Week Ending 8/16/24
TIFF #18
The Toronto International Film Festival schedule was released this week and I’ve already gone through three different iterations of my plans on-the-ground. Emails are out to publicists to check on public tickets before having to cross my fingers and get them during my public ticket window on Ticketmaster and I’ve already got my first screening link to get a jump on reviews.
Will the following eleven actually be seen? Maybe. Six are assignments for The Film Stage, so those take priority. And if one of them doesn’t work as I have it working now, shuffle time starts again. Then there’s also the chance I get a link for some of them pre-fest to free up those slots and choose something else.
Making a schedule is almost more work than getting to Toronto and actually watching the movies.
Here are my targets: RIFF RAFF, THE MOUNTAIN, WE LIVE IN TIME, BRING THEM, SHARP CORNER, THE FIRE INSIDE, DANIELA FOREVER, SKETCH, ALL OF YOU, HERETIC, RELAY, and THE ASSESSMENT.
We’ll see how that list changes in the next three weeks.
What I Watched:
CLOSE TO YOU
(limited release)
Sam (Elliot Page) hasn’t been home in almost five years. No one there has seen him since his transition and they haven’t really spoken much either, but it’s his father’s (Peter Outerbridge’s Jim) birthday and he’s been asked to attend. Something would therefore be wrong if he didn’t feel a mix of fear and hope about the prospect. How would they react? Would he discover their acceptance was performative? Authentic? Fake? It’s a vulnerable act to return, but the chance it will all work out seems worth the pain of finding out it won’t.
Written and directed by Dominic Savage (from a story by him and Page), CLOSE TO YOU wastes no time folding the past into the present with all the uncertainty that brings. Sam’s train hasn’t completed its route before he runs into someone from two decades ago. It’s nice too … at first. Katherine (Hillary Baack) seems aware of his transition, giving him a hug and saying he looks good before small talk ensues. As soon as the conductor announces their arrival, though, that ease of two old friends reuniting disappears. She hardly says goodbye before she’s gone. It’s a sign of things to come: welcome platitudes making way towards the difficulty of a moment whose reaction cannot be known until it arrives.
The middle portion of the film beautifully portrays that uneasiness. We assume the worst from Sam’s initial description of a family acting like they deserve a medal for accepting him, but, despite Mom’s (Wendy Crewson’s Miriam) exuberance with seeing her child for the first time in years, there’s real empathy in that house. She and Jim are ecstatic. Sam’s siblings all give him a hug. But Savage and Page realize appearances mustn’t be deceiving to still prove complex. Miriam is trying, but can’t help misgendering him. Kate (Janet Porter) is happy he’s back, but can’t stop placing blame for their estrangement at his feet despite knowing it saved him.
The conversations are both awkward and heartfelt. They risk derailment because so much time has passed, but always balance because the love is unmistakable. And then Sam gets into a room with Jim alone to deliver the film’s defining moment—one that could have fallen into disingenuous sentimentality yet never feels anything but honest. So, of course, there’s also a display of honest bigotry too courtesy of Sam’s brother-in-law Paul (David Reale). It’s a come-to-Jesus moment years in the making with or without Sam’s presence. One that shows the difference between calling a space safe for everyone and actually ensuring it is.
CLOSE TO YOU could have succeeded as a family drama in this vein on its own. I think there’s enough there to sustain the runtime and momentum, but this isn’t about Sam’s family as a whole. It’s about Sam moving forward regardless of whether he allows them to come along for the ride. As such, Katherine eventually returns so the two of them can reconcile their shared history too—an event that inevitably means the most to Sam considering she was always his safe space whenever his family wasn’t.
I can nitpick the structure of the narrative and the editing that makes a few scenes feel as though they aren’t real (a few quick cuts make more sense as fantasy considering Katherine seems always available and not available at the same time depending on what the script demands), but I won’t fault the emotional impact of where we’re taken. Because even if it can seem a bit too slice of life in its out-of-time segues, the film must exist in that space of spontaneity to be as potent as it is.
