Canada at the Film Festival: Spotlight on Bruce Sweeney
Canadian director Bruce Sweeney contributes to TIFF’s 2009 Special Presentation lineup with his latest feature film, “Excited”.
Born in 1962 in Sarnia, Ontario, Bruce migrated to British Columbia to pursue his career in film. After earning his Bachelor of Arts in visual art from Simon Fraser University and his Master of Fine Arts in Film from the University of British Columbia, Bruce went on to take a master class under the helm of Oscar-nominated British director and screenwriter, Mike Leigh.
Bruce is no stranger to the Toronto International Film Festival. His first feature film, “Live Bait”, won the $25,000.00 City-TV prize for best Canadian Film at the 1995 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2001, his feature film, “Last Wedding”, was selected to be the opening night gala at the Film Festival. It went on to win the jury prize at the Bermuda International Film Festival, as well as a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award and a Canadian Comedy Award. In 2007, his feature film, “Amercian Venus” screened as part of the Festival’s Contemporary World Cinema lineup.
Bruce’s contribution to the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival is ”Excited”, a comedy about a man trying to navigate the dating world to find the woman of his dreams.
“Excited” stars Canadian actor Cam Cronin as Kevin, a golf club owner who is emerging from an eight-year dating dry spell. He meets Hayaam (Laara Sadiq), a beautiful, funny and smart woman also searching for love. Unfortunately for Kevin, the prospect of a life together with Hayaam keeps leaving him a little too “excited” to actually consummate their relationship. Add Kevin’s nagging mother (Gabrielle Rose) into the mix, and you have one of the more amusing Canadian comedies to hit theatres this year.
Fans of Woody Allen will enjoy Bruce Sweeney’s “Excited”. For those of you in Toronto this week for the Festival, “Excited” is a great choice for your 2009 TIFF film schedule.
Oh Canada! Where Art Thou?
As the opening weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival draws to a close, we find ourselves asking just one question – where oh where are the Canadian films?
In comparison to some of the Festivals in recent memory, TIFF 2009 is relatively subdued. Sure, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore and Oprah have graced the Big Smoke for TIFF’s opening weekend, causing Yorkville to resemble Disneyworld during March Break. Festival sweethearts like Pedro Almodovar, Michael Moore, Atom Egoyan and Jason Reitman are all screening their latest projects. Nevertheless, there is a perceptible, albeit subtle, shift in this year’s Festival lineup.
One of these subtle shifts is the reduced presence of Canadian films in the Festival’s Gala and Special Presentations lineups. Although the number of Canadian features screening at the Festival has remained the same as 2008 (29 of the Festival’s 335 feature films are Canadian), their profile at the Festival seems to be somewhat diminished from years past. While screening in any part of the Festival is an honor, placement in the Gala or the Special Presentations lineup is typically viewed as a coup for a filmmaker.
TIFF veterans were shocked this year with the announcement that the tradition of programming a Canadian film as the opening night gala was being eschewed in favour of “Creation”, a film by British director Jon Amiel. Many Festival-watchers had assumed that, “Chloe”, the latest offering by veteran Canadian director Atom Egoyan would occupy the opening night spot.
Although the intention of the Festival’s programmers may have been to pay homage to Darwin on the 200th anniversary of his birth, for many the move has been viewed as a kick in the face of Canadian cinema.
With that in mind, Empiremovies.com will be running a daily feature during this year’s Festival called “Canada at the Film Festival”, a profile of some of the homegrown Canadian talent being showcased at TIFF 2009. We are proud of our Canadian filmmakers, and we hope that you will enjoy reading about them too.
Movie Review #2: Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Of all of the screenings at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, I must admit that the North American premiere of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” seemed to be the odd man out.
Sure, TIFF has had its share of “avant garde” films, and has never been afraid of a bit of controversy, or nudity, or coarse language – but to take on Kevin Smith, one of the masters of potty-mouthed comedy – seemed to me to be a bit of a stretch, even for the Toronto International Film Festival.
After doing a bit of research I discovered, much to my surprise, that this was Kevin Smith’s third trip to TIFF. He screened his first feature length film, “Clerks” at the Festival in 1994. He returned in 1999 with “Dogma”. So, after feeling the sting of critical and commercial failure, I suppose it only made sense that Smith would return to where it all began with the film that he must secretly have been hoping would revive his flagging career.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a romantic comedy about two lifelong friends and roommates who find themselves forced to sink into the depths of depravity in order to avoid certain homelessness. Zack Brown (Seth Rogen) and Miriam Linky (Elizabeth Banks) have not taken the world by storm since their graduation from high school. Miriam, a mall employee, and Zack, a disgruntled barista, are living on the brink of poverty in a squalid apartment in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. As their debts begin to mount, they find their utilities being disconnected and face the real prospect of eviction when they are unable to raise the funds for their upcoming month’s rent. With few skills and even fewer opportunities, they decide to tap into the internet pornography market as a source of fundraising. But, will their only valuable asset – their friendship – survive the film’s production?
