Sukiyaki Western Django

Takashi Miike returns with a bit of a concept movie. The movie doesn't quite work. Miike makes a hybrid Samurai/Western flick which is set in Nevada, has a saloon, Japanese houses, six shooters and katanas. Most of the actors (except for one notable cameo) are Japanese and all the dialog is in English (with subtitles since it sounds like most of the actors are saying their lines phonetically).

I liked bits of this but it didn't work. This is one of those movies that has a climax act that goes on and on. The concept was good, but I don't think it was good enough to carry a feature film.

Overall 6/10.

A nice touch was Miike's filmed greetings from Japan. He was unable to make it so he did a Dylanesque (a la Subterranean Homesick Blues) introduction to the film.

Free Rainer

Hans Weingartner brings back Moritz Bleibtreu to TIFF with this anarchic, social hacking, anti-establishment dramedy. It was a lot of fun and this fun played well as a counterpart to the character development of the protagonist Rainer.

I liked this movie but it didn't blow me away. It felt like it was caught between its drama and its comedy and never really resolved them.

Overall rating 6.5/10.

In Attendance: Hans Weingartner, and others whose names I forget.

Senki

One word review: creepy.

A doctor gets into a near fatal car accident and - after surviving - starts to lose it.

This was a fun little movie. It has all sorts of great moments in it. Lots of chills and a few nice moments too. Vesna Stanojevska plays the female lead and has this wonderful, Audrey Hepburn like look to her. Excellent movie for a newcomer.

Overall rating 7/10.

Vexille

One word review: cool.

Sori the director drops this little CGI gem into our laps. Rocking soundtrack combined with crisp computer animation and (what I believe to be) motion-capture human figures give this movie a more realistic feel.

It is 2077 and Japan has walled itself off from the rest of the world. As it turns out bad things are happening and the Americans have to pull a Matthew Perry (the 19th century US naval officer, not the actor from friends).

I liked this movie. I enjoyed it and if you enjoy anime like Ghost in the Machine you will probably like this. This movie didn't devolve into some hour long climax fest like some Japanese movies I've seen.

Overall rating 7/10.

Cheut ai kup gei

What if women were part of a secret organization dedicated to killing off all men? Director Ho-Cheung Pang plays with this idea as he follows his protagonist from disbelief to dawning realization to action.

The movie was a bit slow and could do with some editing. Other than that I kind of liked it. This movie has a standard Hong Kong feel to it but shoots in some non-standard HK locations. I loved the soundtrack.

Overall 7/10.

In attendence: Ho-Cheung Pang.

Une Vieille Maîtresse

One word review: decadent.

Catherine Breillat is an interesting film maker. She never met a story that she couldn't embellish with some explicit sex. This story is no different. Newcomer Fu'ad Ait Aattou is fantastic as the rake Ryno de Marigny who tries to choose between his fiancé (Roxane Mesquida) and his mistress (Asia Argento).

I liked this movie, and not just because I got to see a couple of chicks nude. The movie kept me engaged and conflicted about which woman Ryno should choose.

And Asia Argento is a total freak (as she claimed she was at the screening for Mother of Tears).

Overall rating: 8/10.

In Attendance: Catherine Breillat. This was incredible since she recently suffered a stroke that has impaired both her ability to walk and speak. She was still able to speak before the film in English.

Nothing is Private

One word review: creepy.

Alan Ball indicated before the film that he liked the story because the protagonist was a victim of bad things but these events didn't become the sole defining events of her life. He also said in the Q and A that the antagonists committed monstrous acts but weren't monstrous. I would say that he conveyed both of these things with his movie. And how.

The style of the movie is similar to American Beauty which he scribed and stars the remarkable Summer Bishil as the female lead Jasira. The 18-year-old pulls off 13 very well. The very good Aaron Eckhart and the devastatingly good Peter Macdissi make this a painful yet riveting watch.

Overall 9/10.

In attendance: Alan Ball

Bill

One word review: ok.

Written by Melisa Wallack and directed by her and her husband Bernie Goldmann this movie is a fairly standard mid-life crisis movie. Aaron Eckhart plays a great shlub. The other actors put in decent performances. I enjoyed this movie and will now move on in my life.

Overall rating: 6/10.

In attendance: Bernie Goldmann, Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Logan Lerman

My Winnipeg

One word review: weird.

I've heard about Guy Madden for a while, but this is the first movie of his that I've sat through. Madden mixed archival footage and images and facts with his poetic, personal musings and played out recreations of his childhood in this blend of fiction and documentary.

