MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL—MORE GLOBAL THAN EVER (Part 2: Canada and the Rest of the World)

Movie Review by Sergio Martinez

TIFF is also an excellent opportunity to catch up, or rather, get a head start on upcoming releases. Here's a brief look at the Canadian, European, Asian and U.S. film previews.

CANADIAN FILMS

Canadian films, paradoxically, have always had to face distribution difficulties in their own country, especially those made in English Canada. On the other hand, films made in Quebec have had better luck in this respect, although their small market does not necessarily translate into large revenues.

I had the opportunity to see two films from this country and both left me amply satisfied with their remarkable quality.

Seven Veils

Director: Atom Egoyan

(Canada)

Set in the world of opera, this film by the renowned Canadian director weaves together the vicissitudes of a young artistic director (played by Amanda Seyfried), who must debut a daring staging of the opera Salome, while dealing with her dissolving marriage and memories of a disturbing relationship with her father.

Amanda Seyfreid as the young
opera director in Seven Veils

In the background, as she prepares for the opera's premiere, the aspirations of those who hope to go on to sing leading roles, and the abusive outbursts of one of the main stars, are on display. This is a very well-made film, with solid acting and a remarkable creation of atmosphere, all with images that capture the emotions of the characters very well.

Irena's Vow

Director: Louise Archambault

(Canada, Poland)

This is a film based on a true story: on the day the Nazis invade Poland in 1939, Irena Gut (Sophie Nélisse) must leave her position as a trainee nurse at a local hospital and is instead assigned by the occupation authorities, first, to supervise a group of Jews forced to do sewing work for the Nazis; and then, as a housekeeper in the residence of the commander of the occupying forces.

After witnessing a brutal act by one of the dreaded Nazi SS chiefs, Irena vows to herself to save as many Jews as she can. With great determination, the young Polish woman uses her own situation and the fact that she has gained some trust from the Nazis to save a dozen Jews in the most unexpected way.

The film's dramatic development is conventional, but very well executed, and effective in involving the viewer in the story.

Irena's Vow is based on a real story

THE SPANISH MOVIES

Spanish cinema has always been present in good quantity at this festival, due to time reasons, however, I was only able to see two of their productions.

A Strange Way of Life 

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

(Spain)

Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal in this
western directed by Pedro Almodovar

Almodóvar made this English-language film, which is only 31 minutes long, and dabbles, in a dramatic and somewhat ironic way, in the wanderings of two homosexuals in the admittedly very macho environment of the Wild West and cowboys.

Two former lovers (Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal) meet after 25 years, one of them (Hawke) having become the local sheriff. As there are other reasons for the unexpected visit, they will also impact the relationship. Certainly, a very special western, with Almodovar's emotional stamp.

The Rye Horn 

Director: Jaione Camborda

(Spain, Belgium, Portugal)

While not a poor-quality film, this production set in a small Galician village left me the least impressed. Its opening, especially, in which the scene of a woman giving birth goes on for over ten minutes, is overlong, not all that necessary in the context of the story and, to top it off, not very convincing.

Maria, an informal midwife 
is forced to escape after performing
an abortion

In her village, in 1971, when Spain was still living under Franco's dictatorship, Maria (Janet Novas) is an informal midwife, apart from her steady job in fishing. One day, when she decides to help a girl seeking an abortion, she must escape to Portugal. In her escape, she will have to face many difficulties, but she will always find the solidarity of other women.

The narrative is a bit slow, although the story has a certain strength.

THE OTHER EUROPEAN FILMS

The Contestant 

Director: Clair Titley

(United Kingdom)

Watching this film, that assertion that characterizes the television set as the "idiot box" could never be more accurate. This documentary, filmed in Japan, shows the true story of Tomoaki Hamatsu, a contestant on the TV show Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes, the brainchild of Toshio Tsuchiya, a famous producer in Japan and the "villain" of the story if that's what we can call an individual willing to subject another human being to ridicule in public for several months in order to make money.  The task is that the contestant must perform an extremely rare, humiliating and ultimately stupid test: to live only on what he earns in magazine contests (the event took place in 1998).

