Hello everyone! This week’s newsletter has my final thoughts on TIFF 2021 and some films of the Festival that caught my eye. I also share some thoughts on the terrific Netflix limited series MIDNIGHT MASS. There’s also the usual playlist of five songs I enjoyed last week.
TIFF 2021 Wrap-Up
Another edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in the books. The festival included some in-person screenings and events but most of the American and international industry members tuned in from home.
Unfortunately, I missed out on some big movies such as BELFAST, DUNE, THE HUMANS, SPENCER, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, and THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE due to them being inaccessible to my location (I’m based in Europe). But despite that, the lineup of movies available to me was quite good. The Festival’s highlights for me included getting to see a few under-the-radar gems like VIOLET, ALONERS, DUG DUG, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, AND TERRORIZERS.
Overall it was an awesome Festival. TIFF at one-third of its capacity is still better than pretty much every other festival out there. And I’m excited to return next year when hopefully everything will be back to normal and I will finally be able to attend the festival in person.
I want to say thanks to the TIFF organizers, publicists, and film distributors who provided us access to screeners and promotional materials throughout the festival’s run. See you in 2022!
Quick Thoughts (TIFF Edition)
THE MAD WOMEN'S BALL - Eugenie is the daughter of a wealthy family and lives a privileged life towards the end of the nineteenth century. But things quickly change when she finds out that she possesses a singular ability: she can hear and see the dead. When her family learns her secret, she is sent to the neurological facility at La Pitié Salpêtrière by her father and brother, with little chance of escaping her fate.
Directed and scripted by Melanie Laurent, and based on Victoria Mas' novel of the same name, THE MAD WOMEN’S BALL is a heartbreakingly sad film. And It really generated some intense rage on me. It was horrific to see all those women going through that suffering and witness how patriarchal society held them behind. The film is very well directed and acted. The costume designs and sets are beautiful. And I loved the cinematography. The only thing I wasn't too crazy about it was the ending.
The problem in my opinion is that we are living in some weird times right now. The gap between the wealthy and everyone else is widening. And the idea of the rich girl escaping the asylum leaving the poor girls behind felt a little tone-deaf to me. But honestly, I think that most people are not going to be bothered by the ending like I was. And overall, THE MAD WOMEN'S BALL is a solid and well-done film that I really enjoyed watching.
THE POWER OF THE DOG - Phil Burbank, a charismatic rancher, provokes terror and respect in everyone around him. When Phil's brother returns home with a new wife and her son, he taunts them until he is introduced to the possibilities of love.
Jane Campion's adaptation of Thomas Savage's novel of the same name is a slow-burn but never dull film. With breathtaking cinematography and outstanding performances from all of its stars the film keeps us guessing about the actual source of the conflict. it's one of those few films that you can't tell what's going to happen next. But at its core, the film deals With toxic masculinity and the Concept of manhood in a society where men aren't allowed to express their true colors.
THE POWER OF THE DOG screenplay and directing are excellent and the film confirms Jane Campion's status as one of the best directors of her time.
SALOUM - Set during the coup in Guinea-Bissau in 2003, a famous mercenary group known as the Bangui Hyenas kidnaps a Mexican drug lord and his gold cache. They planned to take him to Dakar, Senegal, but when their jet was forced to land, they ended up in the isolated Saloum Delta region.
The movie, which premiered at the TIFF’s Midnight Madness section, mixes several genres and has some unexpected twists and turns. Going from thriller to supernatural horror with a mix of local mythology. The end result is intoxicatingly cool and thrilling, with plenty of uniqueness and ingenuity. I liked the intense atmosphere created by the study of topics such as greed, violence, traumas, and revenge all of which come together in the end.
With a mixture of comedy and horror, SALOUM creates a one-of-a-kind tale. With a real sense of tension and entertainment and establishes director Jean Luc Herbulot as a rising star.
THE RESCUE - This is a documentary about the weeks-long 2018 rescue mission that captivated the world after 12 Wild Boars soccer players, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach. They became trapped deep within the miles-long Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Thailand during an after-practice recreational excursion.
THE RESCUE is a gripping and inspiring story of bravery that unfolds like fiction. And honestly, If this was a scripted film I would probably complain that the writers were way over the top. Back in 2018, I was kind of aware of this news story, but despite the fact that I already knew the outcome, the film managed to generate an almost agonizing sense of suspense. The filmmakers masterfully combined amazing archive material (most of it previously unseen), dramatic reenactments, and interviews with the main characters. The image of the divers coming face to face with the stranded kids, and their young faces shining with joy and hope, is breathtaking.
With their most fascinating and masterfully constructed stress-fest to date, Oscar-winning documentary Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin further solidify their status as superstars of the intense non-fiction films.
BERGMAN ISLAND - French writer and director Mia Hansen-Love's new film follows a filmmaking couple that retreats to the island, where Ingmar Bergman lived and made many of his films, to create screenplays for their future projects.
This film starring Tim Roth, Vicky Krieps, Mia Wasikowska, and Anders Danielsen Lie went o places I was not expecting. But I enjoyed every minute of this wild journey. Hansen-Love makes you believe the couple is just on a creative summer vacation at Bergman's island. But it turns out to be unusual storytelling that has several layers, all of which eventually merge. Denis Lenoir's cinematography enhances the beauty of the mythical Fårö island and all performances are outstanding.
BERGMAN ISLAND may be a love letter to Ingmar Bergman. But is not only a film about individuals sitting around obsessing about him. It is also a Layered film that deals with marital issues with a good amount of sharp humor and I think it's totally worth seeing.
MIDNIGHT MASS
MIDNIGHT MASS is a new Netflix limited series from the creator of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, Mike Flanagan. He directed all seven episodes, which combines horror with a lot of lengthy, talky moments about grieving and addiction. The series explores the lives of the residents of a remote island village that has fallen on hard times. Things became interesting when a new and charismatic priest, Father Paul, arrives to take over after the previous one, who has gotten sick while on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
It's difficult to talk about this series without giving away spoilers. But I will say that it hits the right mix between religious ideas, character depth, and some horrific moments. MIDNIGHT MASS is mysterious, uncomfortable, disturbing, but not particularly frightening or scary. I thought that it dragged a little in the beginning, and I would suggest you yo watch the first two episodes back to back. By the third episode, I was in amazement at the magnitude of the weird events happening on the Island. But even though things escalated quickly, there was never a lack of emphasis on the emotional side, which is what keeps the series so original and interesting.
MIDNIGHT MASS is a masterfully directed, slow-burn horror drama that is character-driven and perfect for the Halloween season.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.