WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

WHERE DO WE GO NOW?
Written by, directed by and starring Nadine Labacki

Nadine Labacki’s follow up to CARAMEL, her brilliant debut, entitled WHERE DO WE GO NOW? won the People’s Choice Award at last year’s TIFF. I was shocked at the time because I had heard nothing about it before then. I am even more so now that I’ve seen it. I do not see anything remotely satisfying about this farce of a film in which a tiny Middle Eastern village is torn apart between Muslim and Christian beliefs. The women cannot take losing any more of their sons or husbands so they do their best to hide the real world from the men. That plan only works for so long though, mostly because it’s a dumb plan. I get that it’s a fable but the subject in this case is too serious to be trivialized to this extent. At one point, there is a Romeo & Juliet romance hinted at that ultimately goes nowhere and inspires the characters to break out into song. I almost laughed out loud then but an hour later, I was desperate for them to sing again. As horrible and ridiculous as that was, it couldn’t be any more so than all the women drugging the men of the village with hash so that they could distract them long enough to dispose of all their artillery. Then they did sing again and I remembered how bad that was. Then I just wanted it to end. WHERE DO WE GO NOW? is definitely not this person’s choice.

Black Sheep's TIFF11 Review

Officially, it has been eleven days since TIFF sucked me into its unique brand of vortex but I've been dedicating my time to the festival for what seems like weeks now. I caught my first pre-TIFF screening on  August 16 and finish today with my 35th and final film. Sure there is a lot of time in a month to see 35 films but more than 20 of them were in the last 10 days alone. Factor in all the writing, all the interviews and all the running around too and it is easy to see why some in the industry describe this festival as an endurance test.

I know a few people in the biz here and there but, for the most part, I keep to myself. I hear things though. I hear other journalists who have been doing this way longer than I have talk about how happy they are that its ending, complaining about everything from the free food to the films themselves. And while TIFF seems like such a burden for them, its like Christmas for me. Sure, its easy for even me to complain when I have six interviews in a day and not one of them seems to start on time, but I am always grateful for the amazing opportunities being part of this festival affords me.

Meeting Roger Ebert at big book signing

This year, I did three times as many interviews as I did last year. I met with filmmakers I admire a great deal, including Gus Van Sant, Steve McQueen and Jean-Marc Vallee. I interviewed actors I love to watch, including Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender and Matthew Goode. I met the reigning king of all film criticism, Roger Ebert. I even stood three feet away from the biggest artistic inspiration of my life, Madonna, on her red carpet for W.E.. Sure, I never got to fit in A DANGEROUS METHOD into my schedule and my Jessica Chastain interview was canned at the last second but that's TIFF. You can plan as much as you want, and I assure you I did a great deal of advance planning this time around, but something will always change. You just have to ride it out, wherever it takes you. And if you just sink into the journey, you will have plenty of time to appreciate it.

I took this at the W.E. red carpet. I was shaking a lot.

And now, I would like to run down my 10 favourite TIFF11 films and five least enjoyed, beginning with the latter. (Click any linked film title for the full Black Sheep Review.)


TOP 5 WORST TIFF11 FILMS I SAW
(in alphabetical order)

ANONYMOUS
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Mr. Emmerich tries to break away from the genre he is famous for with this period melodrama about the authenticity of Shakespeare's work but only ends up making yet another disaster movie.

BUTTER
Directed by Jim Field Smith
Any hope of this Jennifer Garner political satire having any bite whatsoever melts away in the first ten minutes. Though the subject is butter carving, this film never takes proper shape.

LIKE CRAZY
Directed by Drake Doremus
This movie about two young people in love and trying to make it work with an ocean between them should have been called "Like Tedious and Insipid".

TAKE THIS WALTZ
Directed by Sarah Polley
I know a great deal of people who loved this movie about a woman torn between two men but I never really saw why other man (Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby) would want the woman (Michelle Williams) in the first place.

TRESPASS
Directed by Joel Schumacher
First of all, Mr. Schumacher has no business at TIFF to begin with. This was the funniest film I saw at TIFF and it's supposed to be a hostage thriller.

