tiff 2018

TIFF 2018 Review: CAPERNAUM (Lebanon 2018) *****Top 10

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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.

Capernaum Poster
A politically-charged fable, featuring mostly non-professional actors, about a child who launches a lawsuit against his parents.

Director:

Nadine Labaki

Writers:

Jihad Hojeily (screenwriter), Michelle Keserwany(screenwriter) | 2 more credits »

Stars:

Kawthar Al Haddad, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Nadine Labaki

I did not think too much of Nadine Labaki’s 2011 TIFF People’s Choice Award winner WHERE DO WE GO NOW?,  a female whimsical tale of sorts but in her latest film, she explores the lives of children living on the fringes of Lebanese society.

  This is in contrast, a dead serious film with a male protagonist, though a 12- year old male boy who, when the film begins is suing his parents for bringing him into this unfriendly world.   Zain (Zain Al Rafeea) is only 12, but he’s seen enough of this life to resent his very existence.  His parents have sold his sister and he runs away from home, ending up in prison for stabling the man who bought his sister.  Al Rafeea is sensational as the young rebel. 

 Labaki’s camera captures the dirt and poverty of the underbelly of Lebanese life where even hope is a luxury.  That title comes from the name of the town on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus healed the sick in Biblical times.

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

 

TIFF 2018 Review: KURSK (Belgium/Luxembourg 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.

Kursk Poster
Trailer

The film follows the 2000 K-141 Kursk submarine disaster and the governmental negligence that followed. As the sailors fight for survival, their families desperately battle political obstacles and impossible odds to save them.

Director:

Thomas Vinterberg

Writer:

Robert Rodat

Stars:

Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth, Matthias Schoenaerts

KURSK follows the true story of the August 2000 sinking of the Russian submarine KURSK and the international effort made to save her survivors.  The film benefits from well respected director Vinterberg working with scriptwriter Robert Rodat who wrote SAVING PRIVATE RYAN with stars Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts as Russian Navy Officer Mikhael LKalekov,  Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth and Max Von Sydow.  

The film’s claustrophobic scenes especially the cramped quarters flooded with water are harrowing to watch.  One cannot help but feel as well as admire these men who would give up their all for their country.  But is Russia willing to do her all for these sailors?   The wives are kept in the dark as to what is happening.  Surprisingly, the film’s best scene is the naval conference where the wives attack the naval authorities for doing nothing. 

 The film’s production sets and the explosion scenes are incredibly realistic making KURSK a totally emotional suspenseful drama of the highest level.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xExzwSc4_eQ

TIFF Reviews 2018: DOGMAN (France/Italy 2018) ***1/2

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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.

Dogman Poster
Trailer

Marcello, a small and gentle dog groomer, finds himself involved in a dangerous relationship of subjugation with Simone, a former violent boxer who terrorizes the entire neighborhood. In an… See full summary »

Director:

Matteo Garrone

Writers:

Ugo Chiti, Massimo Gaudioso | 

Stars:

Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano

Director Matteo Garrone’s (GOMORRA) latest film DOGMAN begins with an angry dog growling his teeth in closeup, a very appropriate beginning of a very angry film that tells a tale of vengeance by a mild-mannered DOGMAN pushed to the limit.  The dogman is Marcello who owns a dog care shop.

  He knows and loves his dogs, just as he loves his daughter who he occasionally sees.  The film does not delve into his family affairs and the audience assumes Marcello is separated from his wife.  He snorts coke and hangs around a big hulk and uncontrollable bully, Simone.  The neighbourhood wants to bring Simone down as he is nothing but trouble but ends up leaving him alone  When Simone fucks Marcello up in a series of events, Marcello eventually gives the bully in comeuppance,  Garrone’s film is attain a difficult watch.  

He is a good storyteller that connects the audience to his characters.  He even makes the bully sympathetic, loving his helpless mother and not being too bright. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eum93mpzpE0

TIFF 2018 Review: NON-FICTION (DOUBLES VIES) (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.

Double Lives Poster
Set in the Parisian publishing world, an editor and an author find themselves in over their heads, as they cope with a middle-age crisis, the changing industry and their wives.

