Well, with trying to get as many films in as possible, full (or even capsule) reviews are being delayed. In the meantime, here’s a sampling of a number of tweets that have been sent out realtime during the first few days of the fest.
- BALADA TRISTE-It’s as if Hitchcock cast NORTH BY NORTHWEST with homicidal clowns & a menagerie of circus folk. Twisted, crazy fun A-
- SUBMARINE – Wes Anderson-esque precocious teen romance from Wales. Quirky and a nice mix of tone. B+
- THE CONSPIRATOR-a well healed ensemble under Redford’s direction muddle through courtroom drama surrounding Lincoln Assassination C-
- DEBT – pretty darned decent thriller about a Mossad capture of a Nazi that goes badly. Accents are an issue, alas B-
- FIRE OF CONSCIENCE – well, seems somebody really likes Michael Mann. A bit draggy & obvious late @ night, but decent end to MM! C+
- TRACKER Jango Fett chased by Mac from Indy4 through Middle Earth, or at least that’s how I wished it was. Decent, forgettable C+
- THE MAN OF A THOUSAND SONGS – overly long/repetitive doc about an East Coast musician with a proclivity for talking in 3rd person C-
- BOXING GYM-a sweaty, mesmerizing verite where you watch people beat on objects and each other as you sit in the dark like a lump B-
- MAKE BELIEVE – a spellbinding doc on teen magicians. “When I grow up I want to be Asian” one of the great lines of the fest B+
- STAKE LAND – more Cormack McCarthy than NOSFERATU, this underground railroad Vampire flick is slick and well done, and no glitter B+
- I’m here at YOU ARE HERE, or so I hear. Cerebral, twisted, clever & fun trip of a film, a bit of metaphorical & mental mayhem B+
- BEAUTIFUL BOY – another astonishing drama, a bit troublesome in pace but moving and memorable tale about the effect of tragedy on love A-
- VIVA RIVA! – fabulous gangster flick from Kinshasa. Comically self-deprecating, well shot, great characters, it’s a total blast A-
- THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF AND THE SWORDMAN-very broad Chinese comedy with a streak of yummy. Convoluted plot, but quirky style is fun B-
- MONSTERS – a genre defying, deliberate alien invasion flick. Exceeded expectations, like Jurassic Park it doesn’t forget the wonder B+
- I SAW THE DEVIL – despite some pacing problems, this is a hell of a revenge thriller, with sharply drawn, intense characters A-
- INSIDIOUS-James Wan puts breaks on torture porn fetish w/ accessible horror pic. “Darth Maul” listening to Tiny Tim is campy fun B
- 127 HOURS is just stunning, a taut and beautiful film about struggle, fear and hope. Brilliantly directed, Franco is perfect A+
- RED NIGHTS-foundering a decent, kinky opening, the film loses focus immediately, turning more incoherent as film creeps to slow end D
- TABLOID- Wondrously insane doc from Errol Morris. Just another stalker/girl raping and abducting Mormon guy/dog cloning flick A
- THIRTEEN ASSASSINS – SEVEN SAMURAI, but SIX bigger! Miike shows restraint, in his own way & wild ending is a blast, literally B+
- RABBIT HOLE is a film with remarkable performances, a play-based script that doesn’t feel “stagey”, avoiding cliche and hysterics. A
- CHICO & RITA – charming animated film for adults, a sexy and swinging look at Cuban and Jazz music as a man recalls a past love. B
- BUNRAKU is a more-than-a-bit crazy mashup of genres, with Cowboys fighting alongside samurai. It’s all a bit of a mess, but fun C+
- CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS – Herzog takes 3D cameras into a world of wonders, and remembers to take time to linger on the sublime A
- WHISLEBLOWER – what starts out as another “issue” movie turns into a quite taut and moving piece, tackling corruption and scandal B+
- THE WARD – John Carpenter brings back old school, shock/fright horror with spooky noises and jumpcuts. New or old, not my thing C-
- I AM SLAVE – “issue” film about abduction of young Sudanese girls who are made slaves in London. Moving, but a bit too earnest C+
- Tykwer’s THREE is like a very much more complicated IT’S ALL COMPLICATED. Takes a long time to pay off to obvious/fun conclusion B-
- THE PROMISE lived up to title, very well produced, GREAT sounding doc on Springsteen’s “Darkness”. Killer archive stuff the treat A-
- BARNEY’S VERSION-Well paced adaptation of Richler novel-doesn’t ooze the Montreal of the book, but good cast makes for decent work B
- COLD FISH – certainly the most fucked up film of the fest so far, more messed than many a MM. Dark, gory, funny, crazy flick. B+
- MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED!-pretty much what you’d expect, more genre clip/trailer fun, this time in Philippines. Boobs, bombs, fun B
- What’s most inexcusable about WHAT’S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA is how badly written it is… F
- Winterbottom’s THE TRIP is wonderful, a fabulous trek with good food, dry wine and dry humour. The “Michael Caine-off” a treat- A
- CASINO JACK lacks the wit and grit to be good political satire. Shtick wears thin quickly, and even Jon Lovitz can’t make it fun C-
- Schnable’s MIRAL is has the political sophistication of PEARL HARBOUR, manipulative and a dumbed down, Hallmark version of events D
- CLIENT 9 – Well produced, compelling look at the story around the story of the Spitzer scandal. Great music, well edited & shot B+
- PASSION PLAY, where Mickey Rourke screws a bewinged “angel” Megan Fox, is (non-ironically) HOLY FUCK BAD! FAIL
- Mike Leigh’s ANOTHER YEAR is the effortless work of a master film maker. Mammet-like dialogue with silences that speak the most. A+
- RARE EXPORTS, for a “kids/Christmas” film could absolutely play well to a @mmadnesstiff crowd. Axes and elves and explosions, oh my! A-
- SUPER out Kicks KICK ASS! A completely wild, violent, hilarious ride, Rainn is great, Page is AWESOME Wicked fun @mmadnesstiff – A
- GRIFF THE INVISIBLE, my first “super hero who’s not really a hero” of the nigh was pretty bad, alas. Boring and predictable – D
- IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY – An ensemble comedy about teen depression. Zach G. is quite good. Self aware, a little too precious B-
- NEVER LET ME GO – A sci-fi-ish film from UK, telling a twist-filled tale that’s not entirely successful, but worth a look B-
- Running out of superlatives-THE ILLUSIONIST is a wrenching animated film, delicate, sweet, and moving. Oscar best anim pic likely A
- JACK GOES BOATING – a mature tragicomedy about love in NY, fitting in that I skipped Woody’s latest to see. Seymour Hoffman dir A-
- BLACK SWAN is an utter masterpiece, will sweep awards season if there’s any justice. Oscar for Portman is a given. Bravo A+
- I admit to very low expectations, but FUBAR 2 was genuinely great, as was fab BEAVER DAM. @mmadnesstiff, sorry I doubted! A-
- LEGEND OF THE FIST – best deal at this year’s fest, it’s 15 films in one! War, romance, kungfu, explosions nunchucks, it’s silly fun B+
- BAD FAITH is a slow burn, motivationless characters stare into the distance toi create mood. Boring save for about 20 min C-
- MARIMBAS FROM HELL was a very long 80 min – idea for madcap heavy metal/marimba band has its moments, but pace so slow charm fades D
- EASY MONEY – Swedish multilayered film w/ well drawn, disparate characters coming together for a coke deal. Slow paced, but cool B-
- THE TOWN – fun bank robber piece by Ben Affleck. Little too SHAWSHANK of an ending, but some great moments, good cast and story B+