Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!
Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday August 5, 2011! It's a bit of a quieter week with only 6 releases this week and an early bird mid-week release next week. I guess that gives us some time to catch up on some earlier films if nothing this week fits our tastes, which isn't that likely as the 6 film are all quite interesting in their own, unique ways.
In limited release this week we have a film I've very excited about, I saw the trailer for The Future from writer/director Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) earlier this week and was instantly won over by it's quirky feel and heartfelt tone and I truly can't wait to see it. We also have El Bulli - Cooking in Progress a documentary for the foodies out there, this one follows Spanish chef Ferran Adria who preps his team for the next season of avant garde film at his restaurant El Bulli. We also have biopic The Devil's Double starring Dominic Cooper in dual roles of Saddam Husseins's son as well as his resistant double, plus Viva Riva! a crime drama from The Congo.
In wide release this week we have two Friday releases and I'm going out on a limb to say I had totally written off Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a remake of the 1972 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes as it just seemed weird to reboot after the Tim Burton version and then to come back with a remake of the 4th film in a series was confusing to say the least. Then I saw the trailer and the film looks great. And it looks like it's actually about something, not just fodder or action. I'm in - so much so that I noted it as a part of my Looking Back, Looking Forward post about my favourite & the best films of the year (so far) as well as the handful of films I'm adding to my Most Anticipated of the Year List. Also in release this week is a new take on the body/life-switching film The Change-Up where the switch is between bachelor (Ryan Reynolds) and family man (Jason Bateman).
Also a mid-week release with 2011 book to Film Club Selection The Help coming out next week on Wednesday August 10, 2011. I'm really excited as we've had a bit of a lull for film releases for the club with the last one being Water for Elephants, and also after reading the amazing book I've very much looking forward to Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone (Paper Man) and Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) bringing the fantastic characters to life.
Have a great weekend!
Shannon
Friday August 5, 2011 Releases
El Bulli - Cooking in Progress
Dir: Gereon Wetzel (Die Reproduktionskrise)
Documentary
Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Change-Up
Dir: David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers, Shanghai Knights, Clay Pigeons)
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Devil's Double
Dir: Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, Along Came a Spider, Once Were Warriors)
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast, Mimoun Oaissa
Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Future
Writer/Dir: Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know)
Cast: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater
Germany/USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Dir: Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist)
Cast: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Tom Felton, Brian Cox, John Lithgow
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Viva Riva!
Writer/Dir: Djo Tunda Wa Munga - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna, Marlene Longage, Diplome Amekindra, Alex Herabo
Democratic Republic of the Congo/France/Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Wednesday August 10, 2011 Release
The Help
Dir: Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People)
Cast: Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard
USA/India/United Arab Emirates
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of August 5, 2011**
Friday, 5 August 2011
Thursday, 4 August 2011
TIFF 2011: Midnight Madness Unveiled!
The Midnight Madness film announcement is a press release I look forward every year at TIFF. Who will be kicking ass this year? Or getting thier ass kicked? Will there be new horrific horror films, monsters, psychos, vampires, stylish crime films and martial artists? What I love most of all is that often the answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. It's also a the list where I'm very likely to have never heard of any of the titles before, which gets me in hyper-research mode. I like hyper-research mode. Here's my take on the titles post hyper-research mode!
The ones in which my eye and interest keep swerving to including the post apocalyptic The Day in part because I'm loving the cast of Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), Dominic Monaghan, Shannyn Sossamon and Shawn Ashmore (Frozen) and also because I'll always give post apocalyptic films a shot as survivalist films often go in interesting places and I'm hoping the 'fight or die' has some awesome fighting. Also excited for The Raid right out of the gate for some fighting goodness as it stars "Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais", and the few Indonesian films I've seen so far I've enjoyed. I'm big on the supernatural these days so that puts Lovely Molly high on the anticipation list, a psychosis/possession film from Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project).
The hit man movie Kill List looks positively brutal (and their website has a trailer - yay!), it has has some unfamiliar faces (Neil Maskell and Harry Simpson) with impressive familiar faces (MyAnna Buring of Devil's Playground, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Robin Hill of Down Terrace), which is always a good combination, plus I'm always up for a stylish UK crime thriller. More crime with Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche, a drug-dealing cop who goes too far and "must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.". Fighting & dance floors & clubs? Oh yea... I'm there. I'm always up for club-set films with dancing. Woot!
Looking to the brutal, I can only image that the French film The Incident set in an insane asylum and following regular folk that work there when the power (read: security) goes out can only be brutal, especially as French horror has been breaking some scary ground in recent years. More French craziness with Livid from A L’Interieur /Inside directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo with a mansion-set gothic horror - can't wait for that!
Filling in the more 'just plain weird!' spot would be Smuggler from director Katsuhito Ishii (Funky Forest) and just check out the Trailer if you don't believe - and no, it doesn't matter that there are no subtitles, the quirky oddness easily shines though. That's going to be awesome.More familiar names with Bobcat Goldthwait's comedy God Bless America and You’re Next from director Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die) with a home invasion film that promises many weapons flying.
One of the great things about Midnight Madness is that it's rare that the screenings will conflict with anything else. They are all at midnight, and rarely does another film run to or past that. TIFF offers a special pass to all of the Midnight Madness Screenings - see more info at the box office right here. If staying up super late isn't your thing, but extreme film is - don't worry, the films tend to have additional screenings throughout the festival. But now - I *really* want the schedule! What will open? What will close? My guess is The Day & The Raid respectively, but sadly it's too early to know! Talk about keeping us hanging. Not literally though - let's save that for the films.
And for the list-lovers, here are the details of the 10 titles in the 2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme right from the press release with additional links to IMDB Pages, trailers & official websites and original language titles if available. I've only found a few trailers & official sites so far, but I'll be sure to update them as I find more.
2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme
The Day
Dir: Douglas Aarniokoski, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Facebook Page
In a post-apocalyptic future, an open war against humanity rages. Five survivors wander along rural back-roads, lost, starving and on the run. With dwindling food stocks and ammunition, an attempt at seeking shelter turns into a battleground where they must fight or die. Starring Ashley Bell, Dominic Monaghan and Shannyn Sossamon.
God Bless America
Dir: Bobcat Goldthwait, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page
Loveless, jobless and possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America. With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and decides to off the stupidest, cruellest and most repellent members of society with an unusual accomplice: 16-year-old Roxy, who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement. From stand-up comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait comes a scathing and hilarious attack on all that is sacred in the United States of America.
The Incident / 2011 Incident at Sans Asylum
Dir: Alexandre Courtes, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page
George, Max and Ricky are in a rock band and waiting for their big breakthrough. Between small gigs and rehearsals they work in the kitchen of a high-security asylum for good pay at minimum risk – they have no physical contact with the inmates. One night just before dinnertime, a big storm shuts down the security system, the doors open and the lunatics break loose. Help is on its way and should soon arrive... they just have to survive until it does.
Kill List
Dir: Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer
Eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred, ex-soldier-turned-contract-killer Jay is pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment. As they track their prey, they descend into a disturbing world that is darker and more depraved than anything they experienced on the battlefield.
Livid
Dirs: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page
The directors of 2007’s Midnight Madness hit A L’Interieur (Inside) return with a twisted gothic nightmare. A young woman and her friends break into a decrepit mansion looking for treasure, only to unlock a dark secret of unspeakable horror ready to dish out bloody punishment for their greed.
Lovely Molly
Dir: Eduardo Sanchez, USA
World Premiere
No IMDB Page unless it's also/previously called The Possession - given the description it seems like could be a strong possibility
When newlywed Molly Reynolds returns to her long-abandoned family home, frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins an inexorable descent into evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. From the director of The Blair Witch Project.
The Raid
Dir: Gareth Evans, Indonesia
World Premiere
IMDB Page
Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building’s lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais.
Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche
Dir: Frederic Jardin, France/Belgium/Luxembourg
World Premiere
IMDB Page
When Vincent, a double-dealing cop, steals a big bag of cocaine from some drug dealers they counter by kidnapping and threatening to kill his son if the bag isn’t returned – fast. The swap is to go down at their headquarters in a big nightclub on the outskirts of Paris, but Vincent gets caught in a spiral of deception and betrayal and must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.
