3.9
--
KAHIL GIBRAN'S THE PROPHET, Rogers
Allers
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Eight of the poet's poems have been integrated into
the story of Mustapha who has been put under house arrest
for several years. His ideas are perceived as a threat
in the Arabic world. Mustapha represents Kahil Gibran,
and in the film, we see how peaceful and poetic his
soul is. Each of the poetic parts are thematic, and
present a guide for humanity to follow during such events
as work, love, death etc. All have been magnificently
created through animation -- thanks to over 12 of the
world's best animation artists. The music is stunning,
and Liam Neeson seems to enhance it with his voice;
it's perfect for the poet's part. The entire film is
a magical visual tapestry of beauty in art, music as
it embodies the magnificent mind of Kahil Gibran. The
plot is touching and uplifting, but I doubt most children
would be able to follow the excerpts from The
Prophet, incorporated and appearing everywhere throughout
the film.
0.0
-- LUDO,
Q. Nikon
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Ria
and her friend meet up with their boyfriends for a night
out on the town. The two couples try to find a place
to get it on, but no hotel will accept them; they’re
under age. Breaking into a shopping mall long after
closing hours, and thinking they are alone, they begin
their loving antics. Two vampire-like entities that
hold the key to a magic board game (Ludo is in fact
a real board game, and the film obviously incorporates
it) pursue them; they eat the boys and scare the guts
out of the girls. Beyond amateurish, this Bengali film
had its world premier screening at Fantasia; one hopes
it will be its dernier – deserving to be tossed into
the global pit of pathetic films.
1.3
--
HOSTILE, Nathan Ambrosioni
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Two sisters are adopted and become possessed. Killing
their loved ones, they know it's a case of “he made
me do it.” It is their tutor who takes them to a couple;
the pair claim they can help the girls recover. No one
comes out breathing in this situation. The film is anti-adoption,
anti-doctor, anti- tutor, anti reporter, and anti anything
that doesn’t have to do with blood. What a silly movie.
The French are great at comedy and police thrillers.
Judging by this film, they are horrible at making horror
flicks. Fantasia has got to start doing better.
1.4
-- OBSERVANCE,
Joseph Sims-Dennett
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
When
Parker holes up in a slum apartment for the purpose
of spying on a blond girl in the apartment across from
him, using his camera, paranoia sets in. He is going
to be paid handsomely for this job, but he has no idea
what he is after, but his employer never reveals himself,
except by calling in to ask Parker if he has anything
to report. The woman of interest has some guy who slaps
her occasionally, but in the end, it is Parker who finishes
her off. A dumb Australian movie fit only for a Fantasia
Festival where gore suffices for no plot at a screening
not worthy of any eye staring at it. I'm beginning to
question if there is any merit to selecting such films
and asking people to pay to see them; this film is as
flat as the screen itself.
2.1
--
SYNCHRONICITY, Jacob
Gentry
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Physicist Jim Beale, played by Tom Cruise look-alike
Chad McKnight, has created a time machine that penetrates
worm holes, but tycoon capitalist Klaus Meisner wants
to buy it, and more or less will get his hands on it
by squeezing Jim out; after all he’s got the money.
Jim meets Abby who seems to be playing both sides –
traversing Jim’s worm hole as he also does. Great sets
of Escher-like complexity still can’t save this film.
The only colour in this film noir piece is a duplicated
red dahlia that mirrors itself on both side of the worm
hole, and everyone’s after it. I’d pass on this one
except if you’re a lover of dahlias and wormholes.
1.8
--
OJUJU, C.J. "Fiery"
Obasi
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Anyone who's ever read The
African Predicament by Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor -- a
book comprising a series of poignant essays condemning
corruption in Nigeria -- can visually see the worst
of the country through this horror flick that in an
indirect way makes a statement about the millions of
Nigerians who die from tainted water every year. In
this zombie film, a slumload of people is exploiting
one another in the basest ways, but even those with
a craving for lustful adventures have got to take time
out to eat and drink water. Those that drink water end
up coughing and getting very very sick. They turn into
cannibalistic zombies who walk through the shanty lanes,
attacking anyone they can find, and eating them. Part
vampirish camp and mainly amusing, the film is a notable
example of Nollywood nonsense at its goriest. The word,'ojuju'
means an evil spirit.
2.3 --
H., Rania Attieh &
Daniel Garcia
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Troy, New York gets hit by a meteorite and two odd women
– one who seems to be pregnant one moment, but not the
next, and the other – a sixty-something-old woman who
holds a baby doll and feeds it as if it were alive and
her own, are obsessed with motherhood. Both are named
Helen, but unlike Helen of Troy in the Greek story,
these women have men in their lives who are not as fond
of them as they are of their men. The meaning of this
film may be deep but it eludes me, much in the way people
feel lost after the grand explosion. A low-key art-house
film with a decidedly captivating tone and premise,
but no matter how hypnotic the mood, without a good
story, everything suffers. Too artsy-fartsy for my taste,
but the music, especially the piece by Arvo
Pärt (Spiegel im Spiegel) is ethereally
lovely.
3.8--
ASSASSINATION,
Choi Dong-hoon
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
It has been quite a year for South Korean film at Fantasia
2015. It is therefore fitting that one of this year’s
closing films is the international première of Assassination,
a period masterpiece by Thieves director Choi
Dong-hoon. Decades under Japanese occupation have created
strange bedfellows as well as a fractured resistance
that is nominally held together by a government-in-exile
based in Shanghai. It is 1933, and Independence Army
Captain Yem Seok-jin (Lee Jung-jae) is tasked to bring
together three misfits, led by brilliant sniper Ahn
Ok-yun, to carry out an important assassination in Seoul.
Nothing is as it seems. The trio are betrayed by a mole
within the Provisional Government and find themselves
pursued by famed hit man Hawaii-Pistol (Ha Jung-woo).
Assassination
effortlessly fuses a technically masterful production
with a superbly crafted, convincingly performed, narrative.
Few niggles aside -- related to South Korean cinema’s
inexplicable penchant for sentimental codas, and superfluous
use of slow motion -- the film is utterly captivating
and engages its audience to a rarely seen degree of
empathy. Keep a lookout for Assassination at
local independent theatres.
0.0
-- COSMODRAMA,
Philippe Fernandez
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
There’s about as much drama in the plot of this film
as there is in a dying fly. A Star Trek–like space ship’s
interior is housing scientists and a monkey who ruminate
(not the monkey) on Black Holes, galaxies and the meaning
of nothingness. They have no idea why they are on this
ship or where they are, but they still manage to be
playful, have meetings, drink and walk around nude.
Each talks in a monotone voice and is fascinated by
the mysteries of space. These galactic guys and three
girls (when not appearing in their double figurative
form) decide there is life in other galaxies. Thank
the stars on that point because if life were like this
film, there would be no point to staying inside or outside
the vessel. One would die of tedium. Only the French
can create a film of pretentious philosophical banter
about the origins of space and bore us to tears. Obviously,
it’s a spoof but on what? The film should have adopted
a Monty Python style. However, this piece of nonsense
may turn out to be a cult classic – if extraterrestrials
discover it floating somewhere around. Also, wouldn’t
it be amazing if the doubles that appear in the film
also include the appearance of two Captain Kirks inside
his own vessel! Then again, his wasn’t an orange orb.
What a silly film that deserves to be sent up in space
without any landing gear.
2.9
--
BLACK & WHITE; THE DAWN OF JUSTICE (PI YING XIANG 2),
Tasi Yueh- Hsun
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
An original combo of martial arts mayhem and tongue
in cheek verbal jabs as two incompatible police partners
try to track down an enigmatic man who controls an unseen
viral weapon set to destroy Habour City in China. He
and his fighting minions have planned to isolate the
city by blowing up all of its main entry points, and
then launch a bacteriological attack that will put an
end to everyone and everything so the world can start
anew. It is a perverse vision that believes destruction
leads to cleansing. Examples referred to are the Black
Plague and influenza -- both of which wiped out millions
of people. Fortunately, the misguided creep gets his
day in hell; the good dudes win out and stability is
assured. The film is a dashing mix of brilliant fights
framed within an unpredictable plot in a classy production.
