TIFF ’17 Day 8: The Death of Stalin, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Pyewacket

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Death of Stalin (UK/USA, 2017. Dir: Armando Ianucci): Wondering what would be of Armando Ianucci after leaving Veep? Look no further. The brain behind The Thick of It and On the Loop, is back to mercilessly mock a new institution, in this case, the Communist Party leadership and their power squabble following the passing of Comrade Joseph Stalin.

The best positioned to replace the mustached genocidal maniac is Lavrently Beria (Simon Russell Beale), chief of the secret police apparatus. Beria’s callous behavior rubs the rest of the Stalin administration the wrong way and soon a team of rivals targets him, although inner struggles make the task more difficult than it should.

While the plot sounds serious and the body count is considerable, Ianucci’s scalpel-sharp dialogue and some brilliant slapstick makes The Death of Stalin the funniest film of the festival by a mile. Actors not known for generating laughs like Steve Buscemi and Jason Isaacs demonstrate killer comic timing, supported by experts in the field Jeffrey Tambor and Michael Palin. Everything about this movie works, particularly depicting the dictator’s inner circle as a frat house. Hilarious and unsettling. Four planets/dogs/stars. Distribution: Presumably theatrical.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (USA, 2017. Dir: Angela Robinson): This is the year of Wonder Woman: Never mind the two DC Comics film with the Amazonian at the forefront, here comes a biopic about her creator and the two women who inspired him.

William and Elizabeth Marston (Luke Evans and Rebecca Hall) are a couple of academics focused on the female mind. Rational to the extreme, their relationship is tested when William becomes infatuated with Olive (Bella Heathcote, The Neon Demon), his teaching assistant. Olive is not your average college student. Her open mind and sweet disposition soon turns her into a component of the Marston family. As they explore the limits of their polyamorous bond, the idea of a powerful woman with superpowers and a taste for bondage begins to take shape.

Professor Marston is an effective feminist film that benefits from strong turns by Evans, Hall and Heathcote. That said, it tends to state the obvious, as everybody feels the need to verbalize their feelings at all times. Regardless, it’s worth your time. Three planets/dogs/stars. Distribution: Opens October 13th.

Pyewacket (Canada, 2017. Dir: Adam MacDonald): Pyewacket is the kind of movie that makes you wonder why would Telefilm support this (shades of the unwatchable Teen Lust). Reportedly a horror flick, Pyewacket is at heart a film student short stretched into 90 minutes. And that’s the least of its problems.

A goth teen who dabbles in witchcraft (Nicole Muñoz, in a less than stellar turn) gets mad at her grieving mother (Laurie Holden, The Walking Dead) and conjures a demon to get her killed. Eventually (and much later than you would think), the daughter-of-the-year comes back to her senses, but undoing the spell may be more difficult than expected.

I don’t know what I found more annoying: The cliché dialogue (teen angst has never been this flat), the across-the-board terrible acting (Laurie Holden excepted, despite her character’s inconsistency), the belief inexplicable sudden noises are scary per se, or the silly conclusion. Pyewacket is a step back for Backwoods director Adam MacDonald. One star. Distribution: Presumably theatrical.

TIFF '17 Day 7: Suburbicon, Eye on Juliet

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Suburbicon (USA, 2017. Dir: George Clooney): There is no way Suburbicon could be considered an average film. It’s topical (fear of the “other” prevents us from noticing the true monsters in our society) and is directed by proven commodity George Clooney, from a script from the Coen Brothers. In spite of it all, it doesn’t add to more than the sum of its parts.

Matt Damon taps into his dark self as Gardner, a presumably average suburban dad in the 50’s. His home is invaded by a couple of thugs and his wheelchair-bound wife (Julianne Moore) is an unintended casualty of the break-in (or is she?). Meanwhile, their entire neighborhood is up in arms because a black family has moved in, oblivious to the horrors taking place a few doors down.

The film could be described as a mix of Fargo and Blood Simple by the way of Tim Burton. It’s undeniably entertaining but is hard to shake the feeling we have seen all this before. Furthermore, Clooney’s films are often staged to a fault and this one feels particularly airless. Oscar Isaac as a wily claims investigator provides the one breath of fresh air in this otherwise hermetic cautionary tale. Three stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

Eye on Juliet (Canada, 2017. Dir: Kim Nguyen): After the hard-hitting Rebelle and the fierce Two Lovers and a Bear, it’s no surprise writer/director Kim Nguyen has chosen a gentler piece as a follow-up. Eye on Juliet is a romantic drama in which technology acts as an accessory to amorous pursuits in unexpected ways.

Recently dumped by his girlfriend, Gordon (Joe Cole, Green Room) is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. His behavior has started to affect his job operating security robots remotely. In the midst of his pity party, Gordon becomes smitten with a young Arabic woman who hangs out near the pipeline his bots are protecting. The girl’s parents have arranged her wedding, unaware that she has a boyfriend and hopes to escape to Europe with him. Particularly susceptible to love stories, Gordon attempts to help them, but his involvement causes more trouble than good.

