TIFF TUESDAY - 2015 Edition

First, guess who is still alive? Me!

Now that we've established that I'm still living, let's get into this blog post about my favourite time of the year....TIFF!  According to the countdown clock on the website there are 22 days until the festival begins.  So excited.

For those of you who have been following my blog (for more than a year), you may remember that I LOVE TIFF and that in preparation for the festival, every Tuesday I post two films that I'm hoping to see.  These are in no particular order:

The Lobster 

In his first English speaking film, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, tells us a tale  of a near dystopian future where single individuals are sent to "The Hotel" where they must find a mate within forty-five days.  If the individual is unable to find a mate within the designated time frame, he or she transforms into a beast and is sent off to live in "The Woods".

While it sounds absolutely bizarre, I'm a sucker for any sort of sci-fi movie especially when it's set in the future.  Also it stars Colin Farrell (love!), Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly (who I also love, particularly when he's trying to be serious.  Who are you kidding Dr. Steve Brule?).  

The film won a Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for a Palme d'Or so I have high expectations for this one.

Legend

This movie is based on the real life English gangsters Ronald and Reginald (Reggie) Kray, who terrorized London during the 1950s and 60s.

The Kray brothers are played by Tom Hardy. I've taken a look at the trailer for this movie and it looks like Tom Hardy has enough material to properly showcase his range as the twins seem to have very different personalities.  Reggie is portrayed as the level-headed, brains of the operation whereas Ronnie is portrayed as the aggressive, loose canon/muscle. I'm always intrigued when an actor takes on dual roles in a movie, particularly when they are playing the lead(s) because it can go one of two ways, success or failure. (I'm also intrigued because Tom Hardy is not hard on the eyes)  

The film also stars Emily Browning, David Thewlis, and Christopher Eccleston.

Next week I will be showcasing two more films that I'd like to see at this year's festival.  I had a bit of a late start this year in terms of blog posting so as the festival gets closer these posts may turn into "Three Tiff Tuesday".

Bye for now,

Alex & Arthur

Whiplash!

Well, it's been a month since TIFF and I've finally recovered.  I wasn't able to take the week off from work which meant I had to try to cram movies in between working/meetings.  Even without the week off, I was able to see a total of 22 films (I was basically the walking dead by the end of the festival)

People always ask me to provide feedback on movies that I've seen at the festival, specifically which ones do I think are Oscar-worthy.  I do, but I also try to explain that my likes and dislikes at the festival are even more subjective than usual.  

First, I don't see all the movies at the festival.  There were over 300 films at the 2014 festival and I saw 22.  The movies that I select are either films that I don't think I'll get to see outside of the festival, films made by actors/directors that I like, or films that catch my fancy in the program book.  I usually try to see at least one film from each program and try to catch a special presentation.  The chances that I see all potential Oscar contenders are slim.

Second, I'm seeing a lot of movies in a compressed period of time.  At least one movie a day but there are times when I'm watching four a day...which is A LOT and exhausting.  My movie enjoyment can be impacted by how tired I am, if I've been able to eat at some point, if I've been waiting in line in horrible weather, etc.  Also, it's impossible not to compare films.  I saw the movie I liked the most and the one I hated on the exact same day.  Perhaps if I didn't see my favourite movie earlier on, I would have appreciated the second film more.

Having said that, over the next couple of weeks I'd still like to share some feedback on the films I saw and highlight my favourites.

Whiplash

That favourite I mentioned above?  Well this is it.
 
Whiplash is about a drummer named Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) who enrols in a prestigious music-school and the volatile relationship he has with his demanding music instructor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons).

This film is in no means perfect.  There were a few points in the story that had me cringing but whatever faults this film has are overshadowed by what it does right.  It's a fast-paced exciting drama that showcasing amazing performances by Teller and Simmons.  And don't even get me starting on the drumming.  During the Q&A session, it was revealed that Teller did most of his own drumming (I'm impressed).

 After the film, J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, and the director Damien Chazelle spent some time chatting and taking selfies with fans (I'm too self-conscious to ask for a selfie/photo). 

J.K. Simmons is such a lovely man.

This is a charming man right here.  I say 'man' because I did google Miles Teller immediately after leaving the theatre to ensure my new found celebrity crush wasn't inappropriate/creepy.  (He's 27 so we're good)  

He's really nice, very good looking, and a pretty talent actor/drummer.  I may have swooned a little bit during our chat...

