2012

FILM RATINGS

2011 FILM RATINGS-REVIEWS = HERE

2010 FILM RATINGS-REVIEWS = HERE

2009 FILM RATINGS-REVIEWS = HERE

RATING SCALE
2.5 or more for a noteworthy film
3.5 for an exceptional film
4 for a classic.

3.2 -- HODEJEGERNE [HEADHUNTERS], Morten Tyldum
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] The latest in a new wave of Scandinavian crime thrillers, this film from Norway depicts the complicated life of a corporate recruitment specialist, who moonlights as an art thief, and soon becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an ex-mercenary-turned-CEO. Based on a popular novel, the film lets its complex, detailed narrative unfold with restraint and craftsmanship, neither forcing things nor slowing down for the benefit of confused viewers. The result is an assured, confident movie, which flirts with topical relevance and social commentary, but ultimately settles for being a solid, exciting chase thriller, albeit one with significant amounts of dark comedy and disturbing violence. It would be moderately unfair to label it a Coen-esque work, but the themes and stylings are there, if modified somewhat; instead, call it simply the Norwegian response to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," which similarly dealt with crime and death in a uniquely Scandinavian fashion. But while the Swedish film is brutal and unforgiving, this is far lighter and more easily digestible (relatively speaking), making for a more enjoyable and less traumatic moviegoing experience. On the whole, then, it’s a worthwhile cinematic venture, if not a particularly innovative one.

0.7 -- DARLING COMPANION, Lawrence Kasdan
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] It takes a special kind of a skill to craft a film this devoid of energy and meaning -- one which you wouldn’t expect from director Kasdan, whose résumé includes ‘80s genre staples "Body Heat" and "Silverado." But this is an utterly lifeless affair, wasting its admittedly impressive cast (Kevin Kline, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins etc.) on a silly, meandering narrative (everyone looks for a lost dog) more suited for an after-school special, what with its insistence on forcing every protagonist to undergo some sort of personal epiphany. It surely doesn’t help that none of the characters are likeable or sympathetic, and while that certainly isn’t a prerequisite for a good movie, it would’ve at least livened things up here. As it stands, it’s simply a tedious exercise in assembling a well-regarded cast for a pointless vanity project.

2.6 -- EDWIN BOYD, Nathan Morlando
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] Essentially a Canadian attempt at Michael Mann’s "Public Enemies," the film depicts the rise and fall of the titular bank robber/folk hero in post-World War II Toronto with an exceedingly bleak aesthetic and stylistic flourishes to spare. But the film forgoes Mann’s dynamic digital look in favour of a washed-out colour palette and accordingly retro feel; in fact, first-time director Morlando is so indebted to the film noir form -- both in style and content -- that shooting in black-and-white would’ve been a wiser (and more interesting) choice. Regardless, the narrative remains a by-the-numbers affair, livened up only sporadically by Scott Speedman’s energetic lead performance and Kevin Durand’s intimidating supporting one. Though Morlando strives to inject some vibrancy into his film via the songs of contemporary blues-rockers The Black Keys, it is Max Richter’s moody score -- evoking Elliot Goldenthal’s work on the aforementioned Mann picture -- that truly sets the atmosphere of the movie, and which should’ve instead been emphasized. Ultimately, then, the film is mostly uneven and atonal, even if it occasionally transcends its monotonous, ‘true-life’ storyline with flashes of directorial innovation.

2.8 -- L'AFFAIRE CHEBEYA, UN CRIME D'ETAT?, Thierry Michel
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] In 1985 a brave man named Floribert Chebeya formed La Voix des Sans-Voix, a secular activist organization that spoke the truth about the Democratic Republic of Congo -- the country to which he gave his life. He went against presidents, the police, fascists and anyone who further exploited the poor, university activists, journalists and the scores of gallant groups who dared speak out and demonstrate against the corruption and chaos running and ruining the country. On June1st of 2010, on the militaristic heels of the elected new president, Joseph Kabila took power; within 10 days, Chebeya was done away with. He was brutally murdered -- found straddling the front seat of a car with obvious traces of having been tortured. Of course, the police said he was found with evidence showing he was in the midst of an aberrant sexual act that went wrong. Lying in such humiliation in the abandoned car, this hero had his pants pulled down, condoms and other paraphernalia at the crime scene -- the classic framing job masterminded by the police's top dog; the underlings murdered Chebeya upon the orders of the chief of this powerful and totally corrupt police state. The head honcho, named Numba claimed he had nothing to do with it; he gets suspended. But his orders came from an untouchable who also implicated a fellow named Mulukay who also claimed he was completely in the dark about this murder; he was far away from the scene. He powerfully defends himself with the recurring refrain: you are trying to blame me; I know nothing and I never saw Chebeya at all. In fact, it was this dog of a human being who summoned Chebeya to his office. Tragically, this young wonderful Congolese voice of the people, along with his 'disappeared' chauffeur named Basala, never saw the light of day again. One must applaud Thierry Michel whose camera follows the months of investigation that gathered journalists from all corners of the world. Fifty lawyers represent the Chebeya family; 14 reprsent the seven police who are tried. The actual court process began five months after Chebeya's murder. What is so astounding is the absolute denial on the part of the police they had anything to do with his murder. Pages of police appointments have been ripped out from the log book. There are no traces of interrogations on paper. The police perpetrators on the lower level of the totem pole take the fall and are sentenced to death. As we follow the evidence which takes us all over the town of Kinshasa, fellow Africans attend outside and inside, wherever the large group of lawyers and judges go to seek out the 'truth'. Pathetically, but typically, the judges did not convict the top police guys, only their subordinates. Today, Chebeya's widow and her children live in Canada. There is so much more to say about the evidence as Michel shows it with each passing month of the trail. This documentary is a must. But do not watch it when you want a day on this earth believing justice is for all, living with the illusion that compassion is the strongest driving force compelling man towards a world where human rights prevail. This film played at the Latin American Film Festival (Montreal).

