tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77064227790225123712024-03-13T22:39:49.555-04:00Gross StuffJohn Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-54154587430416800782020-09-19T17:07:00.002-04:002020-09-19T17:07:13.602-04:00TIFF 2020: Preparations to Be Together for an Undetermined Amount of Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xgmZbjiWnLo/X2ZyCW9VbyI/AAAAAAAALeY/FKQ7FwxNnAEPY9bz99bbUttZwzqyEfgJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/preparations-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xgmZbjiWnLo/X2ZyCW9VbyI/AAAAAAAALeY/FKQ7FwxNnAEPY9bz99bbUttZwzqyEfgJgCLcBGAsYHQ/w707-h354/preparations-04.jpg" width="707" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/preparations-to-be-together-for-an-unknown-period-of-time">Preparations ...</a> was my least favourite film of this year's festival (and one of Susan's bottom 2). Woman who does not emote thinks she has a relationship with man who does not emote (which he does not acknowledge), and then nothing much happens for an hour and a half. Unlike <a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-falling.html">Falling</a>, which we also hated, there were no characters in this film about whom we cared at all. Other reviews call this film enigmatic and mysterious, and it currently gets an 80% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. I find it mysterious and enigmatic that anyone liked it.<br /></p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-35798924846121886172020-09-19T17:02:00.000-04:002020-09-19T17:02:03.951-04:00TIFF 2020: Falling<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_L7Ds_SEvM/X2ZxQKeGNsI/AAAAAAAALeQ/GCSOfUOQJGkxSoI71nWV94nZJ_4RoSotgCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/falling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="443" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_L7Ds_SEvM/X2ZxQKeGNsI/AAAAAAAALeQ/GCSOfUOQJGkxSoI71nWV94nZJ_4RoSotgCLcBGAsYHQ/w668-h443/falling.jpg" width="668" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://tiff.net/events/falling">Falling</a>, starring and directed by Viggo Mortensen is basically senile old asshole making his son miserable, and having flashbacks to when he was a young asshole making life miserable for his whole family..<br /></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-44763842124611947632020-09-17T08:39:00.007-04:002020-09-17T08:40:56.723-04:00TIFF 2020: The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFy8gOo6TO8/X2NXQHSg_xI/AAAAAAAALd8/P3gnhdBSSbwmwesTONRAXWgyFQF4KCYRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1020/NewCorp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1020" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFy8gOo6TO8/X2NXQHSg_xI/AAAAAAAALd8/P3gnhdBSSbwmwesTONRAXWgyFQF4KCYRQCLcBGAsYHQ/w630-h354/NewCorp.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/the-new-corporation-the-unfortunately-necessary-sequel">The New Corporation: ...</a> is a documentary that revisits an earlier documentary by the same filmmakers, which had looked at a legal ruling defining corporations as having many of the same rights as persons. The sequel focuses on how companies are rebranding as "socially responsible", while pursuing goals that undermine democracy. I expected a lot of talk about "greenwashing" (pretending to be environmentally conscious while continuing to ravage the planet), and there was some of that, but the film went further, exposing rampant privatization of not only health care and prisons (US trends I was well aware of), but also education in poor countries, and municipal water systems.</p><p>Much of the film was shocking and depressing. At one point we are told that we should be despairing over what is happening. Then the later parts of the film focus on very recent events: the pandemic and the uprising of a movement for justice in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and we see how everything is connected, with the recent events exposing how the huge transfer of wealth enabled by the policies of privatization have made all of this much worse. There is some hope at the end, as we see some local movements succeeding, and people running for office to make things better.</p><p>This is a really important film, and I hope the positive message at the end in an indication that a better future is possible, but it also left us feeling haunted by how much trouble our world is in.