(no subject)

[reverancepavane]

robin_d_laws is not only a noted freelance role-playing game designer, but also an avid attendee of the Toronto International Film Festival. Here are a couple of his selections that might be rather interesting to see. Erik Nietzsche: The Early Years [Denmark, Jacob Thuesen, ***1/2] Film student transforms from hapless naif to cunning manipulator. Screenwriter Lars von Trier takes gleeful revenge on his old professors with this autobiographical comedy. [1] Mad Detective [HK, Johnnie To & Wai Ka Fai, ****] Crazy ex-detective who can see people's inner personalities (Lau Ching Wan) is brought onto a multiple murder case involving a cop's missing gun. Entertainingly twisty mystery bound to trigger a Hollywood remake deal. Sukiyaki Western Django [Japan, Takashi Miike, ****] Mysterious gunfighter comes to lawless town to choose whether to ally himself with the Genji or Heike gang. Four decades years after Sergio Leone "borrowed" Yojimbo as the basis for the spaghetti western, Takashi Miike takes it full circle with this exuberant, bloody, reverently spoofy and unapologetically fanboyish romp. One of my fears about this project was the dialogue, which is spoken in English by Japanese actors, mostly heavily accented and sometimes obviously learned phonetically. The print screened here was sub-titled in English. This was distracting for all of a few minutes, at which point eye and ear coordinate and it all seems weirdly natural. Even Quentin Tarantino, in a cameo role, delivers a portion of his performance in this peculiar cadence. Eccentric as it is, it does play into the film's theme of duality, coming off as the midway point between Japanese and the stilted dubbing of an Italian western. [2] The Exodus [HK, Pang Ho-Cheung, ****] Cop (Simon Yam) stumbles onto a syndicate of women conspiring to kill all men. Wry exercise in paranoia told with icy Kubrickian bravura. California Dreamin' (Endless) [Romania, Cristian Nemescu, ****] Corrupt small town station master thwarts efforts of a US commander (Armand Assante) trying to get a NATO supply train to the Kosovo conflict. Witty satirical epic draws its characters keenly, deftly swerving around the obvious or expected choices. In an odd way, it's sad that this movie is good as it is, because it's the debut film from a director who was killed in a car accident (along with his sound designer) late in its post-production phase. Assante's performance is the best I've seen from him. In a hackier version of this movie, the character would be written and played as a caricature. Here he comes across as a real guy. You come to empathize with his superbly modulated slow boil. Anyone wanting to see more of his reviews should head over to his livejournal. [1] It's Lars von Trier thats the selling point for this one. I can only imagine the results from the director that brought you the unfinished epic of Riget (aka The Kingdom). [2] I've seen extracts from this one and it's very corny looking and sounding. But it draws you into itself very rapidly, and completes a cycle in filmaking.

Comments

[maelorin]

mayhap one or two will make it to the palace/nova. much viewing fun to be had!