tiff 2018

TIFF 2018 Review: GIRL (Belgium 2018) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Girl Poster
Lara is a 15-year-old girl, born in the body of a boy, who dreams to become a ballerina.

Director:

Lukas Dhont

Writers:

Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens

Stars:

Victor Polster, Arieh Worthalter, Katelijne Damen

GIRL tells the story of a boy/girl (Victor Polster) born a girl in a boys’s body undergoing a sex change to become girl.  As if the body is not under sufficient strain, GIRL is pushing her body to the limit as she suffers in her daily training to become a ballerina.  She has a supportive father and loving younger brother.  

 GIRL is Dhont’s first film as he goes for realism at the expense of narrative.  His camerawork is nothing short of suburb as one can see the camera focus changing as he tracks his camera.  Often, the audience can tell what is happening by the camerawork from a closeup or camera shift, before being told verbally by the dialogue as to what has transpired. 

 Dhont also effectively captures the emotions of her characters.  GIRL is arguable the most emotional film screened at the festival.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdzu26tnUTc

TIFF 2018 Review: DRIVEN (USA 2018) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Driven Poster
Intense thriller where politics, big business and narcotics collide.

Director:

Nick Hamm

Writer:

Colin Bateman

Stars:

Lee Pace, Judy Greer, Jason Sudeikis

Irish Nick Hamm directs DRIVEN based on the outlandish true story of the John DeLorean (Lee Pace) the designer of the car of the same name (the vehicle used in BACK TO THE FUTURE), the rise and downfall of him and his Californian neighbour Jim (Jason Sudeikis).  This is the second film about drug snitching after WHITE BOY RICK but in this one the federal drug agent, Ben Tisa (Corey Stoll) is more effective. 

 While Hamm tries to dramatize the events, a lot of the film depends on the technical details of the case, which might bore a few people, judging front a number that left the theatre during the showing.  The fact that Hamm is Irish is clear with the facts emphasized that Belfast made the Titanic and a lot of workers will be out of work if the DeLorean manufacturing money does not go through.  The story is already crazy enough without having to put in the ridiculous 10 second ending which obviously did not happen. 

 Good period 70’s atmosphere coupled with superb performances by Sudeikis and Pace.

Trailer: https://teaser-trailer.com/movie/driven/

TIFF 2018 Review: TEEN SPIRIT (UK 2018) **

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Teen Spirit Poster
Trailer

Violet is a shy teenager living in the Isle of Wight who dreams of pop stardom as an escape from her small town and shattered family life. With the help of an unlikely mentor, Violet enters an international singing competition that will test her integrity, talent and ambition.

Director:

Max Minghella

Writer:

Max Minghella

Stars:

Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall, Millie Brady

The film’s setting is the Isle of Wight where a Polish family of single mother (Agnieszka Grochowska) and shy 17-year old daughter Violet (Elle Fanning) who dreams of pop stardom etch out a difficult living.  

Violet enters an international singing competition as an escape from her small town and difficult family life.  Her days are spent doing chores, waiting tables, and attending secondary school, where she keeps to herself.  Violet surrenders to song and enters a competition. She befriends Vlad (Zlatko Buric), a once-celebrated opera singer who hears Violet and knows she’s something special. 

 He declares himself her manager and trainer, accompanying her as she tries out for a popular televised musical talent program called Teen Spirit.  The film is totally cliche ridden and filled with predictable plot points right up to the very end of the film.  Fanning is fantastic in the role, who almost saves this bland crowd pleaser.  

The contestants on the TV series “America Got Talent’ perform much better.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu0Hwb6qUX0

TIFF 2018 Review: PAPI CHULO (IRELAND 2018) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Papi Chulo Poster
A lonely TV weatherman strikes up an unusual friendship with a middle-aged Latino migrant worker.

Director:

John Butler

Writer:

John Butler

Stars:

Matt Bomer, Alejandro Patiño, Elena Campbell-Martinez

John Butler returns to the festival after last year’s gay coming-out story HANDSOME DEVIL with another sweet gay story entitled PAPU CHULO.  Surprisingly, this one has nothing to do with Ireland,  A TV weatherman (Matt Boner) loses it live n television and forced to take a vacation. 

 He meets up with an older Latino, Ernesto (Alejndro Patino), a migrant worker that he grows attached to for his kindness and ear to listen.  The film reflects class, ethnicity and companionship with the weather standing as a metaphor for life.  It is a sweet film, though a little chiched,  with sweet intentions, difficult to dislike.

  One wishes writer/director Butler would have gone further with his film as PAPI CHULO could have been just as efficient as a short 1-hour movie.

Trailer: (Unavailable)

TIFF 2018 Capsule Review: NEKROTRONIC (Australia 2018)

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Nekrotronic Poster
A man who discovers that he is part of a secret sect of magical beings who hunt down and destroy demons in the internet.

Director:

Kiah Roache-Turner

Writers:

Kiah Roache-Turner, Tristan Roache-Turner

Stars:

Dave Beamish, Monica Bellucci, Charmaine Bingwa

From down under comes a zombie movie with zombie fighters against zombies.  The film begins with an introduction of the history of what has occurred, animated style.  This brings the story to the present where a group of hunters known as Nekromancers do battle with evil forces that use social media apps to demonically possess the masses.
  It is the brother team of  Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner with Kian directing.  The film plays like the typical horror comedy gore fest where anything goes.   The humour is occasionally laugh-out loud as in the case of a male nurse showing up at the hospital, with the lea character (Ben O’Toole) quipping: “What happened to all the pretty female nurses?  All I get is hair slapped on a penis, referring to an ugly male nurse that shows up.  Nothing really new but lots of blood and limbs splattered around for those who like this kind of stuff.  
The film updates the story to the ghosts begin able to travel through the internet.

