Toronto 2005
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Edison Review by David Poland: The only thing the filmmakers clearly know how to do well is to write large checks with which they can entice top flight actors to spend a few days on a horrible film with a horrible script that is the feature equivalent of doing a commercial in the Far East since no one will ever see the whole movie. Edison Review by Leonard Klady: Ninety minutes of black leader fares better by comparison and one has to wonder whether a monumental lapse in judgment or a big pay off contributed to its high profile inclusion. Transamerica: Just how misconceived is this film? The central character is a pre-operative transsexual who discovers the week before her operation (male to female) that she had a son as a man in her one tryst. Le Temps qui reste: As I was watching, it occurred to me that this film, which is also very light on dialogue and overt expression, has the kind of emotional richness that I feel Brokeback Mountain fails to achieve. Twelve and Holding: Each of the stories is a little shocking, a bit politically incorrect, not nearly as harsh as a film like Thirteen, and full of humor and laughs to go with some real pre-teen drama. Romance & Cigarettes: Romance & Cigarettes was a breath of fresh air at this year's Toronto Film Festival... and a bit of cigarette breath as well. Walk the Line: A second viewing will make it easier to talk about these lovely, loving, consummate, fiery, intelligent performances (including the musical moments) by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Walk the Line is a framework for two forceful personalities to meet and align: John and June, I mean, not Joaquin and Reese.- by Ray Pride The Notorious Bettie Page: But the find of this film is the fun. It is the highest of camp, the humor sometimes so subtle that it evaded some folks in the audience I saw it with. But, like Reese Witherspoon in Election (a very different, though analogous performance), Mol brings us through with relentless energy. North Country: Niki Caro clearly knows how to direct, but she is as self-indulgent here as she was economical in Whale Rider. Charlize Theron gives a solid performance, but no more strong that the underrated performances she gave before she won an Academy Award. The supporting cast is excellent, but they are often used as pawns of obviousness when convenient for a lazy screenwriting effort. Harsh Times: It is impossible to watch Harsh Times and not acknowledge that screenwriter-turned director Ayer has a lot of talent. Ironically, it is often the script that hits some false notes – usually of the street talking variety – more so than the work of the novice director. Shooting Dogs: The big question for this somber, top-quality film is whether the success of Hotel Rwanda has removed all appetite for a film adding to the discussion of this dark moment in history. Revolver: Revolver is so tedious that it is nearly unreviewable. As always, Ritchie fills his film with interesting and amusing actors of many shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. But the plot just goes in circles and it's just not clever enough to sustain the drain. Brothers of the Head: The only problem with the film, which may keep it from finding the right distributor, is that Fulton & Pepe are clearly a little too close to the film, even though Terry Gilliam collaborator Tony Grisoni adapted the Brian Aldiss novel and Bill Diver cut the film. It really needs a set of fresh eyes looking to recut the film to its perfect self. Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist: Pert Barney Clark, 11, is the hopeful, battered wanderer of Oliver Twist, and while not as wide-eyed as Adrien Brody in the Pianist, his journey across a wretched, teeming nineteenth century London bears similiarities to that fearful adventure. Elizabethtown: Watching Elizabethtown was a deeply emotional experience for me. You see, I quite like Cameron Crowe’s work. He is a wonderful filmmaker. And Elizabethtown has all the qualities not of a simple misfire, but of an outright jumping of the directorial shark. A History Of Violence: A History of Violence is the kind of movie that rewards a second or even third look: an intelligent film, perfectly executed, by one of the best directors working in the English language today: Breakfast On Pluto: It’s hard to imagine almost any other top director finding himself interested in pushing himself to find the degree of humor, politics, sexual investigation and -- at bottom line -- tenderness that Jordan has found in this material. Bob Dylan: No Direction Home: But for the first time, in No Direction Home, Scorsese has made a great film where he is conversing primarily with himself and his own body of work. Brokeback Mountain: The real mystery has been Brokeback Mountain, endless touted as “a gay cowboy movie” that in reality is... Capote: Both Hoffman and Keener are wonderful, but the big story here is Clifton Collins, Jr. You probably don't know the name. He did a lot of small roles before he broke through in Traffic, stealing every scene he was in from some very accomplisher veterans. Imagine Me & You: It’s turning out to be a very gay indie fall. This morning’s first screening, the Searchlight pickup, Imagine Me & You, turns out to be a Working Title–style romantic comedic with two gorgeous girls, a wedding and no funeral. Proof: John Madden is a solid filmmaker and a tasteful, smart man. But his source material simply fails to offer a real opportunity to make a film that works. Shopgirl: You can see the outline of Martin’s story here. But what is missing is, for the audience, the Shopgirl as an untouchable, obsessive interest... a possession, who turns out to be all too human. Walk The Line: But what is at the core? James Mangold’s film doesn’t equivocate. He was a relentless man with a restless spirit who needed someone to hold him close and to tell him, in words or deed, that he was loved. - by David Poland   More Festival Reviews Telluride Premiere Review: Edmond Venice Premiere Review: Good Night, And Good Luck Venice Premiere Review: Separate Lies