The sets were fantastic. The
polarized philosophical ying-yang thread of comments
made by characters added an element of serious introspection
in this otherwise action-packed Taiwanese film.
2.6 --
THE MASTER PLAN, Alain
Darborg
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A clever and somewhat thrilling take on busting into
Sweden’s richest tycoon’s vault to steal oodles of cash.
This uber-wealthy tycoon is a wicked woman who actually
murdered her own family to take over the company. About
to announce to her shareholders that the company will
be opening offices all around the world, the truth about
her character and the killing of her father suddenly
comes up on the screen in front of the entire crowd.
There she is angrily stating her actions to the thieves
she is about to dispose of as she catches them in her
huge vault. But evil has its way of turning on its perpetrator.
The thieves are a group of friends with expert skills.
The way they get the money is ingenious. It’s a unique
film on an old theme. Sometimes confusing in its editing,
nonetheless, it’s tautly woven and well acted.
1.9
--
ANTISOCIAL 2, Cody
Calahan
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A mysterious virus has infected almost everyone. Its
contagious origin comes from the computer and spreads
to those connected with computer chatting. In order
to disinfect people, a mad man scientist -- husband
to heroine Sam (played again by Michelle Mylett) captures
her and submits her to horrid brain torture treatment;
she is the one person along with her missing young son
-- taken from her at birth and held in a solitary enclosure
of protective sheets of tinsel that have the key to
unlocking this mystery -- all of it in their brains..
Mother and son are connected to one another – not by
computer but by birth, so wahtever she endures, he does
too. Sam’s brain holds the key to immunity, and experimenting
on her is gruesomely vivid. Getting infected comes at
a lethal cost; a long wormy creature that can enter
you through any orifice. A gory film that could have
carried a great message about computer viruses and humans’
addiction to the technology, but I missed the point
of this film, though it was well made. Seeing the first
in the duo series may have provided more impact to just
seeing this one.
2.5 -- THE
DARK BELOW, Douglas
Schulze
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A woman marries her diving instructor; they both own
a diving store and they are specialists in ice diving.
He is completely insane and digs a hole in ice and submerges
her. He keeps her there while he goes about his business.
He also tries to drown their young daughter at the lake
of their cottage, but in the end, we see she survives
in the hospital. The mother, now dying from the effects
of captivity in the frozen hole, finds a way to climb
out from the ice and is able to kill her sick spouse
who checks in on her from time to time. There is no
dialogue in the film, and this makes it most eerie and
ultimately an effective horror film. However, we never
do discover why this man wants to drown her in the frigid
water. He did succeed in drowning his other female students.
A well crafted piece whose central scary character you
would not want to go ice fishing with.
3.8
-- SCHERZO
DIABOLICO, Adrián Garcia
Bogliano
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
What compels a man to act out his sexual fantasies where
he allows himself to be fully focused on and consumed
by role playing -- to engage seriously in it but not
with the one person he should be doing it with – his
wife? This movie shows taboo territory that is terrifying
not only for the female victim of his fantasy cruelty
but also for the perpetrator: Aram. He’s Mexican, mild
mannered and slight in build. He is also a sycophant
assistant working in a law firm, and he deeply but quietly
resents the fact he is not moving up the ladder; yet
he’s doing most of the preparatory case work. While
much appreciated by his boss for his hard work, his
salary doesn’t change, but his thoughts do. He’s hiding
seething anger that quietly begins to rattle until it
shakes his civility and stability, putting his manipulative
skills into action which ultimately morphs into an obsessive
creepy plan. Through a skuzzy gangster he once helped,
he finds out how to do the 'chimera' choke hold until
the person faints. He practices the technique on unsuspecting
members of his family – his father and six-year-old
son. They pass out, but don’t remember it. He stalks
a high school student, applies the chimera and kidnaps
her. Another major character in the film is the music
– in particular a piano piece he plays composed by Mozart.
His boss likes this piece; he heard Aram playing it
in his office, and buys the CD with the piece on it
– an important moment, for Mozart ends up being the
saviour of the girls’ life and the downfall of Aram’s.
After Aram hides her in a warehouse and torments her
as she is tied up to a pole and harnessed with a dog
collar, he finally releases her. But one day, his boss
-- who has now been fired for poor results and has come
undone at the seams -- bumps into Aram outside a record
store. The daughter comes out and this is where we are
not sure she recognizes her tormentor. Her father has
just purchased the CD with that piece on it, and when
he plays it for his daughter at home she has a psychotic
breakdown and the movie turns then turns into one of
remarkable wrath and revenge. It’s a great story with
an unfathomable climactic finale. The mounting tension
and character development of Aram was brilliantly acted
by Francisco Barreiro.
3.4 --
KUNGFU KILLER, Teddy
Chan
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A superb display of different martial arts’ techniques
within a suspenseful plot pumped up with intense character
intrigue makes this movie a Chinese classic. Mo Hahoo,
perfectly played by the charismatic actor Donnie Yen,
is a supreme master in the martial arts, but he’s in
jail for murder. He’s a noble man who’s idolized by
his peers, but no one is truly a match for him when
it comes to his furious fist moves, and several other
related fighting techniques. The trouble is, he can’t
control his temper, and tackles his problems using his
protean fists. Ironically, it is this very fact that
actually pits him successfully against his match Fung
Yu-Sau, another kung fu master who is killing every
specialist in the fighting arts in order to meet his
best opponent – Mo Hahoo. He gets his wish. Mo Hahoo
is released from jail to assist the police in finding
Yu-Sau; he claims to know what the killer’s intention
and his hit list of men he’ll sneak up on and fight
them until death. He believes that the martial arts
is meant for killing, not for sport, and he sticks to
this belief. The fighting scenes in this film are second
to none – some are short and to the point; others are
dramatically intense, and effectively fearsome, but
there’s far more to this film than men displaying their
martial arts machismo Chinese style.
3.8 --
BLACK EYES (SHORT),
Rick Spears
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Screened ahead of Cop
Car, Rick Spears’ wonderful Black Eyes
efficiently exposes the difficult, emotional world of
being a lonely kid. Cop Car star Hays Wellford
plays ‘Alex,’ a geeky kid, who finds Alice (Elena Lazorishak)
attempting to slit her wrists. Alex offers another path,
and the two go on to revel in a highly imaginative and
cinematic make-believe that makes the long summer days
-- and Alice’s sadness -- quickly pass. Spears’ film
short references genre films in general and speaks to
anyone who has ever flirted with teenage darkness. The
film’s affirmation of life and imagination -- as well
as clever responses to bullying -- is not only poignant
but utterly charming and should be bundled with Cop
Car at every turn.
4.
0 --
COP CAR, John Watts
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Borne from director and co-writer John Watts’ recurring
dream and fleshed out in screen form by writing partner
Christopher D. Ford, Cop
Car mixes the coming-of-age and bad cop genres to
stunning effect. Ten year-olds Travis (James Freedson-Jackson)
and Harrison (Hays Wellford) have had it with small-town
life and decide to run away from it all. Their cross
country trek under the big Colorado sky is uneventful,
imaginative kid fun, that takes a serious turn when
they stumble upon a police cruiser tucked away at the
bottom of a little ravine. Seemingly abandoned, the
two decide to investigate. One kid dare leads to another
and soon the two are driving across the prairie, figuring
things as they go along, living the grandest adventure
of their short lives. Unbeknownst to them, the car belongs
to Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon), a crooked cop who
needs his car back very badly indeed. As the boys become
increasingly aware that something is not entirely right,
Kretzer’s nightmares come true. There is no real cat
in this hunt, just three mice, all determined to avoid
the consequences of their actions. The film is a pleasure
to behold in its every detail and particularly in its
deliciously nuanced performances, led by Kevin Bacon’s
magnificent portrayal of the screwed up, panicked Kretzer.
Though reminiscent of the Coen brothers’ aesthetic,
Watts’ film allows childhood innocence and dark adult
complexity to co-exist without sentimentality or cynicism.
Simple, direct, beautifully shot, Cop Car is
a complete package whose magic lies not in knowing what
happens, but in enjoying the ride from start to finish
-- a ride that will thrill each and every time.
