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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: FIXEUR (THE FIXER)(Romania/France 2016) ****

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.


the_fixer_poster.jpgFIXEUR (THE FIXER)(Romania/France 2016) ****
Directed by Adrian Sitarru

Starring: Sorin Cocis, Tudor Istodor, Mehdi Nebbou

Review by Gilbert Seah

This Romanian New Wave entry, shot in both French and Romanian tells the moral tale of a Romanian FIXER, Radu Patru (Tudor Istodor) who works at a prestigious French news station, the Bucharest headquarters of France Presse. He speaks Romanian and is both a translator and fixer, i.e. problem solver.

His big break (he hopes to progress from intern to journalist) would likely come through fixing an interview of an under-aged Romanian prostitute who wants to spill the beans on her John. He uses all means to obtain the interview but director Sitarru reveals the unethical practices involved. Sitaru shoots in the realistic style of the Romanian New Wave directors using everyday situations, non-professional actors and hand held camera.

Yet he is not afraid to inject some fun when needed – like the film’s best scene in a bar where Radu picks up a saxophone to join in the rendering of the famous Edith Piaf song, “Je ne regrette rien.” He uses incidents to get a message across like the argument between Radu and his son at the dinner table. An effective, occasionally moving and absorbing film.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c7R3GzrXFI

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: FIRE AT SEA (Fuocoammare) (France/Italy 2016) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

fire_at_sea_poster.jpg
FIRE AT SEA (Fuocoammare) (France/Italy 2016) ***
Directed by Gianfranco Rosi

Starring: Samuele Pucillo, Maria Costa, Giuseppe Fragapane

Review by Gilbert Seah

This winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, takes a look at the shocking the European migrant crisis. The film is set in the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, which has become a destination for tens of thousands of refugees fleeing wars, violence, and drought in Africa.

Director Rosi iwas obviously given almost unlimited access to film there. Hi documentary makes no judgement and has been described as observational filmmaking. His camera looks and records while the audience observes and make their own judgement.

Rosi selects a couple of characters including a 12-year-old boy with a slingshot, a radio host and the only doctor on Lampedusa. (who gives the boy an eye patch) among others. A moving and occasionally powerful film.

Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=f8Kc5wy0Rxg

 

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: SAND STORM (Israel 2016) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

sand_storm_poster.jpgSAND STORM (Israel 2016) ***
Directed by Elite Zexer

Starring: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal, Hitham Omari

Review by Gilbert Seah

SAND STORM is the Grand Jury Prize Winner at Sundance in the Contemporary World section. The film details a little known culture in a Bedouin village. Jalila is preparing to host an awkward celebration: the marriage of her husband to a second (and noticeably younger) wife – something unheard of n western society.

To make matters worse, her eldest, Layla, is involved in a clandestine relationship with a boy at school, all her suppressed emotion finds an outlet. Emotions run high and very member of the family feels the pressure.

Zexer moves her efficient film covering all the details and tying her film up neatly towards the end with a classy ending.

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Film Review: MORGAN (USA 2016). Starring: Kate Mara, Paul Giamatti

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morgan.jpg
MORGAN (USA 2016) **
Directed by Luke Scott

Starring: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie

Review by Gilbert Seah

MORGAN is the new sci-fi thriller not to be confused with the 1966 British comedy by Karel Reisz also called MORGAN or in full : MORGAN: A SUITABLE CASE FOR TREATMENT. The Morgan in the new film is also another case for treatment being a female created by a group of scientists.

MORGAN (Anya Taylor-Joy) is not like any other girl. Created and raised in a laboratory environment by a group of over-dedicated scientists, she defies nature with her super-human qualities. But do not push her beyond the limit! Walking and talking within one month and self-sufficient after just six, her rapid progression is remarkable, exceeding the expectations of her creators. But nothing ever goes as well as planned. There is a vicious accident. After Morgan has a “tantrum” in which she viciously attacks and injures one of the scientists (Jennifer Jason Leigh taking as much abuse here as she did in Tarantino’s THE HATEFUL EIGHT), corporate troubleshooter Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is called in to make the ultimate choice of “terminating” Morgan or letting her live before she causes anymore havoc and escapes into the outside world. Her decision is to terminate Morgan but the scientists protect Morgan.

The script by Seth Owen and direction by Luke Scott is tight and well paced during the first two thirds of the film. The film is always one step ahead of what is revealed to the audience and this is where the film works best. No one knows what to expect – except for the last third of the film. An excellent cameo from Paul Giamatti helps spice up the tension. The inclusion of Michelle Yeoh and Toby Jones in the ensemble cast also adds to the excitement of the film. A neat segment involving Mandarin dialogue (Michele Yeoh is Malaysian Chinese) also works well.
For a film written and directed by males, it is interesting to see how females are depicted. They are either strong and forceful as in Weather’s character or a crying quivering mess as in Dr, Amy Menser (Rose Leslie), Morgan’s friend. The females are all sexy looking in different forms – fighting, vulnerable or smart. The eye candy for the female audience is provide by hunk Boyd Holbrook playing another doctor, who makes an unsuccessful pass at Weathers.

