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FeedTIFF 2010: Day Three
Day Three at TIFF was by far our craziest of the year—we saw five films back-to-back from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. And while the final two films of the night finally infused a bit of humor into the otherwise heavy schedule of dramas, the morning opened with what could have been the darkest of the weekend, David Schwimmer's Trust.
A far cry from his directorial debut Run, Fatboy, Run, this new film is based on his work with the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center. His brief introduction gave us much needed context to the subject matter, including the grim fact that, according to Department of Justice stats, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused by the age of 18. As the film begins, young Annie (in an amazing performance from Liana Liberato) slowly discovers that the 16-year old boy from California she's chatting with is twice the age he says. It's a rough look into the world of internet sex predators and their fragile victims, who sadly aren't even aware that a crime is being committed. Kudos to Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, and especially Clive Owen for surrounding Liberato and allowing her to put a face to these all-too-common tragedies. 9/10.
As a very friendly couple from Burlington said while we all waited for film number two, John Curran's Stone, there wasn't a dry eye at the Elgin post-Trust. So we all hoped for a bit of a break from the dramatic gravitas with Robert De Niro and Edward Norton's thriller about a parole officer/parolee relationship that turns criminal. But it turns out Stone is much much more than that—verging into a spiritual tale of God speaking through sound. I still am not quite sure what to think. The performances from De Niro, Norton, Milla Jovovich and Frances Conroy are great and the story itself is thought-provoking at every turn ... but what exactly does it all mean? I do respect Curran for not pandering to the mainstream. 7/10.
Our wild card for the day came next: Peter Mullan's NEDS (Non-Educated Delinquents). Neither of us were prepared for the length, or for the extremely dire topic of Scotland's street gangs. The first half juxtaposes the brutal life of bullies and victims (generally the bullies on the other side of the bridge) with a fantastic comedic undertone. Subtitled in order for the thick accents to be understood, sarcasm helps to temper the very real street fights, beatings, stabbings, and otherwise total lack of civility. Once our lead, Conor McCarron, goes from A-plus student to delinquent extraordinaire over one summer, the humor takes a backseat to an increasingly rapid descent into hell, with no return in sight. Many will say it goes too far, but I think it's honest. A good half hour could have been excised to hone it all in, but either way I'm glad to have stumbled into this horrifying world. 6/10.
After all this, you can believe we were both ecstatic to be seeing Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's world premiere of It's Kind of a Funny Story. The directors and stars (Zach Galifianakis, Keir Gilchrist, and Emma Roberts) were in attendance for this perfect mix of comedy and life lessons, featuring a suicidal man on his five day self-committal at a mental hospital. The film never undermines the importance of depression, but also doesn't milk it for tears or heartbreak. All the patients support each other through their troubles—it's a compelling coming of age story for the teenage lead as well as for the middle-aged patients attempting to take the next step in their lives.This was one of the best films of the festival so far. 9/10.
Since our Midnight Madness screening of Guy Moshe's Bunraku was at the Ryerson right after Funny Story, we were able to enlist former Spree intern Leah, in town with her journalism class, to save us a spot in line. The prime positioning allowed us all to sit right down front in the fourth row and revel in the eye-popping visuals unleashed onscreen. Depicting a world where guns are illegal and justice is provided by the blade, the film is a memorable meld of graphic novel and video game with bright, vibrant colors and exciting fight sequences. Cast members Ron Perlman, Japanese superstar GACKT (the fanbase in attendance for him was mindblowing), Woody Harrelson, Josh Harnett, and Kevin McKidd all came out to support their director and see their work for the first time. It's kinetic symphony of visual splendor had the same effect on them as it did the audience, leading to a fantastic bookend to a jam-packed day of great cinema. 7/10.
Reader Comments:
So sleepy ... But so worth it, especially if we glimpse the Sundance Kid today. Not to skew too close to Jared's opinions but for the most part I'm in agreement on yesterday's films: "Trust" is stunningly powerful, and I say 9 of 10 with confidence; "Stone" is a real surprise—a gripping moral drama with little action, and, to me, an 8 of 10; "It's Kind of a Funny Story" felt like a breath of fresh air after a day of sexual abuse and prison dramas, and a 9; and "Bunraku" is a nice bit of fun that easily garners a 7. Where we differ is "Neds," which abandons a solid first half hour for a dreary slog through a seventies Scottish teenage wasteland. It illuminates nothing, and I say 4 of 10 is being generous.
Today, "The Conspirator," "127 Hours," and "Norwegian Wood." Isn't it good.