<br /></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-46969904372258895202020-09-16T18:00:00.003-04:002020-09-16T18:01:32.201-04:00TIFF 2020: MLK/FBI<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsZSmhfz2GU/X2KKHcvPSAI/AAAAAAAALdw/fVe64mkCYJomgr8Fqf3tZ1dQ4MrgenkfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/MLK-FBI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="389" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsZSmhfz2GU/X2KKHcvPSAI/AAAAAAAALdw/fVe64mkCYJomgr8Fqf3tZ1dQ4MrgenkfACLcBGAsYHQ/w691-h389/MLK-FBI.jpg" width="691" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/mlk-fbi">MLK/FBI</a> is a documentary about how the FBI under J Edgar Hoover obsessively followed and bugged Martin Luther King Junior during the 1960s. The material was interesting and we learned some things we did not know, but the delivery was very dry. The title ought to have been FBI/MLK. It was a mix of old footage, clips from fictional films and TV shows about the FBI (those parts seemed very hokey), images of FBI reports and interviews with people who either knew King (Andrew Young, for example) or knew about the inner workings of the FBI (James Comey). The end result was not as moving or impactful as we had expected. <br /></p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-48856037907683659112020-09-15T20:40:00.005-04:002020-09-15T20:40:45.301-04:00TIFF 2020: The Father<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwaNc-rAx04/X2FeYOEMFVI/AAAAAAAALdg/eRDIxWvnB7c-XxMuOGtQwdBL-SfV8JZQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/the_father_copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="372" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwaNc-rAx04/X2FeYOEMFVI/AAAAAAAALdg/eRDIxWvnB7c-XxMuOGtQwdBL-SfV8JZQgCLcBGAsYHQ/w661-h372/the_father_copy.jpg" width="661" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/the-father-florian-zeller">The Father</a> stars Anthony Hopkins as a man slipping into dementia, and Olivia Colman as his daughter, trying to support him. The film plays tricks with the viewer to make us identify with the father, and understand how it feels to lose your grip on reality. On our walk around the neighbourhood after the film, Susan and I were still trying to put some of the pieces together. It's a disturbing, depressing film, but a well-executed one, with an outstanding performance by Hopkins.<br /></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-29415933363893647222020-09-15T20:35:00.001-04:002020-09-15T20:35:11.064-04:00TIFF 2020: One Night In Miami<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9pNTMA0R-k/X2FcDOf-2vI/AAAAAAAALdU/5Ab3TnT7ACUh_Ao-jy3R5ZKGgYBiAGPsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/onenightthumb-1599850869840-1024x576-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9pNTMA0R-k/X2FcDOf-2vI/AAAAAAAALdU/5Ab3TnT7ACUh_Ao-jy3R5ZKGgYBiAGPsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w638-h358/onenightthumb-1599850869840-1024x576-1.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/one-night-in-miami">One Night in Miami</a> brings 4 real-life friends (Cassius Clay, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke and Malcolm X) together for a fictional gathering at a critical point in time. Clay has just beaten Sonny Liston to become World Heavyweight Champion, Brown is at a pivotal point in his NFL career, Cooke is trying to win over white audiences with his music, and Malcolm X is struggling in his role at the Nation of Islam, worried about enemies both inside and outside the organization. The 4 friends discuss issues of race and power, mostly in a modest hotel room in Miami in 1964. We see each of their different approaches to the issue, and the pros and cons of each.</p><p>The pace of the film is very slow, and for most of it there is very little action. That made it tedious at times, but the message and the relevance to our own time was still powerful. Eli Goree's performance as a playful and at times childish Cassius Clay stood out for me.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-51750867614907302902020-09-14T08:03:00.001-04:002020-09-14T08:27:45.440-04:00TIFF 2020: I Care a Lot<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7w1gQJwv5xU/X19LFdQ_eVI/AAAAAAAALdE/ZuK7c3bXhJYW5zIsFBt4OHF26HRuZj63QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1777/Icarealot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1777" height="330" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7w1gQJwv5xU/X19LFdQ_eVI/AAAAAAAALdE/ZuK7c3bXhJYW5zIsFBt4OHF26HRuZj63QCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h330/Icarealot.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><p></p><p>In <a href="https://tiff.net/events/i-care-a-lot">I Care a Lot</a>, Rosamund Pike (from Gone Girl) and Peter Dinklage (from Game of Thrones) face off in what at first seems to be an amusing variation of the "criminal accidentally pisses off gangster" genre, but becomes a sort of horror movie along the way.</p><p>Pike is Marla Grayson, a court-appointed guardian of senior citizens who has enlisted doctors and nursing home directors in her scheme to loot the estates of seniors who don't really need to be removed from their homes. We quickly see how purely evil she is. </p><p>Her latest victim has an unexpected connection to a Very Bad Man (Dinklage), and while we see how evil he is as well, we start rooting for him to give Grayson what she deserves.</p><p>The story takes some twists which I won't spoil any further, and great acting made us care (a lot) about what happened to some of the characters (not always in a good way). There were some huge plot holes that made the story far from believable. That did not detract from my enjoyment of the ride, and Susan still found herself engaged and entertained while struggling to accept some of what was happening, but her son Stuart found the last half fairly ridiculous.