Toronto Film Festival

Jon emailed me today to ask if I wanted to go to the Toronto International Film Festival. Since he works for the festival he was able to get tickets to Terry Gilliam's Tideland, and the gala screening of Danis Tanovic's L'Enfer.

Tideland

I was expecting good things from this film. It was filmed in Saskatchewan, and I remember hearing about it on the radio as I drove to work. The government had given a lot of grants and made a bunch of concessions to the production in order for them to film in the province. A lot of conservative members of the Saskatchewan Party were up in arms that taxpayer money was supporting Hollywood. A bunch of bollocks in my opinion and politicians trying to create something out of nothing. Most importantly, I was looking forward to meeting "The Dude".

Terry Gilliam's films are always bizarre. You're never sure what will happen next, and you feel awkward and uncomfortable as you watch them. Should you laugh? Cry? Run? They throw you off your guard and make you nervous.

Jeliza-Rose's mother dies of a heroin overdose, and she and her father move to his family home on the prairie. Shortly after arriving, Jeliza-Rose cooks her father up some heroin, and he ODs. She then spends much of the remainder of the movie creating an Alice in Wonderland world and interacting with her dolls (just the heads that she places on her index fingers).

The movie is strange, it's bizarre, and it really isn't that interesting either. I was profoundly bored at times, and the repetition and beating of ideas didn't hold my attention. I was uncomfortable, and uninterested in the characters. In fact the characters thoroughly annoyed me.

It was cool going to the world premiere of a movie, but that was the best thing about it, sadly.

L'Enfer

My first gala anything. It was fun lining up with people all dressed up in fancy suits and high heels (I had on khakis and a t-shirt, so I was a little out of place). They brought hors d'oeuvres around but made sure not to give any to the homeless man leaning against a planter.

This was my first visit to Roy Thompson Hall, and it was a comfortable place to watch a movie. I'm even more psyched now for the Sigur Ros concert on the 19th!

The film itself was quite good, as far as incredibly depressing European movies go. The film centres around a family and demonstrates how they are torn apart by an event in their past. There's nothing uplifting, nothing cheery, no light at the end of the tunnel. It makes you want to curl up in bed and never speak to anyone again, or jump out the window.

But it is done well. The writing is believable, and the actors (mainly actresses) are convincing. The story is somewhat heavy handed and while it doesn't bludgeon you it does beat its point in. The problem is that it's being too philosophical and trying to hard to leave its audience with that life changing experience. After seeing the movie, I want to go to France on vacation not alter the next 65 years of my life.

My overwhelming complaint is the music. Films don't need music to tell the audience how to feel. That's what instrumental jazz and classical is for. When characters are crying, don't play sappy strings; when they are in crisis, don't have an orchestra bellowing out dramatically anxious woodwinds. A good score should add to the scene, but should never make the audience aware of its presence.

So my TIFF was a good experience, but not great. It's hard with these festival flicks, because you can really get a lot of crapola before you stumble upon something great. We calculated that the two of us saved $53.00 each by getting the free passes. I would have been supremely ticked had I spent that kind of money on those kind of films, but there are few things in life that are free and it was nice to sit there knowing that I didn't waste all that cash.

Interview

I got the call about the interview today. They called at 8:56 on Friday evening. I was surprised to hear from them that late, but it was good news and I'll take it. I'm meeting with them on Monday morning at 11:00. When asked if I should bring anything, they responded, "No, not really, it's just going to be a short chat." I'm not sure what that means, though.