Breakfast on Pluto

What matters is the journey.

Cillian Murphy is wonderful as Patrick "Kitten" Braden in Neil Jordan's latest film, Breakfast on Pluto. It's based on a novel by Patrick McCabe (who cowrote the screenplay with Jordan) and there is a wonderful novelistic tone to the film which is divided up with handwritten chapter titles. The story is told from Kitten's point of view which gives the events a relentlessly positive tone, no matter how horrible things become. Set in Ireland and London in the 70s as Kitten the transvestite looks for his mother against a landscape of political conflict and violence. Gorgeously shot by Declan Quinn, it manages to mirror the spirit of the main character with perfectly composed and lit frames.
While the film is over 2 hours long, I was surprised how quickly the time passed. Jordan lovingly fills the film with music of the time and frames the entire story with two Robins who provide some narration via subtitles. The subtitled birds kick off the magical tone which functions like an Irish "Candide" where Kitten's spirit overcomes all obstacles. It's the type of film that make you appreciate seeing a team of people all working at the top of their game. I loved it from start to finish and will hopefully be able to see it again in a theatre. tags: film, review, aff2005, breakfastonpluto
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Niceland

What is the purpose of life?

Niceland is a quirkly little film that takes us on a search for meaning. It's a simple story constructed out of complex characters. Set in a vaguely Scandanavian city and with an international cast with a range of accents but pretty much all in English (with English subtitles). All this results in a film that is set in a place that seems to be a strange hybrid that allows broader points to be made about consumer society. The good thing is that director Fridrik Thor Fridriksson wisely chooses to focus on the personal stories rather than the social commentary. The main characters are mentally challenged, but it's never explored or explained in any detail... it's about the people and how they relate to each other. I loved the characters and the answer to their problems is quite obvious from the beginning, but we watch as everyone tries to make things much more complicated than they are. It may not be for everyone, but I found it sweet and refreshing. tags: film, review, niceland, aff2005
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The Dying Gaul

Take the million, write something else.

I don't know what it is, but it seems that if Patricia Clarkson is in a film, there is a strong possibility that I'll like it. She's one of the main actors in The Dying Gaul and she delivers another layered and nuanced performance. The Dying Gaul is based on a play by Craig Lucas and the film is also his film directing debut. It's an impressive debut and while the film has the focused characterization and simple locations of a play, it's very cinematic and I think that I'd like the film more than the play. The film is gorgeous with wonderful performances all around. It's a complicated, noirish story that doesn't lapse into formula. I'm glad that I knew very little about the film as it moved around in interesting and surprising ways.
The film revolves around a screenwriter played by Peter Sarsgaard. The writer is offered a deal to have his script developed by a studio executive played by Campbell Scott. The only catch is that the writer has to change the character based on his lover to a woman. I thought that the film was about this moral dilemma, but that only kicks things off. We watch as the power shifts between the characters in unexpected ways. It was gripping and surprising and I loved how it told the story visually. Most people will see it on DVD which is a shame since it's a beautiful film to see in a theatre. tags: film, review, dyinggaul, aff2005
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Tarnation

Tarnation probably isn't the type of film you'd think that someone would make out of home movies over a couple of decades using iMovie. But then again, Jonathan Caouette doesn't seem to be a typical person. Tarnation is a very personal documentary that is utterly compelling and amazing to watch. Every now and then while watching I thought that I was part of an elaborate cinematic joke. The film just seemed to be too perfect, too well-constructed to be a documentary. But it wasn't fiction, as you could see the people in the footage growing up and growing old. There are lots of stories around about how much the film cost, but in some ways it's beside the point. It's an amazing film no matter what it cost to make. Intensely personal, the film is the story of Jonathan Caouette and his mother, Renee all told through the prism of video, music and family photos. It's a wonderful, harrowing and heartbreaking cinematic experience that is probably best viewed in a theatre if you have a chance. After pouring so much out I wonder what Caouette will do next. But maybe that's a good thing, now that he's put it all out there he can start fresh.
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Atlantic Film Festival 2004

I'm in the middle of the Atlantic Film Festival this year and it's a great time. Lots of amazing films and people and not much time to actually write about it! At this point in time I've seen about 37 films (a combination of features and shorts) and I will do my best to write about them over the next few days. I'm amazed at the quality of the programming and the smooth functioning of the Festival. It's quite an achievement and I'm glad that I'm reaping the benefits. It's the 24th festival and it just seems to keep getting better.
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Bright Leaves

The reality is slipping away.

