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amyp783
Reviews
Venuto al mondo (2012)
Made me laugh, cry and challenge my assumptions about people
Saw the world premiere at TIFF, and was repeatedly surprised by how deep this film could go.
Even though I was a bit skeptical at first about the "love connection" between Emile Hirsch and Penelope Cruz, their performances and the wider story took over, and the casting started to make perfect sense.
In addition to being a generally riveting film throughout, what I liked most about this movie is that it challenged my sense of moral self-righteousness. Every time I thought a character's actions were unforgivable, I learned something new about them, and had to rethink my judgments. I think it's hard for a film to do that convincingly and this one did.
I haven't read the book this was adapted from, but I now plan to. Excellent movie and the people behind it should feel proud!
Inescapable (2012)
I wished this film was ESCAPABLE -- but I was stuck in my row
Saw the premiere at TIFF, and I really wanted this to be good, (especially coming from a Canadian director who did well with her last film.) But this one just does not work. First, the story followed a far more superficial plot line than I expected. (You won't find any meaningful commentary on Syria here.) Worse, none of the actors was at their best. I'm not sure if it was a matter of the lines being poorly written or poorly delivered, but I found myself rolling my eyes within the first ten minutes. Marissa Tomei, who I normally like, was severely miscast for her part. The story was trite and full of plot holes, and I don't think anyone in the theater (least of all the people filing out during the show) cared what happened to the characters. (Not that much happened to them anyway.) Best wishes to those who worked on the film for better results in the future. But for this one, not a film I'd recommend seeing, even as a rental.
No (2012)
One of the best films at TIFF 2012
Out of the eight movies I've seen so far at TIFF (four more to go), "No" is my favourite. It's smart, funny and historically accurate AND offers timeless commentary on (so-called) democracy.
The cinematography is perfect for the time, and I thought the creative ways they wove the real campaign footage into the film were impeccable.
Inside scoop: real people who took part in the original "No" campaign are featured in the film. Mostly, they play for the "Yes" side.
All of the actors are strong, and the star of the show is one of the best on earth, Gael Garcia Bernal of Mexico. He is excellent, as usual, and I'm told his Chilean accent is perfect.
Overall, highly recommend seeing this movie. (You'll find yourself humming the campaign song for days!)