Look who else stopped by congratulate the cast and crew.  (He also gave me a high five...not sure if that's another reason for his visit but I'm going to assume it is)

The Aftermath

So, I made it through my TIFF ticket lineup extravaganza and have recovered from the exhausting experience.  Even though it was surprisingly cold and I was tired, I still had a lot of fun.  There was only one unfortunate moment when I was interviewed by CBC but I'm trying to forget about that.  I'm sure I looked horrible and rambled incoherently but hey, I only got a few hours of sleep.

So now to the important question, Alex, did you get all the tickets that you wanted?  Unfortunately, no BUT I did get some.  So without further ado, here's what I'll be seeing this year at Tiff.

What Did I Get:

Jason Reitman's Live Read of American Beauty

This is an unrehearsed reading of Alan Ball's screenplay for the movie American Beauty.  Jason Reitman will announce the cast for his reading on his twitter account later this week.  This event was announced shortly before tickets went on sale so I'm glad I was checking my Twitter account.

Dredd 3D

What can I say, I like Karl Urban, and I love my partner Dan who just happens to want to see this movie AND just happens to be celebrating his birthday the day this is playing.  Also I couldn't get the Midnight Madness screening that Dan and I wanted (see below) so I thought this might help make up for that fact.

West of Memphis 

This documentary, produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Amy Berg, is about the West Memphis Three.  After the screening Johnny Depp, Natalie Maines (ugh), Amy Berg, and Damien Echols (one of the men wrongly imprisoned in the case) will discuss the case.

Much Ado About Nothing

This is Joss Whedon's stylized adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing.  The entire film was shot at Whedon's house over twelve days.

Disconnect

This film explores the impact of the internet on our daily lives through a series of gripping, cunningly interwoven parallel narratives.  It stars Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Paula Patton and Alexander Skarsgard.

Lunarcy!

Read more about this film in my blog post here

Sightseers

This film is about two lovers who turn into Bonnie and Clyde as their romantic getaway to the English countryside turns into a bloody killing spree.  Stars Alice Lowe from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.

The Deflowering of Eva Van End

I posted about this film here

Ghost Graduation

This was another film that I included in my Two Tiff Tuesday posts (here)

Byzantium

Again, this is one of the films that appeared in my Two Tiff Tuesday lists (here)

I will also be seeing Berberian Sound Studio thanks to a really cool lady.  I think I'm most excited to see this film.

So now to the sad part of my blog post, the films I wanted to see but didn't get tickets for.  There's always the option of Rushing a film.  That's when you wait in line to see if you can get last minute tickets to fill in seats when people don't show up.  The problem with trying to Rush a film is that if it's really popular you have to be there HOURS before the film starts.  

What I Didn't Get:

Seven Psychopaths

When I prepare my TIFF ticket list I always number them in order that I want to see them.  This was second on my list after Berberian Sound Studio.  This was the Midnight Madness film that Dan and I really wanted to see.  It has Christopher Walken in it.  I'm a sad Alex

Looper:

It would have been nice to go the premiere of this but I can always see it when it comes out in theatres.

Cloud Atlas:

This also upsets me that I couldn't get tickets for this because Dan really really wanted to see it and I was hoping to get tickets for his birthday.

Short Cuts Canada Programme #2

This program had some short Canadian films that I really wanted to see including the documentary Asian Gangs.

Now because I don't want to end my post on a sad note and because I think this post needs it, here's a photo of Arthur.

Happy Labour Day!

Alex & Arthur 

Asian Gangs at TIFF

Hello, Everyone!

Remember when I wrote about the film Asian Gangs (here), well one of the directors (Lewis Bennett) contacted me about previewing the film and possibly posting a review on my blog.  I of course said yes -- excited to preview the documentary, a little nervous about writing a review that does it justice and makes you want to go see it.

Based on the write up on the TIFF website and the other short films I had watched by Lewis Bennett, I expected Asian Gangs to be hilarious and it certainly did not disappoint.

At the start of the film Bennett learns from his mother that in 1994, while in Grade 5, he got into a fight with an older kid in his school.  The principal told his mother that if Bennett (pictured below) didn't change his ways then he'd end up in an asian gang.

To try to figure out why his principal would make such a remark, Lewis sets out on a mission and conducts a series of interviews with his mother, friends, local law enforcement, and his nemesis from grade school.  He even returns to the scene of the crime, the school soccer field, with his nemesis to try to understand what went down that fateful day in 1994.  Hilarious reenactment of the schoolyard fight ensues.