Smuggler
Dir: Katsuhito Ishii, Japan
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer
After his dreams of becoming an actor go nowhere, 25-year-old Kinuta does nothing but gamble every day. Broke, framed and now neck-deep in debt, he is recruited as a smuggler – an underground mover of everything from dead bodies to illegal goods – but one cargo triggers the rage of a psychotic gangster hellbent on revenge. By acclaimed cult director Katsuhito Ishii of Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl and Funky Forest fame.
You’re Next
Dir: Adam Wingard, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page
From the director-writer team that brought TIFF audiences A Horrible Way To Die in 2010 comes a new experiment in tension. A family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway. Barricaded in their secluded country home, they have to fight off a barrage of axes, crossbows and machetes from both inside and outside the house. Unfortunately for the killers, one of the victims proves to have a talent for fighting back.
The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The ones in which my eye and interest keep swerving to including the post apocalyptic The Day in part because I'm loving the cast of Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), Dominic Monaghan, Shannyn Sossamon and Shawn Ashmore (Frozen) and also because I'll always give post apocalyptic films a shot as survivalist films often go in interesting places and I'm hoping the 'fight or die' has some awesome fighting. Also excited for The Raid right out of the gate for some fighting goodness as it stars "Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais", and the few Indonesian films I've seen so far I've enjoyed. I'm big on the supernatural these days so that puts Lovely Molly high on the anticipation list, a psychosis/possession film from Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project).
The hit man movie Kill List looks positively brutal (and their website has a trailer - yay!), it has has some unfamiliar faces (Neil Maskell and Harry Simpson) with impressive familiar faces (MyAnna Buring of Devil's Playground, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Robin Hill of Down Terrace), which is always a good combination, plus I'm always up for a stylish UK crime thriller. More crime with Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche, a drug-dealing cop who goes too far and "must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.". Fighting & dance floors & clubs? Oh yea... I'm there. I'm always up for club-set films with dancing. Woot!
Looking to the brutal, I can only image that the French film The Incident set in an insane asylum and following regular folk that work there when the power (read: security) goes out can only be brutal, especially as French horror has been breaking some scary ground in recent years. More French craziness with Livid from A L’Interieur /Inside directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo with a mansion-set gothic horror - can't wait for that!
Filling in the more 'just plain weird!' spot would be Smuggler from director Katsuhito Ishii (Funky Forest) and just check out the Trailer if you don't believe - and no, it doesn't matter that there are no subtitles, the quirky oddness easily shines though. That's going to be awesome.More familiar names with Bobcat Goldthwait's comedy God Bless America and You’re Next from director Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die) with a home invasion film that promises many weapons flying.
One of the great things about Midnight Madness is that it's rare that the screenings will conflict with anything else. They are all at midnight, and rarely does another film run to or past that. TIFF offers a special pass to all of the Midnight Madness Screenings - see more info at the box office right here. If staying up super late isn't your thing, but extreme film is - don't worry, the films tend to have additional screenings throughout the festival. But now - I *really* want the schedule! What will open? What will close? My guess is The Day & The Raid respectively, but sadly it's too early to know! Talk about keeping us hanging. Not literally though - let's save that for the films.
And for the list-lovers, here are the details of the 10 titles in the 2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme right from the press release with additional links to IMDB Pages, trailers & official websites and original language titles if available. I've only found a few trailers & official sites so far, but I'll be sure to update them as I find more.
2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme
The Day
Dir: Douglas Aarniokoski, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Facebook Page
In a post-apocalyptic future, an open war against humanity rages. Five survivors wander along rural back-roads, lost, starving and on the run. With dwindling food stocks and ammunition, an attempt at seeking shelter turns into a battleground where they must fight or die. Starring Ashley Bell, Dominic Monaghan and Shannyn Sossamon.
God Bless America
Dir: Bobcat Goldthwait, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page
Loveless, jobless and possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America. With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and decides to off the stupidest, cruellest and most repellent members of society with an unusual accomplice: 16-year-old Roxy, who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement. From stand-up comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait comes a scathing and hilarious attack on all that is sacred in the United States of America.
The Incident / 2011 Incident at Sans Asylum
Dir: Alexandre Courtes, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page
George, Max and Ricky are in a rock band and waiting for their big breakthrough. Between small gigs and rehearsals they work in the kitchen of a high-security asylum for good pay at minimum risk – they have no physical contact with the inmates. One night just before dinnertime, a big storm shuts down the security system, the doors open and the lunatics break loose. Help is on its way and should soon arrive... they just have to survive until it does.
Kill List
Dir: Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer
Eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred, ex-soldier-turned-contract-killer Jay is pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment. As they track their prey, they descend into a disturbing world that is darker and more depraved than anything they experienced on the battlefield.
Livid
Dirs: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page
The directors of 2007’s Midnight Madness hit A L’Interieur (Inside) return with a twisted gothic nightmare. A young woman and her friends break into a decrepit mansion looking for treasure, only to unlock a dark secret of unspeakable horror ready to dish out bloody punishment for their greed.
Lovely Molly
Dir: Eduardo Sanchez, USA
World Premiere
No IMDB Page unless it's also/previously called The Possession - given the description it seems like could be a strong possibility
When newlywed Molly Reynolds returns to her long-abandoned family home, frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins an inexorable descent into evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. From the director of The Blair Witch Project.
The Raid
Dir: Gareth Evans, Indonesia
World Premiere
IMDB Page
Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building’s lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais.
Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche
Dir: Frederic Jardin, France/Belgium/Luxembourg
World Premiere
IMDB Page
When Vincent, a double-dealing cop, steals a big bag of cocaine from some drug dealers they counter by kidnapping and threatening to kill his son if the bag isn’t returned – fast. The swap is to go down at their headquarters in a big nightclub on the outskirts of Paris, but Vincent gets caught in a spiral of deception and betrayal and must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.
Smuggler
Dir: Katsuhito Ishii, Japan
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer
After his dreams of becoming an actor go nowhere, 25-year-old Kinuta does nothing but gamble every day. Broke, framed and now neck-deep in debt, he is recruited as a smuggler – an underground mover of everything from dead bodies to illegal goods – but one cargo triggers the rage of a psychotic gangster hellbent on revenge. By acclaimed cult director Katsuhito Ishii of Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl and Funky Forest fame.
You’re Next
Dir: Adam Wingard, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page
From the director-writer team that brought TIFF audiences A Horrible Way To Die in 2010 comes a new experiment in tension. A family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway. Barricaded in their secluded country home, they have to fight off a barrage of axes, crossbows and machetes from both inside and outside the house. Unfortunately for the killers, one of the victims proves to have a talent for fighting back.
The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
TIFF 2011: Vanguard & Documentaries Announced
We got five exciting press releases and many more titles released for the Toronto International Film Festival 2011 today. Looking at the Vanguard programme and documentaries announced here and I'll chat about Midnight Madness separately because that's always one of my favourite programmes. First, let's look at the titles in the Vanguard programme and right out of the gate I'm excited to see a Headshot, not so much the crime-centric nature and hunter becoming the hunted thing, but I'll see anything from Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang. Anything. Every single film I've seen of Pen-ek Ratanaruang has a beautiful sensibility and often a supernatural oddity to it that works really well, I truly love his work. I'm also excited to see the Norweigain film Oslo, August 31 from director Joachim Trier and Anders Danielsen Lie & Hans Olaf Brenner, Australian film Snowtown from director Justin Kurzel sounds creepy and Carré Blanc from director Jean-Baptiste Leonetti. The Vanguard Programme is one that I've found myself more and more drawn to over the years, not just because explores film on the edge but because it the quality of the films it extremely high are rarely disappoints. I have a feeling I'll be looking for a lot of coffee-with-cream coloured timeslots this year.
