Never Let Me Go

Director: Mark Romanek
Writers: Alex Garland, Kazuo Ishiguro (author)
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Kiera Knightley, Andrew Garfield
Release Date: September 24, 2010
Length: 2 hours

Based on the disturbing 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go stars Oscar nominee Carey Muligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. Premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the film tells the troubling story of students who have attended Hailsham, a private boarding school in England that teaches children that they will become full organ donors that will eventually kill them. Kathy (Mulligan), Ruth (Knightley) and Tommy (Garfield) were children who grew up in Hailsham together. The film takes place over three time periods, when the children are in school at the age of 12, when they are leaving at the age of 18, and then reuniting ten years later. This dark tale is told through the eyes of Kathy, a girl whose best friend stole the boy she loves at a very young age. This treacherous love triangle is the conflict set within the dystopian world that they live in. Director Mark Romanek of One Hour Photo beautifully drapes a very disturbing setting on this story. The horrible circumstances of the film are definitely prominent, however Romanek makes them seem so natural to the way the characters live, so that the film can focus more on the characters and plot. I surprisingly found myself getting used to everything this world demanded. The setting affected the story, but did not control it. Screenwriter Alex Garland somehow made the audience empathize for these far out of reach characters. Everything in the story didn’t make you feel sad or heartbroken, just depressed. That was an effect I didn’t completely enjoy about Never Let Me Go. While capturing the authenticity of this feeling exactly like a normal world, the film did not leave me with any intense feeling, nor did I think about it much after I left the theatre. One of the best aspects of this film was the cast. Never Let Me Go seems to be a comeback for Keira Knightley, another stepping stone for Carey Mulligan, and a boost for Andrew Garfield, who is claiming his fame right now. The word comeback should almost not be used for a twenty five year old actress, but it seems appropriate for Knightley, who has been in the public eye since she was 16, and has not been in a movie for two years. Her presence is always loved on screen and once again she performs spectacularly in Never Let Me Go. Oddly enough though, Knightley does not star, but takes a back seat to Carey Mulligan in this movie. Mulligan was wonderful as the film’s protaganist and beautifully carried the film. It was sad to watch her character observe her two friends in their relationship. Sometimes however, it was a bit annoying that nothing was happening to the main character. She was just watching interesting things occur. Also, as a personal fan of Mulligan, I surprisingly found that Knightley’s performance outshined Mulligan’s. The lead male actor of the film, Andrew Garfield is quickly making a name for himself with Never Let Me Go and the extremely successful The Social Network and he’s soon to star in the next Spider Man. Garfield also gives an incredible performance in this film, but no matter how great each actor was individually, it was their convincing friendship which was the believable affective aspect of the film. Even though I wasn’t blown away by this film, I definitely do not feel that I wasted my money or time. Never Let Me Go is surely not a must-see, but still a very good film to catch.

The Town

Director: Ben Affleck
Writers: Ben Affleck, Peter Craig, Aaron Stockard, Chuck Hogan (author)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall
Release Date: September 17, 2010
Length: 2 hours 5 minutes

