TIFF movie review

TIFF 2016 Movie Review: FRANTZ (France/Germany 2916) ***1/2

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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.

frantz_poster.jpg
FRANTZ (France/Germany 2916) ***1/2
Directed by Francois Ozon

Starring: Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Ernst Stötzner

Review by Gilbert Seah

What would be TIFF be without another film from French director Francois Ozon who has a new film very festival?

FRANTZ is Ozon’s elegiac tale of love and remembrance set in a small German town in the aftermath of World War I, where a young woman mourning the death of her fiancé forms a bond with a mysterious Frenchman who has arrived to lay flowers on her beloved’s grave. Anna was engaged to Frantz, who was killed, and the people in her German home town are just beginning to emerge from the shadow of horrendous conflict.

Frantz’s parents are shattered over their son’s death. The stranger reveals himself to be Adrien (Pierre Niney) who knew Frantz in the pre-war period, when the two of them became fast friends over their shared love of art and, in particular, music. But there is much more in the story, which is revealed a bit at a time in Ozon’s carefully calculated though slow moving tale of redemption.

This is Ozon’s most emotional film and though might be tedious to some, succeeds in the very end. Shot in both German and French, black and white and in colour.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO_z5BRsFnM

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: DEEPWATER HORIZON (USA 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.

deepwater_horizon_poster.jpgDEEPWATER HORIZON (USA 2016) **
Directed by Peter Berg

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Mark Wahlberg, Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, Ethan Suplee, John Malkovich

Review by Gilbert Seah

Based on the true-life worst U.S. oil disaster in history, DEEPWATER HORIZON is nothing more than a super expensive a re-enactment of the disaster using special effects with a cliched story line framed by testimonies of the survivors at a hearing.

Director Peter Berg who made some original films in his time like VERY BAD THNGS and KINGDOM seems to be out of touch here. The film is a complete bore from start to finish with cardboard performances from Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez and Kate Hudson.

Even John Malkovich dishing, out his usual side nastiness cannot save the day. Another disaster film that proves that disaster films (THE TOWERING INFERNO, THW SWARM, both POSEIDON ADVENTURES) are pure disastrous rubbish!

Lots and lots of pyrotechnics but repeated again and again with lots of screaming actors. See it in IMAX for a larger than human headache experience.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-UPJyEHmM0

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: (re) ASSIGNMENT (USA/Canada/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.

re_assignment_poster.jpg(re) ASSIGNMENT (USA/Canada/France 2016) ***
Directed by Walter Hill

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Caitlin Gerard

Review by Gilbert Seah

From Walter Hill, the director of classics like 48 HOURS, THE LONG RIDERS and THE WARRIORS, (re) ASSIGNMENT is a revenge action thriller with a difference. Michelle Rodriguez plays a lowlife killer put through full male-to-female gender reassignment surgery by a score-settling surgeon (Sigourney Weaver).

The surgeon is first seen straitjacketed in an interrogation room. Calmly, and not without pride, she recounts to her psychiatrist (Tony Shalhoub) how she got there.

The film unfolds in multiple layered flashbacks, one occurring before the previous one. The film is also appropriately framed by comic book graphics.

A lowlife killer named Frank Kitchen (Rodriguez) killed her brother, so she took her ultimate revenge. She captured him and conducted full gender-reassignment surgery. Now Frank is forced to face the world as a woman.

Confused, pissed off, and as macho as ever, she’s out for her own vengeance.

Rodriguez plays both the male and female roles but it is Weaver who steals the show as the straightjacketed surgeon with her extremely snide remarks. Seems that the movie was written for Weaver.

 

 

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: RAW (France/Belgium 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.

raw_poster.jpgRAW (France/Belgium 2016) ***
Directed by Julia Ducournau

Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella

Review by Gilbert Seah

As a first time director of a horror feature, Julia Ducournau gets her facts straight. At the introduction of RAW at TIFF Midnight Madness, she told a full house that when she asked a fellow filmmaker about Toronto audiences, she had been told which she did repeat, to huge cheers, that Toronto has the best audience in the world.