3.6 - TAMANTASHAR YOM (18 DAYS), Yousri Nasrella & collective of 9 others
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] A superb hastily shot compilation of 10 vignettes that reveal the terror, chaos, courage and hope that fueled the overthrow of the Egyptian government (January 25th to February 11). The daring and determined swept up the populace, young and old alike. Some survived; others fell. These vignettes bring us face to face with individuals and groups. They include: reactions from men in an insane aylum; a man who is arrested and tortured. His fate ends in death; he takes daily medicine, but now he is deprived of it. He dies with 'liberty' as his final word -- written dozens of times on a single piece of paper; a father and son who are prevented from going home due to a curfew; a flag seller who can't sell his flags in support of Mubarek, so he writes, on the flags, 'Down with Mubarek.' We meet a diabetic tailor who is about to run out of medicine, having holed himself up in secrecy in his shop in order to avoid the chaos, death and destruction on the streets. Then there's the husband who gets paid to beat up rebels. His wife at least can now feed her brood. Finally, there is a barber whose shop becomes an instant refuge for the wounded. Their cuts are sewn up without an anesthetic. It's mayhem and martyrdom. At the end of the film, we see his wall plastered with pictures of all who lost their lives, including a brazen boy who enters the shop at the beginning of this particular vignette. But he quickly leaves the barber shop to fight for the cause on the streets. All of these compelling and often touching stories are framed within the larger context of the astounding events that the world watched on the Internet. It is a brave film that deserves endless praise. It cleverly holds up 10 mirrors that reflect humanity's involvement in one of the Middle East's most important revolutions. This film played at Montreal's Vue d'Afrique Film Festival.

3.5 -- LA DÉLICATESSE, David and Stéphane Foenkinos
[reviewed by Ondrej Hlavacek] Charming is perhaps the best word to describe this film which stars the perennially lovely Audrey Tautou in a role that has pretty well defined her career. Based on David Foenkinos’ novel of the same name -- one, which the author himself turned into a screenplay and directed in partnership with brother Stéphane -- “Delicacy” recounts a perfect love between Nathalie (Tautou) and François (Pio Marma?) that is tragically curtailed one morning. Nathalie subsequently renounces love and romance despite concentrating instead on her career, while warding off her boss Charles’s (Bruno Todeschini) advances. Fate has other designs when, one day, Nathalie suddenly kisses co-worker Markus (François Damiens) full-on in her office. What ensues is a journey back to romance as the two main characters struggle with their shyness and desire. The film does not stray from the conventions of romantic comedy, though a North American audience will certainly appreciate the absence of Hollywood’s penchant for hyperbole and slapstick. Tautou is back completely in her element in this light film with understated humour, impressively well-developed mise-en-scène as well as clever use of first-person narration.

1.4 -- TODAY I FELT NO FEAR, Ivan Fund
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] The director of this go-nowhere film should feel a lot of fear if he has left his day job in order to make films. Fund is no fund of imagination, judging by this film which follows two sisters and their family in a series of unrelated, repetitive scenes. We watch them sew, party, ride on a motorcycle, meet their dad, go to a fortune teller and live out their very small lives within a rural Argentine area. We also meet the older generation drinking, visiting a swamp area and being tested for dementia. Fund has held up a video camera to the people in his life; even he is filmed along with his small crew. But the results are incredibly boring and meaningless to the audience. In fact, this film crosses out Argentina as a place to visit -- at least if you thought you might want to see the daily side of limited lives. There is such a thing as a film that brilliantly conveys content within a natural style, but this type of film demands an incredibly skilled filmmaker who merges plot and people within a moving context. This was not the case of the film I sat through for two hours; it was without artistic merit or interest. This film played at the Latin American Film Festival (Montreal).

3.0 -- MY FIRST WEDDING, Ariel Galardi
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] This adorable Argentine absurd comedy is a pre-wedding fiasco. The Jewish groom Adrian and his bride-to-be Leonora find out that happiness is not about wedding rings, religion or flashy style, but good old down-to-earth chivalry and true love. The problem begins when Adrian tosses the marriage ring up in the air long before the ceremony gets under way, and loses it somewhere within a radius of hundreds of walls and flowers on the grounds of the estate where the marriage is to take place in a few hours. Most of the movie is about his attempts to retrieve it by shutting off water pipes, going down a well, climbing walls and down them. To make matters worse, the rabbi and the priest end up getting lost, thanks to Adrian. In order to derail the ceremony, he gives the taxi driver whose passengers are the two religious leaders -- the wrong directions. It's a true comedy of intentional errors where destiny overcomes chaos, and love prevails. It's a light-hearted film that shows off the wit and understated delivery of Argentine actor, Daniel Hendler. His boyish charm slips a wedding ring on any gal's finger. This film played at the Latin American Film Festival (Montreal).

