Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Dome Karukoski, Ville Virtanen, Tommi Korpela
The latest film by Master of deadpan comedy Aki Kuarismaki tackles the issue of the refugee crisis in Europe. As the film opens, the audience sees a Syrian refugee, Haji pull himself out of a coal dumpster in ship docked at a port in Finland. Khaled (Sherwan Haji) seeks refugee status but is ironically refused on the basis of peace in his region, just as news on the TV report multiple bombings in his town with dozens of casualties.
At the same time, a Finnish middle-aged man is seeking a new life for himself as he leaves his wife, wins money at poker and buys a restaurant business. The two meet after a fight and Haji is aided by the restaurant owner.
This is Kaurismaki’s most serious film to date and it sends an urgent message of the refugee status. Kaurismaki has still not lost his sense of humour as illustrated in an important scene in the film when Khaled says: “I love Finland like nothing you can imagine, but please get me out of here!”
For those familiar with Kaurismaki, there are familiar segments in this film that are found in his other films like the gambling, starting up a new restaurant business, the cute pet dog and the folk music.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtiFG6utst8
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: DISAPPEARANCE (Norway 2017) ***
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writer:
Stars: Jakob Oftebro, Rifka Lodeizen, Elsie de Brauw
A silent reconciliation or attempt at that anyway, between daughter and concert pianist mother will immediately draw comparison with Ingmar Bergman’s classic AUTUMN SONATA.
In DISAPPEARANCE, Norwegian photojournalist Roos (Rifka Lodeizen) makes her annual visit home. In the film, she stops her car in the middle of a snow field to smoke a fag.
While reaching the home, loud barking dogs greet her. These are signs that things are going to be rough with mother. Such is the enjoyment of DISAPPEARANCE, a slow moving but pensive tale where the mother, Louise (Elsie de Brauw), a celebrated former concert pianist, remains as cold and remote as the wintry alpine landscape she inhabits, while Roos’ precocious 13-year-old half-brother, Bengt (Marcus Hanssen), continues to conduct his experiments with sound recording and mixing.
The audience witnesses a dramatic transformation has transpired in Roos as she reconciles with Louise, in this stunningly photographed film.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToARBtyKts4
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: ALIAS GRACE (Canada 2017) ***
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft, Zachary Levi
ALIAS ALICE is a layered historical drama based on of Margaret Atwood’s Giller Prize–winning novel about a poor Irish servant accused and convicted of murder, from Canadians screenwriter Sarah Polley and director Mary Harron (AMERICAN PSYCHO).
This is a woman’s film all the way, and the female presence is felt – and in a good way. The story concerns the incident of Marks allegedly killing her wealthy employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his stern housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery, in Upper Canada in 1843.
Years later, as the adult Grace relates her story (as the film begins) to an increasingly appalled and distracted doctor brought in to assess her sanity, it becomes clear there’s far more at work here than widely assumed. The ALIAS PROJECT is filmed as a TV miniseries.
The film shown at TIFF, well shot, well acted, written and directed and even more impressive being for TV, is comprised of the first two episodes.
The film ends with the audience wanting for more.
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: DOWNSIZING (USA 2017) ****
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau
DOWNSIZING, a film combining several genres offers the solution to the world’s problem of overpopulation.
If people can be reduced in size to a thousandth of their original, many of the world problems could be solved. People will only eat, use and dispose much, much less product. When science finally achieved the success of downsizing, many colonies were begun.
So, Matt Damon and wife opt to be reduced and live in their new reduced size colony for monetary benefit. Things never go as expected, as in a similar film long time back in Michael Crichton’s sci-fi WESTWORLD.
DOWNSIZING contains a script written by Payne and Jim Taylor that is occasionally brilliant with lots of attention to details. The film does not go into thriller territory but into more ambitious aims. Payne’s social satire does not fully work and ends up too ambitious for its own good.
Still, the film is engaging from start to finish to a large part to Damon’s performance with help from a host of impressive stars (Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Laura Dern, Jason Sudeikis, Alec Baldwin, and Neil Patrick Harris). Better a film that with high aims that falters that a minimalist film with no faults.
The special effects and cinematography are also amazing. Shot in Toronto and around the fiords of Norway.
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: PLONGER (France 2017) ***
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writers:
Christophe Deslandes (screenplay), Julien Lambroschini(screenplay)
Stars:
Gilles Lellouche, María Valverde, Ibrahim Ahmed
PLONGER refers to scuba diving, the sport featured in the film and in the relationship between Paz (María Valverde) is a Spanish photographer seeking adventure and César (Gilles Lellouche), a French war correspondent, but he is now looking for a quieter life.
The two are very different people. They fall in love. Wen Paz is pregnant, their reactions are different. PLONGER looks at birth from a whole different perspective as well as the relationship of the couple.
Though the film centres on Paz, the story is related from the man Cesar’s point of view, which is interesting as this is a female director’s film. Pensive and full of insight despite, PLONGER is well worth a look.
The film is an adaptation of Christophe Ono-dit Biot’s novel of the same name. The film also contains stunning underwater photography.
Trailer: (unavailable at time of writing)
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: LES GARDIENNES (THE GUARDIANS) (France/Switzerland 2017) ****
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Nathalie Baye, Iris Bry, Laura Smet
LES GUARDIENNES (THE GUARDIANS) is director Xavier Beauvois’ (LE PETIT LIEUTENANT) handsomely mounted period piece of World War II told during the period of 4 years from 1916, the start to end.
