Day 10: September 18

The last day, and I'm holding up better than expected. My day started with what proved to be a poor decision, choosing Libertine over Arsene Lupin. Still, you just can't know these things ahead of time, can you? That's what sites like this are for, after all...

The "closing" gala proved to be quite fun, if not quite a real movie. Was quite amusing to see people in tuxes and ballgowns sitting in the uncomfortable seats of the Ryerson theatre to sit through what amounts to an hour-and-a-half SCTV skit. Still, for a film that clearly will only be screened for the 1200 or so people that saw it at this year's fest, was an amusing evening.

Saw was, of course, the real closing film. The traditional Midnight Madness crowd was suitably raucous, and the film was pretty well received. A birthday celebration followed the film, carrying over to Bistro 990 till the wee hours.

Not a bad year, over all, 48 flicks under my belt with quite a number of strong ones among them. Still, I can't help but feel that we're missing the real breakout films from this year's fest. Expect flicks like Ray and the Wexler doc to be noticed at Oscar time, and keep in mind 3 Iron, Old Boy and House of Flying Daggerswhen looking for something to see in the next year, and hope that Primer finds the audience it deserves.

The Libertine
Directed by: Laurence Dunmore

Johnny Depp romps through another period piece, this time as even more of a right bastard than his celebrated Pirates turn. The version shown at TIFF is a work in process, and thus should be at least partially forgiven for the poor sound mix and slightly clunky editing. Still, under the veneer of another fine/creepy Depp performance, the film falls flat. Still, worth seeing for the production design alone, with the fine mix of filth and luxury.
Grade: C+

The General
Directed by: Buster Keaton

A film shot in 1927 is one of the prime films of the 2004 festival - who knew?

Orson Welles, of all people, called this a work of unqualified genius. Who am I to disagree?

Simply an astounding film, and a rare privilege to see it projected on the large screen at the Elgin. Impeccable direction, mind-blowing stunts and a supreme sense of humour. Only disapointment was the lack of the Toronto Symphony, as the Asian-inspired orchestration was somewhat cheesy. Hopefully the full orchestra will be back for next year's special black and white presentation.

Grade: A+

Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
Directed by: Vadim Jean

I'm really not sure what the heck else is to be done with this film, but as a presentation for us, the closing gala participants, Glick goes over about as well as can be expected. Grafting a murder-mystery atop the celebrity interview spoof shtick, the film plays like a silly skit drawn out over an hour and a half. The interviews with the likes of Kurt Russel -are- funny, but not sure what repeated enjoyment they could provide. The fact that it's set during the Toronto Film Festival certainly makes us all feel a part of the film, but I'm not convinced that in middle America they're going to derive the same sort of pleasure. Still, its fun, the Lynch impersonation is great, and it really is quite an apt capper to the main body of the fest.
Grade: C+

Saw
Directed by: James Wan

Man, this thing had potential. I mean, the trailer was great, two guys locked up, orders to kill one another, a gun in the middle of the floor... and a saw. First one who hacks off a limb wins! Apart from this grand genre conceit, the film unfortunately gets bogged down by its own momentum. What could have been a taught film occupied by the single room gets "opened up" to a silly cops-and-killers chase with, um, Danny Glover (!) sneaking around hallways, gun pointed upwards held by two hands, sweat pouring down his face, eyes wide... Yawn.

While the great idea gets squandered, it remains a fun flick, certainly above the par of many other genre films. Not the best way to end MM perhaps, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Grade: B-