Even though the premise has potential and the visuals rise to the occasion, Eye on Juliet leans heavily on narrative clichés and corniness. The “growing tension” hardly registers and the final five minutes are blatantly borrowed from a 90’s travelogue classic. The film is not without merits, but it could have used a better story. Two and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

TIFF ’17 Day 6: A Fantastic Woman, The Disaster Artist

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

A Fantastic Woman (Chile, 2017. Dir: Sebastián Lelio): One of the two films Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio is presenting at TIFF, A Fantastic Woman is an intimate portrait of three particularly bad days in the life of Marina (star-making turn by Daniela Vega), a transgender singer.

Orlando, Marina’s much older partner, has died of an aneurysm, but she is not allowed to grief. Marina must face mistrust and prejudice at every level, as if she was responsible for Orlando’s death.

A Fantastic Woman is a superb character study and a severe indictment of a society that’s more hypocritical than open-minded. The film does falter every so often (I call for a moratorium of sex dungeons in movies), but overall it underlines Lelio’s talent to write female characters. Considering Gloria, A Fantastic Woman and the upcoming Disobedience, the Chilean director is poised to give Almodóvar a run for his money. Four stars. Distribution: Theatrical.

The Disaster Artist (USA, 2017. Dir: James Franco): A dramatization of the behind-the-scenes of The Room (the infamous cult classic renown only by its awfulness) is a minefield of outlandishness: If the subject itself is already laughable, how could you top it? Can you impersonate The Room star/writer/director Tommy Wiseau without turning him into a caricature?

Director James Franco doesn’t quite succeed at turning The Room into a triumph of the human spirit, but damn if he doesn’t come close. The Disaster Artist approaches the figure of Tommy Wiseau sideways, through his sidekick (and the author of the book that inspired the movie) Greg Sestero. Originally struggling actors from San Francisco, Tommy and Greg decide to try their luck in L.A. After a number of discouraging encounters and Tommy’s desire to be cast as the hero, not the villain, Wiseau decides to make his own movie. This, in spite of being a terrible actor, writer and not having directed a thing in his life. The rest is movie history.

The film doesn’t even try to respond the most pressing questions about Wiseau (first of all, where does he get the money from). Instead, it focuses on the friendship of Greg and Tommy. Wiseau is strange, difficult and prone to outbursts, and Greg enables him for longer than expected. The film (and The Room itself) hints at a history of betrayal that explains Wiseau’s behavior, but doesn’t dig further. The Disaster Artist is undeniably fun, but just skin deep. Three stars. Distribution: Theatrical.

TIFF ’17 Day 5: Breathe, You Disappear

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Breathe (UK, 2017. Dir: Andy Serkis): Another one of the many films about physical disabilities in this edition of TIFF, there is nothing intrinsically wrong about Breathe. It’s just that it plays it way too safe and doesn’t break any new ground. One doesn’t have to look further than The Theory of Everything to find the same old beats.

At least Breathe covers the getting-to-know-you portion of the story in the first few minutes. Robin (Andrew Garfield, The Social Network) and Diana (Claire Foy, The Crown) are an adventurous couple who can’t be constrained by walls. Unfortunately, Robin gets polio in Africa and loses all mobility and the capacity to breath on his own.

The once outdoorsy Brit falls into a depression that forces his wife and friends to extreme efforts to give him at least a semblance of a normal life. It’s the beginning of a journey that would lead to the invention of the Cavendish chair, a conception that improves the quality of life of extremely disabled patients to unheard degree.

Andy Serkis’ first directorial effort is traditional to a fault. His sole focus seems to be to move the plot forward, in circumstances the best moments of Breathe take place whenever he takes the foot off the gas. The cinematography is disproportionally superior to the story, not a surprise since Robert Richardson (Scorsese and Tarantino’s go-to guy) is behind the camera. It’s a good movie to take your grandma, but that’s about it. Two and a half stars. Distribution: Theatrical.

You Disappear (Denmark/Sweden, 2017. Dir: Peter Schønau Fog): The embodiment of the ‘brainy’ movie, You Disappear uses procedural tropes to explore the eternal conflict of free will versus determinism.

The film uses a fragmented timeline to tell the story of the Hallings, a marriage enduring one crisis after another. First Frederik (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Angels & Demons) is diagnosed with a brain tumor, which may or may not be affecting his behavior. Not much later, he is accused of embezzlement. His defense argues temporary insanity due to impulse control disorder, but the condition is extremely difficult to prove.

The narrator in You Disappear is Frederik’s wife, Mia (Trine Dyrholm, The Commune), often the victim of Frederick’s misbehavior. Her voiceover focuses on the undependability of the human brain (reality vs. perception), and it’s as dense as fascinating. The kicker is that Mia herself may not be the most reliable of witnesses.

The obvious intelligence that went into the script also creates certain distance between the film and the viewer. In spite of the cast’s efforts to humanize the proceedings, You Disappear remains a high density enterprise. A rewarding one though. Three stars. Distribution: TBD.

TIFF ’17 Day 4: The Square, Brad’s Status, A Worthy Companion

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Square (Sweden, 2017. Dir: Ruben Ostlund): The winner of the Palm D’Or is more often than not a TIFF staple. The Square is a comedy brimming of novel ideas and topics, so much so that after a while the richness becomes counterproductive. Still, the Swedish flick is years-light ahead of your average Hollywood comedy.