Fairly new director Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), this time is also co-writing, starring and producing to bring Chuck Hogan’s novel about the true crime of Boston to life. The Town was at both this year’s Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, and stars the fantastic Jeremy Renner, the beautiful Rebecca Hall, and the handsome Jon Hamm. Doug McKay (Affleck) and Chris Coughlin (Renner) are two bank robbers living in Charlestown, a section of Boston. They’ve been best friends since childhood and on their latest robbery, they force bank manager, Claire (Hall) to open a safe, blind her, and leave her on a beach. While traumatized from this event, Claire is interviewed by FBI agent, Adam Frawley (Hamm). Frawley is in charge of finding the robbers and already begins to suspect Doug and James. James convinces Doug to find Claire and warn her about not talking to the FBI, but instead when Doug goes, he ends up talking to her and asking her on a date. As their romantic relationship grows, problems arise when James and Doug are planning their next heist and agent Frawley is on the verge of outing them. For the past decade, Ben Affleck has earned himself an outstanding reputation for being in bad movie after bad movie. For the longest time in my mind, I only ever knew him as the actor who appears in cheesy films, such as Daredevil, Paycheck and let’s not mention Gigli but because I am too young to have remembered his success for the phenomenal film Good Will Hunting. I could barely walk when he and Matt Damon won their Oscars in 1998. When I heard about that movie for the first time, it blew my mind that an actor who’s been in so many terrible films, could have won an Oscar. Now, I understand why and let me tell you, anyone who’s seen The Town will never make fun of him for Gigli again. He had a slight comeback back in 2007, with his directorial debut of Gone Baby Gone, but The Town defines the word “comeback” for Affleck. He unravels a dark intriguing story on screen with a prefect blend of action, romance, and even a bit of comedy. All of these traits that the movie presents lies on top of an incredibly serious undertone. The fact that a film can bring all those emotions out of you within two hours is incredible. Affleck, as a director, incorporates quite a lot of tremendous action that is necessary for the story. I felt on the edge of my seat because of the special effects, the writing, the acting, and even the score. This was refreshing compared to most action flicks you see nowadays that bombard you with special effects. Affleck was clearly fantastic as a writer, director, actor and producer, but he also chose a hell of a cast. British actress Rebecca Hall, best known for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, was captivating as Claire. Her simple performance was incredibly effective because her character was so real that the audience could relate to. It also helped that her and Affleck shared a wonderful chemistry. Jon Hamm just can’t do wrong with his career. While being on Mad Men for 4 seasons, this is his first movie since his big break, which came only a few years ago. He is taking his time with choosing great movies because it is already obvious to the world of what an amazing actor he is. He seems to always be so intense and again it works in The Town. Hamm’s powerful performance was perfect for the exciting theme of this movie. Blake Lively as an old flame of Doug’s was definitely an odd casting choice for the movie, but Lively was surprisingly quite good as Krista, James’ sister. Lively seems to be one of those actors that performs as well as their script commands of them. Maybe I misjudged Lively’s acting ability at first from only seeing her in Gossip Girl, but now I know that she does have talent, especially in a great film. However the most notable, exceptional performance from this movie came from the outstanding Jeremy Renner. Everyone knew after seeing The Hurt Locker, that Renner was a fantastic actor, but now after seeing The Town, I know he is an extraordinary character actor. From the accent to the way he walked, I had Renner pegged down as a stupid, violent Charlestown bank robber. I almost thought I was watching a completely different person on screen from when I saw The Hurt Locker. Renner’s performance was nothing short of magnetic to the audience. He was the cherry on top to this already spectacular film. I almost don’t want Affleck to make another movie because I can’t imagine him topping this one. If you haven’t already, go see The Town.

What's Wrong With Virgina

Director: Dustin Lance Black
Writer: Dustin Lance Black
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Harrison Gilbertson, Ed Harris
Release Date: TBA
Length: 2 hours 15 minutes

Academy award winning screenwriter of Milk, Dustin Lance Black takes on a project all of his own, this time directing as well. Premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, What’s Wrong With Virginia stars the incredible Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris and newcomer Harrison Gilbertson. The film follows  a mentally unstable mother, Virginia (Connelly) and her mature 15-year-old son, Emmett (Gilbertson), who takes care of her in a southern Mormon town. Emmett has always been unsure of who his father is even though there have been speculations that it’s sheriff Dick Tipton (Harris), who his mother still continues to have an affair with, despite him being married. Emmett begins to have a relationship with Dick’s daughter, Jessie (Emma Roberts), which complicates things for the two families. Virginia’s mental disabilities progressively get worse and seem to keep affecting others more and more. This dark, disturbing tale winds us through the scary lives around Virginia in this small religious town. The fact that Dustin Lance Black grew up in a small town definitely helped create the weird and timeless setting of the movie. Although the movie takes place in present day with the way they talk and dress, the Mormon aspect makes the film seem old because of how these people behave. Black’s only two scripts so far have both been filled with tons of raw emotion, distressing deep characters, and a dark unsettling story to tell. He continues to pull every little bit of emotion we, as the audience can endure. He also certainly has a phenomenal cast to work with. Jennifer Connelly certainly nails the crazy down for this character, but that’s not what made me love her performance. She creates a balance of feelings the audience felt toward her. She makes us hate her for being a mindless bad mother and makes us empathize for her situation. She even makes us laugh quite a lot. Connelly embodies this complicated, hard to understand character so well. Another exceptional performance comes from breakout Australian actor, Harrison Gilbertson. Despite Connelly’s performance, Gilbertson carries the movie for me, which I believe his character is supposed to do. He portrays a realistic, smart young man, who has matured quickly from his relationship with his mother, him being more of the parent to her. At the same time however, he is heartbreakingly naïve, innocent and optimistic toward his bleak future. Together Connelly and Gilbertson’s performances are groundbreaking because I never once doubted them as mother and son, as they shared an odd family chemistry on screen. This is a heavy, heavy movie that will take a lot out of you. That may sound uninviting, but that is an emotional affect that doesn’t occur too often in movies anymore. You couldn’t have asked for more from Black on his second film. What’s Wrong With Virginia is a definite must-see.

