Toronto International Film Festival 2001
The 26th Toronto
International Film Festival (TIFF) took place from September 6 to 16,
2001, including the additional screenings added on the 16th after the horrible
events of the 11th disrupted the festival. Of the approximately 255 films
overall (excluding short films under 50 minutes), I managed to see 43.
If you're interested in possibly attending the festival some day, see this
page.
-- Mike, 9/20/2001
Below are the films I saw in approximate descending order of preference. Note
that the quality level seemed fairly high, so I would actually recommend probably
all but the bottom 10, although some of the higher rated films wouldn't be
right for many viewers.
- In
the Bedroom (2001):
To quote my notes from immediately after seeing this difficult but very rewarding
drama, “wow! overlong but otherwise hard to say anything bad” (thinking
about it since then, it seems that the slow pace may well be deliberate);
the acting is all great, and the directing is another high point (one scene
comes to mind, but I don't want to spoil any surprises)
- Elling (2001):
This small comedy/drama, which has been compared to King
of Hearts, has a wonderful and inventive story with abundant humor and
real emotion; the acting is good or possibly great (it can be hard to tell
in comedies); highly recommended for everyone; in Norwegian with subtitles
- Focus (2001):
This film, about people discriminated against because they look Jewish, seems
particularly applicable after the events of September 11 (this world premiere
was roughly 38 hours before that started); the strengths are the acting
(especially William
H. Macy) and cinematography
- Heftig
og begeistret (2001, English title: Cool and
Crazy):
This documentary about an all-male choir from a small fishing village in
northern Norway is the best I have seen in some time; there are touching
emotions when the people open up and plentiful humor as well; the outdoor
scenes are photographed beautifully and there is an environmental message
during part of the film; this film reminds me of He
Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' in its feeling; in Norwegian with subtitles
- Kissing
Jessica Stein (2001):
This is a very good romantic comedy with some of the best and most fun dialog
I have heard in some time, and also very good acting; note that I saw this
on September 12, so every time a shot included the World Trade Center (and
there were several), there was a small reaction from the audience
- Italiensk
for begyndere (2000, English title: Italian
for Beginners):
This is the lightest feeling Dogme95 film
I have seen, and is definitely a comedy (and lots of fun) even though it
has a few somewhat intense scenes; as far as the Dogme95 rules go, it didn't
look like it was 4:3 (perhaps just projected wrong), and there was one or
two cases where it was hard to accept that the sound rules were followed;
in Danish and Italian with subtitles
- Who
is Cletis Tout? (2001):
In this screwball comedy Tim
Allen plays a hitman who sees everything in terms of old movies, which
makes this great fun for movie fans; objectively it probably belongs lower
on the list; world premiere although the director and stars were unable to
attend due to the airline shutdown
- World
Traveler (2001):
The acting is the strong point in this dramatic road film (especially Billy
Crudup - this film makes me want to see some of his other films); the
script also seems good and there are good flashbacks and dreams; my father
adds: “Julianne Moore is
on screen for less than half the movie but she gives a sensual, fragile performance
that is worth the price of admission”
- Silent
Partner (2000):
This great small Australian film was shot in 7 days after about twice that
time in rehearsals, for a cost of only about 13.5K Australian dollars (for
the shoot itself); the strong points are the amazing acting and excellent
script (based on a play); note that the two main characters are stupid and
generally losers, which makes the film difficult to watch at times
- Når
nettene blir lange (2000, English title: Cabin
Fever):
This is a Dogme95 film more or less in
the mold of The
Celebration but not quite as well written; it was shot in 15 days (after
months of on and off rehearsals), on video (up to 5 cameras) in continuous
takes of up to 20 minutes, in a 15 square meter cabin (very claustrophobic);
in Norwegian with subtitles
- Manic (2001):
This small drama about disturbed teenagers in a mental institution has uniformly
good acting not only by the recognizable actors (including Don
Cheadle) but also the non-actors that the director met during his research;
it felt a little like a more realistic, rawer (shot on video, which was
used well), and coed version of Girl,
Interrupted
- Grey
Zone, The (2001):
This is a difficult film to watch, about Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz who
help with the executions in exchange for good living conditions and four
months of life; the feeling is very cold and detached, with dialog that seems
stilted, but under the circumstances perhaps that would be accurate; the
acting is good, and I especially appreciated Daniel
Benzali (lead actor in the first season of “Murder
One”); in English even though the viewer is supposed to imagine
a mix of German, English, and probably other languages
- Bank,
The (2001):
This is a fun and very good Australian thriller was written and directed
by someone who really dislikes banks; Anthony
LaPaglia is especially good in the bad guy role
- Thirteen
Conversations About One Thing (2001):
This drama about happiness and chance is both serious and fun, with intersecting
stories and a non-linear timeline; it was apparently written backwards according
to the cowriter/director Jill
Sprecher; the acting is good (especially Alan
Arkin)
- Nueve
reinas (2000, English title: Nine Queens):
This caper film is great fun, with all the plot twists and turns you could
want, if not more so, and generally good acting; it has been compared to House
of Games; in Spanish with subtitles
- Atanarjuat
(The Fast Runner) (2001):
My only real complaint with this film is that the actors (all Inuit and many
non-professional) never seem convincing when they were crying, although perhaps
crying varies with culture and this is accurate; the cinematography outdoors
is wonderful, as is the music (presumably native or native-inspired); the
feel is somehow small yet simultaneously epic, and the almost 3 hour running
time passes quickly; in Inuktitut with subtitles
- Nosferatu,
eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922, English title: Nosferatu,
A Symphony of Horror):
Rating this silent classic in the context of when it was made would place
it much higher, while rating only the film itself and ignoring the
accompanying Toronto Symphony Orchestra would put it lower; note that the
orchestra was conducted by Berndt Heller, who reconstructed the score from
the composer's journal
- Buffalo
Soldiers (2001):
While the TIFF program compares this film to Apocalypse
Now and Dr.
