TIFF12: A Royal Affair, The Hunt, NO, Inescapable, Barefoot, Zaytoun

A ROYAL AFFAIR

THE HUNT

Mads [pronounced MAS] Mikkelson [think Nicholson but 'sen' instead of 'son'] is not only a star, he's a wonderful actor whose range is evident in A ROYAL AFFAIR (Nikolaj Arcel) and THE HUNT (Thomas Vinterberg). We tend to think of present day Denmark as fairly liberal, but this wasn't the case in the eighteenth century. If you are a history buff who likes a bit of romance in your movie, then put this period piece on your list. With a star like Mads playing the role of a German physician who subversively tries to bring Enlightenment to the Danish court via his friendship with the mercurial, sometimes simple-minded King Christian VII you have a riveting drama that's more than bustiers, petticoats, and tumbling between the royal bed sheets of the forward thinking Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander). Want more Mads? Then go see the Love It or Hate It film of TIFF12, THE HUNT, in which Mads plays an affable Kindergarten teacher whose professional, personal, and community life quickly unravels after he is accused of abusing a child. I loved it, but will you? Only you can answer that and I hope you share your answer with me in a blog post.

NO

Gael García Bernal is hot, but is that reason enough to go see this move by Pablo Larraín? NO! Whether or not you know anything about Chilean history, this film is interesting in the way advertising strategies are used by Bernal's character to "sell" the NO side of a 1988 referendum on General Augusto Pinochet remaining in office. Shot in the manner of a television documentary, this film will have you wondering exactly how spin tactics are used in politics today, how they have impacted your decisions, and how far you would go to exercise your democratic rights.

INESCAPABLE

I've long been a fan of director Ruba Nadda (Sabah, Cairo Time), and my interest in her work as a writer/director continues after seeing her venture into the thriller genre. In INESCAPABLE, a father (Alexander Siddig) risks his life by returning to Damascus to find his daughter who, without telling him, took a side trip to Syria during her vacation and has gone missing. The mandatory chases, shouting and action sequences are present, but what fascinated me about this film is the theme of family secrets, and the issue of immigrant parents living in a new country, with a new "identity" that is not completely true or revealed. People can have fresh new starts in a country like Canada, where the term "disappeared" is not part of our lexicon. Children raised with these new family identities may sometimes wonder what their parents, even grandparents, may have gone through "back home", but many will never know and many may never guess what is in the past. Curious about knowing more about their families' past, and raised in a country with a human rights charter, some of these children will go exploring in danergous areas, revealingg secrets that are not their own. Inescapable is a thought-provoking dramatic thriller with an outstandingly credible performance by Siddig as a desperate father, and a surprisingly seamless performance by Marissa Tomei, as the woman left behind.

BAREFOOT

Danis Goulet's film BAREFOOT about Alyssa (Emily Roberts), a teenage girl trying to fit in with her peers, takes us to the Lac La Ronge reservation and the Cree community in northern Saskatchewan. Screening as part of Short Cuts Canada Programme #5, this film approaches the coming of age story with a quietness and underlying pathos that makes you want more than the 11-minute story line, thanks to Goulet's patient hand as writer/director, and the fine acting by Roberts. Danis's short film Wapawekka, which used dialogue primarily in Cree, screened at TIFF11. In Barefoot, Ida Tremblay (a non-actor and artist) who plays Alyssa's grandmother, speaks entirely in Cree while the others speak English. Trivia: Danis' father does the Cree to English translations for her films.

ZAYTOUN

Director, Eran Riklis has managed to capture my heart again, the way he did with The Lemon Tree and The Human Resources Manager. I often talk about the precious balance between comedy and drama and Riklis has the secret recipe for this formula because he gets it right every time. He never sacrifices reality for humour, but he never leaves us so deflated by his dramatic depictions that we feel bruised and depleted. In ZAYTOUN an Israeli soldier named Yoni (Stephen Dorff) and Fahed (Abedallah El Akal) a Palestinian boy form an unusual alliance of sorts. Set in 1982, this piece of recent history revolves around theme of "home" amidst the displacement and chaos of Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. Stephen Dorff has long been overlooked as an actor of worth, and I am hoping now is his moment to be recognized for his formidable talents. I wish the same for young El Akal who is just dynamite in the role off a boy caught between childhood wishes and the danger of an emerging manhood that will only lead to a dangerous conclusion.