Numerous documentaries have also been announced, including 2 in the Masters Programme (Pina, a 3D dance documentary directed by Wim Wenders and This is not a Film directed by Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb) with the remaining titles in the Real to Reel programme. High profile titles include Werner Herzog's Into the Abyss, and Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope (Dir: Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me). I'm amazed that a documentary on ComicCon is high profile, it's wild to see how far geekdom has come over the past several years - and to be honest I think it's perfect timing although I wonder which Con it covers as this years only wrapped up a few weeks ago. Speaking of time, I'm curious to how they are going to schedule the epic 15-hour Story of Film. 15 hours! In a way, that's a historic achievement and I love films about film, but that would eat up your entire day. I know many folks that see 5 films a day, and as curious as I am I can't imagine dedicated an entire day to 1 film when I could see 5. That's a toughie! My documentary tastes often pivot to sport docs so I'm very curious about The Last Gladiators about hockey player Chris “Knuckles” Nilan and Undefeated following football coach Bill Courtney coaching in inner-city Memphis from 2004 to 2009 and to throw a nicely designed wrench in the works I also am very interested to see Gary Hustwit's (Helvetica, Objectified) Urbanized focusing his design explorations sights on city design.
And because films about filmmakers are always a draw, I can't wait to see Kim Ki-Duk's self-examining documentary Arirang, and attempt of catharsis and healing after the almost lethal moment during the filming of one of his previous works. Considering the emotional sensitivity in his work of 3-Iron, The Coast Guard and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring it's easily understandable that he was strongly affected by the almost mishap. These new documentary titles ramp add to the previously announced titles of From The Sky Down (Gala) and Pearl Jam Twenty (Special Presentations), and will be hearing about even more docs in the weeks to come.
Vanguard
details from press release
Carré Blanc
Dir: Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, France/Luxembourg/Belgium/Switzerland
World Premiere
Philip and Mary, two teenagers whose parents were crushed by the system, are placed in an orphanage with frightening education methods. Twenty years later, they became husband and wife and have all the appearances of a wealthy couple. However, while Philip is a cog in the system, Mary goes into a depression that seems irreversible. Unable to have kids, they are on the verge of breaking. But Mary will do anything to show Philip that together they can love and survive in a frozen desert where men have become monsters. Starring Sami Bouajila, Julie Gayet, Jean-Pierre Andreani, Fejria Deliba and Valerie Bodson.
Generation P
Dir: Victor Ginzburg Russia/USA
North American Premiere
Set in 1990s Moscow, Generation P details the parallel rise of poet-turned-copywriter Babylen Tatarsky through both a new advertising business and the shadowy Cult of Ishtar, whose acolytes control the media. Starring Vladimir Yepifantsev, Michael Yefremov and Andrei Fomin.
Headshot
Dir: Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France
World Premiere
Tul, a straight-laced cop, is blackmailed by a powerful politician and framed for a crime he did not commit. Disillusioned and vengeful, he is soon recruited to become a hitman for a shadowy group aimed at eliminating those who are above the law. But one day, Tul is shot in the head during an assignment. He wakes up after a three-month coma to find that he sees everything upside down, literally. Tul begins to have second thoughts about his profession. But when he tries to quit, roles are reversed and the hunter becomes the hunted. Can Tul find redemption from the violence that continues to haunt him?
Love and Bruises
Dir: Lou Ye, China/France
North American Premiere
Hua, a young teacher from Beijing, is a recent arrival in Paris. Exiled in an unknown city, she wanders between her tiny apartment and the university, drifting between former lovers and recent French acquaintances. She meets Matthieu, a young worker who falls madly in love with her. Possessed by an insatiable desire for her body, he treats Hua like a dog. An intense affair begins, marked by Matthieu’s passionate embraces and harsh verbal abuse. When Hua decides to leave her lover, she discovers the strength of her addiction, and the vital role he has come to play in her life as a woman. Starring Tahar Rahim, Corinne Yam, Jalil Lespert, Sifan Shao, Vincent Rottiers.
Oslo, August 31
Dir: Joachim Trier, Norway
North American Premiere
Anders wanders the city, meeting people he hasn't seen in a while. Long into the night, the ghosts of past mistakes will wrestle with the chance of love, of a new life, with the hope to see some future by morning... From the director of the award-winning Reprise. Starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olaf Brenner, Ingrid Olava, Johanne Kjellevik Ledang.
Snowtown
Dir: Justin Kurzel, Australia
North American Premiere
When 16-year-old Jamie is introduced to a charismatic man, a friendship begins. As the relationship grows so do Jamie’s suspicions, until he finds his world threatened by his loyalty for, and fear of, his newfound father-figure John Bunting, Australia’s most notorious serial killer. Starring Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris.
The Year of the Tiger
Dir: Sebastián Lelio, Chile
North American Premiere
Manuel is imprisoned in a jail in the south of Chile, which collapses on the night of the violent earthquake of February 27, 2010. Manuel escapes and becomes a fugitive, lost in the middle of the catastrophe. He returns to his home only to find out that it has been ravaged by a tsunami, which has also taken the lives of his wife and daughter. As Manuel travels through completely destroyed landscapes, he enters deeper and deeper into his own devastated areas. This strange freedom will bring him to face nature’s cruelty and take his own human existence to its limit. Starring Luis Dubó, Sergio Hernández, Viviana Herrera.
Masters
Details from press release
Pina
Dir: Wim Wenders, Germany/France
Canadian Premiere
German master filmmaker Wim Wenders shoots in 3D to capture the brilliantly inventive dance world of Pina Bausch and her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal. Excerpts from many of her most famous pieces are shot outside in the streets and parks of Wuppertal capturing the drama and power of her repertoire.
This is not a Film
Dirs: Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Iran
Toronto Premiere
Sentenced to six years in prison and banned from writing and making films for 20 years by the Islamic Republic Court in Tehran, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi waited for the verdict of his court appeal for months. Through the depiction of a day in his life while he‟s on house arrest, Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (a documentary filmmaker and former assistant director) offer audiences an overview of the current situation of Iranian cinema.
Reel to Real
Details from press release
Arirang
Dir: Kim Ki-Duk, South Korea
North American Premiere
While shooting a suicide scene for his last film, Dream, in 2008, filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk's lead actress nearly perished and the incident triggered an emotional and creative breakdown for Kim. As an act of self-administered therapy, Arirang takes playful liberties with the documentary form as Kim traces his experiences and mindset during this period of crisis.
The Boy Who Was King
Dir: Andrey Paounov, Bulgaria/Germany
World Premiere
Director Andrey Paounov (The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories) explores the strange history of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha who became Bulgaria's tsar at age 6, then was exiled during years of communism and returned to be elected Prime Minister.
Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope
Dir: Morgan Spurlock, USA
World Premiere
Have you ever imagined a place where Vulcans and vampires get along? Where wizards and wookies can be themselves? Welcome to Comic-Con San Diego. What started as a fringe comic book convention for 500 fans has grown into the pop culture event of the year that influences every form of entertainment, now attended by over 140,000. Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope explores this cultural phenomenon by following the lives of seven attendees as they descend upon the ultimate geek mecca. Includes interviews with Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Frank Miller and Matt Groening.
Crazy Horse
Dir: Frederick Wiseman, USA/France
North American Premiere
Documentary master Frederick Wiseman (La Danse, Boxing Gym) spent ten weeks exploring the legendary Parisian cabaret club Crazy Horse, which boasts the greatest and most chic nude dancing in the world. Founded in 1951, the club has become a Parisian nightlife must for any visitor, ranking alongside the Eiffel tower and the Louvre. Wiseman's impeccable eye allows us to enter into this intriguing international temple of the Parisian club world and to discover what makes the Crazy Horse tick: elegance, perfectionism and a grueling schedule. The film follows the rehearsals, backstage preparations and performances for a new show, Désirs.
Dark Girls
Dirs: Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, USA
World Premiere
It seems beyond comprehension that a child would ask her mother to put bleach in the bathwater to lighten her skin. Yet this is a reality for many members of the African diaspora. For many black women – who, like all women, are often judged by their physical appearance – being dark-skinned becomes their defining characteristic. Actor/director Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry set out to examine why skin colour bias persists and how it affects the lives of women on the receiving end of it.
Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell
Dir: Rithy Panh, France/Cambodia
International Premiere
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime caused the death of some 1.8 million people, representing one-quarter of the population of Cambodia. Rithy Panh first explored the legacy of Cambodia‟s genocide with S21, the Khmer Rouge Killing Machine. This captivating new documentary continues Panh‟s investigation with a portrait of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, the man responsible for running the notorious S21 prison.