4.0 -- CHICO AND RITA, Tono Errando, Javier Marsical, Fernando Trueba
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] This superb animation is an uber-love story that coyly unites two lovers as they discover their mutual need to make music together (Chico is the pianist and Rita is the singer), then sunders them apart through jealousy, misunderstandings, hot tempers and performance engagements in New York, Nevada and Paris. But they finally reunite in their old age, thanks to the tenacity of Chico who constantly tracks down la Belle Rita. The story is told within the setting of the Batista era when Tito Puente and so many greats brought Cuban music onto the international scene. When Chico is framed by Rita's New York agent on a drug charge, he is deported to Cuba -- the very day he was to meet up with Rita in Nevada and marry her. He returns to a new Cuba of revolutionary fervor, and is relegated to becoming a shoe shine fellow. One day, his old piano is brought to the hall where he used to play and a beautiful young girl gets him playing again as she sings his trademark song, Lily. What is utterly remarkable about this story, is not only the musicians we meet along the way, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, but the entire film is based on a true story. The singers representing Rita and her daughter were incandescent. They were Eman Xor Ona and Limara Meneses. This film played at the Latin American Film Festival (Montreal).

2.1 -- BULLY, Lee Hirsch
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] Ostensibly a collection of case studies on the universal problem of school bullying, it seems to work better as a commentary on the various social ills plaguing the Bible Belt, U.S.A. As the chosen victimized children all live between Oklahoma and Georgia and are mostly white (that the one bullied black girl depicted is arrested for brandishing a gun to defend herself speaks to a greater racial issue than simply kids picking on kids), the film is seemingly more a condemnation of the homophobic, hyper-Christian and morally perverse culture that pervades these southern states, rather than a truthful look at the nature of bullying. But instead of examining the bullies themselves and identifying the underlying social issues as a root cause of their behaviour, director Hirsch seems content to stick to the unfair victimization of a few children. Bullies are not inherently evil creatures, but by willfully ignoring them and refusing to investigate both sides of the issue, the film ultimately becomes merely another pseudo-activist documentary instead of a raw, powerful look at a complex, troubling subject.

1.3 -- THE MOTH DIARIES, Mary Harron
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] An über-Gothic tale of adolescent sexuality, awakened femininity and seductive vampires, set at an all-girl’s boarding school somewhere in New England or Eastern Canada. The inherently queer nature of the form is exploited, revealing lustful lesbian desires and tying vampirism to burgeoning female sexuality (think "Ginger Snaps" with a different mythological beast), but the presence of Scott Speedman as the dreamy English teacher ultimately chains the film to heteronormativity. Furthermore, it’s particularly awful, formally speaking (perhaps uncharacteristically for Harron, who made the brilliant "American Psycho"), with the haphazard editing, dreary cinematography and stilted performances combining to represent the very best of modern Canadian cinema. What is it about our country that forces even our art to feel (and look) inferior? At least our lax (relatively speaking) censorship laws allow the requisite T&A for such a subject matter, even if for just a fleeting moment; prudish "Twilight" this certainly is not.

3.0 -- THE RAID: REDEMPTION, Gareth Evans
[reviewed by Ondrej Hlavacek] We are by now very familiar with the narrative arc of the action/martial arts film, which for the most part, focuses on a single individual in his (or her) struggle against many opponents -- a formula from which writer/director Gareth Evans’ “The Raid: Redemption” does not stray very far. Here, an elite Indonesian S.W.A.T unit is commanded to penetrate a tenement apartment block fortress belonging to a ruthless gang-lord and his personal army. Of course, almost everything goes wrong from the onset as the unit is cut off, decimated and trapped inside the maze-like structure. Rookie cop Rama (rising martial arts star Iko Uwais) vows to save whomever remains, complete the mission and arrest the boss Tama (Ray Sahetapy). Thus the film zooms along in a hail of bullets, generous splatter of blood, graphic violence, brilliant stunts and choreographed fight scenes until the final ‘surprise twist’ the plot has to offer. Without question, Evans knows his business, having previously directed “Merantau” (2009), one of Indonesia’s most successful action films ever. For fans of the genre, “Raid...” showcases Indonesian style pencack silat in its arsenal of martial arts techniques in fight scenes remarkably unfettered by over-impulsive use of slow-motion photography. However, for actioned-out audiences of this continent, the only redemption may lie in the change of culture, language and milieu.

2.7 -- POLISSE, Maïwenn
[reviewed by Andrée Lafontaine] In faux cinema-vérité style, “Polisse” follows the day-to-day operations of the police officers working for Paris’ 14th arrondissement’s Child Protection Unit, a division charged with investigating child abuse. Their work consists mainly in interrogating victims and perpetrators of physical and sexual violence, including incest and rape, so it’s no wonder that the job takes its toll on the officers. They are presented as truly devoted, their hard-work only matched by their hard partying and chaotic personal lives. Maïwenn is never complacent with regards to her characters, and she presents what seems to be a very fair and balanced characterization. Some characters, however are definitely less interesting, more flat, than others. Ironically, her character, Melissa, is one of those: as a photographer mandated to document the unit’s work, she ultimately brings nothing to the story. The film contains some particularly effective and emotionally powerful scenes.