2.9
--
RYUZO AND THE SEVEN HENCHMEN, Takeshi
Kitano
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Retirement is not an option, at least, not for Ryuzo
(Tatsuya Fuji) who is stiffled by the boredom of ex-yakuza
existence. Everywhere he looks, he bewails the lost
codes of honour with which he lived. His family is ashamed
of him and his bark doesn't seem to have the bite it
once used to. He laments this loss of respect to his
old wingman Ichizo (Ben Hiura), and the two decide to
look up their old gangmates. In doing so, they stumble
upon a new wave of organized crime that shows utter
contempt for anyone and everyone -- old yakuza farts
above all! Twists and turns lead the new-old gang in
town into a direct confrontation with younger, more
ruthless, less scrupulous gangsters. Kitano's endearing
offering proves, once again, that this hard-boiled gangster
film director has a very deft touch. Perhaps age has
forced him to ponder life away from film; regardless
Ryuzo
and the Seven Henchmen is at heart a sentimental
film, celebrating growing old with a sense of dignity,
all in a context that this master of the genre knows
so well.
1.8
--
RYUZO AND THE SEVEN HENCHMEN, Takeshi
Kitano
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
When seven geriatric Japanese men resurrect their yakuza
code of honour, they take on a food corporation while
using some pretty low tactics to earn money for themselves.
Ryuzo who leads this band of misfits is at loggerheads
with his son who works for the food company where corruption
reigns and the food is unhealthy. Sadly, the men prove
they are as good at bungling things up as they are fighting
with one another. It’s a case of the seven stooges taking
on criminals, but they all end up in the slammer. The
film is not as funny as one would hope such a premise
to be, and the characters are not interesting. It’s
a somewhat amusing take on lasting camaraderie, but
the comedy is certainly not exceptional.
2.8
--
ROBBERY, Fire Lee
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Fire Lee's dark Hong Kong comedy ties together the pitiful
fates of a group of strangers. Recently unemployed Richard
wanders the empty streets and stumbles on a 24-hour
convenience store looking to hire. Run by an abusive
manager, Lee and a shy female co-worker, Mabel, immediately
hit it off. After a first attempted robbery is foiled
by a mafia kingpin, the situation becomes more and more
twisted. With each new twist, Robbery
forces its audience deeper into the nihilistic darkness
at the core of Hong Kong life. Though violent and gory,
Fire Lee is able to use Tarantino's flair for the visual,
while maintaining an altogether more poignant narrative
integrity.
3.0
--
EXCESS FLESH, Patrick
Kennelly
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Hailed as an indie masterpiece at this year’s SXSW,
director and co-writer Patrick Kennelly’s debut feature
dives very deep into the twisted world of female obsession
and desire, all rolled up in the context of society’s
tyrannical control of the female body. This toxic cocktail
is presented in a highly visceral and frequently off-putting
mise-en-scène, made inescapable by the tightly framed
cinematography. Bethany Orr delivers a gripping performance
as ‘Jill.’ Unemployed since her arrival in L.A. some
months before, Jill shares an apartment with her best
friend Jennifer (Mary Loveless), who works in the fashion
industry. Shy, awkward and surrounded by a cut-throat
world of professional jealousy and unreal ideals of
beauty, Jill becomes obsessed with her body image and
the food deprivation that goes along with it. She becomes
equally obsessed with Jennifer, whose dismissive promiscuity
and gluttonous relationship with food further gnaw at
her sanity. Early on, Kennelly pushes past the line
of ordinarily stereotypical female jealousy and competition
and travels on to explore, in a most grotesque manner,
the darkest fringes of the female psyche. Disturbing
and challenging to watch, Excess
Flesh succeeds in visually representing the fractured
reality of madness. As for its value as a serious commentary
on how society and industry set up women for failure,
it is best that viewers decide for themselves. Excess
Flesh screens late on August 1st.
1.6
--
ANIMA STATE, Hammad
Khan
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A man with a totally bandaged face goes around shooting
people: teenagers, a cop, a transgender, and a hospitable,
happy guy who takes him into his dilapidated dwelling
for a night. He convinces a TV host to put him on for
an interview; he promises to commit suicide in front
of the cameras, but instead shoots the hosts of the
show during the program. Black and white footage of
Islamic supporters, militants and student protests often
intercede in the story. The film delivers a disparaging
statement on Pakistan and its impoverished state of
affairs in a convoluted, totally unrealistic and terribly
flat manner. Apathy and depression pervaded the tone
of the film and worked against the intention of the
film’s significance.
3.8
--
CASH ONLY, Malik Badner
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A gritty slice of Albanian brotherhood – gambling, smoking
and partying in a slum area in Detroit. They’re good
to each other, sometimes fight but on the whole, help
each other out of a fix. Elvis Martini is in doubly
deep trouble. He’s a landlord and everyone is avoiding
paying the rent. He’s in big debt to bookies and his
daughter’s school. He’s even set his own house on fire,
not knowing his wife was sleeping inside. He needed
the money. His surveillance camera in the complex catches
one of his non-paying tenants hiding packages of cash.
He steals it when she’s out, and pays off the bookie,
but bad times are abrewing. That cocaine was supposed
to go a brutal drug lord, and this pig wants to find
it; the evicted tenant reports to the drug guy who has
it, and now they’re after Elvis. His men kidnap Elvis’s
daughter as collateral, but he has no idea how he’s
going to find 25,000 grand by midnight to get her back.
The film offers a low key tone set against a growing
underbelly of violence. Nickola Shrell as Elvis was
excellent. He also wrote the script. A great U.S, indie
film merges the thriller genre with Albanian angst.
0.0
--
THE EDITOR, Adam Brooks
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A film company’s director who looks just like Martin
Scorsese is all part of this grade B boring flick spoof.
The filmed scenes are about sex and slaughter and mayhem,
and that’s exactly what happens when the lens is capped.
People are getting axed and sawed in half by some psycho
long after the camera is off. Talk about being caught
in the act – more like cut in the act. The editor who
lost four fingers in an editing accident is the culprit;
the dead are always found with the fingers missing.
This movie is a sham, but at best, it may find its niche
in the dustbin of Canadian cult rejects.
2.5
-- SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL, Peter Pau & Zhao
Tianyu
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper] A spellbinding epic fantasy
where Heaven, Earth and Hell are about to collide, thanks
to the evil Machiavellian Heavenly official god Zhang,
who wishes absolute power over all three realms. He
has as his protégé demon hunter Zhong Kui, who believes
his mentor is a good man. Demons are about to take over
earth, but as the story unfolds complications and lines
blur between who the good guys really are. Getting the
dark crystal means saving lives. Can a human fall in
love with a beautiful demon named Snow Girl? Traversing
the enchanting regions between Hell, Heaven and Earth
turns into a magnificent voyage thanks to many FX special
effects companies including Weta Workshop (Lord
of the Rings and Planet of the Apes). The
denouement recalls Romeo and Juliet, which
tastefully tugs on the emotions of the viewer.
3.8
--
MARSHLAND, Alberto
Rodriguez
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Without a doubt among Fantasia 2015’s best offerings,
Marshland
cleaned up at this year’s Spanish Goya cinema awards
with no less than 10, making it one of the most awarded
films in the country’s history. Alberto Rodriguez sets
his procedural film in the marshlands of Andalusia,
not long after the fall of Franco’s dictatorship. An
odd couple of out of town cops arrive to investigate
the disappearance of two local teenage girls. Soon they
find themselves embroiled in a series of brutal murders
that have haunted the community for some time. Leftist
Pedro (Raul Alevaro) and old-school bruiser Juan (Javier
Gutierrez), who has been around since the Franco days,
must quickly find a way to work together as they negotiate
a tense landscape of deeply ingrained corruption that
may not necessarily wish to air its dirty laundry. Stunningly
shot, making full use of the natural landscape, Marshland
is a tour-de-force that powerfully blends a gripping
crime thriller with with the political and social realities
of a country coming face to face with its own demons.
Don’t miss the August 3rd screening!
3.9
--
MORTADELO AND FILEMON;MISSION IMPLAUSIBLE, Javier
Fesser
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Brilliant brilliant brilliant! Non-stop hyper kinetic
gags and hilariously colourful characters are caught
trying to bring down the villains who have stolen a
huge steel safe from the building of the TIA, an elite
investigative agency. Things spin out of control in
this rich plot of ingeniously brash and dashy animation.