Page’s performance is a big part of that too, but the real draw is the whole’s ability to deliver the highest of highs and lowest of lows without ever feeling fake. Because it’s not about making everyone else comfortable with who Sam is. It’s about understanding that Sam’s comfort to exist as his true self should never be compromised for anyone, especially not when the attempt is shielded beneath the façade of “family.” He hasn’t worked this hard to escape the past only to let those who are unwilling to move forward to drag him back.
- 7/10
RED ISLAND
[L'île rouge]
(limited release)
Fantômette (Calissa Oskal-Ool) is never scared. No matter what the criminal brutes in her way try, she always finds a way to save the day both on the pages of young Thomas Lopez’s (Charlie Vauselle) comic books and in his imagination. Because she is who we meet first at the start of Robin Campillo’s RED ISLAND. She’s smiling as the bad guys circle, biding her time while keeping a watchful eye—a lesson Thomas takes to heart in his own life. He might not be a hero like her, but his curiosity is just as active. So, he spies on his family to figure out what it is they’re all doing in Madagascar. And, in the end, he wonders if it would be better to simply forget any of it happened.
A tale inspired by Campillo’s own childhood, the film portrays the entitlement of French colonizers living large off the backs of a “free” citizenry still beholden to their oversight. These are men who shirk protocol when it means they can bring home an exotic piece of furniture on-board a military aircraft. These are women with little to do other than raise a family and give birth to a new child at every stop. Because this isn’t their permanent home. But it isn’t a vacation either. This is the last remnant of political control in a foreign land. A skeleton crew of overseers who know their time is almost up. So, they might as well make the best of it through alcohol and sex.
It’s a straightforward look at boredom amidst paradise. Men (like Thomas’ father, Quim Gutiérrez’s Robert) flirting with other men’s wives to flaunt power and spark jealousy. Women (like the boy’s mother, Nadia Tereszkiewicz’s Colette) going off to walk alone at night and escape their homes so that their husbands can finally do some babysitting of their own. Prejudices still reign. The locals are forced to speak French. A racial hierarchy maintains order via religious decree. And Thomas and his friend Suzanne (Cathy Pham) view it all through the lens of a caped crusader to discover the thin curtain separating childhood from adulthood thanks to parents too quick to fulfill their desires to realize the destructive nature of their decisions.
The production is fantastic. I loved the lo-fi nature of the Fantômette scenes and how everyone besides her is wearing a felt puppet-like head. The detail with the parachutes and music is impeccable and the performances authentic in their exasperation at having one foot on the sandy beach while the other remains at attention on the army base. A lot of the drama comes from Thomas’ vantage point as an interested if ignorant bystander, but we also get moments with historical potency like a brothel of locals attacking the base guards or glimpses of a civil fight happening in the background. But it’s not until the end that we finally get a sense of what the French’s presence has really done.
I would have liked more of that, but I get that Campillo’s goal was to tell this tale from a child’s eyes rather than document the events themselves. It’s not a bad choice, but it does cause those moments outside of Thomas’ vantage to feel out-of-place narratively despite also proving to be the most captivating dramatically. In many instances the filmmaker is trying to have it both ways only to end up smoothing down the edges a bit so that the whole can’t help but keep us at arm’s length. The two-hour runtime drags as a result, but not enough to render it a waste of time. Would having a cursory knowledge of the period also help matters? Definitely. But I don’t think you can fault the craft either way.
- 7/10
RULE OF TWO WALLS
(limited release)
The propagandized line being fed by Vladimir Putin to justify his invasion of Ukraine is that the Ukrainian people have no culture. And if that’s true, they don’t have a nation either. His premise therefore states that he isn’t invading their borders at all because there are no borders to cross. He’s simply reclaiming a population of Russians living on Russian land.
Except, of course, that premise is flawed. The Ukrainian people do have their own culture. That’s what possessing a shared language, history, and art creates. So, rather than document those who justifiable fled for their own safety, director David Gutnik decided to pivot the subject of his documentary upon those who stayed. Whereas most films that follow this same idea focus on the military battles to protect their home, however, RULE OF TWO WALLS centers on the cultural fight to maintain their identity. Because regardless of who wins this war, Ukraine will continue to exist in them.