The sad and real story of a contestant in
a Japanese reality show

The contestant must do this completely naked as he/she is supposed to gain items to wear over time, as well as food. All this while being filmed. Since television cannot show their genitals, the technicians must cover them, for which they will eventually use the drawing of an eggplant: nasubi, in Japanese, a nickname they finally hang on the contestant himself, since that's what he was called at school for having an elongated face, something unusual in Japan.

Although in the end Nasubi, as he is now known, achieves his goal, he becomes a celebrity, but for this he has had to pay a high price in humiliating scenes and for being the object of the attraction that "reality shows" arouse, exploiting the stupidity of the people, Japan in this, not being very different from North America.

Wicked Little Letters 

Dir. Thea Sharrock

(United Kingdom)

It's the 1920s and a wave of anonymous letters, containing all sorts of crude allusions, has invaded the quiet town of Littlehampton. When the police begin to investigate, the pious Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) finds a good opportunity to blame her neighbour, Rose (Jessie Buckley), who has a personality opposite to her own: a free spirit, who likes to dance and drink at the local pub. The plot involves the contrasts of the free life versus the hypocrisy prevailing among certain circles.

Small-town intrigues
in this delicious British comedy

It is a well-made comedy, with convincing performances and a message that, although not original, it is important to keep in mind at a time when repressive attitudes are being reborn in some societies.

The Critic

Director: Anand Tucker

(United Kingdom)

One of the films one heard about before the festival, the plot seems interesting, in fact it is, until a certain point. The period is 1936, Jimmy Erksine (Ian McKellen) is the theatre critic of the London Chronicle newspaper and is well known for his comments that can be devastating, he simply can't stand a bad performance. This is precisely what he writes about the actress Nina Land (Gemma Artenton), to such an extent that she, outraged, decides to confront him directly.

Ian McKellen as acerbic theatre critic
Jimmy Erksine

Until that moment the story is interesting and plausible, however, soon the critic and the actress will conspire to achieve an objective that is supposed to benefit both of them. The complication will not last long and this leads to a new and very implausible outcome. In short, what started out as a good story, closer to comedy than drama, turns into tragedy, but in a forced and not very credible way.

ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

A Road to a Village 

Director: Nabin Subba

(Nepal)

A story set in a small Nepalese village that has only recently come to have a rural road and bus connection to the nearest town. The film combines the tender relationship of a father, Maila (Dayahang Rai) with his son Bindray, a curious, quick learner who has asked his father to buy him a television set, a luxury for the family's modest income. 

Shot in rural locations, this film impresses with the sincerity of its story, the transparency of the central characters, and at the same time, the rawness of human relationships in the small village setting.

A moving story of paternal love in this 
beautiful Nepalese film

Very good cinematography and solid performances make this film one of the unknown gems of the festival.

The Teacher 

Director: Farah Nabulsi 

(Palestine, United Kingdom, Qatar)

Filmed in the occupied territories of Palestine, Basem El-Saleh (Saleh Bakri) is a high school teacher who takes a special interest in two of his students, who also live nearby. One is studious, the other more defiant. A British social worker (Imogen Poots) who helps the troubled youngsters at the school will also become somehow involved in the events that will unfold after an act of violence unleashed by Jewish settlers in the area. At the same time, a former U.S. diplomat is in Israel, worried that his son –an Israeli soldier but also a U.S. citizen— has been kidnapped by a Palestinian commando.

A dedicated high school teacher 
faces a complex decision

The interweaving of the two episodes, the teacher, the social worker, and the family members seeking justice for the death of the Palestinian boy at the hands of the Israeli settler, and the parents of the kidnapped Israeli American soldier, provide a good basis for the drama that unfolds.

Undoubtedly, this is a film with strong political content, given the conditions in the Palestinian territory, but at the same time, with a healthy humanistic emphasis.

UNITED STATES

American Fiction 

Director: Cord Jefferson 

(USA)

This film was voted the People's Choice Award at the Festival and it is indeed an interesting film. This is because it points to one of the evils derived from certain political correctness, which the film portrays in an ironic, almost sarcastic way; undoubtedly something very healthy at times when –sometimes with the best of intentions— one wants to highlight and publicize the work of writers and other artists, underrepresented because they belong to a minority, in this case, because they are black.