As is the case with most films starring Seth Rogen, I begin this film with a large flag of caution – this is not the film for everyone. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” is a film that is vulgar within every possible definition of that word. Anyone familiar with Kevin Smith’s previous work will be aware that he is no stranger to profanity. With that in mind, let me just say that this film is “classic” Kevin Smith. If that were not enough, this film has the added “porno” element – the inclusion of this word in the title is no accident. This film barely received an “R” rating – it would therefore be wise for any potential viewers to proceed with extreme caution.
With that being said “Zack and Miri” is, at its core, a very sweet romantic comedy. Seth Rogen recaptures the character of the oversized oaf that made him famous in “Knocked Up”. Elizabeth Banks (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rachel McAdams) demonstrates an impressive range as an actress (how many people could convincingly play both Laura Bush and an amateur porn star within the same month) and in doing so creates a character who is simultaneously appealing and vulnerable. Rounding out the film are supporting cast members including Jason Mewes, Traci Lords and Justin Long, who offer a few “laugh out loud moments” that result in one of the more unconventional films to hit theaters in recent memory.
Zack and Miri represents a true return to form for Kevin Smith. After learning the hard way that he is not destined to write a “clean” romantic comedy (”Jersey Girl”), Smith has returned to the genre that he knows best – a comedy that you would be embarrassed to watch with your mother. I will be honest and say that there were a few moments during this film that left me reviled and offended (what can I say, I am getting too old for some of these things), but there were far more that left me amused, and, during a year that has had a drought of good comedies, being amused most of the time is better than not at all. (7 out of 10)
Movie Review: Max Payne
Although he has made a career of playing little more than an on-screen thug, I have always enjoyed watching Mark Wahlberg. From his star-making turn as Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights” to his Oscar-nominated performance as Sergeant Sean Dignam in “The Departed”, Wahlberg has always impressed me as a talented actor, even when he has disguised that talent under some horrendously ill-advised casting choices.
In spite of its box office success, “Max Payne” will not be taking up residence on my list of memorable Mark Wahlberg films.
Based upon the best-selling video game of the same name, “Max Payne” brings to the big screen the story of a NYPD homicide detective who descends into a revenge-seeking rampage following the murder of his wife and newborn daughter. Along the way, Payne develops an unusual alliance with Russian mobster Mona Sax (Mila Kunis), and together the two embark on a quest to punish the villains responsible for the manufacture and distribution of Valkyr, the highly addictive drug at the center of the murder of Payne’s family.
Had it been properly composed, “Max Payne” had all the ingredients to create a decadent film noir, in the tradition of “L.A. Confidential” or “Sin City”. Instead, a frenzied script and choppy direction lead to a film which can only be described as an assault on the senses.
When “Max Payne” was originally optioned by Collision Entertainment, screenwriter Shawn Ryan (”The Shield”) was hired to craft the film’s script. After three years with no movement in the film’s production, Collision moved the project from Dimension Films to 20th Century Fox, and first-time screenwriter Beau Thorne was assigned the task of developing a script. That was mistake number one. I can only imagine what Ryan’s skillful pen could have done with this project.
The next mistake occurred when Fox tapped John Moore to direct the film. Before doing so, Fox executives should have watched Moore desecrate the film career of Gene Hackman in “Behind Enemy Lines”, add another mediocre notch to Denis Quaid’s belt in “Flight of the Phoenix” or send Gregory Peck spinning in his grave with his remake of “The Omen”. Then, they should have called Robert Rodriguez or John Woo.
The one bright spot of this film was its art direction. Using the streets of Toronto and Hamilton as a backdrop, the film’s set designers managed to create a gritty world which mirrored the dark emotions that the film’s script and direction failed to capture. What a shame that their vision was squandered by the film’s other “creative” players.
It is difficult for me to comment on the acting that took place in this film, as it was so heavily camouflaged by the film’s other flaws. I can say that Mila Kunis was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Other than that, the performances were not memorable and failed to save the film from the evil forces that were bent upon destroying it.
