Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I feel like Harry Potter at the start of the first book, when the Dursleys keep trying to keep him from getting his Hogwart's acceptance letter and each day, more and more of those letters appear, pouring in... just like these Toronto reviews. It's great. I've got a real sense of what people are seeing each day, and we've been getting outstanding reports from those of you who are up there. First up, there's this guy who is married to a hot witch... can't wait to hear what he thought of CARVING OUT OUR NAME. For now, here's the Real Darrin...
Hi Harry, my apologies for not getting something to you sooner. Just got back from the world premiere of Last Orders. Here’s the review:
Last Orders
Last Orders is a well crafted film with a language problem, at least by North American standards. The talented cast reads like British cinematic royalty: Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Helen Mirren, Tom Courtenay, Bob Hoskins, and David Hemmings. The screenplay is based on Graham Swift’s Booker Award winning novel, making the film a likely hit on the other side of the pond. For most North Americans, however, the dialogue driven script (spoken in thick working-class British accents) will most likely relegate Last Orders to the art house circuit.
This is an awful shame, for screenwriter/director Fred Schepisi has effectively adapted Swift’s poignant tale of friendship, betrayal, loss and redemption. The film centers on three old W.W.II veterans –Ray (Hoskins), Lenny (Hemmings) and Vic (Courtenay) -- who are following the last orders of Jack (Caine), their deceased friend. Jack’s son Vince (Winstone) is driving them to the seaside town of Margate, where they’ll satisfy their old friend’s request to have his ashes cast to sea.
Set within the time frame of the afternoon drive, the film engages in a steady stream of flashbacks. Each member of the car reminisces about his lifetime with Jack and the other blokes. A few pints are consumed on the way to the pier, and as the memories flow, so do long kept secrets and resentments. Jack’s wife Amy (Mirren) figures prominently in the memories, although on this day she's elected to spend time with the institutionalized daughter that Jack snubbed, rather than go cast his ashes near his dream retirement spot.
Although Swift has been accused of plagiarizing passages from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, his story nonetheless succeeds in demonstrating that ordinary lives aren't ordinary at all. Schepisi captures the essence of the book – as we re-live the lives of these men, we get caught up in their celebratory times and tribulations. We see the gambles some of them make in an effort to better themselves, we see the occasional backstab, and we see inevitable confrontations. We also see these characters binding together in a tough time, letting bygones be bygones when all is said and done. In essence, we see them acting as the true friends they are to one another.
Last Orders doesn't resort to sappy sentimentality – these are the type of men who take washroom breaks if they sense teardrops coming, so they can pull themselves together in private. Granted, the story doesn't cover new ground, but it trods on familiar territory while efficiently planting the occasional plot-point land mine.
Schepisi’s crafty camerawork accommodates the quick fire dialogue within the car and at the pubs, and the cast he's assembled is predictably stellar. Schepisi also captured the South London vernacular of Swift’s book, which will be the film's great impediment on this side of the Atlantic. The dialogue sometimes moves so quickly that many North Americans will wish there were subtitles. Good cinema sadly doesn't always get the good audience it deserves, and I fear this will be the case for Last Orders. – Darrin
I caught the Carving Out Our Name premiere tonight as well. The principal cast – Wes Bentley, Brad Rowe, Chad Lindberg and Greg Fawcett – were all in attendance and engaged in an entertaining Q&A after the film. I’ll try to get something for you tomorrow morning.
--Darrin
Then Wonderguy returns with all sorts of reviews...
Hello again,
Fatigue prevented me from writing this earlier. Here's a rundown of more films that I've seen at the fest:
Novocaine
This is Steve Martin's film, or at least that how it's presented by the media. David Atkins' dark comedy has some funny moments, some that are suspenseful, and a few plot twists to boot. By this point, so many people have wrote in about this film that it would be pointless to provide a complete review. This movie, although containing some good laughs, wasn't a standout at the fest. The ending was predictable and some of the performances were a little weak. Specifically, Scott Caan seems to like playing the bad ass tough guy. He's done it in teen movies, in mob films (and will again in Ocean's Eleven), westerns and again in Novocaine. I'm probably biased seen as I've never liked his work, but come on. This guy needs to show some range. He plays muscles and hair with zero personality. The other performance that I found lacking energy was Elias Koteas'. He's an actor that does have range and has played a lot of quirky characters. His character is neither likable, nor hateful. He's sort of just there. What I did like was Steve Martin. This isn't the Martin from Parenthood or Spanish Prisoner (in my opinion his best roles), but he is good. I like seeing Martin take on more serious characters, he is better in these kinds of parts. Also, Helena Bonham Carter is great as the femme fatale/bad girl. Another thing I liked was the superimposing of x-ray images over the characters, I look forward to Atkins continuing to develop his sense of style. In all, this was a good movie, but not one of the best at the festival.
