Hey guys, so I'm heading down to Toronto tonight for this year's Fest. Will be my first time staying in a hotel for the entire run and not having to make the trip back and forth to my home each night. This allows me to stay for some Midnight Madness movies which I am very excited for!
I hope to be back to update throughout the Fest since my hotel offers free wi-fi, but will only have the ability to do so on my iPhone.
A lot of interesting flicks will be shown, I only had the funds for 18 or so movies, whereas my buddy will be seeing 37 or so. You can view my list here at:
http://tiffr.com/2011/schedules/agoofykindasuperman
Anyway, here is a list of movies I will be seeing this year, in order;
The Raid - Midnight show! - WOW. What a show. The action is what you come for and it is definitely what you get. Such hard hitting coreography and the new lead actor Iko Uwais is outstounding in his martial arts performance. The movie plays much better than any Ong Bak flick to date with a more free flowing plot line. Crooked cops and a raid on a known drug lab going horribly wrong. The violence is top notch and not for the squeemish. From the first few gunshots to the heads of hostages to the final hand-to-hand combat, there's blood aplenty. Watching this with the audience and not to forget the director and lead stars of the movie made it that much better. The combat scenes were all worthy of applause and well received. If you're looking for a brutally violent action movie the likes you never seen before, this should be at the top of your list. Highly recommended. 5/5
God Bless America - Midnight show! - What an in-your-face statement about the current stupidity-loving America depicting several valid points on how America loves to gloat on it's short-bus population. Another very violent film, however you can't help but to laugh at it's blatant over the top messages, even though you know you're probably going to Hell for doing so. He blows up a toddler who's pool of blood winds up all over the kid's mother, and instead of being disgusted the audience laughs. Almost documentary like, the film proves it's point most of the time, however a few times director Bob Cat Goldthwait forces his opinion on you. The film is not without a few solid laughs though, but if you are a glutton for reality TV, you should probably avoid this film. 4/5
The Ides Of March - a well written, well acted movie about a presidential candidate and his team trying win the election. I found the movie though to be a bit off pace where the drama took too long to unfold, and the first half of the movie is spent discussing politics. I'm not a big fan of such material but did find parts of the film I enjoyed. You really need to follow along well or the movie could lose you as quickly as each scene unfolds. I'd give it a 3/5, whereas my buddy I seen it with would give it a 5/5.
The Hunter - The story of a man hired to hunt down a supposedly extinct animal in the beautiful wilderness of Tazmania, in an area where the locals are very synical about such things for obvious reasons, and also where our lead character faces competition to find the elusive Tazmanian Tiger first. Beautifully shot, it also tells the story of a stranger becomming a father figure to a couple of fatherless kids. At times it felt rushed. There could have been more told in the developing of the relationships between the man and the children, but what there was was sufficient enough to move the story along. If you're not into 1-character driven films then this may not be to your liking as William Dafoe spends a lot of time on his own in the wild and much of the movie is rold with no dialogue. However, I quite enjoyed it for what it was. 4/5
You're Next - Midnight show! - Alright so I've now seen the first film at the Fest I didn't particularly enjoy all that much. It's a shame because I really wanted to like this one as I had some good expectations of it. I was hoping for a genuine thriller the likes of The Strangers mixed with Funny Games but instead what I got was some cheesy comedy with plenty of poor acting and cheap thrills. It's the old open the door slowly because there might be someone in there, but jump when the hand comes from behind and touches him on the shoulder. The only plus I can think of for this flick is some of the kills were pretty cool, including a particular one with a blender. However the laughs outweighed the zero fear in this "horror" movie, and neither I nor my friend enjoyed ourselves. For an independant high-school project this would be amazing, but for experienced film makers (who, btw, said they made this film JUST for the Midnight Madness program for the Festival in a haste) this film falls way below expectations. Their last film, A Horrible Way To Die I did see last year at the Fest, I can remember liking the ending only, so I guess I should have had lower expectations. 2/5
Death of a Superhero - Not knowing much of what to expect, I had low expectations for this one. Turns out it is a very touching, moving and heartfelt story about a kid living with and dying from, cancer. He befriends his sixth shrink played extremely well by Andy Serkis, and the two of them develop a bond not the likes of which he gets from his over protective parents. I found the movie quite enjoyable, with the animated comic pieces emphasizing what would be going on in this young teens brain. Although it didn't quite bring me to tears, it did make me feel really touched and attached to the characters. 4/5
