TIFF 2015
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- DirectorKent JonesStarsWes AndersonPeter BogdanovichDavid FincherFilmmakers discuss how Francois Truffaut's 1966 book "Cinema According to Hitchcock" influenced their work.Sep 10
Entertaining doc for anyone who likes Hitchcocks films. Even thought the basis of the doc was the interview between Hitchcock and Truffaut, that was secondary. The film has the same subject matter of the book/interview which is Hitchcocks career. The doc simply scratches the surface of Hitchcocks resume and only occasionally through details culled from the interview. At other times it was told through the eyes of other known directors inspired by Hitchcock. Overall this results in a lack of focus and a complete lack of direction. I think a feature doc about any one of Hitch's films could hold my interest so having this spread so thin was a disappointment. 6/10 - DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreJohnny FancelliChristina FancelliTo learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.Sep 10
Most of Moore's docs are so laser focussed on a single topic that it was somewhat refreshing to see this film. Completely different than what I expected from the title. The way he chose to point out how the rest of the world is ahead of the U.S. in several ways made for a humourous doc. I did feel that it lost steam through the runtime though. At a certain point towards the end there was a moment that felt like the logical closing point but then he went on to explore a couple more countries. I think this is more an editing issue than a pacing issue though. 7/10 - DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsJake GyllenhaalNaomi WattsChris CooperA successful investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. With the help of a customer service rep and her young son, he starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.Sep 11
Jake Gyllenhal has become one of the most consistent actors as far as putting in great performances. The first third of this film was more unique and stylized than the rest. It was trending towards a 9 for me but lost a bit as it slowed down in the end. Even the slower portion of the film was still highly entertaining. The young actor playing the boy was impressing and fit very well with Gyllenhal. 8/10 - DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsColin FarrellRachel WeiszJessica BardenIn a dystopian near future, according to the laws of The City, single people are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or they're transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.Sep 11
This was one of the films I was most looking forward to at this years Tiff. All the scenes in the hotel were humourous and entertaining, then everything after that just dragged on. I would have much preferred more time spent at the hotel and shortened the rest of the story to 15-20 mins. Even though I did still enjoy the film, my high expectations for this film resulted in a big letdown. 5/10 - DirectorJussi EerolaMika TaanilaStarsPetri HämäläinenHeikki JaakkolaJuha JaakkolaIntroduction to Olkiluoto OL3 nuclear plant building process in Finland. Plant is the first green-lighted nuclear plant in west after Chernobyl disaster in 1986.Sep 11
I'd like to know who decided to describe this as a humourous documentary. The subject matter is interesting but they did an exceptionally good job at making it boring. There was a lot of wasted time with shots (some time lapse some normal) with no dialogue. Each time they did that it slowed it down to a painful crawl. It needed either more information/dialogue or to be cut to a short film. 4/10 - DirectorTim GodsallStarsRhys IfansJuno TempleJack KilmerA successful music producer quits the industry and exiles himself in upstate New York, but the solitude he seeks is shattered when his estranged son and the pop star he's created come looking for answers.Sep 11
Character piece with 4 strong characters to hold it together. They were entertaining enough that it really didn't matter that there was nothing new about the story. 7/10 - DirectorAndré TurpinStarsSophie NélisseMylène MackayLise RoyComplex time shifting drama revolving about a violent senseless murder and young witness.Sep 12
I suppose it's good to go into films like this with low expectations. I rather enjoyed everything about it except for the pacing. Simply tightening it up a bit would have made it much better. I also would have liked to see more done with the time passing/reversing as she takes steps forward and back. 7/10 - DirectorNick DenBoerDavy ForceStarsTim BeresfordNick Di Brizzi Jr.Cad Gold Jr.A spoof of the The Stanley Kubrick movie the ShiningSep 12
Occasionally funny and weird from beginning to end. It didn't make sense to play this at Tiff though. It was just another dime a dozen YouTube video type short. 5/10 - DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.Sep 12
Delivered exactly what I look for in a film like this. Loads of graphic, bloody violence, a strong cast and a buildup that nicely keeps your interest until everything lets loose. Once everything did get going it was wonderful even with the multiple 'resets' in the green room. Usually films like this rely on a cast of mostly unknowns but this one had several recognizable stars. The punk music was good and the creative use of the sound system to ward off the attackers was clever too. 8/10 - DirectorOwen HarrisStarsNicholas HoultThomas ConroyJames CordenAn A&R man working at the height of the Britpop music craze goes to extremes in order to find his next hit.Sep 12
Fairly generic concept that's been done many times before. Thankfully it was done well here with a fun lead performance and a pumping soundtrack. More killing and less emphasis on the music biz would have made me happy. 7/10 - DirectorJay RoachStarsBryan CranstonDiane LaneHelen MirrenIn 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs.Sep 13
Stellar performances all around. Going into this without knowing much about the story helped a lot. It was a nice surprise to see that The script was loaded with humour. Adding the actors into the archival footage was nice though uneven on its application through the film. 8/10 - DirectorTom HooperStarsEddie RedmayneAlicia VikanderAmber HeardA fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.Sep 13
Constructed as a heavy emotional journey of man who wants to be a woman. Much of the emotion was lost on me due to the main character being too self involved and being generally unlikeable. From pushing away somebody who was there to support her to suffering significantly more from not taking the advise of loved ones. Also some of the dialogue was too perfectly preachy to sound natural. The film was based on the diaries written by her in the 20s. It sounded like something somebody would write but not what they would say out loud. Despite those criticisms it was a very good film with Oscar worthy performances from Vikander and Redmayne. 7/10 - DirectorMarcin WronaStarsItay TiranAgnieszka ZulewskaAndrzej GrabowskiA bridegroom is possessed by an unquiet spirit in the midst of his own wedding celebration, in this clever take on the Jewish legend of the dybbuk.Sep 13