Photos courtesy of www.tiff.net

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Ruba Nadda Makes World Premiere at TIFF 2012

Toronto International Film Festival had its official launch with this morning's Press Conference at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Piers Handling and Cameron Bailey shared equal time in announcing the first slate of Gala and Special Presentation films. I was thrilled to hear that two Canadian women, would have Galas at TIFF in September: Ruba Nadda and Deepa Mehta. This is indeed a rare occurrence and one that I thought would elicit a noisy response from  media and invited guests; however, I had to remind myself that it was early in the morning, and that not everyone had had their coffee, at least I'm hoping that was the reason...

I've been a supporter of Ruba Nadda since interviewing her for her romantic comedy, Sabah, starring Arsinee Khanjian, and her romantic drama, Cairo Time, starring Patricia Clarkson. A true independent filmmaker, Ruba makes films that appear very simple at first glance but which stay with you long after you have seen them; they envelope rather than shout.

Director, Ruba Nadda, on her film, INESCAPABLE, a World Premiere Gala at TIFF 2012




I asked producer, Daniel Iron for a brief description o his role in INESCAPABLE. Many people are often unclear as to what a producer actually does.

Toronto International Film Festival
September 6 - 16, 2012
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Why Cairo Time Made My Top 12 Faves

Since posting my Top 12 Faves I've been asked why, since I said Cairo Time wasn't Ruba Nadda's "strongest work" (see review) , I selected the film as a favourite. What I should have made clear in that earlier post is the fact that I don't think Ruba Nadda is capable of making a bad film, period. So even though I think Sabah is a stronger film it in no way casts a shadow over the languid beauty of Cairo Time, which I did enjoy.

I never separate my heart from my head in making decisions about Art. Why should I? Even in literature I can appreciate that Hamlet is a better play than The Scottish Play, but I'll chose Mackers any day over Hamlet. It's the same for film: Cairo Time made my favourites list because it was unforgettable. I couldn't forget Patricia Clarkson's character, Juliette, and her blossoming relationship with Egyptian culture and Tareq (Alexander Siddig), her husband's past employee and her de facto guide. I also could not forget a very sensuous sub-character, Yasmeen, played by the voluptuous Amina Annabi. Annabi doesn't have a lot of screen time in this film, but she is simply captivating when she does appear. I love how Nadda contrasts the earthy Yasmeen with the ethereal Juliette.

The spectacular shots of Cairo and the gentle romance made me think of David Lean's Summertime, The Passionate Friends, and the intimate, bittersweet relationship depicted in Brief Encounter. Cairo Time is a restrained film, that will not be appreciated by those who demand constant action or big emotions; it's for those of us who can appreciate the subtlety of passion.

I chose Ruba Nadda as my Star of the Month for September because I am very proud of our Canadian filmmakers and the strides that they are making, and I also wanted to promote the fact that she had a new film at TIFF. I didn't know at the time, that Cairo Time would win an award for Best Canadian Feature. Congratulations to Ruba and all involved in bringing Cairo Time to the screen.

Cairo Time is being released in Canada on October 9th.

Photo Credit: photo of Ruba Nadda by donna g; other photos by Colm Hogan courtesy of http://www.cairotime.ca/

Ruba Nadda: September Star of the Month

RUBA NADDA's film Cairo Time is an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival (tiff). I first met and interviewed Ruba in 2005, when her film Sabah (one of my favourite romances) was released. Sabah introduced me to a different side of Assinée Khanjian's acting abilities and refreshingly presented a lead character that was over 40. Nadda continues to celebrate older women on screen in Cairo Time, which features actress Patricia Clarkson as the lead.

Click here to see my thoughts on Sabah and other Canadian faves.

Photo Credit: photo of Ruba Nadda by donna g. Taken at TIFF's Canadian Films Press Conference (Royal York Hotel)