Her film about a new graduate in a vet medical university reminds one immediately of Dario Argento’s SUSPIRA. The vet school environment is fully utilized with the blood of animals constantly splattered on the freshies, sights of bottled carcasses as well party happenings (the music track from the club is amazing!). Shy 16-year-old Justine (Garance Marillier) is following in the footsteps of her entire family when she enrols at veterinary college, where she finds herself in the shadow of her distant and dismissive older sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf ).

To make matters worse, she is thrown into the humiliating traditions of the school’s wild and vicious hazing rituals. A strict vegetarian like her parents, Justine is confronted with a moral dilemma when she must eat a raw rabbit liver as part of an initiation rite.

When she does, her tastes transform to the desire for more flesh including human ones. The film traces her roots and transformation. A neat subplot has her falling in love with a gay Arab. French FX master Olivier Afonso (who was also responsible for Midnight Madness horror favourite À L’INTERIEUR) again does marvellous work.

The paramedics had to be called during the screening. The most gruesome segment is the finger eating scene.

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: CITY OF TINY LIGHTS (UK 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.

city_of_tiny_lights_poster.jpgCITY OF TINY LIGHTS (UK 2016) **
Directed by Pete Travis

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Billie Piper, James Floyd

Review by Gilbert Seah

The city referred to in the title is London. And Travis’ moody film about a brooding detective is a film noir set in this city.

A down-at-heel private eye, Tommy (Riz Ahmed) is drawn into a dangerous world of religious fanaticism and political intrigue as he investigates a missing persons case. (What other cases are there for Private Investigator film noirs?) One day Melody (Cush Jumbo) walks into his office, like the typical classic femme fatale. Her friend Natasha has gone missing. Tommy helps and the rest is the rest of the story.

Based on his own novel and writing the script, Patrick Neate shows the solution to the mystery is just as important as the atmosphere created of the city. But Travis’ over serious film is too ponderous, with this genre done so much better in countless films. Riz Ahmed’s performance, however is excellent as is Roshan’s Seth’s.

Seth plays Tommy’s cricket obsessed father who saves the day a the climax.

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: FOREVER PURE (Israel/UK/Norway/Ireland 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.

forever_pure_poster.jpgFOREVER PURE (Israel/UK/Norway/Ireland 2016) ***
Directed by Maya Zinshtein

DOCUMENTARY

Review by Gilbert Seah

Sometimes you have to show that racism wins in order to put it down. Zinshtein’s controversial documentary does just that. The audience will be disgusted at how the Israeli Beiter football club got its way.

The title FOREVER PURE refers to the Beitar Jerusalem Football club that the fans said lost their purity when they brought in two Arab footballers.

This is the true story of the club, which became a flashpoint for controversy in 2012 when the signing of two Muslim players brought down the racist wrath of the team’s long-time fans. Team owner Arcadi Gaydamak, a Russian-born billionaire and failed mayoral candidate in Jerusalem, signs two Muslim players from Chechnya.

Their presence turns La Familia into opponents of their own team and initiates an ideological contest with wide ripples. The doc also reveals the owner’s real motive in hiring the two Muslim players and also contains some precious shost of the Israeli Prime Minister having his say.

FOREVER PURE is the most racist themed film of TIFF and likely one that will affect audiences the most. Not a dull moment from start to finish.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/146790418

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: UNLESS (Canada/Ireland 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.

unless_poster.jpgUNLESS (Canada/Ireland 2016) ***
Directed by Alan Gilsenan

Starring: Catherine Keener, Matt Craven, Hannah Gross

Review by Matthew Toffolo

Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener and Hannah Gross star in this adaptation of the final novel by the late, great Canadian novelist Carol Shields, about a writer who discovers her runaway daughter panhandling on the street and seemingly deprived of speech.

An accomplished writer and translator, Reta Winters (Keener) is blindsided and flummoxed by the recent actions of her eldest daughter, Norah (Hannah Gross). For no discernible reason, Norah has dropped out of university and now spends her days panhandling on the sidewalk outside of Toronto landmark Honest Ed’s.

