Movies from Toronto International Film Festival: A Volunteer's View

My friend Arlene Rogers is one of the army of volunteers working The Toronto International Film Festival each year.  She has been doing it for a very, very long time. How Arlene and I met is here.

I couldn’t be there this year so my friend Arlene sent me this list of what she saw and what she thought.  Most of these films won’t make it to where we live (if they get distributed at all) and others will be big hits soon.  

Everything that follows is Arlene’s, except I think some of the loglines are from TIFF or distributors and in a couple of places I comment on her comments.  I link the titles to some reviews or iMDB or TIFF.  I put Arlene’s words in italics and mine in brackets.  Plain text is I think from promotional stuff.

It’s an interesting list and Arlene said I could share it so here it is. 

What an amazing Festival TIFF was this year.  There were dozens of films out of the 350 presented that I wanted to see but the films I saw except for a few were inspiring, educational, enraging, heartwarming and overwhelming at times.  Adjectives are hard to find to express my feelings about the films I saw and I wanted to get something on paper to you so, although this doesn’t say it all by any stretch, I hope it will encourage you to at least see some of  these films.  My comments are limited because of time and are just my impressions.  The Festival was a total delight and I just loved being a part of it.  Lots of lining up for films but it is all part of the enjoyment and it was great sharing impressions with other filmgoers.       Thank you TIFF.    

A PlaceBeyond the  Pines – (US)  A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with the police.
Directed by Derek Cianfrance. Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper.

So many levels in this film, It keeps you totally involved.  Ryan Gosling displays yet another facet of his acting ability.  A lot of intrigue and I really was impressed with change of direction of the plot.

Every Day  – (UK)  I couldn’t find a summary of this film but it was such so engrossing.    Sadly not commercial and so I don’t hold out much hope for it being released but perhaps on a DVD.    It revolves around a man serving time in prison and the relationship with his wife and four children.  It was made over a five-year period and you see the children getting older and the changes in relationships.  It is a sensitive portrayal of the difficulties faced by a family with a father incarcerated.   I really was emotionally moved by this film.  [Michael Winterbottom is brilliant and so is Shirley Henderson so the film must be brilliant.]

 Quartet – (UK)  At a home for retired opera singers, the annual concert to celebrate Verdi's birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean (Maggie Smith, an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents.  Directed by Dustin Hoffman. Starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon. Tom Courtney, and Billy Connolly

This was one of my favourite films.  It was Dustin’s first time directing and he did a splendid job.  Need I say, having a stellar cast was a huge benefit.  Billy Connolly almost steals the limelight although the whole cast was amazing.  Billy Connolly is a comic and added so much fun to the film.  Try and not miss this one. 

LateQuartet – (US) Members of a world-renowned string quartet struggle to stay together in the face of death, competing egos and insuppressible lust.

Amazing cast who took music lessons to make their playing more authentic and I thought they excelled in this venture.  Their personal struggles with relationships within the group is engrossing and so well done.  I would recommend this as a “Must See”

 Mr. Pip – (NewZealand)  Living under the shadow of the Papua New Guinean civil war, an eccentric schoolteacher (Hugh Laurie) forms a unique bond with a young girl (Xzannjah Matsi).

This is a gripping and difficult film at times because of the war but should not be missed.  Really educated me in the terrible trials of Papua New Guinea and was exceptionally acted by Hugh Laurie.  I can’t believe he is the doctor in the television program “House”.   I have a totally new appreciation of his acting ability.

Song for Marion – (UK)  When his beloved wife (Vanessa Redgrave) falls ill, a curmudgeonly retiree (Terence Stamp) must take her place in the local seniors' choir.

Terrence Stamp gives a marvelous performance in this heartwarming drama.  Only hope that this gets released so you can see it.  A film you will never forget.

The Company You Keep – (US) Robert Redford directs and stars in this gripping political thriller. 

I found this, as stated in the promotional material, a gripping political thriller.  A real turnabout story.  It kept me interested through the finale.  Almost impossible for me not to like a film with Robert in it and I did find this absorbing.

