September 17
Romance
Directed by Catherine Breillat
Cast: Caroline Ducey, Sagamore Stévenin, François Berléand, Rocco Siffredi
U.S. Distribution: Trimark
** / CThe most sexually audacious mainstream film in years -- the stock reference is that to the Nagisa Oshima picture In The Realm Of The Senses, which I've not seen -- Romance is the sort of sexual odyssey that some were wrongheadedly expecting out of Eyes Wide Shut. Notorious for its explicitness, the film is a remarkably daring one; Catherine Breillat and her cast (particularly the fearless Caroline Ducey) are uncompromising in their enactment of intercourse, fellatio, gynecological probing and bondage.
It would be unfair to dismiss the picture as simply an exploitative exercise in filming actors genuinely performing sex acts; at its heart, Romance is very much an Art film. As the film calmly follows Marie through a series of graphic trysts and fantasy sequences, we're innundated by a series of voice-overs which reveal her interior musings over the nature of sexuality. Disappointingly, while these inner monologues strive to be profound and provocative, insiduously revealilng truisms, they're often just maddeningly banal -- the sort of existential "Je t'aime parce-que je te deteste; je te deteste parce-que je t'aime" aphorisms that incorrectly stereotype French cinema. If the insights to be found in Romance were as revealing as its visuals, we might have something here.
More comments upcoming.
[France / 95 minutes / Contemporary World Cinema / Cumberland 2]
Music Of The Heart
Directed by Wes Craven
Cast: Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Angela Bassett, Gloria Estefan, Jane Leevevs, Kieran Culkin, Jay O. Sanders
U.S. Distribution: Miramax
* ½ / D+I felt like running from the theatre screaming after (during?) all of the warm fuzziness coating Wes Craven's first foray into dramatic feature filmmaking in Music Of The Night, so rest assured that his ability to elicit reactions of horror is still intact. Drenched with enough treacle for five feelgood pictures, it's so relentlessly cute (they supplement their violin-wielding kiddies with a little puppy) and uplifting (open-minded music teacher fights close-minded establishment, enriches lives of the disenfranchised, etc.) that I fought to repress violent convulsions while watching. The film's fact-inspired (plus blatantly obvious fictional embellishments) storyline is completely by-the-numbers -- there's a love interest, a domestic subplot, a drive-by shooting (look at how raw this sugary film can get!), conflicts with parents and other teachers, and, of course, the little tykes which initially look upon Roberta with wary contempt, only to be joyously fiddling away fifteen minutes later.
To be fair, it's undeniably well-made, and does what it sets out to do (all of the seniors seated nearby were dabbing at the eyes by the conclusion, at least) -- the film has solid tech values, is well-acted, briskly paced, and competently directed. Still, the talents tied up with this uninspired crowdpleaser seems so wasted -- Craven's work in the film is completely undistinguishable (if someone swapped out his credit in the film with, say, Stephen Herek or Chris Columbus, nobody would be the wiser), while Aidan Quinn and (particularly) Angela Bassett are stuck with unchallenging stock characters. (Bassett's role is largely that of smiling approvingly after concert performances.) They're similar in approach -- film follows a reluctant new music teacher through highs and lows over a span of years -- but Music Of The Heart makes Mr. Holland's Opus look hard-boiled in comparison.
More comments upcoming.
[U.S.A. / 134 minutes / Gala / Varsity 8]
Charisma
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Cast: Koji Yakusho, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Ren Osugi, Yoriko Doguchi
U.S. Distribution: none as of this writing
** / C-A bewildering film addressing the themes of man and nature through a series of conflicts over a tree named Charisma erupting between an eclectic group of characters in a secluded area, I have to admit this puzzling picture lost me pretty early.
More comments upcoming.
In attendance: director Kiyoshi Kurosawa
[Japan / 103 minutes / Spotlight / Uptown 2]
Guinevere
Directed by Audrey Wells
Cast: Stephen Rea, Sarah Polley, Jean Smart, Gina Gershon
U.S. Distribution: Miramax
*** / BDespite some minor plotting hiccups, Sundance sensation Guinevere is remarkably engaging, with a dynamite performance by Sarah Polley and an impressive screenplay by Audrey Wells, who continues to excel at developing well-rounded, acutely-realized female characters and sharp dialogue. The film's very slick look belies its modest $2m budget. Score by Christophe Beck in conjunction with ethereal vocal work by the multi-talented Polley is a major assist.
More comments upcoming.
In attendance: director/writer Audrey Wells, actors Stephen Rea and Sarah Polley, producer Jonathan King
[U.S.A. / 105 minutes / Contemporary World Cinema / Uptown 3]
Jesus' Son
Directed by Alison Maclean
Cast: Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Dennis Hopper, Holly Hunter, Denis Leary
U.S. Distribution: Lions Gate
** / CSome funny moments, but this quirky, directionless road movie becomes increasingly uncompelling as events unfold in episodic fashion, particularly upon the exit of one key character. Samantha Morton's arresting livewire performance is an eye-grabber, though.
More comments upcoming.
In attendance: director Alison Maclean, producer Lydia Dean Pilcher
[U.S.A. / 105 minutes / Contemporary World Cinema / Uptown 1]
Random Notes: That there was a deficiency of questions during the Jesus' Son Q&A is not a promising sign for the film -- although it could simply be attributed to audience exhaustion as Day 9 of the festival comes to a close ... dumb Jesus' Son question posed to Alison Maclean: "Do you want to make more movies?" ... Sarah Polley sported a beautiful, head-turning red dress at the Guinevere screening [note: I am not, as some have accused, turning into Joan Rivers -- I'm stretching for comments in this section] ... at this point, the odds-on favourite for the Air Canada Audience Award would seem to be American Beauty, although The Cider House Rules seems to have been well-received, and I'm awaiting word on Jakob The Liar (which may have been screened too late to have a real chance). Happy, Texas is the film which most people are buzzing about, but its prospects are limited given that it was not in the Gala program ... most-hated film? A lot of people have had bad things to say about de Oliveira's La Lettre and julien donkey-boy doesn't seem to have converted many into Korine fans ...
Alex Fung (aw220@freenet.carleton.ca)
Back to Alex's 1999 Toronto International
Film Festival page.
Back to film page.