Cinematheque Ontario's Best 10 films of the Decade Continues...

These best 10 films of the decade from Cinematheque Ontario prove that the art film is not dead.  But be forewarned that not all the films selected will to your agreement – at least quite a few were not to mine.  As they say, that is what keeps the world going round. 

For the complete list of films in this BEST OF THE DECADE program, showtimes, venue and ticket pricing, check the cinematheque’s website at: http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca

The series runs from January 21 to February 23rd 2010.

Capsule reviews of films yet to be screened from now till the 23rd of Feb:-

4 DAYS, 3 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS (Romania 2007) *****
Directed by Cristian Mungiu

The action takes place in a small Romanian town one day in 1989 during the last months of communist rule.  That day is when Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) decides to get an illegal abortion - 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS before the baby is due.  Director Mungiu tells much in a single scene.  Mungiu is fond of placing his camera on a tripod and have his actors act out their lines within a single shot.  Take the first, set in Gabita’s dorm.  The untidy room tells much about her and her best friend, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) as much as the poverty surrounding them.  Also, snow can be seen falling through the room’s window, which sets the grim and pessimistic state of affairs.  If characters move, Mungiu follows behind with the camera handheld.  Very little tracking is used, as Mungiu spends his time setting up the props and staging a scene.  4 MONTHS is a complex layered and occasionally powerful film revealing more during the second viewing. 

(Screening: Thursday, Feb 18th, 7pm)

THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU (Romania 2005) *****
Directed by Cristi Puiu

The grim reaper has come for Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu).  But the joke is both on the reaper and his victim as director Cristi Puiu will not let his protagonist die.  Initially complaining of a headache, then moved by a kind-hearted paramedic (Luminita Gheorghiu) with a heart of gold from hospital to hospital for treatment, poor alcoholic Lazarescu if not throwing up half the time is giving the Romanian medical system a hard time.  One doctor says it quite accurately when questioned (by Lazarescu) on his responsibility in the medical profession: “the patient has a responsibility too!” So goes Puiu’s genuinely intriguing social satire of the medical system that exists in every country.  Sad, brutal in parts, but never relenting, Puiu’s film has heart primarily because he sees the good in each of his characters, whether victim, aggressor or bystander.  The result is a remarkable film, touted as the best 10 of the year by most critics, and a film funny, sad and quietly powerful that finally gets a showing in Toronto during Cinematheque Ontario’s special program, screening of their best 10 alternative films of the decade. 

(Special Screening: Sun Feb 14th 7 pm)

ELEPHANT (USA 2003) ***** Top 10
Directed by Gus Van Sant

It is no secret that ELEPHANT, Gus Van Sant’s account of a high school shooting tragedy attempts to portray an everyday teen school day as uneventful as possible. John arrives late to school and is awarded detention. Eliot interested in photography, takes a few snapshots of his friends. Van Sant’s characters interact and his film shifts forwards and back in time, interspersing scenes while moving at normal speed and slow motion. His film is lyrical, slow at times but always pleasant and engaging. Only he could get away with a soundtrack of Beethoven played in the background of a football practice. All the actors are (non-professional) high school students and they look it, giving the film a raw yet realistic edge. Van Sant also throws in interesting analogies to the shooting incident such as higher energy electrons in the outer orbits of atoms displacing inner less active ones. Van Sant offers no answers to why the teens commit the wicked deed.  By presenting the casualty of the incidents, he proposes that such acts do occur for the same reason that human beings are as different as the day is ordinary.  A very powerful film that has my vote for best picture of the year!

