TIFF Capsule Reviews (Final Update)

TIFF Capsule Reviews (Final Volume)

http://www.cinemaeye.com/index/movienews/more/4036/

http://www.cinemaeye.com/index/movienews/more/tiff_capsule_reviews_updated/

http://www.cinemaeye.com/index/movienews/more/more_tiff_capsule_reviews/#more

Together with the links above and those below, the complete set of capsule reviews: 

THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER (Israel/Romania/Fr/Germ 2010) ***
Directed by Eran Riklis

When an ex-employee of a bakery in Israel is killed by a suicide bombing, THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER (Mark Ivanir) is forced to clear the name of the bakery.  One thing leads to another and before you know it, he is accompanying the body in a coffin back to her Russian village with son and an obnoxious reporter in tow.  Why?  Because it is the right thing to do!  Director Riklis charming, dramatic and often funny road trip of sorts is a bit tiring, but the film grows on you.  The backdrop of the politics, violence and war is ever present in the background of the story.  But the film has heart and Riklis’ characters, no matter how selfish, irritating or unrelenting that may seem, Riklis show that human kindness is definitely present and will eventually triumph!

JUCY (Australia 2010) ***
Directed by Louise Alston

JUCY is the name conned from Jackie and Lucy.  Jackie (Francesca Gasteen) and Lucy (Cindy Nelson) are two twentysomething best friends who’ve made an art of not doing much. Working together in an alternative video store, they smoke pot, play video games and actively encourage each other’s eccentricities and often delusional world view.  Director Alston (ALL MY FRINDS ARE LEAVING BRISBANE) has concocted a fresh, lively and humanistic comedy reminiscent of a younger Aussie version of ABSOLUTEY FABULOUS.  Here are two girls, who just don’t give a f*** o what other people think of them.  Their adventures here do not account for much as it is their interactions with each other (yes, they do quarrel) and others that makes the movie. 

LAPLAND ODYSSEY (Finland/Sweden/Ireland 2010) ***
Directed by Dome Karukoski

When Janne spends the money given by his girlfriend Irina to buy a convertor on drinks with his friends, he is given an ultimatum.  He has to return the next morning with one or she will leave him.  So, Janne embarks on a night road trip with these two friends in search of money and a converter.  That is about it for the plot for director Karukoski’s easy going film.  As a comedy road trip movie, the laughs are not overtly hilarious but his film has quite the original comedic set-ups like encounters with killer lesbians, drunken reindeer killing Russians and crazed homicidal cabbies.  Too bad the film is not funnier.  But Karukoski interweaves the current state and situation of his country into his story.  The people have no jobs, sleep all the time, drink and play video games and drive around in snow mobiles.  Of course, all turns out well for the hapless hero Janne who gets his girl at the end in this otherwise entertaining piece from Finland.  The film only reminds audiences of the good old Aki Kaurismaki films.

THE LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN (HK 2010) **
Directed by Andrew Lau

Chen Zhen (Donnie Yen) reprises his TV role in the big screen version of Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen was a cultural hero and symbol of Chinese strength and pride and in this movie fights the Japanese and aids the Chinese resistance fighters. The plot involves the military releasing the name of the Chinese aiding the Japanese resulting in mass assassinations.  Director Law includes lots of these violent killings.  While Zhen fights the Japs, he is at one point captured and tortured.  The fight scenes are well choreographed but Lau’s film lacks a coherent plot.  The ending with the words saying the that the Chinese resistance fighters are still fighting the Japanese Occupation only emphasizes the fact that the film lacks a solid story.  Good creation of the period atmosphere though!

NEVER LET ME GO (UK 2010) ****
Directed by Mark Romanek

NEVER LET ME GO is a brave venture that pays off due to the fine performances from its three leads and careful plotting.  Nothing is what it seems at the beginning, with the revelation of the situation only unveiled half way through the film.  The three are human pawns exiting so that their organs can be donated to cancer victims.  They think there is a way out – or rather a procrastination period, which may or not be.  The film plays like a LOGAN’S RUN (the escape from a sort of futuristic society set in the present) coupled with ATONEMENT (a lost love affair made good).  Kathy (Carey Mulligan) is in love with Tommy (Andrew Garfield) but the love is stolen by Rith (Kiera Knightley).  It is not easy to make a drama affecting audiences set in a make-believe environment but this film works as the setting is quite a believable one.  But there is the lingering question of why the three will not just run away into hiding.  Still, the film poses the ethical question of how far man would go to better a longer lifespan.