A black writer is fighting stereotypes
 in this sarcastic comedy

The problem is that this is often done from the white gaze, from the stereotypes that whites have about blacks and, consequently, about the type of literature they are expected to produce.

A very good film with great acting and just the right amount of sarcasm to make it clear that in the end, what is really important when someone writes, is to be authentic.

Memory 

Director: Michel Franco

(USA, Mexico)

Much has been said about the subject of memory in recent times, in various contexts and circumstances. In this film the theme is related to the two central characters in a very different way, but in both cases with striking effects. Silvia (Jessica Chastain) works in a home for people with mental health problems, she lives alone with her daughter, maintaining very little contact with the rest of her family, except for a sister whom she sees occasionally.

Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain 
deliver solid performances in Memory

After a reunion of former students from her high school, Silvia meets Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) who is gradually slipping into dementia. From there the film takes us into this sharp reflection on memory, in Saul's case, how it is being lost and the effects it has on both his family relationships and his personal life. For Silvia, on the other hand, it is the lingering presence of memory, in the form of a childhood experience that haunts her and that at some point had also thrown her into the pit of alcoholism, a situation from which she has now emerged. However, there was still a piece of her memory to be completed in the form of an action: to confront the one who had been a silent accomplice in the traumatic episode that still haunts her memory.

A story of powerful content has been brought to the screen with an excellent performance by Jessica Chastain.

Reptile 

Director: Grant Singer 

(USA)

An interesting debut for this director who presents us with a story in the best tradition of cinema noir full of twists and turns and unpredictable events. Homicide detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) must investigate the murder of a young real estate broker in one of the houses she had for sale. Suspects abound, but in addition to this, there is a combination of strange dealings in the real estate business, drug trafficking and a certain amount of police corruption as well.

Benicio del Toro as Detective
Tom Nichols

A very good police story, with convincing performances and a good narrative development that keeps the audience's interest for the two-and-a-half hours of its duration.

THE NEXT FESTIVAL

The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival will take place September 5-15, 2024.

MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL—MORE GLOBAL THAN EVER (Part 1 -- Latin American films)

Movie Review by Sergio Martinez

The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) came to an end on Sunday, September 17, leaving us with a very pleasant feeling on several fronts. On the one hand, although on this occasion I was only present for the last six days of the event, I can affirm that almost all the films I was able to see, a total of nineteen, were of great quality. There is, however, another aspect that needs to be pointed out. For a long time, it was criticized that TIFF privileged too much the screening of Hollywood productions, in fact operating as a launching pad for American films, to the detriment of international productions. Well, this year that international presence has been much more noticeable. Certainly, one factor to consider has been the strike of screenwriters and actors in the United States, which resulted in the absence of the usual Hollywood stars that drew crowds to the red carpets on King Street. However, credit must also be given to genuine efforts on the part of the programmers to present greater diversity, both in terms of the international character of the films shown, as well as to give greater visibility to women directors and –in the case of the Canadian presence— to productions originating from indigenous peoples.

THE LATIN AMERICAN PRESENCE

The Latin American films –many of them co-productions as is today a growing practice and very necessary to meet the large budgets required— can be characterized as of high quality, reflecting an interest in portraying the realities of these societies in a very frank and creative way. Also, note the presence of several women filmmakers.

Upon the Open Sky (A cielo abierto)

Directors: Mariana Arriaga, Santiago Arriaga

(Mexico-Spain)

This was the most interesting of all the Latin American films seen in this showcase. Although described as a story of revenge, that is almost a good pretext to reveal something more complex: how an expedition by Fernando and Salvador to kill the truck driver who two years earlier crashed the car where their father was travelling, becomes a test of maturity and challenge for each of the young men. The two brothers are accompanied by Paula, the daughter of their mother's current boyfriend.

The two brothers plus Paula,
seeking vengeance

The girl also has a boyfriend, but Salvador, the 14-year-old teenager, feels a secret attraction for her, and, at night from a window, he delights in secretly watching when she undresses.

During the journey and especially at the moment of the denouement of the revenge task, it can be seen how the experience has changed each of the youths and revealed their weaknesses and strengths.

