Posted by J. Robert Parks
Another early morning, this time 9am at the Cumberland. I don't remember having so many movies that started before 10am in the past two years. I'm already looking forward to Wednesday, when my first movie isn't till 2pm. It's funny the mindset that starts to take hold when you're halfway through a long festival. You're thrilled to be there, and you're enjoying most of the movies you see; but there's a definite sense of obligation, and any decision to skip a film seems almost sinful. I force myself to get up for this morning's film, but the thought of sleeping in more than crosses my mind.
Fortunately, MaROCK is a perfect example of why festival-goers try to see as many movies as they can--it's a genuine delight and I would never have known that if I slept in. I had picked this film for two very different reasons. I've thoroughly enjoyed the several Moroccan films I've seen in the last couple years. They remind me of Iranian cinema in some of their formal aspects, but with a more cosmopolitan flair. So I wanted to continue to see more movies from that country. But in all honesty, I also chose it because the picture in the programme was incredibly sexy. The film doesn't disappoint on either count. Morjana Alaoui (a star in the making, if I ever saw one) plays Rita, a high school senior from a very wealthy family in Casablanca. She and her friends spend most of their time dancing in clubs, flitting between boys, and worrying about passing their exams. While some wags have called Ma-ROCK a film festival version of "The O.C.," that badly underestimates the film. It's sharply written with an abundance of interesting characters and thoughtful situations. The primary conflict involves Rita falling in love with a rich Jewish boy named Youri. But rather than plunge into "Romeo & Juliet" cliches, director Laila Marrakchi deftly steers her material around the numerous pitfalls that could arise. There were so many times in the movie when I expected it to slip into standard teen fare, but it never does. Each scene is fresh, each character (especially Rita's older brother) fascinating. It helps that the film has one of the coolest soundtracks of the year (why can't more teen movies have great soundtracks?!), but more important is the sheer charisma of the various actors. Marrakchi is also able to give a strong sense of place, and she doesn't overlook the money and class aspects involved. I can't quite call the film a masterpiece--it is a conventional teen story after all--but it's hard to imagine this material done any better. Lord knows, the inevitable Hollywood remake will suck. four, out of five
I join Darren, who liked the movie as much as I did, for lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Green Mango. Hmmm, mango chicken. Then I finally have a few hours to relax and write. My apologies to readers who are used to more frequent Toronto blogging. The first several days have been so packed with movies I haven't had much chance to write.
Movie #2 of the day is my most anticipated film of the fest, Michael Haneke's Hidden. It's hard to talk about this film for a couple reasons. First, to discuss the movie in any way would require massive spoilers, and I hope this is a movie you'll catch up with when it's released this winter. Second, three days later, I still haven't processed it all. I know that it's a very good film, which is no surprise, but how good I'm not sure. Haneke is one of the greatest directors working today; his formal control is absolutely rigorous, and his themes are both powerful and relevant. Hidden is no exception, and it's a more audience-friendly film, to boot. It stars arthouse favorites Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche as a professional couple who start receiving mysterious and ominous videotapes. I can't say much more than that without giving too much away, but Haneke develops his thriller with panache. The spectacular cinematography is both beautiful and crucial to the story. The theme of what's hidden is interrogated in a variety of compelling ways. And the over-riding sense of dread that Haneke specializes in is brought to the fore once again. The allegory (I won't give it away) might be a bit too clear, but its ideas are critical. And I guarantee that once you see the film, you're going to want to see it again. I know of no other director who so rewards careful attention. four, out of five
Given that I'm such a fan of Iranian cinema, it's no surprise that I'd check out Majid Majidi's new work, The Willow Tree. But the only reason I'm here is that I’ve been asked to cover it for a publication back in Chicago. I'm not a huge fan of Majidi's films. Though I liked Baran, I find his other stuff too sentimental and obvious, and the early word on this was that it fell into that trap. That early word was wrong. Not that Majidi has turned into Kiarostami or anything, but The Willow is a tough little film. It's about a professor, blind since the age of eight, who is able to get his sight back 38 years later. But that revelation doesn't come with any guarantee of happiness. Majidi is able to compellingly show the disadvantages of re-gaining your sight: what if you don't think your wife is beautiful, what if people treat you differently, what if you're confronted with the 38 years you've "lost," what if you suddenly don't like your life. I happened to talk to a woman from Iran a couple days later who thought the film was too judgmental (as if the camera was the Prophet). And I agree that the movie gets extreme at the end, as Majidi overplays his hand. But there's a lot to like here--from the gorgeous cinematography to the underlying religious themes. It's certainly better than I expected. three 1/2, out of five
Into Great Silence is a documentary about a strict Carthusian monastery. A 164-minute documentary about a strict Carthusian monastery. A 164-minute documentary about a strict Carthusian monastery that, like its subjects, features almost no dialogue. I chose this one both because of the subject matter and the programme's description, but I knew going in that a festival environment (where I've already seen 18 films and three that day) was probably not the best venue. Still, I appreciated the man who introduced the film, who invited us to Evening Vespers. It does have that tone. Director Philip Groening has a beautiful way of making the audience feel like we're in the monastery. Long takes (though not as long as you'd expect), austere ambient sound, periods of waiting where nothing happens all immerse us in the material. He also is able to raise the pertinent questions of wondering why someone would choose to become a monk and is that something I could ever have done. And the images are absolutely gorgeous. Some time-lapse photography of the mountains and sky are breathtaking. The film is frustrating at times, however, as Groening's editing style seems almost random. There are a lot of beautiful shots of the landscape, but his rationale for how he arranges the footage is a mystery. And I appreciate that Groening rejects the temptation to feature talking heads and explanation, but that means even the scenes of the monks at prayer and song seem haphazard, as we don't have any context to understand what we're seeing. Nonetheless, there's enough here that I enjoyed the film. But as my friend Garth put it, there's a much better movie that could've been made from that material.
I stagger out of the theater at midnight and quickly head for the subway, my hotel, and my bed. Tomorrow is the last four-movie day before a break on Wednesday.
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