Toronto International Film Festival 2005 - Final Report

The 2005 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) held during the 8th – 17th of September marked its 30th year.  From its humble beginnings, it has matured to be the number 2 film festival in the world and the largest in terms of a film festival for the public.  With more than 300 features screened every year, there are enough films to satisfy every filmgoers taste.  Of the 355 films screened this year over the 10 days, 109 were world and 78 North American premieres.  Toronto attracts the big name stars and TIFF has been touted to be the showcase for the Oscar winning films the following year. 

This year there were too many stars to nam roaming the local downtown streets and posh shopping areas.  Even Madge (a.k.a. Madonna) made a surprise visit to accompany hubby Guy Ritchie for his new film “Revolver”. 

I have viewed a total of 65 films this year and that was as many as I think humanly possible.  Thank God now that the festival is over, I can sleep normal hours and get back to normal life

Of all the films I have viewed, these are my favourite 10.

Brokeback Mountian (USA)
Brothers in the Head (UK
Cache (Austria/France)
L’Enfer (France/It/Belg/Japan)
Harsh Times (USA)
A History of Violence (USA)
October 17, 1961 (France)
The Proposition (Australia)
Tristen Shawn: A ***censored*** and Bull Story (UK)
Vers le Sud (France)

There were major disappointments as well such as Ritchie’s “Revolver” and Cameron Crowe’s overlong “Elizabethtown”.  The publicist made it known though that Crowe’s film was still a work-in-progress.  Major surprises include the well received Wallace and Gromit animated feature from Dreamworks.

TIFF also award prizes for films in different categories.
Here is the list of award winners:-

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The People’s Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences. The 2005 award goes to Gavin Hood’s TSOTSI (UK/South Africa), based on the novel by Athol Fugard and traces six days in the lonely, violent life of Tsotsi (meaning “thug"), a ruthless, young gang leader.

DISCOVERY AWARD
Sarah Watt’s LOOK BOTH WAYS (Australia) is the recipient of the Discovery Award.  The film chronicles the lives of a collection of characters over an uncomfortably hot weekend who are confronting various crises in the wake of a train accident.

FIPRESCI PRIZE
The FIPRESCI Prize is awarded to South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan for SA-KWA (South Korea).

CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM

The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature goes to Louise Archambault’s FAMILIA and Michael Mabbott’s THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO. 

TORONTO – CITY AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Toronto – City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to C.R.A.Z.Y. directed by Jean-Marc Vallée

Of the films, I have viewed, below are a few of the capsule reviews:-

50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS
(NZ 2004) ****
Directed by Stewart Main
50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS is an odd film – a rare adult movie about kids set in rural New Zealand where current times look like time many years back.  Yet, the theme of Stewart Main’s film is as topical as it is today as it is in the past.  Children will be children and the troubles they undergo will be the same no matter where or when encountered.  In the case of FABULOUS, one kid wonders about his sexuality (he has a confused sexual encounter with a new kid of the same sex) while his cousin, a tomboy is the school’s hero and captain of the rugby team.  To make matters worse, the family takes on a hired hand, who turns out to be the best looking guy in the outback.  Director Main injects space movies, deliberately filmed as tacky low budget TV features, as a metaphor for what is happening to his characters.  Main’s film takes many turns and is as compelling as it is unpredictable.  Peformances-wise, the kids are great.  The film ends intelligently with the kids accepting what has occurred and realizing that one stage of their lives have past.  Standing tall on high ground, the kids are looking ahead. Main’s film is in one word – FABULOUS!

ADAM’S APPLES
(Denmark 2005) **
Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen
Anders Thomas Jenson (THE GREEN BUTCHERS) returns to the festival with his oddest entry, ADAM’S APPLE, a modern religious fable about a well-intentioned priest fighting the forces of evil.  Ivan, the priest looks after a Neo-Nazi, Adam, who he gives the task of baking an apple cake.  If all this sounds weird, the film gets weirder when unseen forces destroy the apple tree, the stove and all other necessities required for Adam to fulfill his task.  The trouble with ADAM’S APPLES is that all of Jensen’s characters are not all there, mentally, and it is difficult for viewers to identify less sympathize with any of them – which is essential for a film with goodness as the main theme.  The plot’s twist at the end is even more unbelievable resulting in an exercise of the purest absurdity. 

