TIFF Day 4

Tiff day 4:

***Before every movie there is a little notice that piracy is forbidden, and at TIFF there was a tradition started (due to excessive drinking and excessive movie watching) where the audience says "AARRRRR" like a pirate when this notice comes on the screen.  It is seriously the funniest thing I've ever heard - sometimes there's 50 people who yell "AARR", and sometimes the audience is a bit more uppity and it's just one person who dares yell "AARRR", inevitably followed by laughter in the theater. I LOVE it. AAAAAARRRRRRRRR.   
 

The Damned United by Tom Hooper (United Kingdom): Rated by me at a very weak 2 – if you want to see a sports film that is missing everything you love about sports films, see this one. 


Micmacs by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (France): 5.  Done and done.  You HAVE to see this one – by the director of Amelie, and every bit as magical.  Jean-Pierre spoke after the film and it was absolutely fascinating to listen to and watch him.  Contrary to my reaction to Herzog, I found Jean-Pierre to be fantastically alive and creative and open.   SEE THE MOVIE.  It will make you happy.  It is smart, aesthetically thrilling and sweet in a way that only Jean-Pierre can create. 

 

Police, Adjective by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania): 3 – it’s not a movie for the weak attention spanned.  I really liked it – but let’s just say that about 80% of the theater was asleep.  I heard a few people saying “Damn Romanian movies” on their way out.  I would describe it as a stark and honest damn Romanian movie.  There is an agonizingly slow pace and huge amounts of space in the film, but again, in the name of honesty, not in a lame attempt to be artsy or edgy or smart (AHEM, The Ape).

 

Phantom Pain by Matthias Emcke (Germany): I rate this a 5 and I want to jump around while I say it. “FIVE, FIVE.”  Brilliant.  Perfectly edited – everything was as it should be – you can just open up your heart and brain and take in the film as a whole.  There is nothing to distract you or sift through.  It is based on a true story and the man it is based on was at the premiere – so magical.  I also got to see the drop dead gorgeous German stud Til Schweiger (in PERSON! OH MY GOD).  Are you KIDDING ME? He is stupid hot.  His actual daughter plays his daughter in the film, which was fun to know as I watched the movie.  This is one I will want to watch again.  One of my favorite lines: “one of the best things about being alone is that there is no one there to tell you your happiness is unfounded.”  I’ve thought about that line a lot since I heard it.   

 

Baaria by Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy): Rating is a 4.  Gorgeous movie.  I had 2 guys sitting directly behind me who were speaking quite loudly in Italian throughout the entire movie - I have to admit, I liked it.  The main characters are two of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen.  Certain scenes took my breath away with how much beauty they held.  Very epic story – covers about 60 years of a family.  Lovely, satisfying movie speckled with humor and brilliantly acted.   Also I’d like to give a big shout out to Francesco Scianna for his 1950’s ish staggering handsomeness.