Two bumbling agents, called Mortadelo and Filemon, are
akin to the odd couple, and both undergo hair-raising
dangers to retrieve the safe. Along the way, they end
up getting blown up, stomped on, flattened and laughed
at, but these guys have this supernatural resilence.
The animation is awesomely clever and infinitely funny.
The details, characters and sets invite you into an
insane world where everything goes wrong. Beyond imaginative
are the two words that come to mind, for the slapstick
violence happens so fast and in such a funny manner,
that it is hysterically pleasing. Think of Wallace Gromit
in fast motion, and these two witless loveable sleuths
created in a masterpiece of Spanish insanity.
3.5
--
MISS HOKUSAI, Keiichi
Hara
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
In 1814, the lively city of Edo (the future Tokyo) was
spilling over with audacious, free-spirited artists,
such as Katsushika Hokusai – known as Tetsuzo to the
people. Renown for pioneering ukiyo-e (Japnanese woodblock
prints), he lived with his unmarried daughter O-Ei.
Both are fine artists, but her father is a gruff fellow
whose temperament works well for his art, but not so
well for the family. He has a younger daughter who was
born blind, and he rarely goes to visit her, for she
lives with the mother. O-Ei loves that little sister
to bits, but resents her father for shunning her. He
is so afraid of her dying, that his solution is to paint
and avoid her. Miss Hokusai is such an interesting woman,
she often completes her father’s paintings, and those
she herself creates reflect her fiery, independent personality.
In fact, people fear her work as they think they are
demonic. There is no growing plot in the film, but no
matter. We follow the marvelous lives of this family
and their colourful friends as each dares to plunge
into his own destinies. Humourous, touching and stunningly
animated, this is yet another classic masterpiece created
by the Keiichi Hara and Miho Maruo (scriptwriter) team.
The face of Miss Hokusai held a look of aloofness and
introspection, There was no sentimentality in the characters.
The revved up rock sound track added daring contemporary
feel to the film. It also highlighted the genius and
fierce independence of Miss Hokusai – a woman ahead
of her time. The attention to architectural detail framed
within dazzling edges of light and dark is a stroke
of genius. Miss
Hokusai garnered the Jury Award in this year’s Annecy
International Film Festival.
2.0
--
FULL STRIKE, Derek
Kwok
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Despite the anticipated excitement over a first-ever
badminton film of comedy to come out of Hong Kong, the
unique topic divides its intention in polar plot directions
that weaken the emotional impact -- other than some
light-hearted, exaggerated moments coming form stereotypic
characters. The plot is over-the-top as usual in many
Asian comedies. Beast Ng (award-winner actor, Josie
Ho) is a has-been badminton champion, but that's about
to change. By chance, on a stormy night, three-ex cons
who want to change their lives meet up with her in an
abandoned sports centre. They decide to use badminton
to change their lives and Beast Ng is the one to help
them make it happen. Eventually a great tournament takes
place, but trouble is not far off. The film incorporates
a martial arts sceme during the tournament episode,
and some high pop dazzle in frozen close-up shots of
facial expressions. I found the film to be childish
and overly-manipulative in using standard stock effects
to get laughs.
3.0
--
COP CAR, Jon Watts
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Travis and Harrison are 10-year-old boys who love adventure,
and are wandering on the flat land of Colorado -- the
perfect place to find things and use them to create
games. Like many boys, they don't know where to draw
the line between fantasy and reality, and call it quits.
They end up stealing an abandoned cop car they see in
a dirt gully. They find the keys and embark on a dangerous
discovery ride of danger. Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon)
is the owner of that car, but unfinished business has
taken him a way from it. He has just popped the trunk
to drag out a dead body and dump it in an abandoned
empty well of some sort just near his car. This is one
bad cop; he's a sniffer of the white stuff. Half of
the film comprises the suspenseful attempts of this
cop trying to get back his wheels, but it ain't an easy
feat. The boys discover there's a man tied up inside
the trunk, and this bloody, beaten-up guy convinces
the boys to untie him and let him go free. Bad mistake.
The man is no good and locks the boys in the back seat
with its full-proof locks and caged divider between
the front and the back. The man devises a clever plan
to kill the cop, but the sheriff is equally sneaky.
This movie is so believable, sparse and realistic. The
acting is utterly natural. It was a clever move on the
director's part to not incorporate any music throughout
the film. The silence of this barren area of Colorado
enhanced the film's Spartan brutality. The intensity
builds so brilliantly, this highly original film belongs
in the sold-out box-office category.
1.2
--
ON THE WHITE PLANET, Hur
Burn-Wook
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A product of the Korean Academy of Film Arts' Advanced
Program, this animation film is the director's debut
foray into the genre. Judging by this particular film,
the Academy's protégés are still struggling at the infancy
stage of the learning curve. The premise of this excessively
violent and vulgar film involves a young black boy who
receives violent treatment from all the people living
on this strange planet, including his white mother who
eventually hangs herself. Everyone is white, so of course
this boy doesn't fit in; he desperately wants to be
white. He takes out his rage on all whites all the while
they are beating him up. It is either a scathing indictment
of North Korea's incessant obsession with uniformity
and the persecution of its citizens who are different;
or it is a statement about white supremacy and the victimization
of those who aren't white. But this black boy is no
slouch. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, he's
as brutal and mean as those wicked white guys. The animation
was unimaginative, the characters were stiff and repulsive
to watch.
3.5
--
GOODNIGHT MOMMY, Veronika
Franz & Severin Fiala
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Another remarkable Austrian entry at this year’s Fantasia,
Goodnight
Mommy has become an unexpected favourite, selling
out both of its two screenings. Twins Elias (Elias Schwarz)
and Lukas (Lukas Schwartz) are glad to have their mother
(Suzanne Wuest) home from the hospital following a difficult
operation. The two are somewhat unnerved by the sight
of their mother’s completely bandaged face. Something
is different. They suspect that their mother is not
quite the same. She sets new restrictive house rules
meant to aid her convalescence, which the usually well-behaved
boys feel to be not only unwarranted but entirely out
of character. As the situation becomes more desperate
and their mother’s attitude more violent and erratic,
the boys conspire to unmask the intruder. Definitely
not for the faint of heart, Goodnight Mommy is
a very dark rumination on parenthood and the fickle
bonds that maintain parental authority. Excellent pacing
and great cinematography amplify the already eerie mood
and the directors make wonderful use of light and shadow
to achieve a sense of impending dread. Children’s imaginations
are powerful forces not to be dismissed. Goodnight
Mommy makes this point chillingly and graphically
clear.
2.6
--
TURBO KID, François
Simard, Anouk Whissell &Yoann-Karl Whissell
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Among the most hotly anticipated films of Fantasia 2015,
Turbo
Kid is a homegrown post-apocalyptic fairy tale about
a young man’s discovery of his hidden strengths. Turbo
Kid also seems to be a lavish gift to Gen Xers who
will surely recognize the multiple references to their
analog/early digital childhoods. The Kid (Munro Chambers)
is a solitary scavenger living in a post-apocalyptic
reality that is dominated by the scarcity of water and
the murderous gang of thugs lead by Zeus (a portly Michael
Ironside), a self-styled Roman emperor. The Kid spends
his days scavenging for 80s paraphernalia, which has
become the principal currency for barter. He is particularly
obsessed with the character of Turbo Rider, from which
comics he gains his much of his moral compass. One day
he meets Apple who latches onto him as her new best
friend and together they go on to battle the evil forces
of Zeus and his terrible lieutenant, Skeletron (Edwin
Wright). If Turbo Kid seems a little infantile,
that's because it is. Any question of whether the film
was meant for kids, however, is quickly answered when
the gore begins. The film’s creators more than succeed
in recreating an 80s B-movie with a little steam-punk
twist, and make great use of the bleak post-industrial
landscapes and architecture of Quebec’s Thetford Mines.