</p><p>We also watched the film with my 97-year old mother, who had shown an interest in the subject matter based on the summary of the film I read to her. Luckily there is no danger of anyone thinking she needs help taking care of herself! <br /></p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-11333456877676511002020-09-13T15:21:00.003-04:002020-09-13T15:22:12.093-04:00TIFF 2020: Penguin Bloom<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFcISUBwSMo/X15vrCzD4hI/AAAAAAAALc4/enqbZkcPByYJADCTqPP9QCzz55DNBiGjACLcBGAsYHQ/s928/penguin_bloom_hugh_stewart-928x523.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="928" height="351" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFcISUBwSMo/X15vrCzD4hI/AAAAAAAALc4/enqbZkcPByYJADCTqPP9QCzz55DNBiGjACLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h351/penguin_bloom_hugh_stewart-928x523.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Naomi Watts stars as Sam Bloom in <a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/penguin-bloom" target="_blank">Penguin Bloom</a>, based on the true story of a woman badly injured in an accident, and the bird who helps her find her way back from the depths of despair.</p><p>That's pretty much it, actually. The film is pretty predictable as it follows the path you expect, but it works, thanks to:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>very good acting by Watts, Andrew Lincoln as her husband Cameron Bloom (doing an Aussie accent instead of the American one I'm used to hearing on The Walking Dead) and the actors portraying their children, </li><li>great magpie wrangling</li><li>beautiful cinematography of the Sydney area (the film was largely shot in the real-life home of the Blooms).</li></ul><p>Susan and I were both in tears by the end. Sometimes a good, predictable story is just fine. <br /></p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html" target="_blank">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-79913321783698899642020-09-13T07:42:00.003-04:002020-09-13T07:42:34.779-04:00TIFF 2020: Nomadland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ySyb59oekU/X14D1HjQpUI/AAAAAAAALcs/dgdjcEPLlpkAqGz8ed4apsDo9rJyPVWFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1149/nomadland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1149" height="329" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ySyb59oekU/X14D1HjQpUI/AAAAAAAALcs/dgdjcEPLlpkAqGz8ed4apsDo9rJyPVWFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h329/nomadland.jpg" width="625" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/nomadland" target="_blank">Nomadland</a> stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a woman who has lost her husband and her town, and wanders the western US in the van she has modified to be a basic RV. Empire Nevada was a company town for US Gypsum, and when the mine closed in 2011, the company shut down the town. Fern's husband died soon after, and she headed out in her van. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The film follows her through a variety of jobs, none of them glamorous or exciting, and a series of campsites. It is more of a mood than a story; not a lot happens, but we get to know Fern along the way. She is content but not happy, alone but still fairly social, especially given her lifestyle. She is self-sufficient and has most of the skills she needs to survive, but still vulnerable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Susan and I both found this to be a bit of a sad film (maybe bittersweet is a better word?), but we enjoyed it. It's not how we would want to live, but we accepted that it was the life Fern wanted, even with its disadvantages.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html" target="_blank">TIFF 2020 Overview</a><br /></div><br /><p></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-90036044264584851582020-09-12T11:28:00.003-04:002020-09-12T12:10:31.851-04:00TIFF 2020: The Way I See It<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaLP0p8JWQc/X1znEadwQaI/AAAAAAAALcg/Zig1QeciSl8nYKctbMLGqAV50mcjaU7-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/the-way-i-see-it.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaLP0p8JWQc/X1znEadwQaI/AAAAAAAALcg/Zig1QeciSl8nYKctbMLGqAV50mcjaU7-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h416/the-way-i-see-it.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> Pete Souza was the official White House photographer for both the Reagan and Obama presidencies. In that role he had a silent, behind-the-scenes role, and his work spoke for itself. After Trump became president, Souza found himself troubled by the lack of respect being shown for the office of the President, as well as Trump's bullying and lies, and he began to speak out, starting with his Instagram account, where he began to post photos from the Obama years as a contrast to how Trump was behaving. This lead to his book <i>Shade</i>, and now his film <a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/the-way-i-see-it" target="_blank"><i>The Way I See It.