RoyalAffair – (Danish)  A young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.

Once again, a real education for me, not knowing anything about Danish Royalty.  A sumptuous historical drama, beautiful photography and except for the subtitles that disappeared too quickly.  Totally engrossing.

The Fitzgerald Family Christmas – (US)  Edward Burns returns to the family well once again with this warm, acutely observed story about an expansive Irish clan’s fraught yuletide when the long-absent patriarch declares his intention to come home for the holidays.

I wasn’t intending to see this film, but I heard from so many of the filmgoers I talked to that it was well worth it.  I’m so pleased I took their advice because I really enjoyed this film.  Full of family relationship difficulties and well performed.  Really a close up of many of the intricacies of family interaction.

What Maisie Knew – (US)  In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents' bitter divorce. ….  An adaption of a book by Henry James.

The performance of Maisie was the best I have ever seen by a child.  The film is a very sensitive portrayal of a child’s confusion and distress through the very volatile breakup of her parents.  This is a film for everyone.

Emperor – (Japan/US)  A post-World War II epic set in Japan  Tommy Lee Jones plays MacArthur.

This was in my opinion a gripping portrayal of the aftermath of Japan’s defeat in World War II.  Informative and engrossing  for me  throughout.

Kon Tiki – (Norway/Denmark)  The story about legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his epic crossing of the Pacific on a balsa wood raft in 1947.
This is an awesome film and please, please don’t miss it.  Thrilling and astonishing in every way.  I left the film wondering how it even got made.  Enough said because I could gush for ages.  

Thermae Roma – (Japan)  Japan’s biggest box office hit of the year is a sparkling time-travel comedy and one of the most unique films in the Festival.  Based on the hugely popular comic book, it brings modern Tokyo face to face with ancient Rome in a culture clash that has to be seen to be believed.
One seldom sees a comedy from Japan and for that reason it was quite fascinating.  Comedy is different in every culture and I found myself interested in the Japanese approach to comedy since it was a first for me.  I will say it was not comedy that spoke to me but enjoyed it for giving me an exposure to another culture’s comedy.

Everybody Has A Plan – (Argentina/Spain)  A man who assumes the identity of his deceased twin in Argentina.

Impressive filming and well acted by Morgenson.  However, the ending left me totally confused.  It ended abruptly and I had a lot of questions so found it disappointing.  However, since I don’t believe this will be distributed in North America there is little more to say.

The Paper Boy – (US)  The story of a young man who returns to his small Florida home town to help his reporter brother uncover the truth about a man on death row.

This was a brutal, raunchy and absolutely forgettable film for me.  The only saving grace for me was the performance of Nicole Kidman.  Such a change of character I could hardly believe  it was her.  [Won't see this review on the poster, but good for Nicole Kidman.]

Cloud Atlas – (US)  An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a ….  Directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski. Starring Tom Hanks.

I left this film after about an hour.  It has been hailed as a masterpiece and I expect the technology is a major factor in its popularity.  It was so confusing with so many characters and moved from 1400 to 2040 and everything in between.  Too complex for me in the first hour.  Perhaps if I had stayed with it, my impression would be different but I went and saw “Song for Marian” immediately after, which I loved so I’m glad I left this one early.

[The Guardian (link above) called it "wildly over-reaching and not entirely unsuccessful," which is pretty faint praise. For a different, more reverent view see the New Yorker, article, although the New Yorker has become pretty wed to its own elitism and tribe; more Vanity Fair than thoughtful.]

Wasteland – (UK)  Battered, bruised and under arrest, Harvey Denton (Luke Treadaway) sits in a police interview room facing interrogation.

I left this film after about an hour.  The strong north England accents left you missing some of the dialogue and the volatile nature of the actors just did not encourage me to stay.

I didn’t see the next two but they were obviously successful.

The People’s Choice Award went to SilverLining Playboy – (US)   After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. 

