Hey folks... Harry here and you really should go through this report as Repojay has managed to find quite a few high quality films... some you've heard of... others that you haven't... AMORES PERROS sounds like it could be great! Check it out, and let's hear it for the folks in Toronto... what a bang up job!

OK, everyone. I'm hoping the next few reports won't be as long as I know this one is going to be. I've found a 24 hour internet access 2 blocks north of the Uptown theatre that should help greatly! Let's get to it!

BAISE-MOI (Dir. Virginie Despentes/Coralie Trinh Thi)

Some have already reported back on this flick, and the people at the festival here have had a very mixed response to this film, but for one I like it. However, it was all because the film is an assault on the senses. The story is barely there.

The film is easily described as a hardcore Thelma and Louise and that's pretty accurate. The story follows 2 women who have both been horribly (and graphically) wronged by men and go on a sex/killing spree. In case you haven't heard, porn acctresses are in the leads so everything is very graphically laid out.

As I said, the story was way too paper thin. Why did the characters go on this spree? Dunno. We're led to believe that it was because of a rape and an epiphany during a prostitution trick, but I don't buy it.

That said, the limits to which it pushes visual excess make this one to watch. Why? Because it is squeamish no matter how jaded you are. Especially the rape scene which happens 10 minutes into the film.

At first, the use of DV looks cheap and bad, but after the rape scene, the rawness proves to be even MORE effective. The hardcore sex, an obvious selling point, is hardly erotic so don't go for that. Instead, look to be fairly shocked at both that as well as the violent brutality.

The music is a whole other good element to the sensory experience of this film, heightening and bringing in a Pomo edge at the same time.

The film has already been banned in France, most of Canada (including the very Province we're in). No US distributor will even attempt to bring this before the MPAA and the filmmakers refuse to edit (bravo!) so if you have the chance to see it, it may be your only one.

TELL ME SOMETHING (Dir. Chang Youn Hyun)

This film is a Korean Hollywood flick. Heck, it even outgrossed Phantom Menace. However slick it's filmed, though, the storyline and imagry are not.

A detective needs to solve a series of grisly murders where body parts are showing up in bags, but none of the body parts belong to the same person. Soon, he finds a woman who is an ex-lover of all 3 men. What happens next? A bunch of twists, turns and red herrings before we get to the shocking conclusion.

Frankly, the use of bringing in some clues and not others didn't work as well as I'd hope. It made the film seem a bit too confusing and also that there was more depth than there actually was.

The director and Colin (Midnight Madness ringleader) made it seem that there was a lot to chew on and discuss afterward, but all I wanted to discuss was scratching my head and go "Why?".

The stylized gore and unique aspects of the murder mystery make it worth seeing, but it's not gonna be one to desire repeat viewing, even though the film itself may warrant it.

STATE AND MAIN (Dir. David Mamet)

Unlike Duets, this is an ensemble piece that has a worthy ensemble! Mamet wrote a ridiculously tight comedic script and even allowed his actors to be a lot looser than they normally are in his films.

The plot has a Hollywood production coming to small town Vermont and take over the town. The movie, just by nature of the plot, becomes so many things: Hollywood vs. Middle America, Upper vs. Lower Class, etc. The culture clash stuff makes the whole movie and the insider stuff is just the gravy.

William H. Macy is incredible as the director. Hell, everyone is good, works off each other, and not one actor steals the limelight. I couldn't help but think of Noises Off (the play, not the film) which skewered theatre in a similar fashion.

So many jokes are quotable and come at you fast and furious through the whole thing. Favorite dialogue exchange: "You're a liar." "No, I've got a gift for fiction." Then add a dash of ribbing about the US political system and even a love story for Philip Seymour Hoffman as the male love interest. How great!

Every bit is funny but I don't want to spoil the jokes. Every minor character even has wonderful depth with remarkably few lines.

There are also plenty of jokes and stories they leave hanging and don't even get to finish. What happens to the Mayor's wife? Who did start those mysterious fires in 1960? And what DID happen in 1975? Bet the first cut of this was at least 2 1/2 hours long because of all this depth and I'm sure many side characters had to be marginalized (hello, DVD outtakes?).

This one is a must see for a good comedy for anyone and a "see upon pain of death" for any film buff. Hopefully, a nod for Best Screenplay will come in at Oscar time.

AMORES PERROS (Love's A Bitch) (Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

Love discovering a first time director that's worth watching and Inarritu, a Mexican director, could easily be the next Rodriguez, but he certainly is concerned with combining genre film styles with immense depth in his storytelling which brings him head and shoulders above that.

The structure is similar to Pulp Fiction in that there are 3 major stories that are focused on throughout the 2 1/2 hour running time. These stories also timeshift. However, this is where the comparison ends.

Each story involves the question and pain that various aspects of love can bring. The first involves 2 brothers where one desires his brother's wife and will do anything to get her out of that abusive relationship, even if she may not want it. This includes getting his dog involved in dogfights.

The second story involves a man who leaves his wife for a supermodel, only to have her experience severe trauma that may destroy her career and her sanity.

The third involves a homeless man who loves his dogs. Believe me, there's more to it than that, but the last thing I want to do is ruin the surprises.

There is a surprise cataclysmic event that affects each story, but the interesting thing is it's the end of story 1, the beginning of story 2 and the middle of story 3. The stories are also not exclusive to the episode that's being focused on, which allows certain things you thought had no bearing on one story to affect the other.