TIFF 2018 Review: Most Beautiful Couple (Germany/Spain 2018) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

The Most Beautiful Couple Poster

Director:

Sven Taddicken

Writer:

Sven Taddicken

Stars:

Maximilian Brückner, Luise Heyer, Florian Bartholomäi

Young couple vacationing in Mallorca is attacked by three young men.  One of the young men, Sascha (Leonard Kunz) rapes Liv (Luise Heryer).  Writer/director Sven Taddicken takes his film two years later into the present setting where after therapy the couple, two teachers have recovered, after going through therapy,  Almost! 

 Until Malte, the husband (Maximilian Bruckner) sees the rapist, by chance on the street.  He accosts him, he retaliates, and things get worse ending with a full confrontational climax, together with Sascha’s girlfriend, Jenny (Jasna Fritz Bauer).  The film is reminiscent of Michael Haneke’s FUNNY GAMES.  Whereas FUNNY GAMES is more cinematic, Taddicken’s is more realistic dealing with how the couple felt and what will push them past their limits.  

A well executed credible thriller from start to finish making the film one of the low-budget gems of the festival.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYokr-eDMSI

TIFF 2018 Review: L’HOMME FIDELE (A FAITHFUL MAN) (France 2018) ****

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

A Faithful Man Poster
A couple’s relationship becomes complicated when she leaves him for his best friend, and returns after he dies.

Director:

Louis Garrel

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière, Louis Garrel

Stars:

Lily-Rose Depp, Louis Garrel, Laetitia Casta

Louis Garrel is the son of Philip Garrel who broke into fame as an actor in Bertolucci’s THE DREAMERS and the recent GODARD MON A’MOUR.  Louis proves his directing chops in this light hearted romantic comedy in the adventures of as the title implies, of one faithful man played by Garrel himself..  
He loves Marianne who leaves him for his best friend who after passing away moves in with her.  But her son with Tom breaks up the romance and has him now live with Eve who has always longed for him.  The voiceovers change between him, Eve and Marianne.  
The film reminds one immediately of Truffaut’s heavier LES DEUX ANGLAISES ET LE CONTINENT where voiceover rules the layered menage-a-trios love story.  Thought not as elegant, Garrel’s film is still smart, insightful while still maintaining its playfulness.  The film bursts in youth and romance.  Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining and yes, funny!

TIFF 2018 Capsule Review: HELMET HEADS (Costa Rica/Chile 2018)

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Directed by Neto Villalobos

 

HELMET HEADS is a comedy about a group of friends who ride motor-bikes for a living doing deliveries while also doing a bit on the side like collecting debts.  The head of the group appears to be the one with a birthmark – an unfunny running joke.

  One of them loses his job and ends up giving driving lessons while his friends sit cramped in the back seats.  They throw a party which he does not show up for.  That is the extent of the humour found in this sad excuse for a comedy.   Think SUPERTROOPERS without the laugh-out loud humour.

  The two SUPERTROOPERS films have got really bad reviews though they are really funny.  So know what to expect from HELMET HEADS.  The film is low budget with low production values. 

 The best camerawork appears to be the camera placed in front of the cyclists showing them riding their bikes.  Shot in Costa Rica.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjgpIny0Dec

TIFF 2018 Review: DONNYBROOK (USA 2018) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Donnybrook Poster
Two men prepare to compete in a legendary bare-knuckle fight where the winner gets a $100,000 prize.

Director:

Tim Sutton

Writer:

Tim Sutton

Stars:

Frank Grillo, Jamie Bell, Margaret Qualley

FIGHT CLUB meets BILLY ELLIOT.
  Jamie Bell is all pumped up in the role of an ex-marine trying to get out of drugs.  Drugs are bad!  His wife is addicted and he has to escape the wrath of a meth cook/dealer.  The story eventually ends with the two men — the ex-marine, Earl who struggles to provide for his family and that violent drug dealer with an undefeated fighting record — competing in the Donnybrook, a legendary, bare-knuckle brawl with a cash prize of $100,000.  
 Sutton’s film is not perfect, choppy and paints an unflattering look of America – best envisioned by a woman singing of the U.S. National amidst having a drag of her cigarette.  It is an America of clandestine drug deals, shady motel rooms, alcohol-fuelled brawls, and abandoned dreams.  
The film depends largely on Bell, who thankfully is believable as a tough guy though not believable to be tough enough to fight his opponent.

TIFF 2018 Review: CLIMAX (France 2018) ****

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2018. Go to TIFF 2018 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Climax Poster
Trailer

French dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced with LSD.

Director:

Gaspar Noé

Writer:

Gaspar Noé

Stars:

Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub

Gaspar Noe (CARNE, SEUL CONTRE TOUS, ENTER THE VOID) shows what genius can be done with a troupe of dancers obsessed with their art.  The film begins with interviews of individual members followed by an incredibly executed dance in synch to the amazement of the audience. 

 Third segment has the camera following the dancers as they interact with each other, speaking about their aims, fears or just plain flirtation.  This is followed once again by dance, this time with the camera placed permanent,y overhead of the dancers as they now individually dance into the frame, showing their prowess.  The dancers now drink the sangria which is spiked with LSD.  They never find out the culprit though the suspected get violently attacked.  

They last segment leading to the film’s CLIMAX has them indulging in sex and violent acts.  The film’s dance sequences alone are more than worth the price of admission but the film delves more deeply into man’s tortured soul including the concept of death.  

CLIMAX is not a film for everyone but is nothing one has seen before for those who can take it.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi69nL_VrTE