Grateful Dawg
This documentary was made by Gillian Grisman who is the daughter of David Grisman, or Dawg as he is nicknamed. Dawg was a close friend and creative partner to Jerry Garcia. He worked with Jerry during breaks from the Grateful Dead, beginning early on in both of their careers. This film spans many decades and provides some new footage of Garcia at work, particularly in his later years. What most struck me about the film was the dedication that Garcia had to music as an art form. Some people are now saying "Well of course, asshole" but my impression of the Grateful Dead was that they were more into creating a vibe than art. This movie portrays Garcia as a man who appreciated all music and was constantly trying to better himself as a musician - right up until the end. Unfortunately, what this film doesn't have is any footage of Garcia besides his days working with Grisman. Never do we see or hear Dead music. Now I recognize that this isn't a Dead film, but just the fact that Garcia is presented as the star, people might expect material from the group. Also, the filmmaker has put what appears to be her whole family in the movie. Some members are telling stories, others are expressing a fondness for Garcia. Too much of the film seems to be about the Grisman family. This removes the audience from what is interesting in this movie - and the reason why people will want to see it - Jerry Garcia. I don't mean to say that David Grisman isn't a talented musician, he clearly is, but he's no Jerry. Bluegrass music lovers will really appreciate this film as a testament to that style and the guys who made it. The concert footage material was nice to watch, and the director and editor opted to let the songs play until they were finished (a nice touch). While this movie will appeal to Grisman lovers, it's wasn't made for "Dead heads".
World Traveler
A few short years ago, I watched The Myth of Fingerprints and loved it as a study of family. Bart Freundlich knows about human relationships and that these can be difficult to maintain. This time around, Freundlich leaves the setting of a family house and takes to the road. Billy Crudup is Cal, a man who can no longer function as a father, husband, or decent man. He looks to the road for some much needed chaos. Along the way he struggles with what he's done and wrestles feelings of guilt and betrayal. Throughout his journey he meets many different people. The first of these is Carl (I forget the name of the actor who played him), a construction worker in small town who instinctively notices something different and special about Cal. Carl is married (to a character played by Mary McCormack) and would never have thought of doing anything to jeopardize his marriage until he meets Cal. Because of this, he agrees to flirt with other women and starts drinking again after years of sobriety. When Carl finally brings Cal to his home to meet his wife, they both get drunk and what happens leads to Cal taking off again. Shortly after he meets a hitchhiker (played by the fantastic Liane Balaban from New Waterford Girl) who jumps into his car while he's asleep. They become friends and head to Minnesota so she can pick up a package at the airport. While waiting for the hitchhiker, Cal meets an old acquaintance from high school (James LeGros) and is persuaded to go for a drink. This leads to Cal taking off again. His next encounter is with a passed-out woman whom he saves from getting arrested (Julianne Moore). In her Cal recognizes someone similar to he. She drinks too much, is troubled by life and is traveling on the road. Although not interested at first, Cal agrees to help this new woman pick her son up in Montana. Their relationship ends in a bitter scene that shows the depths of emotion that Crudup and Moore are capable of. After this episode, Cal is steered towards his father whom he blames for his inability to remain with his family.
Freundlich has made a difficult film that, at times, is hard to watch. What makes this film so great is Billy Crudup. Here is an actor who knows how to find good parts and nail them. I loved him in Jesus' Son, and again in Almost Famous. In World Traveler, he follows with another near-perfect performance. Cal is really hard to like. He does some really shitty things to good people. Yet I couldn't help but sympathize with him. You really want to like the character and are kept waiting for him to redeem himself. I really liked this film. Freundlich has proven that he is capable of successfully tackling difficult material and that Myth wasn't a fluke.
In the Bedroom
I went to see this movie after World Traveler. I wasn't too sure of what to expect. I knew that it performed well at Sundance and that Wilkinson and Spacek had won awards for their performances as Matt and (the name has escaped me) Fowler. What I discovered was a film that tackled death and guilt better than any movie since Crimes and Misdemeanors. When the Fowler's son (Nick Stahl) is murdered by his girlfriend's (Marisa Tomei) ex-husband, they are forced to come to terms with their grief and newfound contempt for the justice system. This film plays as a character study of a couple who lose their family and are left with sorrow and anger.
While the story appears simple, the depth and difficulty of the film is felt in the performances of the gifted cast. Wilkinson is most memorable as the conservative stripper from Full Monty, but once this film is released to the public, this will be no longer. Matt Fowler has many layers, he is a loving father, a respected doctor and popular man of the community. Mrs. Fowler is more or less the same, but with a more 'in your face' personality. We watch both people fall into desperation as they shed away these layers to what they inevitably become at the end of the film. Todd Filed has engineered some amazing performances from his cast. I would be shocked not to see Spacek or Wilkinson (who was the stronger of the two) nominated for Academy Awards. I am also amazed by Nick Stahl. He went from playing a horrible piece of shit in Bully, to a good kid in this film. His range is incredible. With this film and the others that I have seen, I can say that the festival is shaping up to be one of the best of recent years.
A final day's worth of reviews will come soon.
Wonderguy
Then I got another review of FULL TIME KILLER...