The Debt

Director: John Madden
Writers: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, Peter Straughan
Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chapstain
Release Date: August 31, 2011
Length: 1 hour 45 minutes

In 1965, three young Israeli Mossad agents are sent on a mission to kill a Nazi war Doctor. Rachel (Jessica Chastain), David (Sam Worthington), and Stefan (Martin Csokas) are put up in an apartment in Berlin, though they have never met each other before. An awkward love triangle forms almost immediately between the three of them. Although David and Rachel are clearly attracted to each other, David distances himself from her as much as possible, as opposed to Stefan who is constantly flirting. 30 years later, Rachel (Helen Mirren) reads at a celebration for her autobiography, where she tells everyone how the team was successful in killing the doctor. The audience now learns that she married Stefan and had a daughter with him. Going back and forth from 1965 to 1995, we discover the assassins might not have been completely truthful in their telling of events. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, The Debt is a disorganized mix of drama, thriller, action and romance all combined. Although I love Helen Mirren, I doubted I would believe her as a retired Israeli spy. Watching this film, I remembered it’s Helen Mirren. She can play any role perfectly which she did again in this film. Tom Wilkinson (who plays the older Stefan) and Cirian Hinds (the older David) also gave fantastic performances. All three actors were well chosen for this film and I only wish I saw more of them in the movie. The majority of the film took place 30 years earlier in Berlin, with the three younger actors. Sam Worthington, despite the bad accent, was wonderful as David, even though a good portion of his performance consisted of only brooding. Jessica Chastain and Martin Csokas both gave great performances as well. In short, there was nothing wrong with acting in The Debt. The slow, random script however, sometimes bored me and also confused me about what genre this movie was trying to be. Understanding that this film is a remake of an Israeli film that came out in 2007, it seems like the screenwriters just translated the script and added more guns. Action movies are not my favourite genre of films, but I have no problems with them. I do however have problems with action films that have no excitement. My biggest problem with The Debt was that it was supposed to be a film about assassins on a mission to kill a war criminal and I felt no sense of suspense or tension whatsoever. For the first 40 minutes of the film, I was genuinely interested in the story and the characters, but for some reason my intrigue was lost and although I tried, I didn’t care by the end about what was true or what had to happen. I enjoyed the romance between David and Rachael, but eventually the whole script was filled with too many clichés that lessened the film’s originality. Another disappointing film at this year’s festival, you can feel free to miss The Debt. 

Tamara Drewe

Director: Stephen Frears
Writers: Moira Buffini, Posy Simmonds (author)
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Dominic Cooper, Roger Allam
Release Date: October 8, 2010
Length: 1 hour 51 minutes