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
(USA 2005) ***** Top 10
Directed by Ang Lee
Ang Lee (THE WEDDING BANQUET and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) takes over direction from Gus Van Sant of this gay love story set in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.  Based on a short story of the same title by Annie Proulx and adapted to the screen by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, the film takes its time to unfold and allows the audience to ponder over the mysteries, strength and power of love.  Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver credible and at times riveting performances as the ranch hand, Ennis Del Mar and rodeo cowboy, Jack Twist respectively who fall in love while herding sheep in the early 60’s.  Though both initially claim that they are not queer, emotions and loneliness do take their course.  Lee allows the viewer to observe the beautiful mountainous country, fickle yet astonishing weather, sunset, dawn and skies but eventually convinces that love prevails whether accepted on not during these hard times.  Though set in Wyoming, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was filmed largely in Alberta and around the city of Calgary, Canada. Though the film is bit lengthy in its closure, it allows viewers to ponder over the happenings and what Lee wants to say by the closing credits.  Compelling, powerful and intelligent!

CHINA BLUE
(USA 2005) ****
Directed by Micha Pele
It is not that uncommon knowledge that factory workers are abused in China.  Young female workers live in crowded quarters, work for less than the country’s minimum wage, fined for the smallest breakage of rules and forced to work overtime when deadlines are not met.  CHINA BLUE traces the first year of young Jasmine who leaves her family farm to travel to the big city to earn and send money home.  She is shocked to learn that life is much worse than in the country.  CHINA BLUE is not the first film to document the abuse of factory workers.  During this year’s hot Docs festival, Thomas Blames’ screened film, A DECENT FACTORY followed inspectors of Nokia as similar atrocities are revealed.  Where A DECENT FACTORY blames the Chinese, CHINA BLUE blames globalization.  The Chinese textile factory owners are interviewed and it is revealed that they are forced to cut wages in order to survive in the industry.  If factories conform to China’s minimum wages, they will be forced to close.  CHINA BLUE feels more like fiction than a documentary as Jasmine’s story is real and her performance is naturally more realistic as all the incidents actually happened.  Needless to say, CHINA BLUE is compelling and disturbing viewing.

HORLOGE BIOLOGIQUE
(Canada 2005) ***
Directed by Ricardo Trogi
Ricardo Trogi’s HORLOGE BIOLOGIQUE (BIOLOGICAL CLOCK) – English title DODGING THE CLOCK is an intriguing relationship drama/comedy that traces the goings-on of friends Philippe Pearson, Robitaille and Pierre-Francois Legendre.  One has a child, one is about to and the other trying to delay the event.  Like all typical French or Quebec men, all these male chauvinists want out of life is to get laid.  They have not matured unlike their female counterparts.  Naturally, they get into trouble.  Director Trogi blends effectively the humanistic drama with bouts of humor and the results are marvelously realistic.  His film also deals with forgiveness and he shows that true redemption never comes easy, if it ever comes at all.  What starts off as a conventional commercial film evolves into a realistic human film brimming with social issues.  Peformances from the relatively unknown cast are excellent.

HOUSE OF SAND
(Brazil 2005) ***
Directed by Andrucha Waddington)
Brazilian star director Waddington (ME, YOU, THEM) returns to the festival with another hot steamy sex drama entitled HOUSE OF SAND.  More ambitious in scope and production, the film chronicles three generations of a woman who spends her life in the remote sand dunes of Brazil.  There is Maria as a child, a fully grown woman and an older lady.  Maria is played at various stages by Oscar nominee Fernanda Montenegro.  HOUSE OF SAND is handsomely shot - the sand dunes, the night sky, the vast landscapes allow such pleasures.  Waddington moves his film at a pace slower than his other features.  He ties in destiny and science, apparent once a troupe of astronomers arrives out of the blue to film an eclipse.  The odd thing about the entire enterprise is that sex is again the controlling force affecting the course of destiny among all parties concerned.  Waddington refuses to use titles to tell audiences the shifts in time.  Though this allows the film to be more cinematic, it adds to a little confusion initially till it can figured what is going on.  Brilliant at times!

THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO
(Canada 2005) ***
Directed by Michael Mabbott
Artists become famous posthumously.  In the case of rocker/country singer Guy Terrifico, his album is released 30 years after his death.  The music is (humorously) described as progressive country.  Interspersed by interviews with celebrities like Kris Kristofferson, Ronnie Hawkins, Levon Helm and Merle Haggard, this so-called documentary traces the rise to riches to downfall of Guy.  The turning point of his career is his winning of the local lottery of some $8 million dollars.  The film has a realistic ring to it but the actual truth is that the entire film is fictitious as there is no such musician as Terrifico who ever lived.  Director Mabbott’s film is nevertheless compelling to watch as he can do whatever he wants with his character and incidents.  The film does teach an important well-known lesson about talent and excess and how talent is not easily discovered.  Matt Murphy who performs quite many songs in the film is excellent as the fictional Guy Terrifico.

