Heading up to New York for the IFP Market after a brief pit stop back home to kiss the girlfriend, hug the kids, and get some laundry done, here's some more quick takes on films from my Toronto Film Fest experience:

Sarah Gavron's BRICK LANE (4-stars) is a subtle and beautifully acted adaptation of of Monica Ali's novel about a Bangladeshi woman living in an arranged marriage in the Muslim community in London. When she starts working to help pay the bills and gets romantically involved with an activist, her life becomes a whole lot more complicated and decisions about her family and future must be dealt with. A worthy (if familiar) immigrant drama of cultural disapproval and forbidden love.

Joe Wright's ATONEMENT (3-stars) is another handsome adaptation of a famous novel I haven't read (by Ian McEwan), this time from the director of PRIDE & PREJUDICE. A surprisingly effective Keira Knightley and LAST KING OF SCOTLAND's James McAvoy star in this multi-layered period piece about a romance between an upper-crust British beauty and a housekeeper's son prior to World War II. The set up is fine (especially with its lush shades of cream color scheme) and the ending with Vanessa Redgrave a clever touch that pulls it all together, but the battle of Dunkirk sequence that dominates the second half of the film goes on way too long--even with that amazing tracking shot. Unfortunately.

Noah Baumbach's MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (4-stars) is his star-studded sibling rivalry follow-up to his excellent and highly perceptive film about a marriage-in-ruins and divorce, THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason-Leigh are the screwed-up sisters duking it out over the past, present, and the latter's choice of fiancee--an unemployed loser played by Jack Black. There's plenty of angst and neuroses here for everyone, with kids, potential ex-es, lovers, and crazy neighbors brought into the fray over one weekend in Connecticut. Hilarious at times and uncomfortable at others, the film's look is another matter altogether--going for the intimate, hand-held, home movie aesthetic, I found the print to be underlit in spots and offputting. We'll see how it plays in the burbs...

Mike Cahill's KING OF CALIFORNIA (3-stars) is a Terry Gilliam-esque father-daughter dramatic comedy from the producers of SIDEWAYS. This Mike Cahill, by the way, is a novelist and first-time filmmaker, not the Mike Cahill who co-directed the excellent documentary about Cuba, BOXERS AND BALLERINAS (2005 FFF?), with Brit Marling, and worked on LEONARD COHEN, I'M YOUR MAN and Stewart Copeland's Police movie. Michael Douglas, looking (and acting) like Don Quixote, plays a delusional ex-jazz musician recently released from a mental hospital into the care of his put-upon, latchkey teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). His need to reconcile with her is at the heart of this sometimes funny and moving story, even as he sets out on a quest to find the 17th century Spanish treasure he believes is buried beneath the local Costco. Polarizing audiences who found Douglas' performance either insufferable or Oscar-worthy and the film magical or ridiculous, I sit somewhere in the middle. As usual though, Wood is very good and the ending will leave you smiling.

Last and definitely least out of this group, Hans Weingartner's RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN (2-stars) is the latest work from the director of the superior THE EDUKATORS. Starting out strong with a bold look at a coked-out, reality TV superstar producer who happens to be a total asshole, the film goes completely off the rails when his personality changes after a woman tries to kill him with her car. Our producer/hero decides to reform by gathering a merry band of misfits to start manipulating the black boxes that tabulate the national TV ratings. Thus, by "fixing" the TV ratings to reflect a desire for more intelligent programming, they will cause a cultural revolution and change society. Naive, bluntly satirical, and uncompelling, chalk this one up as a disappointment to say the least.

--Matthew

Much to my delight (and surprise) after the older plane that I took north, my return flight to Florida on Wednesday night featured one of those spiffy newer models with the multi-media touch screens. I was particularly amused by the film choices within each category--while "Hollywood" featured a couple of monster hits like SPIDER MAN 3, "Classics" turned out to be X-MEN 2 (!) and "Avant Garde" offered up WAITRESS (!). Nice way to kill a couple of hours in the air, but who's picking the titles for these categories? Still, I was quite psyched by one of the choices in the "Canadian" listing: Guy Maddin's BRAND UPON THE BRAIN! So while virtually every chairback headrest glowed with the colorful images of Peter Parker, Wolverine, and Keri Russell and her pies, I was on my own with BRAND's lovely and bizarre flickering b&w images and Isabella Rossellini's soothing narration. I loved what I got to see, but exhaustion from a week of late nights, early mornings, tons of screenings, and a cold got the best of me as I slipped off into dreamland. The images on the backs of my eyelids were merely an extension of Maddin's childhood memory play. I'm ready to see MY WINNIPEG again...

--Matthew

More short takes on Toronto viewings: Eran Kolirin's THE BAND'S VISIT (4-stars) is a surprisingly apolitical comic fable about what happens when a small Egyptian police orchestra accidentally gets stranded in a remote Israeli town. Focusing entirely on the relationships between the band members and the locals they must deal with for a night, the film is humorous, touching in spots, and completely understated. At times the approach is so minimalist and deadpan that it may try the patience of some viewers, but stick with it and you'll end up with a most rewarding crowd pleaser. Too bad it's so new as to be unavailable for the upcoming 9th Central Florida Jewish Film Festival in November--or is it?

Ole Bornedal's THE SUBSTITUTE (4-stars) is one of the real treats of the festival. Playing in the Sprockets Family Zone program, this sci-fi/horror/family thriller (!) from Denmark stars director Paprika Steen as a new 6th grade subsitute teacher. Her behavior is a bit odd however, and soon the kids are in a race against time to convince their parents that "Ulla" is actually an evil, malicious alien from another planet. Good special effects, nice pacing, and frequent comic relief help make this a winner of a genre film that my kids would absolutely love...even with having to read subtitles.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (5-stars) from director Craig Gillespie (MR. WOODCOCK !?!) seems to be a unanimous winner amongst festival-goers. I can't imagine what the pitch meeting was like for this one: Ryan Gosling plays a maladjusted, delusional recluse who's in love with his life-size plastic love doll, and the whole town where he lives goes along with it because they care about him. Yeah, right. Yet somehow this scenario plays out just beautifully, with wonderful supporting performances from Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer as his brother and pregnant sister-in-law, Patricia Clarkson as the small-town doctor/psychiatrist, and Kelli Garner as an office co-worker with a special interest in Lars. The story is rich in comic moments, and you'll be amazed and moved by how much the community (not to mention the audience) comes to care about the inanimate "Bianca." And after HALF NELSON, Gosling has done it again and turned in another astonishing performance--he really is that good.

