Our postcard dispatches form the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival for Wednesday, September 10.
Air
Corbo
Dear TIFF,
The October Crisis has inspired some of Canada's finest films. Michel Brault's Les ordres and Pierre Falardeau's Octobre are the most notable, and despite their propaganda-like levels of sympathy for the FLQ and Quebec sovereignty movement, they're undeniably great cinematic experiences. Corbo may not achieve such heights, but it's certainly worthy of being grouped in this elite class of "distinctly" Quebec cinema.
The film canonizes teenagers in the 1960s who were willing to kill complete strangers to promote the separatist movement. This makes the film's inclusion in Canada's premiere film festival sound strange on paper, but adding Corbo to the line-up is far from a political statement. It's a well-crafted period film that takes its characters and politics dead serious. I haven't seen (or even heard of) writer and director Mathieu Denis' only other feature film, Laurentie. But after seeing Corbo, he's one to watch out for. In a good way.
Sincerely,
Christopher
By Diane Carol Harder
Air '71
Dear TIFF,
I'm not usually a fan of war movies (don't tell anyone, but still haven't seenSaving Private Ryan), but you definitely got my attention with this one.
Set in the early days of The Troubles in Belfast, a rookie British soldier finds himself lost and alone in IRA-controlled territory. I was on the edge of my seat as he dodged through alleyways, attempting to find his way back to his barracks while trying to avoid getting shot by zealots. And I sincerely appreciated how complicated the politics were—and that no one in this battle was wholly innocent (except, maybe, our protagonist).
If more combat films could be like this – tense thrillers that are more about survival than destruction – I might just become a convert.
Sincerely,
Diane Carol Harder
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Rosewater
Dear TIFF,
So you didn't land the world premiere of Rosewater. Not even the North American premiere, actually. So what if the story is about an Iranian-Canadian journalist. And big deal that everyone is curious about what Jon Stewart brings to his first film as writer and director.
This is not a super sarcastic set-up from The Daily Show (those can be extremely dangerous, after all). After seeing the picture, there's no sense losing sleep over the fact that you made us thesecond (gasp!) audience to see this film.
It won't be hard for journalists to get excited about the tale of Mazir Bahari. The film does a great job of lauding the dangerous risks that the press faces abroad. Especially since the film does so without ever becoming saccharine or sanctimonious. On the other hand, there isn't enough going on at a plot level to warrant such a big production (a good metaphor for the Bahari's imprisonment, actually). Because footage from The Daily Show was used to accuse Bahari of being a U.S. spy, I understand why Stewart felt a need to make the film. I'm just not sure many other's will feel the need to see it—especially once the novelty wares off.
Sincerely,
Christopher
PriorityPost
The Look of Silence
Dear TIFF,
Few documentaries warrant a sequel. Then again, few documentaries are landmark cinematic achievements like The Act of Killing.
Joshua Oppenheimer's new film, The Look of Silence, once against takes us into the dark and disgraceful period of Indonesian history, face-to-face with the genocidal madmen who still hold political power 40 years after their crimes.
Living up to The Act of Killing's innovative and subversive storytelling tactics might not be possible, but The Look of Silence breaks new ground by actually confronting the killers about their crimes. Once again risking his life, along with dozens of others who helped make the film (as before, many are credited as "Anonymous"), Oppenheimer gives us a brave central character to get behind: Adi, a man whose brother was brutally slaughtered by the paramilitary death squads.It's as shocking and provocative as its predecessor, while still standing alone as an artistic and activist triumph.
Sincerely,
Christopher