This was described and introduced as a horror film. There was very little horror to it, possibly even none. The film was supposed to be about a demon being unleashed at a wedding but far too much of the film was just about the wedding. Next to nothing happens in the film, other than normal wedding occurrences. I kept waiting for the good stuff to happen and it never came. 3/10 - DirectorJean-Paul RappeneauStarsMathieu AmalricMarine VacthGilles LelloucheJérôme Varenne, a French financier, lives and works in Shanghai with Chen-Li, his life and business partner. One day, during a short stay in Paris, while paying a call to his mother, he is very displeased to learn from her and his hated brother, that the family house in Ambray is going to be sold. Jerome decides to go to the town where he grew up to see what is going on. Little does he know how eventful his escapade will be. Little does he know that it will change his life from soup to nuts...Sep 13
Several cast members that I was excited to see. It didn't take long to see that it is a generic comedy that appeals more to an older audience. Each joke could be easily predicted as soon as the situation was set. Not a bad film by any means but nothing unique to speak of. 6/10 - DirectorBen WheatleyStarsTom HiddlestonJeremy IronsSienna MillerLife for the residents of a tower block begins to run out of control.Sep 13
No shortage of weird and wild here! Everything worked together well to create this bizarre universe. The abba cover songs, the stark set design, the crazy characters...it goes on and on. It dragged at the end, so it could have done with some further editing. 7/10 - DirectorAtom EgoyanStarsChristopher PlummerKim RobertsAmanda SmithWith the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor and a hand-written letter, an elderly man with dementia goes in search of the person he believes to be responsible for the death of his family in the death camp to kill him himself.Sep 14
Wonderful story told in a way that gradually unravels details that make the audience appreciate it more and more as it progresses. It's relatively slow pacing worked well because of the aged cast. There are moments of deep emotion, build ups of anticipation as well as some humour. I was hesitant to choose this film, but it's the best surprise so far this Tiff. 9/10 - DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsAbraham AttahEmmanuel AffadziRicky AdelayitorA drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.Sep 14
As expected this was similar to the other films I've seen about child soldiers. Powerful story and convincing performances. You can't help but feel the emotional impact of a film like this. Idris Elba further proves that he is much better than Pacific Rim made it seem. 7/10 - DirectorIlya NaishullerStarsSharlto CopleyTim RothHaley BennettHenry is resurrected from death with no memory, and he must save his wife from a telekinetic warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.Sep 14
Endless horrible shaky cam and pov. While I always hate this style, this director does seem to know how to do it right. I could never watch it again because of the shaky cam. The action was nonstop and wild unlike any other film I can think of. 7/10 - DirectorOz PerkinsStarsEmma RobertsKiernan ShipkaLucy BoyntonTwo girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.Sep 14
Very low key and slow moving horror film. It was a good idea but ended up feeling under developed. I kept waiting for the explanation but it never came. 6/10 - DirectorAndrew CurrieStarsJason RitterEmmanuelle ChriquiJames BrolinAn uptight New Yorker and his party girl sister visit their Dad's lake house to meet his new wife, and rough-around-the-edges kids. When the parents announce they're adopting a child to bring the family together, it has the opposite effect.Sep 14
How did I end up scheduling in multiple generic old people family comedies. Enjoyable in a generic comedy kind of way. This level of film should not make it into tiff. 6/10 - DirectorTom McCarthyStarsMark RuffaloMichael KeatonRachel McAdamsThe true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.Sep 15
Newspaper/reporter drama that belongs right up there with All The Presidents Men. The Oscar worthy performances carry the film through any slow point, of which there are surprisingly few. The story unravels in a way that builds tension even if you basically know the ending going into it. Thats even without resorting to the rush and hold the presses angle that most newspaper films use. 9/10 - DirectorScott CooperStarsJohnny DeppBenedict CumberbatchDakota JohnsonThe true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.Sep 15
Gangster/undercover film that reminded me in ways of both Departed and The Connnection. As great is this film was it doesn't live up to either of those. I love the true story aspect and all the performances were quite good. Rory Cochrane was a pleasant surprise in a role so opposite to the Empire Records role I know him best for. 8/10 - DirectorAdam SalkyStarsSarah SilvermanJosh CharlesSkylar GaertnerAddicted to drugs and alcohol, a housewife's self-destructive behavior starts to take its toll on her husband and two young children.Sep 16
Sarah Silveeman put in a great dramatic performance in this film, especially considering how comedic she is normally. I won't be surprised if she manages to get an Oscar nom for this. Emotional film with a good story that was unafraid to go some pretty dark places. There was Just enough humour in it as well. 8/10 - DirectorPedro MorelliStarsTyler LabineAlison PillMichael EklundA multi-dimensional interface between a comic book artist, a novelist, and a film director. Each lives in a separate reality but authors a story about one of the others.Sep 16
Three stories that more than intersected. The "real world" story with Allison Pill was easily the best of the three. The animated story was also fairly enjoyable. The animation style wasn't the greatest but it worked for what it was. The acting in the third story was awkward, but that makes sense in the end. The way the three stories interact with each other in the end really pulls the film together. 7/10 - DirectorSebastian SchipperStarsLaia CostaFrederick LauFranz RogowskiA young Spanish woman who has recently moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.Sep 17
The gimmick of the single take is a great one, but much of that effect was lost by the use of the shaky hand held camera style. It was impressive how much ground was covered and the number of different locations visited in a single take. Aside from the gimmick it was an ok heist film. 6/10