Buddhadeb Dasgupta's THE VOYEURS (2-stars) tells the non-compelling story of a young man from the country who moves to the sprawling and urban Kolkata to work with his friend. The friend is a computer jock and is trying to get a surveillance camera installation business going. When he secretly puts a hidden camera in the apartment of the beautiful neighbor next door, a strange and ultimately tragic series of events unfold. Dasgupta tries to throw in everything into the plot, including commentary on AIDS education, the press, terrorism, police brutality, voyeurism, love, and God knows what else. THE VOYEURS does happen to feature an absurd beatdown (complete with silly sound effects) by a dwarf film director of his overweight lecherous producer. This jaw-dropping sequence instantly brought to mind the now classic clip on You Tube of Part 2 of the Indian midget break-dancing in that old film and then climbing the guy's tie to smack him around. So it wasn't a total loss...

--Matthew

While Monday was a bit of letdown film-wise for myself and many others, the evening social activities were a blast and Tuesday's lineup promises to be the real deal. The tropics were out in full swing, first with a nice get together for the Caribbean International Film Festival at a little place on Richmond St. East called Harlem. I stayed away from the spicy foods ( a bigger wuss you'll never find), but the coconut shrimp were delicious and the "special " rum drink of the night (made with mango juice and 3 Jamaican rums and who knows what else) was refreshing to say the least. After that it was over to the Sarasota Film Festival 10th anniversary celebration in a very cool place on Queen Street West called The Ultra Supper Club (a fitting name). The tunes were good (Grace Jones! Imagination's "Just an Illusion!") and the open bar and myriad of tasty hors d'oevres that were passed for hours were even better. Congrats to Jody, Tom, and Holly for a really nice and fun shindig.

Films from the last day or so with the most acclaim amongst the cocktail conversation: Julian Schnabel's Cannes Best Director Award-winner, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (which seems to be in a class all its own), and Ken Loach's IT'S A FREE WORLD... Since I unfortunately missed them both, I guess I'll just have to wait for each to open commercialy like everybody else.

Tuesday's Press & Industry screenings include the new films from Woody Allen, Brian DePalma, Claude Chabrol, Francois Ozon, Paul Schrader and Hector Babenco, Alexi Tan's BLOOD BROTHERS (produced by John Woo and Terence Chang), a new John Sayles, the Todd Haynes Dylan film, the Gillian Armstrong Houdini movie, new Harmony Korine, Stuart Gordon, and George Romero flicks, and Alan Ball's directorial debut, NOTHING IS PRIVATE. Are you kidding me? How many hours are there in a day?

--Matthew

I found it odd that there was no official 2007 Toronto Film Festival trailer to make fun of this year (come on--what festival trailer have you ever not gotten sick of after so many viewings?) Then a staff member told me that the Bell Lightbox piece about the future facilities for the festival is in its place. I can live with that, especially when the soundtrack is taken from "I Feel it All" from the excellent most recent Feist CD, "The Reminder." The tune instantly grabs your attention, and if you like what you hear, I highly recommend the whole thing. I think it's officially the-CD-I've-given-the-most-as-a-gift in 2007, so that's gotta mean somethin'.

I had missed Andrew Wagner's STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING (4-stars) when it played at Sundance, so I was`happy to be able to catch up to it here. This is a graceful New York drama, with an outstanding Frank Langella as a once-distinguished writer and professor whose books have gone out of print and his latest has been a work-in-progress for a decade. While he still maintains close relations with his single, my-clock-is-ticking daughter (a fine Lili Taylor), his routine receives a huge jolt when he agrees to be interviewed for a pushy graduate student's Masters thesis (Lauren Ambrose from "Six Feet Under.") The give and take that develops in the relationship between these intelligent individuals is fascinating and sometimes touching to experience. With InDigEnt no longer producing small, quality films such as this one, let's hope similar stories still find a way to get told.

Canadian iconoclast Guy Maddin's self-described "docu-fantasia" about his hometown, MY WINNIPEG (4-stars), is a brilliant homage to past and place. It's also probably the funniest and perhaps most entertaining thing he's ever done. Combining re-enactments of traumatic family experiences from his youth with archival footage from the city's odd history with moments of pure fantasy, this is documentary filmmaking at its most surreal. Listening to the filmmaker's narration while being assaulted by the images, rear projection, and titles up on the screen, reminded me somewhat of a magical blend of Alan Berliner, David Sedaris, and early David Lynch. Wait until you see the horse "monuments" after a fire at a racetrack stable caused the animals to flee and get stuck in a frozen lake for the whole winter--unbelievable, and images I won't soon forget.

And speaking of unforgettable images, how about a hot actress (the lovely Manuela Velles) taking a dump on Gerritt Graham's face in Julio Medem's way over the top CHAOTIC ANA (1-star). The ridiculous and disappointing new work from the director of SEX AND LUCIA is a coming-of-age film in which the heroine gets repeatedly hypnotized to travel back in time and see how her past lives have affected her present one--who cares? Even the great Charlotte Rampling looks silly in this confused (and confusing) outlandish drama. It does feature some nice cinematography though. I guess that wasn't enough for all the walk-outs.

--Matthew

The Bata Shoe Museum was the site for the Czech Film party on Friday night, and one of those happy accidents resulted from my attending. Industry vet and former Florida Film Festival juror TC Rice is up here doing publicity for Jan Sverak's EMPTIES, and made it a point to introduce me to the Oscar-winning director (KOLYA). Tickets were offered for the first public screening shortly after the party, and I'm glad I had`the opportunity to take in a totally unexpected,non-press & industry screening for a change, where filmmakers are usually in attendance for Q & A. EMPTIES (4-stars) is the fourth collaboration between the director and his father, Zdenek, who not only stars but wrote the screenplay as well. It's a lovely and extremely funny comedy about growing old gracefully, relationships, and how retirement isn't for everyone. The elder Sverak plays an aging high school teacher who ups and quits one day, then finds himself increasingly restless as he stays home with his wife of 30 years. After a series of attempts at other employment, this busybody finds his niche working in the bottle return department of a supermarket. There he can get the human interaction he craves to stay young, not to mention futher indulging in his daydreams and fantasies about train sex.

Charming, wise, laugh-out-loud funny, and very "Czech," EMPTIES is a sweet film that should appeal to even young adult audiences, though it obviously will have more resonance with an older one (perfect for Florida!). I would not be at all surprised to see it get picked up by some smart distributor.

--Matthew

While groceries and convenience stores in my Toronto neighborhood all seem to stock club soda, Pellegrino, and Perrier, I have been unsuccessful in finding regular old, simple, bubbly carbonated water. One storekeeper pointed me toward the Alka Seltzer on the shelf--uh, no. This begs the question: do Toronto delis make chocolate egg creams, and if so, what do they make them with? I wasn't aware that seltzer was a uniquely American concept.