Gerhard Richter Painting
Dir: Corinna Belz, Germany
International Premiere
Gerhard Richter, one of the internationally most significant contemporary artists of our times, granted filmmaker Corinna Belz access to his studio in the spring and summer of 2009 where he was working on a series of large abstract paintings. In quiet, highly concentrated images, the film gives us a fly-on-the-wall perspective of a very personal, tension-filled process of artistic creation. In her intelligent and perceptive film, Corinna Belz brings us closer to the complex processes of artistic creation. Gerhard Richter Painting is the penetrating portrait of an artist at work – and a fascinating film about the art of seeing.
Girl Model
Dirs: Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, USA
World Premiere
Despite a lack of obvious similarities between Siberia and Tokyo, a thriving model industry connects these distant regions. Girl Model follows Ashley, a deeply ambivalent model scout who scours the Siberian countryside looking for fresh faces to send to the Japanese market, and one of her discoveries, Nadya, a 13-year-old plucked from the Siberian countryside and dropped into the center of Tokyo with promises of a profitable career. After Ashley‟s initial discovery of Nadya, the two rarely meet again, but their stories are inextricably bound.
I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad, and the Beautiful
Dir: Jonathan Demme, USA
North American Premiere
Carolyn Parker was the last to leave her neighbourhood when a mandatory evacuation order was decreed as Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans in the summer of 2005, and was the first resident to return to her now flood-devastated community. Mrs. Parker takes us deep inside her personal biography as a child born in the 1940s, raised in segregated New Orleans‟ Lower 9th Ward, who became a teenager joining the front lines in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and later became one of the most outspoken voices in the fight for every New Orleanian‟s right to return home after the devastation of the floods that followed Katrina.
In My Mother’s Arms
Dirs: Atia Al Daradji and Mohamed Al Daradji, Iraq/Netherlands/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Husham works tirelessly to build the hopes, dreams and prospects of the 32 damaged children of war under his care at a small orphanage in Baghdad‟s most dangerous district. When the landlord gives Husham and the boys just two weeks to vacate the premises, a desperate search for lodging ensues.
Into the Abyss
Dir: Werner Herzog, USA
World Premiere
Exploring a triple homicide case in Texas, Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Grizzly Man) probes the psyches of those involved, including the 28-year-old death row inmate scheduled to die within eight days of appearing on-screen. Herzog‟s inquiries unveil layers of humanity against an American Gothic landscape. As he‟s so often done before, the director makes an enlightening trip out of ominous territory.
Last Call at the Oasis
Dir: Jessica Yu, USA
World Premiere
We're running out of water, and contaminating what's left. How long before the well runs dry? In unravelling this interconnected global crisis, Last Call at the Oasis focuses on the country with the largest water footprint – the United States – and explores why the threat hasn't hit home. Academy Award®-winning director Jessica Yu draws upon the research of scientists and enlists diverse voices ranging from the real Erin Brockovich, exemplifying feisty resistance, to actor Jack Black, supplying welcome comic relief.
The Last Dogs of Winter
Dir: Costa Botes, New Zealand
World Premiere
Canadian Eskimo Dogs or Quimmiq were once indispensible to human life in the arctic. Today, the breed faces extinction. Since 1976, Brian Ladoon has stuck to a promise to maintain a viable breeding colony of the animals, battling chronic underfunding, wandering polar bears, officialdom and shocking weather to keep his word.
The Last Gladiators
Dir: Alex Gibney, USA
World Premiere
Chris “Knuckles” Nilan can chart his hockey career by his scars. He earned those stripes as one the NHL‟s fiercest enforcers, throwing punches to defend his teammates. While playing for the Montreal Canadiens in the mid-1980s, his fights racked up penalty minutes, but received roaring approval from fans and helped win the Stanley Cup. When injuries forced Knuckles to retire in 1992, he faced a new battle: how do you stop being a gladiator and re-enter normal society? Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) explores the rough and tumble world of hockey.
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Dir: Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, USA
World Premiere
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory chronicles the 18-year odyssey of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, three teens incarcerated for a horrifying crime they claim they did not commit. In the latest installment of the acclaimed documentary film series about the “West Memphis Three,” facts are reexamined, new evidence is revealed, and new suspects are scrutinized. The film is a riveting look at American justice.
Paul Williams Still Alive
Dir: Stephen Kessler, USA
World Premiere
A documentary filmmaker tracks down Grammy and Oscar award-winning actor/singer/songwriter Paul Williams in an attempt to find out what happened to his fallen idol. Paul Williams was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s. He was everywhere – on The Tonight Show 50 times and appeared on variety shows, sitcoms, game shows and movies from The Love Boat to Phantom of the Paradise. But in the 1980s, he just disappeared. This movie is about what happened when filmmaker Stephen Kessler finds him.
Samsara
Dir: Ron Fricke, USA
World Premiere
Samsara is a Tibetan word that means “the ever turning wheel of life,” a concept both intimate and vast, the perfect subject for filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson whose previous collaborations include Chronos and Baraka. Samsara takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation that spans the globe on a journey of the soul. Through powerful images pristinely photographed in 70mm and a dynamic music score, the film illuminates the links between humanity and the rest of the nature, showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet.
Sarah Palin – You Betcha!
Dirs: Nick Broomfield and Joan Churchill, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Nick Broomfield's quest for the real Sarah Palin involves battling the icy snows of Alaska in mid-winter to speak to the school friends, family, and Republican colleagues that in previous days gave their heart, soul and belief to the charismatic, charming, intoxicating ex-hockey mom. But it's not all plain sailing. People are frightened to talk; Wasilla makes Twin Peaks look like a walk in the park. It's a devout evangelical community – 76 churches with a population of only 6 thousand, and the Crystal meth capital of Alaska. Broomfield brings his celebrated wit and determination to cracking her story.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Dir: Mark Cousins, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Filmed on four continents over six years, this epic 15-hour documentary tells the story of innovation in the movies based on the acclaimed book of the same title by Mark Cousins. Featuring exclusive interviews with legendary filmmakers like Stanley Donen and Abbas Kiarostami, The Story of Film: An Odyssey is a passionate, cinematic journey across 11 decades of cinema, and a thousand films.
The Tall Man
Dir: Tony Krawitz, Australia
International Premiere
This is the story of Palm Island, the Australian tropical Paradise where one morning Cameron Doomadgee swore at a policeman and forty-five minutes later lay dead in a watch-house cell. It's also the story of that policeman, the tall enigmatic Christopher Hurley who prior to Doomadgee's death had been decorated for his work with aboriginal communities. Based on Chloe Hooper's award winning book, The Tall Man explores one of Australia's most sensational cases of culture clash and the haunting moral puzzle at its core.
Undefeated
Dirs: Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, USA
International Premiere
In 2004, football coach Bill Courtney took on the daunting job of coaching at Manassas High School in inner-city Memphis, where players are more likely to wind up in jail than in college. The Manassas Tigers were perennial whipping boys of the league, bereft of victories, funds, and morale. Courtney recruited a group of freshmen to turn things around, and in their first season they got creamed. But with each passing year they won more games and more respect. At the start of the season in 2009, Courtney set a goal: to win the first play-off game in the school‟s 110-year history.
Urbanized
Dir: Gary Hustwit, U.S./United Kingdom
World Premiere
Director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Objectified) completes his design film trilogy with Urbanized. Exploring the design of cities with the world's foremost architects, policymakers and engaged citizens, Urbanized frames a global discussion about how the design of our cities affects our lives.
Whores’ Glory
Dir: Michael Glawogger, Austria/Germany
North American Premiere
Whores’ Glory is a cinematic triptych on prostitution: three countries, three languages, three religions. In Thailand, women wait for clients behind glass panes, staring at reflections of themselves. In Bangladesh, men go to a ghetto of love to satisfy their unfulfilled desires on indentured girls. And in Mexico, women mix hard drugs with sex labour to avoid facing their own reality. In worlds where the most intimate act has become a commodity, these women have physically and emotionally experienced everything that can happen between a man and a woman. For this they have always received money, but it has not made their lives rich in anything but stories.