LINDA LINDA LINDA
(Japan 2004) *
Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita
“Don’t say that when we are no longer kids, we grow up!” That is the message grounded into the viewer – twice – at the start of the film, and with promise that this statement is going to create an impact.  But no such thing!  LINDA LINDA LINDA takes the viewer behinds the scenes of school kids trying to put together a rock band for an upcoming Korean/Japan music contest/concert.  Filmed in documentary/artsy style, Yamashita’s film is unbearably slow and incredibly irritating.  Actors stare at each other for ages and the camera tracks the actors for no reason or purpose.  Credit has to be given to him for trying a new approach but the effect just does not pay off.  Quite many a film critic walked out of this one.

LITTLE FISH
(Australia 2004) **
Directed by Rowan Wood
Coming to terms with the drug past!  This recurring theme is given a fresh look in LITTLE FISH, Aussie style.  Cate Blanchette plays Tracy, a woman struggling to get her act together.  But it is difficult near impossible, if you cannot get a loan to start a business and you have a junkie stepfather (the excellent Hugo Weaving) and an ex-boyfriend (Dustin Nguyen) still in the business.  Rowan Wood puts together effective set pieces but he does not tie them together coherently.  As a result, LITTLE FISH is terribly confusing in the beginning.  The viewer has to spend quite a bit of thinking and time figuring out what is happening and who is who, but things eventually come together.  It could be argued that this might be the director’s intention, but the film’s structure lessens the film’s impact.  The additional gay subplot involving Weaving and Sam Neill is an odd entry.

LOOK BOTH WAYS
(Australia 2005) ***
Directed by Sarah Watt
In the wake of a tragic train accident, the lives of a host of characters are brought together one way or another.  The title LOOK BOTH WAYS can stand for the caution given to children when they cross the railway tracks or to adults when they are faced with a crisis whether it is a good or bad resulting from it.  Director Watt’s film takes its time to unfold, giving the characters time to impress and affect the audience.  She writes roles effectively for men as well as for females.  Anger is shown expressed in both forms – noise and silence but Watts shows that redemption is often more complicated and often can take too many different forms.  Wonderfully performed by a cast of mainly unknowns to North Americans, LOOK BOTH WAYS is an effective humanistic drama, artistically and realistically done.

MAROCK
(France 2005) ***
Directed by Laila Marrakchi
Set in modern Casablanca, Marrakchi’s modern tale of dissatisfied youth centres on the love and trials of a young and beautiful Arab girl as she suddenly falls for a handsome Jew.  Her parents and brother object, but her love is as genuine as it is confusing to her.  This is no Romeo and Juliet tale but a story of angst youth set in a city shown as audiences have seldom seen in the past.  Rich Arabs, fast cars, religion and social convention rule!  MAROCK is handsomely photographed from the interior discotheques and architecture of the city to the sandy beaches by the sea.  But it is the performances of the actors and Marrakchi’s beautiful yet sad tale that impresses.  The film is as compelling as the well executed car race in the film.  Similar tale, different cultures!

MEMORY FOR MAX, CLAIRE, IDA AND COMPANY
(Canada 2005) ***
Directed by Allan King
Director King’s latest feature is a brutal documentary that chronicles the lives of MAX, CLAIRE, IDA AND COMPANY at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Canada.  These elderly were once intelligent, functional and successful business people admired much by family and friends.  Reduced to loneliness because of memory loss (Alzheimer’s), they have lost their health but worst of all their memories to old age.  If one has lost their memories, what is their left in life?  But one 80-year old elderly puts humorously, “At 80, we have the right not to remember what we have forgotten!” King’s film offers no solutions to a problem where there just aren’t any.  Especially excruciating to watch, particularly for those who have similar folk in their family!  At least audiences are saved from watching old footage of these people in their heydays.

METAL: A HEADBANGER’S JOURNEY
(Canada 2005) ****
Directed by Dunn, McFadyen and Joy-Wise
METAL: A HEADBANGER’S JOURNEY is a comprehensive study of heavy metal culture.  One of the directors, Sam Dunn sets out to prove that these METAL rockers are smart and intelligent (though not all of them obviously are) and that the music is not just heard by social rejects.  Extensive interviews are conducted with the likes of Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Bruce Dickenson (Iron Maiden), Alice Cooper, Vince Neil (Motley Crue) among others, the most charismatic of all being Dee Snider of Twisted Sister.  The segment of Snider in his skin tight jeans and snake T-shirt, long hair and make-up defending his music during a court hearing is plain breath-taking.  The directors also take the audience on a whirlwind tour of Norway, Germany and the U.K. to look at black metal and glam metal.  What is fascinating about this documentary is the insight it provides towards the subject – from the cross-dressing to the burning of churches and the issues of religion, sexuality, violence and death.  But mostly, the heavy metal bands are also portrayed as human beings looking at being different and noticed in a world where mediocrity rules.  Twisted Sister’s song “I’m Not Going to Take It Any More” now takes a whole different meaning.