The Opening Night Party was as impressive as ever with its sheer size, variety of offerings, and how many people it can accomodate. But recent years have seen a shift in the type of people that attend, with more and more sponsors and locals making the social scene and less of the indie distributors, journalists, and fellow film festival staffers that I'm used to hanging out with. There was`a Greek theme this year (complete with traditional dancers and enough baklava to fell an army), no doubt inspired by one of the settings in Jeremy Podeswa's festival opener, FUGITIVE PIECES. The food was tasty, but there was a serious lack of chocolate in the dessert offerings. I did like the change from Sleeman's beer to Stella Artois, and the pour-your-own station, complete with Stella girls to lend their assistance, was a fun idea. As Stella also sponsors the Florida Film Festival, this should be part of the deal come springtime. Only celebrity sighting: Scott Speedman (maybe not UNDERWORLD or DUETS, but I'm still partial to "Felicity.")

Short takes on movies--for consistency sake, I'll use a 5-star system just like the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Weekly. It's always important to start out strong (ONCE was my Sundance opener), and Anton Corbijn's CONTROL (4-stars) was lead-off dynamite. One of rock's greatest photographers does a masterful job recreating the tragic story of Ian Curtis, lead singer of Manchester's incredibly influential (pre-New Order) punk band, Joy Division. Beautifully shot in b&w cinemascope, the film covers 1973 - 1980 in its story of this troubled young artist being torn apart by his talent, his love for two women, and his failing mental and physical health as a result of epileptic seizures and the drugs prescribed to control them. Though the film labors a bit in the third act, this is an amazing feature debut for Corbijn and Sam Riley as Curtis couldn't be better. To top it all off, the actors actually play live in all of the Joy Division concert scenes and sound great.

Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's PERSEPOLIS (4-stars) is a wonderful, smart, and sometimes very funny adaptation of her autobiographical graphic novels (which, to be honest, I was not familiar with). Rendered in a lovely and deceptively simple looking, hand-drawn, mostly b&w animation, this is a precocious girl's coming-of-age tale that spans two decades of a revolution, a war, the fall of the Shah, and life in Iran, Austria, and France. It's so personal, refreshing, and disarming, I wasn't surprised at the ovation it received after its industry screening--and rousing applause from the press is an occurence that doesn't take place very often.

Julien Leclercq's CHRYSALIS (2-stars) is a highly stylized piece of French sci-fi, a cyber punk film noir set in Paris in 2025. There's a link between a murder, a badass smuggler/cop killer, and a super high tech surgical center that also happens to be doing memory erase and implant experiments, and it's up to an ultraviolent Police Lieuteneant of few words to figure it all out. Unfortunately, with exception to some intense hand-to-hand combat and its striking production design (and loud sound mix), the story deteriorates into a mass of cliches and over acting. The walkouts were frequent and numerous on this one.

--Matthew

A 4:15 AM alarm in early September or mid-January usually means one thing and one thing only--it's festival time again and I'm heading north to Canada or west to Utah. North it is, and it appears I brought the heat with me. With temperatures ranging from the low 50s to the high 70s for the past few days, it was`a bit surprising (and sweaty) to suddenly be faced with 90 degrees and muggy. How fitting that Jimmy Buffet played here last night at the Molson Ampitheater--maybe it's his fault. I heard the climate should be like this for just a couple of days, and then the pleasant weather will return. I can live with that.

Kudos to the Toronto airport for making some much-needed cosmetic improvements. It definitely looks more modern and is easier to navigate. I must say it was`a bit unusual for it to be so empty and to get out of there so effortlessly.

Exchanged any US currency for Canadian money lately? For the first time since I've been coming up to the festival (we're talking 11 years), the Canadian dollar is worth more than one of ours. The exchange rate is 99 cents on the dollar--now that's a sad state of affairs.

Something else sad I noticed on the drive in from the airport was the shuttered storefront of Sam the Record Man way down on Yonge Street. I went in there one time a few festivals back. It reminded me of one of those giant stores with absolutely everything, like on Broadway in NYC or on Collins Ave. on Miami Beach. The ones where only the record jackets are in the bins, and the clerk has to climb a ladder to find the actual LP on a wooden shelf somewhere. Those types of places are a dying breed unfortunately.

In silent tribute to Shan, I had to maintain the tradition of having the first meal (always lunch after registering) at Biscotti on Bay Street--they may have been 86 on the spinach/ricotta ravioli, but it didn't disappoint. Time to hit some movies...

--Matthew

Fitting that, with the NYC IFP Market trip next on the travel agenda, we'd suddenly start seeing black squirrels running around Toronto. At least they weren't exhibiting flesh-eating behavior like the one I came upon my first day in New York last year that was chowing down on a dead bird. It was gross then and it's still disgusting thinking about it--circle of life my ass!

Final Quick Takes from Ontario: When I didn't get in to see DEATH OF A PRESIDENT, the most convenient alternative was THE ABANDONED (2-Stars), also playing at the Cumberland. A nicely shot ghost story with decently forboding atmosphere, this English language Spanish film set in Russia (!) is ultimately too convoluted and ridiculous. In fact, this story of an adult sister and brother confronting their family demons in an isolated farm house probably had the highest percentage of walk-outs of any of the screenings I attended. Of all the worthy selections in the MIdnight Madness section this year, this one was the weakest of the bunch. FAY GRIM (3-Stars) - First let me say that HENRY FOOL was my favorite film of the festival when it played here 8 or 9 years ago. Everyone is back in Hal Hartley's much anticipated sequel, with the addition of Jeff Goldblum as a perfectly cast CIA agent. But what starts out hilariously deadpan and bizarre, not to mention cleverly shot from every angle but a straight one, grows tiresome in its complicated tale of political intrigue and espionage. Parker Posey is terrific once again (what a festival with both this and FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION!), and the film looks great shot in HD (and had the best video projection I saw the whole week), but this subject matter and spy stuff wore me down. AMERICAN HARDCORE (4-Stars) - In theaters any day now, I was happy to catch up up with Paul Rachman's thoroughly researched and entertaining doc about this particular part of the early 80's punk scene after missing it at Sundance. With a great deal of emphasis on Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat, the film is nicely constructed with good archival footage and interviews. But for my money the definitive early 80's punk doc is still Penelope Spheeris' classic THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION. RESCUE DAWN (4-Stars) - Based on his own documentary from 1997, LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY, Werner Herzog has made a really good Vietnam War POW story that should be his biggest success in years. Christian Bale, who just keeps getting better and better, is fantastic as Dieter Dengler, the German-born US Navy pilot who was captured in Laos and tortured until he finally escaped. Steve Zahn is also great (in a serious role!) as a fellow prisoner, and it seems one of our most extraordinary filmmakers is happy being back in the jungle. SEVERANCE (4-Stars) - The British sales division of an international arms company goes on retreat for a little team building in Hungary, and ends up at the wrong lodge in the wrong forest--bad move! Without giving too much more away, I'll just say that this sick, funny, bloody, and violent combo of "The Office" with DELIVERANCE and FRIDAY THE 13TH both shocks and rocks--another perfect Midnight Movie!