At the center of The Square lies Christian (Claes Bang), the chief curator of a modern art museum in Stockholm. Christian must juggle several crises simultaneously, chief of them all, the need for funding and attention. A personal hiccup (a robbery) sends his carefully balanced existence into a tailspin

Christian’s woes are just an excuse for director Ruben Ostlund (Force Majeure) to explore the growing distance between the elites and the common man. The film also tackles the perennial matter of what constitutes art. Ostlund doesn’t venture an answer, but has a good time mocking the question.

The Square is a bit too cynical for its own good, but reaffirms my belief that the future of cinema can be found in Scandinavia. Three and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

Brad’s Status (USA, 2017. Dir: Mike White): Once could easily dismiss Brad’s Status as a white privilege dramedy unaware of how conceited it is. Alas, the film touches on a number of topics that ring true.

The Brad in question (Ben Stiller) is a middle age Gen-Xer embarking on a college tour with his teenage son. The occasion becomes a dark night of the soul for Brad, as he reminisces about his own days as a student and how much better his then friends have fared in life.

Easily Mike White’s best since Chuck and Buck, Brad’s Status rings true more often than not, and even dares to offer answers to middle age ennui. It’s also kinder to Gen-Y than most films attempting to portrait millennials. Definitely an indulgent experience, but a satisfactory one. Three and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

A Worthy Companion (Canada, 2017. Dir: Carlos Sánchez, Jason Sánchez): Not a fantastic crop of Canadian films this year at TIFF. A Worthy Companion at least has an intriguing premise, mangled by a script stripped of all common sense and an over-the-top performance by Evan Rachel Wood.

The Westworld lead is Laura, a troubled woman with more issues than the Encyclopedia Britannica. She is an accountant/cleaning lady who becomes obsessed with a bookish teen girl for some reason (I’m not being glib, there isn’t anything special about their relationship).

Laura convinces the teenager in question, Eva (Julia Sarah Stone, Wet Bum), to run away from home and move in with her. After about a hundred red flags, Eva realizes there may be something seriously wrong with Laura, but just as she is considering escaping, the Stockholm syndrome kicks in.

A Worthy Companion is so obsessed with being edgy, it forgets to build mildly cohesive characters. Chief among all is Eva, whose behavior defies basic self-preservation (Julia Sarah Stone looks lost through the entire movie). Not only Evan Rachel Wood chews scenery like is nobody’s business, her character’s psychological issues are not even consistent with one another. Overall, the film has train wreck qualities that make it watchable, if just barely. Two stars. Distribution in Canada: Likely theatrical.

TIFF ’17 Day 3: The Children Act, The Ritual, Porcupine Lake

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Children Act (UK, 2017. Dir: Richard Eyre): Based on a novel by Ian McEwan, The Children Act is not only a thorough character piece about a judge whose rigidity renders her unable to deal with life’s curveballs. It’s also a fantastic showcase for Emma Thompson, too long stuck in supporting roles or as the love interest of some old fogey (often Dustin Hoffman).

Thompson is the Honorable Fiona Maye. Her specialty are medical cases that require an speedy process. Her job is fascinating but has taken a toll on her marriage to Jack (Stanley Tucci). The same week Jack announces his intention to have an affair, Fiona must rule on a case that pits the parents of a teen with leukemia against the hospital he is held at. Their religion forbids transfusions, even though the kid desperately needs one. Fiona’s job begins to bleed into her personal life and vice versa in unexpected ways.

Adapted to the screen by McEwan himself, The Children Act is predominantly a character study with a captivating plot lurking underneath. Dialogue and subtext are a delight, reminiscent of also superb 45 Years (heartbreak happens at every age). Tucci’s part is somewhat underwritten and the third act abandons the sobriety that makes the piece so compelling, but overall is a very relatable piece. Three and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

The Ritual (UK, 2016. Dir: David Bruckner): Modeled after The Wicker Man and, to a lesser degree, The Blair Witch Project, The Ritual stands slightly above films with similar influences on the strength of the acting and psychological undertones.

Following the violent death of the leader of their pack, four friends decide to honor his wish of spending the holidays hiking the Northern Sweden highlands. The already harebrained idea (all four are city folk) becomes deathly when the group becomes the target of an unseen forest dweller.

The film is at its best when dealing with the unraveling psyche of the foursome. The main focus is on Luke (Rafe Spall, Roadies) who nurses a massive case of survivor’s guilt (their friend’s death was partially his fault). The Ritual is not nearly as effective when the force stalking them goes from abstract to all too real. Two and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Likely theatrical.

Porcupine Lake (Canada, 2017. Dir: Ingrid Veninger): Ingrid Veninger’s most traditional film to date is a coming-of-age story that unfolds during the dog days of summer. City girl Bea (Charlotte Salisbury) is the dutiful daughter to a couple on the verge of breaking up. In dire need of a friend her own age, Bea connects with Kate (Lucinda Armstrong Hall), a townie with her fair share of issues at home.

The girls become fast friends and find solace on each other’s company, to the point of tentatively exploring their sexuality. It doesn’t reach Heavenly Creatures territory, but comes close.

Despite the stilted dialogue and some less than polished performances, Porcupine Lake is a charming flick that captures the hazy transition from childhood to puberty, as well as the horrifying realization that adulthood can be pretty ugly. Worth a look. Two and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Likely theatrical.

