I have to admit, I was worried coming into this one. I loved Rian Johnson’s debt film Brick a lot, so I was excited about his latest release The Brothers Bloom (tiff), but the early reviews were mixed. Still, when a director like that has a cast like Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz to work with, expectations are high.

Well, chalk another one up for Johnson: I really liked this film. He once again managed to blend styles and eras — the brothers looked as if they’d walked out of the 1930s and into an era of Lamborghinis and cell phones — and traded noir for quirk. The first half of the film was extremely funny and charming. The second half less so, but he was busy moving the plot forward. I think it lost much of its early energy, but still finished reasonably strong. All three lead actors were great in their parts, and Rinko Kikuchi was hilarious as the silent sidekick.

Part of the reason I (and everyone else) loved Brick was because it took us all by surprise. This time Johnson had all eyes on him and he delivered anyway. Maybe I missed something technical about the film that critics didn’t like, or maybe they all just wanted Brick II. All I know is, it was one of my favourites so far in this festival.

B+

[tags]tiff, tiff08, the brothers bloom, rian johnson[/tags]

Halfway between documentary and feature film, 24 City (tiff) was a microcosmic look at China itself: former workers lamenting the demise of the communist-era factory in favor of new condominiums, children who’ve spent their entire lives in the factory complex, security guards reminiscing about the opening of the plant, all melded with scripted parts by actresses. The documentary device was hard to stay with when an actress as recognizable as Joan Chen was on the screen, but they even made a sly little joke to explain that away and keep you in the moment.

I liked the film a lot, but I found I had to work at it a bit, and it took some time to get into it. Some (including Blue Rodeo‘s Jim Cuddy) never seemed to, and left early. The director (who wasn’t present; this was the third screening) did well to show Chengdu, and China in general, in the middle of a growth spurt, growing pains and all.

B

[tags]tiff, tiff08, 24 city, jim cuddy[/tags]

According to the producer (who introduced this morning’s screening) if Frank Capra were still alive he might have made a film like Flash of Genius (tiff). I suppose that might be true. It was the kind of standard “man stands up for what’s right” film that I associate with Capra, and not something I’d ever see in a theatre in standard release, but for 9AM on day six, it wasn’t a bad little break. Greg Kinnear and a based-on-reality script managed to keep it north of formulaic, but just barely.

C

[tags]tiff, tiff08, flash of genius[/tags]

While signing up for a 2.5 hour talky French family tale can sometimes be fraught with peril, the early reviews of Un Conte de Noël (tiff) gave me hope. It turns out the hope was well justified. I really liked this film, though I’m not sure I could put my finger on exactly why I liked it. It was, as I said, a very talky family drama, but the characters were entertaining while remaining real, and that was enough to make me care about what happened. It never felt quite as long as the running time, but I think they could cut a sideline love triangle story from the film to make it a little tighter. I didn’t feel like that storyline added anything to the film, and it could probably benefit from a bit of chopping. Still, a quintessentially festival film.

B

[tags]tiff, tiff08, un conte de noel[/tags]

Hoo boy. If you’re sleep deprived and just had a big, carb-ridden lunch, watching a slow, bleak Dutch film in a theatre with reclining chairs is not, I repeat not, a good idea. And I wasn’t kidding when I said that Katia’s Sister (tiff08) was slow and bleak. Very Dogme 95: no music, no effects, and, one could argue, no plot. Very little in the way of interesting dialogue too. Katia’s sister was a 13 year old struggling to keep a semblance of order and calm in her life despite the chaos around her, but I found that I didn’t care enough about any of these characters to worry or wonder. I wasn’t into it at all. Nellie fell asleep. It wasn’t bad, but goddamn you’d better be in the mood for a dreary, slow-paced foreign film if you sit down to this one.

C-

[tags]tiff, tiff08, katia’s sister[/tags]

The second in a series that started with Paris, Je T’Aime (and which will soon extend to Shanghai and Jerusalem, we were told) New York, I Love You (tiff) was a nice way to start day five. If you saw Paris, Je T’Aime you’ll know the format: multiple vignettes in which people discover and discuss love in one particular city. This one was different than Paris though, in that the stories interlaced occasionally. I also felt (as did Nellie) that New York was stronger then Paris, and it wasn’t even the final cut.

Because it was a preview screening the producers asked us all not to write too much about it or review it, but what I saw was very strong.

B

[tags]tiff, tiff08, new york i love you[/tags]

Well, I guess I eventually had to hit a stinker. This one bored me to the point that I feel asleep a few times. I wasn’t the only one; some dude in the balcony fell asleep and started powersnoring during the Q&As (which were even more boring).

I was hoping Not Quite Hollywood (tiff) would fill me in on the history of “Ozploitation” films, and why I should/could like them, but it was really just a long insider party for the people who already love them. Good for them, I guess, but I guess I really misread the synposis and intention of the film.

D

[tags]tiff, tiff08, not quite hollywood[/tags]

If you like Kevin Smith movies like I do, you’ll like Zack And Miri Make A Porno (tiff) like I did. Funny, sweet sometimes, and incredibly raunchy…all the classic ingredients of a Kevin Smith film. I think we actually missed half the laughs because the previous laugh drowned out the dialogue. There was one truly disgusting scene (I’ve had a few so far…Nick & Norah, Slumdog Millionaire and Zack & Miri have each featured a shit-related gross-out) but the audience loved it.

Seth Rogen wasn’t there last night, but as long as Elizabeth Banks (my girlfriend du jour) showed up, I didn’t care who else came. Also: Jason Mewes looks normal now.

Like I said, recommended if you’re a Kevin Smith fan. Avoid it if you’re not (read: you’re uptight).

B-

[tags]tiff, tiff08, zack and miri make a porno, elizabeth banks[/tags]

There are a few films I picked out of this year’s festival guide without even reading past who the director was. Slumdog Millionaire (tiff), directed by Danny Boyle, was one of them.

My faith wasn’t misplaced either. I thought Boyle masterfully melded humour, violence, near-obsessive love, and an affection for Mumbai strong enough to show it as it really is: enormous, dirty, loving and in a period of real transition. The child actors (some of whom were, like the titular character, slum kids) were amazing, as were the actors from the others stages of the kids’ lives. The spectacularly beautiful Freida Pinto (the fuzzy faraway picture above just does not do her justice) who played the female lead was a first-time film actress. There was real edge to the film, but humanity too, and a sense that we should view this journey through and out of slum life through a joyous, triumphant lens instead of a tragic one.

Shit, I didn’t even mind the big Bollywood dance number at the end. I gave it a standing ovation like everyone else. Favourite film of the festival so far.

A

[tags]tiff, tiff08, slumdog millionaire[/tags]

Rain must change the lineup rules at the Ryerson, ’cause 35 minutes before my screening of Is There Anybody There? (tiff) the line had already disappeared into the theatre. I wandered in, grabbed a good seat and knocked off several more pages of Generation Kill.

I really had low expectations for this film since it wasn’t one of my top picks, but it fit the schedule. And hey, it had Michael Caine and the director of Boy A. Both were in attendance for the screening, which was a nice treat. Caine really is one of the legends of acting today, and the audience showed their appreciation for his career with a standing ovation upon entering.

The film was a pleasant surprise. Caine and Bill Millner (from Son of Rambow) carried a strong story about a buy surrounded by — and fascinated with — death and aging and his run-in with old grump Caine. Good work from the supporting cast as well, from his parents to the residents of the old age home. A gentle, funny, touching film, if not exactly in my wheelhouse.

Somewhere between C+ and B-

[tags]tiff, tiff08, is there anybody there[/tags]