--Matthew

Someone already responded to my last blog about the People's Choice award, and it seems that ballots may have only been available at the public screenings, not the Press & Industry ones. Are we perceived as so jaded and cynical that we can't give a fair assessment of our favorite film of the festival? If that's the case that would be an interesting position for the festival to take.

Toronto's such a nice, clean city (at least where we are centered during the festival), that even a bit of grafitti can make one do a doubletake. Sitting in the back row of the Varsity 6 and glancing at the wall to my left, I noticed the following complaint scrawled in black marker: "Lower prices for movies - $14 Give me a Break" Now there's an unhappy patron, and at those prices who can blame him?

Quick Takes: AWAY FROM HER (4-Stars) - A well-made golden-year drama skillfully directed by actress Sarah Polley in her feature debut. A still-lovely Julie Christie is sublime in this touching story of a woman moved to an assisted living facility due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, and the emotional strain it takes on her husband (an equally good Gordon Pinsent) as he reflects on their life together and adjusts to his new situation. Olympia Dukakis co-stars in this Lionsgate pickup scheduled for Spring 2007. THE KILLER WITHIN (3-Stars) - An esteemed psychology professor and family man decides to suddenly tell his grown daughters, his colleagues, and his students about murdering his college roommate at Swarthmore fifty years ago. Great idea for a doc, fascinating in places, but lacks the mindblowing conclusion the subject matter demands and still leaves some questions unanswered. The latest from Macky Alston, whose fine FAMILY NAME played the Florida Film Festival back in 1997. BLACK SHEEP (4-Stars) - Almost perfect Midnight fare from New Zealand. Clever, funny, bloody, and gross, this horror-comedy about genetically altered killer sheep features good special effects and delivers on all fronts. This film had surprising buzz considering the subject matter, and will surely get US distribution if the right company is smart enough. Sheep and goats always kind of creep me out anyway--it's that thing with the eyes. TRAPPED ASHES (2-Stars) - Marginally minor horror fun here in this omnibus featuring the collected talents of Joe Dante, Ken Russell, Monte Hellman, Sean Cunningham, and John Gaeta (visual effects guy for THE MATRIX), not to mention the B-movie acting talents of John Saxon, Henry Gibson, and Dick Miller. The Tales From the Crypt-like stories feature vampire tits (!), all kinds of ghosts, a six-foot tapeworm, and lots of cheesy T&A and animation. Kind of like OK late night TV fare. RENAISSANCE (3-Stars) - A cop investigates the disappearance of a scientist in the Paris of the future in this stunning-looking (almost exclusively) black and white scope animated sci-fi feature. Comic book geeks should eat this up,and the voice talents of actors like Daniel Craig, Ian Holm, and Jonathan Pryce add to its pedigree, but the overall effect (and narrative) seem less edgy and compelling than SIN CITY. VINCE VAUGHN'S WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW: 30 DAYS & 30 NIGHTS - HOLLYWOOD TO THE HEARTLAND (4-Stars) - Ari Sandel (director of the great dueling falafel stand musical, WEST BANK STORY, from FFF 2005), hits the road with VInce Vaughn and four unknown but talented comedians for a month of performances and tourbus and backstage shenanigans. A little improv (Jon Favreau, Justin Long, and Peter Billingsley show up here and there), a little music (Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens make appearances), and a surprisingly moving and hilarious look at these performers and their art makes this one a definite winner. The bit about the Ross For Less store was so funny it was painful.

--Matthew

Well, it had to happen at least once during the week. Despite my best efforts to get on line at least 30 minutes early and even hopping in a cab to guarantee it, I did not make the cut for those getting into D.O.A.P. (DEATH OF A PRESIDENT). Since the Cumberland 3 seats 319 and the volunteer with the clicker said I was right at #300, I was optimistic that I'd get to see one of the real "buzz" titles at the festival and the film that had Fox News' panties in a twist. But of course that's before all the line jumpers squeezed in with their buddies and co-workers and ruined it for the rest of us. There's a little thing called karma you know... Anyway, word has it that this controversial British mock doc about the US administration after Bush gets assasinated is pretty darn good--cleverly constructed with a seamless mix of archival and fictional "news." But at least Newmarket picked it up (they've been quiet since THE CHUMSCRUBBER last year and the whole Picturehouse thing, haven't they?), so hopefully we'll all have an opportunity to judge for ourselves in the near future. And though many Press and Industry screenings were insanely crowded this year (Monday in particular was nuts!), I somehow managed to only strike out this one time.

What happened to the "People's Choice " award this year? Ever since I can remember, Toronto has used this system to determine their Audience Award winner. But as we headed to the airport for the flight home, I realized I had forgotten to vote this year (BABEL would have been my selection), and just as quickly realized that there had been no ballot boxes at the theaters anyway, nor had there been the usual trailer hyping the award and telling people to vote. What's up with that?

I did get a kick strolling home very late one night down Yonge Street. Though I must have walked by it dozens of times, I found myself reading the digital ticker/marquee on the outside of The Brass Rail, a huge strip club taking up a good size chunk of the city block. Not only did they "Welcome Film Festival Fans," but I liked their attitude when they personally guaranteed "Very Satisfying Lap Dances." If you disagree do they give you your money back? We'll never know.

--Matthew

I saw 10 more films my last three days in Toronto. The rain and clouds didn't let up so I was happy to snuggle up in the good, the bad, and the rest. The good:

Todd Field's LITTLE CHILDREN. I can't believe Kelly from the Bad News Bears was able to create one of the creepiest performances I have ever seen. Ick but a great piece of acting. What a chilling and yet somehow touching film. I just got chills typing this...

BLINDSIGHT blew me away. Last year, Black Sun, another doc about blindness really got to me. This year BLINDSIGHT did it again. A blind German woman is inspired by Eric Weihenmayer's ascent of Everest and invites him to help her Tibetan students challenge themselves. Their partial ascent doesn't turn out like you would think and becomes about Eastern/Western cultural differences and what these brave young kids can accomplish off the mountain, which by the way is apparently anything.

STARTER FOR TEN was the final in the James McAvoy trifecta. Predictable? Mostly, but entertaining nonetheless. What's impressive about McAvoy is that he is able to range from a quirky freshman here to a doctor in the middle of a civil war in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. P.S. take note tweens, there's a new heartthrob in town.

BREAKING AND ENTERING is one of those films that is enthralling but you're not quite sure why. Minghella made his mark with The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Cold Mountain...all focused on heightened dramatic circumstances. They are equally dramatic here but more centered on everyday life as opposed to a war, a serial killer, or, oh yeah, a war. What's impressive is that the tension is just as high with mere theft and loss of love and the characters just as enthralling. My admiration for Robin Wright Penn also increases each time I see her on screen.

I only got to see the first hour of NUE PROPRIETE. We've already established how I feel about French film, but even more so, Isabelle Huppert's performances are always stunning. Wish I could have seen the end but I opted to run off to STARTER FOR TEN...not a totally regrettable decision.