Turbo Kid is amazingly detailed and, despite
its character issues, the film rolls along in a captivating
display of excellent old-school special effects -- including,
unbelievably, the use of matt painting -- fantastic
cinematography and exceedingly bloody humour. Yet, at
film’s end, serious questions remain. Who is this film
actually for, and why is it so completely uncritical
of the genre it choses to recreate?
2.3
- TURBO KID, François Simard, Anouk
Whissell & Yoann-Karl Whissell
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A Mad
Max genre movie set on the heels of a post-1997
apocalypse. This kid whose parents were killed by Zeus,
a sadistic villain, survives in his scrap metal dwelling
surrounded by Turbo Rider comic books and other1980s
stuff, especially toys. He’s an astute kid who appears
to be turning 15. He meets cheery Apple, a robot who
looks like any other pretty girl. They become close
friends. Both meet up with Frederick, famous for his
great hand wrestling. But he soon loses one of his hands
when Zeus captures him, and more or less tortures him.
One-eyed Zeus enjoys doing that kind of thing to anyone
who crosses over to where he rules. Turns out when he
killed the kids’ parents , the kid was only five.. His
brave mom shot the evil creep with her arrow in his
eye. This movie finds 110 ways to show nasty fighting
and the screen is splayed with innards. Diabolically
medieval costumed thugs that look like medieval monsters
take on the trio of heroes. Everyone is fighting over
water; there is no pure water except that made from
human insides. Zeus blends his victims and collects
their water, siphoning off from his kill. Turbo kid
now armed in his turbo outfit (he found the outfit inside
a crash heap with the real but dead Turbo Rider slumped
over) that has the power to kill people with an electric
zooming blast that comes from the gadget attached to
his wrist. Utter nonsense, but Fantasia fans soaked
up this kind of far-fetched, surreal stuff. It was well-made,
but infantile in plot. Archaic uninteresting characters
with no meat to them, especially after they were all
blended up in the vat -- didn’t add anything to spice
up the visual feast.
1.5
--
NOWHERE GIRL, Mamuro
Oshii
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Ghost
in the Shell has assured its director, Mamoru Oshii,
a place in the Pantheon of Japanese anime. Now, Oshii
turns his talents to his first ever live action film
in this Canadian Première of the much-anticipated Nowhere
Girl. Ai (Nana Sano) is a gifted, sensitive teen
who is plagued by some deep unexplained trauma creating
a stigma about her at the elite all-girl art school
she attends. Her sullen, erratic behaviour, and the
free reign given her by school’s administration earn
her the scorn of not only her classmates but her art
teacher as well. Swathed in soft light, with a bland
palette of whites, beiges and grays, the film inches
along in a series of obscenely long takes and glacial
tracking shots accompanied by serene classical piano.
There is little or no character development; every character
seems frozen in a particular cryptic attitude towards
Ai -- some more sinister than others. Obviously, Oshii
intends all of this to create tension. Sadly, this tension
is effectively neutralized by the maddening devices
deployed to create and sustain it. The few explosive
scenes of conflict in the film’s first two acts are
quickly aborted and further muffled with excruciatingly-stylized
slow motion. By the time bodies start to pile up, it
is already too late to care, making the finale laughably
predictable that no amount of [admirably] masterful
battle scene choreography, mayhem and destruction can
ever redeem. Most insulting perhaps is how hard Oshii
attempts obfuscate what feels like a re-purposed plot
line from Akira. Worse still, is how the film’s unwilling
heroine is handled. She has no agency; the narrative
is a clockwork exercise in containing her independence
or irritating her mental state to illicit a violent
reaction. None of this is exclusively Oshii’s fault
though. A film is only as good as its original material,
in which case writers Kentaro Yamagishi and Kei Yamamura
have a lot to answer for.
3.8
--
HAEMOO, Shim Sung-bo
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
It is 1998 and the Korean coastal village of Yeosu is
suffering from a depletion of fish and money to fix
fishing boats. One such case is Captain Kang and his
beloved Junjin – his fishing boat. It’s in need of repair,
and he in need of lots of cash. He agrees to smuggle
30 illegal immigrants onto his ship in the middle of
the sea. They jump onto the ship and things go from
bad to horrific for them and Kang’s motley crew. He
holds them in the smelly fishing hole when the Coast
Guard comes, but freon gas has escaped into the hiding
place and everyone dies, except for one girl who has
been hiding in the engine room. One of the crew falls
for a girl; he hides her there, but she gets discovered.
It’s one dark moment after the other. For Fantasia,
this film is perfect; there’s blood, betrayal and the
murderous psycho personality of Kang. In the end, he
goes down with his ship and the girl and guy jump overboard
into their lifeboat. Sadly, they do not end up together.
The ending was a bit contrived, but it was a great film.
3.6--
A HARD DAY, Kim
Seong-hun
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Any detailed synopsis of Kim Seong-hun’s masterpiece
crime action-thriller would be a disservice to a production;
it should be one of Fantasia 2015’s representative films.
Homicide detective Ko Gun-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) is dealing
with the death of his mother. He is called away on police
business on the evening of her wake. On a stretch of
deserted road, his life irrevocably changes and the
following 24 hours will test the very limits of his
being. Kim’s darkly comic thriller is narratively airtight
as are the compelling performances of its two main stars,
Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Jin-woong. Supporting performances
round out a cast whose chemistry creates phenomenal
tension and opportunity for comic relief -- which is
much needed. A
Hard Day’s plot twists and turns may be somewhat
predictable once the viewer gets into the swing of the
narrative, yet, the film is so well timed, filmed, directed
-- it’s action sequences so understated and honest --
that it captivates to the very last shot. And, what
a shot it is! Don’t miss it. If you miss it, keep an
eye out. This film should be virtually guaranteed post-festival
distribution.
4.0
--
A HARD DAY, Kim Seong-Hun
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A highly original, nail-biting thriller reflective of
Koran ingenuity with terrifying twists and unexpected
moments of dark humour, emotional chaos and edgy near-death
situations that are totally credible. The plot never
lets up; there isn’t a filament of facile predictability
in this hard luck story about a day all gone miserably
wrong. Detective Ko Gun-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) is on his
way to witness the last moments of his mother in her
coffin before burial at the funeral parlour, when on
the way, he misses hitting a dog, looks back to see
it is ok and then hits a man. He is killed on the spot.
Ko has had a few drinks on the day of his mother’s burial,
and is called away by his buddy cops regarding an investigation
of corruption of which he plays a minor part. He speeds
fast in the hope of destroying some documents in his
office when he is stopped by cops. By this time he’s
put the dead guy in his trunk. He miraculously squeaks
his way out of being arrested, and makes it to the funeral
parlour. He hides the dead body in the coffin with his
mother – one of the most suspenseful scenes I’ve ever
witnessed. Incessant phone calls are made to Ho by an
unknown man demanding to have the body returned to him.
The nasty caller has witnessed the car accident. Why
does he want that dead body? This is crucial to the
plot and surely makes for the most unique sequence of
episodes in the entire movie. Ko eventually discovers
why the corpse is so valuable. He also finds out the
unknown man at the other end of the line is very well
known – a cop himself and the dirtiest kind to hit the
Korean screen. Blackmailing, identity surprises, bullets
in a body and car chases, plus excellent fight-for-your
life scenes make this multi-award-winning feature a
must-see. It received a standing ovation at last year’s
Cannes Film Festival.
3.0
--
THE ROYAL TAILOR, Lee
Won-suk
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
An elegantly artistically crafted period piece stiched
with wit and wonder. The head tailor hires a roguish
country bunkum to help him, but this younger fellow
is far more talented then he is. Still the young tailor
adores his mentor and compliments him at every chance
he gets. The Queen employed him to make her clothes,
but soon the whole city wants him and the head tailor
seethes with jealousy. The film is about betrayal and
the insidious covert emotion of jealousy and its climactic
manifestation of hatred. The Queen is never touched
by her husband, as she was second choice for him. The
King was always ignored and left as a second son --
overshadowed by his brother whom he hated. The head
tailor eventually changes his feelings of fondness to
hatred for the young tailor and the King's mistress
is jealous of the Queen. In the end, clothes end up
as tattered rags as people lives begin to shred. The
young tailor meets a terrible fate, and the head tailor
steals his designs and get s credit for everything long
after his young protégé has left this world. There is
some long drawn-out scenes and overacting, but the magnificent
garments play their own role in bringing the story to
its royal conclusion. Even if you are not a fan of Korean
court clothes, you'll enjoy the originality of this
film that takes us from mirth into sorrow.
