a young woman’s struggle to find love and freedom in a locked household. Yvonne (Marie Eve Bertrand) is a 20 year-old who falls for the son of a wealthy neighbour, who has been promised to her sister’s 15 year-old daughter. Mariages is beautifully shot and crafted, but the plight of Yvonne is hampered by the film’s slow pace and general lack of narrative events. The abrupt ending when the two lovers finally meet is contrived and unbelievable.
Mulholland Drive (USA/France 2001) ****
Directed by David Lynch
After the surprisingly straight detour, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive takes us back down David Lynch’s dark and twisted highway. Naomi Watts and Laura Harring play an interchangeable blonde and brunette in this stylish and meticulously crafted nightmarish tale set in the city of dreams (Los Angeles). Rita (Harring) has amnesia after a car accident, and Betty (Watts) aids in her rediscovery of identity. As in Lynch’s films (Lost Highway, Twin Peaks), nothing is as it appears. Even at the start, Lynch clouds the timing of the story with jitterbug dance images, wardrobe and cell phones. The key to this film (and a blue one that unlocks a black box at the end of the film) is watching the characters crawl deeper into a web of intrigue and paranoia. Rather than tying up the mystery, which Lynch could have done, he opts for the visionary and the mystic. Mulholland Drive is gorgeously photographed by Peter Demming and has the look and feel of Blue Velvet, Lynch’s best movie.
No Man’s Land (France/Italy/UK/Belgium/Slovenia 2001) *****
Directed by Danis Tanovic
An extremely effective Serbian/Bosnian drama that transcends its propagandist impulse (about the need to take a stand) thanks to first time writer/director Tanovic’s firm direction. As a Serb and a Bosnian battle it out in a trench in “no man’s land” — the area between Serbian and Bosnian lines — confusion reigns and UN peacekeeping forces (the British and French) wonder how to deal with the problem. Tanovic has taken the Hell in the Pacific in trenches scenario and expanded it. What really distinguishes the film is not so much the way the explosive situation threatens the accepted status quo, but Tanovic’s cool, assured (and often hilarious) depiction of the suddenly erupting situation. Any film that includes Simon Callow as a raving mad British colonel trying to act cool and controlled while carrying on with a busty blonde has to be worth watching. Tanovic’s message is loud and clear. Brilliant, politically charged filmmaking.