The Bad:
Thankfully there are only two here...just a few that did nothing for me. GRIFFIN & PHOENIX has okay acting but a plot twist that made me groan...until the end of the film. THE MISSING STAR led me by the nose all the way, wanting to know more to understand, but alas nothing. Was something lost in the Italian and Chinese translation?

The Ehhhh:
RENAISSANCE was stylistically beautiful but a little long. Not everyone's cup of tea, a stronger plot would help, but graphic novel fans should rejoice. THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY is Michael Ian Black's (Wet Hot American Summer, TV's Ed, Best Week Ever) directorial debut. Despite another American Pie performance by Jason Biggs, the film is moderately funny and well done but somehow seemed bland. SHARKWATER is more of a tv doc but includes incredible footage of man hugging shark and a Greenpeace-type shark rescue effort being chased into international waters at gunpoint. Good stuff. Not a big fan of shark fin soup, I was shocked at the dangerous illegal international trafficking and near extinction it is causing. Damn, just have some Campbell's people!

Our flight home had more turbulence than I have felt in a while. I spent half the flight clutching the arm of the gentleman next to me. Good thing he was a cutie!
-- Shannon

Yes, I did go see BORAT. I figure we each deserve one guilty pleasure on the trip, right? Hysterical by the way. Despite it's initial wacky physical comedy, it is in fact a scathing commentary on the U.S. I could feel myself sinking into my seat from embarrasment as I laughed until I cried. Well, there it is. Our secret is out, the sad part it that I know there are a lot of people out there who WON'T get it...ugh.

Before BORAT I went to LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS. Yes, it's a chick flick with Brittany Murphy as a modern day Holly Golightly, but the dialogue is clever, Murphy is charming, and in the midst of all its cutesy set ups, the film remains shockingly unpretentious. I love films like this for what they are: fun escapism. And isn't that what chick flicks are all about?

A.B. (after Borat), I went to 10 ITEMS OR LESS. Normally, I must confess I am a person who hates movies about making movies. Just a pet peeve of mine, but this film is so clever and who can help but be beguiled by Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega. Both are just trying to get through another day, initially getting in one anothers' way then ultimately being the only person who could have helped the other through it. So I guess it really isn't a movie about making movies, but it's the closest I'll ever get to liking one.

I wanted to like HULA GIRLS so badly. My ex-husband's parents were among the very first luau dancers at Walt Disney World and having heard of their misadventures in a strange land throught this film would be right up my alley. Based on a true story, the film starts out with all the elements of a moving story. A village struggling against change, a young girl with high hopes, an outsider as teacher. But somehow as the film wears on, it lost me. If the entire village burst into tears one more time, I thought I was going to scream. Don't get me wrong, this is the same girl who enjoyed LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS and is a big fan of a good cry, but man, I just wanted someone in the village to yell at them all to stop being so overly emotional every second.

Matthew was right, the SHORTBUS party was really fun but long and I either had to get really drunk or go home and go to sleep. Sleep won out as I am reluctant to make an ass out of myself in public on a normal day in front of my friends, let alone in front of other professionals in a foreign country...maybe next year.
-- Shannon

Every so often during a festival they'll be one of those quirks in the schedule when the only thing playing worth seeing is a film that doesn't apply to any of our needs areas. It's not applicable for any of our special programming or mini-fests, it will be released way before the next Florida Film Festival, and we know it's not gonna open at Enzian (either because it's a major studio release or the distributor is already committed elsewhere). These are what we refer to as "guilty pleasures," and Sunday morning provided a couple of doozies. While Shannon went for BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN, I got to see FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, and what a joyous experience that was (more on the film later).

Last night we arrived unfashionably early for the much-anticipated post-film concert/party in honor of John Cameron Mitchell's new work, SHORTBUS. Since it was advertised from 10 PM - 4 AM and we knew there was no way we'd be there until the wee hours, we figured to stay for as long as possible and hopefully still get to see some industry friends and good music. Unfortunately, without any place to sit and rest my troublesome middle-aged lower back, we didn't make it to John's performance (I would've loved to hear some HEDWIG live if that's what he ended up playing). But the people-watching was great, the assortment of Go-Go dancers of all shapes and sizes pretty entertaining (including the zaftig woman, the two ballet dancers, and the "Monkey Girl" with fur and hair in way too many places), and we did get to hear a couple of SHORTBUS cast members display their musical talents. And the hosts of the event, a drag queen and king who called themselves Kathy Bates and Kevin Spacey, were pretty funny. Thanks to Michael and Erin and everyone at THINKFilm for the invitation.

Quick Takes: ALL THE KING'S MEN (3-Stars) - This one gets an extra star for Sean Penn's typically great performance as the Huey Long-like Louisiana politician in this remake based on the novel by Robert Penn Warren. But despite a cast that also includes(get this!) Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, and Sir Anthony Hopkins, the film feels all wrong. Perhaps trimming it down to 2 hours killed it, but the voiceover narration, the inconsistent Southern accents, and James Horner's cloying and overdone score are just some of the problems in this long-delayed disappointment. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION (5-Stars) - Christopher Guest and company take aim at Hollywood in this hilarious look at a film production called "Home From Purim" and the effect that some rumored Oscar buzz has on everyone connected to the film. Add Ricky Gervais (as the studio head) to the comedy dream ensemble of Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, Michael McKean,Jennifer Coolidge, and the list goes on--they're all back and as good as ever. LITTLE CHILDREN(5-Stars) - The excellent new comedic drama from Todd Field (IN THE BEDROOM) about disgruntled surburbanites and parents who end up having an affair while the town reels from the addition of a paroled sex offender to the neighborhood. Wonderful performances by Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson (who is this guy?), Jennifer Connelly, and Jackie Earl Haley (who was also in ALL THE KING'S MEN as Sean Penn's creepy bodyguard), along with a smart script and voice-over narration that actually works, make this one of the best films of the year. THE NAMESAKE(4-Stars) - Mira Nair's poignant family saga that moves from Calcutta in the turbulent 1970's to present-day America is a beautifully shot drama with some nice humorous touches. Kal Penn makes a nice transition into a more serious role, and it's only in the film's latter moments that the dialogue and action veer toward the melodramatic. It's no MONSOON WEDDING but still well worth a look. THE FALL(2-Stars) - What the hell? Tarsem, the director of THE CELL and REM's "Losing My Religion" video, spent four years shooting this exotic, grand-looking, yet completely ridiculous adventure-fantasy about a hospitalized silent-film stuntman who's telling a heroic story to a little girl in exchange for stolen morphine from the hospital pharmacy. The broken-armed child is certainly precocious, but for all the visually striking locations and set design, the film is boring and poorly acted (perhaps intentionally to heighten the Saturday morning serial/silent film influences). A major letdown.