2.8 -- FACING AGRIPPINA, Nayo Titzin
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] Superb singers perform Handel's opera. We watch the artistic directo,r Rene Jacobs, work with costume designer Vincent Boussard during rehearsals as they bring to life this gripping story of Roman intrigue that holds a mirror up to Agrippina, the ferocious mother of Nero, also wife to Claudius, as she pushes her son into becoming the next emperor. The voices are extraordinary, but the ridiculous surreal costumes that modernize the opera with additional circus-like elements spoil the drama completely. The poor performer who plays Claudius ends up painting himself and wearing a hoola hoop-like tutu, since his part is played as a buffoon rather than the benevolent brilliant man he was. No need to modernize this remarkable Baroque period opera. Sometimes, opera directors think they have to do something way out of the box to stand out. Still, the opera singers were sublime. This film played at Montreal's 30th FIFA film festival.

3.0 -- 1,2,3 DANCE, Julien Ringdahl
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] Having suffered an ankle injury, Ringdahl has called it quits as a dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, but all is not list. In this interesting documentary, this dancer films several behind-the-scene events that affect some of the company's key dancers: Cecile Lassen who has a strange leg injury, American darling, Carling Talcott and principal male dancer (pulled from the corps de ballet), Alben Lendorf. It is film on dance about dancers and their daily struggles dealing with physical and mental issues. I liked this film. It showed us the reality behind the beauty. No pain, no gain holds true the dance world. This film played at Montreal's 30th FIFA film festival.

2.0 -- EXTASY, Carine Bijlsma
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] Dutch Conductor Reinhart de Leeuw, born in 1937, must wait some forty years before fulfilling his lifelong dream to conduct Arnold Schoenberg's massively complex work titled, Gurre-Lieder. This choral piece involves over 356 inexperienced musicians including singers and an orchestra whose string section alone comprises 84 performers. The camera becomes the conductor's shadow for ten days as it follows him around during rehearsals and in moments of solitude. Obviously, this rather intense cigarette-smoking, humourless condutor was deeply obsessed by this work which I found to be a pale imitation to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and its miraculous choral Ode to Joy. Did Schoenberg try to imitate this masterpiece in a modern way? I do not know, but I did not understand why Reinhart de Leeuw loved it so much, other than the power he felt when conducting it. I did not like this piece, nor the conductor nor the film. Ecstasy was not an emotion I felt watching this film, though the same could not be said for this conductor when climactic moment came -- the finale. He was without words and exhausted post-performance. This film played at Montreal's 30th FIFA film festival.

1.9 -- CASA DE MI PADRE, Matt Piedmont
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] What’s essentially a one-joke premise (Will Ferrell speaks Spanish!) more suited to a SNL skit is instead stretched over an entire feature film, inevitably and unsurprisingly wearing thin rather quickly. Though director Piedmont tries to liven things up by fashioning his film after the Grindhouse model (missing reels, intentional celluloid scratches, obviously fake sets, etc.), his attempts are either too overdone (by practically throwing the joke in your face) or underdone (by being so subtle that you nearly miss it) to work effectively. Ultimately, it’s symptomatic of a film that can never find a cohesive tone, fails to capitalize on its concept, and, in the end, isn’t really that funny.

1.0 -- THE HUNGER GAMES, Gary Ross
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] As somebody who has no stake in this burgeoning franchise (having never read the books or even been aware of them prior to the announcement of this adaptation), I found this to be a load of silly, generic nonsense -- "The Running Man" crossed with "Battle Royale" by way of "The Lottery." But I still could’ve gotten behind it had it not been so ineptly directed and cheaply produced. Director Ross insists on using a handheld camera throughout, ostensibly to add ‘realism,’ but instead it simply muddles the frame and disorients the viewer, turning action sequences into mishmashes of colour and noise. There’s a time and a place for the shaky-cam aesthetic, and here it simply does not work. Add to this the ridiculous costumes and set design (outlandish yet boring) and an extensive backstory/mythology which serves only to confound those unfamiliar with the story, and you’re left with a hollow, ugly film that will no doubt please the rabid fans of the novels while leaving everyone else cold.

3.5 -- THE HUNGER GAMES, Gary Ross
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] Twelve districts some 74 years ago rebelled violently against the well-heeled ruling class. Every year there is a 'reaping' where one young girl and boy are selected to form the twleve districts to fight. This is their punishment -- their sacrifice for the uprising. There can only be one winner. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) from District 12 volunteers in place of her younger sister, Primrose who was selected as a contestant. Peeta Mellard (Josh Hutcherson) is also selected from District 12. The games involves a multiple of strategies for survival. Sponsors choose their favourite player after watching them being interviewed before their training starts. These sponsors can assist them by inserting survival kits, weapons and food into the drama. Of course everything is cleverly controlled and created from central operations. Killer dogs, wasps, a forest fire, even nighttime are artifically produced in the forest into which these contestants must fight until the finish. There is a love interest between the protagonists with ironic consequences. Maybe this time, there can be two victors? Based on the book written by Suzanne Collins, this unique film offers suspence set in highly imaginative settings and costumes (note the garish pink dress of the populace). The problem was, there was no on-screen chemistry between Lawrence and Hutcherson. The film vividly shows the cruelty and blood lust reminiscent of Roman times when gladiators fought to the finish. These scenes were artfully done; the director must be commended for this. Future times or not, it seems there will always be a ruling class, thinking up a variety of ways to control and enjoy the near-starving masses that must take part in the games. The sets were impressive as was the general cohesion of the film. This film was seen compliments of Empire Cinema, Rideau Centre, Ottawa.

