While I mostly go on a tirade against Je te mangerais’ depiction of its central lesbian character, I also briefly go over other films from around the world showing at the festival: What You Don’t See, A Room and a Half, The Childhood of Icarus, and Be Sure to Share. You can read my full impressions at Midnight Poutine.
Film Festivals | 
September 1, 2009 | No Comments »
The theme of women in abusive relationships has been absent from the mainstream film limelight, as if somehow Hollywood solved the problem years ago. It takes a no-budget independent from Montréal, writer/director Tyler Gibb, to revive the familiar story. In Refrain, the goal is not just to escape the cycle of violence, but also to break oneself free of the cycle of dependence, and to accomplish a personal change that can revitalize one’s talents. The result is a film that far exceeds the limitations of its budgetary restraints. Read more »
Film Festivals, Film Reviews | August 30, 2009 | No Comments »
Sonja Wyss’ Winter Silence (Winterstilte) is a hard film to review. At only seventy minutes, it managed to try my patience as well as frustrate my innate want to piece together the visual puzzle before me. Largely silent and set in a remote wintry mountain village, there is little plot development but much symbolic imagery. As a piece of visual art, it succeeds: the beautiful and haunting images are unforgettable; but it suffers from feeling all too much like a show of experimental pieces without any cohesive point. Read more »
It’s a familiar tale. In German-occupied France, a family travels with an eye out for German soldiers at every crossroads. They are a hunted and oppressed peoples who, if caught, risk being sent to the concentration camps. Every country in Europe has its own version of these horrific times; but what of the people who belong to no country? What of Europe’s Roma, the wandering gypsies of many ethnicities? Tony Gatlif’s Freedom (Korkoro) tells their story, and while it treads familiar ground, it is told from a unique viewpoint. This standout film has an eye for drama that focuses on story and character to succeed rather than on the audience’s already well-tuned emotional reaction to the camps. Read more »
Film Festivals, Film Reviews | August 29, 2009 | No Comments »
As writing out reviews is an involved process, by the time I manage to publish them readers have no way of actually going out to watch these movies (especially at festivals such as MWFF where they may never see release). At Midnight Poutine you can read my quick impressions of recently viewed movies as well as when they play again, in anticipation of longer reviews to come.
Impossible! It has finally arrived. Someone over at the Montreal World Film Festival offices decided to get rid of the awful, cumbersome, ugly website of the last few years and bring the festival to the 21st century of internet design. They now have an easily searchable index, separate pages with good descriptions and images for each film, some trailers, and more. Check it out.
Film Festivals | August 28, 2009 | No Comments »
Premiering Friday, August 28th, and playing on subsequent days until the 30th at the Montreal World Film Festival is local filmmaker Tyler Gibb’s first live-action feature film, Refrain. A tale both about spousal abuse and the empowerment endowed by music, my interview with Gibb reveals a little bit about what he hopes to achieve and what he wants the audience to walk away with, as well as a little about related projects stemming from the film. Read the full interview at Midnight Poutine.
Screenings | August 26, 2009 | No Comments »
The 33rd edition of Montreal’s premiere world film festival begins Thursday. Within is a sneak peak at the newest documentaries, hommages, and the outdoor films to be presented through its two-week run. Read more »
Film Festivals | August 24, 2009 | No Comments »
The 33rd edition of the Montreal World Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 27th until Monday, September 7th. It will screen 240 feature-length, 9 medium-length and 208 short films from 78 different countries. Read more »
Film Festivals | August 23, 2009 | No Comments »
Just when you thought you couldn’t watch another movie about childhood experiences in Québec, the Montreal World Film Festival announced their opening film for the 33rd edition of the festival will be about a kid growing up in 1980s Québec. Hot off the heals of successes like C.R.A.Z.Y., C’est pas moi, je le jure!, Maman est chez le coiffeur, and more kid-centric francophone films, 1981 is a fictional film based on the early struggles of director Ricardo Trogi as a troubled kid. Read more »
Film Festivals | August 6, 2009 | No Comments »
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