I believe this to be the last report I have from TORONTO, but if something really good comes in, I'll let you know. It looks like we can look forward to reports from the BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL, THE CHICAGO FILM FESTIVAL and THE AUSTING FILM FESTIVAL soon. There's even word that we might hear some stuff from the Helsinki Film Festival as well. I say, "YIPPEE!!!" we need a closer eye on the independent scene, that's for sure...
Well Harry Jack walsh here, and here are four reviews, including two of the best movies I've seen this year. These reviews are not to specific because I don't want to give too much away.
First on Tuesday night I saw Todd Solondz's Happiness. This movie was simply amazing. Solondz takes ten to twelve dysfunctional people and looks at what brings them happiness. And while the most disturbing character in this is Dylan Baker's pediophile he is by no means alone. Others include Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who is quickly becoming one of the best character actors out there, playing a man so alienated from people he only talks with women through phone sex and is obsessed with one of his neighbors, Lara Flynn Boyle. She plays one of three sisters, Cynthia Stevenson and June Adams (?) play the other two, that all the interrelated stories are based around, and who are all good in their roles.
The performances in this movie are uniformily brilliant with special credit going to Dylan baker who is simply brave to take such a role. He could have made him a monster or human and thankfully he chooses to play him as a man with a weakness he can't control, and knows what he's doing is wrong. His character has a conversation with his son at the end of the movie that's one of the best pieces of acting in recent years. If life was fair Baker would at least get a nomination for Best Actor/ Supporting Actor (as there is no true lead) but there is no way the academy would ever have the guts to do it.
One more note about the acting is that Ben Gazzara has a smallish role as the Girls' father who is sick of life and simply wants to die. I didn't know he was in the movie but was so happy he was and he is such a pro that while he is being mean to just about everybody (mostly his wife of 40 years) you really feel sorry for him.
And while everything you've likely read about this movie makes it seem dark and troubled, Solondz does a great thing and infuses enough humor into the movie to lighten the mood, especially in the scenes between Dylan baker and his 11 year old son.
Second, was my biggest surprise of the festival, Rushmore. Don't get me wrong I liked Bottle Rocket, but I had no clue Wes Anderson or Owen Wilson were capable of this. Actually of all the movies I saw this and Happiness got the most applause. I can''t believe this was the first movie for Jason Schwartzman, who plays Max, the main character. He looks like a young, jewish Tom Cruise. The movie is a coming of age story that deals with his friendship with an older man, Bill murray in peak form, his infatuation with the new first grade teacher at the Rushmore academy, Olivia Williams who is gorgeous in this movie, and the fact that he might be kicked out of Rushmore because he has bad grades and is involved in too many activities.
His many activities include plays. And Harry you will love the two plays they show in the movie. One is Serpico, the play, and the last, Heaven and Hell, is set in Vietnam and is a combination of just about every Vietnam movie in the last twenty years.
And while they add to the movie the true story is Max's eventual maturation as well as Mr Blume's (Murray's), who is played as a big kid. But make no mistake this movie is Jason Schwartzman's; he carries it, and he is perfect for the part.
I really cannot say enough good things about this movie. This, Happiness and Out of Sight are my favorite movies of the year so far (so sue me if I thought the great acting, cinematography, and directing in SPR didn't make for there being absolutely no story development at all).
Right after Rushmore I saw another movie that dealt with the relationship between a high schooler and an older man, Apt Pupil. And that is the where the relationship between these two movies ends. For those that don't know it deals with Tom Bowden (Brad Renfro) finding Thomas Dussander (Ian McKellen) a Nazi war criminal in surburbia, and blackmailing him into telling him about the death camps. I liked the direction of this even though a lot of the Brad/Ian scenes reminded me of the Kevin/Chazz scenes from Ususal Suspects.
I agree with what you wrote Harry, that Brad Renfro played his character great, he seemed like a serial killer waiting to happen. And well what can you say about Ian McKellen. He, like Anthony Hopkins and Robert DeNiro, becomes his characters. He didn't seem as much like an actor playing a Nazi, rather he was a Nazi (I know that sounds bad). Brilliance as usual (now I can't wait to see Gods & Monsters).
In relation to the novel I liked the ending of this better because it showed the evil influence of Dussander. In the book it seems just like Tom just goes crazy at the end, and I didn't really think it fit well. On the other hand, I would have liked there to have been more of the middle story when Dussander and Bowden both start killing to show how it helps these evil people. Other than that a find movie but nothing spectacular.
Lastly I saw The Mighty, one of your favorite movies of the year, and frankly was a bit disappointed. The two child leads were great, and both got standing ovations as they were here in Toronto, but I just didn't like the whole climactic scene after Kieran Culkin dies (which isn't a spoiler because you know it's going to happen the second you see him), It just didn't work for me, though it seemed to work for most other people where I saw it, a lot of people were crying at the end. The rest of the story was great. The whole chivalry bit and the deal with Killer Kane coming back was very well done and enjoyable. It is really a waste to write of them but of the adult supports I loved Harry Dean Stanton's Grim the most. Of course after Paris, Texas, RepoMan, and Fool for Love everybody should love Harry dean Stanton.
Well Jack Walsh here signing off. Sorry it was so long.
Jack Walsh