See all of today's press releases:
The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Numerous documentaries have also been announced, including 2 in the Masters Programme (Pina, a 3D dance documentary directed by Wim Wenders and This is not a Film directed by Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb) with the remaining titles in the Real to Reel programme. High profile titles include Werner Herzog's Into the Abyss, and Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope (Dir: Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me). I'm amazed that a documentary on ComicCon is high profile, it's wild to see how far geekdom has come over the past several years - and to be honest I think it's perfect timing although I wonder which Con it covers as this years only wrapped up a few weeks ago. Speaking of time, I'm curious to how they are going to schedule the epic 15-hour Story of Film. 15 hours! In a way, that's a historic achievement and I love films about film, but that would eat up your entire day. I know many folks that see 5 films a day, and as curious as I am I can't imagine dedicated an entire day to 1 film when I could see 5. That's a toughie! My documentary tastes often pivot to sport docs so I'm very curious about The Last Gladiators about hockey player Chris “Knuckles” Nilan and Undefeated following football coach Bill Courtney coaching in inner-city Memphis from 2004 to 2009 and to throw a nicely designed wrench in the works I also am very interested to see Gary Hustwit's (Helvetica, Objectified) Urbanized focusing his design explorations sights on city design.
And because films about filmmakers are always a draw, I can't wait to see Kim Ki-Duk's self-examining documentary Arirang, and attempt of catharsis and healing after the almost lethal moment during the filming of one of his previous works. Considering the emotional sensitivity in his work of 3-Iron, The Coast Guard and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring it's easily understandable that he was strongly affected by the almost mishap. These new documentary titles ramp add to the previously announced titles of From The Sky Down (Gala) and Pearl Jam Twenty (Special Presentations), and will be hearing about even more docs in the weeks to come.
Vanguard
details from press release
Carré Blanc
Dir: Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, France/Luxembourg/Belgium/Switzerland
World Premiere
Philip and Mary, two teenagers whose parents were crushed by the system, are placed in an orphanage with frightening education methods. Twenty years later, they became husband and wife and have all the appearances of a wealthy couple. However, while Philip is a cog in the system, Mary goes into a depression that seems irreversible. Unable to have kids, they are on the verge of breaking. But Mary will do anything to show Philip that together they can love and survive in a frozen desert where men have become monsters. Starring Sami Bouajila, Julie Gayet, Jean-Pierre Andreani, Fejria Deliba and Valerie Bodson.
Generation P
Dir: Victor Ginzburg Russia/USA
North American Premiere
Set in 1990s Moscow, Generation P details the parallel rise of poet-turned-copywriter Babylen Tatarsky through both a new advertising business and the shadowy Cult of Ishtar, whose acolytes control the media. Starring Vladimir Yepifantsev, Michael Yefremov and Andrei Fomin.
Headshot
Dir: Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France
World Premiere
Tul, a straight-laced cop, is blackmailed by a powerful politician and framed for a crime he did not commit. Disillusioned and vengeful, he is soon recruited to become a hitman for a shadowy group aimed at eliminating those who are above the law. But one day, Tul is shot in the head during an assignment. He wakes up after a three-month coma to find that he sees everything upside down, literally. Tul begins to have second thoughts about his profession. But when he tries to quit, roles are reversed and the hunter becomes the hunted. Can Tul find redemption from the violence that continues to haunt him?
Love and Bruises
Dir: Lou Ye, China/France
North American Premiere
Hua, a young teacher from Beijing, is a recent arrival in Paris. Exiled in an unknown city, she wanders between her tiny apartment and the university, drifting between former lovers and recent French acquaintances. She meets Matthieu, a young worker who falls madly in love with her. Possessed by an insatiable desire for her body, he treats Hua like a dog. An intense affair begins, marked by Matthieu’s passionate embraces and harsh verbal abuse. When Hua decides to leave her lover, she discovers the strength of her addiction, and the vital role he has come to play in her life as a woman. Starring Tahar Rahim, Corinne Yam, Jalil Lespert, Sifan Shao, Vincent Rottiers.
Oslo, August 31
Dir: Joachim Trier, Norway
North American Premiere
Anders wanders the city, meeting people he hasn't seen in a while. Long into the night, the ghosts of past mistakes will wrestle with the chance of love, of a new life, with the hope to see some future by morning... From the director of the award-winning Reprise. Starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olaf Brenner, Ingrid Olava, Johanne Kjellevik Ledang.
Snowtown
Dir: Justin Kurzel, Australia
North American Premiere
When 16-year-old Jamie is introduced to a charismatic man, a friendship begins. As the relationship grows so do Jamie’s suspicions, until he finds his world threatened by his loyalty for, and fear of, his newfound father-figure John Bunting, Australia’s most notorious serial killer. Starring Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris.
The Year of the Tiger
Dir: Sebastián Lelio, Chile
North American Premiere
Manuel is imprisoned in a jail in the south of Chile, which collapses on the night of the violent earthquake of February 27, 2010. Manuel escapes and becomes a fugitive, lost in the middle of the catastrophe. He returns to his home only to find out that it has been ravaged by a tsunami, which has also taken the lives of his wife and daughter. As Manuel travels through completely destroyed landscapes, he enters deeper and deeper into his own devastated areas. This strange freedom will bring him to face nature’s cruelty and take his own human existence to its limit. Starring Luis Dubó, Sergio Hernández, Viviana Herrera.
Masters
Details from press release
Pina
Dir: Wim Wenders, Germany/France
Canadian Premiere
German master filmmaker Wim Wenders shoots in 3D to capture the brilliantly inventive dance world of Pina Bausch and her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal. Excerpts from many of her most famous pieces are shot outside in the streets and parks of Wuppertal capturing the drama and power of her repertoire.
This is not a Film
Dirs: Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Iran
Toronto Premiere
Sentenced to six years in prison and banned from writing and making films for 20 years by the Islamic Republic Court in Tehran, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi waited for the verdict of his court appeal for months. Through the depiction of a day in his life while he‟s on house arrest, Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (a documentary filmmaker and former assistant director) offer audiences an overview of the current situation of Iranian cinema.
Reel to Real
Details from press release
Arirang
Dir: Kim Ki-Duk, South Korea
North American Premiere
While shooting a suicide scene for his last film, Dream, in 2008, filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk's lead actress nearly perished and the incident triggered an emotional and creative breakdown for Kim. As an act of self-administered therapy, Arirang takes playful liberties with the documentary form as Kim traces his experiences and mindset during this period of crisis.
The Boy Who Was King
Dir: Andrey Paounov, Bulgaria/Germany
World Premiere
Director Andrey Paounov (The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories) explores the strange history of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha who became Bulgaria's tsar at age 6, then was exiled during years of communism and returned to be elected Prime Minister.
Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope
Dir: Morgan Spurlock, USA
World Premiere
Have you ever imagined a place where Vulcans and vampires get along? Where wizards and wookies can be themselves? Welcome to Comic-Con San Diego. What started as a fringe comic book convention for 500 fans has grown into the pop culture event of the year that influences every form of entertainment, now attended by over 140,000. Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope explores this cultural phenomenon by following the lives of seven attendees as they descend upon the ultimate geek mecca. Includes interviews with Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Frank Miller and Matt Groening.
Crazy Horse
Dir: Frederick Wiseman, USA/France
North American Premiere
Documentary master Frederick Wiseman (La Danse, Boxing Gym) spent ten weeks exploring the legendary Parisian cabaret club Crazy Horse, which boasts the greatest and most chic nude dancing in the world. Founded in 1951, the club has become a Parisian nightlife must for any visitor, ranking alongside the Eiffel tower and the Louvre. Wiseman's impeccable eye allows us to enter into this intriguing international temple of the Parisian club world and to discover what makes the Crazy Horse tick: elegance, perfectionism and a grueling schedule. The film follows the rehearsals, backstage preparations and performances for a new show, Désirs.
Dark Girls
Dirs: Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, USA
World Premiere
It seems beyond comprehension that a child would ask her mother to put bleach in the bathwater to lighten her skin. Yet this is a reality for many members of the African diaspora. For many black women – who, like all women, are often judged by their physical appearance – being dark-skinned becomes their defining characteristic. Actor/director Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry set out to examine why skin colour bias persists and how it affects the lives of women on the receiving end of it.
Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell
Dir: Rithy Panh, France/Cambodia
International Premiere
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime caused the death of some 1.8 million people, representing one-quarter of the population of Cambodia. Rithy Panh first explored the legacy of Cambodia‟s genocide with S21, the Khmer Rouge Killing Machine. This captivating new documentary continues Panh‟s investigation with a portrait of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, the man responsible for running the notorious S21 prison.
Gerhard Richter Painting
Dir: Corinna Belz, Germany
International Premiere
Gerhard Richter, one of the internationally most significant contemporary artists of our times, granted filmmaker Corinna Belz access to his studio in the spring and summer of 2009 where he was working on a series of large abstract paintings. In quiet, highly concentrated images, the film gives us a fly-on-the-wall perspective of a very personal, tension-filled process of artistic creation. In her intelligent and perceptive film, Corinna Belz brings us closer to the complex processes of artistic creation. Gerhard Richter Painting is the penetrating portrait of an artist at work – and a fascinating film about the art of seeing.
Girl Model
Dirs: Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, USA
World Premiere
Despite a lack of obvious similarities between Siberia and Tokyo, a thriving model industry connects these distant regions. Girl Model follows Ashley, a deeply ambivalent model scout who scours the Siberian countryside looking for fresh faces to send to the Japanese market, and one of her discoveries, Nadya, a 13-year-old plucked from the Siberian countryside and dropped into the center of Tokyo with promises of a profitable career. After Ashley‟s initial discovery of Nadya, the two rarely meet again, but their stories are inextricably bound.
I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad, and the Beautiful
Dir: Jonathan Demme, USA
North American Premiere
Carolyn Parker was the last to leave her neighbourhood when a mandatory evacuation order was decreed as Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans in the summer of 2005, and was the first resident to return to her now flood-devastated community. Mrs. Parker takes us deep inside her personal biography as a child born in the 1940s, raised in segregated New Orleans‟ Lower 9th Ward, who became a teenager joining the front lines in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and later became one of the most outspoken voices in the fight for every New Orleanian‟s right to return home after the devastation of the floods that followed Katrina.
In My Mother’s Arms
Dirs: Atia Al Daradji and Mohamed Al Daradji, Iraq/Netherlands/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Husham works tirelessly to build the hopes, dreams and prospects of the 32 damaged children of war under his care at a small orphanage in Baghdad‟s most dangerous district. When the landlord gives Husham and the boys just two weeks to vacate the premises, a desperate search for lodging ensues.
Into the Abyss
Dir: Werner Herzog, USA
World Premiere
Exploring a triple homicide case in Texas, Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Grizzly Man) probes the psyches of those involved, including the 28-year-old death row inmate scheduled to die within eight days of appearing on-screen. Herzog‟s inquiries unveil layers of humanity against an American Gothic landscape. As he‟s so often done before, the director makes an enlightening trip out of ominous territory.
Last Call at the Oasis
Dir: Jessica Yu, USA
World Premiere
We're running out of water, and contaminating what's left. How long before the well runs dry? In unravelling this interconnected global crisis, Last Call at the Oasis focuses on the country with the largest water footprint – the United States – and explores why the threat hasn't hit home. Academy Award®-winning director Jessica Yu draws upon the research of scientists and enlists diverse voices ranging from the real Erin Brockovich, exemplifying feisty resistance, to actor Jack Black, supplying welcome comic relief.
The Last Dogs of Winter
Dir: Costa Botes, New Zealand
World Premiere
Canadian Eskimo Dogs or Quimmiq were once indispensible to human life in the arctic. Today, the breed faces extinction. Since 1976, Brian Ladoon has stuck to a promise to maintain a viable breeding colony of the animals, battling chronic underfunding, wandering polar bears, officialdom and shocking weather to keep his word.
The Last Gladiators
Dir: Alex Gibney, USA
World Premiere
Chris “Knuckles” Nilan can chart his hockey career by his scars. He earned those stripes as one the NHL‟s fiercest enforcers, throwing punches to defend his teammates. While playing for the Montreal Canadiens in the mid-1980s, his fights racked up penalty minutes, but received roaring approval from fans and helped win the Stanley Cup. When injuries forced Knuckles to retire in 1992, he faced a new battle: how do you stop being a gladiator and re-enter normal society? Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) explores the rough and tumble world of hockey.
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Dir: Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, USA
World Premiere
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory chronicles the 18-year odyssey of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, three teens incarcerated for a horrifying crime they claim they did not commit. In the latest installment of the acclaimed documentary film series about the “West Memphis Three,” facts are reexamined, new evidence is revealed, and new suspects are scrutinized. The film is a riveting look at American justice.
Paul Williams Still Alive
Dir: Stephen Kessler, USA
World Premiere
A documentary filmmaker tracks down Grammy and Oscar award-winning actor/singer/songwriter Paul Williams in an attempt to find out what happened to his fallen idol. Paul Williams was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s. He was everywhere – on The Tonight Show 50 times and appeared on variety shows, sitcoms, game shows and movies from The Love Boat to Phantom of the Paradise. But in the 1980s, he just disappeared. This movie is about what happened when filmmaker Stephen Kessler finds him.
Samsara
Dir: Ron Fricke, USA
World Premiere
Samsara is a Tibetan word that means “the ever turning wheel of life,” a concept both intimate and vast, the perfect subject for filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson whose previous collaborations include Chronos and Baraka. Samsara takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation that spans the globe on a journey of the soul. Through powerful images pristinely photographed in 70mm and a dynamic music score, the film illuminates the links between humanity and the rest of the nature, showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet.
Sarah Palin – You Betcha!
Dirs: Nick Broomfield and Joan Churchill, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Nick Broomfield's quest for the real Sarah Palin involves battling the icy snows of Alaska in mid-winter to speak to the school friends, family, and Republican colleagues that in previous days gave their heart, soul and belief to the charismatic, charming, intoxicating ex-hockey mom. But it's not all plain sailing. People are frightened to talk; Wasilla makes Twin Peaks look like a walk in the park. It's a devout evangelical community – 76 churches with a population of only 6 thousand, and the Crystal meth capital of Alaska. Broomfield brings his celebrated wit and determination to cracking her story.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Dir: Mark Cousins, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Filmed on four continents over six years, this epic 15-hour documentary tells the story of innovation in the movies based on the acclaimed book of the same title by Mark Cousins. Featuring exclusive interviews with legendary filmmakers like Stanley Donen and Abbas Kiarostami, The Story of Film: An Odyssey is a passionate, cinematic journey across 11 decades of cinema, and a thousand films.
The Tall Man
Dir: Tony Krawitz, Australia
International Premiere
This is the story of Palm Island, the Australian tropical Paradise where one morning Cameron Doomadgee swore at a policeman and forty-five minutes later lay dead in a watch-house cell. It's also the story of that policeman, the tall enigmatic Christopher Hurley who prior to Doomadgee's death had been decorated for his work with aboriginal communities. Based on Chloe Hooper's award winning book, The Tall Man explores one of Australia's most sensational cases of culture clash and the haunting moral puzzle at its core.
Undefeated
Dirs: Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, USA
International Premiere
In 2004, football coach Bill Courtney took on the daunting job of coaching at Manassas High School in inner-city Memphis, where players are more likely to wind up in jail than in college. The Manassas Tigers were perennial whipping boys of the league, bereft of victories, funds, and morale. Courtney recruited a group of freshmen to turn things around, and in their first season they got creamed. But with each passing year they won more games and more respect. At the start of the season in 2009, Courtney set a goal: to win the first play-off game in the school‟s 110-year history.
Urbanized
Dir: Gary Hustwit, U.S./United Kingdom
World Premiere
Director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Objectified) completes his design film trilogy with Urbanized. Exploring the design of cities with the world's foremost architects, policymakers and engaged citizens, Urbanized frames a global discussion about how the design of our cities affects our lives.
Whores’ Glory
Dir: Michael Glawogger, Austria/Germany
North American Premiere
Whores’ Glory is a cinematic triptych on prostitution: three countries, three languages, three religions. In Thailand, women wait for clients behind glass panes, staring at reflections of themselves. In Bangladesh, men go to a ghetto of love to satisfy their unfulfilled desires on indentured girls. And in Mexico, women mix hard drugs with sex labour to avoid facing their own reality. In worlds where the most intimate act has become a commodity, these women have physically and emotionally experienced everything that can happen between a man and a woman. For this they have always received money, but it has not made their lives rich in anything but stories.