Mia Wasikowska and Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs

TOP 10 TIFF11 FILMS I SAW
(in alphabetical order)

50/50
Directed by Jonathan Levine
It'd billed as a cancer comedy but, as I've now told everyone I know, I cried five times watching this. The fantastic cast, led by Joseph Gordon Levitt, make this a must see fall film.

ALBERT NOBBS
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia
Glenn Close gives the performance of her career as a male butler in this fascinating period drama about gender identification and sexuality. She is a shoe-in for an Oscar nod and I hope the film picks up a few more for itself too.

THE ARTIST
Directed Michel Hazanavicius
Everything you've heard about this enchanting black and white, silent film is true. It is a simply told and brilliantly executed celebration of the cinema. You cannot help but feel happy when you see it.

THE DESCENDANTS
Directed by Alexander Payne
I love Hollywood storytelling when it's done right, with heart and intelligence. This George Clooney vehicle is an incredibly unique tale that reminds us that we never know what will happen in our lives that will bring us closer to ourselves and the one's we love.

DRIVE
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
I feel like people are all Drive'd out at this point but I personally want to see this movie again and again. It has an energy and tone to it that you don't often see come out of Hollywood. In time, this will be a cult classic.

Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk about Kevin

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
Directed by Sean Durkin
This was the first film I saw for TIFF this year and it remains one of the most disturbing experiences I had throughout the entire festival. Elizabeth Olsen is incredible in her debut and I hope she is able to hold the momentum she has started until she earns an Oscar nod for this.

MELANCHOLIA
Directed by Lars von Trier
I'm not ordinarily a huge fan of this man's work but I was fully absorbed by Lars von Trier's fascinating and visually stunning contemplation on depression set against the end of the world. Somehow, despite its subject matter, it still manages to be amusing.

SHAME
Directed by Steve McQueen
Michael Fassbender will pick up his first Oscar nomination for this incredibly honest look at sexual addiction. Audiences have been somewhat polarized on this but that often tends to happen when the mirror is held up to them with such strength.

TYRANNOSAUR
Directed by Paddy Considine

Actor turned director, Paddy Considine, has written a tale of two people struggling with the misery that has consumed their lives. To say it is dark would be a grand understatement but if you can find the hope in the film, it will move you significantly.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Directed by Lynne Ramsay
This is by far one of the most striking and colourful films I saw this year. Tilda Swinton is unbelievable as a mother grappling with the love she feels for her sociopathic son. Bloody brilliant.

That's me with my pass! Always an honour.

I want to thank everyone that made TIFF11 possible for me. First of all, my editors at Hour Community and Ottawa Xpress for sending me. My boss at the bank for giving me the time off to pursue my passion. All the great PR people at Alliance, StarPR, AMPR, Fox Searchlight, Sony and eOne for all their assistance with booking advance screenings and interviews. And of course I need to thank my readers and fellow film enthusiasts for keeping the conversations going on the site, on Twitter and in person during the festival.

TIFF brings film fans from all over the world to Toronto and it is a pleasure to share this experience with everyone who truly appreciates just how rare and amazing it is. I am truly blessed to have had this opportunity for a second year and hope it comes around again next year. Thank you again for all your support and until then, Happy TIFF!

Black Sheep previews TIFF 2011

This will only be my second year covering the Toronto International Film Festival, in any official capacity that is. Last year, I had no idea what to expect from TIFF, as it is more affectionately known. I wanted to hit the festival running but TIFF just ended up running me ragged instead. If I wasn't sprinting from one venue to the next to catch another screening, I was rushing to an interview or trying to squeeze in some of the mounting writing that was waiting for me at home. I wasn't eating or sleeping properly and the moment I thought I had two minutes to breathe, my body shut down and I suffered through the last stretch of the festival with a massive head cold. Despite all of this, it was still one of the best times of my entire life.

A reader took this shot at the TIFF Box Office and sent it to me.