Stephen Frears, best known for directing Mrs. Henderson Presents and The Queen, takes on the dark romantic comedy, Tamara Drewe, based off the graphic novels. Filled with that familiar British wit and oddity, Tamara Drewe tells the story of a tactless young woman, whose presence shakes up a small English town. Gemma Arterton is Tamara, a twenty six year old journalist who lives in London. When her mother dies, Tamara must travel back to her old town to figure out what she will do with her Mum’s house. When she arrives in this dreaded place, she see’s her old neighbours, including the guy she lost her virginity to, Andy (Luke Evans). The reason Tamara detests this town so much is because while she lived in it, she was an ugly disgusting teenager, with a huge nose, as opposed to the sophisticated, beautiful young lady she is today (with a new nose). While attending a local concert to interview the band, she meets eyeliner-wearing drummer, Ben (Dominic Cooper). The two sleep together and eventually have their relationship blossom into an engagement while they live in Tamara’s mom’s house, which she decides not to sell. The film takes place over the course of a year and delves into the complicated lives of everyone living in this countryside town, not just Tamara’s. I went into this movie thinking it would be a nice funny romantic comedy from England. How nice that would have been. Instead it ended up being a very dark comedy that reminds you of how creepy and disturbing suburbia can be, sort of similar to the film American Beauty, in that way. The film had a wide set of diverse characters, each who had their own plots, and I have to say I honestly did not care about any of them. I did not feel myself understanding nor empathizing or caring for any one of the characters in this movie. I laughed a few times in the beginning of the film but toward the end when I wasn’t even paying attention to the storyline, I felt like I would be taking energy out of myself to laugh at something I didn’t care about. Thank heavens, Gemma Arterton starred in this movie because I have always loved her as an actress, and if not for her performance, I would have been bored to tears through the two hours of this film. As usual, Arterton had her confident lovely voice paired with her witty and smart mannerisms that captivated me once more. She took on a character I found myself hating, and at the same time, I still loved Arerton for it. That is why I won’t remember her as the girl in this lifeless movie, but as the magnificent actress who stopped me from falling asleep. Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!) was also funny in his role as Rock star Ben Sergeant. It’s quite a change to see him constantly wearing leather as opposed to a swimsuit or nicely suited up in An Education. I appreciate the spunk and peculiarity the film conveyed but along with Gemma Arterton’s performance, it wasn’t enough to make me like this unexciting film. This was unfortunately one of the most disappointing films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. I did not hate this film with a passion; I just simply wanted to leave. Hopefully Gemma Arterton’s next movie will be more interesting because Tamara Drewe was just not my cup of tea.

Easy A

Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Burt Royal
Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley
Release Date: September 17, 2010
Length: 1 hour 32 minutes

If you want your social life to have a reputation in high school, become a slut. If you want your movie to have a good reputation in Hollywood, hire Emma Stone to star in it. Stone has yet again struck out in a hilarious movie that suits her dry humor perfectly. Director Will Gluck has Stone playing a modern day Hester Prin in an original clever teen comedy Easy A. In Ojai, California, teenage girl, Olive (Stone) feels like an outcast in her high school. When she lies to her best friend, Riannon (Aly Michalka) about losing her virginity, the story spreads around her school quickly causing her innocent status to go down the drain. Soon after, Olive adds to her repertoire by helping out her gay friend, Brandon (Dan Byrd), when he and her pretend to have sex at a party, where everyone in her high school is. Gradually, as she helps out more virgin losers that want a reputation, Olive’s sweet life turns in on her, as she loses her friends, her ethics and her dignity. With this movie, Emma Stone has fully completed her non-scandalous reputation as Hollywood’s favourite funny girl. There are tons of hilarious women working in the business, like Tina Fey or Kristen Wiig, but Stone is so surprising because of her age. I can love a girl teen comedy as a guilty pleasure usually, but I have yet to enjoy a teen comedy, starring a girl, where I have laughed as much as I did during Easy A. Whether it’s her beauty or her awkwardness or her wit, Emma Stone commands the screen. Emma Stone has a deadpan humor that no other teen film starlet has ever possessed, which attracts both young people and adults. I think of Amanda Bynes, who was cute and funny, but her audiences were only ever 10-15 year old girls. Bynes coincidentally is in Easy A as well. Bynes plays bitchy, Christian girl Marianne who enjoys seeing Olive suffer. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stand Bynes’ fake, caricature performance, which is so sad because she used to sit in the chair that Stone now sits in. Disney star Aly Michalka makes a glorious leap from kids comedy to more adult comedy playing Olive’s outspoken, crude best friend Rihannon. She deserves to stay in good adult comedy because I respect her so much more now when she’s in such a funny movie. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson also give funny performances as Olive’s weird parents. The writing of this film was pretty amazing, but I will never know if I would have enjoyed it if Emma Stone were not in it. Screenwriter Burt Royal however did create such an inventive story, with the most absurd scenes, including a montage of Olive’s uneventful weekend, listening to the same song in her room, the whole time, achieving absolutely nothing. The lines were quick and surprising, making me laugh way more than I expected to. Of course in every teen comedy (let alone teen movie), there needs to be at least a little romance and Easy A perfectly had the right amount of it between Emma Stone and Penn Badgley, who plays Olive’s childhood friend Tood. There wasn’t too much romance to overshadow the comedy or storyline. There was just enough to make you go “Aww”. This is one of those movies that is smart enough for adults to enjoy, but sweet enough for teenage girls to obsess over.It also doesn’t hurt that this movie has a lot of John Hughes references, who is one my favourite directors. Easy A is by far, one of the best teenage romantic comedies that has come out in a long time.

