TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Diary 5: Sept. 11, 2000

ANG LEE - UPTOWN SCREENING

I am, I think, a pretty hard marker. I try to mark fairly, but I try not to give overly inflated marks to undeserving items.

It's thus all the more surprising to me that a huge chunk of the films I'm seeing this year are in the "A" range. It's a mix of luck and skill - as I get better at negotiating the festival, I learn what screenings I wish to go to. Psychoanalysing the writeups in the catalogue could be a full time job - deciphering catch phrases such as "deliberately paced" to mean "really bloody long", for example. Not rocket science, but certainly something that develops over the years.

It shouldn't be surprising, however, that a lot of the marks are high - in theory, all are supposed to be A+ films, the cream of the international crop, the largest public festival in the world. Why, then, are there total duds in the first place?

In a summer where the films have basically sucked pretty badly, I may be being more generous than I should. But, in the end, I'll stand by my marks. After all, what is film criticism if its not a starting point for an argument?

Got a chance to see and hear Ang Lee tonight talk about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- the film was budgeted at $15 million and made for $10 - which, in short, is bloody astounding. The thing could easily be thought to be a $150 million epic. He spoke of the logistical hell of driving crane trucks into bamboo farms, and filming in a remote area of the Gobi desert near the border with Khazakhstan, where it is unlikely that anyone has ever made a film before. The crowd was really into the early morning screening, cheering with every new flourishing action sequence.

Bagged off early with only four films under my belt to do some work, with a big day tomorrow.



CROUCHING TIGERS, HIDDEN DRAGON
Directed by: Ang Lee

It would not be an understatement to say that Ang Lee is perhaps the most artistically successful and diverse Asian-American filmmaker. From period pieces to suburban drama/thrillers, Lee tackles a variety of genres while managing to maintain his strong artistic mark on the individual work.

With his latest film, Lee has created a lyrical fairy tale for adults, a sublime synthesis of martial arts action with dramatic sophistication.

Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh lead a cast that for once in an Asian action film have passionate and interesting words to come out of their mouths (are Kurosawa film's "action" films?). The story is a fairly simple, if not downright archetypical in a Campbellian sort of way. Lee is adept in overcoming what he expressed was a real fear, that the dialogue sections would simply stand as a delay between action sequences.

The most impressive part of the film, in the end, are the luscious visuals and joyful martial artistry exhibited by the cast, coupled with a beautiful, metaphysical tale. Yuen Wo-Ping, know internationally for his work on The Matrix, lends his wire-rigging expertise to this films. Where the Matrix fight scenes were video game-like in their construction, the detailed, choreographed conflicts in this film are like powerful dance movements. The weapons choreography alone is astounding, but it is the suspension of the actors, in conjunction with suspension of disbelief, that gives the film its unique character. The conflicts are lighting fast but performed with a great lightness, as the actors actually float up walls and onto roofs. The camera tracks wildly, but never creates a claustrophobic sense.

The film plays like a Zhang Yimou-meets-John Woo dream pairing. From stark desert locations to an unforgettable battle in the trees, Lee has created an instant genre defying classic. He did it without pandering to the audience, or putting in unwarranted comic relief characters.

Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragon is simply a beautiful and powerful extension of the action and drama genres - a real achievement.

Grade: A+



Der Krieger und die Kaisering (The Princess and the Warrior)
Directed by: Tom Tykwer

How do you follow up with one of the most kinetic films ever made? The obvious answer would be to slow things down, take a more introspective and less visceral approach. In short, do something different.

This is precisely what Run Lola Run's director Tykwer has accomplished with his latest film. Trading techno for ambient styles, the film is a technically impressive take on a unconventional love story. Swooping crane shots mix with powerful performances, and both the filmmaking and performace sides of the movie prove to be dexterous.

Franka Potente ("Lola" in her husband's last film) plays a nurse at an institution for the mentally disturbed. She fulfils her patient's needs, with some fulfilments more ethcial than others. Bodo, meanwhile, can't stop crying and can't hold a job. The meeting of these two is one of the few RLR-ish momemts, and the pacing of this scene in particular is impressive.

Long sequences (expemplified by the final seemingly-infinite pullback) try to allow for introspection, but occassionaly just seem to drag. This, coupled by several false denouements, will be problematic for some. The story, while not outright surreal, nonetheless throws some interesting curves. In a festival atmosphere, after a large number of films, it is quite tiring at times. Screened along with the patience to absorb the film as it unfolds, will no doubt be even more rewarding.

Grade: B+



In the Mood For Love
Directed by: Wong Kar-Wai

Wong Kar-Wai's films are often stunning examples of how different and beautiful the Hong Kong aesthetic can be. A termendously confident filmmaker, Kar-Wai needs not rely upon cliché, moody sex scense or gratuitous action sequences to provide points of interest.

With his lens, Kar-Wai can focus on the randomness of rainfall, the back of a woman's neck, even a toaster, and the impact can be as great as any lesser director's monstrous and bombastic finale.

The first thing that must be said is that it is a sublimely beautiful film. Rich, lush colours of dark crimson drape over 60s kitsch formica. Bright yellow hues melt to gold, replicating the visual style of his urban films like Chunking Express but without ever seeming forced. I think that this is key to Kar-Wai's success -- he never composes a shot that seems wasted or accidental. Yet, even shots that are the most abstract (such as when he shoots people from the waist down, or the utilization of dusty distorted mirrors to transform the images) support what is essentially a simple narrative.

The performances are quietly aching, never relying on explosions to push a point home. The film's music is purposefully repetitive, with a prevailing theme being Nat King Cole's Spanish-language rendition of "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps". If there's a central theme to this film, its that the question of invitation or opportunity ("Perhaps?") can just as readily be declined as accepted ("Perhaps not.") This ambivalence between opportunity and regret fuels the film.

Kar-Wai's sublime imagery simply adds depth and resonance to what is, laid bare, a tragic story of love's labour being lost due to misguided senses of duty and responsibility. A beautiful film.

Grade: A


Holdup
Directed by: Florian Flicker

Holdup is a simple tale of a man who goes to rob a store to pay alimony. He chickens out, and stumbles into a tailor's store across the street. The lead, still in his clown-masked holdup uniform, decides to hold the owner and his fragile customer hostage to get his cash.

The film consists basically of the three of them locked into a room for the rest of the film. I found most of the action predictable, and had little concern for the characters.

The story obviously exploits the limitations of the theatre - the whole thing occupies one major set piece (the store) and is far more verbal than visual. This claustrophobic setting sometimes works (Reservoir Dogs, Clerks), but in this case you don't really like any of the guys, thus don't really care when they (inevitably) start getting on each other's nerves.

The film is very heavy handed and obvious, but not unwatchable. A mediocre movie, the story lacks the kind of payoff that would have made the ordeal more bearable.

Grade: C-