The film’s end (you have to sit through the credits to see it) establishes the framework for a “Max Payne” sequel. If this were the video game, I would hope that Max and Mona would step in about now and strike down the villainous forces that would conspire to inflict the world with such terror. Since this is the real world, our only hope is that smart-minded film viewers will be up to the task instead. (3 out of 10)
Movie Review: Burn After Reading
It is hard not to love the Coen brothers. While everyone else in Hollywood is preoccupied with pandering to what they believe film audiences want to see (often with poor results), the Coen brothers make films solely on their own terms. And, if the audience happens to enjoy their finished product, so be it. The Coen brothers cater to no-one.
Fresh from the success of “No Country for Old Men”, any other directors would have followed up with another serious drama, determined to prove that their Oscar win was not an anomaly. But not the Coen brothers. Typically swimming against the current, they created a comedy. In fact, their next four slated films are comedies.
Of course, even a comedy in the world of the Coen brothers is not your typical comedy. Their latest project, “Burn After Reading”, is a comedy so dark that only the least deserving characters emerge unscathed as the end credits roll. It is deliciously cynical and naughty.
Burn After Reading follows the antics of Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), two hapless gym employees who take possession of a disk found in the gym’s locker room containing the memoirs of Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), a disgruntled former CIA agent. Through a series of missteps, the two become embroiled in an extortion plot that cannot end any way but badly.
The film also stars Tilda Swinton in the role of Katie Cox, Osborne’s uptight wife and George Clooney in the role of Harry Pffarer, Osborne and Katie’s slimy friend.
As a product of the Coen brothers, “Burn After Reading” is smart, witty, and dark. As the Coen brothers accurately observed during the film’s press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival, it is a work comprised of characters who are “idiots and knuckleheads”. Few of the characters are sympathetic, most make poor choices and, in the end, all but the least deserving face the consequences. The humor is in the irony.
In addition to their growing list of “regulars” (Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Richard Jenkins, J.K. Simmons), the Coens have added Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton to their growing list of alumni. As a general rule, they write their scripts with certain actors in mind, and “Burn After Reading” is no exception. They noted during our interview that they write for actors who they feel will, “inhabit the material they way it is written”.
While “Burn After Reading” features a talented cast who deliver typically strong performances, one of the film’s surprises had to be the comedic performance by Brad Pitt. Once again in the spirit of playing against type, the Coens have not cast him as a handsome leading man, but rather as a bubble-headed personal trainer who, as Pitt notes, “makes the wrong choices…has limited experience and makes the wrong assumptions”. It is the most original role in which Pitt has been cast since “Snatch”, and it may very well earn him a Golden Globe nomination.
Burn After Reading is not a film that panders to the increasingly low expectations that have been created by Hollywood. It is not vulgar, crass or raunchy. It is a smart, unpredictable comedy that will leave you feeling anything but burned after watching it. (8.5 out of 10)
Movie Review: The Wrestler
Of all of the films that have appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival, no film has been more anticipated by critics then Darren Aronofsky’s film, “The Wrestler”. After winning the Golden Lion at Venice, curiosity was peaked about whether it really was this year’s “Million Dollar Baby”.
Based upon a screenplay by Robert Siegel, “The Wrestler” tells the story of Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke), an aging wrestler who has long since passed the peak of his career. When a heart attack forces him into an early retirement, he must forge a new life for himself. Broke and alone, he struggles to reclaim the pieces of a life that he had forsaken to pursue his career in the ring. The film also stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.
It is always difficult to approach a film that has received glowing accolades without having slightly inflated expectations. I had made viewing it a priority during the Film Festival (as, apparently did the nearly 600 other press and industry people who attended the screening with me). Although I hoped not to be disappointed, all of the ingredients for failure were present.
At the risk of inflating the expectations of others, I must say that “The Wrestler” is the best film that I have seen this year. Unless another “No Country for Old Men” is released between now and the end of the year, I am going to make an early prediction and say that this film is going to be a serious contender in all major categories at the Oscars. It is a stunning tour de force and a magnificent piece of filmmaking.
The success of “The Wrestler” is surprising, given the eclectic group of people involved in creating it. It is only the second screenplay by writer Robert Siegel to make it to film. His first, “The Onion”, was filmed in late 2003, was never released to theaters and was only recently released to DVD. In “The Wrestler”, Siegel has created a poignant character study that explores the entire spectrum of emotions. It is an award-caliber piece of writing that will change the trajectory of Siegel’s career.