The acting is intense and amazing from a cast of (to me) unknowns. The visuals are intense mixing hard drama with some excessive gore, but the film has a huge heart and a great complexity to get you sucked into great characters, an amazing story, and visuals that keep you thoroughly engrossed.

TIME AND TIDE (Dir. Tsui Hark)

Now, while I think my review is pretty spot on based on a couple of other conversations, I do warn that I missed the first 5 minutes since Amores Perros ran late and the last 5 minutes was choppy because the projector bulb blew and they had to go to a spare.

Basically, in this HK flick, a guy gets a girl pregnant and gets involved in a dubious bodyguard operation to raise money for the child. Throughout, people get doublecrossed, guns go blazing and visuals get stunning.

I don't think this is Hark's best work, but it's certainly worthy of an afternoon's entertainment. Several shots throughout (especially around explosions) seemed like a poor man's Matrix, which isn't half bad. As a matter of fact, the thing worth checking out the most is said visuals which include going straight down a barrel of a gun.

The story, however, seemed to get way too complicated and the layers and depth that they added to multiple characters lost me somewhere along the line. Also for every original action scene (like the one where they scurry through the tight tenement building) there's a standard one (backstage at a ballroom). Hark fans will enjoy the ride, but certainly not the best.

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE (Dir. E. Elias Merhige)

A lot has already been said about this film, and the great praise about it is mostly deserved. Willem Dafoe certainly gives a performance of a lifetime as he method acts his way to playing a vampire who plays a method actor who is playing a vampire. (Got it?)

The switching from color reality to the kinescoped film is beautiful and magical. In fact, despite the horror of Dafoe's characater, the film is very lyrical and poetic to watch, in a Poe sorta way.

Malkovich is solid as Murnau, but also was overshadowed every time Dafoe skulked on screen, even in shadows. The subject matter will certainly leave mainstream audiences scratching their head, but it's still a film buff's dream and I'm glad this got made and is being given a shot.

waydowntown (Dir. Gary Burns)

This was a pleasant surprise. When I described this flick to people, it was met with odd looks and a "this will suck" attitude, but it's not that at all.

4 office workers make a bet to see who can stay indoors the longest since the city has so many underground tunnels connecting apartments, stores, and work, nobody needs to see the outdoors. They're on day 24 of trying to psych each other out and it's certainly having it's wear and tear on the group.

At it's heart, though, is not the contest. If anything, it's a comedy that's a cross between Office Space and Mallrats (surely upping it's B.O. potential there!!). It's much more about skewering corporate culture than it is about the people.

There are many funny moments including the running gag about the marbles in the coke bottle and the coffee bar counter guy, but again these are jokes at the expense of corporate culture nowadays and sometimes don't flow with the story except to make it little more than a series of sketches and joke ideas strung together.

The characterizations that do make this watchable. Being shot on DV (mostly) gives this a very removed feeling that makes the film seem cheap and independent, but doesn't take away from the story.

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Dir. Ang Lee)

It's all been said a lot lately, but let me put in my 2 cents. This is a beautiful film!

The one thing I have to say is I did not expect the love story to be so powerful, even after all that I had read about the movie. I also did not expect the goodness to be found in every character (except the one obvious villain woman).

The fight scenes are simply breathtaking, especially the final one atop the trees. That will be talked about for years to come.

The other great surprise is seeing supporter Zhang Zigi, who is such a strong talent, I can't wait to find out more about her and see where she goes.

This one is worth all the hype and truly, the first Asian action film that has plenty to offer both guys and girls. In that respect, it reminds me of Gladiator, but oh is this film so much more.

THE CONTENDER (Dir. Rod Lurie)

Will America be accepting of this liberal thriller? I sure hope so, not specifically for the story (which is quite good but gets hammy and Hollywood-ish too often), but for the superb acting.

I had already heard the buzz about Joan Allen's performance and she did not disappoint. She plays a Senator who is tapped to be nominated for the Vice Presidency after the current Veep dies. Her character is calm, cool and collected throughout the entire film, never letting the adversity get her down, but you can still see that anguish she goes through on her face every time even if her dialogue says otherwise.

Gary Oldman plays the smarmy senator who wants to bring her down. Why he's (supposedly) disavowing himself from this movie is beyond me. He's simply fantastic and barely recognizable (which he hasn't done lately). As snaky as they come, he appears both strong, snakelike and eventually when he's reduced to the size of an ant, you can see it in every muscle.

That, however, will probably be overshadowed by Jeff Bridges who stunned me in his job as President. He played every bit to a T and was utterly convincing as a political leader, strategist, clean with an undertow of smarminess, and ...well, just presidential. I bought it the minute he appeared on screen.

The ending goes on too long, but that's a small quibble for a very tight political drama.

As I said, my next one will be a bit shorter as I now have a place to log in from and will make more frequent updates during the day. Also, the 2 movies heard most often as being solid "Must See" are Memento with Guy Pearce and Best In Show by Christopher Guest.

Also, why hasn't anybody reported on the supposed debacle at the Stephen Frears tribute? Apparently, interviewer Doug Gilmore was condesending and didn't research any of the guests. Can anyone enlighten us on this?

More later!

REPOJAY