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 CurrieStarsEmmanuelle ChriquiJames BrolinJason RitterAn 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 - DirectorGaspar NoéStarsAomi MuyockKarl GlusmanKlara KristinMurphy is an American living in Paris who enters a highly sexually and emotionally charged relationship with Electra. Unaware of the effect it will have on their relationship, they invite their pretty neighbor into their bed.Sep 17
3d sex scenes galore! You can't go wrong with that. The dramatic elements were kinda long but surprisingly effective. The music did a great job of setting the mood in and out of the sex scenes. Despite what I expected, the sex scenes were not shocking even though they were graphic. 8/10 - DirectorMark SawersStarsPatrick GilmoreBronwen SmithTara PrattIn a world where women have become able to "self-fertilise" and are no longer giving birth to males, a quiet, unassuming housekeeper named Andrew Myers finds himself at the center of a battle to keep men from going extinct.Sep 18
Funny mockumentary about a world where men are rendered obsolete by virgin births. Not one of my fav mockumentaries but it had some good ideas and fully committed to the world it created. Fav detail from the q&a is that the roles of the young boys in the reenactment scene were played by girls because in this world there are no young boys left. 7/10 - DirectorMatt BrownStarsDev PatelJeremy IronsMalcolm SinclairThe story of the life and academic career of the pioneer Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, and his friendship with his mentor, Professor G.H. Hardy.Sep 18
It's nice when you see a film with a premise that could make it very blah made good by a strong cast like this. This turned out to be very engaging all around. The math subject matter was handled in a way that will work for math types and non math types alike. Hopefully this wins some Oscar notice as it deserves. 8/10 - DirectorAlice WinocourStarsMatthias SchoenaertsDiane KrugerPaul HamyVincent is an ex-soldier with PTSD who is hired to protect the wife and child of a wealthy Lebanese businessman while he's out of town. Despite the apparent tranquility in Maryland, Vincent perceives an external threat.Sep 18
Home invasion thriller with a twist of having a security guy in the house when the invasion happens. That allowed for a slow build to the invasion that was still very entertaining. The character of the mother/wife wasn't properly developed for my liking, but all the performances were good enough to make up for that. Good soundtrack kept things pumping along nicely. 8/10 - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.Sep 18
Stylish and atmospheric slow build horror film. Once it got going it was quite good. Up until that point it was just nice to look at. I had a hard time understanding what was being said with the accents. I think this will do well over time as a memorable period horror. 7/10 - DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsHayato IchiharaRiko NarumiShô AoyagiIn the ruthless underground world of the yakuza, no one is more legendary than boss Kamiura. Rumored to be invincible, the truth is he is a vampire-a bloodsucking yakuza vampire boss! Among Kamiura's gang is Kageyama, his most loyal underling. However, the others in the gang view Kageyama with disdain and ridicule him for his inability to get tattooed due to sensitive skin. One day, assassins aware of boss Kamiura's secret arrive from abroad and deliver him an ultimatum: Return to the international syndicate he left years ago, or die. Kamiura refuses and, during a fierce battle with anime-otaku martial-arts expert Kyoken, is torn limb from limb. With his dying breath, Kamiura bites Kageyama, passing on his vampire powers to the unsuspecting yakuza. As he begins to awaken to his newfound abilities, Kageyama's desire to avenge the murder of boss Kamiura sets him on a course for a violent confrontation with Kaeru-kun, the foreign syndicate's mysterious and seemingly unstoppable leader!Sep 18
This falls on the missive of Miike's hit and miss career. Every time something came up in the story that seemed like it could have gone somewhere interesting it would stop short. Too much time spent in between the crazy action to hold my interest. This type of film could work at 80 mins, not 2 hours. The frog but was funny at the end, but even that went on too long. 5/10 - DirectorFlorian GallenbergerStarsEmma WatsonDaniel BrühlMichael NyqvistA young woman's desperate search for her abducted boyfriend draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody has ever escaped from.Sep 19
This was a great surprise! It was not the political drama I was expecting. Instead it was more about a cult and trying to escape that. The performances were good, even Bruhl who I don't normally like. The story kept the intensity going the whole way through. The ending left me with the same too hard to believe feeling that I got in the airport scene of Argo. Ok interested to see what was actually true from this film. 8/10 - DirectorDrake DoremusStarsNicholas HoultKristen StewartVernetta LopezIn an emotionless utopia, two people fall in love when they regain their feelings from a mysterious disease, causing tensions between them and their society.Sep 19