The People’s Choice for Documentary went to Artifact – (CDN)

The films I wish I had been able to see but I learned from other volunteers or film goers were very special are:

Inthe House – (French)

All That Matters is Past – (Norway) [Norwegian cinema is resurgent and interesting.]

Midnight Children – (Canadian)

Amour – (French) [Every French film should be named amour.]

Stories We Tell – (Canadian) [I'd like to meet Sarah Polley; her last feature was awful but brave and beautifully film and this seems very interesting.  Canada has the best english speaking film industry because it tells stories.]

The Master – (US)

Anna Karenina – (UK)  [Come on -- she's beautiful.]

* * * * *

I want to thank Arlene for this; she sees dozens and dozens of movies a year.  She sees all types of films from all over the world.  She is not a critic, and in fact when I asked her if I could reprint her list her only comment was “I am not a critic,” as though that devalued her opinion.  She is also not a sales agent, distributor, producer, festival programmer, journalist.  She’s just a fan of movies, which I believe makes her take more helpful and insightful than the combined and conventional wisdom of the industry.  That she took the time to send me the list is an act of friendship -- the least I could do was share it.

David Rocchio lives, works and writes in Stowe, Vermont. (c) 2012 David Rocchio

Hiking Vermont's Green Mountains.

          The two of us stood, talking, on the side of the field of the soccer game.  The rain started up again.  The fifth grade girls raced and danced the ball up and down the pitch.  These girls, growing up fast now, used to look like a swarm of bees when they were little, clustered around the ball as it pulled them to one spot and then the next.  Now, a bit older and more athletic the girls were a team, playing their positions, passing, talking to each other.  Serious, concentrating faces set against the first wet day of this long, glorious summer.  Along the sidelines parents, dogs, older and younger kids roamed the edge of the game.  Not everyone watched the action on the field; most just conversed and caught up after this long, glorious summer.  My little girl was out there and it was beautiful.

As we stood there in the rain, we talked about how to get the most out of being outside, before it all closes in and winter comes down on us.  We agreed one way, the best way, to squeeze the most out of these last days of summer, is to walk up and down our Green Mountains.  Although in this blog I don't often go for informational but mostly rather focus on experiential, where we live, in central Vermont, there is great hiking in the fall, and it is worth talking about a bit.

            The most accessible and straightforward hike remains the a small peak near our town of Stowe, Vermont.  It is called the Stowe Pinnacle.  We hiked it in the full sun on a recent Sunday.  The small parking lot was jammed and cars spilled along the edge of the dirt road.  I expected massive crowds on the trails, but it wasn’t that bad.  There was one woman in small heels realizing she’d bit off more than she could chew.  One family near the summit with a screaming two-year-old.  Otherwise it was peaceful as the woods should be.

            Pinnacle is a steep hike but short – about a mile and a half to the granite dome.  It is a pretty trail with some rock scrambles but nothing technical.  Don’t wear heels or flip-flops.  It’s not that easy. And bring water.  With these two tips most days you'll be okay.

On the way up the hill we did run into various pods of friends, which was good for a catch up.  At the summit, on the 600 million year old granite mountaintop, we sat against the rock in the sun and looked across the valley to what seemed like the edges of the world.  We could see other great mountains to hike: Sterling and Whiteface, Mansfield of course, Lincoln to the South, Camel’s Hump.    

Very near the Pinnacle, accessible by a ridge trail from near the top of Pinnacle in fact, is Hunger Mountain, another wild peak and a difficult climb.  It is well worth the effort.  Do it as a long day hike from Pinnacle or as a separate climb from it's own trailheads.  Either way it is a great one.

            Just a week before in fact my son and I drove over to Duxbury and hiked Camel’s Hump.  A five hour, hard scrabble loop – Monroe Trail to Alpine Trail to Long Trail back to Monroe Trail – we loped along, the dog doing two trips for our one.  We took snaps by the B-24 wing. (Yes, a wing from a WWII bomber; it crashed during the war and bits are there still.)  We sat at the top and talked, picnicked, explored. 