--Matthew

Being at Toronto is like being in spring training. No rest for the weary. Somehow even our own festival doesn't feel this tirinig, but then again, we don't watch five films a day at our Fest. By then we've seen everything...twice. We are busy running in and out preparing for the next thing. But here we train. Five films in one day is nothing. Matthew once saw seven. Yesterday, here were my five:

I actually slept in a little before going to PARIS JE T'AIME a delightful string of vignettes, I wouldn't even call them short films, from various directors from Wes Craven to Gerard Depardieu. As someone on the virge of visiting Paris for the first time, I already feel like I never want to leave. The film explores all kinds of love...passionate, enduring, parental, vampiric, etc. amidst a whirlwind tour of each neighborhood in Paris. I doubt Parisians would define their neighborhoods as these clips do, but for those of us on the other side of the pond it was a delightful visit.

In stark contrast, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND is a powerful, if somewhat ficitonal look into the reign of Idi Amin. I remember hearing his name as a kid and learning later what happened, but the film manages to portray why and what we didn't know when we didn't know it. A very painful look from the outside but actually within the action. Forrest Whitaker is incredibly lovable and psycho at the same time, and the film marks a breakthrough performance by James McAvoy (also in PENELOPE here in Toronto).

Bouncing back to the Cumberland for CANDY, my day didn't get much brighter. Despite great performances and an adept script, I have to say addiction films bore me. Maybe, having never been or known an addict intimately I just don't get it, but the plots get old. I want to quit. I can't quit. I have issues. I want to quit. I can't quit. You enable me. I want to quit...blah, blah, blah. I want to care! I do! But somehow I can't. Maybe it's just me and my issues that make me insensitive...apologies to all addicts and filmmakers who see something fascinating I don't.

Again, I returned to the Varsity and all this bouncing back and forth today with barely a half hour in between is exhausting me. SUMMER '04 doesn't perk up my day much. Another nod to Lolita, this time in German when a young girl is on vacation with her boyfriend's family and meets the local returned ex-pat hunk. Usually a fan of plot twists, this one actually ruined the entire rest of the film for me, which up until that time I found extremely entertaining.

7 ANS was a better way to end the day. Again, for some reason I am drawn to French films. This one tells the story of a young wife trying to continue on while her husband spends seven years in prision. She visits him and does his laundry, watches the young boy across the street, and dreams of having her own family some day. Then she meets a young guard who provides some distraction, stunningly with her husband's approval. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds...or is it? Good stuff.

The weather has taken a turn for the rainy and chilly. I have never seen rain in four years here but the cool weather is a joy.
-- Shannon

Day 3 at the Toronto Film Festival finds a new and curious trend in my films thus far, as well as some uncommonly wet weather that has cooled things off considerably. Usually by now I'm surprised when a movie has no scenes of someone vomiting (and TAXIDERMIA has enough to count for a week's worth), but so far that action has not been so prevalent. Nope, what's eliciting groans and making audiences squirm in their seats has been stitches--usually without the stitchee having any anaestetic and in a couple of cases, the characters are sewing up themselves! That'll get your attention...

I'm happy to report I've yet to hear a single cell phone go off at a screening (yea!), and the glow of open crackberries has been kept to a minimum. Thank you. I find it a little ironic that right after the pre-film trailer for the Motorola Talent Lab (short excerpts of films shot on a cell phone that presumably only look decent on a 2-inch screen), comes the Cineplex trailer imploring audiences to "Think BIg." In other words, go to their movie theaters and see films on the big screen, not on your I-pod, computer, or mobile phone. We'll have to see how this whole streaming movies to cell phones thing works out for Sprint. If you ever see me watching one, please put me out of my misery.

Thanks again to Matt Dentler and SXSW for the intimate gathering Friday night in celebration of Bradley Beesley and Sarah Price's new doc feature, SUMMERCAMP! Of special note was their choice of entertainment--The Flaming Lips, in town for a music festival headlining gig on Saturday night, did a short but fun acoustic set, including a tune called "Plastic Jesus" that's apparently from the film, COOL HAND LUKE. Still no word on the release of CHRISTMAS ON MARS by the way.

Quick takes: THE BOTHERSOME MAN (4-Stars) - a droll and surreal satire from Norway about a young man who, having failed at a suicde attempt, ends up in a city where everyone's just a bit too happy and polite. There's lots of funny stuff here, it's distinctly Scandinavian, and the prolonged train encounter is a gem. THE WHITE PLANET (3-Stars) - French filmmakers spend a year in Antarctica filming assorted wildlife and the changes of the seasons. Sound familiar? While it may not have the narrative thrust of that other recent doc feature about penguins, it still has some strikingly beautiful camerawork, baby polar bears that are cute as hell, and some other cool creatures like the hooded seals (that blows up the skin on their heads like Dizzy Gillespie's cheeks). BABEL (5-Stars) - the latest from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director of AMORES PERROS and 21 GRAMS, once again involves multiple story lines and time shifts, though this time on four continents and with a cast including Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Gael Garcia Bernal. The accidental and random shooting of an American tourist in Morocco is the common thread here, and while the three main stories may not be as integrally connected as in his other work, the film is brilliantly directed and shot, and emotionally gripping for the duration of its nearly 2 and a half hour running time. A must-see. TAXIDERMIA (3-Stars) - Hungarian director Gyorgy Palfi's new film after his highly acclaimed HUKKLE plays like Monty Python and Jeunet & Caro crossed with Jodorowsky and Arrabal. Sick, twisted, graphic, extremely gross, yet quite funny in places, the film's three sections tell the story of a soldier with sexual fantasies (who happens to shoot flames out of his penis), and his descendants including a competitive eater who becomes a monster and a creepy taxidermist. One of those "you've got to see it to believe it" experiences, and definitely not for the squeamish (or vegans for that matter). LIGHTS IN THE DUSK (3-Stars) - Aki Kaurismaki's new work after THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST is instantly recognizable though not quite up to his prevous work. Deceptively simple and with that droll Finnish sensibility, this riff on a film noir involves a sad sack of a security worker who becomes the patsy for a blonde working for her Russian mobster boyfriend. PAN'S LABYRINTH (4-Stars) - Guillermo Del Toro is back in THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE mode with this magical and bloody fable set during the Spanish Civil War, where a fascist stepfather-Captain is as frightening and evil as the supernatural beasties that exist in a little girl's fantasy world come to life. Way too intense and gory for kids (who would actually love some of the elements here), this is a Grimms fairy tale for adults that truly delivers the goods. THE SUGAR CURTAIN (3-Stars) - an interesting doc about contemporary Cuba, in which the filmmaker goes back and talks to classmates from elementary school two decades ago as well as family members. Simply filmed and intimate, the overall tone is one of disillusionment for those that stayed behind and believed they were part of a common cause to make their youthful ideals for their homeland come to fruition.