TIFF ’17 Day 2: Stronger, The Insult, What Will People Say

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Stronger (USA, 2017. Dir: David Gordon Green): This year’s second feature inspired by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings approaches the matter from an individual perspective. The film zeroes on Jeff Bouman (Jake Gyllenhaal), a flaky Bostonian who loses both his legs in the blast. The film covers Bouman’s rehabilitation and his relationship with his ex-girlfriend (Tatiana Maslany), who was the reason Jeff was at the race in the first place.

Even though the direction and acting are top notch (although the Boston-personality traits border the caricature), Stronger is a very standard affair: Every beat can be seen from a mile away. The movie hints at the emptiness of platitudes like “Boston Strong”, but doesn’t have the dramatic courage to quite go there. The most subdued characters (Maslany, Carlos Sanz as the man who saved Bouman’s life) are the brightest ones.

Stronger also flirts with the notion that no matter what major event, sooner or later people return to their default settings (once a screw-up, always a screw-up). Predictably, it folds on itself by the third act. All things considered, as meat-and-potatoes dramas go, you could do a lot worse. Two and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

The Insult (Lebanon/France, 2016. Dir: Ziad Doueiri): A classic festival film (a movie that thrives in this kind of environment, but is unlikely to flourish outside), The Insult deals with a specific rift in the Arab world, one that doesn’t get much attention: The strain between Christians and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Tony is a mechanic with a simmering resentment against Palestinians, which flares up when an illegal contractor starts working on his block. A spat over a drain escalates when the worker insults Tony, the mechanic responds with a racial slur, and the contractor punches him in the ribs. Soon the justice system, the press and even the President of Lebanon get involved.

Despite some minor issues (the score is -to put it charitably- blunt; one of the twists is soap opera-worthy), The Insult remains firmly grounded in reality, even as the squabble spirals out of control. The approach to the matter is refreshingly earnest, even when the conflict is ripe for cynicism and irony. I was slightly distracted by the very attractive actress playing Tony’s wife (she is the spitting image of Emily Ratajkowski), but that’s on me.

Three and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Likely theatrical.

What Will People Say (Norway/Germany/Sweden. Dir: Iram Haq): Scandinavian cinema tends to look at the subject du jour directly, never mind how controversial it may be. What Will People Say is a veritable minefield, but writer/director Iram Haq’s vision doesn’t compromise… until the last three minutes of the movie

Nisha (newcomer Maria Mozhdah) is the eldest daughter of a traditional Pakistani family living in Norway. While respectful of her heritage, Nisha has grown as an average Westerner teen. Her two worlds come into conflict when her father finds a boy in her bedroom. Shunned by her family and community, Nisha is forcefully relocated to Pakistan. Her attempts to reach out for help are regularly thwarted by her relatives and a misplaced sense of loyalty.

Regardless of the number of setbacks Nisha must face, What Will People Say never feels like misery porn. In fact, it’s gripping. Every mishap, every poor decision is firmly rooted in reality, which is why the denouement stroke me as false. On a bad movie, I wouldn’t mind. The problem is that What Will People Say flirts with greatness. Four planets/dogs/stars.  Distribution in Canada: TBD.

TIFF ’17 Day 1: Call Me by Your Name, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Loveless

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Call Me by Your Name (Italy/France, 2017. Dir: Luca Guadagnino): How about a stone-cold masterpiece to kick off TIFF’s coverage this year. A filmmaker who has already shown considerable potential (I Am Love, A Bigger Splash), Luca Guadagnino finds a new gear with the thorough, compelling coming-of-age drama Call Me by Your Name.

Set in Northern Italy in 1983, the film revolves around Elio (star-making turn by Timothée Chalamet), a well-liked teen and beloved only son of an archeologist and a translator. The idyllic boredom of summer in Italy becomes disrupted by the arrival of Oliver (Armie Hammer), an American scholar in town to intern for Elio’s dad. Oliver’s presence triggers unknown feelings in Elio, who tentatively begins pursuing the American, while simultaneously exploring his sexuality with a girl his own age.

There is no high drama in Call Me by Your Name, just a teen assimilating new experiences and shaping his personality accordingly. The film (adapted by James Ivory) is beyond lovely and methodical, covering every aspect of the life of an adolescent at a critical moment of his growth. True to form, the climax is as low impact as a loving father comparing his own experiences to his son’s, and suggesting what to do of them. Think Stealing Beauty, but twice as good. Five stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (Ireland/UK, 2016. Dir: Yorgos Lanthimos): Lanthimos’ latest starts suspiciously like his previous film, the darkly comedic The Lobster. Colin Farrell introduces his character -a renowned cardiologist- in a monotonous, detached fashion. However, as the movie progresses, The Killing of a Sacred Deer hits a more relatable note: The costs of the greater good.

Unbeknownst to his family, Dr. Murphy (Farrell) meets with a very polite teen named Martin on regular basis. The nature of this relationship is kept in the dark for a good chunk of the film, but doesn’t appear to be very wholesome. As Martin demands more time and dedication from the surgeon, Murphy becomes spooked. An attempt to ghost him triggers a devastating reaction.

