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September 10, 2008

TIFF - chasing...

It's almost time for a list of the films I really haven't liked while here... but not right now... still running around like crazy.

One of the films I really did like - and again, not enough time right now to really go into it - was Malkovich in Disgrace, from the JM Coetzee book. A strong story. A nice piece of directing. But mostly, a fearless, unshowy, brilliant piece of acting by Malkovich. I mean, he gives it all up to this movie. All of his gimmicks... all of his vanity... all the stuff you expect to see when you see Malkovich. But he is fantastic as a vain, selfish, sad little man who can endure what he thinks he has control of, but who has to find new colors in himself when he is pushed beyond that place.

Commerciality is always discussed seconds after any rave up here... and I don't know. It's South Africa. it's a dry piece, as befits the material. And it demands some work from the audience, mostly in the form of self-reflection. It isn't spoon-feeding us. And I love that. But how will that sell?

Just a year ago, that might not matter as much. There were many more players and the money was flowing more freely. This is exactly the kind of small film that could lead to acting awards for Malkovich and, potentially, newcomer Jessica Haines. But more likely, in this climate, it's IFC or Magnolia on a couple of NY/LA/Chicago screens before hitting DVD.

And so it goes...

Posted by poland at September 10, 2008 05:10 PM

Comments

After a rocky start with "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond" (apparently there was a reason why this "rare original" Tennessee Williams screenplay had never been previously filmed: it stinks), this turned out to be one of my more satisfying days at TIFF '08.
Even though I guessed the downer ending, "Wendy and Lucy" features a tour-de-force performance by Michelle Williams that deserves to be mentioned at awards time (but probably won't because the film's too "small"). I wasn't a huge fan of Kelly Reichardt's "Old Joy," but "W&L" places makes a convincing case for Reichardt being an American spiritual cousin of Belguim's Dardenne Brothers.
Like "The Wrestler," "35 Shots of Rum" seems--on the surface anyway--atypically conventional for France's Claire Denis. But it's so beautifully directed, acted and photographed (by Denis regular Agnes Godard), that it manages to achieve the sublime more often than not.
Speaking of conventional, Jan Troell's "Everlasting Moments" is "tradition-of-quality" cinema all the way, and probably incapable of finding a sizable American theatrical audience (even in limited IFC-style release). Still, I was more "satisfied" by Troell's gem of a film than almost anything else I've seen this past week. It's so good that I've already added "The Emigrants" and "The New Land" to my Netflix queue to give them both a second look.
Thursday note: Major bummer that they arbitrarily moved the 4:45 press screening of "Lymelife" to 5:45 so that it now conflicts with Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles" at 7:15.
Just another reason why the 33rd edition of the Toronto Int'l Film Festival will go down in my personal record book as the most disappointing ever.

Posted by: movieman [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 10, 2008 07:34 PM

So glad you've taken a punt on two Aussie flicks, Dave (Disgrace and Not Quite Hollywood, obviously) and actually liked them. Also good to hear about Malkovich. I'd really gone off him lately, but this sounds quite impressive.

Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 10, 2008 11:11 PM

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