9/9
Film Socialism, 6PM (saw it in Cannes and was, as predicted, baffled by it. I do not speak any French, and got caught up on trying to understand what people were saying, or trying to say, which is apparently the wrong way to watch it. I half hope that this will not be subtitled in Navajo English, but the regular kind, though I think I would be more prepared for the broken, basically unsubbed version, too. This is the opening night of the festival (Film Socialism, hilariously, screens before even the official Opening Night film), which is notoriously sparse, so I can guiltlessly pencil this in.)
9/10
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, 12PM (somehow, the second day of the festival is being treated like another Opening Day, so chalk this one up to the incomprehensible scheduling structure for this year; this is the only film playing today before 2PM; I have zero interest in it, but I am allotted 5 tickets a day, so what the hell, I can always sleep through it; sure I’d rather be seeing Black Venus, but…)
Cirkus Columbia, 3PM (This is the best-looking of the few playing at this time; in an ideal world I’d be watching Katell Quillévéré’s Love Like Poison in this slot, which I accidentally missed at Cannes)
Brownian Movement, 6:15PM (The Visions sidebar is up there as perhaps the most interesting sidebar in TIFF; I have not heard of the filmmaker, but there are only a handful of Visions this year, so I might just see them all)
Wavelengths 1: Soul of the City, 9PM (The most eclectic sidebar of the festival, I try to see all 6, and will only miss one if it conflicts with my only opportunity to see a film I am greatly anticipating)
9/11
Erotic Man, 9:45AM (my only knowledge of Leth comes from von Trier’s obstructions film)
Le quattro volte (The Four Times), 12:15PM (another film I caught in Cannes, and another one I’m seeing purely because nothing else is playing that’s remotely interesting at this time (or if there is, I’ve got it down for another day; not that I mind, it is one of the best films of the year.)
What I Most Want, 2:15PM (the filmmaker worked on some Lisandro Alonso films)
Wavelengths 2: Plein Air, 4:30PM
Wavelengths 3: Ruhr, 9:15PM (Saw this on my laptop almost a year ago, been dying to see it on a big screen; amazing what Benning did for video in his first try)
9/12
Route 132, 9AM (best of its time slot; sure wish I could see Marian Crisan’s Morgen instead; his lovely Palme D’Or-winning short Megatron proved that Crisan is ready for prime time Romanian New Waving, and word out of Locarno on this, his first feature, was stellar.) (EDIT: Saw Morgen last weekend, and it’s a dud; Also, my excitement has grown on Route 132 with some strong reviews showing up)
! Women Art Revolution – A Secret History, 12:15PM (I love women artists and all, but I’m only seeing this to fill the slot)
The Illusionist, 2:30PM (My guilty pleasure of the festival, in the sense that I should be seeing Boxing Gym in this slot, but I am too swoony over the idea of this one to skip it)
Wavelengths 4: Pastourelle, 7PM
Wavelengths 5: Blue Mantle, 9:15PM
9/13
Mamma Gógó, 9AM (great publicity still, and I’m not familiar enough with Icelandic cinema)
The Trip, 12PM (either this or the City to City film; Winterbottom has never impressed me, though I never saw Tristram Shandy, which is related to this one somehow; I might check Shandy out if I have time before the festival starts.)
Nostalgia for the Light, 7PM (I love light as a vehicle for looking at history; I missed it at Cannes, and apparently Guzman is a ‘Master’ (really?))
Wavelengths 6: Coming Attractions, 9PM
9/14
Miral, 9AM (the trailer doesn’t do anything for me, neither does Schnabel, but when it’s the only thing playing…)
ANPO, 12:15PM (Nothing in the slot really calls out to me, but the ‘collage-like’ assemblage of this gets it the edge)
Norwegian Wood, 3:30PM (Murakami)
The Sleeping Beauty, 6:30PM (I couldn’t care less about Breillat…until Bluebeard happened; hopefully the fairytale conceit works out again)
Curling, 9:15PM (my reaction to Côté’s Carcasses was lukewarm, but there was enough there to pique my interest in his other work, at least for the time being)
9/15
Buried, 12:30PM (my Criticism And Theory class is going to have to let out about an hour early if I will have any chance of making this; good word on it, even if it stars Ryan Reynolds)
How to Start Your Own Country, 2:30PM (this sounds and looks completely bizarre; directed by Guy Maddin’s cinematographer)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams, 5PM (last year I skipped both Herzogs, and I still haven’t had an opportunity to see My Son, My Son…; I won’t have that problem this year)
The Ditch, 8PM (Wang Bing’s first fictional feature)
Promises Written in Water, 10:45PM (Gallo is 2 for 2, and I’m convinced he cannot make an uninteresting film)
9/16
Sensation, 9:30PM (best option for this slot)
Dirty Girl, 12PM (this is the best looking 2010 film playing at this time slot. Seriously.)
Meek’s Cutoff, 3PM (ok, decided to ditch the Santa Claus movie for this one; the reviews are stellar, and it’s shot in 4:3!)
A Horrible Way to Die, 6PM (apparently people like this guy; worth a shot; is it just me or are there a lot of getting out of/going to prison movies this year?)
Outbound, 9:15PM (I love the style of the new wave of Romanian films that are tearing up the festival circuit year after year, but I would really love to see a Romanian film outside of that style that I can support just as much; this looks like a candidate)
9/17
Anything You Want, 9:30AM (a father must fill the void left by his deceased wife for his daughter; he seems to take the challenge too literally, or it seems that way from the synopsis)
Home For Christmas, 12PM (I got some good chuckles out of O Horten)
Oki’s Movie, 2PM (HaHaHa (which has somehow vanished from the festival circuit) was my favorite Hong so far; kind of amazing that he already has a follow-up)
Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu, 5PM (raves from Cannes, and Romanian: the only two reasons I am interested, should be good.)
Cold Fish, 8:30PM (I’ve not seen anything by Sono, and the synopsis for this one sounds a bit unpleasant; this would have been the perfect slot to take another look at Christoph Hochhäusler’s The City Below, which confused and exhilarated me at Cannes)
9/18
Silent Souls, 9:30AM (Raves from Venice; this filmmaker’s previous mockumentary First on the Moon looks too cool to pass on this one, which incidentally looks completely different in style and subject matter; oh well.)
Kaboom, 12:15PM (there was a bit too much angst and melodrama in Mysterious Skin for my taste, but this sounds like a whole lot of fun)
Guest, 3PM (my most anticipated film of the year ever since it was announced a few weeks ago)
A Useful Life, 7:30PM (looks lovely)
At Ellen’s Age, 9:15PM (*shrug*; I might try for Black Swan if I get the impulse or opportunity)
9/19
Summer of Goliath, 9:45AM (has a nice publicity still; looks like an Alamar-esque ‘sleeper hit’.)
Attenberg, 12PM (heard some solid recommendations on this one)
k.364 Journey by Train, 2:30PM (the still on the description page is hideous, but Zidane was interesting enough)
You Are Here, 4:15PM (the best-looking of the Canada First sidebar; comparisons to Kaufman, and a glowing review from Variety, sealed the deal)
Mysteries of Lisbon, 6:30PM (Ruiz is always interesting, and, really, I’m never going to get to see this monster again; ending the festival with a bang)