The Settlers (Los colonos)

Director: Felipe Gálvez Haberle 

(Chile, Argentina, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Sweden, Germany)

This is the second Latin American film that has impressed me the most, both for its dramatic development, the strength of its story and the impact of its images. Set on the island of Tierra del Fuego between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the film recreates the process by which this territory was colonized to introduce sheep farming. For this to happen, however, it was necessary to exterminate the indigenous population that inhabited it: the Selknam and the Onas.

The Settlers, tells the story
of how indigenous people
in Tierra del Fuego, were exterminated

Two adventurers in the service of the landowner, one a former Scottish soldier –who claims to have been a lieutenant in the British army— and the other, an American with experience in "killing Indians", paradoxically accompanied by a young man of mixed race, white and indigenous, set out on an excursion that will cover both the Chilean and Argentinean sides of the island.  The task entrusted by José Menéndez –the owner of that gigantic estancia that extended across the territory of the two countries— is very clear: to kill all the Indians. The reason for this drastic measure is that they hunted and ate the sheep (for the Indians, lacking the notion of property over animals, sheep were legitimate hunting targets).

The film is a crude account of how the extermination of the native peoples of Tierra del Fuego would have occurred.

The Movie Teller (La contadora de películas)

Director: Lone Scherfig 

(Chile, Spain, France)

This Danish director finds in Hernán Rivera Letelier's novel of the same title, a good subject of adaptation with a story that contains aspects of drama, but also an account of a mining activity now disappeared. And what is important, the result is very pleasant to watch. It is my third favourite in the category of Latin American films.

The film takes place in a saltpetre mining site in the middle of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.  When an unfortunate event affects the life of María Magnolia's (Berenice Bejo) family, she decides to make a decisive change in her life, which in turn will have a negative impact on her husband and children. Amid this situation, however, her daughter María Margarita's (Sara Becker) ability to count the movies she has seen at the village cinema will make her not only a local star but also a welcome source of income for her family.

The ability of a young girl to recount 
movies in a town in the middle of the desert 

The Movie Teller, in addition to telling a dramatic story of a working-class Chilean family, is a moving tribute to cinema and what this art form represented for a small community such as the saltpetre workers.

The Taste of Christmas (El sabor de la Navidad)

Directed by Alejandro Lozano

(Mexico)

In fourth place, I must place this very likeable Mexican production that is able to approach several themes with an appropriate mix of humour, social commentary, and some drama. In the days leading up to Christmas, we see the intertwining of three converging stories. Valeria (Mariana Triviño) is busy with her catering service, with a very special order for the traditional festivities. The arrival of an assistant relieves her of some of her work but brings another problem. The Christmas dinner order has been placed by a family that has its own internal tensions, although on this occasion one of the daughters, who had been distant until then, has promised to attend, but has set a condition. Meanwhile, in another very different neighbourhood, Chava has gotten his friend Santi a job as Santa Claus at a celebration in a city park. Although Chava teaches him how to act to get more children to take pictures with him, Santi, advised by his girlfriend, will apply his own formula, which will have unexpected results. While the family home awaits the arrival of dinner, the presence of the prodigal daughter, Penelope, will also generate new tensions.

Three stories converge in this
Mexican movie,
combining comedy,
romance and some drama

When the stories finally converge, the result is very much in keeping with the occasion, but first, the characters have gone through experiences of pain and frustration that only the Christmas spirit could dispel. A series of well-told stories, with a predictable ending, but with good development and accurate photography that manages to highlight both the comic and dramatic aspects.

Valentina or Serenity (Valentina o la serenidad)

Director: Ángeles Cruz 

(Mexico)

This film provides an interesting look at the theme of death from the perspective of the aboriginal peoples. When Valentina's father drowns in a river near the Mixtec-majority village, the girl is not completely convinced of the finiteness of her father's life. She insists that she wants to talk to her father, who, for her, lives in the river.

Valentina will not believe in
the death of her father

It is a story where feelings of tenderness and that ancestral desire to believe that death is not the end of everything come together. All told from the girl's perspective.

Good narrative development and a very good performance of the girl.