Lanthimos keeps his cards close to the chest until the second half, when the (somewhat) standard stalker drama morphs into an exercise in ethics and morals I don’t wish to spoil here. Suffice to say, the good doctor finds out there are limits to the power of modern medicine. As it’s traditional with the Greek filmmaker, the pitch-black sense of humor is perfectly calibrated. The novelty here is the sense of despair that comes with the comedy. Three and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

Loveless (Russia, 2017. Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev): By far the better known Russian filmmaker at work today, Andrey Zvyagintsev doesn’t mince words to depict a morally bankrupt society. In Leviathan, the director portrayed the political world as a haven of corruption. In Loveless, Russian middle class doesn’t fare much better under Zvyagintsev’s unflinching eye.

A couple going through the most acrimonious of divorces is forced to live under the same roof until liquidating their apartment. They have a kid, a sad boy no one pays any attention to. Their utter disregard for the child is such that, when he disappears, it takes them over a day and a half to notice. More out of obligation than genuine concern, the bickering duo must navigate the unhelpful Russian bureaucracy to get some help. Not that the disappearance puts a dent on their hatred for each other.

If you think this description is dour, just wait until you see the movie. From Zvyagintsev’s perspective, the pursuit of material riches has corrupted the soul of the country to such point, people willing to help are the exception and money is the only parameter of success. The filmmaker is thorough in his description of modern Russia’s malaise and even takes a few swipes at Putin while at it. Loveless is a bit thick to swallow, but highly rewarding. Three and a half stars. Distribution in Canada: Theatrical.

The Surrounding Game Is No Pastime

When you think of Go, think of chess in steroids.

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

THE PLOT: A documentary about the oldest board game in the world, The Surrounding Game focuses on Go as much as on the players. In theory a very simple game (the goal is to surround and eliminate your rival’s stones), Go allows by far more variations than chess. Because of the number of possibilities, you can only plan to a limited degree and thinking on your feet is encouraged. Go is detail oriented, but the board is large and keeping an eye on the big picture is key to win.

Unsurprisingly, Go incites obsession: The more you know, the least educated you feel. Far more popular in Asia than in the Western world, the film zeroes on a handful of American players trying to break into the upper echelons of the circuit.

CRITIQUE:  Terrifically entertaining, you don’t need to know how to play Go to enjoy it (in fact, it’s very likely you’ll want to give it a shot after the doc ends). The Surrounding Game straddles the line between special interest documentary and crowd pleser. The film tries to cover the many crooks and bends of the Go culture (history, competitions, rankings) and for the most part, succeeds.

The movie’s biggest flaw is structural. Because of the all-encompassing approach, it feels episodic and the pieces don’t quite come together. A tournament to determine the US’ first certified Go professional gives The Surrounding Game a spine of sorts, but is not as interesting as the many detours the film takes. Given the magnitude of the endeavor, it’s a forgivable misstep.

WHAT WORKS:

* The interviewees are chosen wisely: The young Americans trying to break into the big leagues, the number one player who sees the game as art, the nonagenarian content with having spent big chunks of his life playing Go. All compelling.

* The film is very didactic and gets every point across with relative ease.

WHAT DOESN’T:

* The film’s top half is far more interesting than the rest. Watching other people playing Go it’s not exactly riveting.

* Similarly, the cinematography opens strong, but can’t keep it up.

RATING: ***

RATING (CANADIAN CURVE): ***½

The Surrounding Game will play this Saturday, June 10th (11.30 AM, at TIFF Bell Lightbox) as part of the Canadian Sport Film Festival.

#AnAmericanDream You Won’t Remember

Ken Finkleman tackles America’s follies and is surpassed by reality.

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

THE PLOT: William Bowman, a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, realizes that to make it in today’s world, he has to go along with less than reputable characters. Much like Forrest Gump, William lands himself in recognizable scenarios (corporate boardrooms, reality TV, the gun control debate), which unveil the pervasive soullessness of modern America.

CRITIQUE: Through most of his later-day career, Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom, Good Dog) has traded in heightened reality and distrust of the media. #AnAmericanDream is a catalyst to his fixations. Finkleman has a dark, dyspeptic sense of humor, which I can get behind. The problem is that his brand of comedy not very funny or poignant.

The concept of “American Dream” has been mocked pretty thoroughly, and the writer/director’s observations in #AnAmericanDream are a both obvious (American legislators using religion to justify their less than humane actions is hardly ground-breaking, modern media lacks ethical or moral compass) and fail to add anything new to the debate. The film is a feel-bad journey without a payoff.

WHAT WORKS:

* 18-year-old newscaster Tally Pepper, not quite jaded to be a Fox News blonde, but well on her way to become one. Her appearances provide the funniest moments of the film, next to the prostitution-obsessed news crawl.

* The structural narrative of #AnAmericanDream feels fresh. In spite of the many elements it juggles (faux documentary, first-person perspective, episodic structure), it unfolds fluidly. It’s Finkleman’s forte.

WHAT DOESN’T:

* Jake Croker as William Bowman. Granted, the script asks for a blank-faced performance, but a little personality could have helped getting the audience on his side.

* The framing (Jake suffers a concussion that gives him a glimpse into the future) is unnecessary and the ending negates the very premise the film is built on.

RATING: **

RATING (CANADIAN CURVE): **½

#AnAmericanDream is playing at the Royal Cinema from Friday, June 2nd, to Sunday, June 4th.