It is only in the last 15 minutes that the film starts to fall apart. Once Lee starts fighting Morgan and ends up indestructible, it becomes an easy guess to the twist in the story. It does not take a gnus to figure things out. That is when all the mystery and intrigue are lost in predictability.

Given the story’s limited potential, it has to be taken it to a predictable conclusion. Director Scott fares pretty well with the material. MORGAN is absorbing for the most part and provides sufficient thrills for the typical sci-fi thriller. The film has a beautiful setting, where the scientific facility is located, the film being shot in Northern Ireland.

MORGAN is up for stiff competition a week opening after DON’T BREATHE which caters for the same male target audience. Given its differentiation from a horror flick, MORGAN should do well enough at the box-office.

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IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE (Kraftidioten) (Norway/Sweden/Denmark 2014) ****

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in_order_of_disappearanceIN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE (Kraftidioten) (Norway/Sweden/Denmark 2014) ****
Directed by Hans Petter Moland

Review by Gilbert Seah

Can an ordinary man kill a drug lord? The answer is ‘yes’, if he is pushed beyond the limit, as this awesome Norwegian film attempts to prove, in a very violent, way.

Nils (Stellan Skarsgård) is a snow plough driver somewhere in Norway. He learns that his son, Ingvar has died, supposedly of a heroin overdose. Nils knows his son was no addict (his wife believes otherwise, though) and starts his own personal private investigation after his beaten up son’s friend confesses to Nils that his son was unknowingly involved in a drug delivery. Soon Nils finds out the local drug lord, known as ‘The Count’ (Pal Sverre Hagen) is behind the crime. He hunts down the two killers and kills both of them, but not before they confess. Based on this information, he goes after their boss, the Count, but finds himself in the crossfire between two rival gangs: one local, the Count and the one “imported” called Papa (Bruno Ganz) from Serbia.

The film contains more observational nuances than the normal action thriller that makes the story more interesting. An example is the scene of Nils asking his wife whether she knows where he had been. Nils is just proud that he had just disposed of one of the men in the chain that caused the death of their son. His wife just looks on nonchalantly.
The film plays like DIRTY HARRY with Skarsgard in the Clint Eastwood role. When the cops are useless and provide no answers into the truth of the son’s death, Nils takes matters into his own hands. The script proves the adage that a man will murder to protect his family.

The Norwegian landscape is used effectively. The film has repeated scenes of a body rolled up in chicken wire and tossed over the grand falls. Nils is also the champion of a huge snowblower that clears the roads of ice and snow. The wintry atmosphere adds to the bleakness of Nil’s situation.

The villain of the piece, the Count is also set up to be a ruthless father. The film spends again more time that the average action thriller on the villain. While showing him to be a ruthless maniac, he is also shown to be a father who wants the best for his son. He tells his bullied son to beat up the bully. He intimidates his driver for not fixing 5 organic fruits in his son’s lunch box and then warns him against talking business (he tells the boss that a worker has gone missing, the one who has just been killed by Nils). The encounters between him and his ex makes the funniest parts. Director Moland is expert in the creation of these wickedly devilish yet violent set-ups.
Skarsgard makes the unlikely but believable hero. He is comfortable in the role and it shows, having worked with director Moland in two other notable films ABERDEEN and ZERO KELVIN, also worthwhile films to catch.
The film is extremely violent. Those who love graphic violence as in horror films are in for a real treat. The humour is very black. For example the sign to the small town where Nils lives, “Welcome to Tycos” is shown half a dozen times as Nils drives in and out of the town to do his nasty business.

IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE is a film that proves that a well-worn story of revenge can still be made intriguing given a little inventiveness even if it comes with a bit of nastiness. This film is my personal favourite of the year!

 

 

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WAR DOGS (USA 2016) ****

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wardogs.jpgWAR DOGS (USA 2016) ****
Directed by Todd Phillips

Starring: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Steve Lantz

Review by Gilbert Seah

If you enjoyed the hectic style championed by Scorsese’s THE WOLF OF WALL STREET and David O. Russell’s AMERICAN HUSTLE and JOY, then you can expect more of the same in Todd Phillips’ (ROAD TRIP, THE HANGOVER films) WAR DOGS. WAR DOGS is a black hilarious no holds-barred type comedy, farcical, loud and into-ones-face. Not every topic is suited to this kind of treatment. The hectic pace of Wall Street traders, the madness of the falling real estate market and the rise in fame of an inventive mop heiress made perfect subjects. WAR DOGS deals with two 20-somethings striking it rich with arms dealing through the internet with dangerous wheeling and dealing – again a perfect subject. Director Phillips graduates to his first serious comedy after apprenticeship in madcap nonsense comedies like THE HANGOVER. And WAR DOGS, surprisingly is both a fantastic entertaining comedy and a farce on the American military arms sourcing.