</i></a></p><p>The film slowly starts off taking us through his experiences in the Reagan years, establishing that while he did not agree with all of Reagan's policies and decisions, he still respected him as a decent man who loved his country and his wife, and was capable of empathy and compassion. Then we see him begin to cover Obama and become his official photographer, and the vast respect he had for another decent man. The contrast with the current president is so obvious it does not need to be pointed out, and mostly Souza does not even mention Trump or why he finds him so disturbing.</p><p>This is a beautiful reminder of when there was a decent, wise, intelligent man with humility and empathy in the While House, who could listen to conflicting points of view to make a better decision. It made me cry at times (usually when we saw Obama dealing with people affected by tragedy), and gave me hope that in a few months there will again be a decent person leading the United States.<br /></p><p><a href="http://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html" target="_blank">TIFF 2020 Overview </a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-14429462027701912812020-09-11T13:09:00.010-04:002020-09-19T17:07:36.396-04:00TIFF 2020 Overview<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AuGHGz4431o/X1ur2t3yy4I/AAAAAAAALcI/qjoBiywRI9A77K0ORXI9XCgIXgwAAYcXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AuGHGz4431o/X1ur2t3yy4I/AAAAAAAALcI/qjoBiywRI9A77K0ORXI9XCgIXgwAAYcXQCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h469/IMG_0079.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>The TIFF Kainona Home Theatre</i><br /><p></p><p> </p><p>Like everything else, TIFF is different this year. There are far fewer films than usual, and most of the screenings are online. There are a few drive-in or sit-in screenings outdoors (we were unable to get tickets for the drive-in screening of One Night In Miami), and some in-theatre screenings with no more than 50 people in the theatre. When we heard that food would be served and patrons could remove their masks in their seats, Susan and I decided we were not comfortable attending an in-theatre screening. That policy was later changed (no food will be served and masks must be kept on at all times), but by then we had bought all our tickets for online screenings.</p><p>So my spreadsheet was much simpler this year, with only 11 films that we wanted to see, so in theory the ticket selection process should have been quicker and less stressful. Uh-uh. Perhaps because it opened to all members at the same time (instead of assigning everyone start times staggered over a few days), the ticket site was incredibly unresponsive and buggy. Sometimes it said there were no events available, and then moments later would again let me try to pick a film. At least 3 times I had tickets in my cart that were discarded before I could buy them. After too many hours of patience and persistence, I did manage to get a ticket to every screening we wanted, but the experience was horrible.</p><p>Here are the films we're seeing this year in our living room (films <b>in bold</b> are highly recommended):</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-shiva-baby.html" target="_blank">Shiva Baby </a></li><li><b><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-way-i-see-it.html" target="_blank">The Way I See It</a></b></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-nomadland.html" target="_blank">Nomadland</a></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-penguin-bloom.html" target="_blank">Penguin Bloom</a></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-one-night-in-miami.html">One Night in Miami</a></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-i-care-lot.html">I Care a Lot</a></li><li><b><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-father.html">The Father</a></b></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-mlkfbi.html">MLK/FBI</a></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-new-corporation-unfortunately.html">The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-falling.html">Falling</a></li><li><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-preparations-to-be-together.html">Preparations to Be Together For an Unknown Period of Time</a><br /></li></ul><p> </p><p><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-10460381779404369832020-09-11T13:08:00.002-04:002020-09-11T13:10:21.582-04:00TIFF 2020: Shiva Baby<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1cUwYgCwD0/X1uuOGBHEKI/AAAAAAAALcU/oA7uk7p4GDM33uBERMCvYNfyHxant2uPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/shivababy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1cUwYgCwD0/X1uuOGBHEKI/AAAAAAAALcU/oA7uk7p4GDM33uBERMCvYNfyHxant2uPgCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h430/shivababy.