388 Arletta Avenue - Another "wow" movie. Again I had no idea what to expect not having seen any promo material or critics reviews for this movie, my friend and I were both pleasantly surprised by how great a film this is. Very haunting and at times disturbing, the movie gives you a new feeling of paranoia in your own home. It's home invasion on an invisible kind, but no ghosts are present. Imagine if your home had an uninvited guest coming and going as he pleased while you were not home. That's what this story is about. Paranormal Activity with actual people. The movie doesn't need to show much to instill a fear in you that will have you double checking your locked doors. 5/5
Rampart - Meh is all I can say to this gritty LA cop drama about a LAPD officer who may or may not be a crooked cop. He just has his own way of handling things. Woody Harrelson is excellent in his role, however the movie drags, not much happens, and very little gets resolved. 2/5
Burning Man - What a confusing story this one has. From Australia this one tells the story of a man whose wife has died/is dying of cancer, and how he carries out living his life as a chef and a father to an 8 year old boy, while having casual sex with prostitutes and strangers. The style of the movie is shot in scramble sequence forcing the viewer to guess which part of the tale they're watching. I often like movies like this that are different, but here it was too jumbled until the ending when it finally made some semblance. 3/5
Shame - A gripping, honest story about a man addicted to pornography, masturbation, and sex, Shame is not for everyone. A slow-paced movie with a lot of scenes played out almost in real time, you really, as a viewer, get the sense of what this man is going through. His younger sister needs a place to stay and then intrudes on his private life where suddenly he is forced to hide his secret lifestyle. It's a well made drama about addiction. There are a few scenes of sex, but nothing too explicit or pornographic. Features both male and female nudity, however it shouldn't be stopped from playing in theatres with an 18A rating. (It's been given a R at the Fest) 4/5
Snowtown - A gritty Australian true crime story about Australia's most notorious serial killer who "adopts" a young protege under his wing to help him commit murder. This boy is from a broken home where he suffers mental, physical, and sexual abuse from others around him. It has some tense disturbing moments and for the most part, is pretty easy to follow along without any dialogue, as a lot of the time, their Aussie accent is so thick you can't understand what they're saying, so the movie could have benefited from being subtitled. Will definitely need to check it out again. I did enjoy the movie for what I could make of it however. 3/5
Trespass - A Nic Cage, Joel Schumacher-directed movie about a home invasion on a couple of wealthy people and their teenage daughter. This movie was unintentionally funny, I think trying to take itself way too seriously and just played as a laughable mess. Nothing more than you would expect from the director of Batman & Robin I suppose. It is campy, and sometimes fun to watch, even if it is just to see Nic Cage blow up in a fit of anger and rage at those who trespass on his property. 2/5
Michael (Austria) - Definitely the most disturbing film I've seen at the Festival, and probably this year in all. Our titular character is a 40-something man living a very secret, private life at his suburban home. He goes to work each day where he keeps to himself and tries to stay off the radar. He sometimes will go on work social outings to not draw too much suspicion to him, as Michael has a dark secret. He is keeping a 10 year old boy hostage in his basement for his sexual desires. While nothing is shown, it is very much implied. The subject matter is handled delicately. At the screening, the director was on hand to answer questions, and his reasoning for the film was to delve into the psych of others, and to explore something that doesn't normally get talked about, what with the wave of such Monsters coming about in news headlines in Austria over the past few years. The movie does not take sides, or paint a light picture about the monster that he has become, it just shows it for what it is. A lot like Shame, but dealing with a different addiction. A slow moving picture where a lot of scenes are played out in real time. 4/5
The Incident - A Midnight Madness flick that I didn't see at Midnight, but at it's 2nd, daytime screening. A bunch of employees that work the kitchen in an Insane Asylum are trapped in the building when a storm knocks the power out, and sets the sick loose. Very graphic and gory images abound the movie I found quite entertaining. It is a bit slow to start though, but it does pick up. There are some pretty creepy and intense scenes too. During the Midnight showing, two girls passed out and needed medical attention. However the movie leaves much to be desired at the end. The ending I would say ranks as one of THE worst in my movie-going history. Makes no sense at all and adds nothing to the flick. I don't know if the director was trying to convey something else to the audience such as a twist or what, but the movie would benefit by having those final few minutes cut. 3/5
Intruders - I had seen the trailer previous to going in to the movie, and it made me even more excited for it than I already was just based on premise alone. Two different time periods, two different children, both seeing the same Hollow Face creature come haunting them at night. What a terrific movie this was. Very well told, and directed, it's not short of creepy chills either that get your heart pounding. Half the movie is in Spanish, while the other half is in English, but the subtitles were not a distraction at all. Loved every minute of the film, and I'd say it was my 2nd favourite movie I seen at the Festival, next to...