Ross McElwee is a very personal filmmaker. The first film that I saw by him, Sherman's March (just out on DVD), was, on the surface, about the Civil War, but it's really about McElwee and his relationship with women. He makes documentary films that are about him (but isn't everything that we make and do really about us?) and in the process we find out a lot about ourselves and the people, places and ideas that he comes into contact with. His latest film is Bright Leaves, where he goes home to North Carolina to find out more about his family, tobacco, his friends and a Hollywood film that could be a sort of "secret home movie". He works in a gentle, subtle style that could rub people the wrong way. Not me as I love it and settled in to the groove of the film right away. While his films are personal, they are also about filmmaking and contain many profound insights. The connection and disconnection that occurs when you film things hit home with me. In looking at footage of his father he thinks that "the reality is slipping away" and while the images remain, what about the memories. Does film preserve or destroy our memories. I became so disturbed by this that I actually didn't videotape or photograph a lot of my family for almost a year. I wanted to be there and participate and not document what was happening. McElwee shoots and records most of the sound himself (with some assistance this time from his son) and his son Adrian also took the photo that is beside this entry. I really liked this film and I'm glad that I saw it.
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Love That Boy

One thing that I always try to do at film festivals is have the last film that I see be a film that I really like. This year I was lucky and finished off my viewing of festival films with Andrea Dorfman's Love That Boy along with a large and enthusiastic crowd. It tells the story of the somewhat uptight Phoebe (Nadia Litz) who makes lists of things she wants to do before she graduates from University. The film is anchored by Litz' strong performance (who I just realized was in the short "Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl" from last year's Atlantic Film Festival).
Love That Boy is a gorgeous film with colourful, 50s-style production design by Marcia Connolly and cinematography by Tom Harting. The film was cowritten by Andrea and Jennifer Deyell and it builds up a cast of quirky characters and then puts them into situations that could seem improbably at the beginning, but become more logical as you are drawn into the film. It was funny and warm, which is what a romantic comedy should be. It also didn't have a completely conventional structure as I wasn't sure what direction things were going to go in and what romantic avenues would be travelled down... that was fun. Andrea Dorfman has a distinctive voice (cinematically as well as in person, but I'm thinking more cinematically right now) that I love to listen to and I'm looking forward to her next adventure.
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Andy Jones: To The Wall

About a year and half ago I was at a conference in New Brunswick that featured a showcase with a great lineup of Atlantic Canadian talent. The highlight of the show was the performance by Andy Jones of the Prologue of his one man show, "To The Wall" which was originally developed for the One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre and directed by Charlie Tomlinson. I quickly Googled Andy Jones and maybe I should make it clear that I'm talking about Andy Jones the Newfoundland actor / performer and not the English postman, the American Mazda Isuzu dealer, the Andy Jones who takes improv classes in Chicago, the BMX racer, PC Party candidate or the animation director.
The Prologue that I saw in person was amazing and I wanted to see the show, but wasn't able to make it to any of the other live performances. But then when I saw the lineup for the film festival this year I saw the show, which is part of the CBC's performing arts series, Opening Night and I was excited because I knew that I could see it and also see Mike Jones (who, according to legend, saved my marriage and now may break it up, but that's another story). It's co-directed by Mike Jones (Andy's brother) and Moya Walsh. They manage to capture a stage show that doesn't seem forced or too showy. I was expecting something like Jonathan Demme's Swimming to Cambodia, but it's not as showy, which can be distracting. A testament to the power of the performance (which won Andy the Best Actor award at the Atlantic Film Festival) and the production is that the audience in the movie theatre actually applauded at points during the film...you don't see that happening too often.
The show deals with issues of God, religion and Newfoundland... and science! Andy has an amazing ability to hold your attention and take you on a journey through topics that fit together and create a wonderful and entertaining tapestry. It will be broadcast on CBC TV on November 13.
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The Saddest Music in the World

Guy Maddin makes the most beautiful films that can sometimes be quite challenging to watch. If you haven't seen his work, imagine that Eisenstein had moved to Winnipeg in the 20s and started making films...that's a good way to start to think about what he does. The Saddest Music in the World is a remarkable, perfect film. It's perfect in the sense that I can't think of anything that would need to be changed. It's completely unique and works within an amazing cinematic space that seems to be 70 years old, but also comments in elliptical ways on contemporary events. The film ranges from melodramatic to hilarious with an improbable plot that works.
The beautiful Isabella Rossellini stars as a brewery magnate, Lady Port-Huntley, who decides to sponsor a radio contest to find the saddest music in the world in order to increase the consumption of beer. That's just the jumping off point and the film moves through a wonderful world that could only exist on film. The visuals and the soundtrack are amazing with loving attention to every detail. A great film makes you look at the world in a different way, but this film makes you look at cinema in a different way.
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My Life Without Me