1.9
--
MOMENTUM, Steven S.
Campanelli
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Alex Faraday (Olga Kuylenko) is a trained thief and
assassin. She is part of group of thieves robbing a
bank for its diamonds and special key device. The heist
goes wrong, and soon Alex and her chums are running
for their lives. She is up against Mr. Washington (James
Purfoy of The
Following fame), and he is actually working for
the Senator (Morgan Freeman) to get that key to him.
A completely cluttered series of confusing episodes
that leaves us confounded in a frustrating way. One
moment Alex is having her leg squeezed in a leg vice
until her bone almost pops, is walking with crutches,
and the next she is walking like an athlete. Her acting
was terrible during that segment. She looked more like
a sultry vixen than a woman being tortured, and during
the ordeal, her vocal response was more of a purr than
a screech of pain. The editing was poor, and no matter
how long the first-time director worked alongside Clint
Eastwood in several films as his camera man, this former
Montrealer might consider returning to his former job.
At the Q & A, the number of times he name dropped Mr.
Eastwood's moniker was about as many times as there
were car chases in the film -- and there were oodles
of them. A film whose momentum should have been left
off the fast track.
1.5
--
JERUZALEM, Yoav & Doron
Paz
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A campy, disappointing film. When a horror movie doesn't
work, it is horrid for the wrong reason -- as in the
case of this film; a shame considering its directors
made Phobidila
-- a terrific film of relevance and subtlety. A flimsy
film flop, Jeruzalem is a remake of The
Blair Witch Project, but the people aren't looking
for demons; they're trying to escape them. The setting
is the Old Quarter of the Holy City. Friends Sarah,
Rachel and Kevin -- an anthology PhD student -- are
staying in the Arab section in a hostel during Yom Kippur
and it seems that the undead have come back to visit
the old sacred part. When they come there is bombing
from helicopters, but in trying to escape the bombs
and the winged creatures, the sorry group of partying
pals all 'get their wings' -- except Kevin. He knew
something was afoot the first day, but when he tried
to explain this, he was carted away and put in the crazy
house for a time. Rachel gets him out. She wears Google
Glasses (Digital Glass headset), and she's constantly
commanding the Glasses or crying during the movie. The
frenetic movement of her walking while tasking the Glass
with commands for mapping/social media/facial recognition
becomes so annoying, you wish the demons would get her
already.
2.2
--
GANGNAM BLUES, Yoo
Ha
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Though at heart a sprawling gangland epic, Yoo Ha’s
Gangnam Blues fictionalizes the history behind the
development of one of modern Seoul’s landmark districts
-- Gangnam. The year is 1970 when we meet Jong-dae (Min-ho
Lee) and Yong-ki (Rae-won Kim), two hoboes squatting
in a ramshackle cottage in a farming village on the
Gangnam plain. One day they wake up to an excavator
tearing apart their roof. Having put up a fight against
the thugs hired to force people from their expropriated
homes, Jong-dae and Yong-ki’s are pulled into the complex
underworld whose godfathers are intimately connected
to the highest levels of South Korean business and politics.
The film is curiously explicit -- even before the opening
titles -- in noting that events and characters depicted
are purely fictional. Such a strong disclaimer seems
rather emphatic, suggesting that things are far closer
to fact than fiction. Given the time line and the dizzying
scale of the corruption, perhaps director Yoo Ha is
simply covering his rear flank lest he offend someone
who might find too strong a resemblance to one of the
characters. It is this historical dimension that makes
an otherwise unremarkable -- albeit very well produced
and action-packed -- mafia epic so thrilling. Despite
the huge odds, one truly hopes that Jong-dae and Yong-ki’s
elaborate schemes succeed in upending the pyramid of
power that has altered their destinies, and that they
do become the victors in their struggle against the
Goliath that steers the course of the country.
2.1 --
THE INTERIOR, Trevor
Juras
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
If your dream is to run away from it all – job, apartment,
girlfriend/boyfriend -- and seek a solitary life in
a dense forest living under a tent you’ve pitched in
the interior of British Columbia, this movie might change
your mind. James drops out of civilization. He’s an
intelligent, bookish fellow with a good job but a weirdo
boss. The lure of the woods beckons him, and though
he completely changes his lifestyle – to say the least
– his inner-self remains the same until he gets worse.
An ominous series of events happens while there; a stranger
keeps spying on him from afar, and this silent man removes
things from James’s tent while he’s out wandering during
the day scrounging for berries. Nighttime brings all
kinds of fears for both men. In the end, they are doomed
to run away -- not only from each other but from themselves.
Patrick McFadden as James shows fear well, but it’s
so exaggerated; his face looks like a Jim Carey character.
The idea of becoming a hermit is universally appealing
to loners, but this film takes a potentially great idea
and makes it a mockery of madness. The dramatic classical
piano music played for effect was an odd choice, but
it worked. In the end, I was laughing, but I got the
feeling I wasn’t supposed to be doing that.
2.4 --
ON THE HORIZON, Pascal
Payant
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Casey and Elissa have a toxic relationship, mainly because
she is so incommunicative and requires constant attention.
She’s beautiful and provocative. Casey is smitten; he
admits to her his love, but when she finally does, it’s
too late. They leave each other over and over again
and take up with new partners – for short duration.
Elissa is a bit of a lost tart and pretty much does
it with anyone in pants, but ends up marrying a wealthy
Swedish guy who rents a castle for her. Eventually,
Casey meets someone new and is able to get Elissa out
of his system, but a phone call from her from France
creates a silent, cold reaction in Casey until he hangs
up. Still, old partners have a way of coming back into
your memory if not your life. The ending is ambiguous
and incomplete. The film weaves a no-frills, yet lyrical
tone of intensity between the two lovers. The acting
is pretty darn good too: Sandy Leddin and Tyler Johnson.
It’s a strange film that moves rather slowly, but it
somehow works. Most of us have experienced first hand
the film’s all-too familiar theme: can’t live with the
love of your life and can’t live without -- despite
the hardships. The director obviously has a thing for
dark-haired women wearing leather. If you do too, you’ll
want to see the film.
2.6 --
(T)ERROR, Lyric R.
Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
A clever title indeed. The FBI is recruiting under threat
of further long-term jail sentences former convicted
Black Panthers and revolutionaries of the Muslim faith.
Saeed was jailed 20 years ago for impersonating a transit
policeman in Philadelphia, but his sentence was lightened
when he became an informant, adopting the code-name
Shariff. He started accusing his own Muslim brothers
of crimes and the FBI moved in. His mosque was repulsed
by his action, but Saeed, a chef, thought he was doing
the right thing. He actually enjoyed ferreting out the
supposed criminals, and he relished his position of
self-importance. He is given a case to study on another
Muslim whom is set up by the FBI to appear guilty. The
tables turn on Saeed when he realizes he was wrong.
The documentary behind-camera interviewer for the documentary
changes her position from defending the FBI to revealing
its guilt. Since 9/11, over 500 innocent Muslims have
been convicted. Investigations are often strategized
to create guilt in the Muslim community. Like Citizenfour,
this unique film castigates the innocent and celebrates
the perpetrators -- in this case -- the American government.
It is amazing what the FBI can get away with: trumped
up accusations and flawed convictions; the evidence
is flimsier than a ragged string. Let’s face it. Paranoia,
the seeking of American approval with misguided glory
and Muslim issues make for an explosive situation in
a country where hatred hides behind the torch raised
over the Hudson River by Lady Liberty herself.
2.
2 --
(T)ERROR, Lyric R.
Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
In their debut documentary, Lyric R. Cabral and David
Felix Sutcliffe set out to shed light on the FBI’s highly
problematic practice of using paid informants to gather
information about 'persons of interest' in the war on
terror. Saeed -- or Shariff, as he is known -- is one
such informant. Collaborating with the FBI for over
20 years from his early days as a Black Panther revolutionary,
Saeed’s story shows how the criminal justice system
uses economic status, along with sentencing incentives,
to coerce people into collaboration. The film follows
Saeed on a real-time operation to draw target Khalifah
al-Akili -- an apparent Islamist sympathizer -- into
committing acts that could warrant terrorism charges.