It may be naive to suggest but I am determined that this year is going to be even better. This year I will be sure to take my vitamins daily and to buy a subway pass so that I don't have to show up to interview filmmakers I admire with sweat dripping down my brow. I will also be stepping up my film intake as well. I devoured 30 films last September and this year I hope to hit 40. Having caught a bunch of films in pre-TIFF press screenings, I am already nicely on track to accomplish this. I'm also in a pretty good position to make some last minute recommendations for anyone looking to scour craigslist for exorbitantly overpriced tickets.

Keeping in mind that I've only seen 10 films so far, here are a few I don't think you should miss ...

THE ARTIST

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

This much buzzed about silent film is my early prediction for the Cadillac People's Choice Award, an honour based solely on festival goer votes. It is charming and simple but its execution is an intricate design that will surely wow both audiences and critics, just as it did earlier this year at Cannes.

DRIVE

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Refn took the directing honours at Cannes for this fact paced, ultra violent thriller. This is none too surprising considering how smooth the ride really is; it swerves through its seedy premise just as easily as it does the streets of Los Angeles. And with Ryan Gosling at the wheel, Refn can take me anywhere he likes.

THE IDES OF MARCH

Directed by George Clooney

And if you didn't get enough Gosling after that, you can catch him in the starring role in Clooney's first directorial effort in three years. To be honest, I cannot decide which movie I prefer him in; his abilities are becoming more and more remarkable with each passing year it seems and Clooney more than redeems himself for his last film, LEATHERHEADS, too.

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Directed by Sean Durkin

This was my first TIFF11 film of the year and it has set the bar pretty high for everything I've seen since. Durkin's first feature made an indelible impression on Sundance audiences earlier this year and while that was surely in no small part due to his disturbing screenplay and direction, it is the breakout performance by newcomer, Elizabeth Olsen, that everyone will be talking about come awards season.

MELANCHOLIA

Directed by Lars von Trier

I would not have believed you if you had told me that one of my favourite movies of 2011 would be by the notorious Lars von Trier. While the director will not be in attendance at TIFF (he does not fly and lives in Denmark), his presence will surely be felt by anyone who sees his latest. I have never seen such a darkly humorous take on the apocalypse, nor one that is as unforgettable as this one.

Score tickets to any of those films and you will not be disappointed, I assure you.

Here now is the full list of films I hope to catch during the 36th annual Toronto International Film Festival.

50/50

Directed by Jonathan Levine

THE ARTIST

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

A DANGEROUS METHOD

Directed by David Cronenberg

A MONSTER IN PARIS

Directed by Bibo Bergeron

ALBERT NOBBS

Directed by Roberto Garcia

ANONYMOUS

Directed by Roland Emmerich

BURNING MAN

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky

BUTTER

Directed by Jim Field Smith

Quebecois director, Jean-Marc Vallee returns to TIFF with CAFE DE FLORE

CAFE DE FLORE

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee

CHICKEN WITH PLUMS

Directed by Marjane Sartrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

COMIC-CON: EPISODE IV - A FAN'S HOPE

Directed by Morgan Spurlock

CORIOLANUS

Directed by Ralph Fiennes

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS

Directed by Whit Stillman

DEATH OF A SUPERHERO

Directed by Ian Fitzgibbon

THE DESCENDANTS

Directed by Alexander Payne

DRIVE

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

FRIENDS WITH KIDS

Directed by Jennifer Westfeldt

TIFF opens with this Davis Guggenheim directed documentary about U2

FROM THE SKY DOWN

Directed by Davis Guggenheim

THE IDES OF MARCH

Directed by George Clooney

INTO THE ABYSS

Directed by Werner Herzog

JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME

Directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass

KEYHOLE

Directed by Guy Maddin

THE KID WITH THE BIKE

Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

THE LADY

Directed by Luc Besson

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS

Directed by Jennifer Yu

LIKE CRAZY

Directed by Drake Doremus

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Directed by Sean Durkin

MELANCHOLIA

Directed by Lars von Trier

MISS BALA

Directed by Gerardo Naranjo

MONEYBALL

Directed by Bennett Miller

TIFF then closes the festival with PAGE EIGHT, from Oscar nominated screenwriter, David Hare.

