Genova (2008, Director: Michael Winterbottom): Genova is a psychological drama about a father (Colin Firth) and his two daughters Perla Haney-Jardine and Willa Holland) who struggle with the tragic loss of their mother (Hope Davis). Firth’s character thinks that a change of scenery will help the family to get through their bereavement and takes a teaching position in Genova.
Catherine Keener plays an old friend of Firth’s who shows the family around the city. The new surroundings serve as a distraction for the family but it also casts them further into an abyss of unsettling change. The narrow alleys in Genova make it easy to get lost and Winterbottom uses this setting to create tension.
The acting is first rate. Firth is perfectly cast as a husband and father who ventures alone into unknown territory — new city, new job, raising a teenage daughter who is coming of age and dealing with a 10-year-old daughter who blames herself for her mother’s death.
Perla Haney-Jardine provides a stand-out performance as a child who has frequent nightmares and is haunted by her mother.
Winterbottom’s Genova has been described as a mood piece but I wasn’t in the mood for this art-house film. I didn’t feel that Genova measured up to all of the praise that was lavished on it by TIFF’s Cameron Bailey. It’s a fine film with great performances but in the end I was disappointed. I suppose I wanted to see more of Italy and a little less grief.
(6/10)
Tagged as:
#tiff08,
grief,
italy,
uk
It Might Get Loud (2008, Director: Davis Guggenheim): There has never been a proper documentary film made about the guitar. Director Davis Guggenheim thought it would be interesting to examine the unique guitar sound of three guitar legends — Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. To watch the film with all three musicians in the audience was an incredible experience. To have the The Edge and Jimmy Page sit two rows directly in front of me was surreal.
Okay, fanboy comments aside, this was an interesting film from beginning to end. Jack White starts off the film by making a simple guitar with a Coke bottle, some wire and a few pieces of wood. Awesome!
I’m not a huge fan of Jack White but Guggenheim’s film gave me a new appreciation for White’s talent. I’m a big fan of the Edge and love the music of Jimmy Page so to find out how each musician developed their unique sound is a fascinating history lesson.
The production values of this film are quite slick. Guggenheim uses some incredible archival footage to show us where these three musicians got their start.
Each guitarist was interviewed separately and I found these segments to be the strongest and most interesting parts of the film.
Guggenheim ends the film by bringing all three musicians to Los Angeles so they can play together and discuss their musical style. It makes for an interesting jam session but it turns out to be the weakest part of the film in my opinion. I found out that Page can’t really sing but I enjoyed watching them play each other’s music and have a good time.
Official site of the film
(7/10)
Tagged as:
#tiff08,
music
RocknRolla (2008, Director: Guy Ritchie): I’m a fan of Guy Ritchie’s British gangster films and RocknRolla is one entertaining movie. There are the usual double-crosses, multiple story lines, Tarantino-like dialogue and the impressive ensemble cast — Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Ludacris, and Jeremy Piven.
The plot is confusing at times but voiceover narration ensures that you can follow along without getting too lost. It doesn’t require repeated viewings like Ritchie’s last film, Revolver (2005).
The soundtrack is scorching, the camera style is familiar and the setting is east London. There isn’t anything new or groundbreaking about this film except maybe the sex scene with Thandie Newton and Gerard Butler. It lasts a few seconds and you’ll find it quite amusing.
RocknRolla is centred around a real estate scam with a Russian billionaire and a British crime boss (Tom Wilkinson). There are several sub-plots involving an expensive painting that goes missing, a rock star who fakes his own death, and a police snitch. I don’t want to give away too much so you’ll have to see it for yourself when it gets released this fall.
Guy Ritchie introduced the afternoon screening that I saw at the Ryerson Theatre but didn’t stick around for a Q&A afterward (the premiere was the night before). I found the movie to be a lot of fun and exactly what I expected. Sometimes you just want to be entertained instead of discovering the next Godard.
Official site of the film
(7/10)
Tagged as:
#tiff08,
uk