The cardboard sign she affixes to her chest features only one word: GOODNESS. Reta fears losing her connection to her daughter, but is it possible Norah is seeking some way of reconnecting to the world?

The question remains throughout the film of “WHY?”. Why is this happening to this girl? Is this a spiritual journey that Norah is experiencing, or is it more of an emotional breakdown? The payoff does come in the end and it’s perhaps a bit perplexing on what took so long for this family to figure this all out! The only real flaw of this film.

This is a very original film in terms of its story and how it treats a person like Norah. I’m sure many in the medical profession would roll their eyes at this film as science demands an answer. It’s simple cause and effect equaling a conclusion to why. UNLESS attempts to answer the “WHY” from a more metaphysical point of view. Things are not that simple and many humans need to explore what this world and existence is all about – especially after experiencing a tragedy like Norah has.

UNLESS is simply the perfect film for a festival like TIFF. It’s never going to garner a large amount of attention and many critics will dismiss this film because its plot points and directorial design aren’t something they are used to. If you’re a fan of festivals and are looking to see films that you won’t see at the cinema or on NetFlix, UNLESS is that perfect film.

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: TRESPASS AGAINST US (UK 2016) ***1/2

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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.

trespass_against_us_poster.jpgTRESPASS AGAINST US (UK 2016) ***1/2
Directed by Adam Smith

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Rory Kinnear

Review by Gilbert Seah

Like the 2010 Australian film ANIMAL KINGDOM, also the name of the film’s production company, TRESPASS AGAINST US is a film about a dysfunctional crime family – British style. The family live in a trailer park in England a kind of white British trailer trash.

The patriarch is a foul-mouthed small time crook, Colby (Brendan Gleeson) who tries his best to make a quick buck while holding his fighting family together. Nothing is mentioned of his wife or past life. But the protagonist is his son, Chad (Michael Fassbender) who wishes the best for his son so that he will not grow up like him and illiterate.

The cops are shown as rude characters following trying to catch the family at their crimes. It is a well acted and well directed film, but we have seen all this before.

Trailer: https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=trespass+against+us+trailer

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: TRAMPS (USA 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.

tramps_poster.jpgTRAMPS (USA 2016) **
Directed by Adam Leon

Starring: Callum Turner, Grace Van Patten, Michal Vondel

Review by Gilbert Seah

Adam Leon’s low budget lonely hearts club romance has two newcomers Callum Turner and Grace Van Pattern play two unlikely pawns in a shady delivery deal.

They are supposed to do a briefcase exchange with a lady with a green bag, the only problem being that there are two ladies a green bag who show up. Besides hunting down the briefcase, the two have nothing better to do but to fall in love.

The easy going narrative almost works, but it is too simple for too long and gets too predictable towards the end. But decent performance are delivered in a film with a soundtrack that appears to be turned on and off by the volume knob.

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM (UK 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_limehouse_golem_posterTHE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM (UK 2016) **

Directed by Juan Carlos Medina

Starring: Eddie Marsan, Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy

Review by Gilbert Seah

This crime whodunit period piece which combines theatre and grisly murders plays like a super violent Sherlock Holmes mystery. The Limehouse is the working class theatre where Little Lizzie (Olivia Cooke) performs.

The story is told in flashback when Lizzie is accused of poisoning her husband (Sam Reid). Enter into the picture Inspector Kildaire (Bill Nighy) and his trusty helper, Constable Flood (Daniel Mays).

At the same time, a serial murderer, whose horrendous acts soon have the city in a panic, is on the loose. Inscriptions in Latin are streaked across walls in the blood of victims. The crimes are so disturbing that many attribute them to the shadowy golem of Jewish legend.

For a modest production budget, the 19th century London period rich atmosphere is well captivated with great attention to detail. Performances are all around excellent ranging from the restraint Eddie Marsan to the indulgent Douglas Booth as the cross-dressing performer Dan Reno.

The trouble is the plot that gets a bit too complicated before too simply explained at the end. The accidental hanging death during a performance at the Limehouse does not make much sense either.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/10176123limehouse_golem_poster” align=”left” width=”182″ height=”268″ />

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