HotDocs Film Festival - Day 9: Donkeyote

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Donkeyote (UK/Germany, 2017): Finding documentaries that make you feel good about the human condition is often challenging. Donkeyote is one of them: Manolo, a septuagenarian farmer, enjoys days-long walkabouts across Southern Spain alongside his donkey, Gorrión. His dream is to one day walk the 2200-mile Trail of Tears in the US, but not only it’s expensive, bringing Gorrión is a whole other thing.

The film follows Manolo in his efforts to put the trip together, but the campaign is just an excuse to spend time with a compelling figure, an uncomplicated man who embraces life with gusto, but slowly realizes the world may have passed him by. Donkeyote could have used a sturdier structure (towards the end, the movie feels aimless), but it’s a guaranteed good time.

3/5 stars. Donkeyote will play Sunday 7th at the Scotiabank Theatre.

HotDocs Film Festival - Day 8: Ramen Heads

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Ramen Heads (Japan, 2016): A man with a cause can be a powerful force, even if that cause is to create the best bowl of ramen eight dollars can buy. The figure in question is Osamu Tomita and he is as obsessive as a Michelin-anointed chef.

Tomita believes strong flavors can be balanced, so his broth is as thick as mud He is as picky with the noodles, the ingredients and the service. The outcome is memorable. I tasted it.

Ramen Heads doesn't entirely focus on Tomita, but he is the star of the show. The film covers the history and entire process of making ramen in dynamic fashion. The utterly dry narration manages to add more flavor to an already well seasoned dish.

3.5/5 stars. Ramen Heads will also play May 5th and 6th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and the 7th at the Hart House Theatre.

HotDocs Film Festival - Day 6: PACmen, Integral Man, Recruiting for Jihad

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

PACmen (USA/Australia, 2017): Of the many dramatic threads to emerge from last year’s election in the US, Dr. Ben Carson provided one of the weirdest. On the strength of a single speech, Carson was jettisoned to the Republican presidential race and for a brief moment, the neurosurgeon gave Trump a run for his money… until he opened his mouth. Unsubstantiated claims about his childhood and bizarre statements (the pyramids were built for storage purposes!) quickly derailed his candidature.

PACman focuses on the two super-PACs formed to support his candidacy: “Run Ben Run” and “Extraordinary America”. As a man of faith, Carson attracted a number of Christian-conservatives who struggled to understand how other Republicans could fall for a rube like Trump. As Carson continued to fall on the polls, increasingly desperate supporters could only blame the media and find solace in prayer.

The film is somewhat reminiscent of Weiner, with the major disadvantage that Carson’s downfall wasn’t nearly as entertaining as the former NY representative’s. PACmen offers very little new information on how Super-PACs operate and even less on the Carson’s campaign (well documented by the media) to justify its existence. It is, however, dryly amusing.

2/5 stars. PACmen will also play May 3rd at the Hart House, the 5th at TIFF Bell Lightbox and the 6th at the Fox Theatre.

Integral Man (Canada, 2016): The most published mathematician since Euclid, James Stewart was a man of many passions: Gay rights, music and architecture. His success allowed him to build a residence with very particular specifications: Heavy on glass and wood, mostly curve. The outcome -Rosedale’s Integral House- would go on becoming a sanctuary for classical music and benefit events.

More than a documentary, Integral Man is closer to architecture porn. Despite being barely an hour long, most of the length is used on repetitive shots of the residence. There is some input from the team that designed the house that’s neither illuminating nor insightful.

It’s unfortunate, considering Stewart’s considerable legacy. His contributions to calculus are barely paid lip service, let alone his activism (judging from the footage alone, all he did was hosting dinners). First-time feature director and landscape architect Joseph Clement does the very minimum (the house, the house at night, the house in winter, the house empty, the house with people) and failed to venture outside his zone of comfort, at the expense of the subject.

1.5/5 stars. Integral Man will also play on May 3rd at TIFF Bell Lightbox and May 5th at the Fox Theatre.

Recruiting for Jihad (Norway, 2016): There is a fundamental problem with this doc about a Jihadist connecting radicalized young men with the Islamic State: In order to gain access, the filmmakers gave the recruiter decision power regarding content. The film is illuminating, but comes short in showing the mechanics of the process.

2.5/5 stars. Recruiting for Jihad will play one last time Saturday 6th at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

HotDocs Film Festival - Day 5: The Workers Cup

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Workers Cup (UK, 2017): Much has been said about the brutal conditions foreign workers must endure while building stadiums for the 2022 Qatar World Cup (high temperatures, excessive hours, disproportionately low wages). Their plight has seldom been documented: Press access to worksites is severely restricted.

Director Adam Sobel takes advantage of a PR move to gain access to the workforce. The embattled contractors have organized a soccer championship to show concern for the wellbeing of their employees: The Workers Cup. The overworked personnel fails to see the tournament as a publicity stunt and happily become involved.

The harsh realities of being a foreign worker in Qatar seep through the supposedly wholesome competition. Unsavory situations like being unable to leave camp at will, or a man getting stabbed by his roommate so he could be sent back home pepper the daily lives of the migrant workforce.

Much to the film’s credit, The Workers Cup treats its subjects as individuals with agency and not as victims, which makes their plight much more relatable. Their story has only started to unfold

3.5/5 stars. The Workers Cup will play one last time on Sunday 7th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Hot Docs Film Festival - Day 4: The Road Forward

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Road Forward (Canada, 2016): A blend of musical and documentary too ambitious for its own good, The Road Forward attempts to tackle First Nations’ most significant struggles of the last century (the Native Brotherhood, the Constitution Express, residential schools, missing aboriginal women) via information and music. The outcome is so scattered, it’s hard to become fully immersed in the film.