Director:

Olivier Assayas

Writer:

Olivier Assayas

Stars:

Guillaume Canet, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Macaigne

 

Assayas proves once agin his ‘auteur’ status with this playful yet literary and contemporary take on art imitating life.  Two couples are under examination as each member  having an affair with the opposite sex of the other couple, all still remaining friends.  Set in Paris.  

 The film begins with a publisher (Guillaume Canet) turning down the work of his friend (Vincent Macaigbe) who is having an affair with his successful actress wife (Juliette Binoche).  There is debate on the decline of publishing revenue compared to the likes of audio books and e-books.  This is a very talky film the most talky of all the Assayas films and shows the director’s intelligence on what is current in the world today – besides showing him a respected director. 

 Assayas fans will not be disappointed.  Also quite funny especially with the actress referring to Juliette Binoche at the end of the film, again art imitating life.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qMeIhQ5An4

 

 

TIFF 2018 Review: SPLINTERS (Canada 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.

Splinters Poster
Two decades after his inspired feature debut The Hanging Garden won best Canadian Feature at TIFF, Thom Fitzgerald again explores interconnections of sexual identity, family, and small-town…See full summary »

Director:

Thom Fitzgerald

Writers:

Thom Fitzgerald, Lee-Anne Poole (based on the stage play by)

Stars:

Deb Allen, Gil Anderson, Sofia Banzhaf

Nova Scotian Thom Fitzgerald hit it big with his first feature THE HANGNG GARDEN.

Once again, Fitzgerald again explores interconnections of sexual identity, family, and small-town Nova Scotia life, in this intimate drama about a young woman reassessing her relationship with her mother following the death of her father.  The film opens with Belle returning to her town for her father’s funeral with lacklustre greetings by family and friends. 

 Nobody is really glad to see her again, less her mother who seems to be Mrs. Grumpy from start to finish.  Unfortunately, the film is about Belle’s relationship with her mother.  Belle is then unexpectedly visited by Rob who is revealed to be her boyfriend.  But Belle has come out before as a lesbian and is also shown in a lesbian love-making scene. 

 It is difficult to see the reason Belle’s boyfriend Rob falls for her or what he sees in her.  The story, based on the stage play by Lee-Anne Poole is puzzling and really leads nowhere, and nowhere very slowly.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=QpBtcwX_HCw

TIFF: 2018 Review: LES SALOPES or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin (Canada 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.

Les Salopes or The Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin Poster
Revealing women, showing men Dermatology professor Marie-Claire is embarking on a new project linking skin cells and sexuality, when unexpected events disrupt her professional, family and intimate life.

Director:

Renée Beaulieu

Writer:

Renée Beaulieu

Stars:

Vincent Leclerc, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Charlotte Aubin

 

Soft porn, art movie or soft porn art in the guise of an art movie?  Marie-Claire (Brigitte Poupart), in her mid-40’s is a professor of dermatology, embarking on a study of how skin cells are affected by desire. 

Director Beaulieu also puts in her two cents worth about the sex theory.  Meanwhile, promising student Sofia (Charlotte Aubin) hopes to find tangible proof of love on the cellular level.  Director Beaulieu gives Marie-Claire a loving family, a sexy and loving husband (who still have sex with her) and two children.  Things get to a boil when they find out what mummy is up to.  Beaulieu’s film is more intriguing than it sounds as her subject faces different situations resting fro her sexual promiscuity. 

 As expected, there are lots of erotic and sex scenes.  Brigitte Poupart is winning as the film’s subject.

Trailer: (unavailable)

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TIFF 2018 Reviews: LIGHT AS FEATHERS (Netherlands 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.

Light as Feathers Poster
15 year old Eryk lives with his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother in a small village in Poland. He has a too intimate relation with his manipulative and dominant mother. Eryk is in …See full summary »

Director:

Rosanne Pel

Writer:

Rosanne Pel

Stars:

Erik Walny, Ewa Makula, Klaudia Przybylska

LIGHT AS FEATHERS is heavy family drama done minimalist style with the audience left to interpret the incidents happening on screen as to cause and effect.  The film’s setting is a Polish village with the characters speaking Polish despite the film being a Dutch production.