Strangelove, I think it is closer to Three
Kings; it is lots of fun, although objectively it probably belongs lower
on the list; it is strange to see Ed
Harris playing a stupid character; world premiere
- Safety
of Objects, The (2001):
This suburbia-set drama is uneven, probably too long, and has an incongruously
happy ending, but the main story (with Glenn
Close) did get to me quite effectively
- La
Chambre des officiers (2001, English title: Officers'
Ward):
The strong point of French World War I period drama is the excellent story,
which has a distinct but indirect anti-war slant; the pace is quite deliberate
(read: slow), but that worked for me; the makeup (or possibly special effects)
used for the disfiguring injuries must have been quite challenging; in French
with subtitles
- Hearts
in Atlantis (2001):
With a story by Stephen King,
a screenplay by the writer of The
Princess Bride, direction by the director of Shine,
and Anthony Hopkins in
the cast, my expectations were probably too high;
while the childhood love story here manages to be quite touching, overall
I felt obviously manipulated by the film in a few too many places for my
taste
- Margarita
Happy Hour (2001):
This slice of life film does go somewhere, like the main character's goal
of “constant forward motion;” the basic premise of mostly single
mothers getting together for margaritas at happy hour is apparently real,
and the original location was used in the film; it was shot in 21 days and
the actors were not paid
- Mulholland
Drive (2001):
This film by David Lynch has lots of
amazing, fun, and inventive style, but has little detectable substance (I
suppose it is set in Los Angeles and mostly revolves around the film business,
so maybe a lack of substance is accurate <grin>) and a weak ending,
leaving the viewer feeling ripped off; most of the story lines intersect,
and the timeline is hyper-non-linear; since I originally wrote this I read
the analysis from Salon.com (here)
and find my opinion has improved (it would probably be maybe 10 places higher
now)
- Lucía
y el sexo (2001, English title: Sex and Lucia):
This film would be hard to recommend to most people because it goes solidly
into NC-17 territory, and while I wouldn't consider it pornography, some
might; the story is also challenging in that it's hard to keep straight who
is who and whether what you're watching is real or part of a story that the
main male character is writing (his story is based on his real life, so some
things are both fact and fiction); the credits ran in the reverse
direction from normal; in Spanish with subtitles
- Heist (2001):
This caper film is disappointing given the talent involved (David
Mamet and Gene Hackman);
the dialog includes some good lines but the lines between them don't flow
together well, and the story has too many coincidences; the acting is only
okay
- Man
from Elysian Fields, The (2001):
This drama about a struggling writer is better than I feared, with Mick
Jagger and Julianna
Margulies holding their own better than expected in a generally good
cast; the story seems weak, however
- Grey
Fox, The (1982):
This western set in 1901 has great cinematography; the acting varies from
poor to very good; Richard
Farnsworth plays his character very similarly to his character in The
Straight Story; the story seems a bit too “special”
- Un
Crabe dans la tête (2001, English title: Soft
Shell Man):
This drama about human relationships is generally fun ride, with good visuals
and mostly good acting, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere; in French with
subtitles
- Birthday
Girl (2001):
This romantic comedy/caper/thriller, about a mail order bride arrangement
gone bad, has some good performances (I especially liked Ben
Chaplin, who was very funny in a deadpan way); the story, unfortunately,
is weak
- American
Astronaut, The (2000):
This “retro-futuristic musical space western” (to quote the TIFF
program) is basically a set of musical numbers (the director has been the
leader of a band since 1989) strung together into a loose, silly plot which
dragged a bit towards the end; the production values are very low (including
being in black and white), which can be either charming or distracting
- Training
Day (2001):
This is a Hollywood police corruption movie with good but not great acting
(better than expected from Ethan
Hawke and not quite as good as expected from Denzel
Washington), and a story with a few too many holes
- From
Hell (2001):
This is a Hollywood movie about Jack the Ripper with more violence than I
like (although less than I feared); the acting was nothing special; the cinematography
was good, although it was more surreal and Tim
Burton-esque than one normally expects in a period piece; note that I
saw this immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks and before
they stopped the festival for the rest of that day
- Mr.