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.tiff.net/events/shiva-baby" target="_blank">Shiva Baby</a> is an uncomfortable comedy starring Rachel Sennot as Danielle, a student with an uncertain future who is earning money on the side, and not by baby-sitting, as she tells her parents. At a shiva with her family, Danielle has awkward encounters with her ex and others, as secrets and lies make everyone uncomfortable. The behaviour of those at the shiva, in particular the older women, is exaggerated but believable, and while we watch we feel as uncomfortable as Danielle and the others in the film. </p><p><a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-overview.html" target="_blank">TIFF 2020 Overview</a><br /></p>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-29637697004213182092019-09-15T18:56:00.000-04:002019-09-15T18:56:01.481-04:00TIFF 2019: There's Something in the Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hKX3bI3r1TQ/XX7Acivwu_I/AAAAAAAAKfs/eK-Qa52i7-skv2VJEd4sfAY-ZGRZXVoYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/theressomethinginthewater_0HERO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hKX3bI3r1TQ/XX7Acivwu_I/AAAAAAAAKfs/eK-Qa52i7-skv2VJEd4sfAY-ZGRZXVoYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/theressomethinginthewater_0HERO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ellen Page's quickly-assembled (filmed in April, completed a week before TIFF started) documentary <a href="https://2019.tiffr.com/shows/there-s-something-in-the-water">There's Something in the Water</a> takes a look at a handful of black and first nations communities in her native Nova Scotia, where environmental disasters (existing and potential) threaten the health of people. These are stories similar to that of Flint Michigan or many of our arctic Inuit communities, where the people are treated as second-class citizens and left to live with poison in their water and other pollutants.<br />
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The film shows its roughness, and the production values are not especially high, but the voices of the women with whom Page talks about these issues are powerful and compelling. This wasn't one of the best "movies" we saw this week, but it is a very powerful and important film.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-35879679435480510502019-09-15T08:35:00.000-04:002019-09-15T08:35:03.538-04:00TIFF 2019: Harriet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MLpr7rHoTkM/XX4syzws9MI/AAAAAAAAKfU/IDbxpZUgVnMpBAyf721hC2jP2tjnZGjywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/harriet_0HERO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MLpr7rHoTkM/XX4syzws9MI/AAAAAAAAKfU/IDbxpZUgVnMpBAyf721hC2jP2tjnZGjywCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/harriet_0HERO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2019.tiffr.com/shows/harriet">Harriet </a>stars Cynthia Erivo in the title role as Harriet Tubman, and tells how she escaped slavery and worked to free many other slaves. At times it seemed she was lucky to elude her pursuers, but she was also shown to be brave and tough and persistent. We saw this film right after <a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2019/09/tiff-2019-just-mercy.html">Just Mercy</a>, reinforcing our sadness at how evil the rich and powerful (and of course white) have been, and how the legacy of slavery still divides our society and keeps many from real freedom and justice.<br />
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There was a lot of action in this film, and while I knew the basics of the story, it filled in a lot of details for me. Not as heart-wrenching or powerful as <a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2019/09/tiff-2019-just-mercy.html">Just Mercy</a>, but a decent film.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-36155193710697618282019-09-15T08:34:00.000-04:002019-09-15T08:34:17.344-04:00TIFF 2019: Just Mercy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--7xsb375KPg/XX4r5zxctrI/AAAAAAAAKfM/DhcK7sU4g2ciQLRjX4zy51zNWIonIYrYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DONOTUSEBEFORE-AUG20-justmercy_0HERO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--7xsb375KPg/XX4r5zxctrI/AAAAAAAAKfM/DhcK7sU4g2ciQLRjX4zy51zNWIonIYrYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DONOTUSEBEFORE-AUG20-justmercy_0HERO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2019.tiffr.com/shows/just-mercy">Just Mercy</a> stars Michael B Jordan as a young lawyer who takes up the cause of prisoners on death row who have not been well-treated by the justice system. He finds that one of them (played by Jamie Foxx) was completely railroaded, convicted by the testimony of a single witness who was coerced to lie about what he saw. Based on a true story, this was by far the best film at the festival for both me and Susan. We were bawling by the end, and shocked by the portrayal of southern US "justice", and how poorly it has treated it most vulnerable citizens, black and white (though overwhelmingly black).<br />