While examining what can only be described as an ethically
bankrupt system, the filmmakers find themselves in equally
murky waters as they turn the tables on their own subject.
The resulting publicity battle casts doubt on everyone’s
intentions and suggests that the FBI is navigating without
radar, without charts and without a level-headed pilot.
However, it is Cabral and Sutcliffe’s inexperience that
makes (T)error
so difficult to swallow, as it puts the viewer into
the uncomfortable position being captive to their limited
viewpoint. Luckily, it is precisely this lack of experience
that also exposes the only fundamental truth of the
situation: everyone involved is dealing with issues
far bigger than they are and no one seems to possess
the experience or training to adequately deal with them.
This is the truly terrifying point of (T)error.
3.4
--
THE ARTI: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, Samuel
Orti Marti
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
This North American premier from Taiwan catapults puppetry
with CGI brilliance into an exhilarating novel film
experience that highlights classic wuxia characters
(sword fighting heroes). At the centre of the story
are its brave stars, Zhang Meng’s son, Mo, and daughter,
Tong. Before the death of their brilliant father, he
created Arti-C, an all powerful mechanical man made
of wood and metal who is operated by Mo from his hand.
Arti-C is Mo’s constant companion, much to the chagrin
of Tong, a terrific sword-fighter who often defends
her brother when trouble is brewing. However, the wooden
creature’s powers are dwindling, and so the two children
travel to Loulan – the place to find the Origin – the
source of all power for nature, and man. Arti-C needs
it. A ruse by an enemy prince subverts the pleasant
peace of Loulan’s people. The goddess who oversees the
Origin takes Tong on a terrific ride into beauty and
nature’s glory, but a battle is on the horizon. The
children get intensely involved in fighting off the
foe in order to save Louolan’s people. Brother and sister
discover what really matters in life, and enchantment
returns but not without sacrifice. The detail and intelligence
of the production is staggering. Good and Evil were
never framed so wonderfully in this venerable Chinese
inspired glove-puppet tradition – now perfected (gone
are the gloves) by the Huang family’s company, Pili
International Multimedia.
4.0
--
POSSESSED, Samuel Orti
Marti
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
One of the most clever Claymation films to hit the Fantasia
screen. The exciting story introduces a famous couple
– she’s a flamenco dancer; he’s a bullfighter, but tragically
he loses his life in an accident. It turns out their
little boy named Damien is the devil incarnate. He becomes
the household terror, killing most anyone in his way.
Eventaully though a defrocked priest saves the day.
The condemnation of the church is obvious, and is fittingly
integrated into the plot. Indeed, selling your soul
to the devil can get you into a bloody mess. This Spanish
gem pokes non-stop fun at just about everything moveable
and anyone with a self-righteous attitude.
2.3
-- THE CASE
OF HANA & ALICE, Shunji Iwai
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Despite the Japanese charming animation with many moving
moments, the plot gets so diffuse with too many superfluous
scenes; most probably incorporated to build the friendship
between Alice and Hana. It wanders; its light but flat
style combines rotoscoping and digital animation – a
first for the director into animation. The oddball plot
is based on a rumour that a student named Judas was
killed in the school classroom where Alice now sits.
The Judas story incites much bullying and trickery for
the students in the class, particularly for anyone new
to the classroom who happens to sit in the supposedly
murdered student’s seat – as Alice does. She is somewhat
of a goofy sleuth, a fast runner and great ballet dancer.
She decides to visit her neighbour for the first time
-- acrophobic Hana. Alice has heard Hana may have known
this Judas. Together they embark on a adventure to track
him down; Hana has her own hidden agenda which is revealed
later in the film; she knows far more about Judas than
she lets on. But a close friendship can override any
secret, and a girly school crush can last a life time
even if the guy’s name Judas. I was not impressed by
the film whose overly long duration (110 min.) significantly
weakened the story.
4.0
--
TEANA; 1000 YEARS LATER, Yi
Li
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
The North American premier is an epic 3D CG! Sci-fi
that powerfully polarizes evil and good. The monstrous
power-monger Devil Wu -- now resurrected from prison
-- put there by a great goddess -- has broken free;
he's back with a vengeance and lust to control the world
and all its tribes. It's déjà vu all over ago Devil-Wu
style; he had tried to take over the world, and nearly
did 1000 years ago. A haphazard group of creatures led
by Joma, a little girl who is tasked with restoring
goodness to the world, wins the day, but the group must
endure great hardships and impossible obstacles laid
out by dangerous supernatural creatures to finalize
Devil Wu and his mighty army. They are the mayhem makers,
and the battle scenes are non-stop. Many weird tribes
who have defended the forces of evil are now called
upon to fight, and this is where the humongous imagination
and remarkable animation talents of the Chinese animators
are demonstrated. The story alludes to Western philosophy
and the geniuses of the Western world including the
ancient Greek gods. It's a spectacular visionary film
whose hybrid creatures of heroic actions feed our sense
of wonder and our desire to defend peace and justice
no matter the time or place. The movie is indeed about
that, but unveiled in a magical manner.
3.2
--
THE SHAMER'S DAUGHTER, Kenneth
Kainz
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Set in medieval times, this Danish film unfolds like
a thriller fantasy. Young Dina and her mother are able
to make people see the shame in their lives by staring
into their eyes which induces an hypnotic state. They
are both called to the castle to determine if Nicodemus
is the killer of the family of Ravenlord, once ruled
by Ebenezer; he has been murdered along with his pregnant
wife and son. Drakan ensures that Nicodemus appears
to be the guilty one, so he calls in the girl to the
castle to read into Nicodemus's eyes, however, she declares
him innocent. Now the action starts for Drakan of Dragonlord
who poses as a loyal royal of Rvenlord, as he knows
he is the one who really murdered the Lord Ebenezer
and his family. He drinks blood of a ferocious dragon
that also plays a starring role. The young Dina almost
gets done-in three times, but never underestimate the
bravery and cleverness of a white witch. The film moves
believably into a climactic dragon-face off with the
accused witches -- Dina and her mother -- but the power
to sway with words and sword have their final say, and
the House of Ravenlord is once more restored. The narrative
is gripping and there are several enchanting moments
in this film, toted as Denmark's finest this year.
2.3
-- CATCH
ME DADDY, Daniel Wolfe
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
The film succeeds in showing the dark depravity of poverty
among immigrants and druggies living in some barren
part of West Yorkshire. Laila (masterfully played by
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed) and her unemployed boyfriend act
like kids in the trailer they live in. He makes drugs
out of pills as does most others in the film. In fact,
Laila is being hunted down by two drug gangs in competition
with one another to bring the poor girl back to her
Pakistani father living somewhere within driving distance
(there’s a lot of that in the film). Laila and her boyfriend
flee in the night but it all ends in catastrophe. The
film has so many cell phone scenes, drivers chasing
one another, killings and moves gone wrong, that it
gets confusing, even irritating. Still, the acting is
brilliant and the cold bleak life of thugs living on
the edge, ingesting trash food, drugs and smoking cigs
makes the whole kidnapping and daily lives of everyone
depressing. The ending of the movie leaves viewers hanging
in the air (with emphasis on ‘hanging’); we never do
find out Laila’s fate. She’s a pretty tough gal considering
she never gets to drink water throughout the movie.
The snake in the aquarium scene was pure and silly artsy
symbolism that did not fit into the hardcore realism
of the film’s mood. Is this a case of bad editing all-round?
2.1
--
BRIDGEND, Jadep Rønde
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Rønde’s eerily beautiful film fictionalizes the string
of teenage suicides that befell the small south Welsh
community of Bridgend between 2007-20012. Sara returns
(Hannah Murray) to her childhood along with her policeman
father, Dave (Steven Waddington), who is set to investigate
the rash of suicides. Quiet, demure, bringing along
her horse, Sara is soon pulled into the tightly knit
community of teens who are bound by the inexplicable
-- albeit very regular -- suicides of their friends
and classmates. The film begins on a note of high tension,
its moody cinematic landscape taking full advantage
of the region’s stark weather patterns. Beautifully
shot, with a typically haunting soundtrack, the claustrophobic,
oppressive, obsessive world of teenage angst is presented
in sharp relief against the incapacity of the town’s
adults to form lines of communication with their children.