127 Hours

Director: Danny Boyle
Writers: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Aron Ralston (author)
Starring: James Franco
Release Date: November 5, 2010
Length: 1 hour 45 minutes

Visionary director Danny Boyle is on a top film streak. After 2 years from his success with Slumdog Millionaire, he delivers 127 Hours, the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston and his extraordinary power to do the unthinkable in order to survive. Screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, 127 Hours is one of the most powerful, emotional, intense movie experiences of all time. Aron Ralston (James Franco) decides to leave his house one night, without his Swiss army knife, in what the audience is left to believe is another one of his adventurous escapades. Aron drives to Blue John canyon, where he meets and hangs out with two girls, Kristin (Kate Mara) and Megan (Amber Tamblyn). About an hour after he says goodbye to them, Aron attempts to climb out of a space between canyon walls, but as he uses a boulder to push himself up, the boulder becomes dislodged and crushes his forearm against one of the canyon walls. For five days, 127 hours to be exact, Aron struggles, trying every possible way to get himself out while he videotapes himself on his camcorder. Personally, I did not want to see a film about a guy who has to cut his arm in order to survive. So let me say to the people who want to stop reading this review now because they feel that way as well, that as someone who does not enjoy gore, the actual scene where he amputates his arm is only four minutes long. The scene is quite gory and seems sickeningly realistic, but all you have to do is look down at the floor or close your eyes and when it’s over, it’s over. The reason I bought my ticket for this film was because I fully believed Danny Boyle would not disappoint after his extreme success from Slumdog Millionaire. He’s not the only one who worked on Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, though. Academy award winning screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy and producer, Christian Colson were on the same team too. The three of them did everything but let me down. Beaufoy and Boyle faced the biggest challenge of making a one-man movie as fantastic and authentic as this movie is because it’s James Franco and no one else for about 3 quarters of the movie. Boyle pulls you into Aron’s mind so you feel and know exactly how he’s feeling and how terribly stressful this potentially fatal situation is. You don’t just feel bad for him and want him to get out. You feel like you are a part of him struggling with what he’s struggling with and trying to find a way out for both of you. At the Q&A after the TIFF screening, Danny Boyle said they didn’t want to make a movie where you end up saying, “What an incredible hero, I could never do that,”. He wanted to make a movie where you are so deepy involved with this character that you question if you would ever do that, if facing the same decision. Danny Boyle fully accomplished that goal, as I found myself thinking exactly what he wanted us to think. I wasn’t surprised that Danny Boyle delivered as a director, but I was completely blown away with what James Franco delivered as an actor. Franco, so far has acted in movies that have proven him to be a funny actor or a good actor, but he hasn’t done anything to make himself seem like an amazing actor. This is that movie that changes how everyone thinks of him and proves him to be one of the most incredible actors in Hollywood. Franco is simply outstanding in this movie. His performance as Ralston felt so genuine and so real that I forgot it was James Franco from Spider-man and Pineapple Express and I never doubted him as Ralston. Despite the disturbing premise of this film, you will leave the theatre feeling incredibly inspired and joyous. 127 Hours is not a dark story but a touchingly triumphant story. There is hardly much more to compliment 127 Hours on except to mention that it got a five-minute standing ovation at the festival’s screening, of which I proudly took part in. This movie is by far, one of the best films of the year. You will certainly be missing out if you don’t see 127 Hours.