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Jordan and Foxx deliver outstanding performances, and the film did not drag despite running 2 1/4 hours. This is a must-see.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-21341556305324987582019-09-15T08:32:00.001-04:002019-09-15T09:40:20.541-04:00TIFF 2019: Red Penguins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4YEiqfIAPqo/XX4uB8_2wDI/AAAAAAAAKfg/oG2_5KEKwuoUX8qkzj_Hz-M33BiQKPcKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/redpenguins_0HERO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4YEiqfIAPqo/XX4uB8_2wDI/AAAAAAAAKfg/oG2_5KEKwuoUX8qkzj_Hz-M33BiQKPcKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/redpenguins_0HERO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2019.tiffr.com/shows/red-penguins">Red Penguins</a> is a documentary, ostensibly about how the Pittsburgh Penguins invested in the Moscow Red Army hockey team after the fall of the USSR. It's really more about the chaos that followed the transition from communism to "democracy", and the corruption that took over. I'm really interested in hockey, Russia and history/politics, so I was keen to see this film. I had intended to wear the Russian Penguins hockey jersey that I bought years ago (customized with my name in Cyrillic on the back!), but in the rush to prepare for a long day with 3 films, I forgot.<br />
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The film had a mix of interesting history, humourous looks at how the Russian Penguins tried to market their product in a country unaccustomed to commercial promotion, and upsetting scenes of violence as the fragile Russian democracy yielded to Putin's corrupt regime. Overall the film was rough and uneven. Worth seeing if you're a fan of these topics like me, but not one of the finer films we saw this week.<br />
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This was the 100th films I have seen at TIFF, dating back to my first in 1998!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-35899352925156802442019-09-14T09:31:00.000-04:002019-09-14T09:31:16.317-04:00TIFF 2019: Bad Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d7NuCtIDnjI/XXzqWsOpPeI/AAAAAAAAKfA/wa1G0A9FPYkNm95UUR0jws2cQjXc4Zq6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/badeducation_0HERO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d7NuCtIDnjI/XXzqWsOpPeI/AAAAAAAAKfA/wa1G0A9FPYkNm95UUR0jws2cQjXc4Zq6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/badeducation_0HERO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hugh Jackman gives a great performance in <a href="https://tiff.net/events/bad-education-finley">Bad Education</a> as the superintendent of schools who has overseen a dramatic improvement in academic performance. Allison Janney is his sidekick. The two are riding high until a student reporter starts digging into school expenses, and uncovers an embezzlement scheme that shocks the community. The story is based on a real-life scandal, and it plays out in entertaining fashion as we learn about what has been going on behind the backs of the school board, and the depth of the corruption. This one was pretty good, but it's shocking that it really happened.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-29008121492773718032019-09-14T09:23:00.003-04:002019-09-14T09:23:48.151-04:00TIFF 2019: Blackbird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23wcj3l2fn8/XXzoO5l5iNI/AAAAAAAAKe0/UVkM3_7so3cV4FA86fDiQZ65ILLvN1zVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/blackbird_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23wcj3l2fn8/XXzoO5l5iNI/AAAAAAAAKe0/UVkM3_7so3cV4FA86fDiQZ65ILLvN1zVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/blackbird_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Susan Sarandon stars in <a href="https://tiff.net/events/blackbird">Blackbird </a>as a terminally ill woman who gathers her family together one last time. The men in the family mostly fade into the background, as the story focuses on the relationship between her two daughters (played by Kate Winslet and Mia Wasikowska), who have a simmering conflict that comes to the surface, and her relationships with them. There is sadness and humour and love and conflict, and some twists that keep things moving along. This was one of the best films we have seen at the festival so far.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-91315815352428101382019-09-13T09:32:00.000-04:002019-09-13T09:34:34.280-04:00TIFF 2019: Lyrebird<a href="https://tiff.net/events/lyrebird">Lyrebird</a> tells the true story of failed Dutch artist Han van Meegeren (played by Guy Pearce), who is accused after World War II of having collaborated with the Nazis by selling stolen art to them. Claes Bang plays the Dutch resistance fighter working with the Canadian/Allied forces who sets out to bring him to justice, though what that entails changes as the story progresses. The painting at the centre of the plot is a recently-discovered work by Vermeer, which brought back memories of <a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2013/09/tiff-2013-tims-vermeer.html">Tim's Vermeer</a>, a film I saw in 2013 at my first TIFF festival (and which I still highly recommend!).<br />