The film is aided by the performances of two terrific young actors – Jonah Hill, twice Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor (MONEYBALL and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) and Miles Teller, best known for THE DIVERGENT series and who has proven his acting mettle in WHIPLASH. Hill is expert as portraying smart and crazy while making his dislikable character likeable and one to be somewhat admired. Not many actors can achieve this feat. Teller carries the other lead role confidently, proving himself to be one of the the hottest actors with talent. The film is told from David’s point of view, with him narrating the entire film.

The film follows two arms dealers, Efraim Diveroli (Hill) and David Packouz (Teller), who get a government contract to supply weapons for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The film is heavily fictionalized and dramatized.
The story is based on true events, but events so crazy, they have to be seen to be believed. But a key segment, the drive through Iraq (the triangle of death) depicted in the film never actually happened. Their first major job runs into trouble when the guns are stuck in Jordan. They solve their problem while Teller keeps the arms dealing a secret from his wife Iz (Ana de Armas). When this problem is solved, they hit another huge project. They enlist the aid of a mysterious American, Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper, who co-produced the film). The family scenes with David and Iz tone down the madness and put all the mayhem into perspective.
It is difficult to imagine how the film would have gone if the original actors Jesse Eisenberg and Shia LaBeouf were hired. But I would rather see Teller than Eisenberg who is now over-exposed with too many films already (CAFE SOCIETY, NOW YOU SEE ME). LaBeouf is too crazy and Hill brings a needed maturity to the role.

The company formed is called AEY, the letters not meaning anything. When told that IBM stands for International Business Machine by an employee, Effraim fires the guy in disgust claiming that only geeks know this fact. Phillips sets up this entire scene (running 5 – 10 minutes) for this one joke. But he funniest scene is the one where the two attend a military meeting totally stoned out of their minds, Phillips intersperses the film with titles/sayings and there are about 5 of them. (Examples: When does telling the truth ever helped anybody? God bless Dick Cheney’s America.) The neat thing is that a character would ultimately utter the exact saying out in the segment.

A puzzling point in the film is Henry Girard thanking David for not exposing him in the Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson. If that is true, how come his character exists in the movie?

WAR DOGS is smart, funny and edgy entertainment. It marks a brilliant debut from Todd Phillips who now proves himself a talented director to watch.

 

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LA TETE HAUTE (STANDING TALL) (France 2016) ****

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standingtall.jpgLA TETE HAUTE (STANDING TALL) (France 2016) ****
Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Rod Paradot, Benoît Magimel

Review by Gilbert Seah

LA TETE HAUTE follows, for a large portion, the same filming style as the Cannes winner Laurent Cantet’s ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASSROOM) and the more recent Stephanie Brize’s LA LOI Du MARCHE (MEASURE OF A MAN). All three turn out to be fascinating films, real life dramas suited to this kind of filming technique. The filming often has the camera stationed in a set-up in which a confrontation occurs. The actors have their role plays and they go at it, ensemble-style. The result is a compelling watch, with a more realistic feel as the scene looks totally unscripted, though it may not be. The camera focuses primarily on the actors, often with closeups on the reactions of dialogue that take place. The Dardenne Brothers attain an identical realism with a different technique, often placing the camera at neck level of the actors and following them closely around. LA TETE HAUTE occasionally feels like a Dardennes film since the protagonist is a kid, as kids are frequently the subjects in a Dardennes film. It would to be surprising if Bercot herself got some inspiration from Dardennes’ LE FILS another film about a delinquent boy.

Bercot allows the audience to root for the hot-tempered delinquent called Malony(Rod Paradot). Who would not like to see someone progress through the system and improve to be a functional citizen? But Bercot shows that the process is long and difficult but not impossible. Bercot (who co-wrote the script) attributes more effort by those helping the boy than put in by the boy himself. As the adage goes: “It takes a village to rear a child.”

Besides the boy, the supporting characters are all equally interesting. The mother, who is herself a delinquent, loses her two younger boys to social services. The boy’s councillor was himself a delinquent, younger on and got this job believing in the system. And there is the judge, magnificently played by Deneuve with all her regality. The scene in which she stretches out her hand to the boy in both desperation and sympathy is the film’s most touching moment.

But director Bercot takes her film one step further. She inserts more incidents than are normally found in a family drama. Included is a car crash, expertly shot and a home abduction.