Camel’s Hump is a glorious hike, a mountain in wilderness, deep in a large state forest.  The summit is just above tree line, providing plenty of solitude, views in every direction of the Entire World.  Tall hardwoods line the path for most of the hike and, later in fall, create a ring of color to walk through.   There are trailheads in Duxbury, and Hungtington and, via the Long Trail, you can get to Camel’s Hump from the south as well, but it’s a long hike.  There are driving directions on the state's website.

            Another spot in our view from the Pinnacle was Whiteface, a short pyramid of a mountain.  Although short it is a steep and difficult hike.  There are many ways to get to Whiteface.  The best way in is from Johnson, where the Long Trail leaves Route 15 and makes a steady climb through old hardwoods.  It is the most silent wood I have ever walked in.  There are good shelters – Bear Hollow and Whiteface – to make the hike into an overnight for the adventurous.  The walk out from Whiteface can be along the ridge all the way to Smuggler’s Notch or a steep drop down to Beaver Meadow and Mud City.

            Closer in Vermont’s tallest peak, Mt. Mansfield, offers a buffet of hikes.  The Hazleton, which runs between the Nosedive and Perry Merrill, is an odd one: a wilderness trail between two ski trails.  Great with kids and friends.  I know.  We just did it and had a blast.  The Long Trail to the Chin is a tremendous hike – challenging, beautiful, rewarding – if you don’t mind being surrounded by people who did not earn it when you reach the top. That is because you can take a Gondola to near the summit and the Toll Road allows cars to drive to the top.  It is a big mountain so there is plenty of room, but it is not always remote.  You can lose yourself there, and I mean that literally, but you can also be surrounded by families with chips.

             Lincoln, a bit farther to the south, is easily accessed from the Lincoln Gap Road. Take Route 100 to Warren, my home town, and go past the village and take a right toward Lincoln, Vermont, which is another small, rural Brigadoon.  (If you drive the Lincoln Gap Road to Lincoln, keep your eye out for tremendous swimming holes.  One is a small waterfall into a tight pool.  You can dive through the fall into the stream, which is Hobbitian.)

To hike to Lincoln Peak and Mt. Abraham park at the top of the Gap Road and walk north along the Long Trail for a relatively easy hike to the top of the Mountain, which is also a ski resort, Sugarbush, or hike to the south where there are some beautiful and more remote ridgelines and views.  At the end of it all the Warren Store in Warren Village will be a good stop. 

The trails in Vermont right now are bone dry.  There are no bugs.  The hills are starting to take on that hint of Technicolor, which will only grow intense as the fall moves in.  If the weather holds we will take advantage and roam even farther afield to the north and east: Pisgah and Big Jay are very different but awesome choices; Belvidere Mountain; Hazen’s Notch, where you will absolutely see Moose, or at least walk in what they leave on the trail.  

Belvidere is a beautiful hike. There are stretches of trail out of a movie. In fact I shot the final scene of a short film on that trail, dragging my crew and cast of children deep into the woods to do it.  It was worth the walk.

            This all just scratches the surface.  You can learn more from the Green Mountain Club, headquartered on Route 100 just south of us, in Waterbury Center.  Their website is good on information but light on maps.  A quick Google will get you into any number of hiking blogs, however, such as ‘trimbleoutdoors.com,’ which has info on each section of the Long Trail (and a Google map).  

               Details aside there is something ethereal, other worldly, about walking in the Green Mountains. The light in our northern forests, our hardwood stands, the water bubbling along some trails and the deep silence of others make it an incredible experience.

Back on the soccer field, the girl’s game ended.  They sang out a cheer and walked toward us, the mountains all around.  I wonder how much of the joy from that field comes from the kids knowing, at least subconsciously, that in ten minutes in any direction they can be in the silence of deep woods and within a few hours be standing on top of the world?

David Rocchio lives, works and writes in Stowe, Vermont. (c) 2012 David Rocchio

Why?

David Rocchio lives, works and writes in Stowe, Vermont. (c) 2012 David Rocchio