Ten days, twenty-eight movies and a million coffees later, the Toronto International Film Festival is finally over. It’s a bittersweet time for me because I had an amazing experience at the festival, but it left me totally exhausted (I slept 14 hours last night) and a week behind in my classes, so in a way I’m glad to be returning to normal life. Covering TIFF has been like living in the twilight zone: I watched movies, wrote about them, and did a bit of eating or sleeping when I got the chance– that’s it for ten days straight. But they are ten glorious days of viewing films that nobody else can see; meeting actors and actresses, and getting the chance to hear some of the filmmakers speak about their own work. Being a huge fan of movies, it was literally impossible not to have fun, no matter how tired I was. My final trek to T.O. was to say goodbye until next year, and to see the last three films on my list. First up was New York City Serenade, which featured Freddie Prinze, Jr and Chris Klein playing best friends who have trouble growing up. Need I say more? Okay I guess I do, it was almost as awful a film as Klein and Prinze are actors, if that’s even possible. Next in line was Lebanon’s Caramel, a light-hearted tale that succeeds because of its highly personal feel and emotional resonance. Last but not least was a film that I had been looking forward to the entire festival, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. In the end, I had a few major problems with it and I’m forced to say that it was definitely a disappointment. But hey, I saw a lot of great films, and I certainly hope you had as much fun reading my TIFF coverage as I had bringing it to you!
New York City Serenade
I understand what Frank Whaley was trying to do with New York City Serenade, but casting Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Chris Klein in a film about the fragility of the male psyche was a massive and unforgivable mistake. If this festival has taught me anything, it’s how much great acting can lift a film and in turn, how horrible acting can ruin one. The story follows Owen (Prinze, Jr), an aspiring filmmaker working in a photo shop, and Ray (Klein), who drums for a mediocre band and can’t keep a day job for longer than three weeks. They’re both big time losers who seem oblivious to personal responsibility, growing up and most importantly, people other than themselves. They don’t even have each other’s best interests at heart, only selfish notions of women, booze and fame. This has been done countless times, and by much better films - Sideways, Office Space and Chasing Amy to name a few. Each of these films has something in common, and it’s a standard requirement for a film that attempts to depict the ups and downs of male relationships: two solid actors that can play the lead roles with ultra-convincing realism. The very last thing Prinze, Jr and Klein can be described as is “solid actors”; at best they’re mediocre, so it remains a mystery how Whaley thought he could pull it off using two handsome faces without a trace of acting talent between them.
I hate to beat a dead horse, but a story like New York City Serenade needs strong performances to succeed, and since the abysmal acting was as immediately noticeable as Janet Jackson’s breast on National TV, I knew it was going to be a failure before it was ten minutes old. Ironic, considering it’s supposed to be an analysis of the impact of failure and disappointment on the male ego. I seem to be placing the blame on the leading men, but in reality the majority should go to writer-director Frank Whaley; not only for poorly casting the film, but also for writing it. The script is weak, and considering the depth of the subject matter, it uses a superficial atmosphere that only hinders the film. It was obviously intended to be both funny and emotional, but the only people laughing or crying were Whaley and his clan of guests. I would know because they were sitting directly behind me and I’ll be honest, I felt sorry for him because otherwise the theatre was painfully silent.
1/5 Stars
Caramel
Caramel is a simple film revolving around five women and a beauty salon in Beirut, Lebanon. It evokes as much warm and sugary emotion as the title itself, while managing to delve into both the pain and joy of love present in each woman’s life. Layale, (Nadine Labaki) the owner of the beauty salon, is entrapped by an affair with a married man who refuses to leave his wife. Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) is marrying a practicing Muslim, but she doesn’t have her virginity. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is a lesbian struggling with unveiling her true nature. Jamale (Gisele Aouad) is a washed up actress who tries desperately to retain her fading beauty. And finally, the elderly Rose deals with caring for her insane but lovable sister.
Each of the women are likeable characters who lead relatively happy lives, but their problems are also serious enough for us to care about them, and it’s this combination that makes Caramel an extremely engaging film. Dramatic scenes are fused with uplifting comedic moments, which create a delightful atmosphere of friendship, love and tolerance. The acting is terrific, as the relationships between the five ladies and their saloon are truly realistic and seem properly representative of everyday life in Lebanon. The beautiful Labaki absolutely steals the show both in front of and behind the camera, not only giving the best performance in the film, but also writing and directing it. Be sure to keep an eye on her future work.
3.5/5 Stars
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
I was excited to see Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and ended up being disappointed. Now sometimes a film feels like a letdown because it’s so overly anticipated that it can’t possibly live up to the hype, but that isn’t the case here. I was excited because I looked at the talent involved (Sidney Lumet, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney), the plot, and I figured there was a good chance it could be an amazing film. Well, it wasn’t. The film’s non-linear narrative structure seems pointless, and the long overlaps between scenes are painfully annoying. The film is almost tedious to watch.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead follows two brothers named Hank (Hawke) and Andy (Hoffman) who, when in desperate need of money, plan a robbery of their parents’ suburban jewelry store. When everything goes wrong and their mother winds up dead, it becomes a film about cover-ups, revenge and the maxim “may you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.” The overlapping time structure that’s supposed to “present the broader refractions of the easily condemned sleazebags” seems like nothing more than a pretentious stylistic choice gone wrong, because it certainly doesn’t add any insight to the film. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead could’ve very easily been a straightforward and chronological tale of greed, lust and betrayal, but it’s ultimately just a fragmented story of an inexplicably messed up family. It’s not a bad film, so I’m not going to advise you to avoid it. Great performances from the film’s leads save it from being a total mess, but ticket buyer beware.
3/5 Stars