LE NEUVAINE
(Canada 2005) ***
Directed by Bernard Emond
Director Bernard Emond returns to the festival with this entry of two strangers, Jeanne and Francois who meet in the little Quebec town of St. Anne-de-Beaupre, home of the famous Catholic shrine.  They have one thing in common - despair and hopelessness and a need of redemption.  The unlikely couple (this is not a love story) learns from each other and slowly comes to terms with their inner demons.  Emond films Francois’ story straight but Jeanne’s more artistically.  For example, Jeanne speaks to the audience mainly through a voice-over when she is seen meditating or pondering over her troubles.  Emond is an effectively enough story-teller who keeps his film moving at an effective pace to keep his viewers interested.  This kind of film will most likely only be seen on the big screen outside French speaking Canada during festivals of this sort.

THE PROPOSITION
(UK/Australia 2005) ***** (Top 10)
Directed by John Hillcoat
THE PROPOSITION plays like an outback western filled with drama and a bit of action about loyalty, betrayal and conscience with a blurred line between good and evil.  With an international cast of Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt and Emily Watson – all of whom are marvelous – this is ideal Toronto Film Festival fodder.  The Burns Brothers have pillaged the Hopkins ranch killing all the family members.  Believing that the eldest, Arthur (Huston as the most disturbed villain to be seen on the screen this year) is responsible, Captain Stanley (Winstone of SEXY BEAST) captures other brothers Charlie (Pearce) and Mikey (Richard Wilson).  THE PROPOSITION is to have both brothers Charlie and Mikey freed if Charlie (let free by the Captain) kills Arthur by Christmas Day.  Hillcoat and Cave are fond of character ambiguities.  The at times sadistic Captain Stanley is really kind at heart while the quiet and beautiful wife played Watson is unforgiving and sinister.  Ironies abound.  Hillcoat shows evil riding a white horse at the film start.  Stanley promises that he will civilize the land while tossing his prisoner a bucket and old newspapers in his cell.  THE PROPOSITION is also handsomely shot, making use of the both the beauty (the weather, dawn and sunset) and ugliness (the flies and barrenness) of the Australian outback.  But it is Winstone who makes the film.  He shows what it is to play a man without love, one that just functions, driven by confused emotion.  THE PROPOSITION has commercial distribution in North America.

OLIVER TWIST
(France/UK/Czech 2005) ***1/2
Directed by Roman Polanski
Polanski makes a genuine go at the Dickens tale of young orphaned Oliver Twist (the angelic Barney Clark looking so much like Mark Lester in the musical Oliver!) as he finds his comfortable home in Victorian London.  His is a humourless (the only light segment being Fagin’s lesson to Oliver on the art of pick-pocketing), grim and at times violent telling.  All the familiar characters are there in this fine rather faithful adaptation from Fagin (Ben Kingsley), Nancy, Bill Sykes et al.  Polanski creates a fine period piece – as he did in TESS many years back.  The London he creates is a bustling and nasty one, where fights break out around every corner and rats run scurrying as fast as thieves make their prey.  He concentrates on the human element of goodness, innocence and kindness – the latter quality popping up and stressed at the film’s climax.  Sets are lavish, atmosphere stunning (foggy London) and performances terrific especially Jamie Foreman’s as Bill Sykes.  It has been 20 years (the 1982 Clive Donner version) since the last adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.  Though Polanski’s film is a pleasure to watch, David Lean’s 1948 version still remains the best of the lot.

