TIFF'D: Monday, September 13

I might have withdrawn a little today from TIFF.  I began the day with Quebec filmmaker, Xavier Dolan's LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES.  It was completely enchanting and nothing at all like Dolan's first feature, J'AI TUE MA MERE, which I will be watching again tonight in anticipation for my interview with him tomorrow.  Is it alright if I finish my interview by asking him out?  Is that crossing a line?

After my movie, I had just enough time to freshen up and head back to the Intercontinental Hotel for a roundtable interview with MIRAL director, Julian Schnabel.  There was no table though so that was a little odd.  He was very well-spoken, engaging man but I didn't really participate in the exchange.  I listened really because the backdrop of the film, the Israel/Palestine conflict, is not something I know enough about.  His perspective cleared up a great deal of my concerns about the film but also raised more questions.  I'm still on the fence as to whether I thought the film was a great success or not.

Past that, I canned both of my other movies for the day.  I had laundry to do!  And to be fair, I had to prepare for my interviews tomorrow and write tomorrow's review, BLACK SWAN.  The Darren Aronofsky film has its gala North American premiere this evening and be sure to get my take on it tomorrow morning.

Now, I'm going for drinks.  A bunch of other great film enthusiasts and writers I know will be getting together for a little mid-festival exchange and I have about two hours to kill before I need to get back to watch my movie.

Tomorrow is a much busier day.  I'll have a lot more for you.  15 more films to go!

TIFF BITS: Monday, September 13

I decided that I had to cut back on my day today.  I am feeling much better this morning than yesterday but that does not mean I need to keep making life harder for myself.  I have decided to scale back from three movies to two.  I figured maybe I would get some writing in, maybe do some laundry.  It is TIFF Day 5 and I am running out of clean socks!

Tonight's big galas and special presentations are pretty impressive.  Get a ticket to BLACK SWAN if you can.  It is the best thing I've seen at the festival thus far. Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila
Kunis and director, Darren Aronofsky, are expected to attend.  I've not seen the other three but they are definitely hot tickets.  You've got RABBIT HOLE, directed by John Cameron Mitchell and starring Nicole Kidman.  French director, Francoi Ozon's POTICHE, starring Catherine Deneuve is at Roy Thompson Hall tonight.  And then that leaves Mike Leigh's ANOTHER YEAR at the Elgin.

I will be leaving shortly to see Xavier Dolan's HEARTBEATS and then I have an interview with Julian Schnabel.  I am finishing my screening day with Tom Tykwer's THREE so it should be an interesting day all around.  What about your day, you say ...

EVERYTHING MUST GO
Winter Garden Theatre - 4:30
Whenever a comedian plays something serious, it is always a big deal.  Will Ferrell chose this film because he just really liked the script, not because he was trying to do something intentionally dramatic for street cred, or so he said when I met with him the other day.  Here he plays a guy who loses his job because he is an alcoholic only to come home to find all his junk strewn across his lawn. His wife has left and the doors have been locked.  It is a great tale of redemption and Ferrell's performance is solid.

MIRAL
Ryerson Theatre - 6:00
Julian Schnabel is a hybrid of a conceptual artist and a film director.  Every frame always looks like a painting and here he decides to take a creative look at the Israel/Palestine conflict.  It is a decidedly political film but it also has a reassuring sensitivity to it, likely due to the nature of the story.  It follows a few strong Palestinian women who have been affected by the conflict in ways that they never imagined.  It does at times feel more about the cause than the characters but it is still an engaging and delicate experience.

LET ME IN
Ryerson Theatre - 9:00
Matt Reeves, the director of CLOVERFIELD, could not possible come away from directing this film as a winner.  Adapted from the Swedish film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, this American remake is so loyal to the original, it is eerie but that won't matter.  Fans of the first film are loyal so it doesn't matter whether Reeves is successful or not, it shouldn't have been done.  I enjoyed his take but that being said, his take is the same as the first one, only now In English so North American audiences don't have to read the movie.  He did a good job but will that matter?

ALSO PLAYING AND RECOMMENDED

127 HOURS
Danny Boyle
Ryerson Theatre - 3:00

COOL IT
Ondi Timoner
AMC - 2:15

Also, don't miss my brand new TIFF review for BURIED, starring Ryan Reynolds.  I cannot wait to be sitting across a table from him.  I will try to stay seated calmly but I cannot guarantee this.

Happy TIFF!

TIFF'D: Sunday, September 12

So I'm completely spent at the moment.  I'm not complaining but all this running around, not eating and not sleeping is somehow draining me.  Crazy.  I was exhausted when I got up this morning.  I slowly made my way over to see Julian Schnabel's MIRAL.  I will be interviewing the director tomorrow and I'm happy to say I enjoyed the film.  It is sensitive and political, an interesting combination for sure.  Up town after that to speak with the fascinating Bjorn Lomberg, the man at the center of one of the festival's more buzzed about documentaries, COOL IT, followed by a great chat with the director, Ondi Timoner.  When I left there, I was going to catch Dustin Lance Black's WHAT'S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA but instead my red carpet request was approved to attend the YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER North American premiere.  I was instantly freaked out at the prospect of meeting Woody Allen.  When it was over, I ended up not meeting him.  I almost didn't even see him as he was ushered into the theatre.  I'm not sure he was even taking questions really.  What has he not already been asked anyway.  I almost got to speak with Josh Brolin and Freida Pinto but they too were whisked into the theatre before reaching me.  I did however get to speak with Sir Anthony Hopkins.  He described working with Allen as the highlight of his life.  He was thrilled to work with him apparently and describes him as delightful.  He was a pleasure to speak with.

It was still lovely to be a few feet away from an icon like Woody Allen.  I had one wish for this festival and that was to meet Woody Allen.  Seeing him pass by me and hearing his voice trail off as he entered the theatre is still pretty darn good.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Black Sheep's review of the Ryan Reynolds vehicle, BURIED.

Oh, by the way, the videos are still not working.  I'm not sure they will make it back during the festival.  I will keep trying though.