Here is a very quick round-up of some of the other films I saw at TIFF. Check back next weekend for reviews of The Ape, Invention of Lying, Cracks, Leaves of Grass, Ondine, Accident, Like You Know It All, Mr. Nobody, My Son My Son, What Have Ye Done, Life During Wartime, High Life, and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.
Eyes Wide Open (Haim Tabakman, Israel)
This directorial debut from Haim Tabakman tackles the moral and social issues of being gay in one of Jerusalem’ s ultra-orthodox communities. Powered by great performances the film succeeds by showing the tender relationship and how it effects an entire community. Tabakman also paints a beautiful, but subdued portrait of Jerusalem.
8 out of 10
Huacho (Alejandro Fernández Almendras, Chile/France/Germany)
In this intimate look at a lower-class Chilean family we follow four separate members during a 24 hour time span. We first see the grandmother’s desperate struggle to make and sell cheese. Through Almendras’ dedicated approach, her labor is perfectly portrayed. The next family member is the mother, we see her toil at a low paying job and her inner battle related to a new dress she bought. We then follow her son, then her father. This staggered narrative creates a profoundly effective sense of despair. Almendras forces us to take a look at our own lives and revalute the many elements we take for granted.
7 out of 10
Defendor (Peter Stebbings, Canada)
The market for low-budget Canadian superhero action drama comedies may not be the biggest, but Stebbings has delivered a distinctively personal adventure. Woody Harrelson plays a psychologically damaged social outcast who dresses is up as Defendor, a lovable superhero. If not for his reserved performance and balanced direction the film would fall flat. Thankfully, most of the elements fall in place and we get an entertaining and effective exploration into the pysche of what it means to be a different kind of superhero.
7 out of 10
Creation (Jon Amiel, UK)
In theory a period biopic about the ideas that changed religious views forever should be quite interesting. Despite a strong start and a great performance by Paul Bettany, this picture devolves into standard territory with worn out ideas and tedious drama. I’m actually kind of surprised this film is “too controversial for religious America” (see article). The ideas presented are over 150 years old and they aren’t handled with any new fervor. If one is vehement about Darwinism or the controversy that comes with, it may be worth a viewing, but ultimately it is a muddled, bland look at what could have been a revolutionary film.
5 out of 10
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