NOIR OCEAN (BLACK OCEAN) (France/Belgium/Germany 2010) ***1/2
Directed by Marion Hansel

The setting is the navy vessel where three young boys, just teenagers come to grasp with life.  More than a coming-of-age story, NOIR OCEAN is more an account of the lost of innocence, a rite of passage that is painfully necessary to reach a higher state of maturity.  Director Hansel concentrates more of the exploits and thoughts of one boy with the other two who are the closet to him.  Hansel takes her audience through the ship’s routines as the night watches, drill, times off, fooling around and even out on land when the sailors party their face off.  It is odd, though to watch these boys flirt with the local girls as these boys look much prettier.  But like angels and all innocent looking, they eventually learn the reason they are brought to the destination of Mururoa, that is to monitor France’s nuclear testing.  The shot of the nuclear mushroom cloud is as disturbing as anything that is seen on screen for a while.  Though the film contains no story, Hansen’s film is gripping enough as she makes her audience feels for her characters.  The haunting music and beautiful shots of the open ocean adds to the lyrical beauty of this film.

REPEATERS (Canada 2010) **
Directed By Carl Bessai

Director Carl Bessai’s story concerns three residents in a rehab centre in Mission, B.C. They are granted a rare one-day-pass on a Wednesday to venture back into the world and make amends with those they have wronged. Kyle (Dustin Milligan) reaches out to his kid sister, who refuses to speak to him. Sonia (Amanda Crew) decides not to confront her ailing, abusive father in the hospital, only to learn later in the day that he has died. Meanwhile, Weeks (Richard de Klerk) is left feeling powerless and quietly enraged after visiting his violent father in prison.  But on the Wednesday, the three get electrocuted during a storm which results in them waking up the next day, repeating the Wednesday they had just gone through – a sort of GROUNDHOG DAY.  The three discover that no matter what they do, they will wake up again on the Wednesday.  So, Kyle and Sonia try to mend heir lives while Weeks does the reverse.  Does this film work?  Sadly no!  Would you go see a film about a dysfunctional family set in a futuristic society?  There is no point, just as drama does not work in a GROUNDHOG DAY situation.  It is a pity as the three main lead actors are pretty good!

STONE (USA 2010) ***
Directed by John Curran

The main reason for many viewing this film would be the performances of Robert De Niro and Edward Norton.  De Niro plays Jack, an unforgiving man, hardened after years of working as a parole officer while Norton plays Gerald “Stone” Creeson, a convicted arsonist up for his latest parole hearing.  The film is full of twisted logic that is mostly true. But the film does not delve into the fault or problems of the penal system but concentrates instead of the characters.  The main character under examination is Jack, whose marriage has been on the rocks since the beginning, but Jack keeps hanging on as his wife (a heartfelt performance by Frances Conroy) will not leave him.  Jack personal imprisonment is contrasted with Stone’s who at least is set free after his term.  Jack is offered a way out through Stone and his sexy wife (Milla Jovovich) but with a disastrous outcome.  The climax is a bit of a let down but the film is still worth a visit for De Niro and Norton.  Their first scene together is dynamite!

3 (Germany 2010) **
Directed by Tom Tykwer

German director Tom Tykwer’s films go to two extremes.  They could be really high paced like THE INTERNATIONAL and RUN, LOLA, RUN or really slow like portions of WINTER SLEEPERS.  3 falls in the latter category.  The obvious theme his latest film is non-communication.  Hanna and Simon are a middle-aged Berlin couple.  Their sex is good but they don’t really talk to each other and each day dream in their own way.  Tykwer uses the first half of his film to illustrate this point before getting each to meet and have an affair with Adam.  The premise is a novel, no doubt and Tykwer uses it to the fullest especially having the couple slowly discover that each has been unfaithful to the same man.  But who really cares and the idea loses its spark quite soon.  A couple does not communicate and finally communicates in this artsy film.  That is about it!  At least the sex scenes are erotic as well as tastefully done.