The Abduction (El rapto)

Director: Daniela Goggi 

(Argentina)

Set in Argentina, which was just returning to democracy, under the government of Raul Alfonsin, this film points to the fact that once the dictatorship came to an end, most of the members of the so-called task forces, that is, the military and police commandos in charge of repression, became unemployed and dedicated themselves to do the only thing they had learned to do: kidnap people. This time they will do it for money and not for political reasons.

Julio will confront the new
reality of his country

Julio, belonging to a Jewish family that owns an investment company, returns from his exile in Spain with his wife and children, still without much clarity about his future. Events, however, will define that future for him. When his brother Miguel is kidnapped, he must not only take over the management of the company but also conduct negotiations with his captors. A task that will be very complicated because the kidnappers seem to have connections at the highest levels.

It is an interesting film in many aspects, especially in its denunciation of the aftermath of repression.

The Ravaging Wind (El viento que arrasa)

Director: Paula Hernández

(Argentina, Uruguay)

Reverend Pearson (Alfredo Castro) and his daughter Leni (Almudena González) travel the frontier regions of northeastern Argentina, trying to bring their message to the locals. Pearson, like many of these preachers, is a fanatic and pursues his mission in an uncompromising way. This creates more than a few conflicts for him, especially when, due to unforeseen circumstances, he ends up stranded in an isolated workshop where he has to take his car to be repaired. There he insists on taking the owner's son, who has a severe facial deformity, to consecrate his life to God. This will put him in an open confrontation with the father, known as Gringo (Sergi Lopez).

Meanwhile, young Leni will also begin to question her relationship with her father, whom she has followed devotedly, but now begins to see from other angles as well. In this regard, it is interesting to note that, unlike other preachers, Pearson is not in it for the sake of making money at the expense of his faithful, his life as an itinerant preacher is rather austere, but fanaticism will be his problem.

Very good acting complemented by excellent photography, a very important factor in highlighting the imposing landscape in which the characters move.

Rev. Pearson and his daughter Leni, 
travelling to spread the word of God, 
but there are some problems ahead

CINE EN LA PLAZA: EL FESTIVAL DE TORONTO, MÁS GLOBAL QUE NUNCA (Parte 2: Canadá y el resto del mundo)

Comentario de Sergio Martínez 

El TIFF es también una excelente oportunidad de ponerse al día, o mejor dicho, adelantarse a los estrenos que vendrán próximamente. He aquí un breve vistazo a lo visto del cine canadiense, europeo, asiático y estadounidense.

LOS FILMES CANADIENSES

El cine canadiense, paradójicamente, siempre ha tenido que enfrentar dificultades de distribución en el propio país, especialmente el realizado en el Canadá inglés, por el contrario, las películas hechas en Quebec tienen mejor suerte en este aspecto, aunque por su reducido mercado ello no se traduce necesariamente en grandes ingresos.

Tuve ocasión de ver dos películas de este país y ambas me dejaron ampliamente satisfecho por su notable realización.

Seven Veils (Siete velos)

Director: Atom Egoyan

(Canadá)

Ambientada en el mundo de la ópera, esta película del renombrado director canadiense nos entrelaza las vicisitudes de una joven directora artística (encarnada por Amanda Seyfried), que debe debutar con un atrevido montaje de la ópera Salomé, mientras debe lidiar con su matrimonio en disolución y con las memorias de una perturbadora relación con su padre.

Seven Veils (Siete velos) es un
remarcable film canadiense

En el trasfondo, mientras se prepara el estreno de la ópera, se dejan ver las aspiraciones de quienes esperan llegar a cantar roles protagónicos, y los arranques abusivos de una de las estrellas principales. Se trata de un film muy bien logrado, con una sólida actuación y una notable creación de ambiente, todo ello con imágenes que captan muy bien las emociones de los personajes.

Irena's Vow (El voto de Irena)

Directora: Louise Archambault

(Canadá, Polonia)

Basada en una historia real,
esta película de Louise Archambault
fue otra notable muestra del cine local

Se trata de un film basado en una historia real: el día en que los nazis invaden Polonia en 1939, Irena Gut (Sophie Nélisse) debe dejar su puesto como enfermera en práctica en un hospital local y en cambio es asignada por las autoridades de ocupación, primero, a supervisar a un grupo de judíos forzados a hacer trabajos de costura para los nazis; y luego, como ama de casa en la residencia del comandante de las fuerzas ocupantes.