The film centres around a young impressionable youth Eryk (Eryk Walny) who lives with with his dissatisfied mother (she complains about how life is leading her nowhere at the start of the film), Ewa (Ewa Makuula) and grandmother in a Polish village.  Eryk plays rough games like wrestling with the other boys while having his neighbour Klaudia (Klaudia Przybylska) as his girlfriend.  

Things are not going too well with the family especially for Eryk – no ambition, no career guidance and no male role model.  Things come to a boil when Eryk gets Klaudia pregnant.  Pel’s film is brutal too watch with some mean dialogue spoken as well.  Mother to Eryk” “I regret giving birth to you.”  Pel gets her message of youth confusion across but does not offer any solutions.  

Eryck is at least showing signs of maturity towards the film’s end.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/253635858

 

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TIFF 2018 Review: KINGSWAY (Canada 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 Bruce Sweeney

This dysfunctional comedy is done with much of the Bruce Sweeney wit that viewers of his previous films DIRTY, LAST WEDDING and EXCITED are used to.  And it is bitingly funny.  Take the first scene with Matt (Jeff Gladstone) in his psychiatrist office. “I am better.  I don’t need to be here and I can leave.” 

 So he gets up and leaves the office.  But Matt is not better but getting worse, even considering suicide.  It does not help that his wife, Lori is having and affair but worst of all, his dysfunctional family is butting in trying to do what they think is best for him – which is not.  The bossy sister, Jess (Camille Sullivan) and mother, Mary (Gabrielle Rose, who is always a pleasure to watch) will not leave Matt alone, even stooping so low as to confront Lori for him.  Director Sweeney knows how to tread the fine line between anxiety and crazy and often the line is blurred.  

One wishes that there would be something deeper in the story or some message  for the audience but Sweeney’s film is so entertaining, no one really cares for anything deeper.  The fantastic cast do a great a job as well.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ILcjp-x44

 

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TIFF 2018 Review: CONSEQUENCES (Slovenia/Austria 218) ***1/2

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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.

Consequences Poster
After being sent to a youth detention centre, 18-year-old Andrej has to fight for his place within the group of inmates while getting closer to Zeljko, their informal leader, and struggling to keep his repressed secret in the dark.

Director:

Darko Stante

Writer:

Darko Stante

Stars:

Matej Zemljic, Timon Sturbej, Gasper Markun

“If you fuck up, there will be CONSEQUENCES.”  so says one of the supervisors at a youth detention centre to the youth under him, who obviously think it an idle threat.  CONSEQUENCES is the impressive directorial debut of Slovenian filmmaker Darko Štante centring on one such troubled youth, Andrej (Matej Zemljic).

  Andrej does not go to school, throws temper tantrums and is prone to anger, violence and lies.  His parents have given up on him and therefore send him to a youth detention centre where he survives the bullying and gangs, owing to the fact that he is strong and feisty enough to challenge whoever gives him a hard time. 

 The film does not delve into the reasons behind Andrej’s anger but shows him to be awkwardly sensitive in  few incidents.  He is kind to his pet rat and sympathetic to a family he is about to rob as they have a backward daughter.  The film is less a coming-of-age saga than an account of the youth’s self discovery. 

 The film is supposedly based on the director’s own experiences working with youth in a correctional facility and it shows.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W8v3feKptE

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TIFF 2018 Review: ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH (Canada 2018) ***1/2

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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.

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch Poster

Director:

Jennifer Baichwal

Star:

Alicia Vikander

 

Filmmakers filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier return with their latest and third of their trilogy after MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES and WATERMARK, entitled ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH.  

The doc, written by Baichwal and narrated by Swedish actress and Oscar winner Alicia Vikander is a disturbing doc that demands to be seen for it explores human impact on the Earth.  The film’s first scene is that of molten metal.  

The site on display is north of the Arctic circle in what Baischwal describes as Russia’s most polluted city.  This is where the world’s largest metal smelting industry is located.  Baichwal and her crew travel the world documenting evidence of human domination – from concrete seawalls that cover 60% of China’s mainland coast, to psychedelic potash mines in Russia’s Ural Mountains, to vast marble quarries in Italy, to surreal phosphate tailings ponds in Florida.  

ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH is a spectacular film – Baichwal’s best of her trilogy.  She has spent an immense amount of time on research and travels resulting in this magnificent educational documentary.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44RYqgKwfSQ

 

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