As if recent history wasn’t enough, The Road Forward dedicates a fair amount of time to the performers’ own battles. Their stories are compelling in their own right, but become lost in a bombardment of minutiae, particularly in the top half. Five years ago, the stylistically similar The Art of Killing succeeded by limiting its scope.

The rise of Canada’s first indigenous newspaper -The Native Voice- gives the film a vague framing, but the outcome cries for structure. The music comes close to provide one (“Indian Man” is so catchy it should transcend the film), but the result is far from cohesive.

 2/5 stars.

The Road Forward also will play May 1st and May 6th at the Scotiabank Theatre.

Hot Docs Film Festival - Day 3: City of Ghosts, Shiners

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

City of Ghosts (USA, 2016): Documentaries don’t get any timelier and pressing than director Matthew Heineman’s follow-up to Cartel Land. The filmmaker chronicles the struggle of a group of Syrians who, as a response to ISIS taking over their city, started the site called “Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently”, which would go on to win the Freedom of the Press Award.

Unless, let’s say, America’s citizen journalism (often an angry white guy with a blog and a lot of venom to spew), the RBSS journos risk their lives even outside Syria. The Islamic State has put a price to their heads and there is no shortage of fanatics willing to go hunting.

The footage is brutal and often hard to watch (the executions are horrifying and the indoctrination of children is plain sinister). The film excels at portraying the danger the reporters face and the value of the information they get out of the country. Anyone who wants to find out what’s at stake in Syria should look out for this doc.

4/5 stars. City of Ghosts will also play May 6th and 7th at the HotDocs Ted Rogers Cinema.

Shiners (Canada, 2016): This terrific doc takes on a trade that exists around the globe -shoe shinning- and uses it to shed light on different cultures and the way this activity is perceived. The formula is simple: Five different cities, one or two shiners per town.

In New York and Toronto, shoe-shinning is a hipster trend, a craft practiced by people who find the occupation soothing. In Tokio, it’s a science: The main practitioner has learned everything there is to know about leather and delivers footgear that looks better than new. In Sarajevo, it’s a matter of pride: A shoe shiner’s father never stopped working, even in the midst of war, and the son wants to honor him by continuing the tradition. In La Paz, there is shame involved, to the point shiners must wear masks to avoid recognition and possible discrimination.

The film is both illuminating and touching. Every subject has a compelling story to tell, even the clients. One only wishes a sixth city could have been included so the film could beat the ninety-minute mark.

3.5/5 stars. Shiners will also play April 30th and May 4th at the Hart House Theatre. 

Hot Docs Film Festival - Day 2: Mermaids, Blurred Lines, Brimstone & Glory

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Mermaids (Canada, 2016): A fascinating phenomenon per se, women who find personal fulfillment by becoming “mermaids” are a lot more common than expected. Mermaids focuses on three of them, each one going through a challenging journey: A transgender woman, a grieving sister and a bipolar Latina coming to terms with a history of abuse. Each one has discovered that rubber tails free them from all their burdens, however briefly.

Mermaids does a good job humanizing a potentially ludicrous practice: Midway through the film, director Ali Weinstein digs deep on what makes this women tick and finds gold. The documentary could have used some professional insight, but as it stands, it’s quite entertaining.

3/5 stars. Mermaids will also play Saturday, April 29th, at the Isabel Bader Theatre, Monday, May 1st, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Friday the 5th at the Scotiabank Theatre.

Blurred Lines: Inside the Art World (Canada, 2017): This academic doc by Barry Avrich (Stratford Festival’s mainstay director) is a good example of a compelling topic comprehensively researched. The matter at hand is the business of art: Billions of dollars change hands with little regulation and often with merely speculative purposes. The result is a mercenary market that shapes artists’ output and not for the best.

Avrich spares us any lecturing about how art and money are mutually exclusive. The filmmaker puts together an impressive array of interviewees, including contemporary figures like Marina Abramovic and Julian Schnabel, collectors, consultants, gallerists and museum directors. You won’t find any dealers, but there is a good reason for that. Blurred Lines benefits of a visually enthralling subject and delivers an agreeable experience, if a notch sterile.

3.5/5 stars. Blurred Lines will also play Saturday, April 29th, at the HotDocs Ted Rogers Cinema and Sunday, May 7th, at the Isabel Bader Theatre. 

Brimstone & Glory (USA, 2017): There isn't a better format to register collective madness, in this case, the National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec, Mexico. The entire town lives for this event, even though very few have the education to create fireworks (most of the instructions come from tradition and trial and error) and many have lost limbs, if not their lives.

The event itself is at a whole other level of crazy. Most of the fireworks go off at eye level and in the middle of the crowd. Embers landing in people’s eyeballs are a common occurrence. Not surprisingly, the film is visually enthralling (director Viktor Jakovleski uses traditional and GoPro cameras to capture the action), although it could have used more research or characters to follow.

