Toronto International Film Festival : Day 4

Oh Happy Monday... this was a short day for me, only two films with a nice break in the middle. This was largely due to the fact the day pass only allows 25 movies total, and the choices I wanted made for an odd schedule.

10:00AM - The Alzheimer Case

Cumberland

This is the only Flemish film I've ever seen, and it's a good one. Writing about it is really hard without giving too much away from this noir thriller. It's unfortunate that most people outside the festival won't be able to see it, what are the odds a Belgian Thriller gets a North American release? I loved everything about this film, the mood, the music, the acting, the story.

The movie hinges on two characters: A bitter old hitman named Angelo with rapdily progressing alzheimers, and the Belgian detective who follows the blood trail right back around to a child sex-ring uncovered in the oppening moments of the film. Of course our cat and mouse come closer and closer together until a final confrontation that gives a very satisfactory ending.

2:45PM - Nobody Knows

Cumberland

The big Festival book described this as "a tale of unexpected grace and profound feeling" based on a 1988 case of 4 children left abandonded by their mother and discovered only after a tragedy. Unfortunately it didn't really live up to that expectation. Mayeb it was the length (2.5 hours), or it might have been the lack of (or incredibly subduded) emotions from the 4 children, but I came out unfulfilled. I know others felt even more disappointment as I saw about 5 people exit midway through the film.

It's not that there weren't some interesting relationships that developed throughout the film, because there were. I just thought the 3 siblings who spent there whole life in the apartment (olny the older boy Akira left on a daily basis) never got as rounded out as I would have liked. One thing about the ending that was interesting is that unlike the real story, the tradgedy did not apparently end their story.

Posted at 07:00 PM to Film By: John Fairley