TIFF 2014 Review – While We’re Young (Noah Baumbach)

WHILE WE’RE YOUNG: Directed by Noah Baumbach

From IMDB: An uptight documentary filmmaker and his wife find their lives loosened up a bit after befriending a free-spirited younger couple.

– Noah Baumbach is a director that I enjoy following, but his films aren’t necessarily my favourites.  I have yet to see FRANCES HA and GREENBERG a second time (I plan on watching both again soon), and still haven’t seen his first film, KICKING AND SCREAMING.  Two films by him that I really enjoy are THE SQUID AND THE WHALE and MARGOT AT THE WEDDING.

– It was cool to open up the festival with the world premiere of While We’re Young.  Noah Baumbach, Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, and Amanda Seyfried were all in attendance.

– What I like about Baumbach is that most of his films have a very unique mood to them.  They are very dramatic and depressing, but also have many funny parts.  This was my biggest disappointment with WHILE WE’RE YOUNG.  I went into the theatre expecting some of the same from Baumbach, but the film is actually more of a comedy.  I didn’t get the dramatic punch I wanted from the story.

– I loved the first half.  Right away, being introduced to two couples from different generations and having them befriend each other was both interesting and unique.  The chemistry between Ben Stiller and Adam Driver was particularly great.  Unfortunately, the film goes in a different direction and the relationships between the two couples doesn’t progress as much as I would’ve liked.

– The main thing that killed the story for me was that I wasn’t into the relationship between Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts.  I don’t think their relationship came across as strong enough, and because of that I didn’t have any sort of feeling for them at the end of the film.

– With only four central characters it’s important to make them all interesting and deep, but unfortunately this wasn’t the case.  Amanda Seyfried’s character was definitely left behind and she didn’t add much of anything to the film.

I know my points are mostly negative, but that’s only because I had such high hopes for the film.  My genre preference is drama, so the fact that Baumbach went for a more accessible comedy had me bothered.  There are some very funny moments and I think that lots of people, even those who don’t usually like Baumbach’s work, will find this film enjoyable.

WHILE WE’RE YOUNG: 3/5

Film News I Care About: First trailer for David Gordon Green’s “JOE”

This news is a little older, but I had the chance to see this at TIFF 2013 and I loved it.  I liked it so much that I’m even thinking of seeing it again on April 11th when it comes out.  I’m a fan of director David Gordon Green and after those three comedies he directed (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, THE SITTER, and YOUR HIGHNESS) he’s back to making some indie dramas (PRINCE AVALANCHE and JOE).  Nicolas Cage gives a very strong performance alongside one of the best young actors out there, Tye Sheridan.  Sheridan gave an amazing performance in MUD and he’s even better in JOE.  He’s definitely a young actor to watch.

To read my review from TIFF, please go here: http://fastfilmjudge.com/2013/09/10/tiff-review-joe-2013-david-gordon-green-tiff/

JOE Trailer:

Review: Girl Most Likely (2012) – Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini (VOD)

GIRL MOST LIKELY: Directed by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini

– For some reason I like watching films that were at TIFF at some point…and this was there in 2012.

– Imogene (Kristen Wigg) loses her boyfriend and job in a matter of days and has to deal with moving back home with her mother (Annettee Bening) and brother Ralph (Christopher Fitzgerald).

– The film intrigued me because I think anything with Kristen Wiig in it is worth a shot.  The problem with this film is that she isn’t given much to work with.  Like in her newer film, HATESHIP LOVESHIP, which I saw at TIFF this year (although that film is more serious than GIRL MOST LIKELY), there aren’t enough comedic parts.  Kristen Wiig is one of the funniest women out there and I think it was a mistake not to make this film funnier, especially because a lot of it wasn’t very serious.  I think we’ll see Wigg in lots of non-comedic roles in the future.  I’m looking forward to it.  I think she has potential to give a great performance in the right role and film.

– Ralph (Christopher Fitzgerald), as Imogene’s brother brought a lot of life to the film.  His character’s ‘out there’ and over-the-top, but I really enjoyed the brother-sister aspect.  Imogene’s going through her own problems, but she is loving and caring towards her ‘weird’ brother.  Their relationship made the two characters seem real, and the chemistry with one another was real life like.

– Instead of just concentrating on Imogene and her family, Matt Dillon and Darren Criss both played unnecessary characters that didn’t add any importance to the film.

– Some parts come out of nowhere and don’t fit well with the rest of the story…like one scene near the end.