Darren Aronofsky, the film’s director, comes to this project with several critically acclaimed but commercially modest projects, including “Requiem for a Dream” (which earned Ellen Burstyn an Oscar nomination) and “The Fountain” (which starred his wife, Rachel Weisz alongside Hugh Jackman). With this track record, Aronofsky was able to secure a relatively small budget of $7,000,000.00 to bring “The Wrestler” to the silver screen.
Using a fine guiding hand, Aronofsky succeeds in creating a film that has the gritty realism of the original “Rocky”, and the emotional impact of “Million Dollar Baby”. At times, the scenes unfolding onscreen are difficult to watch – this is a testament to Aronofsky’s ability as a director to plunge the audience into the gritty underbelly of the lead character’s journey.
In the end, however, it is the superb acting performance by Mickey Rourke that provides the icing for this well-constructed cinematic cake. After watching Rourke’s performance, it is unimaginable that to me Nicolas Cage was originally tapped for the lead role in this film. Only an actor like Rourke, who himself has suffered more than his share of kicks from the boot of life, would have had the experience and the appearance to step into this role. In Randy, Rourke creates a character who is, all at once, likeable and frustrating. By the end of this film, I was emotionally invested in this character, and truly curious to see how his journey was going to end.
Rourke delivers the finest performance of his career (and that is saying a lot), and I am going to go out on a limb and say that he will earn the best actor Oscar this year (unless Heath Ledger is nominated in this category instead of the supporting category). I simply cannot fathom how any other performance is going to compete. Randy “The Ram” Robinson is a character that will be recorded in the annals of film history.
Rourke is not alone in delivering an award-caliber performance. In her role as Cassidy, a stripper who develops a relationship with Randy, Marissa Tomei also offers a clear reminder of the caliber of acting that earned her two trips to the Oscars. Evan Rachel Wood, who fills the supporting role of Randy’s daughter Stephanie, guides the audience through one of the film’s most emotional moments.
The Wrestler is one of those rare films that transcends the silver screen. For a brief moment in time, Darren Aronofsky gives his audience the opportunity to step into the world of his film’s gritty lead characters. It is neither an easy nor a comfortable journey, but it is one that is well worth taking. (10 out of 10)
Passchendaele Opens Toronto Film Festival
The 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival began this evening with opening night celebrations in Toronto.
In accordance with Festival custom, the opening night gala presentation was a Canadian feature film. Past opening night galas have included Deepa Mehta’s “Water”, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
This year, veteran Canadian actor and sophmore director Paul Gross was bestowed the honor of opening the Festival with his World War I drama, “Passchendaele”.
Some of you will recognize Gross from his starring roles on Canadian television, including series such as “Due South” and “Slings and Arrows”. Gross stepped into the director’s chair in 2002 with his first feature film, a comedy called “Men with Brooms”. In homage to his western Canadian roots, Gross premiered that film at the Edmonton International Film Festival (which, until this very moment, I did not even realize existed).
Six years have passed since Gross’ feature film debut, and he has apparently moved up the entertainment industry food chain. “Men with Brooms” was well-received (for a Canadian film), and he received a green light to write, direct and produce the most expensive war film ever made in Canada (its estimated budget is $20,000,000.00). To be able to open the “Festival of Festivals” is simply the icing on a very rich cake.
“Passchendaele” is not merely another day at the office for Gross – it is a production that he has dreamed of making throughout his career in film. After spending a lifetime growing up on Canadian and European army bases, and listening to his grandfather weave war stories from his experiences in World War I, Gross knew that he had to breathe life into one of the bloodiest battles of the war, to remind Canadians what their predecessors had sacrificed for them.
“Passchendaele” tells the story of Michael Dunne (Gross), a battle weary soldier who returns to Canada after being wounded in Germany. Psychologically scarred as a result of his experiences, Dunne briefly goes AWOL in Europe, but eventually returns to the fray and faces a possible court martial and execution for desertion if he is deemed to have intentionally abandoned his post. Dunne garners the sympathy of other officers who have seen battle, and finds himself assigned to recruiting soldiers in his hometown of Calgary. During his recovery, Dunne encounters Sara (Caroline Dhavernas), an armed forces nurse, and the two fall in love. Sara has her own “battle scars” and together the two manage to find some degree of peace. This peace is disrupted, however, when Sara’s impetus young brother David (Joe Dinicol) falsifies his medical records and enlists in order to impress his girlfriend’s family. Dunne follows young David onto the battlefield in order to protect him, but eventually the two find themselves caught in the middle of the Battle of Passchendaele.