PROOF
(USA 2005) **
Directed by John Madden
John Madden and Gwyneth Paltrow unite again in another love story after SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.  The backdrop this time is the world of theoretical mathematics.  Paltrow is the daughter of math genius Anthony Hopkins who has been more crazy than productive before his death.  She has sacrificed her life to look after him much to the consternation of sister, Hope Davis.  The love interest is math student Jake Gyllenhaal.  Based on the play by David Auburn, PROOF suffers from being terribly stage bound and evolves once too often into extended dialogue between the characters, for example - between Paltrow and Gyllenhaal when they have just met and between her and Davis during their first reunion.  Camera placement is plain awful.  Close-ups are employed in a sudden stretch (the car scene) and changed to tracking shots creating discomfort and disorientation for the viewer.  One segment involving hand held camera is totally unfocussed.  When sister Davis becomes overbearing, one wonders why Paltrow does not just ask her to return to New York and f*** off.  And what is this when Gyllenhaal first convinces that a math proof is not Paltrow’s before deciding otherwise?  Davis, though, is fantastic in the role of the sister you would just want to strangle.  In the end, PROOF evolves into an unsatisfactory love story or drama.

SAINTS-MARTYRS-DES-***censored***ÉS
(Canada 2005) ***1/2
Directed by Robin Auburn
SAINT MARTYRES begins by quoting Rimbaud and plays like a Faust nightmare.  If protagonist Flavian (Francois Chenier) feels like he is in a dream – someone else’s, he pretty much well might be.  Flavian, a tabloid reported is sent by his surrogate father to find out why people are disappearing in a remote village.  When his photographer friend disappears sans trace, Flavian digs deeper into the hidden secret.  MARTYRS plays like a Texas massacre/zombie flick with a gothic supernatural feel.  Auburn’s script is also bitingly funny at times, poking fun at situations rather than spoofing horror films.  The seldom seen Quebec countryside and country folk make a welcome change as well.  Auburn’s camera work is sharp and effective as his use of colors and surrealism.  Though the comprehension of the puzzle requires a bit of concentration on the viewer’s part, the intriguing tale which often blurs dreams, reality and hallucinations makes it all worth it.  Auburn has delivered an impressive first feature.

SISTERS IN LAW
(UK 2005) ****
Directed by Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi
The SISTERS IN LAW of the title refer to prosecutor Vera Ngassa and Judge Beatrice Ntiba who carry on their duties of the law.  Often documentaries strive on revealing what people have done wrong but SISTERS IN LAW show that human beings can do something right and just after all.  Two cases are documented in detail, one of wife abuse and just when you think that the film is biased towards the feminine gender, the second case displays how cruel a woman can be abusing her sister’s 6-year old child.  The drama is real but the filmmakers also show a humorous side of the cases by following the two ladies outside the courtroom.  The scene of the prosecutor comforting the crying child abuser shows forgiveness and kindness of the highest order.  The film moves the audience in a similar fashion. 

A SOUVENIR OF CANADA
(Canada 2005) **
Directed by Robin Neinstein
This full length documentary based on the best selling book by Douglas Coupland attempts to explore Canada’s identity.  What does it mean to be Canadian?  What differentiates us from the Americans?  The time set is the 21st century and the journey of discovery involves distance separating the province of the vast country, beer bottles and an assortment of other items.  Unfortunately, Neinstein does not delve deep into the interior feelings and emotions of a typical Canadian.  To answer the question, one has to go to times way prior to the 21st century.  A SOUVENIR OF CANADA is not that funny a film either.  If it was, the flaws could have been forgiven.  The film plays like a forgettable souvenir thrown aside.

LA TRAHISON
(France/Belgium 2005) ***
Directed by Philippe Faucon
LA TRAHISON (BETRAYAL), set in a remote village in Algeria aims at demonstrating the meaninglessness of recruiting African soldiers for the French army fighting the liberation of Algeria.  Lieutenant Roque (Vincent Martinez) is given the mundane task of pacifying the locals with his force of harkis (Africans working in the French army).  In the meantime, the fellagha (African freedom fighters) is active and a betrayal by the harkis is highly suspect.  Though Roque trusts his men, dissident grows among the African and French soldiers peaking when a fight ensues.  Director Faucon tells his story in a straight forward military style fashion, as if filming from a log book of events.  The method works and LA TRAHISON has an odd effectiveness in getting its message across.

ZIZEK!
(Canada 2005) **
Directed by Astra Taylor
Director Taylor’s documentary traces the lectures and talks given by eminent Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek.  Interweaved with interviews, mostly of Zizek himself, this is an account of what makes the man most fascinating.  Taylor makes it clear to point out, many times, that this is a highly intelligent and eloquent man – never mind that English is not his first language.  Zizek knows what his opponents think and can put expert literalists into silence with his thoughts and words.  Taylor, however fails to let audiences look at the other side of the man – his faults and bad side.  Not enough is shown of his childhood or of his thoughts of the future.  For those familiar with philosophy, much of the theories proposed by Zizek will seem familiar.  Zizek the film is as interesting as much as Zizek the man.