Even though I didn’t think GIRL MOST LIKELY was very good, there were enough positive things that made it enjoyable for me to watch.  Kristen Wigg isn’t known for acting in dramatic roles, but she proves she’s good enough to carry a film.  Neither GIRL MOST LIKELY or HATESHIP LOVESHIP are going to gain peoples attention in noticing her as a great actress, but I think she’s one perfect role away from that.  I think this film was supposed to be funnier than it actually was, and again, that’s a shame because Kristen Wigg can be hilarious.  The family aspect to the film, and the relationship between Imogene and her brother Ralph was great, but that storyline wasn’t as big a focus at it should have.  This is a story about a women going through changes in life (something lots of people go through), but there isn’t too much development with her character (other than jumping ahead to the end).  That’s where this film went wrong.

GIRL MOST LIKELY: 4.5/10

Related articles

• Girl Most Likely (thecardboardfort.wordpress.com)
• Girl Most Likely (theimpossiblegirlblog.wordpress.com)
• Movie review: Girl Most Likely, with video (canada.com)
• Cast light up dull ‘Girl Most Likely’ script (breakingnews.ie)

TIFF Review: Life of Crime (2013) – Daniel Schechter (TIFF)

LIFE OF CRIME: Directed by Daniel Schechter

Plot Summary from tiff.net:

“Fresh out of prison, where they bonded over their similar convictions for grand theft auto, Ordell (bey, also at the Festival in Can a Song Save Your Life?) and Louis (Hawkes) have already decided to team up when they catch wind of Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins), a Detroit property developer and secret embezzler. Their plan is simple: they’ll kidnap Frank’s country-club wife, Mickey (Jennifer Aniston), and hold her for ransom. What the duo didn’t count on is that Frank’s affections have turned to his perky young mistress, Melanie (played by the always charming Isla Fisher), and he may not be in a rush to rescue his spouse. Eliciting Mickey’s insider knowledge, the crooks shift gears, frantically devising a new plan.”

– How many films are there where crooks hold someone ransom for a large sum of money?  Here’s another one.

– I have no idea why TIFF decided to make this their closing screening.  I wasn’t at the ‘main event’, but it was my last screening, which was a poor choice by me.

– I wasn’t interested in any of the characters, and like I’ve said in other reviews I’m not into crime films that are comedies.  This film was supposed to be humerous but I didn’t find much of it funny.

– Watching Jennifer Aniston and Isla Fisher act was pretty pathetic.

– I knew I was in trouble when in the first scene I couldn’t understand one word Mos Def said.

Partly because it was my last screening of a long week, but mostly because the film is bad…I wasn’t into LIFE OF CRIME at all.  This was a very poor choice by me because I don’t even like any of the actors that are in this, and the story didn’t sound particularly interesting.  There’s too much goofiness and unrealistic events that I don’t like to see in a crime film.  All the characters personalities were the same and I didn’t feel anything for them.  Out of the 22 films I saw in the past week, LIFE OF CRIME was my least favourite.

LIFE OF CRIME: 3/10

Related articles

• TIFF 2013: LIFE OF CRIME Review (collider.com)
• Toronto Film Review: ‘Life of Crime’ (variety.com)

TIFF Review: Labor Day (2013) – Jason Reitman (TIFF)

LABOR DAY: Directed by Jason Reitman

Plot Summary from tiff.net:

“With the first day of school approaching, Adele (the formidable Kate Winslet) and Henry (newcomer Gattlin Griffith) have ventured on a rare outing together to buy him some new clothes, when the boy is approached by Frank (the brooding Josh Brolin) — whose bloodied forehead and clear sense of desperation signal the need for help. Setting aside their suspicions, Henry and his mother reluctantly bring the stranger home, only to discover they got more than they bargained for. It’s not long before they find themselves hostages of an escaped felon, and convicted murderer. And yet there’s something comforting about Frank. What begins as a kidnapping slowly evolves into something else.”

– Directed by Jason Reitman, who has directed some popular films in the past 6 years (JUNO, UP IN THE AIR, YOUNG ADULT).  I’ve seen those three and I like LABOR DAY better.

– Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin have a lot of chemistry together.  They make you believe that these two characters would be able to form such a tight relationship in a short period of time.

– Gattlin Griffith, in his first film does a great job at portraying such an important character.  He plays a young boy who doesn’t live with his father, and his mother is struggling.  Josh Brolin’s character comes in to be that father figure for him.

– There’s a little girl named Brighid Fleming who has a small role, but delivers her lines perfectly.

– The story is great because it looks at many different themes.  It looks at the importance of family and raising a child, relationships, and as well as coming-of-age.  Every single person in the world would be able to relate to these topics in some way, and that’s why I think the audience was so receptive to the film.