See all of today's press releases:
- Festival’s Vanguard Programme Presents Convention-Defying, Genre-Twisting International Cinema
- When The Clock Strikes Twelve Midnight Madness Delivers Wild Cinematic Thrills
- Festival Unveils Highly Anticipated World Premieres Of Documentaries From Werner Herzog, Morgan Spurlock, Jessica Yu, Nick Broomfield And MoreToronto International
- Film Festival Invites Kids of All Ages to its Cinematic Playground
- Buenos Aires Takes Centre Stage in Festival's City to City Programming
The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Best Films of 2011 (so far)
Above: Movie Moxie's List of Best Films of 2011 (so far)
It's no secret that I loved list. Film lists, to do lists, grocery lists (okay.. that's uber practical..), goal lists... lists are awesome. You can check things off lists, highlight them, disagree with ranking or nod along in agreement.
I usually do a mid-year check in list of films that I'm loved and the ones I'm looking foward to in the future. At the end of 2010 I switched things up a bit with The Perfect List of films that I literally feel achieve perfection. So, I naturally thought my mid-year check in would be of those perfect films. But then something along the way happened. More specifically The Adjustment Bureau and totally messed up my whole perfection thing because... it wasn't perfect. I love it to pieces, but it wasn't perfect. What's a film lover to do? Whelp. Fix the problem of course with not one list but two. First I have my list the 10 Best Films of 2011 (so far) and then I have my 10 Favourite Films of 2011 (so far), because as much as I can acknowledge and appreciate perfection (and I really do), the experience of enjoying a film can be just as, if not more, powerful. After thinking about it I decided I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate both types of cinematic achievement. There is similar in titles with 6 out of 10 films grace *both* lists, although rankings are rather topsy-turvy.
Movie Moxie's List of Best Films of 2011 (so far)
1. The Tree of Life
2. Small Town Murder Songs
3. Four Lions
4. The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
5. Incendies
6. In a Better World / Hævnen
7. Jane Eyre (2011)
8. The Adjustment Bureau
9. Thor
10. Super 8
Above: Movie Moxie's List of Favourite Films of 2011 (so far)
Movie Moxie's List of Favourite Films of 2011 (so far)
1. The Adjustment Bureau
2. The Tree of Life
3. Rubber
4. Soul Surfer
5. Thor
6. The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
7. Jane Eyre (2011)
8. Super 8
9. I Am Number Four
10. Country Strong
Please note these lists were created before seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Source Code or Kung Fu Panda 2. I'm not sure exactly where those would fall in my lists, but there is a strong possibility they would have made the cut, especially Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Titles that qualified for consideration to this list are films that had a theatrical release in Toronto during the 2011 calender year.
Building Anticipation for the Rest of 2011!
I'm surprized at how few of the titles are aligned to my Most Anticipated Films of 2011 List, but you never know how films will turn out until you see them! To complete this mid-year cycle I'm adding a handful of new titles to the anticipated list, and again I'm surprized that it's only 5 titles as usually it's a good set of 15-20. Even when you keep patterns in place, you never know where your interests and energy will land! Here are the five will become added grace to the original list:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I, like many, wasn't a huge fan of the recent Planet of the Apes reboot and with that I pretty much wrote off this new version until I saw the trailer, and I was captivated. It looks like there really is an interesting story and moral question in there. Cast includes James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton and Andy Serkis, and it's directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist).
Release date: August 5, 2011
One Day
This is earnestly a recommendation that started though the power of Twitter. I was looking to fill the last spot for 2011 for the Book to Film Club, and was instantly won over by the idea of seeing two peoples lives and relationship unfolded by seeing them 1 day a year over many years. I loved the idea and I simply adored the book. I think the casting of Anne Hathaway (Devil Wears Prada, Rachel Getting Married) and Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe, Heartless), is simply perfect. Directed by Lone Scherfig (An Education).
Release date: August 19, 2011
The Help
Another Book to Film Club Selection that won me over, this one based on the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett, this one is set in Mississippi during the early 1960s the centred on unlikely friendships and courageous women. Stars Emma Stone (Paper Man), Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, Directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People).
Release date: August 10, 2011
Anonymous
I'm feeling super literary here with almost all my additions being book released, and this one is close to as it looks at the questioning of who really wrote the works of William Shakespeare. Stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave and David Thewlis, and directed by Roland Emmerich.
Release date: September 30, 2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I was semi interested in this John le Carré novel adaptation until the trailer. At that point I was glad I decided not to read the book as it's clear it's a mystery, and I can't wait to see it unfold (and hopefully solved) by lead actor Gary Oldman. Also stars Colin Firth (The King's Speech) and Tom Hardy (Bronson) from director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in).
Release date: November 18, 2011
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Ironclad (DVD Review)
DVD review of the historical epic Ironclad set in 1215 England and starring James Purefoy, Kate Mara & Brian Cox
Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2010 Film & Entertainment VIP Medienfonds 4 GmbH & Co. KG All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved. © 2010 Film & Entertainment VIP Medienfonds 4 GmbH & Co. KG Tous droits réservés. Distribué exclusivement au Canada par Alliance Vivafilm. Tous droits réservés.
Dir: Jonathan English (Minotaur, Nailing Vienna)
Cast: James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Kate Mara, Jason Fleming, Mackenzie Crook, Paul Giamatti, Derek Jacobi, Vladamir Kulich, Jamie Foreman, Aneurin Barnard, Charles Dance
UK/USA/Germany, 2011
Reason to see: An epic historical with swords and a cast including James Purefoy, Brian Cox, and Charles Dance made Ironclad an easy must-see film.
Set in 1215 and following the actions of King John against supporters of the Magna Carta, a contract to uphold rights to the people of England, we are presented with a historical tale of epic importance at a pivot point in history. The film centres on the conflict of King John (Paul Giamatti) against Baron Albany (Brian Cox) Knight Templar Marhsall (James Purefoy of Solomon Kane & Rome) and a handful of others who fight for the Magna Carta and the newly instated rights of the people of England. A historically set action film that also has a great heart and message about the value and challenges of standing up against tyranny. It's a great good vs evil story with a fantastic ensemble cast, who along with James Purefoy, Brian Cox and Paul Giamatti, we have Jason Fleming as the randy fighter Becket, Mackenzie Crook as the skilled archer Marks, Derek Jacobi as the Rochester owner Cornhill and Kate Mara as his very young wife Isabel. Plus, as a total treat Charles Dance as Archbishop Langdon. I love Charles Dance (mostly from Aliens 3, but he's lovely in everything).
I loved the sense of strength in the film, along with the depiction of skill, courage, persistence and resilance. I didn't always connect to the emotional journey of the character of Marshal but I find The Templars a bit of a mystery and can't quite connect warriors with religion. The amazing thing was I did often connect to the emotional resonance of James Purefoy's performance of the character Marshal , which was a real treat. I also quite enjoyed the supporting cast whose characters did a great job of adding in people to love & hate, as well as cheer for along the way. Brian Cox in particular is top-notch here playing the Albany, a stubborn and charismatic leader in a time where people are scared to take action.
I've been noticing & enjoying recent films that are historically set and choose a very specific place or event to hold to like Centurian and The Eagle - both of which are fictionalizations but has a similarly weighty spirit to them as Ironclad, which is completely centred in history. I think it's an interesting choice to hone in on an idea, task or moment and stick with it and feel the weight of the journey. There really is something there about sticking with it, especially as historical set films often take on the mammoth and overwhelming task of biopics and showing a whole life, but with Ironclad we can easily see the cause and effect of lives while it stands firmly fixated and planted in a hold out at Rochester Castle.
Ironclad is dark, grisly and often grim which adds to it's weight the seriousness and strength of endurance of the people involved. There are many battle scenes and depictions of violence that may turn viewers off, but I always felt that although gruesome, they never felt gratuitous. The battlefield isn't a pretty place, and Ironclad doesn't glaze it over for us. It does bring us an interesting story with great characters to connect to and root for.