2.4 -- THE HUNGER GAMES, Gary Ross
[reviewed by Andrée Lafontaine] “The Hunger Games” is finally upon us. Faithful in every respect to its source-material -- the popular young reader trilogy -- the film is certain to make a fortune as theaters everywhere have already made special plans to accommodate the incoming hordes of fans. One can easily understand the attraction, for the idea behind the book is indeed appealing. Set in post-apocalyptic times, America has been divided into the Capital, a futuristic metropolis, and twelve rural, backward districts. Every year, each district must provide two tributes -- a man and a woman -- to compete in a survival competition which crowns the last-person standing. This alone should evoke “The Running Man” and “Battle Royale,” but also 'reality' television shows such as “Survivor,”“Big Brother” and “America’s Next Top Model”. It’s in this last respect that “The Hunger Games” stands out, for it makes clear that the only justification for the blood battle is its entertainment value. Tributes are ranked and evaluated, and people from all districts are glued to their television sets for the duration of the competition. Bets are placed, and wealthy viewers can buy their favourite tribute food and medicine. The tributes must therefore make themselves likeable to viewers: they go through a thorough makeover, are dolled up in glitzy outfits, and they go off to desperately try and make an impression. However, the movie, like the book, suffers from authorial laziness in its unwillingness to turn its critical eye onto itself. Simply said, the movie wants to have its cake and eat it too: to criticize commercially generated love-stories while at the same time revelling in its own “Twilight”-like love triangle. And since the filmmakers are direly aware that the love-story is where the money is, they unabashedly milk every last moment. “The Hunger Games” flirts with smart ideas and bitter critique just enough to let you know how good a movie it could have been, had its producers fully committed.

1.5 -- JOHN CARTER, Andrew Stanton
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] The long-gestating adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ "Princess of Mars" serials (as well as Pixar director Stanton’s live action debut) is predictably loud, large and digital, but fails to depict a truly epic scale or capture a real spirit of adventure. Part of this is due to the confounding mythology and backstory surrounding the narrative -- think Thor with even more characters and alien races -- but it’s mostly due to the terribly fake look of the film. CGI has never been known for its realism, and occasionally it can contribute to the unreal feel of so much fantasy, but here, in what is supposed to be a period piece (taking place in the 19th century, after all), it just continues the argument that digital effects will be the death of genre filmmaking. Nothing looks real, nothing is at stake, and thus nothing really matters.

3.6 -- THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, Andy Sommer & Gordon
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] What a delightful film! It beautifully and vividly performs the music composed by Camille Saint-Saëns -- brought to life through the simultaneous telling of the classic story in the famous book. Each night a different group of animals comes to life, leaving the pages as they magically interact with the live orchestra. The father and son share the fun -- a world full of animals moving to music that is presented in various ways. Nothing is stagnant: sometimes the orchestra members are alone playing to the movement of the animals; sometimes they are in a line, and sometimes in normal seating arrangement. The two pianos (four hands) played by women who are rather good actors add to the musical amusement as animals float by them, land on the piano keys and generally frolic along in the music. These animated animals (black and white) steal the stage with their antics; the music seems to merge with their personalities. The father, who is telling the story to his son, is rather amusing, as he sometimes finds himself no longer in his son's bedroom, but on stage, holding the conductor's baton trying to lead the orchestra. It's a classic story told in such an imaginative way. This film played at Montreal's 30th FIFA film festival.

3.0 -- ROMEO ONZE, Ivan Grbovic
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] Poor Rami is spastic, but as the movie progresses, we discover that he is far more crippled by complexes than the two legs that turn inward as he walks. His alter ego comes into play in a chat room where his name is now romeo11. A girl named malaury26 keeps on responding. He finally summons up the courage to meet her at a hotel room. He poses as a VIP business shark who is in town, and that is why he tells her he is at a hotel. It's really quite pathetic. But when the knock on the door comes, he panics and cannot answer. The prelude to this moment is most touching, as he lays out his clothes, practices his lines and dolls himself up as he psyches himself up. Poor Rami is so shy, so damaged by his infirmity, that he has dropped out of anything that could give him a future, including his math courses to prepare for his HEC exams. His father is cold and frustrated and his mother is too motherly. What I didn't buy into was his constant outbursts of feeling sorry for himself and ranting against his dad. Surely, from the time he was a child, he would have been given a psychologist to deal with his anger and lack of confidence. It was so obvious he needed help. His parents were caring, so I wondered about that missing link. Still, the ending is moving when Rami decides to 'get off his feet' and enter into the hub of things -- in this case, the crowd of people dancing at his sister's wedding. And one of those dancers happens to be the girl he has just been introduced to. It is a very powerful film, largely due to the miraculous performance by Ali Ammar (Rami).

