Well, 16 days of the Vancouver International Film Festival is now over. No more writing reviews after midnight and running back to the theatre in the morning, no more seeing most of my VIFF friends for awhile, no more international films that challenge our thoughts and offer more than what comes out of Hollywood. It's sad that VIFF is over, but time to get back to the real world.
So without further ado, here's the last of my VIFF reviews, and top 10 recaps and such will come over the weekend.
MICHAEL (Austria)
A man locks a young boy in his basement. He treats him very well though, but he's a pedophile. This is the story of Michael whose life slowly unravels at a quiet disturbing pace that makes you glad much of the abuse is off screen, the physical that is.
3.75/5
HAPPY HAPPY (Norway)
This is Norway's entry for the foreign language Oscar. When Elisabeth and Sigver move in next door to Kaja and Eirik in the Norwegian countryside, the lives of these two couples will never be the same as extramarital relations threaten both marriages. Humourous, but likely not to make the final list. There's also a quartet that sings intermittently throughout the film, but not sure what the purpose was aside from humor.
3.25/5
NUIT #1 (Canada)
Rave. Sex. Conversation. More Conversation. That pretty much sums up this somewhat daring debut by Anne Emond. Almost along the lines of After Sunset and Before Sunrise, this is a film about two people who meet, have a physical one nighter and find themselves talking and revealing their thoughts to a complete stranger. Scenes seem to go on and on, but the actors bring an honest and raw performance, giving it their all as they reveal their stories to each other and the audience.
2.75/5
HOUSE OF TOLERANCE (France)
It's 1899 / 1900 in France, and we are transported through time to a brothel back in the day, where it was also known as a House of Tolerance. There are several storylines as we follow the lives of various women who live the life of a prostitute. A very sombre look at their bonds of sisterhood and friendship, the men they loved or had to love, their pain, their happiness and their sadness. Despite the length, the filmmaker takes the situation and lets it unfold without the pace dragging, showing how each women's fates kept changing.
3.5/5
THE STUDENT (Argentina)
Roque is back in university for his third try at completing a degree. When he meets assistant professor Paula, he finds a focus in his life - politics. Immersing himself in meetings and working as the right hand man of a candidate for the students, Roque discovers what he is good at, and how anyone can betray you, especially in the world of politics. The dialogue goes by extremely quickly, and the subtitles follow suit. It is a bit dry otherwise and centered on the political events and Roque's several encounters with women he comes across.
2.5/5
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