Clouds of Neptunbrunnen, Berlin
Memory Trigger
When I was in Berlin last year, the changing skyscape made for some atmospheric shots. I did make it to a screening at a multiplex at Potsdamer Platz, which is one of the venues of the Berlinale, but I failed to visit Berlin's Filmmuseum. How did that happen?
A return visit to the city is definitely in order, and with an open invitation from a couple of fascinating and creative Berliners I met at a friend's wedding in Germany this year, I may indeed return some day.
The most recent films I've seen set in Berlin include Rabbit a la Berlin, a quirky, award-winning documentary that screened at Hot Docs last year. It's about the colonies of rabbits that occupied the green zone between the Berlin Wall and its fences. But a true masterpiece of a film set in Berlin, and don't judge me for this because I only saw it for the first time a couple of months ago, is Wim Wenders Wings of Desire. Absolutely mesmerizing.
A return visit to the city is definitely in order, and with an open invitation from a couple of fascinating and creative Berliners I met at a friend's wedding in Germany this year, I may indeed return some day.
The most recent films I've seen set in Berlin include Rabbit a la Berlin, a quirky, award-winning documentary that screened at Hot Docs last year. It's about the colonies of rabbits that occupied the green zone between the Berlin Wall and its fences. But a true masterpiece of a film set in Berlin, and don't judge me for this because I only saw it for the first time a couple of months ago, is Wim Wenders Wings of Desire. Absolutely mesmerizing.
Day 1 - Thu Sep 09
- So what does an ardent TIFFer do the days before the festival starts? Well, they curse at their blog that seems to have a formatting mind of its own, grocery shop for two weeks of food including plenty of chocolate, get their hair done, prepare 11 days worth of outfits, get sick and then get better after plying themselves with every natural immune system booster out there, and manicure their nails. Unfortunately, I tried a new colour which looked great in the bottle (a purple sharkskin), but it's a very ghoulish purple and I look like I'm prepped for burial.
- I also caught some good flicks this week including The Prophet (an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film last year), The American (Clooney's good but the story is a little cliche) and Todd Solendz's new movie, Life During Wartime, which is predictably dysfunctional, but brilliant nonetheless. I had to pass on an opportunity to go to a preview screening of the new Wall Street movie this week (just could not fit it in), but I did get to a kick-ass dance class that still has me smiling. I'm picking up choreography a lot quicker these days, but I'm just becoming a better mimic - I still can't retain choreography. And I don't think I'll ever be a good Hip Hop popper, but I'm giving it a good shot.
- I'm not sure how it happened, but with only a few movies screening the first night of TIFF, I actually got into the two films I had selected. This is one of those years I had absolutely no interest in the opening gala film, a Canadian hockey musical. Yes, you heard it right. I've been seeing the trailer for several weeks now, and even though the remarkable Hawksley Workman, who I saw in concert recently, did several songs for the film, I think I'll wait until the film hits the The Movie Network. Ho-key.
- I always seem to have a panic attack getting to my first movie each festival. The TTC is predictably slow, the crowds downtown are ridiculously madding and I worry about getting a good seat. But when I got to the theatre five minutes before the movie was supposed to start, they had not even started to let the line in. So I went to my usual outpost inside the Ryerson building across from the theatre and waited until I saw the line moving. I then took my usual sneaky underground route and made my way into the theatre while 90% of the people outside were still in line slowly moving in. I can't believe I am the only sneaky person in Toronto, but it seemed I was one of the few who defied the rules. I got my usual perfect seat at the Ryerson Theatre - three or four rows back and four seats in. Trust me, the view is good and because of the seating configuration, the leg room in this seat is especially better here than in the rest of theatre.
- I've been quite bored with my wardrobe lately, especially work wear, so I decided to dress a little funkier than usual. I sported a somewhat avant garde white shirt, skinny black jeans, my purple and fuschia shoes purchased in Berlin, and a skinny purple tie I bought recently (for some unfathomable reason). So I was feeling a little fashionista tonight. Good to be back in that groove.
Film Socialism
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/filmsocialism
Jean Luc Godard, Switzerland
Godard's latest film, a "symphony in three movements," grapples with trying to make sense of a world that appears to be beyond comprehension and meaning.