Warnings: Brutal Violence, Torture, Gore, Disturbing Ideas
DVD Extras:
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of historical action films that are more serious in nature
Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2011
Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2010 Film & Entertainment VIP Medienfonds 4 GmbH & Co. KG All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved. © 2010 Film & Entertainment VIP Medienfonds 4 GmbH & Co. KG Tous droits réservés. Distribué exclusivement au Canada par Alliance Vivafilm. Tous droits réservés.
Dir: Jonathan English (Minotaur, Nailing Vienna)
Cast: James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Kate Mara, Jason Fleming, Mackenzie Crook, Paul Giamatti, Derek Jacobi, Vladamir Kulich, Jamie Foreman, Aneurin Barnard, Charles Dance
UK/USA/Germany, 2011
Reason to see: An epic historical with swords and a cast including James Purefoy, Brian Cox, and Charles Dance made Ironclad an easy must-see film.
Set in 1215 and following the actions of King John against supporters of the Magna Carta, a contract to uphold rights to the people of England, we are presented with a historical tale of epic importance at a pivot point in history. The film centres on the conflict of King John (Paul Giamatti) against Baron Albany (Brian Cox) Knight Templar Marhsall (James Purefoy of Solomon Kane & Rome) and a handful of others who fight for the Magna Carta and the newly instated rights of the people of England. A historically set action film that also has a great heart and message about the value and challenges of standing up against tyranny. It's a great good vs evil story with a fantastic ensemble cast, who along with James Purefoy, Brian Cox and Paul Giamatti, we have Jason Fleming as the randy fighter Becket, Mackenzie Crook as the skilled archer Marks, Derek Jacobi as the Rochester owner Cornhill and Kate Mara as his very young wife Isabel. Plus, as a total treat Charles Dance as Archbishop Langdon. I love Charles Dance (mostly from Aliens 3, but he's lovely in everything).
I loved the sense of strength in the film, along with the depiction of skill, courage, persistence and resilance. I didn't always connect to the emotional journey of the character of Marshal but I find The Templars a bit of a mystery and can't quite connect warriors with religion. The amazing thing was I did often connect to the emotional resonance of James Purefoy's performance of the character Marshal , which was a real treat. I also quite enjoyed the supporting cast whose characters did a great job of adding in people to love & hate, as well as cheer for along the way. Brian Cox in particular is top-notch here playing the Albany, a stubborn and charismatic leader in a time where people are scared to take action.
I've been noticing & enjoying recent films that are historically set and choose a very specific place or event to hold to like Centurian and The Eagle - both of which are fictionalizations but has a similarly weighty spirit to them as Ironclad, which is completely centred in history. I think it's an interesting choice to hone in on an idea, task or moment and stick with it and feel the weight of the journey. There really is something there about sticking with it, especially as historical set films often take on the mammoth and overwhelming task of biopics and showing a whole life, but with Ironclad we can easily see the cause and effect of lives while it stands firmly fixated and planted in a hold out at Rochester Castle.
Ironclad is dark, grisly and often grim which adds to it's weight the seriousness and strength of endurance of the people involved. There are many battle scenes and depictions of violence that may turn viewers off, but I always felt that although gruesome, they never felt gratuitous. The battlefield isn't a pretty place, and Ironclad doesn't glaze it over for us. It does bring us an interesting story with great characters to connect to and root for.
Warnings: Brutal Violence, Torture, Gore, Disturbing Ideas
DVD Extras:
- Feature Commentary with director and co-writer Jonathan English on the inspiration, concept & research on real events that the film was based on including the idea of centred a film around a castle, discusses the casting incluidng actors previous work, the look of the film including how it developed and it's the connection to the source material & research done, the characters (especially King John) and their place in history, wanting the battles to feel brutal and violent and depicting them in a way we haven't seen before, the weapons used, discussing the technical aspects including the prothestics used in the film, what types of cameras were used, use of DI and what effects are practical vs digitally or a combination of the two, films that inspired Ironclad: Warlord with Charlton Heston & Braveheart plus how the stories connection to Seven Samurai & The Magnificent Seven, and choice and the challenge to film on a castle and the central theme of the film and it's connection to the Magna Carta, and particular directors commentaries that he enjoyed & learned from.
- Trailer
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of historical action films that are more serious in nature
Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2011
DVD Releases for August 2, 2011
Time to take a look at a selection of DVD releases for Tuesday August 2, 2011!
Titles on Amazon.ca
(Canada):
Titles on Amazon.com
(US):
- Soul Surfer this inspiration biopic on a teen surfer girl who faces adversity with positivity and a supportive family is easily one of my favourite films of the year.
- Strigoi A brilliant, hilarious and gorgeous vampire film set in Romania - I'm thrilled to see Strigoi hit DVD, I've been aching to see it since it's World Premiere at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2009.
- Ironclad Historically set UK Film centred on a group of Knight Templar who brave going against King John at the castle of Rochester, starring James Purefoy & Paul Giamatti.
- Stake Land I can't wait to see this apocalyptic vampire film from director Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street).
- Last Night (2011) I'm really curious to see this romance starring Keira Knightly & Sam Worthington, written & directed by Massy Tadjedin.
- Rio Very cute looking animated film following a kept and a more wild rare bird who are brought together to ah...keep the species going.
- Better Off Dead on BluRay This one is a classic around my families household, a quirky comedy starring John Cusack as Lane Myers, downhill skier and hopeless romantic. Two dollars!!! Cash.
- Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer on BluRay Epic inclusion in the sword & sandals genre, and upon revisiting I was very impressed with the overall quality of Conan the Barbarian. Although The Destroyer isn't as classy, it still is cheesy fun. And good timing with these as the remake of Conan the Barbarian is out on August 19, 2011
- Quarantine 2: Terminal Directed to DVD sequel to Quarantine, which from the DVD cover looks like it's set on an airplane. Yeah.
Titles on Amazon.ca
(Canada):Titles on Amazon.com
(US):Monday, 1 August 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Dir: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1)
Regular Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes
Additional Cast: Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Tom Felton, Jason Issacs
UK/USA,, 2011
Seen: July 16, 2011 at Scotiabank in AVX
Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#1)
Reviewing the final installment in the Harry Potter films is a challenging task, especially from a spoiler-free perspective. Is any background to the previous 7 films a spoiler? Are notations from books a spoiler? In my book the answer to both is yes. So what do I say?
I also find it extremely challenge to think of this particular series from a perspective other than knowledge of it and love for it. Personally, I've been a fan since the first film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and I re-read all the books in 2010 in anticipation for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and I re-watched and reviewed the first 6 films in a marathon for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It's safe to say that the plot, themes, heck even colour stories of the films and fully ingrained in me and when I hear the names Harry, Hermonie & Ron I instantly see images of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint throughout the years of portraying their characters who gradually learn magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardly along with getting into (good & bad) trouble, facing formidable foes on top of going through the everyday coming of age challenges.
I can say that I am glad that they split the final book of J.K. Rowling series into two parts, and that I'm surprized that I think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 will be my favourite of the final two installments with it's expansive and ominous pacing that gives an emotional weight and feeling of hopelessness. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is more traditional plot-focused storytelling that really does pull threads from all of the films and brings them together. That must be wild for people that haven't read the books and don't know what's coming. It's one of the darker films of the series (grime level is up there with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), which certainly seems to win people over. I like that we get to continue to see great storytelling and characters come to life in both the books and the films. The characters are truly at the heart of the story, and it's not just Harry who is of course important but this one really hones in on how the actions & decisions of each and every individual matter and make a difference. Along with the three of Harry, Hermoine & Ron we also get a lot of Snape (Alan Rickman) and a fair amount of Neville (Matthew Lewis) in this one which made it all the better as they are some of the most enjoyable & unique characters which made me love the film all the more.
I also loved that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 really honours all previous films in the series with various nods and notations from music cues to character references, this was a true treat for a die hard fan like myself. It's a series like no other, and although I'm sure studios will be chomping at the bit to find 'the next' series or story to magically win us over, but I'd recommend them to switch gears and look to other subjects or stories. This is a truly epic magical story with captivating characters and a lot of heart. Let's let them be the stars that they are, and shine brightly for just a little longer. I'm sad to see it end, but happy to see that it was followed through right until the very end.
Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll buy it
I highly recommend to fans and followers of the series
Also see: Most Anticipated Films of 2011, 2011 Book to Film Adaptations and All Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2011
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