This documentary is funny but it also cleverly addresses the issue of violence and gang activity amongst youth in Vancouver.  It seems absurd that Lewis Bennett would end up in a gang in grade 5 but in a very touching interview with a Gang Outreach Worker we learn that it's a very real possibility for children in that area to turn to gang lifestyle as young as 8 or 9 years old.

Asian Gangs made me laugh, it made me think, and it made me want to write a review that convinces you to go see it.

(I also really appreciated the music which is by the Langley Ukulele Ensemble)

Written and directed by Lewis Bennett and Calum MacLeod, Asian Gangs will be shown as part of Programme #2 of Short Cuts Canada.  You can see the film at 6:15PM on Saturday September 8th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox #4 OR 9:00AM on Sunday September 9th at the TIFF Lightbox #3.

Well it's time for me to head to bed.  I'll be waking up in a few hours, 3AM or 4AM, so that I can head over to the TIFF lineup.  I'm pretty excited, hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep to catch a few hours of shut eye before getting up.  I'm also hoping that I don't end up too far back in the lineup -- I know that some people have been waiting in line since 12 this afternoon -- now those are some hardcore movie fans!

I'm sure that I'll be tweeting about my TIFF lineup experience, so you can check my twitter account here.

Wish me luck!

Alex & Arthur

Two Tiff Tuesday #2

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for me to review the TIFF movie listing and select two films that I'd like to see.

Asian Gangs

Here's the synopsis:

In 1994, Grade 5 student Lewis Bennett got into a schoolyard fight that resulted in a stern warning from his principal. "Change your ways, or you'll end up in an Asian gang." Seventeen years later, Bennett (still Caucasian) revisits his past in this comedic documentary to determine if he took a wrong turn along the way.

I love a good documentary and I cannot stop laughing at the "still Caucasian" part in the summary.  Added bonus is that this is a Canadian film.  You can view other videos by Lewis Bennett here on Vimeo.

I kind of want to pick Dredd 3D as my second film because I love Karl Urban and enjoy how terrible the 1995 Judge Dredd film is...however, this seems more like a Netflix type of film.

Cloud Atlas

The official synopsis for Cloud Atlas describes the film as an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution.

The film written and directed by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Any Wachowski has been adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name.

I may try to read the novel beforehand but we'll see.

Thanks for stopping by,

Alex & Arthur

Two Tiff Tuesday #1

So in keeping with my tradition of posting a blog entry the day after it was prepared...I bring you the very first Two Tiff Tuesday.  "What is Two Tiff Tuesday?", you ask.  Very good question.

First, I'm going to tell you this Fun Fact about Alex: She loves TIFF...really really loves TIFF.  The majority of your festival time is spent waiting around in long lines but it's so much fun.  You always meet people who love movies as much as you do.  

Every year around the end of May I realize that summer is starting, which means that when it's over it's time for TIFF!  It would be easy to put it in the back of my mind, however TIFF likes to release the festival films in blocks so it's a constant reminder that, while the festival is just around the corner, it's not here yet.

A lot of planning goes into my TIFF movie viewing schedule.  I need to select my movies before hand and draft up a schedule.  The morning that tickets go on sale, I line up ridiculously early (last year it was 3am), with the official TIFF schedule in hand, along with my planned viewing chart. It is crucial to have both your schedule and the TIFF schedule as you will need to constantly adjust it as movies sell out.  But man, once you reach the front of the line and walk away with your tickets in hand...it's so rewarding.

Anywho,  I thought it would be fun to list two movies every Tuesday that I'd like to see at the festival this year...and that my friends is "Two Tiff Tuesday".

So for the very first Two Tiff Tuesday, I bring you the following two films:

1. Berberian Sound Studio

Remember when I blogged about the movie Submarine here, well this movie is produced by one of the same production companies, Warp, and a very awesome lady named Mary Burke.  I don't want to call myself a Warp-Production-Cinemophile but I kind of am.


Berberian Sound Studio is set in the 1970s and is about a British sound technician that's brought to Italy to work on the sound effects for a gruesome horror film.  His task slowly takes over his psyche, driving him to confront his own past.


The previews look very good, plus it has Toby Jones in it.

2. Byzantium

This film is about a mother/daughter vampire duo who wreak havoc on an unsuspecting English seaside community.

I'm a sucker for a good vampire film (he he) and Gemma Arterton is beautiful.

I'm looking forward to more film announcements and of course the actual festival.  Any movies from the festival you'd be interested in seeing?  You can view the current film listing here.


Alex & Arthur