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

Directors: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Writers: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, Ned Vizzini (author)
Starring: Kier Gilchrist, Zach Glaifinakis, Emma Roberts
Release Date: October 8, 2010
Length: 1 hour 45 minutes

Writers/Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck deliver one of my favourite novels to the big screen starring Kier Gilchrist and Zach Galifinakis. This is probably the film I was most excited to see at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, but did this dark comedy succeed in the same way the sophisticated novel did? After almost trying to kill himself, sixteen year old, Craig Gilner (Kier Gilchrist) checks himself into a mental ward at a nearby hospital. There he meets much more suicidal and crazier people than himself, including a middle-aged lowlife, Bobby (Zach Galifinakis) and a scar-faced, 16 year old girl, Noelle (Emma Roberts). During his five-day stay, Craig learns more about life and love than he ever knew before. Although many people do not know him, I am a very big fan of Kier Gilchrist, from United States of Tara, with Toni Collette, where he plays her gay son. I thought he was the perfect choice for the role of Craig because his acting comes off very real and natural usually. However, in the many scenes where he talks to his therapist or a doctor or he narrates the scene with a voice-over, I didn’t find myself believing him. Whether it was the directing or the writing that just didn’t click, I didn’t identify with his character like I did in the book, especially during the scenes, where he tries to explain what’s going on in his head. I much more enjoyed the scenes with Zach Galifinakis, not just because he was funny (which we all expect from him), but also because he gave an exceptional performance. First of all, we have never seen Galifinakis in a dramatic role before, for the few roles we’ve seen him in so far. He somehow seemed to blend and mix humor and character depth so well together, that he brought out the most laughs and sympathy from the audience. I’m unsure if Galifinakis is trained as a dramatic actor, but he sure looked like he knew what he was doing. Even though I didn’t love what I got out of Gilchrist, I still thought the love story between Craig and Noelle was quite sweet. He and Roberts shared a cute chemistry together that compensated for the parts I didn’t enjoy or was bored by. One of the things that bugged me a lot about this movie was that the setting and tone of the film rarely changed. In the book, he would have flashbacks and the story had a tempo to it. In the movie, there are many scenes, where Craig is talking to his doctor, then talking to Bobby, then talking to his roommate all one after another. Beside’s Galifinakis’ performance, I felt the same way about the movie the whole way through. For me, there was no climax or emotional change in the film. Boden and Fleck certainly kept the same uniqueness the novel had, in the way Craig thought and dreamt, but still not one thing measured up, which is usually the case with movie adaptations of novels. For someone, who hasn’t read the book, you will love it for its versatility and interesting concept. If you have read the book, you’re just going to on want it to be better than it is. It’s Kind Of A Funny Story did not rise to my high expectations, but is still a good movie.

Super

Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler
Release Date: TBA
Length: 1 hour 35 minutes

From the screenwriter of Dawn Of The Dead and director of Slither, comes another truly gruesome, gory, crude movie, but this time it isn’t a horror movie it’s a comedy. Rainn Wilson stars in James Gunn’s Super, the only film I saw at Midnight Madness of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. After his wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler) leaves him for a drug dealer, Jacques (Kevin Bacon), Frank (Wilson) creates his superhero identity, Crimson Bolt. His intentions are to kill Jacques and his followers and get his wife back, however he decides he needs to publicize Crimson Bolt first so they fear him. Therefore, Frank goes around with a heavy wrench, killing or extremely injuring anyone who does anything bad, which includes selling drugs, keying a car, or even butting in line. When a young comic book junkie, Libby (Ellen Page), figures out that Frank is the Crimson Bolt, she demands that he make her his sidekick, Boltie. He agrees and the two head off to fight crime and get back the love of his life. This movie did not turn out as a copy of the film Kick-Ass. It was very different, in that it had violence worse than that of a Tarantino movie. Maybe on the scripted page, hitting people with a wrench for butting in line seems quite humorous, but on screen, it becomes disgusting and unnecessary. I could tell I was one of the few who didn’t enjoy those parts at the midnight madness screening because every time there was a good amount of blood on the screen people groaned and laughed, where I almost vomited in my mouth. Although sometimes hilarious, this is a movie for true horror movie fans, not superhero fans. However, I really appreciated the humor incorporated into this movie. Sometimes when Frank would notice something going wrong, he would go back to his car and awkwardly, slowly change into his crimson bolt outfit, which everyone could clearly see through the window. The way Super captures the fact that this super hero has no real talents or powers is much more realistic than the movie, Kick Ass, which had a similar premise. By the end of the movie, Frank had added so many weapons and protection to his outfit that he just looked like an overly prepared FBI agent and a completely fake superhero. Of course, Rainn Wilson generated a good portion of the laughs for this movie because he is hilarious, just like he is as Dwight in The Office, but the person that saved me from hating Super was the lovely Ellen Page. Her performance as Boltie was beyond ridiculous, immature, stupid and insane. We are used to seeing her as a mature and intelligent young lady, so this performance was quite refreshing. She has a strong enough fan base now, so that she can completely humiliate herself on camera and we will love and commend her for it. When I say she humiliated herself, I really mean it. There were some scenes, I couldn’t even watch her in. Then, for her to sit and watch that in a theatre full of people and go up on stage for Q&A afterwards takes some chutzpah. I give her kudos for just accepting this role in the first place. All in all, I really respect James Gunn for making such an off the wall, funny, disgusting, even heartfelt superhero movie. If horror is your genre, you will love everything about this movie, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Daydream Nation

