Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here. It seems like all we’ve heard about so far out of Toronto have been the big Hollywood titles, so I’m glad that Copernicus checked out two smaller, weirder films for this, his latest report from the festival:
FLASHPOINT Ok, there is know way I'm going to top spy Zorachus' for Hong Kong cinema knowledge, so if you want a real review of the Wilson Yip helmed, Donnie Yen star vehicle FLASHPOINT, check that out. But I can report that it just rocked a Midnight Madness. Synopsis: There are cops, a gang, somebody is undercover, blah, blah, blah. Maybe it is best if I just give you a core dump from my notebook. Here is what I wrote down during the screening: "Toilet chop! What is so important about that phone that he needs to chop the toilet apart with his fits to get it (nice intro tho)? Wine bottle missile -- sweet! Smash cut establishing shot! Of golf! Child projectile!!! Nuclear turkey!" Then there is some really boring stuff where a character has to feed his old mom and drive her around, but at long last the action took returned. At that point I stopped writing, because I was too busy watching characters throw and receive approximately every kind of punch invented. Donnie Yen wasn't at the screening, but he wrote in saying he's very into the mixed martial arts these days. So mixed, that they included wrasslin' movies! I'm pretty sure I saw a figure 4 leg lock, and something akin to a suplex, but off a building, hitting things on the way down. Oh and there are plenty of guns and cars too. The one negative thing I'd say is that there is a long stretch in the middle of plot development where nothing much happens. The story and acting is better than most martial arts fare (i.e. a step up from porn acting), but that isn't why we are here, is it? Fortunately the last 30 minutes rocked hard. In that stretch if the action density had been any higher, this thing would have turned into a black hole. After the screening an evil waitress semi-professional pillow fighter (I am not kidding, I can't make this stuff up), stole my notebook and wrote, "Kicked ass! Polly Esther gives it fists up!" Then the last thing I have written down is "Touched by a truck!" During the Q&A Wilson Yip explained through a translator that the worst injury occurred while filming when someone was hit by a truck. Well, not hit, the translator said, maybe "touched by a truck." I dare someone to make a movie with that title. By the way, if you want to see any of the Midnight Madness intros or Q&A's, check out the blog. VEXILLE I also happened to catch some great science fiction anime at a midnight screening. In VEXILLE the year is 2077 and Japan is isolated from the rest of the world because it is taking robotic and cybernetic technology to new extremes. There is essentially no communication between the outside world and Japan, and shielding technology means that it can't be seen even by satellites. A team of agents in robo-suits must infiltrate, but when they get there they discover Japan's horrible secret. I won't give it away, but I will say it is a neat twist, and it makes for good science fiction. And there are these living metal tornadoes that look like Dune worms, which race across the desert and try to eat people. The animation is the best I've ever seen -- every shot looks like a work of art. If you are only a casual anime fan like me, GHOST IN THE SHELL 2 may have the closest reference point in style (a sort of 2D-3D hybrid), but it seems that they've taken these kinds of techniques to the next level. But my favorite part is that the techno soundtrack was done by Paul Oakenfold. Man, I've been saying for a long time that drugs and anime go together hand-in-glove! Even having said all that, the major flaw is that the characters are not developed well at all, and it is pretty hard to build drama in that case. So for anime fans, trippers, and ravers it is a must-see, but I doubt it will cross over to the mainstream. -Copernicus