While the majority of the piece follows Lyana Mytsko and Stepan Burban as well as their artist friends engaged in a variety of endeavors (music, photography, restoration, textiles, etc.), Gutnik doesn’t simply point the camera outwards. They may not receive as much screen time (with some only getting the few seconds necessary to state their current occupation on this project), he also turns the lens around to highlight his crew. Editor. Cinematography. Composer. Producer. Himself. They too are artists in this fight. They are embedded in this culture both as creators and documenters. This film is as much a window into Ukraine as it is an object itself—a manifestation of Ukraine’s soul.
The result is a captivating piece that provides a different look at a familiar topic. There’s the memory of what is being destroyed. The tenacity of preservation and politics (I loved seeing the work being done to surround monuments with sandbags before pasting up posters that say they’re protecting them from having to witness the Russian’s shame). And the hope of reclamation and return. But that sense of empowerment shouldn’t also sanitize the horrors of what’s happening. So, you should know that watching means you must also bear witness to the nightmare they’re fighting to stop. We can only pray it (as well as the brutal images coming out of Gaza) inspires us to action rather than numb us into defeat.
- 7/10
SKINCARE
(in theaters)
This is supposed to be Hope Goldman’s (Elizabeth Banks) dream come true. After decades of work as Hollywood’s premier esthetician, she’s finally gifting her proprietary, handcrafted-in-Italy products to the marketplace. With two weeks until the official launch, Hope has already filmed a segment on “Brett & Kylie” (Nathan Fillion and Julie Chang) and gotten her exclusive clientele excited. It hasn’t been easy, though. Her financial backers dropped out and she’s had to leverage her own money to cross the finish line—much to the chagrin of her commercial landlord (John Billingsley’s Jeff). So, when Hope discovers her new neighbor is a rival studio (Luis Gerardo Méndez’s Angel Vergara), she cannot help being on-edge.
That’s when the dream begins to unravel in Austin Peters’ SKINCARE, co-written with original scribes Sam Freilich and Deering Regan. A heated altercation with Angel leads to another with Jeff and suddenly the pressure starts to mount. Her right-hand (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez’s Marine) knows it. A new acquaintance in Jordan (Lewis Pullman) knows it. And an enemy knows too considering the next morning finds her phone blowing up with concern and cancellations courtesy of a sexualized bulk email someone hacked into Hope’s account to send. Suddenly the calm façade projecting success is replaced by abject desperation.
Is Angel behind it? Someone Hope thinks is a friend? A stranger? Herself in some fugue state of self-destruction? Figuring out the identity of the culprit is the ultimate goal of the script, but that crime isn’t necessarily the biggest problem she faces. That lies within since Hope cannot get a grip during all the chaos. One problem leads to an over-the-top response that leads directly into another. That email starts to reveal who was really her friend in the first place with women jumping ship to her competitor and men trying to get into her pants. Everything from favors to promises adopt a sheen of quid pro quo as the question of Hope’s reputation risks killing her livelihood.
It’s a sprawling set of circumstances that juggles a lot at once. Insofar as how their outcomes impact Hope’s reaction, they’re well used. The moment she gets backed into a corner, she comes out swinging without any concern for the consequences. How they gel together into a cohesive plot, however, is different considering most of what happens is played with a vagueness that infers a climactic reveal of wrongdoing. I’m not saying that having one would provide a better result, but I also won’t say I wasn’t disappointed by the opposite. Peters and company do a good job providing closure, but the truth of who is doing what adds up to a fatefully unlucky finale doesn’t quite land with the impact we expect.