(Screening: Thursday, Feb 18th, 7pm)

L’ENFANT (Belgium /Fr 2006) ***
Directed by the Dardennes

L’ENFANT begins with pretty Sonia (Deborah Francois) tightly clutching her baby, looking for the apparent father, Bruno (Jeremie Renier).  Bruno is a small time thief committing crimes with kid, Steve (Jeremie Sagard).  It is apparent he loves her but has no qualms at being a good father.  After selling the child to the black market, he discovers his error.  L’ENFANT is the story of his redemption – Dardennes-style.  Those who have seen the Dardennes’ previous films LE FILS, ROSETTA and LA PROMESSE will not be surprised to find the story again taking place in a poor industrial Belgian town, the film done with hand held camera sans music and with minimal dialogue and with the camera often chasing behind the necks of the actors.  L’ENFANT has the realistic feel of a good human drama.  Actors Renier and Francois deliver credible roles as the fighting couple, Francois more successful as the maturing Sonia. 

(Screening: Feb 16th Tue 9 pm)

GERRY (USA 2001) ****
Directed by Gus Van Sant

Director Gus Van Sant returns to his roots with a rhythmic and rather lyrical look at the art film via landscape and spaces. (Van Sant worked as a professional photographer before venturing into moviemaking.) The result is a film that is the anti-thesis of the Hollywood explosion film. GERRY has no plot, narrative flow, characterization, or even meaningful dialogue. Slow but moving, the start of the film, comprising a five-minute segment of a car gliding along the highway interspersed with close-ups of the two main stars, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, silent safe for Argentine composer Arvo Part’s haunting score, sets the mood for the rest of the film.  Damon and Affleck play two friends, both called Gerry. They hike through an unnamed wilderness trail (the film was shot in the Utah flats and Argentina), get lost, try to find their way and basically just walk around a lot. The characters’ dialogue, though inconsequential is realistic, like the constant banter of - “***censored*** the thing!” Yes, ***censored*** the thing!” . The other ritual behaviour like peeing in the sand, sitting by a wood-fire, racing around, arguing but never fighting, making of silly jokes are typical male-bonding conduct that any avid camper or hiker can relate to.  The bare desert landscape, photographed often in brown orange almost saturated colours (by Harris Savide) is gorgeous to look at. His camera swirls in full circles capturing the conflict between the elements and man. Van Sant juggles these scenes with illogical incidents (the segment in which Gerry is rescued from being stranded on a rock in a canyon or their often semi-philosophical arguments), providing some humour needed in a film of this nature. Damon and Affleck’s stamp on the film is obvious, from their improvised dialogue to personal actions. They also co-wrote and co-edited the film with Van Sant.

(Special Screening: Thurs. Feb 11th 9 pm Cinematheque Ontario)

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (HK 2000) ****
Directed by Wong Kar Wei

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, a gorgeous and visual feast for the eyes, is the best of Wong’s works.  Originally to be shot as a low budget quickie, the film ended up with a 14-month difficult shoot. The film is a period piece, set in1962 in Hong Kong. Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) and Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) move into an apartment building. They discover that their respective spouses are having an affair. They become friends, face the facts and something deeper develops. The times change.  The Chinese culture and period atmosphere are vividly captured. Buying noodles by going to the store with a tiffin carrier, the courtesy offered by apartment neighbours and the mah-jong games are typical of the Chinese lifestyle at the time. And the dim lighting (many scenes lit by the ancient lamps), wardrobe (Cheung in dozens of beautifully made ‘cheongsams’ and sets underscore the effect. At one point, Wong parodies his film by having a character utter, “Why does she (Mrs. Chan) dress like that to go buy noodles?” Wong repeats some techniques, like the ‘rehearsal scene’ lessening its effectiveness. There is one scene take takes place in a Singapore daily in 1963. Accuracy-wise, there was no such paper called the Singapore Daily existing at that time. Wong’s fondness of playing Latin tunes (used in his previous films as well) does get a bit much after much repetition.  But minor flaws aside, Wong’s film comes together as an cohesive whole. He knows exactly what he wants and he captures the mood and period of the lovers, with his camera that works like an extension of his inner being. Besides being a love story, it is a story of missed opportunities, of the passing of time and a kind of lifestyle as indicated by the film’s last scenes.

(Special Screening: Wed. Feb 10th 9.15 pm Cinematheque Ontario)