3/5 stars. Brimstone & Glory will also play Saturday, April 29th, at the Scotiabank Theatre and Saturday, May 6th, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

HotDocs Film Festival - Day 1: Bee Nation

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Bee Nation (Canada, 2017): The definition of a crowd-pleaser to kick off this edition of HotDocs, Bee Nation revolves around an event with tension, drama and personal achievement ingrained in its DNA: The First Nations Provincial Spelling Bee competition. The first ever for aboriginal community.

It’s Documentary 101: Director Lana Slezic pics a handful of kids from different First Nations communities in Saskatchewan and shows their lives and how they prepare for the event. The approach allows some distressing information to seep through, like the fact schools in reserves receive considerable less money per student and, forcing administrators to make some hard decisions regarding their curriculum.

The children Slezic picks as main subjects are all overachievers, but they have a personality of their own (for William, failure is devastating; Savannah is a model of personal drive). In each case, their parental figures see education as a way out, a chance to see a world beyond the reserve. Heartbreak is unavoidable (the winners of the provincial chapter head to Toronto to compete against private school kids with tutors), but makes for great cinema.

Bee Nation is a bit stately (it’s presented under the CBC Docs banner), but is worth your attention.

3/5 stars. Bee Nation will also play Friday, April 28th, at the HotDocs Ted Rogers Cinema, and Saturday, May 6th, at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

REVIEW: The Second Time Around: Maybe the Third One

This amiable senior drama could have used some teeth.

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

THE PLOT: Katherine (Linda Thorson, The Avengers’ Tara King!) is a vivacious, music-loving septuagenarian who -following an accident at the opera- lands at a seniors’ home. Despite assurances from her daughter that it’s a temporary arrangement, Katherine couldn’t possibly be unhappier.

Things begin to look up when she meets Isaac (Stuart Margolin, The Rockford Files), a retired tailor whose incipient arthritis doesn’t prevent him from doing patch jobs for his housemates. After a rocky start, Katherine and Isaac tentatively embark in a romantic relationship, but at their age, the stakes are higher and the challenges, numerous.

CRITIQUE: A low-key drama with one too many troupes, The Second Time Around caters to a very specific niche, the one that flocks the 5th Avenue Cineplex in Vancouver and the Varsity in Toronto. The straightforward narrative has a clear drive (seniors being the driving agents of their own lives), and if you don’t mind predictability, it may satisfy. The one thing the film doesn’t deliver is fresh insight.

Linda Thorson and especially Stuart Margolin succeed at making the often stilted dialogue tolerable. It’s the younger cast members who are not as successful at making the script their own.

WHAT WORKS:

* Not only Stuart Margolin is the movie’s MVP. He gets to sing a couple of songs in Yiddish worth your attention.

* There is some chemistry between Margolin and Linda Thorson. The courtship features some charming, quiet moments, all too infrequent in modern cinema.

* The movie looks favorably at indulging and enabling our elders, a rather unexpected message for a film of this nature.

WHAT DOESN’T:

* The cinematography is very dull. The production design is particularly unimaginative.

* Most of the comedy falls flat and, when it doesn’t, it’s too gentle to register.

* You wouldn’t believe the number of 360-degree dolly shots this movie has.

RATING: **

RATING (CANADIAN CURVE): **1/2

The Second Time Around is now playing in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

TIFF '16 -Day 9: Trespass Against Us, The Belko Experiment, Little Wing, The Net

By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Trespass Against Us (UK, 2015): I would normally praise an A-lister for going back to his native land to do a cheaper movie, but Michael Fassbender is rather miscast in this mildly compelling drama. Fassbender is Chad, the second in command of a band of outlaws living in the forest. Chad is good at what he does and is one hell of getaway driver. He is also a family man and has slightly more common sense than his fellow thieves.

When it becomes clear his son is likely to end up as one of the inept criminals that surround him, Chad begins to consider the possibility of jumping ship. The only obstacle is his father (Brendan Gleeson), a powerful figure that keeps Chad under his thumb using putdowns and guilt-tripping.

It just takes one look at Fassbender to realize he is no shrinking violet, a detail that makes his character hard to swallow. He is not the only problem: Trespass Against Us often feels aimless, the premise is stretched over ninety minutes for no apparent reason. While we care about the outcome, the film could have use a rewrite and a less-chiseled star. Three stars.

The Belko Experiment (USA, 2016): Imagine The Hunger Games without the terrible romance, or Battle Royale without the mystique. It’s just an every-man-for-himself brawl set in corporate America, and it’s predictably nasty and entertaining. Three stars.

Little Wing (Finland, 2016): The issue of immature parents who lean emotionally on their children is a recurrent one in this edition of the festival. In Little Wing, the subject is treated matter-of-factly: A twelve-year old girl basically raises herself as her self-involved mother sees her more as a clutch than as a person. That is, until the kid goes missing. Too low key to cause a splash, but worth looking out. Three and a half stars.

The Net (South Korea, 2016): Controversial filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk (Moebius, Pieta) delivers his most traditional film to date, but one with edge to spare. Through the story of a North Korean fisherman who unwittingly finds himself south of the demilitarized zone, Kim depicts the two Koreas as the mirror images of one another. According to The Net, neither country can claim moral superiority, not quite the narrative we hear in the Western World. Three and a half stars.

That’s it for me folks. Four to five movies a day take a toll on you. See you at the movies.

For more #TIFF16 up-to-the-minute updates, follow me on Twitter at @jicastillo.