Rønde is said to steer clear of explanations and, though
the film attempts to infuse gothic horror into the mundane
social realities it depicts, it fails to convince that
anything other than a social tragedy is actually plaguing
the community. The real horror of Bridgend appears to
be the reality of decaying social structures that spur
British youth to binge drinking and violence. Whatever
the window dressing, this is a film about teenage angst
that has found expression in a morbid cult of suicide
as a means of escape. The adults are absent; when present,
they act rather monstrously suggesting that the real
horrors lurk not in the shadowy woods, but in the sombre
interiors of the town’s dwellings. Ultimately, the high
C-note of tension fails to carry through to film’s end,
becoming a shadowy, flickering farce of itself.
3.0
--
THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE, David
Rühm
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
David Ruhm’s quirky, atypical vampire flick negotiates
a web of relationships all of which are variously tied
to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. In 30s
Vienna, Count Genza von Könzöm (Tobia Moretti) and his
wife Countess Elsa (Jeanette Hain) are terribly bored.
After hundreds of years together, they have had plenty
of time to perfect their neuroses. Elsa, haunted by
the loss of her reflection, dominates the timid Genza
who in turn secretly pines after his long lost love.
He seeks out Freud for therapy and stumbles upon his
love reincarnated in the form of Lucy (Cornelia Ivancan),
the precocious girlfriend of artist Viktor (Dominic
Oley). Ironically Freud has hired the gifted young artist
-- who is in turn obsessed with revamping Lucy’s tomboyish
image -- to draw his patient's dreams. To complete the
bizarre circle of unfulfilled desires, Elsa hires Viktor
to paint her portrait and the vampire couple’s butler,
Ignaz (Anatole Taubman), becomes completely smitten
with Lucy. David Ruhm knows his psychoanalysis and has
terribly clever fun staging scenes of delicious situational
humour. Everyone’s obsessions pile one on top of the
other and the mythical abomination that is 'the vampire'
is thus cut down to human size. The film is both subtle
in it’s intellectual humour and raucously funny in the
expertly played set-pieces. Excellent cinematography
and mise-en-scène provide lovely little details to obsess
over for the more compulsive among us.
3.0
--
SLUMLORD, Victor Zarkov
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
Scary stuff to watch. By and large, landlords are pretty
weird, but the one in this horror flick is a dangerous
pervert. Gerald -- the loner landlord -- has installed
cameras in every nook of the house where Claire and
Ryan have just moved. He’s a stinky voyeur who eventually
does unspeakable things. Ryan is having an affair with
his co-worker, but that will soon end for both of them.
Suspense mounts with each passing day as Gerald plots
away to have his way. Actor Neville Archambault as Gerald
is repulsively remarkable in the role. Fear engulfs
the viewer right away as his intense, ugly face looms
large in the lens the entire movie. A compelling thriller
that slowly creeps into heights of terror.
3.2
--
ROAR, Noel Marshall
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
What a claw-clincher of a cult film made in 1981 with
a cast of hundreds of lions mingling and mauling the
director who plays Hank. He lives on a nature preserve
populated by all kinds of lions, panthers, tigers and
more. He gets mauled along with Tippi Hedren, his real-life
wife and also on-screen wife, their daughter Melanie
Griffith and sons John and Jerry. Brave are those that
were in the film. When Hank is out trying to catch lion
killers, his family arrives unexpectedly. Most of the
movie consists of the family finding ways to escape
from the invasion of the big cats entering the complex
log house with its makeshift doors, windows and sizeable
slots. Indeed, there are a myriad of ways the lions
get in and an equal number of ways the family tries
to hide from them. In the end, all is one big lion cuddle
fest, but some of those mean hunters actually put a
bullet through some lions who had wandered off the preserve.
The shots were pretty amazing, and though no animals
were harmed in the movie, the actors were. Cinematographer
Jan de Bott needed 120 stitches to repair a scalp injury.
It was his first feature and probably his last involving
any lions. The end credits have endless pleas to stop
killing lions and how to make it happen with protests
and boycotts. I loved the fiim if not for the close
up lens shots of amazing lion faces and fights, but
because no one would dare make such a dangerous film
like Roar
today. The music sounds like a happy carnival-ride track
and it is so campy in parts, that despite the seemingly
scary scenes, you come out feeling very good – even
wanting to be an extra in such a film. Were they to
make such a film today, it would be a real horror film
where everyone gets ripped apart. Ah, to go back to
the 80s when the roar of the lion lingered as remarkable
call to love nature’s beasts close up -- without some
blood-thirsty Hollywood director going for the horror
end of things
3.5
--
CATCH ME DADDY, Daniel
Wolfe & Matthew Wolfe
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Daniel and Matthew Wolfe peer into the British-Pakistani
community’s darkest corners in Catch
Me Daddy. Laila (Sameena Jabeen Ahmed) has run away
from home to live in a trailer with her white boyfriend
Aaron (Connor McCarron) on the outskirts of a Yorkshire
town. They live a marginal existence but seem, at the
very least, happy in their freedom. The dream is shattered
one blustery evening when Laila’s brother Zaheer (Ali
Ahmad) knocks on her door and insists she return to
her father, whom she has apparently disgraced. Zaheer
is not alone. In tow are two groups of thugs who are
being paid to find her. Things move quickly in the night.
Laila and Aaron must flee for their very lives as their
pursuers get angrier and more determined. The Wolfe
brothers superbly depict the collision of disparate
realities in Catch Me Daddy. The hard luck
worlds of low level crime, the bleak British low-income
reality and a community’s confused cultural mores all
come into frightening focus in this unrelenting, visually
stunning tour de force, whose indelible mark will not
soon fade.
2.4
--
TORRENTE: MISSION EUROVEGAS, Santiago
Seguro
[reviewed
by Andrew Hlavacek]
Santiago Seguro’s fifth Torrente
film takes place in a not so distant future, that
wreaks havoc with current political and economic realities
of a Europe unified in the clutches of global capitalism.
Spain has reverted to the peseta after its ejection
from the Eurozone. Catalonia has separated and is in
the 2018 World Cup final against Argentina. Torrente
emerges from jail into a landscape of stagnating construction
sites and decaying Euro-dreams. He teams up with American
ex-casino security chief John Marshall (a hilarious,
Spanish-speaking Alec Baldwin) to seek his revenge (and
get rich) against the only functioning symbol of European
corruption and greed: the Eurovegas casino! What ensues
is a complex Ocean’s Eleven-style heist and an orgy
of ribald, unforgiving satire during which Seguro teases
and toys with the Spanish national psyche. You have
been warned.
1.2
-- TORRENTE;
MISSION EUROVEGAS, Santiago
Segura
[reviewed
by Nancy Snipper]
This film is pure idiocy, save for the comic but caustic
comments made by the lead character on the state of
affairs in Spain. The year is 2018, and Torrente who
has just been released from prison is disgusted with
the depravity of the Spanish people. Yet his own behaviour
is even worse. He’s a sex-crazed fiend who is utterly
uncharismatic on the screen or in the character he plays.
The slapstick gags become wearing, and the characters
lack total originality. Even the plot can’t save the
visual antics of the characters. Torrente recruits a
bunch of misfits to rob a casino that a man named Marshal
designed (Alex Baldwin). Marshall has employed them
all to do his bidding to get the money. The facile plot
is overly predictable and it’s been done so many times.
Things turn topsy turvy when the heist goes terribly
wrong due to the amateurish strategies of execution.
The film is childish, silly and the bawdy sex so passé.
It’s frightening to think that the film broke box office
records in Spain last year. Obviously, the country is
not only in drastic need of economic stability but also
of a dynamic dose of artistic acumen. This is the fifth
in the Torrente
series and one hopes the last.
![Canadian Tire Repair Scam [2211 boul Roland-Therrien, Longueuil] = documents-proofs](../2010_v9_n5/images/mapleleaf.jpg)
