Had my fill of movies at the Toronto International Film Festival again this year.
Some great films, as one would expect from better-established directors such as Almodovar : “Broken Embraces”, actually better than what I would have expected; Soderberg: “The Informant!” – a great performance by Matt Damon, he and his running internal monologues about the most incongruous topics!; Carlos Saura: “I, Don Giovanni” – so polished.
The China window: with “Nanjing! Nanjing! “ titled in English “City of Life and Death” – a grand war fresco of the terrible, and still very controversial, episode of the Nanjing massacre, shot in black & white by rising Chinese director Lu Chuan, criticized at home for giving a human face to the invading Japanese. “Mao’s Last Dancer”, the moving story of Li Cun Xin, the star ballet dancer who defected to the USA in the 80’s, masterly rendered by veteran Australian director Bruce Beresford (“Breaker Morant”, “Driving Miss Daisy”; “Black Robe”)
Few Italian directors discoveries: Luca Guadagnino with “I am love” – a very sexual Tilda Swinton at the center of this family drama, as the Russian wife of an Italian industrialist, who makes the mistake of falling in love with her son’s best friend, with dire consequences; and Marco Bellochio: “Vincere” with deep-voice Filippo Timi as an early Mussolini, and his dreadful action to erase from history the very persistent first woman in his life – she’s the one that financed his newspaper that launched his political career – and her child.
Deligthful and non-disappointing productions from young directors: Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking; Juno) with a very witty, sardonic ”Up in the Air”, the story of a veteran air traveler (played by George Clooney - a professional who travels around to fire people on behalf of executives who can't handle the task!), obsessed with air points and gunning for 10 million miles! Jean-Marc Vallée, who directed a few years back the Canadian sensation “C.R. A.Z.Y.”, with “The Young Victoria”, a rather surprising choice as a subject for this young Québécois, but how well directed, a very romantic story (between the young queen, struggling to establish her just acquired authority at the head of the British empire, and her asserting prince consort, Albert), in the pure tradition of “film d’époque”, gorgeously shot in regal premises, apartments, castles and gardens.
And the usual French crop at such festivals. “Les Herbes Folles” d’un Alain Resnais qui s’amuse et s’approche d’un Luis Bunuel et de son « Charme discret de la bourgeoisie » : « Partir » de Catherine Corsini, avec Christine Scott-Thomas, omniprésente ces temps-ci (et que j’ai bien failli ne pas voir à l’entrée de la salle alors que nous entrions si ce n’eut été de Cynthia!). Et puis « L’Affaire Farewell » - un suspens sorti de la guerre froide – de ce celui-là même, Christian Carion, qui nous donnait l’an passé ce « Joyeux Noël » si peu joyeux mais combien riche. Et finalement « Un Prophète », film choc de Jacques Audiard, qui lui a mérité, tout à fait bien mérité, la palme d’or à Cannes cette année; il nous avait donné le beau « De battre mon cœur s’est arrêté » il y a quelques années.(P.S. 11 décembre: Le prix Louis-Delluc 2009, qui récompense le meilleur film français sorti pendant l'année, a été décerné au film "Un prophète")
En supplément, ce reportage, un délice pour tout cinéphile, sur l’enfer qui entoura l’ouvrage incomplet de Henri-George Clouzot, « Inferno » – trop de moyens (l’argent américain), trop d’ambition, qui dut s’arrêter après 3 semaines de tournage faute de joueurs – Reggiani quitta le plateau après 5 jours de tournage tellement Clouzot lui était devenu insupportable – et une crise cardiaque du même dit réalisateur, probablement par excès de stress. Les gros plans en noir et blanc de Romy Schneider, les prises de vue inusitées, les effets spéciaux, nouveautés pour l’époque, resteront cependant…
Le documentaire politique de la saison, « The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”, tells us the story behind Ellsberg’s motivation, and Nixon’s efforts to discredit him.
A few large-scale disappointments: “Agora” from young Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar; a spectacular epic in its production (about too bright and too forceful philosopher woman Hypathia who “goes down” along with the library of Alexandria) but does not quite convince – a bit of a let-down after his remarkable “The Sea Inside” of a few years back. I thought as well the much anticipated “The Men Who Stare at Goats” from the young American director Grant Helsov (who co-wrote “Good Night, and Good Luck” with such effect), was also a disappointment; a bit ridiculous and an ending “en queue de poisson”.
And “La Donation”, the last instalment in Bernard Émond’s trilogy, after “La Neuvaine” and “Contre toute espérance”. Sparse and stirring, The Abitibi harsh “paysage” as setting, with its heavy skies. That is where may this woman doctor finally end up finding her peace, after her wish to die and commit suicide in the first instalment. Signature film.
And perhaps another 10 films, including "The Road" for those who like after-apocalypse drama, this one rather dire and bleak but a plausible scenario...
Toronto, September 17, 2009