3.3 -- ROMEO ONZE, Ivan Grbovic
[reviewed by Ondrej Hlavacek] Rami (Ali Ammar) struggles to find himself. Faced with a seemingly inevitable future as an accountant -- his father Ziad’s (Joseph Bou Nassar) wishes -- and suspended in the quiet, precise routine of his traditional Lebanese family’s life, Rami pretends to prepare for his entrance exams, all the while escaping into a world of online chatting where he poses as a successful, worldly man. In reality, Rami is painfully shy, scarred by a childhood disability that has affected his legs and posture. He daydreams of a carefree existence of wealth and beauty, and risks alienating his family by a daring plan to woo his online sweetheart. Cinematographer (and co-writer) Sara Mishara’s camera is precise and frank, making the most of natural light to beautifully frame and isolate the film’s characters, for many of whom (including Ammar and Sanda Bourenane, who plays Rami’s younger sister) the film is a debut. One would never guess that “Romeo Onze” is writer/director Ivan Grbovic’s first feature. His background behind the camera is clearly evident throughout in a film that subtly depicts the problematic of masculine self-image as reflected in both traditional immigrant communities as well as western society at large.

3.0 -- ROMÉO ONZE, Ivan Grbovic
[reviewed by Robert Lewis] All parents want their children to be happy -- code for good job, married with kids. Rami works in his strict and fastidious father's Lebanese restaurant. At the same time he's studying to become an accountant. He's under significant pressure to succeed scholastically and find a wife, especially since his sister is now engaged. But Rami is withdrawn and troubled. He suffers from major complexes due to a birth defect which left both legs severely atrophied: he doesn't walk but shuffles -- like an old man. Online, as romeo11 (man of the world), he meets malaury26. They connect and decide to meet in real life. Without tugging at the heartstrings, "Roméo Onze" will break your heart. In its at times excruciating baring of Rami’s fragile emotional state, we are brought face to face with what is universal in the human condition, which for many means learning early in the game that life isn’t fair and that too much depends on the luck of the draw. It's also about the risks of online dating and short shrifting the protocols of disclosure. Shot in the gorgeous reds and yellows of Montreal's celebrated autumn, this is not a formulaic, uplifting, we-shall-overcome-film; we all make mistakes in life, some of us learn from them. Between Rami and romeo11 where does the truth lie? This very affecting and mature film concludes on a sublime Felliniesque note which speaks to an outstanding debut from Ivan Grbovic.

2.3 -- LA HORA CERO, Diego Velasco
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] In Caracas, the doctors are on strike. Everyone is fighting the government to do something. Enter Pardo, the anti-hero, a hit man whose targeted victim is his girlfriend, but he doesn't know that the woman he shot was the love of his life. He violently barges into a private medical clinic for the rich, demanding doctors save her life. She is also pregnant. But it isn't his baby; it is in fact the director of the police who got her pregnant. His little thing on the side with her was only that. After all, he is married. His mistress threatens to go public about the baby and who the father is and that is why he ordered the hit on her. There is humour in this fast-paced film. In the operating room, we see Miss Venezuela getting a boob job, but that procedure is put on hold while Pardo and his cohorts try to control the doctors and save the mother and her baby. She watches it all as she lies on the operating table. We also see the newscaster lady whose ambition gets the better of her, and she ends up being held hostage along with others. Pardo makes a statement while she holds the camera to him inside the hospital. He tells all the poor to come to the clinic to receive medical attention. This film is so frenetic that the plot twists get lost in the bullet spray that splats on the screen throughout most of the movie. Combining humour with raw edge violence, the film shows absurd aspects that blight Venezuelan life. Still, I felt nothing for the characters dead or alive. This tautly constructed film is part of Montreal's celebrated Festivalissimo film festival, and although I gave it a so-so rating, it is worth seeing if you want a super speedy ride that has too many bumps along the way.

2.7 -- ACT OF VALOR, Mike McCoy & Scott Waugh
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] One could easily, based on the promotional material and advertising surrounding the film, write this off as a heavy-handed jingoistic exercise in war propaganda, or something equally terrible. And there’s definitely an argument to be made there. But the film is actually quite apolitical, more concerned with generic terms like ‘honour’ and ‘freedom’ than any specifically American qualities (though I suppose one could say that is exactly how the United States defines itself). And, in between the hollow letter-writing voiceover that bookends the narrative, it’s really far more interested in depicting a series of Call of Duty-esque missions/action sequences, interwoven with a loosely connected storyline about Chechen Muslim terrorists or something. Alas, I digress; where the film truly succeeds is in these action sequences, exciting and kinetic and inventively shot, mixing point-of-view, night vision, and bird’s eye angles to truly capture the look and feel of a video game. Some may find that troubling; I found it refreshing. In this age of chopped-to-ribbons action and disorienting editing, it’s a welcome change of pace. Just don’t think about it too hard.

3.2 -- THE FLOWERS OF WAR, Zhang Yimou
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] A Chinese war epic depicting the “Rape of Nanjing” by the Japanese Army in 1937 that veers dangerously close to Orientalist (or Edward Zwick-ian, in cinematic terms) territory by focusing on John Miller (played by Christian Bale), an American mortician forced to impersonate a Catholic priest in order to save a convent of young girls. And, make no mistake, this dashing white man does get to save the day in the end. But unlike "The Last Samurai" or even "Dances with Wolves," there are significant plot reasons and historical precedent for this Westerner’s heroic opportunity, even if the character’s overall arc is shortchanged in the process. Aesthetically, Zhang dials back his flamboyant style in order to capture the dirt and grime of war-torn China, but still makes room for some virtuoso tracking shots à la "Saving Private Ryan." Though the film still threatens to become the worst kind of foreign blockbuster -- whitewashed and Hollywoodized -- its devotion to its story and characters -- whether they be priests or prostitutes -- ultimately proves its worth.