Director: Michael Goldbach
Writer: Michael Goldbach
Starring: Kat Dennings, Josh Lucas, Reece Thomspon
Release Date: April 15, 2011
Length:1 hour 28 minutes

The opening film for the Canada First program at TIFF, this year, was first time writer/director Michael Goldblach’s Daydream Nation, and what a dream it was. Starring the captivative Kat Dennings (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) and Josh Lucas, this film blends thrill, intensity, humor and romance all into one perfect combination. Seventeen year-old, Caroline Wexler (Kat Dennings) is moved to a small town, where everyone in her high school hates her for being an experienced smart individual from a big city. From Caroline’s perspective, all the boys in her high school are getting high all the time and all the girls are just drooling over them. Finding herself completely bored, Caroline makes it her mission to seduce her good-looking English teacher, Mr. Barry Anderson (Josh Lucas). When he eventually gives in to her, the pair develop a full secret relationship. At the same time, Thurston (Reece Thompson), a boy who goes to the same school falls in love with Caroline, who puts up with him to be nice. When Barry suggests that Caroline go out with someone her age so nobody will suspect their relationship, things in Caroline’s satisfying life start to turn on her, as she becomes seriously confused by what her relationship is with both these men. I wouldn’t be surprised if people walked out of this movie calling it a romantic comedy, a coming of age story, or even a thriller/horror movie. To me, it was all of those things combined thanks to the clever, inventive script from Michael Goldblach or the groundbreaking, hilarious, heartbreaking performance from Kat Dennings. Her character was written with such wit, grace and authenticity, and Dennings just nailed her performance to a T. Dennings made us love Caroline for the way she told people off and the confidence she had. She made us hate her, when she was being insensitive and cruel to people she thought less of. But, she mostly made us sympathize for Caroline toward the end of the film, and I was so shocked to find myself doing so. Dennings shared an intense, funny chemistry with Josh Lucas, who played her teacher, which made their relationship so interesting and easy to watch. What was great about these two characters was that the relationship between them was written and performed to make them seem just like two regular people in a relationship, who happen to be 15 years apart and one is the other’s teacher. There was no creepiness or oddity to their relationship. It just felt completely natural and real. Dennings and Reece Thompson, who plays Thurston, shared another great chemistry. This chemistry was a little less intense and a little more cute, but all the same, great to watch. Thompson alone was incredibly touching as Thurston, whom the audience repeatedly kept sympathizing towards and rooting for. The character itself was written so detailed, to make everyone understand him more as a person and not just the loser who likes Caroline. Surprisingly, one of my favourite aspects of the film was the creepy small town feel it had. The eeriness of the movie, made it that much more unique, so it wasn’t just another dramedy about a teenage girl. I clapped so hard at the end of the screening, my arms started to hurt. One of the best films at TIFF this year, Daydream Nation is so intriguing and so original, you won’t want it to end. 

At this year's Festival...