Después de presenciar un brutal acto de parte de uno de los jefes de las temidas SS nazis, Irena se promete a sí misma salvar a los judíos que pueda. Con gran determinación, la joven polaca se vale de su propia situación y el hecho que ha ganado alguna confianza de parte de los nazis, para salvar a una docena de judíos del modo más inesperado.

El film tiene un desarrollo dramático de corte convencional, pero muy bien ejecutado, efectivo en envolver al espectador en la historia.

LOS ESPAÑOLES

El cine español siempre ha estado presente en buena cantidad en este festival, por razones de tiempo, sin embargo, sólo pude ver dos de sus producciones.

A Strange Way of Life (Un extraño modo de vida)

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

(España)

Almodóvar hizo este film en inglés, el cual sólo dura 31 minutos e incursiona de un modo entre dramático y un tanto irónico, en las andanzas de dos homosexuales en el ambiente, ciertamente muy macho, del Lejano Oeste y los cowboys.

Ethan Hawke y Pedro Pascal, en un 
western de Pedro Almodóvar

Dos antiguos amantes (Ethan Hawke y Pedro Pascal) se encuentran después de 25 años, uno de ellos (Hawke) ha devenido sheriff de la localidad. Como hay otros motivos para la inesperada visita ellos también impactarán la relación. Ciertamente un western muy especial, con el sello emotivo de Almodóvar.

O corno (El cuerno)  

Director: Jaione Camborda

(España, Bélgica, Portugal)

Sin que se trate de una película de poca calidad, esta producción ambientada en una pequeña aldea gallega fue una de las que me dejó menos impresionado. Su inicio, especialmente, en el cual la escena de una mujer dando a luz se prolonga por sobre diez minutos se hace larguísima, no es tan necesaria en el contexto de la historia y, por si fuera poco, no es muy convincente.

María, además de su
trabajo, ejerce como partera

En su pueblo, en 1971, cuando España aun vive bajo la dictadura de Franco, María (Janet Novás) es una partera informal, aparte de su trabajo estable en la pesca. Un día, cuando decide ayudar a una chica en busca de un aborto, ella deberá escapar con destino a Portugal. En su huida ella tendrá que enfrentar muchas dificultades, pero siempre encontrará la solidaridad de otras mujeres.

La narrativa se hace un tanto lenta, aunque la historia tiene cierta fuerza.

LOS OTROS EUROPEOS

The Contestant (El concursante) 

Director: Clair Titley

(Reino Unido)

Viendo esta película, esa aserción que caracteriza al aparato de televisión como la “caja idiota” nunca podría ser más acertada. Este documental, filmado en Japón, muestra la verdadera historia de Tomoaki Hamatsu, un concursante en el programa televisivo Denpa Shonen: una vida en premios, creación de Toshio Tsuchiya, un famoso productor en Japón y el “villano” de la historia, si así podemos llamar a un individuo dispuesto a someter a otro ser humano al ridículo en público y por varios meses, con tal de hacer dinero.  La tarea consiste en que el concursante debe hacer una prueba extremadamente rara, humillante y últimamente estúpida: vivir únicamente de lo que gane en concursos de revistas (el hecho ocurrió en 1998).

La "caja idiota" queda muy de manifiesto
en este documental sobre un  reality show japonés

El concursante debe hacer esto completamente desnudo ya que se supone que a través del tiempo irá ganando elementos para vestirse, así como alimentos. Todo eso mientras está siendo filmado. Como la televisión no puede mostrar sus genitales, los técnicos los deben cubrir para lo cual eventualmente usarán el dibujo de una berenjena: nasubi, en japonés, apodo que finalmente le cuelgan al propio concursante, ya que así le decían en la escuela por tener una cara alargada, algo inusual en Japón.

Aunque al final Nasubi, como llega a ser conocido ahora, logra su objetivo, se convierte en una celebridad, pero para ello ha debido pagar un alto precio en humillantes escenas y en ser objeto de la atracción que los “reality shows” despiertan, explotando la estupidez de la gente, Japón en esto, no siendo muy diferente de Norteamérica.