2.5 -- GOON, Michael Dowse
[reviewed by Daniel Charchuk] A good ol' fashioned, blood-soaked, Canadian hockey romp -- think a 21st century "Slap Shot." But for all its nationalist pride and sensationalist violence, the film is deeply problematic on a couple levels. Despite being scripted by Canadians Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg, it nonetheless plays into the same kind of overblown stereotypes we're used to from American depictions -- lots of beer-guzzling, funny accents, and sentence-ending 'ehs.' Perhaps intended ironically, but more likely done to appeal to the American market. Further -- and more worrisome -- the film glorifies and glamourizes the role of the enforcer in hockey (as its title makes plain); mindless violence might've been okay in the '70s, but in this age of headshots, concussions and ex-goon suicides, it's more than a little troubling. Still, there's laughs aplenty to be had, so perhaps it's best to ignore the issues and just have a good time.

2.2 -- THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY, Hiromasa Yonebayashi
[reviewed by Andrée Lafontaine] “The Secret World of Arrietty” is finally making its way to American screens, almost two years after its release in Japan where it quickly became one of the highest grossing animation features. The film of first-time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi comes attached with Hayao Miyazaki’s reputation, as the master of animation wrote the screenplay and supervised the project. Critically acclaimed, the movie does succeed in creating the compelling, visually stunning and colourful images we have come to associate with Studio Ghibli productions. Based on Mary Norton’s 1952 “The Borrowers,” the film targets a young audience, its appeal for adults being limited. There’s very little in terms of wit or originality, and both language, characters and plot are despairingly simple. While adults will cringe at the film’s devotion to a sappy and anti-climatic narrative arc, the quasi-celtic music and slow, almost dull, pacing seem ill-advised for young children. At the screening I attended, numerous children were seen hurriedly leaving their seats in packs for an exciting extended trip to the bathroom.

4.0 -- UNE SEPARATION , Asghar Farhadi
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] The father has Alzheimer's disease; the son is alone with his daughter who is very studious and religious. The wife has just separated from him, and he hires a deeply religious woman to care for his father. But all hell breaks loose as the Koran opens up on what is right and what is wrong. The son comes home to find his father has been tied up and money is missing. The woman returns and he is furious at her. There is an altercation, and to make a long story full of incredible events less eventful, both end up in front of a judge. She was pregnant, and loses her baby due to the fall she claims she had when the altercation turned into a heated physical one. Did the son know the woman was really pregnant because in Iran that is murder? After all the baby died in the womb. But religion plays itself in this remarkable movie, where the father comes clean and so does the woman. In this film we see that lying can be acceptable if the security of the family is involved. In the end, the two families are not the same as they were in the beginning. Interestingly, the focus changes to the daughter who stands in front of a judge to reveal to him which parent she wishes to go with. We never find out, but I believe she chose her father. Religion in this movie dictates actions that are both tragic and redemptive. Wonderful performances! It was interesting to see how people react to their mistakes, how they fess up to them in Iran. It makes us Westerners look like selfish cowards.

3.5 -- A SEPARATION, Asghar Farhadi
[reviewed by Robert Lewis] If we can agree that all the major religions of the world, in their own fashion, subscribe to the spirit of the Ten Commandments, the most successful will be the religion that inculcates the notion that our transgressions, large and small, entail very real theological consequences. By that measurement Judaism and Christianity -- and to a lesser extent Buddhism and Hinduism -- are dysfunctional compared to Islam. Asghar Farhadi's award winning "A Separation" casts a radiant light on the meaning of God-fearing and the men and women (a diminishing tribe) who embody that precious notion -- strangers in a strange land.

Nader and Simit, married for 14 years, are separating. Nader has to hire a domestic (Razieh) to look after his father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. One afternoon, she has to leave for a while and ties Nader's father to the bed so he doesn't wander off on his own. Nader returns from work to find his father on the floor, nearly dead, and Razieh disappeared. She can't adequately explain her absence, on top of which money has disappeared from one of the drawers. Nader accuses her of stealing and refuses to pay her daily wage. She refuses to leave without pay and he has to physically push her out the door. The next day he learns that she's in the hospitable, has suffered a miscarriage, and that he is being charged with murder (of the unborn), which the judge later reduces to a three year sentence if found guilty. Nader claims he didn't know Razieh was pregnant. His daughter, on the other hand, at the urging of the mother who has her own agenda, has a different point of view. Will she, should she testify against her father? Simit, guided by self-interest, intervenes and arranges for a financial settlement, the money of which Razieh's indebted husband will use to pay off his creditors and avoid going back to prison. But Razieh has to swear on the Koran that Nader is responsible for the miscarriage. Among the many issues at play in this complex, gripping domestic drama are the arbitrariness and severity of justice in Iran. From the fiery opening exchange between Nader and his wife Simit, the dialogue is absolutely riveting, charged with stuff of life in all its shadings; and the performances are magnificent. Negatively disposed as most of us are toward Islam (sharia law, its intolerance of other religions, systematic debasement of women), we discover in certain situations that the truth, wherever it lies, is the sole preserve of the God-fearing. "A Separation," in part, dedicates itself to the unveiling of these exceptional believers and the sources of their strength and dignity. This is a must-see film.