There is much change the boy goes through, but these changes must be observed by the viewer. Malony is shown for once in a very vulnerable state crying for his mother when placed in prison for the first time. The way he holds the pencil to sign his name at the judge’s office shows progress from the way he held a pen with his fist at the start of the film. It can also be observed that most of the characters, the councillor and judge are also victims of the system. They have to work the system, just like the boy to each’s own advantage. There is much to be observed and learnt from Bercot’s film. That is what makes it so outstanding. It is a film about life and hardship – and how everyone faces his or her own at one time or another.

It is seldom that we get good French films these days. Cinefranco is gone. The number of French films that are commercially released has been reduced. This winner, that was chosen to open Cannes this year (the last time a French film opened Cannes was in 2005, Dominik Moll’s LEMMING that never got released here). It is a surprise and indeed good news that LA TETE HAUTE is released and before TIFF. The film comes highly recommended.

Movie Review: STEPHEN THE TIME TRAVELLING DOG (2016)

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STEPHEN THE TIME TRAVELLING DOG, 3min, UK, Comedy/Fantasy
Directed by Kyran Davies

Where’s Stephen?

Seen at the July 2016 COMEDY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Written and directed by Kyran Davies, Stephen The Time Traveling Dog is a delight. Short, humorous and filled with a surplus of sublet and colorful hints of Stephen’s mysterious powers, this film is an all-age laugh.  

The premise left room for much more possibility in the actual plot, but the story was entertaining regardless. It focuses on Stephens’ owner walking home, looking for him. Apparently Stephen gets lost a lot. Along the way of course are hints and clues that Stephen is living a fantastical life away from his owner.

Reprints of famous works of art that feature Stephen litter the owner’s walls.  Prehistoric size bones sit in the dog’s bed.  Antique knick-knacks from all over the world and from every time period litter Stephens’ owner’s’ home, and all serve to assist the world building aspect Stephen The Time Traveling Dog. From a production standpoint, the art and design team put incredible care into the detail, for the more you watch the short, the more subtle clues you find.

Absolutely worth a watch for a quick laugh and a whimsical story, Stephen The Time Traveling Dog will make you wonder what your pet is up to when you’re not around.

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Movie Review: NATIVE IMMIGRATION, 15min, UK, Comedy (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERNATIVE IMMIGRATION, 15min, UK, Comedy
Directed by Eric Romero

A mockumentary about a new shocking phenomenon named by the experts as ‘Native Immigration’. We will put a face to people like Manuel, Olamilekan and Chen Lee, whose life took a 180 degree turn when they discovered that…. they are immigrants.

Seen at the July 2016 COMEDY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Native Immigration by Eric Romero is a fine example of political satire. It follows, mockumentary style, one reporter investigating the phenomena of EU natives who come to shocking realization that they are foreigners. The irony here is that they are not actually immigrants, but would be able to pass as immigrant due to their ethnicity or cultural origin.

Unapologetically poking at the ridiculousness of judging a person based on their appearance, Native Immigration is full of one-line gems like “ I thought he was my dad, but it turns out he was just another chinese guy.”

With immigration being a hot topic with the EU in regards to Brexit, this movie is crucially timed to be a hot comedy button. Also potentially controversial enough to land itself in trouble. But for the audiences in North America, the film produces laughs, chuckles and more than a few ironic moments.

The risk of the film’s premise is to be commended, and while the comedy was flat in certain areas, the piece has some truly brilliant comic moments and a hilarious tag at the end. To quote the late and great Oscar Wilde, “ If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh. Otherwise they’ll kill you.” Bravo Native Immigration.

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Movie Review: THE DRUNK: GETTING HOME, 6min, UK, Comedy (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE DRUNK: GETTING HOME, 6min, UK, Comedy
Directed by Gabriel Foster Prior

Embark on a hilarious journey of a drunk trying to break into his own house. A slapstick comedy written by and starring Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Seann Walsh

Seen at the July 2016 COMEDY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Take your best friends’ worst drunk story, then double it. We are on the path to The Drunk, written by Seann Walsh directed by Gabriel Foster Prior, a story about getting a little too intoxicated for your own good.

At first you think the story might be an animation as it opens with a charming animated title sequence, but not to be fooled- it is a full live action comedy. Like many under 5 minute short comedy films, it is one long set up. But it certainly doesn’t lack comedy along the way to the punchline. From losing your money in the cab to not finding any food in your fridge, The Drunk takes you step by step through the antics one might get into and the thoughts that flicker through one’s’ mind when they’ve had a few too many.

They say the the true things are the funniest, and The Drunk certainly follows that philosophy as our leading man trips, staggers and crawls his way home, only to be met with the unpleasant realization that he is in the wrong house.

Full of physical comedy, well suited sound and music design and comically developed characters, The Drunk is a great comedy-centric short with lots of offer, if you want to sit back and enjoy someone else’s crazy night- with none of the sober sitting.

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