Jean Luc Godard, Switzerland
Godard's latest film, a "symphony in three movements," grapples with trying to make sense of a world that appears to be beyond comprehension and meaning.
Contemplations
I wish I could be respectful of Jean Luc Godard. But what the fuck? First of all, I have a feeling the delay getting into the theatre was because they realized the print they had received of Film Socialism was not subtitled, as the film ran in mostly French, some German and some Russian with no subtitling. Or maybe it was intentional. Who knows. But Toronto audiences are very forgiving and very polite. I only saw one person leave the theatre, but that was just at the front of the theatre.
Thank goodness for my French, but even so, some of the dialogue was lost on me. However, the ridiculous thing was that it didn't matter whether you could understand what was being spoken, because there was no obvious connection between the dialogue and the images. If this movie was supposed to be about "trying to make sense of a world that appears to be beyond comprehension and meaning," it totally succeeded in confounding everyone. This kind of film, unfortunately, is not accessible and it's a couple of hours I'll never regain. I'm sure that on some higher level it's an astounding film, but I'm too short to see the genius. What can I say? What the fuck?
Thank goodness for my French, but even so, some of the dialogue was lost on me. However, the ridiculous thing was that it didn't matter whether you could understand what was being spoken, because there was no obvious connection between the dialogue and the images. If this movie was supposed to be about "trying to make sense of a world that appears to be beyond comprehension and meaning," it totally succeeded in confounding everyone. This kind of film, unfortunately, is not accessible and it's a couple of hours I'll never regain. I'm sure that on some higher level it's an astounding film, but I'm too short to see the genius. What can I say? What the fuck?
Inside Job
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/insidejob
Charles Ferguson, USA
An in-depth exploration of what caused the financial crisis from the Oscar-nominated director of No End in Sight, highlighting failures in business, government and academia.
Charles Ferguson, USA
An in-depth exploration of what caused the financial crisis from the Oscar-nominated director of No End in Sight, highlighting failures in business, government and academia.
Contemplations
Inside Job is the kind of movie that makes me sick - literally. It's not filled with gratuitous violence and is not about depraved sexual behaviour. But like a comparable documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, it's about mankind's propensity for greed. This film looks at the recent economic crisis and its key players and asks some pretty tough questions of the subjects being interviewed. And trust me, there's a lot of squirming.
I really do get physically ill watching movies about men, and apologies to the male of the species, but it is primarily men, who think that having $415 million in personal wealth is not enough. Sadly, the film does not end on an optimistic note because one of the really new pieces of information in this film (to me, anyway) is about the role that economics departments in universities played in the destruction of the world economy. Add to that the fact that Obama has surrounded himself with economic advisors who helped engineer this crisis, and one has to wonder where the change will come from. I found myself holding back tears in many parts of this film - just too many people suffering in this world and the arrogance of these power posers is sickening.
Director Charles Ferguson was on hand for the Q&A as well as his producer. He's hoping his film will make a difference and urge people to act. It's getting a feature release fairly shortly, so please run, don't walk to see this film. It's not innovative filmmaking (kind of a la Michael Moore without all the antics). But it's important subject matter, incredibly well-researched, accessible despite the complicated subject matter, and you won't be bored.
And FYI, Matt Damon narrates the movie. He did it for "far, far, far less than his usual fee." Way to go Matt.
I really do get physically ill watching movies about men, and apologies to the male of the species, but it is primarily men, who think that having $415 million in personal wealth is not enough. Sadly, the film does not end on an optimistic note because one of the really new pieces of information in this film (to me, anyway) is about the role that economics departments in universities played in the destruction of the world economy. Add to that the fact that Obama has surrounded himself with economic advisors who helped engineer this crisis, and one has to wonder where the change will come from. I found myself holding back tears in many parts of this film - just too many people suffering in this world and the arrogance of these power posers is sickening.
Director Charles Ferguson was on hand for the Q&A as well as his producer. He's hoping his film will make a difference and urge people to act. It's getting a feature release fairly shortly, so please run, don't walk to see this film. It's not innovative filmmaking (kind of a la Michael Moore without all the antics). But it's important subject matter, incredibly well-researched, accessible despite the complicated subject matter, and you won't be bored.
And FYI, Matt Damon narrates the movie. He did it for "far, far, far less than his usual fee." Way to go Matt.