Super

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most (if not the most) popular film festivals in the world, and certainly the most important one when it comes to promoting films for Oscar season. This year is no different from the last. My review of this year’s festival will take you through all the ups and downs you get from going to TIFF. First off, getting the tickets was certainly not an easy process, although they try and make it seem like it is, sending you an email listing the easy 200 steps there are to getting your tickets. Most tiff-goers know that Tiff is the furthest thing from simple and organized, but we still wait in line for up to 2 hours because we know it will be worth it and it certainly is. Not only 

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

were most of the films I saw exceptional, but also hearing some directors speak so well and introduce their film so wonderfully was just as good. For example, the legendary Danny Boyle, who is by the way, very charming in person, introduced every member of the film so nicely and uniquely to make sure we, as the audience knew how important they were. Writer/Director Dustin Lance Black did the exact same for his movie, What’s Wrong with Virginia. Something I found out about the festival this year is that whether it’s a gala screening (higher priced screening where cast and director attend) or just a regular screening, if it’s the first screening at the festival, the celebrities of the movie will be there. So, I luckily ended up seeing a lot of cool people. What I sometimes found the most enjoyable about the experience was the Q and A’s of the films. To be specific, I attended the midnight madness screening of Super, starring Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page. Since it was midnight madness, the Q and A went on longer than most because it was 2am and they didn’t need the theatre for 

127 Hours

another movie afterwards, which made it quite an enjoyable experience. Rainn Wilson was hilarious in person and it felt like you got a second show with your ticket because of how entertaining it was. Other Q and A’s, like the one for It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, were cut extremely short. The Q and A for 127 Hours was the most special for me because the real person the film is about, mountain climber, Aron Ralston was there in person, talking about what he went through. That was the most emotional part of the whole experience for me. In total, I saw seven films at the festival this year. All in all, my experience at the festival was pretty successful. There were certain films that didn’t rise to my expectations, like It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, but I still really enjoyed them. The best film I saw this year at the festival, and the possibly the best film I will see this year was hands down, Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours. I’ll only say that it was one of the most emotional and intense movie experiences I have ever had and will be, in my opinion, taking some Oscars home in March. I also really enjoyed, first time director’s Daydream Nation, starring Kat Dennings. Dustin Lance Black’s What’s Wrong With Virginia, starring Jennifer Connelly was extremely dark, and even though I loved it, I found it hard to watch at times. Through all the steps, and all the waiting, I couldn’t have been happier with what I got out of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

On the way to TIFF...

It’s September, which means the festival is about to arrive. Once again, the Toronto International Film Festival is giving our great city a first look at some of this year’s best films, starting today. With films from Danny Boyle, Robert Redford, and Darren Arronofsky and starring Robert Deniro, Helen Mirren and Hilary Swank, there is a lot to expect this fall. Here’s a brief look at a few of the many films premiering at this year’s festival.

The Conspirator

Robert Redford’s new film has a stellar cast including Robin Wright, James Mcavoy, Kevin Kline and Evan Rachel Wood and is already gaining critical buzz. Robin Wright plays Mary Surratt, a woman, who is wrongfully charged of co-conspiring the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. She relies on her lawyer to prove the truth and save her life.

Daydream Nation

First time Canadian director, Michael Goldbach writes and directs Daydream Nation, a film about a small, nowhere town shaken by the arrival of a teenage girl (played by Kat Dennings) who begins to have an affair with one of her teachers (played by Josh Lucas). The incredible Ms. Dennings looks like she will give a brilliant performance in this film. Daydream Nation will premiere Friday, September 10^th, at the Ryerson Theatre.

Super

From the director of Dawn Of The Dead, comes a dark action comedy starring the hysterical Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler and Ellen Page. After his wife leaves him for a drug dealer, a man decides to become a superhero named The Crimson Bolt and get back his wife, although he has no actual powers. He is soon joined by a comic book junkie, Libby (Boltie), who intends to help him. This might be a complete copy of the film Kick Ass or it might be completely original and hilarious. There’s only one way to find out and that would be on Friday, September 10^th at Midnight Madness.

It’s Kind Of A Funny Story

Based from the young adult novel by Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind Of A Funny Story is now in the hands of directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film is about a teenager named Craig (Keir Gilchrist), who checks himself into a mental ward after contemplating suicide. There he meets a wide range of characters, including Bobby (Zach Galifinakis), a middle-aged failure, who he befriends and Noelle (Emma Roberts), a beautiful scar-faced girl, who he finds himself attracted to. The book was one of my favourites to read, and it looks like the film will be just as amazing.

127 Hours

From the whole team of Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Christian Colson), comes the film adaptation of adrenalin junkie, Aron Ralston’s unlucky climb up a mountain, starring James Franco. I don’t even know if I will be able to watch Franco amputate his arm, all I do know is that Danny Boyle has never disappointed and 127 Hours will certainly be interesting to watch this September.