I can understand the negative reviews that this is getting. It is just a pale version of The Giver. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I not seen the Giver before. Until the end of the film it seemed like there was nothing happening and nothing coming. The last 20 mins or so got interesting. 5/10 - DirectorSion SonoStarsKenji EndoYûto IkedaMegumi KagurazakaA feminine android delivers packages to the scattered humans in the galaxy. With years to spare the android and us have time to contemplate what it is to be human.Sep 19
This was the opposite of the last Sono film I saw. This was almost a silent film, the dialogue that was there was all whispered and it was primarily in black and white. The last film of his I saw was Tokyo Tribe which is loud in every way. There was a point in this film where things turned colour, but it was so brief that I feel that element was wasted. I actually enjoyed that not much happened in the film as it was nice to look at and that was enough. I only wish that it had a better ending. 7/10 - DirectorEva HussonStarsFinnegan OldfieldMarilyn LimaLorenzo LefèbvreIn the well-to-do suburbs of a small town, a group of pretty average, well-adjusted sixteen and seventeen year olds are ordinary adolescents who take a singular path.Sep 19
This stands right up there with Love for the graphic sex but in a different way. This one dealt with teenagers and group sex without shying away from it. It didn't have the crazy 3D in your face aspect of Love but the sex was more shocking because of the age. Even the first time actors, like the girl who played George were convincing and natural. 7/10 - DirectorTodd Strauss-SchulsonStarsTaissa FarmigaMalin AkermanAdam DevineA young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom's most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film's maniacal killer.Sep 19
Wonderful self aware horror comedy. Stylistically smart with the flashbacks and the credits/title cards. Thanks to avoiding trailers, even the movie within the movie was a surprise. That element allowed it to be a horror comedy without being a straight up parody. 8/10 - DirectorAlexandra-Therese KeiningStarsTuva JagellEmrik ÖhlanderLouise NyvallNectar from a magic flower allows three girls to live as boys for a while.Sep 20
Scifi/drama about high school girls who find a way to turn themselves into boys. I could certainly have done without the pro gender transition preachiness of the film. I think the subject matter could have had the desired effect on its own without the need to come right out and push the agenda. More could have been explored with the supernatural elements and the transitions had the filmmakers not been so focused on their trans agenda. Thankfully there was some charm to it and the story was enough to hold interest. 7/10 - DirectorRoxanne BenjaminMatt Bettinelli-OlpinDavid BrucknerStarsChad VillellaMatt Bettinelli-OlpinKristina PesicFive interlocking tales of terror follow the fates of a group of weary travellers who confront their worst nightmares - and darkest secrets - over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway.Sep 20
Five horror tales that connected with one another with varying fluidity. A couple of the stories flowed together flawlessly in a way that never seems to in these films. Even the ones that transitioned less smoothly were still an improvement over the typical clumsy compilations of shorts. I especially liked the story of the girl band that moved into the car accident/hospital story. Each could have been a top notch self contained story but also had the strong connection. If they'd made the same smooth connection throughout the film this could have been an easy 9/10. Even as is, it is one of the best horror collections out there. 8/10 - DirectorEric KhooStarsPeter Boon KohDaniel JenkinsJosie HoSix different stories of six couples in a particular room in a hotel in Singapore.Sep 20
I like the idea of a film about a single hotel room and the things that have happened there over the years. Unfortunately this film lacked any real connection between the stories, the potential emotion that could have created and quality it needed to hold it all together. A couple of the stories were ok but without anything aside from the room itself to unify them it was meaningless. 4/10 - DirectorLucile HadzihalilovicStarsMax BrebantRoxane DuranJulie-Marie ParmentierThe only residents of young Nicholas' sea-side town are women and boys. When he sees a corpse in the ocean one day, he begins to question his existence and surroundings. Why must he, and all the other boys, be hospitalised?Sep 20
For a film with such a good concept it relied too much on the visuals. Either going deeper into the story or shortening the runtime could have made it more enjoyable. 5/10