I appreciated what he was doing and much of it worked. Much of it was uncomfortable. This was probably what he was attempting; while I wasn't a huge fan of the movie there was no question that he had enough craft to present exactly what he wanted to present.

Overall: 6/10

In Attendance: Guy Madden

Eastern Promises

One word review: gritty.

Cronenberg continues the spare style we saw in "History of Violence." Reteaming with Viggo Mortensen Cronenberg presents to us a tale of violence and desperation in the Russian immigrant community in London.

I actually preferred this to History of Violence. I found the story more engaging. The violence had the same feel as History. Viggo was good. Vincent Cassel was good. Naomi Watts was good

Over all: 8/10

In attendence: David Cronenberg

Jar City

One word review: neo-Gothic.

Baltasar Kormákur directed this adaptation of a best-selling Icelandic thriller by Arnaldur Indriðason. Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson is gripping as the police detective assigned to investigate a typical Icelandic murder; one that is messy and pointless. It turns out there are reasons and they are found in all the little secrets we have that are slowly coming to light with newer and more powerful technology.

Kormákur has done a very nice job here creating a thriller that fleshes out characters and asks all sorts of questions. Filled with typical Nordic angst, of course.

My rating: 8/10

In attendance: Baltasar Kormákur
This film became the all time box office winner in Iceland with tickets sales of 100,000 out of a population of 300,000.

The Orphanage

One word rating: spooky.

Nominally produced by Guillermo del Toro, this movie marks the first major feature by director Juan Antonio Bayona. Sergio G. Sánchez scripted this years ago but was only able to get it made after Bayona showed the script to del Toro. Good thing too; this is a fantastic movie. drawing on influences like "Peter Pan" and "The Turn of the Screw" the creators of the movie present us with a chilling suspense movie.

The story begins with a woman, once an orphan, her husband and adopted, chronically ill son renovating the old orphanage where she grew up. Then odd things start to happen and a lot of truths about the old orphanage start to come out.

My rating: 8/10.

In Attendance: Juan Antonio Bayona (director), Belén Rueda, and Sergio G. Sánchez (writer). It was in brief conversation with Sánchez after the film that he specifically referenced "The Turn of the Screw."

Captain Mike Across America

One word review: recidivist.

Michael Moore is at it again. I should say that I tend more toward Moore's politics than Coulter's or Malkin's. Even so I found this Vote 2004 concert tour movie to be a bit meandering. The film follows Michael Moore during the lead up to the 2004 vote for the President of the United States. Moore traverses the country targeting 18-25 year olds with a goal to getting out the vote. He is joined on stage by various celebrities including Eddie Vedder and Rosanne Bar.

While there wasn't that much content that I hadn't heard before Moore had a few good zingers towards the pro-war types. They are, of course, in the minority now but they weren't Three years ago. If you are a fan of Michael Moore you will probably enjoy this film, but don't expect a whole lot of new material. Overall I enjoyed it.

I rate it 7/10.

In attendance: Michael Moore, Monica Hampton (producer), various crew, and Harvey Weinstein. This was the first screening of the film and Moore and Weinstein have not talked about distribution yet.

Terror's Advocate

One word review: engrossing.

Barbet Schroeder's documentary of noted French anti-establishment lawyer Jacques Vergès presents a man with many dichotomies. Vergès has defended Terrorists/Freedom Fighters on the grounds that they have been tortured and oppressed but has also defended dictators on charges that they have tortured and oppressed. He has defended Red Army Faction assassins arrested for their attempts at destroying Western society, but is fond of haute cuisine and fine wine.

One can only conclude Vergès doesn't believe in right and wrong, only "Us against them" where us is any combination of left wing, fascist, right-wing, communist, islamic and other anti-Western types. He is charming but a friend of Pol Pot, a supporter of Maoism and a believer that political violence is justified. (I assume of course that this is only acceptable if the political violence is not directed at him)

rating 8/10

The Mother of Tears

One word review: retro.

Dario Argento's conclusion of his "Mothers Trilogy" is a fine example of classic horror: simple but not entirely rational plot; budget, but extreme, special effects, less than fantastic dialog, and a real sense of fun. Here Argento directs long time collaborators as well as his lovely daughter Asia.

Taking place in Rome the story follows our protagonist's fight against the rise of the witches. Aided by the forces of good she strives to fight the new darkness unfolding on the world. The movie was a bit of cheesy fun, but it doesn't make me want to run out and watch more of Argento's work.

I rate this 6/10.

In attendance: Dario Argento, Asia Argento, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, and Lee Wilson (fx)