--Matthew

This morning there was no water pressure in our apartment. So maybe being on the 11th floor in an old building isn't so great. Nighttime showers it is! We went to the ThinkFilm breakfast this morning and there among the cast of SHORTBUS celebrated the company's fifth anniversary. Matthew and I saw SHORTBUS a few weeks ago and I have to admit it was odd at first standing there watching the cast eat danish and coffee having seen them bend in positions I didn't even know was possible. But then it hit me that that was part of the point of the film. We all do it. IT and other stuff, eat, drink, shit. We just are. If we kill and mame on film constantly, why can't we fuck too? A little philosophical for 9:30 in the morning but there it is.

Afterward we planned out our day and parted ways. I to Adrian Grenier's SHOT IN THE DARK, the French drama CAGES, and VENUS starring a now ancient Peter O'Toole. Matthew to three others. I don't know a lot about Grenier. I am one of the fraction of people who have barely seen Entourage. But his film is a touching and honest look at a 23 year-old searching for his father. Not overly emotional, but obviously heart-felt. A publicity stunt? Maybe, but I kind of find that hard to believe considering the grounded people around him.

CAGES was powerful and interesting. A fresh look at deep love and loss. French films never cease to amaze me in their honesty. They are so much more emotionally real to me for some reason. Maybe because just when I thought the film was about to turn into a campy revamped Misery, it didn't and held my attention until the end.

VENUS proves that talent is talent at any age. Peter O'Toole is brilliant and sharp as always as an aging actor with the opporutnity for one last Lolita encounter. The young woman playing opposite him, Jodie Whittaker, completely held her own in the presence of greatness. Despite eons of culture between them, the two characters connect because of their vulnerabilities. Vanessa Redgrave turns in stellar performance as usual, nearly out shining someone a fraction of her age and highlighting what it means to age gracefully.
-- Shannon

They say you're never too old to learn something new, and the trip north to Canada for this year's Toronto Film Festival certainly reinforced that point. Checking in at the Air Canada/United Airlines counter at 6:30 AM (for our 8:00 AM flight) on Thursday, the attendant took our passports, seemed a little confused, refused to look at our confirmation printout, said everything was good, handed us our boarding passes, and told us what gate to proceed to. Upon attempting to board the plane 20 minutes prior to take off, we discovered that not only were our seats different than what we had reserved while booking the flight, but she had ticketed us for the next flight out to Toronto 6 hours later at 1:55 PM. Why she did this (supreme incompetence?) we'll never know. After many frantic phone calls, contact with Canadian immigration, and lots of running around by the wonderful person at the gate, we were finally able to get on the early flight and our bags even made it--amazing! Moral of the story: verbally confirm the flight number, time of departure and gate every time with the person checking you in--who the hell knows what they're doing! That this could happen on an International flight in the current climate is even more mind-boggling.

Thankfully the flight itself was without incident and I was very impressed by Air Canada's "enRoute" entertainment touch screen system in the backs of the seat headrests. Check this out--under the "Movies" category, they actually have 8 different categories: Avant Garde(!), Classics, Holllywood, Family, Contemporary, World, Franco-cinema, and Canadian. Each one had anywhere from 2 to 8 titles which you could watch previews for or in their entirety, and though some of the choices actually fit better in other categories, the list was pretty formidable for an airplane. Unfortunately I was too tired to start watching films at that time of day (especially knowing the task at hand once we landed), but titles in their library included BALLETS RUSSES, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, WAH-WAH, WAKING LIFE, the original STRICTLY BALLROOM, WATER, DOUBLE DARE, SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS, THREE TIMES, and BEOWIULF & GRENDEL. Now how cool (and cultured) is that?

Now on to the miniscule sampling of the 352 films on display here in Toronto at this glorious festival. For consistency sake with the Orlando media's way of doing things, my quick takes will be accompanied by a 1 - 5 star rating. Things got off to an auspicious start with THE HOST (4-Stars), a Korean monster movie with a giant mutant fish (you have to see it to believe it!) running amok and causing major death and destruction. When a dysfunctional family sets out to rescue one of its own, the stage is set for for a comical creature-feature that skillfully blends horror and social and political satire with some jaw-dropping special effects. Next up was one of the most anticipated films of the festival, Almodovar's VOLVER (4-Stars). The stunning Penelope Cruz is wonderful in this juicy, comic melodrama that plays like the ultimate Spanish chick flick. Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends, family secrets, generational ties, a fully functioning "ghost" and a dead body are some of the key elements in this impeccably acted work that's sure to be one of the Fall's biggest art house releases.

--Matthew

Once again I have made the journey north to Toronto. Hard to believe this is my fourth year here. Matthew just celebrated(?) his tenth anniversary at Enzian. I had my fifth in June. How does time fuck with your mind like that? I know, I know. Mathematicians have been wondering for millenia...

Anyway, after nearly missing our flight after checking in early at 6:30 AM, we boarded the plane. The woman who checked us in randomly put us on the next flight and the attendant at the gate had to run around like a mad woman to get us on the plane. Thank god she had some sense. I would have raged if I woke up at 5 and had to wait until 2 to get on a flight.

Once here we checked into our place. A new one for us this year, it is a cute little one bedroom apartment much closer to the theaters and the shopping district. Way more space for Matthew and I to spread out so we're not climbing all over each other and getting on each others' nerves. We dropped our stuff and went to Sutton Place to check in. We ate our traditional Biscotti lunch and read the schedule. Matthew went to see a South Korean horror while I checked out CONFETTI. Charming and silly, this film is what would happen if Christopher Guest was British and made a film about weddings.

Afterward, we met up with our booker Don for VOLVER the newest from Pedro Almodovar starring Penelope Cruz. As with all of his films it was quirky and funny and more insightful to the relationships of women than a man should be allowed. Then we went to Yorkville for dinner and chatted about all things film related. I love this business, and no offense to Don and Matthew but I found my attention drifting away to the Steelers/Dolphins game more often than not. (Go Steelers!)
But maybe I was just sleepy...
-- Shannon

Not to mention the overlong and underwhelming…back from this year’s Toronto Film Festival marathon for a couple of days now, and I’ve finally been able to digest it all and get a little perspective. While I’m sure there were plenty of fine films to be consumed, somehow the transcendent moments (or “slam-dunks” as we call them)--at least in the 50+ titles that Shannon and I got to—seemed to be far less frequent than in previous years. Whether or not this is a sign of things to come in the arthouse market for the rest of this year and into 2006 remains to be seen, but I’m still optimistic that there some wonderful movies on the horizon that will serve our Enzian audience well.

Before I get into my movie wrap-up (using the 5-star rating system our local cinemagoers are used to, but only for those films I watched completely), here are some random thoughts and musings from our week of sitting in the dark and schmoozing in the light.