PAGE EIGHT

Directed by David Hare

PEACE LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING

Directed by Bruce Beresford

PINA

Directed by Wim Wenders

RAMPART

Directed by Oren Moverman

SHAME

Directed by Steve McQueen

THE SKIN I LIVE IN

Directed by Pedro Almodovar

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Directed by Julia Leigh

TAKE SHELTER

Directed by Jeff Nichols

Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams try not to step on each other's feet in Sarah Polley's TAKE THIS WALTZ.

TAKE THIS WALTZ

Directed by Sarah Polley

THINK OF ME

Directed by Bryan Wizemann

TWIXT

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

TYRANNOSAUR

Directed by Paddy Considine

W.E.

Directed by Madonna

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Directed by Lynne Ramsay

WINNIE

Directed by Darrel Roodt

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 until September 19.

For more information, visit the TIFF website.

BLACK SHEEP @ TIFF 2011

When I woke up this morning, I still didn't know. Even by the time I was sitting amongst friends at the TIFF 2011 press conference, I still had no idea whether my press accreditation request would go through or not. By the time I got home though, my confirmation e-mail was sitting pretty at the top of my inbox. There may have been an exuberant jig around my living room, I can't be sure.

What a great year to be covering TIFF. It is their 36th and they continue to outdo themselves. Sure, I've only been going to TIFF for going on five years now, and can't really say what the previous 30 were like, but it feels to me like they up the excitement every year. And this year is no exception.

TIFF co-directors, Cameron Bailey and Piers Handling announced a hefty handful of the films that will screen at this year's festival to dozens upon dozens of journalists and one Sarah Polley. Among the gala presentations, of which only half were announced this morning, there are already five I cannot wait to see. David Cronenberg's A DANGEROUS METHOD stars Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keria Knightley and looks at the complicated triangle between Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and a patient they shared. Bennett Miller finally follows up his brilliant debut, CAPOTE, with the Brad Pitt baseball true story, MONEYBALL, also starring Jonah Hill. George Clooney's latest directorial effort, THE IDES OF MARCH, gets political and stars Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The aforementioned Polley, gets behind the camera again for TAKE THIS WALTZ, a relationship comedy starring Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen. And the one and only Madonna will hold the North American premiere of what is being billed as her directorial debut, W.E., at TIFF. She put out a feature previously (FILTH & WISDOM) but we're apparently pretending like that didn't happen.

Oh my God ... I might meet Madonna. Again, oh my God.

42 Special Presentation announcements took place today, which represents a good chunk of them from what I understand. New films from directors like Pedro Almodovar, Fernando Meirelles, Alexander Payne, Lars von Trier and Francis Ford Coppola will screen as part of this series. Amongst the other titles, I am most excited for 50/50, the cancer comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen; FRIENDS WITH KIDS, a contemporary comedy with Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig; JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, from the guys who brought us CYRUS; SHAME, Steve McQueen's follow up to the brilliant, HUNGER, staring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan; the much talked about and mega hyped up DRIVE, starring Ryan Gosling; and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, only because that is all I remember people talking about at Cannes.

TIFF is also getting it's rock and roll on this year. For the first time in its history, a documentary will open the festival and this one is about one of the biggest bands in the world - U2. Davis Guggenheim, the Academy Award winning director of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, which screened at TIFF last year, returns with FROM THE SKY DOWN, a look back at "Achtung Baby", one of U2's more definitive releases. And if that isn't enough rock for you, Cameron Crowe will be holding the world premiere of his rockumentary, PEARL JAM TWENTY, a portrait of the band throughout their 20-year career.

Other tidbits from today's conference include the announcement that the Princess of Wales Theatre has been added to the venue list this year for large premieres and that TIFF Bell Lightbox will be stepping up its presence at the festival this year, now that it has a year's experience under its belt. There will also be increased public screenings during the day and something respectful is being planned to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States, as the date falls during the festival. Finally, all of TIFF's marketing is being done in-house for the first time this year and they have given us, "See it happen here." This is TIFF's new slogan and it is meant to encourage discovery of new films and artists.

There are 10 more Galas to be announced still and now that I know I will have full access to all of them, I can't wait to find out what they are! Now, if you will excuse me, I believe another jig is in order.

For more information, please visit tiff.net.