The Awakening - Wow. Terrific. The performance by newcomer Rebbecca Hall is one to be seen. She plays a woman in the 1920's who loves dispelling ghost sightings and hauntings. She proves time and time again that they are fabrications of others doing trickery to fool someone into believing the supernatural exists. Until she gets a visit from a man who claims the boys' boarding school he works at is haunted by the ghost of a child, and wants her to come and prove it is just some of the children playing games on the others. One of my favourite thriller movies of all time is The Others with Nicole Kidman. Terrific atmosphere and storytelling with a great ending. The Awakening is no different. Highly recommended, definitely check this one out if you like the creepy atmospheric movies. 5/5
Amy George - A Canadian coming-of-age drama, about a 13 year old boy who figures he can only become a "true" artist if he has sex with a girl. So naturally, he ends up falling in love with a slightly older girl who plays hard to get. But the movie is more than that, it's a cute story about a boy growing up, and dealing with the transition from boy to man. Good performances but a little too open at the ending. 3/5
The Odds - Another Canadian film this one about a teenage gambling ring where the main character's best friend is found hanging in his garage, and how he believes it was not a suicide but in fact a murder. His investigation leads him to an underground gambling ring where he finds himself digging deeper into a conspiracy and getting into trouble. Nothing more than just a typical drama for a lazy Saturday afternoon. I found the performances were not that great, all the actors seemed new to me, and the film was very low-budget. Wouldn't really care to see it again. 3/5
Killer Joe - My final Festival film, I was NOT expecting what I got from this movie. Having seen or heard nothing about this movie other than it's brief provided description, cast, and a short clip online from the movie, I was expecting to get a gritty hit-man type drama, especially since it had been given a Canadian R rating (NC-17 in the US). What I got though, was a very funny, dark comedy starring Matthew McCounaghey and Emile Hirsch. I had a blast watching this movie despite my different expectations. My friend thinks it's a bad movie with a few good laughs, but myself on the other hand, loved it, and cannot wait to watch it again. The characters and their lives are so messed up, that it makes you glad you're so much better than them. Emile plays a man who, along with his father, hires Matthew's character to kill his mother so they can collect the insurance money. Typical trailer trash families, and a story of how wrong this situation could get.
Drive - Shown as part of the Festival, it premiered there, but it was not one of my TIFF movies. It opened on the 16th so I just went to a regular screening on the Friday it opened. Pretty good movie, I loved the opening scene which reflects an opening as tense and exciting as the one in The Dark Knight, but from there the movie gets kind of slow, and not a lot happens. Then when it does pick up, there's gratuitous nudity and over-the-top violence and gore for some unnecessary reason. Still fun to watch if you like gore and brutal violence or woman's boobs but it could have done without. Added nothing to the movie for me. The soundtrack was different too I thought. I'm hearing a lot of people loved it, but for me I didn't like it so much. Still pretty entertaining, I just don't think it's deserves all the praise and rave reviews it seems to be getting. However, I do love Ryan Gosling's performance, and for that I'll give it a 4/5
Be sure to check these films out here at:
www.tiff.net/thefestival
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Toronto International Film Festival 2011 (#TIFF11)
Not too pleased but I must go on. The search will continue until the end of the Fest. 
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