Opening Night party – Using Deepa Mehta’s WATER as the jumping off point, the decorations included stunning melting ice sculptures; the food leaned heavily toward Indian cuisine (curry is on my verboten spice list!) but I still managed to find some delicious things to nosh on—I believe Shannon has already sung the praises of the bizarre yet addictive French Fries dish with ricotta cheese, chicken, and tomato gravy on top. Industry friends were obviously suffering from either too little sleep on the first night or too much alcohol when they greeted me by proclaiming, “You look like you lost weight!” Or perhaps the lighting was just bad…still, I appreciated the sentiment and it was a nice way to begin the week’s activities.

The new hotel – Those of you who know me well are aware I am a creature of habit. For the first time in many years, we could not stay at the Quality Inn Midtown (across from one of our favorite landmarks, the Shoe Museum), so we ended up at the Days Hotel a little further away from where most of the movies screen (the Varsity and Cumberland cinemas) but closer to the headquarters hotel (Sutton Place). The end result was that we were further downtown and due to the fact that the morning trek was on a bit of an incline, I probably took more taxis than ever before. The room was OK and comfortable but the bathroom was a little on the unusual side. The toilet was so loud you were afraid to flush (a possessed commode?) and a light that appeared to be white added a pinkish hue to everything and anyone in its line of fire—evidently my body was not completely sunburned as it appeared every morning and my bar of Dial Gold was not the color of a sliced open blood orange.

Celebs and other social gatherings – Interesting that I saw virtually no actors or filmmakers attending industry screenings as in past years. Perhaps they were seeing different films or spending all their time doing publicity on their projects. I did run into Enzian veteran Philip Seymour Hoffman (looking very anti-Capote with his burly beard) at headquarters and Woody Harrelson (looking very “Woody” in shorts and flip-flops) in the Four Seasons lobby, along with producer/distributor/theater owner/NBA owner/billionaire Mark Cuban (much taller in person than on TV) at the HDNet party which featured Wyclef Jean as a special guest performer. The Focus Features party for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN had perhaps the nicest spread of food we’ve ever seen at one of these events—rack of lamb, filet mignon, risotto, asparagus and more! Unfortunately Shannon and I had just finished dinner (at 11 PM) moments before and were physically unable to partake. There were no Jeff Daniels or Laura Linney sightings at the IDP party for THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (opening at Enzian next month), but I had a blast getting my butt kicked at poker (with fake chips thank god!) at a table with a motley crew of industry folks and fellow programmers, including Mike from Cinequest, Tom from Sarasota/Nantucket, Sky from Newport, her friend Jessica from IFC, “the Rabbi”, and the table sensei, John Vanco. Innocent fun (and many drinks) were had by all.

The films…

LINDA LINDA LINDA – Only got to see the first half of this Japanese high-school-girls-in-a-band flick, but unfortunately that was the part that was slow, unengaging, repetitive, and didn’t translate well to Western audiences. Word has it that the film gets much better and ends on a sweet note.

THE PIANO TUNER OF EARTHQUAKES ( 3-stars) – Executive produced by Terry Gilliam, this “poetic science fiction film” about a crazed doctor who kidnaps an opera singer, is the latest from master animators and surrealists, the Brothers Quay. Gorgeous in execution with its hazy and luminous yet somehow washed-out cinematography, this blend of fairytale and nightmare, theater and opera, is ultimately too abstract and impenetrable for general audiences. Great festival movie though!

OBABA (4 stars) – An attractive mid-20’s college student travels to a small town in Spain on a video assignment. As she interviews people in the community, she begins to uncover both the history and mysteries of the area. Heavy on flashbacks but always intriguing, and beautiful production design and actors with just the right touch of magic realism. (*Note* - an associate who loved the collection of short stories the film is based on, “Obabakoak” by Bernardo Axtaga, was not very happy with the adaptation.)

BREAKFAST ON PLUTO (4 stars) – The great Neil Jordan (IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES, MONA LISA, THE CRYING GAME) returns with this picaresque tale told in 36 short chapters of an Irish transvestite in the 1970’s who becomes involved with the IRA while on a quest to find his real mother. The terrific cast includes Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, and Brendan Gleeson, but star Cillian Murphy (28 DAYS LATER, BATMAN BEGINS, RED EYE) is a knock-out as Patrick “Kitten” Braden. Nicely shot by Declan Quinn, a bit long at 135 minutes, and a bit pretentious in its use of subtitles for talking robins (yes, the birds) that frame the movie.

CAPOTE (5 stars) – The best film I saw all week! Bennett Miller (THE CRUISE, the doc about NY tour guide Speed Levitch), in his first feature, has brought us a remarkable film about the creative process. Less of a biopic and more about the particular years that Truman Capote spent researching the Midwest killers that became the subjects of “In Cold Blood”, the film features one of the year’s seminal performances. Philip Seymour Hoffman is in virtually every scene and is as riveting as it gets. Catherine Keener is also quite good as friend and fellow author Harper Lee, who wrote a little thing called “To Kill a Mockingbird.” A must see!

ELIZABETHTOWN (3 stars) – Cameron Crowe (ALMOST FAMOUS) rebounds some after VANILLA SKY, but overlong romantic comedy about a disgraced running-shoe inventor (a good Orlando Bloom) returning home to Kentucky to attend the funeral of his father and getting involved with a flaky stewardess (Kirsten Dunst) is problematic in its current form. There are many wonderful and funny moments here along with a nice supporting cast and great soundtrack (of course), but film meanders and has too many unbelievable plot elements to pull it off. (*Note* - The studio announced that this was a work in progress so it will be interesting to see what Crowe ends up with for the final cut.)

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (4 Stars) – Based on a graphic novel and easily David Cronenberg’s most mainstream work ever. It’s also one of the best films at the festival. Small-town business owner and family man (Viggo Mortensen) kills two thugs during a robbery attempt at his diner, attracting the attention of some big city gangsters who don’t believe he’s the man he says he is. Featuring a wonderful turn by William Hurt as the older brother and excellent support from Maria Bello and Ed Harris, this is intense, brutally violent, and darkly funny stuff that may be too gory for the art crowd.

AKA TOMMY CHONG – I only got to see the last half of this but it was interesting and entertaining if a bit repetitive. This doc focuses on the US government’s absurd case against the late 60’s/early 70’s counter culture comedian (of Cheech & Chong fame) that put him in jail for nine months for selling bongs over the internet. American civil liberties once again take a beating from the Bush administration and John Ashcroft as they make their point by punishing a man for his role as a pot enthusiast three decades ago!

STONED (2 stars) – Some nice cinematography with different film stocks, the always reliable Paddy Considine, a good soundtrack including period tunes (Small Faces, Traffic) and new stuff (White Stripes), but this bio-drama on the self destructive star trajectory of Brian Jones, founder and lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones, isn’t compelling in the least and doesn’t even feature any of the band’s music. The lead actor tends to look like David Spade in a bad mod wig,