3.5 -- A SEPARATION, Asghar Farhadi
[reviewed by Andrée Lafontaine] There’s something very Sartrean about this spectacle of bad faith. Oscar nominee “A Separation” begins with a confrontation between Simin and Nader, a couple on the brink of divorce. Simin wants to leave Iran to raise her 11-year-old daughter abroad while Nader prefers to stay home to take care of his Alzheimer-stricken father. Unable to obtain a divorce, and forced to remain in Teheran, Simin moves back with her mother while Nader, unable to take care of his father on his own, must hire outside help. Reticent of letting a man alone in his home, he hires a woman whose religious beliefs, however, prevent her from fully attending to the old man’s needs. And so the film unfolds, as a series of Gordian knots and conundrums. “A Separation” is less about a divorce than it is about the rules and boundaries we erect to regulate human interactions and that simultaneously imprison as they protect us. Indeed, the separation in question sets in motion a series of events that are only exacerbated by each character’s infuriating stubbornness. Well worth seeing.

3.6 -- IN DARKNESS, Agnieszka Holland
[ reviewed by Andrée Lafontaine] Based on “In the Sewers of Lvov” by Robert Marshall, “In Darkness” tells the true story of a group of Jews who, with the help of a Polish Gentile sewer worker, hid in the city’s underground system for 14 months. Among them were a pregnant woman and two children; Pawel, aged 3 and Krystina, aged 7, who lived to tell her story and who is now the last surviving member of the group. It is unfortunate that so many would readily dismiss this film as “yet another Holocaust picture.” With so many mindless romantic comedies being produced, the mere suggestion that the Holocaust has been overdone is almost offensive. Notwithstanding this, Agnieszka Holland’s film conveys with incredible conviction the claustrophobic environment of the sewers, and the absolute terror and chaos reigning above ground. Where Holland’s film stands out (if we really must find a reason to see her take on the great tragedy) is in her nuanced and psychologically-rich portrayal of the protagonists and of their motivations. By avoiding strict good/evil dichotomies, her film proves to be a truly insightful reflection on the human condition.

2.0 -- ALBERT NOBBS, Rodrigo Garcia
[reviewed by Andrée Lafontaine] In "Albert Nobbs," Glenn Close plays Albert, a middle-aged woman passing as man in order to work as butler in 1890 Dublin. Albert’s life is shaken after meeting Hubert Page (Janet McTeer), a married painter who shares a similar secret and who convinces Albert he can lead a normal life, provided he finds the right woman. A traumatic event and economic circumstances, rather than choice, account for Albert’s 'conversion' at age 14; throughout the film, it remains unclear whether s/he actually prefers dressing up in man’s clothes. Would Albert still pass as man if financial independence did not demand it? A scene has Albert try out a woman’s dress and bonnet, and then run wildly on the beach, smiling for the first (and only) time, conveying the sense that this change of clothes has finally freed him from a false identity. Similarly, Page -- who also converted following an abusive hetero relationship -- claims to even dress in man’s clothes when home alone, but only so as not to arise suspicion. Contrary to Page -- who is clearly a lesbian -- Albert’s sexual preference remains a mystery. When courting Helen (Mia Wasikowska), it is unclear whether he is actually attracted to her, or whether he just wants her to complement his identity. As much as I hate to knock down such a well-intentioned project as this one, I must say that I found it almost unbearable to sit through. For reasons that escape me, the filmmakers have willingly decided not to tackle any of the issues their otherwise gutsy subject matter brings up. Unable to convey facts and emotions through images, the director has Albert look like a deer-in-a-headlight constantly mumbling to himself. This, added to the fact that Glenn Close and Janet McTeer do not for one second stop looking like women uncomfortably passing as men, leaves the impression that the entire Irish people must be a tad stupid for not seeing what is obvious to us. We’re miles away from Hillary Swank and Josiane Balasko, and anyone hoping for progressive cinema will be bitterly disappointed.

2.1 -- CORIOLANUS, Ralph Fiennes
[reviewed by Nancy Snipper] Set in modern times, Rome's masses are starving and the patricians -- headed by Coriolanus won't give the plebs access to grain or much else. Coriolanus (Ralph Fiennes), a dangerously brave general of violent temperament, is attempting to kill off all the Volcians who are led by another equally determined leader played by Gerard Butler. The movie doe not work despite the tight execution of each scene and the high pitched drama of it all. The Shakespearean language was so obtuse and antithetical to the modern context; each actor seemed to be straining with pregnant pauses, overly expressive faces and gestures in the attempt to make each sentence understood. The play, the weakest of all of Shakespeare's works -- according to some scholars -- shows the disastrous results of inflexibility as seen in Coriolanus, and the equally fatal results of a crowd so flexible; it shifts loyalties in a nano-second. After his victorious exploits, Coriolanus wins the people over for a moment as he is proclaimed consul, but then they turn on him and banish him from Rome. He goes over to the side of the Volcians to turn against the Romans. It is the plea of his mother that induces him to make peace with his own people, but his opponent will have none of it. Ralph Fiennes became a hysteric in the role, and Butler seemed uncomfortable in his. Frankly, like the character he plays, Fiennes ought to be hoisted on his own petard for choosing a role that due to thespian narcissism backfires in his own face. Still, one must make mention of Fiennes's superb set of lungs. You may want to bring earplugs to the film. Vanessa Redgrave as Coriolanus' mother was however, worthy of commendation.