Here’s another short review because I’m three reviews deep tonight, and I’ve done over 20 in the past 10 days.  Jason Reitman has had so much success recently with awards and such, and I do think LABOR DAY will be a big hit when it gets released worldwide.  The audience seemed really into it, and some people did give Reitman a standing ovation when he went on stage.  I liked this film so much that I want to try the novel to see how they compare.  I always like a good film about real life themes, and LABOR DAY has exactly that.

LABOR DAY: 8/10

TIFF Review: Child of God (2013) – James Franco (TIFF)

CHILD OF GOD: Directed by James Franco

Plot Summary from tiff.net:

“Lester Ballard (Scott Haze, spitting and scratching at himself) is an abandoned soul, unable to fit into the established social order. As he increasingly withdraws into his own mind, he turns to violence and, ultimately, necrophilic relationships, looking for solace in a world that continually rejects him. The town sheriff (indelibly portrayed by Jim Parrack), both sympathetic to and fearful of the man, slowly closes the net around him — but a mob of townfolk have ideas of their own. Here the frame of the film turns, exposing a society where politesse is only a fingernail scratch away from pure hate and greed.”

– Of every film I had tickets for, this was the one I was most nervous about.  If it wasn’t directed by James Franco I don’t think I would’ve ever risked sitting through something like this…but I’m glad I did.

– This film shows how talented James Franco is.  No one knows how he has time to do everything he does, and to make a film with this storyline was risky and impressive…while acting, writing, and directing other films at the same time.

– A quote from the novel near the beginning of the film says something about how everyone is a ‘Child of God.’  This made me think about how every person is born into the world the same, yet somehow some people turn out to be completely crazy.

– There’s no surprises from Franco as he makes the audience watch the main character poop in a forest.  This probably wasn’t even in the original script, but he added it in to be funny.  It’s pretty gross, but I was laughing so hard to myself…I don’t think the rest of the audience was impressed though.

– Scott Haze plays Lester Ballard, one of the most messed up characters I’ve ever seen…he’s one of those completely crazy people I mentioned above.  The whole film is basically of this character on screen by himself, living in forests and caves doing messed up things.  Scott Haze delivers an AMAZING performance.  The film is so weird that if his performance wasn’t spot on, it wouldn’t have worked at all.  He’s the reason I was able to sit through this.  He was at the screening and did a Q & A afterwards, but unfortunately I had to leave right away to make another film.  I wish I could’ve stayed because his performance was so good that I didn’t believe he was even a ‘normal’ person.

CHILD OF GOD was a big surprise because I thought it would be really boring.  I really enjoyed watching a film that I wouldn’t have normally watched, and it was amazing to see Scott Haze play this really weird and crazy character.  The film is by no means for everybody as some people did leave the theatre…but I don’t think James Franco cares at all about stuff like that.  He knew this film wouldn’t be liked by everybody, but he did it anyways, and I respect that.  Some people are going to love this film, and others won’t be able to make it through 15 minutes.  James, if you’re reading this; I’ll always be a big fan of whatever you do…but you’re one weird and messed up guy…..psycho.

CHILD OF GOD: 6/10

TIFF Review: Can A Song Save Your Life? (2013) – John Carney (TIFF)

CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE?: Directed by John Carney

Plot Summary from tiff.net:

“Knightley and Levine play Greta and Dave, college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York after he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Greta resolves to return to her native Britain. Enter Dan (Ruffalo), a disgraced indie record-label exec with his own history of betrayal, who stumbles upon Greta as she’s baring her soul on an East Village stage. Immediately recognizing the makings of a star, he pleads with her to delay her departure and insists that he produce her demo. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in the Big Apple.”

– I haven’t seen it in a while, but the film ONCE by director John Carney is one of the best films about music I’ve seen.

– This is the ‘blockbuster’ version of ONCE.  It has a mainstream cast, and all the music is pop rather than acoustic/folk.

– One of the first scenes is of Keira Knightley singing an acoustic song.  I would’ve liked it better if all of the music was this style, but even the pop songs were very good.  Knightley actually has a nice voice.  I’ve never had an opinion of her, but I did like her in this.

– Mark Ruffalo is solid as usual.

– My biggest issue was the casting choice of Adam Levine.  Was this really necessary?  The guy is a huge douche, and his character was one too.  I felt sick every time he was on the screen…he reminded me of Justin Timberlake.  Both of these guys should not be in films.

– Even though the music was more mainstream and ‘poppy’, it’s still all original and really good.  I’ll try out the soundtrack when it comes out.

CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? strives on it’s music, but maybe a little too much.  The story isn’t particularly original, and everything seems so rushed at the end so that the story could be wrapped up.  The music is so good however, that you don’t really care about the story…I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.  I still liked the film a lot, but this Adam Levine guy was a mistake…especially when John Carney decided to play one of his songs at the end instead of one of Knightley’s.  CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? isn’t as good as ONCE, but because of the ‘blockbuster’ feel to it, it will get a lot of attention.  This film is really enjoyable to watch, but with the casting of Adam Levine and having to listen to his womanly voice a couple of times…maybe they went a little too mainstream.

CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE?: 7.5/10

Related articles

• TIFF 2013: Can a Song Save Your Life? (boiseweekly.com)
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TIFF Review: Third Person (2013) – Paul Haggis (TIFF)

THIRD PERSON: Directed by Paul Haggis

Plot Summary from tiff.net:

“The film concentrates on three men and their romantic entanglements. Michael (Liam Neeson) is a writer whose latest manuscript has been refused, so he flies off to Paris to rethink his life, leaving his wife (Kim Basinger) behind in the States. Sean (Adrien Brody) finds himself wandering the streets of Rome and befriends a Romanian woman in a bar, while Rick (James Franco) lives in a tony New York apartment with his son from a previous marriage and his new girlfriend.”

– At the beginning of the festival this was one of the films I was most excited for.  Paul Haggis (director of CRASH) with this cast had to be good.

– In the last couple of days I’ve only seen two reviews, and they both gave it a 1 and said it’s one of the worst films ever made.

– There are basically three story-lines, and of the three, only…..zero are good.

– The first story followed Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde.  Their relationship was completely unrealistic and the two had no chemistry together.  Also, isn’t Liam Neeson like 80 years old and Olivia Wilde 30?

– The second story followed Adrian Brody and some terrible actress (Moran Atias).  I feel like these two were on the screen the most, which was a major problem for me.  Not only was Moran Atias hard to watch, the storyline between these two made no sense.

– The third story followed James Franco and Mila Kunis.  Of the three stories, I think theirs was the most interesting to me (maybe it’s only because I like James Franco), but unfortunately these two were on screen WAY less than the other two couples.

– The music didn’t help.

So I went into THIRD PERSON thinking that it was going to be the worst film ever made.  I do understand where those reviewers were coming from, and although I thought it was bad, I didn’t find it hard to watch.  The whole subway ride home I thought about the film, so that has to mean something, right?  There’s the positive…now for the negative.  I cannot believe someone would write a story like this one.  This is the kind of story that an 8th grader would think up and they’d think it was the smartest idea ever.  It’s so bad, that I must have not understood what happened…but I’m 95% sure I did.  THIRD PERSON was really bad, but because it made me look back and think:

THIRD PERSON: 3/10

TIFF Review: Prisoners (2013) – Denis Villeneuve (TIFF)

PRISONERS: Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Plot Summary from tiff.net:

“On an overcast Thanksgiving in suburban Pennsylvania, two neighbouring families gather for dinner. Food, drink, games, and stories are shared. But as the party begins to wind down, the youngest daughters from each household are nowhere to be found. Panic sets in as the parents remember the mysterious Winnebago that was parked on their street earlier in the day. What has happened to the children?”

– This review’s going to be brief because this film is better if you go into it with as little knowledge about it as possible.

– It deals with a subject matter that’s every parents worst nightmare…their child goes missing.  I think the majority of parents out there would do almost anything to get their child back, and that’s exactly what Hugh Jackman‘s character does.  Sometimes however, you need to sit back and think about if your retaliation is just as bad…this is what Hugh Jackman’s character made me think about.

– There are two sets of parents in the film and they both deal with the situation in different ways.  In real life I would think this would be the case as well.

– This is one of the most exciting thrillers I’ve seen in a while.  It’s a long film, but it doesn’t feel that way because of the continuous action and mystery.

– Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman are going to get all the attention for their performances in starring roles, but Melissa Leo and Paul Dano are both very good in supporting roles.  Melissa Leo’s always unrecognizable in her roles as she becomes a completely different person on screen, and in my opinion she stood out the most even with all the other strong performances.

Like I said above, PRISONERS is best to go into without knowing anything.  Even though the trailer is only a tiny bit of the film, I still think it gives too much away.  This has everything you want in a thriller as there’s no way you can take your eyes off the screen.  All the performances are excellent and each character was completely different.  I did however have some issues with some parts of it which kept it from being any better for me.  It’s interesting to look at different viewpoints of a film.  A reviewer I always look at gave this a 10/10, and said it’s one of the best films of the year.  I thought it was good…but nowhere near THAT good.

PRISONERS: 8/10