In-Between (2001):
This film, about a hit man who starts to question his choice of career, is
rarely enjoyable and has some plot problems, but it has an admirable style
(the first time director Paul
Sarossy is a cinematographer of films like The
Sweet Hereafter)
- Hotel (2001):
This train wreck of a film had people leaving the theater throughout the
showing (this was commented on by the director, Mike
Figgis); only a few of the actors had scripted parts (the ones in the Dogme95 film
within the film), with the rest making up not only their lines but also
their characters, resulting in a film that was apparently much more fun
to make than it was to watch; that said, there are a few good moments here
and there
- Asoka (2001):
The best part of this film, about an important figure from Indian history
over 200 years B.C., is the cinematography; unfortunately, the story, acting,
and music are all quite corny, at least to me; in Hindi with subtitles
- Picture
Claire (2001):
This fish out of water film is about a French Canadian (Juliette
Lewis) who doesn't speak English in Toronto; it has some interesting
mosaic effects, where the screen is broken up into pieces of the same picture,
repeated pictures, different pictures, and so on, but is otherwise pretty
conventional with a marginal script; world premiere
- Last
Wedding (2001):
This Canadian drama has a few good moments and seems to have a theme of gender
role reversal in 2 but not all 3 of the couples; some of the sex and nudity
seems gratuitous; IMDb lists this as 2000 but the official world premiere
was at Toronto (and actually started 45 minutes later than the showing
we saw)
- Señorita
Extraviada (2001, English title: Missing Young
Woman):
This Mexican documentary tells a story that needs to be told about women
being murdered in the border town of Juárez; unfortunately it is told
without any particular flair; world premiere; in Spanish with subtitles
- Vacuuming
Completely Nude in Paradise (2001):
This film about vacuum cleaner salesmen, by the director of Trainspotting and
with Timothy Spall (Secrets & Lies),
has a fair number of good moments but is nothing special, and it's somewhat
difficult to watch since none of the characters are likable
- Strumpet (2001):
This film about a street poet and a young musician, by the same director
as Vacuuming
Completely Nude in Paradise, has good energy and some interesting camera
placement (e.g., on a pen while someone is writing), but in general is
nothing special
- Models (1999):
This documentary about struggling models might be better with some
significant editing since the characters keep doing the same things and yet
it is just barely under 2 hours; the only redeeming characteristic seems
to be some interesting framing of some shots; in German with subtitles
- Kaïro (2001,
English title: Pulse):
To quote my notes, “probably more style than your average teen horror
'don't go there' film, but still seemed pretty stupid;” in Japanese
with subtitles
- Carving
Out Our Name (2001):
The content, about a group of struggling actors (including Wes
Bentley) living in a shared house as some start to become successful
and others don't, is sometimes interesting; the presentation, on the other
hand, is very weak; a telling comment from the director was that he didn't
really want to make a documentary; note that we saw this when The
Believer was canceled
The following reviews are from my father, for films that he saw and I did
not:
- Lovely and
Amazing (2001):
A polished film, told from the viewpoint of four women and their self absorbed,
isolated lives. Women will relate to the personal issues raised and partly
resolved by the end. The male characters are one dimensional but this will
not detract from men enjoying this film.
- Maya (2001):
A provocative film set in a upper class household in modern India. The story
begins with the carefree life of Maya and her foster brother and ends when
Maya has her first period and is forced into a ritual deflowering by the
local priest. The film ends with the statement that child abuse is neither
a cultural phenomenon nor is it bound by region.
- Tosca (France
2001):
If you appreciate opera or Puccini, you'll love this film. Photography, music
and performances are all excellent. This is much more than a film of a great
opera.
- Taking Sides (Germany
2001):
Takes place following WW II and raises the question: is art separate from
politics. A U.S. Army Major (Harvey
Keitel) is investigating the music director of the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra (Hitler's conductor) for war crimes. The Keitel character lacks
military demeanor, is unfamiliar with classical music and is lacking in social
courtesy. This contrasts with the educated, formal, famous music director.
Keitel gave a strong performance but I was routing for the German music director.
- Otilia (Mexico
2001):
A story of individuals isolated from society due to physical or mental defects
and their choices/struggles in life. A forced marriage, affairs, unrequited
love and revenge are all included. The ending is forced but truly tragic.
- Le Fabuleux
destin d´ Amelie Poulain (France 2001):
A delightful French love story orchestrated by a charming young woman. Pure
entertainment.
- Jalla! Jalla! (Sweden
2000):
This fast paced story is just dumb or maybe it is Shakespeare updated to
include sex aids, foul mouthed parrots, chase scenes and most conversation
conducted as a screaming match. In the end true love wins.
Filmography links courtesy of IMDb.
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Copyright © 2001-2003 by Michael S. Weston. All rights reserved.