Hi Harry,
A friend of mine works at the front of house at one of the theatres here in T.O. and he invited me to come see a repeat screening of Full-Time Killer this afternoon so I thought I would drop a line.
The story has been well covered by others so I won't bother repeating it other than saying it is about two hitmen Tok and O. This is a fun movie! The directors are clearly drawing from a wealth of HK and Hollywood movie history in crafting this tale and this is no better displayed than the visual gags given to Tok (Andy Lau). As a borderline maniac who is obsessed with movies he makes reference to El Mariachi, Point Break and other films throughout and our introduction to his character is a homage to the infamous police station sequence in the original Terminator. He is also an epileptic who is prone to fits when he experiences strobing light. This plays as a plot point but seems to really serve only as an excuse to show several scenes of Tok vomiting up white goo.
Ironically, had this film been made in North America it would be declared derivative and silly, but here it works. I found myself giggling in enjoyment over how a scene was going to play out, often well before the punchline as clearly the filmmakers had no other way to play it. (i.e. As O and his housekeeper are about to be surrounded by police, O outfits her with a kevlar vest and packs himself some bug guns. The housekeeper has been keeping the company of Tok and has even gone so far as practice shooting with him. As they make to leave O soberly informs her that if she walks out this door her life will never be the same. She then:
A) Strips off the vest and tells him she won't go.
B)Timidly follows him out and dies in red spray.
C) Determined, she spins on her heel, stalks to his gun rack and yanks free a Colt M-41, telling him she knows how to use it.
You'll have to see the movie to find out if you guess right, but I did, half-way through his speech. Weird to be the only one laughing 20 seconds before anyone else).
The action scenes are wonderfully stylish and extremely over the top. Not having read the source material I am unable to make a judgement as to how faithful this film is to it, nor if the novel came as close to falling into self-parody. The are many non-sensical points in the plot though they do not distract until the beginning of the third act.
After a show stopping shoot-out featuring a bad-ass sniper rifle the movie stops dead in its tracks and makes a bizarre turn as if a different movie was edited into this one by accident. After ten minutes or so it gets back on track and manages to regain its momentum, but one can't help but wonder what the result would have been had those 10 minutes been excised, as they really don't add anything to the picture.
As described elsewhere, the climax is in a fireworks factory but what is more interesting is that the two hitman reveal themselves to be video game aficionados and that the fireworks factory has been setup as a real-world version of game, complete with weapons and "power-ups (kevlar, nightvision)" hidden in crates. In a moment of insight the two men are both nearly giddy in their anticipation, which is expected behaviour from Tok but a revelation about O. As stoic as he is the rest of the film, seeing him finally getting a rush out of a life and death situation was very entertaining and evidence that in the final analysis, Tok and O aren't that different.
The unseemly narrative from another movie pokes it's head back in for a bit but by that point we no longer care. This is a very satisfying if flawed film and something worth seeing, rather than the Hollywood blockbuster of the week.
Darvin
And Plucky dropped off a great piece on one of my Sundance faves this year...
Hello,
My name is Plucky, and I thought you might be interested in hearing about one of the Midnight Madness screenings called Dogtown and Z-Boys, directed by former skateboarder Stacey Peralta. It's a documentary about the forming of one of the most influental skateboarding teams called the Z-Boys that came out of California in a lower class area known as Dogtown in the seventies, their rise to popularity, and how they changed the sport of skateboarding to what is is known as today.
Let me preface my review by stating I know absolutely nothing about skateboarding, so I went into this with a pretty open mind. That said, I really enjoyed the film. They managed to find a lot of footage of the team both in film and photographs, and talked about how modern skateboarding is really an evolution from surfing, and how skateboarding came up out of utter extinction after a boom in the fifties by this group of scruffy kids that were like scavengers of public spaces, and out of total serendipity and chance began using sloped pavement surfaces and empty swimming pools to take skateboarding to vertical extremes. That said, because the director was one of the Z-Boys, it's a bit of a love-fest, but it's a movie for skateboarders more than anything, and the rowdy Midnight crowd was definitely into it.
The movie shows skateboarding as a real counter-culture movement that managed to reach out to young people all over North America. How some of the members of the group were able to capitalize on the upswing of the sport with sponsorship and smart business decisions and a little bit of forethought, and how other members just sort of burnt out and ended up making a lot of bad decisions that led them nowhere.
It was a pretty fascinating study of something I knew nothing about, and the footage was a great look back at the seventies in general. The editing and the music was really high energy and even though the movie makes a lot of use of still photographs, the pictures are great and have so much movement that you almost feel like your skateboarding right on through the whole thing. Great seventies soundtrack that included Bowie and Zeppelin among many others. The director was there as well as Tony Alva, one of the members, and they mentioned the film would be getting wide release in April in North America. They also mentioned the rights of the story have been picked up for a feature film, which is what instilled him to make the movie, so they could tell their own story.
It's worth checking out.
Plucky
As always, thanks to everyone, and we're always looking for more. Keep 'em coming...
"Moriarty" out.