Because, as I said, Hope’s real worst enemy is herself. Regardless of who is responsible for everything else, how she acts in response is her ultimate undoing. And Banks is fantastic in the role, leaning into this crazed descent in a way that makes us both sympathize with her plight and question her judgment. The rest is simply too matter of fact by comparison. Rather than let some things prove to be red herrings, everything aligns so perfectly that it feels as though we’ve been duped. Because despite Hope getting caught up in it all to go too far herself, the film doesn’t prove paranoid enough to buy those wild swings. I enjoyed the ride, but the end left me saying, “Oh. That’s it?”
- 6/10
Cinematic F-Bombs:
This week saw IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY (2010), RABBIT HOLE (2010), and SHORTCUT TO HAPPINESS (2007) added to the archive (cinematicfbombs.com).
Aaron Eckhart dropping an f-bomb in RABBIT HOLE.
New Releases This Week:
(Review links where applicable)
Opening Buffalo-area theaters 8/16/24 -
#AAY at Regal Elmwood
ALIEN: ROMULUS at Dipson Amherst, McKinley, Flix & Capitol; AMC Maple Ridge & Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
CORALINE (15th Anniversary) at AMC Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
DIDI at Regal Elmwood & Galleria
DOUBLE ISMART at Regal Elmwood
KHEL KHEL MEIN at Regal Transit
MR. BACHCHAN at Regal Elmwood & Transit
MY PENGUIN FRIEND at North Park Theatre; Dipson Capitol; Regal Galleria & Quaker
ROB PEACE at Regal Transit & Quaker
RYAN’S WORLD THE MOVIE: TITAN UNIVERSE ADVENTURE at Dipson Capitol; AMC Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
SEBASTIAN at North Park Theatre (late show)
SKINCARE at AMC Market Arcade; Regal Transit & Quaker
Thoughts are above.
STREE 2 at Regal Elmwood & Transit
THANGALAAN at Regal Elmwood & Galleria
Streaming from 8/16/24 -
DANCING VILLAGE: THE CURSE BEGINS – Shudder on 8/16
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA – Max on 8/16
“It's not as memorable as FURY ROAD, but it's a welcome expansion upon its lore nonetheless. FURIOSA's greatest success is making me want to watch FURY ROAD again.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU – Netflix on 8/16
IMMACULATE – Hulu on 8/16
THE UNION – Netflix on 8/16
FACE TO FACE WITH SCOTT PETERSON – Peacock on 8/20
UNTOLD: THE MURDER OF AIR MCNAIR – Netflix on 8/20
NICE GIRLS – Netflix on 8/21
STRESS POSITIONS – Hulu on 8/21
PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON COSMOS THE MOVIE – Netflix on 8/22
SECRET LIVES OF ORANGUTANS – Netflix on 8/22
Now on VOD/Digital HD -
THE BEAST WITHIN (8/13)
THE FABULOUS FOUR (8/13)
FLY ME TO THE MOON (8/13)
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (8/13)
“It's not as memorable as FURY ROAD, but it's a welcome expansion upon its lore nonetheless. FURIOSA's greatest success is making me want to watch FURY ROAD again.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
JUNE ZERO (8/13)
“It's therefore tough to watch this well-crafted film without also engaging with the context that it is being released while Israel itself commits war crimes and genocide against Palestinians.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
MOTHERS’ INSTINCT (8/13)
THE NATURE OF LOVE (8/13)
SATRANIC PANIC (8/13)
TWISTERS (8/13)
WATCHMEN: CHAPTER 1 (8/13)
WE ARE ZOMBIES (8/13)
CONSUMED (8/16)
DANCE FIRST (8/16)
THE DUEL (8/16)
GUNNER (8/16)
IN THE REARVIEW (8/16)
“IN THE REARVIEW is a crucial document of what has resulted from Putin's unprovoked war. It's a means to have the carnage and emotional duress put on-the-record for those who still choose to turn a blind eye.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
THE KING TIDE (8/16)
“With potent performances and a gorgeous, textured aesthetic, The King Tide proves a mesmerizing experience. The camerawork keeps the horrors that unravel mostly to our imagination so we can continue to look at reactions rather than results.” – Full thoughts at The Film Stage.
NATIONAL ANTHEM (8/16)
SUMMER SOLSTICE (8/16)