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The film really held my interest, with its look at post-war Holland (scenes of some of the ruins were impressive), and a steady supply of humour throughout. I think it was a pretty good film, with Pearce's performance the highlight.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-14496798533424928142019-09-11T20:00:00.003-04:002019-09-11T20:00:18.784-04:00TIFF 2019: Motherless Brooklyn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bbLdBOG9tAU/XXmG12EJfYI/AAAAAAAAKeM/imFGEcWrFb80JtgwskgF-1IyWjekl9vYACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/motherlessbrooklyn_08918r.0.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="920" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bbLdBOG9tAU/XXmG12EJfYI/AAAAAAAAKeM/imFGEcWrFb80JtgwskgF-1IyWjekl9vYACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/motherlessbrooklyn_08918r.0.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Edward Norton directs and stars in <a href="https://tiff.net/events/motherless-brooklyn">Motherless Brooklyn</a>, a detective/film-noir adaptation of the Jonathan Lethem book. That makes two great books I've read turned into movies at this year's festival (<a href="https://mrjohngross.blogspot.com/2019/09/tiff-2019-goldfinch.html">The Goldfinch</a> was the other), and so far they have been my two favourite films.<br />
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Norton is Lionel Essrog, one of a few employees of L & L Investigations trying to figure out why their boss (played briefly by Bruce Willis) has come to an unfortunate end, and pick up the pieces of the investigation that led him there. Alec Baldwin plays the bad guy, and Willem Dafoe adds to the impressive cast; Norton said before the film that they all worked for scale to help him get the unconventional film made. Essrog has Tourette Syndrome, which produces involuntary tics and vocal outbursts, sometimes quite inappropriate. Despite the condition, Essrog functions normally and is generally well-accepted by those around him, and his phenomenal memory makes him a valuable member of the detective firm.<br />
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Although the novel was set in the 1990's, Norton takes it back to the '50s to put it back in its genre, and it works beautifully. The cars, the New York skyline and the costumes support the mood of the film, and one scene in a diner reminded me of an Edward Hopper painting.<br />
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Norton is the centre of the film, appearing in almost every scene, and he keeps the action moving. The film is not short at 144 minutes, but it never dragged, and the characters and scenery supported a great performance by him. Great film!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: underline;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-27563352588539952252019-09-11T08:56:00.003-04:002019-09-11T08:57:22.792-04:00TIFF 2019: The Obituary of Tunde Johnson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv0BReWNtbg/XXjtI9xKqcI/AAAAAAAAKeA/8BNcdrd6wkYpL9ZvOSkLgnVj5AZ-PrQTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/obituaryoftundejohnson_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv0BReWNtbg/XXjtI9xKqcI/AAAAAAAAKeA/8BNcdrd6wkYpL9ZvOSkLgnVj5AZ-PrQTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/obituaryoftundejohnson_04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Steven Silver is the title character in <a href="https://tiff.net/events/the-obituary-of-tunde-johnson">The Obituary of Tunde Johnson</a>, which is sort of like a mashup of <i>The Hate You Give</i> with <i>Groundhog Day</i> (with maybe a dash of <b>Moonlight</b> added in). Tunde Johnson is a gay black student, who endures a variety of violent deaths at the hands of police as he relives the same day over and over. He comes out to his parents, and struggles to convince his boyfriend to stop hiding who he is as well. Silver gives a great performance in the lead role, showing honesty, strength and vulnerability. At times we are not sure if what we are seeing is real or his hallucination.<br />
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I liked the film and found it powerful, especially the way the repeated killing scenes were shown from different perspectives. But some parts of the film did not work for me. I'm not a fan of rap, and the music/soundtrack was loud and noisy and disturbing at times. I also felt that Tunde's friendship with Marley, a stuck-up girl who cared more about appearances than what was real, did not make any sense at all, and that made a big part of the film fail for me. And near the end I started wondering where the story was going.<br />
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Stanley Kulu wrote the screenplay at age 19, and it won a screenwriting contest that had more than 500 entries. It's a different look at a dark and important subject, and it treats it with a sense of hope.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: underline;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-52505349082250334012019-09-11T08:46:00.000-04:002019-09-11T08:46:02.607-04:00TIFF 2019: Ordinary Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mk94DUJ-XDU/XXjsL849kNI/AAAAAAAAKd4/ekgU47JYeiYxjdcfoPQULUFULipV7vrSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ordinarylove_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mk94DUJ-XDU/XXjsL849kNI/AAAAAAAAKd4/ekgU47JYeiYxjdcfoPQULUFULipV7vrSACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ordinarylove_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ordinary Love stars Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson as Joan and Tom, a middle-aged couple in Northern Ireland who deal with the discovery that Joan has breast cancer. The death of their daughter years before seems to have brought them closer together, but also perhaps made them isolated from others, as we see no signs of any friends or family as they deal with the illness.<br />