It is a story that needs to be told – of what effects the war as well as modernization had on a typical farm family in France.
The women of the Pardier farm, under the deft hand of the family’s matriarch (Nathalie Baye in arguably her best role), must grapple with the workload while the men, including two sons, are off at the front. Her husband, daughter and , grand-daughter remain with her. She seeks the aid of an outsider, a strong 25-year old orphan, Francine (Laura Smet) who turns out to be an excellent worker.
When Francine and on of the sons fall in love, the trouble starts. Beauvois’ film is almost perfect in he creation of the war atmosphere and of rural France. The harvesting and planting seasons are beautifully captured on film.
The film also does not gear towards the typical Hollywood ending but a realistic credible one instead.
Trailer: (unavailable)
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: NUMERO UNE (NUMBER ONE) (France 2017) ***
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
In this whip-smart drama about corporate sexism, top French star Emmanuelle Devos plays a high-ranking female executive who is forced to consider her options and marshal her forces when she realizes that the glass ceiling is fast approaching.
Director:
Writers:
Raphaëlle Bacqué (collaboration), Marion Doussot
Tonie Marshall’s corporate drama NUMERO UNE has high hopes for women, the director herself being one of the top French directors today. The story charts the climb to first place of a female business executive, Emmanuelle (Emmanuelle Devos) to head a top CAC 40 (French Stock Market) company.
She is very good at her current job, as seen in many sequences, even speaking and singing Chinese songs with Chinese executives in her environmental friendly wind turbine company. She is wooed by a feminist group to head Athena, though this comes at a cost of her husband (John Lynch) losing his job and other nasties.
The film itself has high hopes but gets bogged down by having one too many subplots which include, Emmanuelle’s sick father (veteran actor Sami Frey), her marriage problems, blackmail and other assortment of problems.
Still Devos (READ MY LIPS, KINGS AND QUEENS, UN PROPHET), as always is a pleasure to watch, and so is the film, despite its flaws.
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: BPM (120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE) (France 2017) ****
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, Adèle Haenel
BPM, 120 battements par minute (beats per minute) centres on the French chapter of the protest organization ACT UP, and the dynamics, personal and public, amongst this disparate group of men and women affected by AIDS.
The film begins with one of its protests followed by a meeting that analyzes its effectiveness. In it, Campillo introduces his characters, its two leaders before concentrating on HIV positive Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart). Sean is a charismatic and very oratorical young militant who wades fearlessly into action, bolstered by the courage of his convictions.
To make his film more personal as well as effective, Campillo puts faces into the organization of ACT UP. Sean meets (at a rally) Nathan and has sex, beginning a relationship. The film also documents different reactions to the ACT UP activities. BPM, one of the best films of TIFF is definitely also its most powerful one.
Those who are HIV positive have the members of ACT UP and other activist groups to thank for the progress made as of today.
For a film that deals with the topic of death, BPM is full of life. A film that deserves to be angry for the fact that the privilege of living for many has almost been taken completely away.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fhO2A4SL24
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (UK/Ireland 2017) ***1/2
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Nicole Kidman, Alicia Silverstone, Colin Farrell
Greek director (DOGTOOTH and THE LOBSTER) Yourgos Lanthimos’s latest feature is a supernatural psychological thriller that is the most difficult to watch despite its bouts of black humour.
The film follows Dr. Steven Murphy (Farrell), a cardiac surgeon who is first seen at a diner meeting with a 16-year-old named Martin (Barry Keoghan).
The doctor buys the boy an expensive watch as a present. The relationship between the two is revealed as the film goes on. Steven introduces Martin to his wife (Nicole Kidman) and two children. Martin, determined to ingratiate himself into this unfamiliar new family, becomes something like an adopted son. Strange things begin to happen with the children developing paralysis right out of the blue.
Secrets start coming out of the closet. Director Lanthimos unveils bits at a time, thus keeping the audience in anticipation. It is safe to say that the film gets more and more serious and ends up becoming quite a disturbing watch. Lanthimos does not skimp on the violence and language.
The film has a lot of anger and the anger is slowly but surely unleashed by every one in the party concerned. THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER is a well executed psychological and emotional horror film but not for everyone!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFdGfwChtw
TIFF 2017 Movie Review: BORG/McENROE (Sweden/Denmark/Finland 2017) ***
Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Sverrir Gudnason
Chosen as the Opening film of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, BORG/McENROE is one of two tennis films playing, the other one being BATTLE OF THE SEXES.
The two films by inevitable comparison show vast differences in approach. BORG/McENROE takes its subject of tennis very seriously while the other doesn’t relying on comedy to stir its audience.
The results of the tennis matches are crucial for both films. In BORG/McENROE, they are exciting and competently shot while the other one is laughable and boring.
The actors also here sport tennis bodies while Emma Stone is too skinny and Carell too bloated.
Borg/McEnroe tells the story of the epic rivalry between Swedish tennis legend Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) and his greatest adversary, the brash American John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf), which came to a head during the 1980 Wimbledon Championships.
Gudnason and LaBeouf deliver believable performances of the tennis stars. LaBeouf probably played himself, an angry controversial person himself in real life.
BORG/McENROE is what a tennis film should be. It celebrates the game of tennis, delivers exciting matches and teaches the audience a thing or two about the game while offering some insight of what tennis professionals go through.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqE
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