Isabel Coixet directs the amazing Sarah Polley in My Life Without Me, the story of a 23 year old woman who finds out that she only has months to live. It's a beautiful film with cinematography by Jean-Claude Larrieu and camera operation by Coixet. It's a Spanish / Canadian coproduction that was shot in Vancouver and the solid and moving performance by Polley forms the heart of the film as she decides to make the most of her last days on earth. While it was moving at times, it wasn't overly moving, but it could be because so many of the films at the festival this year have been dealing with themes of death that maybe when I saw it I was a bit desensitized to that aspect of the story. A beautiful, well-crafted film that is definitely worth seeing. Coixet also has her own site that is pretty neat too.
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Festival Fun

Today was a busy day and I'm just in the middle of it. The Atlantic Film Festival is in full swing now and the nice highlight and heart and oasis of the festival for me is the Linda Joy Media Arts Society Brunch which is held every year at Brunswick House in Halifax. There is great food and the most wonderful people. The festival becomes a bit of a blur after a while, but I always have a safe, warm, wonderful time at the Brunch which makes me feel so glad that I'm part of this whole business that (my theory goes) is the result of a recessive gene... the filmmaking gene... if you've got it, you've got some stories in you that you have to get out there. Meeting other filmmakers is the best part most of the time, because they understand and you don't have to explain "why do you do this?" I'm also very mentally spent now so I'll have to catch up with writing about films tomorrow since I think that this is about all that I can squeeze out today.
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The Station Agent

Yesterday I saw the American independent feature, The Station Agent, which is showing tonight as the Anniversary Gala as part of the Atlantic Film Festival. Thomas McCarthy directs a great cast in the story of Finbar McBride, who wants to be left alone in the train station that he has inherited. Born with dwarfism, he is short and always the centre of attention. With two quirky friends he becomes involved in their lives and they all learn something about each other. The independent scene in the US now is hot and it's the place where you get to see great actors and stories that would work in a completely different way if you had celebrities in the roles. It's an appropriate film for the Anniversary Gala as it shows how independent films now have become closer to the mainstream without becoming bland or boring. The film won the Audience Choice Award at Sundance and is definitely worth seeing.
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Les Invasions Barbares

Denys Arcand is Quebec's top director...he's made some of my favourite films, including Jésus de Montréal, as well as Le Déclin de L'Empire Américain and this year Les Invasions Barbares is the closing gala at the Atlantic Film Festival. It kicked off a festival run at Cannes where Marie-Josée Croze won best actress.
I loved the film...I enjoyed it more than the original Déclin as the new film happens within a different context in a different world. While the characters are similar, the introduction of the children of the characters provides new opportunities to explore contemporary Québecois culture and social issues. It's very intellectual, but I found it surprisingly moving. The film moved along smoothly and then it was over... it didn't feel as long as it should and I'll definitely see it again. It's playing Friday night as the closing gala at the Atlantic Film Festival.
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AKA

A few nights ago I saw Duncan Roy's AKA which is a no-budget 35mm feature that tells the story of Dean Page, who manages to jump above his station. Through a series of coincidences and good luck he gradually becomes someone else. The innovative part of the film is that it is presented in three screens, each of which featuring a slightly different perspective. It's a compelling portrayal with the different screens featuring sometimes different takes, and other times the same images. While it may seem to be technique for technique's sake, it works very well, and I'm not sure if it would work that well on video, since the level of detail wouldn't be the same.
At times it reminded me of Midnight Cowboy, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Abel Gance's Napoleon, which split the screen into a triptych. AKA is not what I expected and I enjoyed it.
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Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself

Every now and then you see a film that you don't know anything about and experience everything about it in a fresh way. I didn't know much about Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself except that it was set in Glasgow and it was a Scottish / Danish coproduction. It's one of my favourite films of the festival. It hit me just the right way. It was directed by the Danish director Lone Sherfig. It's a post dogme film that explores similar themes, without the arbitrary rules. It tells the story of a pair of brothers, one suicidal (Jamie Sives)and one selfless (Adrian Rawlins). Then it brings in a single mother (Shirley Henderson) and her daughter (Lisa McKinlay) and the threads of the story begin to weave together. I found out later that it was shot on HD, but it's not the way that it is shot that caught me, but the characters and situations.
It reminded me a bit of Diane Keaton's 1995 film Unstrung Heroes which I also loved. Part of the please of Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself is in the exploration of the complex relationships that we have with those around us and the much greyer world of decisions, choices and morality. It screens tonight at the Atlantic Film Festival at the Park Lane cinemas.
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