CARTUNA REPORTING - TIFF DAY FOUR, PART DEUX!
Okay, kids...
I’m back now, with eyes only for you. So sorry, baby, she meant nothing to me, really.
Firstly, let me add a little bit to my earlier (and rushed) Day Four report.
CLEANFLIX
directed by - Andrew James/Joshua Ligairi
As mentioned in the talkbacks, one thing that this film could really use is a lot more footage of the response from Hollywood. In particular, a bit of direct commentary on the effect of some of the weirder edits would have strengthened the case against edited versions.
BUT, the main thing I would’ve liked to hear is how mormons square this “cheat” with their conscience. They are still watching R-rated movies. The R-rated context is still there, at least, so claim the editors. This seems like loophole-thinking, just to get to do something you ain’t really supposed to be doing. For all the laity the filmmakers spoke to, it seems like it would’ve been a good idea to capture the opinion of the church itself if at all possible on whether or not observant mormons are really following the spirit of the law when watching these slightly reconfigured versions of the horrible filthy sleaze they’ve been commanded to avoid.
Also, yes, the score was a wee bit... extremely distracting, but along with the animated titlecards, it did go a long way to establishing a unique ‘personality’ for the film - something a lot of documentaries don’t seem to bother with.
Anyway, back to the reviews... Here are the last three films I caught on Day Four:
UNDER THE MOUNTAIN
directed by - Jonathan King
The short version:
Very good pre-teen-aimed movie, with a couple big flaws. Mostly really strong - I enjoyed it a lot.
The long version:
When the mother of a pair of telepathically-connected teenage twins dies, the boy twin cuts off all telepathy and shuts his sister out. Meanwhile, as their father tries to come to grips with the loss, the twins are sent to stay with their aunt’s family in Auckland.
There, they are troubled by mysterious men in suits who live in a dilapidated funeral home across the lake, and meet a crotchety Sam Neill who reveals to them that they may be the only hope for saving the world from the gargantuan Lovecraftian elders who are each buried under one of seven of Auckland’s many dormant volcanoes.
This flick has a really cool mythology, skin-crawlingly creepy bad-guys, and a wicked real world location (Not EXTINCT, but DORMANT volcanos? Auckland City planners, what were you thinking?)
Caught this immediately after Daybreakers, making it two Sam Neill movies in a row, something I went in not knowing/remembering. He is very different here, much warmer in a cranky old ‘Watcher’ sort of way. There was a bit more going on with his evil CEO in the previous movie, but he was still a lot of fun here.
The twins are crucial, and for the most part Sophie McBride and Tom Cameron make a nice duo, with a really believable sibling vibe. However, the brother is my main gripe with the film. I can see him kinda shutting down when their mother dies, and even pushing away his sister. But beyond that, this kid becomes a complete asshole, and refuses to listen to the very specific rules of how the monsters are to be beaten, instead rushing off to do some crazy other thing for reasons known only to him.
And BRAVO to WETA, awesome as always with some amazingly gooey and disturbing bad-guys (who are actually really, really bad, if you can believe it!) These guys (and the actions they take) are the main reason why I specified above that I consider this a movie aimed at pre-teens rather than kids. I’m sure some kids will be more than able to handle them, but they may also be far too much for the more sensitive young-uns out there. Just a heads-up.
Despite the brother’s weirdo lashings-out, I still liked this one a lot, and would certainly recommend it to families with more mature kids.
MALL GIRLS
directed by - Katarzyna Rostaniec
The short version:
Hard. Not a fun movie, but a good one. Glad this wasn’t the last of my day, but .
The long version:
Wow, this one was a killer. One of those movies where you hear people coming out talking about going home and slitting their wrists.
Alicja, a sweet and naive girl without any friends, finds herself abruptly embraced by Milena, the leader of a small group of fellow schoolgirls who dress provocatively (to say the least) and hang out at the mall. By alternately mocking, then including her, the girls pull Alicja into their world. A world in which it is very simple to get whatever new clothes, shoes, or jewelry (or, in Alicja’s case, cellphone) they desire - they just prostitute themselves to men at the mall in return for the thing they want as a gift. Easy! These girls, by the way, are currently studying for the exams that will get them into HIGHSCHOOL.
The movie goes to exactly the places you dread it will based on that description, and is definitely at home in the Kids, Thirteen, Welcome to the Dollhouse genre of more-than-you-ever-really-wanted-to-know-about-what-your-children-are-going-through films.
ACCIDENT
directed by - Soi Cheang
The short version:
A great movie. Paranoid and obsessive. The Conversation by way of Jean-Pierre Melville. If that don’t pique your interest, what would?
The long version:
A small crew of precise and expert assassins commit perfect murders by staging the crimes to look for all the world like nothing more than tragic accidents. When one ridiculously intricate assignment goes all fuckety, Brain, the leader of the team gets EXTREMELY paranoid under the assumption that a rival team of assassins may have planned his team’s “accident.”
You wanna know how good this one is? In answer I will tell you that I have little doubt we will be seeing an American remake in the very near future. For better or worse, THAT’S how good it is.
The team’s Rube Goldbergian methodology means their assignments feel a lot like a Final Destination style killing, but with many hands operating separately each of the elements that adds up to the deed being done, rather than invisible death. And it’s kinda awesome to see them play out, if not particularly probable.
It wasn’t perfect, though. I felt that the transition was maybe a bit abrupt that Brain’s immediate assumption when a single assignment went wrong, was that enemy action was responsible. He is set up as a pretty paranoid dude, but it still seemed like an extreme leap to make. Also, I would’ve loved to have seen an additional successful job by the team before the one where everything goes awry.
Regardless, it’s a cool little flick, and well worth checking out if ever you get the opportunity to catch it.
All right, so that catches me up... To where I was supposed to be this morning! Damn! I still have DAY FIVE’s movies to report on.
SIGH! My work is never done.
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