If I can make one observation about Canadian films (one that will probably make me a bit unpopular), it is the fact that Canadian filmmakers have yet to produce a film (at least one that I have seen) that does not look like it should be playing on CBC’s Movie of the Week. While there are moments during Passchendaele that I observed a “silver screen” quality attempting to break out, there were just as many moments that I was waiting for the film to be interrupted by a news update from Lloyd Robertson. This does not mean that I feel that Canadian films are inferior, but rather that they are missing a certain “je ne sais quoi” that would make them more appealing to an international audience.
Above all, Passchendaele is a testament to the fact that Paul Gross is a gem in the Canadian film industry. He is a talented writer and director but, above all, he is a superb actor. He delivered an evocative, moving performance. He was a pleasure to watch.
There are some aspects of this film that I could critique, but I think that it would be a bit un-Canadian of me to do that on the heels of the film’s gala opening. I will save those comments for a review of this film when it is released to theaters. Suffice it to say that “Passchendaele” is not a perfect film, but it is a significant film, infused with symbolism and Canadian pride. Its battle scenes are breathtaking.
I have no doubt that “Passchendaele” will become an annual fixture in the lead-up to Canada’s Remembrance Day. And it should be – Paul Gross has created a heartfelt homage to Canada’s men in uniform, and he has created a piece of art that serves as a reminder to all of the price that was paid to preserve our liberty.
And, at a time when our young men once again find themselves overseas, I think that “Passchendaele” is a fitting choice for a Canada’s premier Film Festival.
Movie Review: The House Bunny
As I stood at the ticket kiosk at the local theater trying to choose which film would be the subject of this week’s review, I found myself in the unenviable predicament of having to choose between “Death Race” and “The House Bunny”.
I say unenviable because I wished to see neither. The unfortunate reality of acting as a film critic is the fact that, while you have the opportunity to see many fantastic films, there are also times that you find yourself forced to spend two hours sitting in a theater watching something that is the on-screen equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.
I chose “The House Bunny” after becoming aware that its screenplay had been written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, the same writing duo who were responsible for penning “Legally Blond” (and who wisely declined to pen “Legally Blond 2″). The title of the film was less than appealing, but I felt that with this pedigree it might have some redeeming qualities.
At one point during the film, a less-than-endearing character describes the lead character as “vapid”.
How ironic that this is also the best adjective that one can use to describe this film.
The House Bunny tells the story of Shelley (Anna Faris), a lonely orphan who finds acceptance with Hugh and the girls at the Playboy Mansion. She calls the mansion home until her 27th birthday when she is unceremoniously sent packing because she is “too old”. With no family and no employment experience, she finds herself homeless. Wandering the streets of LA, she encounters a row of sorority houses on a college campus, and eventually takes up residence there as the house mother to a group of misfit girls who are on the verge of having their sorority charter revoked. Using the Playboy touch, she transforms the girls and their sorority house into the most popular destination on campus.
I should preface my review by saying that, much to my surprise, there were several people in the theater when I attended this film. While I sat through two hours of excruciating agony, there were people in the audience who were laughing. This film does have an audience – from what I could see, that audience consisted of teenage girls and perhaps a few boys who enjoyed watching Anna Faris prancing around in skimpy clothes.
In many ways, “The House Bunny” reminded me of an updated version of “Revenge of the Nerds”. Instead of using their brains to foil the “cool kids”, however, the nerds in this version elect to conduct themselves like a group of gutter snipes and realize in the end that it makes them no better than the group who rejected them in the first place. This backhanded lesson is supposed to offset the film’s overriding message that, in order to be popular, young women must check their brains and their sense of common decency at the door.
If there is one redeeming aspect of this film, it is the performance of Anna Faris. A veteran of the “Scary Movie” series, Faris has developed a growing film resume that has included both serious (”Brokeback Mountain”, “Lost in Translation”) and not-so-serious (”My Super Ex-Girlfriend”, “The Hot Chick”) film projects. She is a talented slapstick comedienne, with a hint of a Marilyn Monroe quality about her. If she can just find a way to avoid being typecast as a vacuous blond (she actually has a degree in English Literature from the University of Washington), she might have a long career ahead of her. Unfortunately, she works in Hollywood, where vacuous blonds are in high demand, so I do not hold much hope for her.
The House Bunny is a film that offers about as much as its title suggests. If you are in the mind for two hours of buxomous fluff, then this is the film for you. If, like me, you do not find two hours of prancing sorority girls to be particularly appealing, then I would hop over to “Tropic Thunder” instead. (4 out of 10)
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