Wicked Little Letters (Pequeñas cartas perversas) 

Dir. Thea Sharrock

(Reino Unido)

Jessie Buckley y Olivia Colman 
brillan en esta deliciosa comedia

Son los años 20 y una ola de cartas anónimas, conteniendo toda suerte de alusiones groseras ha invadido a la tranquila localidad de Littlehampton. Cuando la policía empieza a investigar, la piadosa Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) encuentra una buena ocasión para culpar a su vecina, Rose (Jessie Buckley), quien tiene una personalidad opuesta a la suya: un espíritu libre, que gusta de bailar y de beber en el pub local. La trama envuelve los contrastes de la vida libre versus la hipocresía reinante entre ciertos círculos.

Se trata de una comedia bien realizada, con actuaciones convincentes y con un mensaje que, aunque no original, sí es importante hacerlo presente en tiempos en que renacen actitudes represivas en algunas sociedades.

The Critic  (El crítico)

Director: Anand Tucker

(Reino Unido)

Uno de los filmes acerca del cual uno oía hablar antes del Festival, la trama parece interesante, en el hecho lo es, hasta un cierto momento. El período es 1936, Jimmy Erksine (Ian McKellen) es el crítico de teatro del diario Chronicle de Londres y es bien conocido por sus comentarios que pueden ser demoledores, él sencillamente no soporta una mala actuación. Es lo que precisamente escribe a propósito de la actriz Nina Land (Gemma Artenton), a tal punto que ésta, indignada, decide ir a confrontarlo directamente.

Ian McKellen, encarna a un severo
crítico teatral

Hasta ese momento la historia es interesante y verosímil, sin embargo, pronto crítico y actriz se confabularán para lograr un objetivo que supuestamente debe beneficiar a ambos. La complicad no durará mucho y ello conduce a un nuevo resultado muy implausible. En suma, lo que partió como una buena historia, más cercana a la comedia que al drama, deviene tragedia, pero de un modo forzado y poco creíble.

ASIA Y EL MEDIO ORIENTE

A Road to a Village (El camino a una aldea) 

Director: Nabin Subba

(Nepal)

Una historia ambientada en una pequeña aldea nepalesa que sólo recientemente ha llegado a tener una camino rural y conexión por bus con la ciudad más cercana. En el film se combina la tierna relación de un padre, Maila (Dayahang Rai) con su hijo Bindray, un niño lleno de curiosidad, aprendedor rápido y que le ha pedido a su padre que le compre un televisor—un lujo para los modestos ingresos de la familia. 

El amor del padre por su hijo en 
este hermoso film nepalés

Filmada en locaciones rurales, esta película impresiona por la sinceridad de su historia, la transparencia de los personajes centrales y al mismo tiempo, la crudeza de las relaciones humanas en el pequeño entorno del villorrio.

Muy buena fotografía y sólidas actuaciones hacen de este film una de las joyas desconocidas del Festival.

The Teacher (El profesor) 

Director: Farah Nabulsi 

(Palestina, Reino Unido, Qatar)

Filmado en los territorios ocupados de la Palestina, Basem El-Saleh (Saleh Bakri) es un profesor en una escuela secundaria que toma especial interés en dos de sus alumnos, que además viven cerca suyo. Uno es estudioso, el otro es más desafiante. Una trabajadora social británica (Imogen Poots) que ayuda a los jóvenes con problemas en la escuela, se verá también de algún modo involucrada en los eventos que se desencadenarán luego de un acto violento desatado por colonos judíos en la zona. Al mismo tiempo, un ex diplomático estadounidense se halla en Israel, preocupado porque su hijo —un soldado israelí pero que también tiene nacionalidad de Estados Unidos— ha sido secuestrado por un comando palestino.

En medio de la ocupación y con memorias aun frescas de su propia 
tragedia, el profesor debe lidiar con otros problemas

El entrecruce de los dos episodios, el profesor, la trabajadora social y los familiares buscando justicia por la muerte del muchacho palestino a manos del colono israelí, y los padres del soldado israelí-estadounidense secuestrado, dan una buena base para el drama que se desata.