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The title is very apt. We see two people who really love each other, but the film focuses on the very ordinary aspects of their lives, even as they deal with the ordeal of cancer diagnosis and treatment. It is also an ordinary story, as so many in the audience would have been touched by cancer. Both lead performances were outstanding, and the story felt very real. The subject matter is serious and frightening, but humour is present throughout, and the love they feel for each other is obvious even though it's never said out loud.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: underline;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-8141557133449879372019-09-10T10:09:00.000-04:002019-09-10T10:09:02.722-04:00TIFF 2019: The Rest of Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6t7NXwumUQ/XXetsaf3kzI/AAAAAAAAKdo/Iagrdlmd-bEAqQR3E26y43P2rU2xUEV6QCLcBGAs/s1600/restofus_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6t7NXwumUQ/XXetsaf3kzI/AAAAAAAAKdo/Iagrdlmd-bEAqQR3E26y43P2rU2xUEV6QCLcBGAs/s640/restofus_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://tiff.net/events/the-rest-of-us">The Rest of Us</a> reminded me a little of <i>Stepmom</i>. It's the story is an ex-wife who takes her ex-husband's wife and daughter in when they find themselves suddenly homeless. We start out with a lot of hatred, resentment and conflict, and over the course of the film the various characters sort out their issues, find common ground, and reach new understandings of each other and themselves. It's not so deep or complicated, but it works. The performances are wonderful, and North Bay is a nicer setting for it than I would have guessed. Recommended!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: underline;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-41052430287027786922019-09-10T10:02:00.003-04:002019-09-10T10:02:47.247-04:00TIFF 2019: The Goldfinch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBkLWniif3U/XXerzoXehWI/AAAAAAAAKdc/tbh1rgR7wUwbUTZKemwC7cgtBotxEscxgCLcBGAs/s1600/goldfinch_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBkLWniif3U/XXerzoXehWI/AAAAAAAAKdc/tbh1rgR7wUwbUTZKemwC7cgtBotxEscxgCLcBGAs/s640/goldfinch_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://tiff.net/events/the-goldfinch">The Goldfinch</a> is based on the best-selling novel by Donna Tartt, and stars Baby Driver's Ansel Elgort as Theo Decker, orphaned at age 13 by a tragedy that follows him the rest of his life. The film is very faithful to the book, following Theo through a series of living situations, some nourishing and some not so much. There is a bit of a jumbling of the timeline that I did not see much motivation for, but overall the film felt just right to me, and the characters looked and behaved exactly as I expected. While some of the performances were reserved, I thought those worked, and provided contrast to the characters that were a little more over the top. I really liked this one a lot, and recommend it.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: underline;">TIFF 2019 Overview</span>John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706422779022512371.post-87132370625518712502019-09-09T07:48:00.003-04:002019-09-09T07:48:20.386-04:00TIFF 2019: Tammy's Always Dying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ij649In4mF8/XXY6r-MaqBI/AAAAAAAAKdM/zhzxk9OTICIeovGab1Ff9KyWlsQnvIKXQCLcBGAs/s1600/tammysalwaysdying_0HERO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ij649In4mF8/XXY6r-MaqBI/AAAAAAAAKdM/zhzxk9OTICIeovGab1Ff9KyWlsQnvIKXQCLcBGAs/s640/tammysalwaysdying_0HERO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Felicity Huffman and Anastasia Phillips star in director Amy Jo Johnson's film about a wreck of a woman and the daughter who tries to pick up after her and care for her. Director Johnson spoke before the film and called it a comedy, but we found it deeply depressing. Huffman's Tammy is a drunk whose life is a complete mess even before she finds out she is seriously ill. Phillips as her daughter Cathy is barely better off, working in a seedy bar and getting her morsels of human contact where she can, at the expense of others and herself.<br />
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Hamilton is the setting for this film that captures the grit and misery of poverty, and the stereotypes (which I know are not all true) of Hamilton as a dirty, ugly city are unfortunately strongly reinforced. The acting was good in this film, but I did not see any redemption for people trapped in a lousy life, and whatever comedic notes there were didn't really work for me.<br />
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John Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07185230681991087476noreply@blogger.com1