Sin duda se trata de un film con un fuerte contenido político, dadas las condiciones en el territorio palestino, pero al mismo tiempo, con un saludable énfasis humanista.

ESTADOS UNIDOS

American Fiction (Ficción americana) 

Director: Cord Jefferson 

(EE. UU.)

Este film fue votado en el Festival como el favorito por el público (People’s Choice Award) y en verdad se trata de un film interesante. Esto porque apunta a uno de los males derivados de una cierta political correctness y que el film retrata de un modo irónico, casi sarcástico; sin duda algo muy saludable en momentos en que —a veces con la mejor de las intenciones— se quiere resaltar y dar a conocer la obra de escritores y otros artistas, subrepresentados por pertenecer a una minoría, en este caso, por ser negros.

El problema es que a menudo, esto se hace desde la mirada del blanco, desde los estereotipos que los blancos tienen a propósito de los negros, y, por consiguiente, del tipo de literatura que se espera que ellos produzcan.

Una aguda e hilarante crítica al afán
de algunos escritores negros de calzar
en el estereotipo que los blancos
tienen de ellos

Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) que es un escritor negro, justamente se rebela contra esa visión estereotipada del “ser negro” y para hacerlo va a adoptar otro nom de plume, haciéndose pasar por un fugitivo que escribe su primera novela, llena de expresiones del slang negro y en el que la acción transcurre en el ambiente de crimen y marginalidad que la audiencia blanca espera de cualquier autor que escriba desde la “experiencia de ser negro”.

Un muy buen film con gran actuación y con el sentido sarcástico adecuado para dejar en claro que al final, lo realmente importante cuando alguien escribe, es ser auténtico.

Memory  (Memoria) 

Director:  Michel Franco

(EE. UU., México)

Mucho se ha hablado del tema de la memoria en los últimos tiempos, en diversos contextos y circunstancias. En este film el tema se relaciona a los dos personajes centrales de un modo muy diferente, pero en ambos casos con efectos impactantes. Silvia (Jessica Chastain) trabaja en una casa para personas con problemas de salud mental, ella vive sola con su hija, manteniendo muy poco contacto con el resto de su familia, excepto una hermana a la que ve ocasionalmente.

Peter Sarsgaard y Jessica Chastain entregan
una sólida performance en este film de Michel Franco

Después de una reunión de ex alumnos de su escuela secundaria, Silvia se encuentra con Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) quien está gradualmente entrando en la demencia. A partir de allí el film nos lleva a esta aguda reflexión sobre la memoria, en el caso de Saul, cómo ésta se ve perdiendo y los efectos que conlleva, tanto en sus relaciones familiares como en su vida personal. Para Silvia, en cambio, es la presencia persistente de la memoria, en la forma de una experiencia de su niñez la que la persigue y la que en algún momento también la había arrojado al pozo del alcoholismo, situación de la cual ahora ella ya ha salido. Eso sí, aun quedaba un pedazo de su memoria por completar en la forma de una acción: confrontar a quien había sido cómplice silenciosa del traumático episodio que aun asaltaba su memoria.

Una historia de potente contenido ha sido llevada a la pantalla con una excelente actuación de parte de Jessica Chastain.

Reptile (Reptil) 

Director: Grant Singer 

(EE.UU.)

Benicio del Toro, como el detective
Tom Nichols, en este film policial

Un debut interesante para este director que nos presenta una historia en la mejor tradición de cinema noir llena de vuelcos e imprevisibles eventos. El detective de homicidios Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) debe investigar el asesinato de una joven corredora de propiedades ocurrido en una de las casas que tenía en venta. Los sospechosos abundan, pero además en esto se combinan extraños manejos en el negocio inmobiliario, narcotráfico y una cierta dosis de corrupción policial también.

Una muy buena historia policial, con convincentes actuaciones y un buen desarrollo narrativo que mantiene el interés del público por las dos horas y media de su duración.

EL PRÓXIMO FESTIVAL

La edición 49 del Festival Internacional de Cine de Toronto se realizará entre el 5 y el 15 de septiembre de 2024.