Dissecting the good, the bad and the ugly of the fall film festival offerings
which won the top prize at Venice, and Toronto world premiere, about the late folksy and philosophical TV personality Fred Rogers. Both are fronted by outstanding performances, by Joaquin Phoenix and Tom Hanks, respectively. But other than that, they're polar opposites; Rogers could have had "L-O-V-E" spelled out on his knuckles, while Joker would certainly sport "H-A-T-E."feels like a film of the moment, which is what's scary about it.
By contrast, where is anyone following in Mr. Rogers' shoes these days to spread the gospel of love, regard for others and common sense? Would even Rogers himself, if he were still alive, be able to compete with the the modern world's rabid spewers of hate? Whatever else you want to say about them — and they have definite shortcomings — both of these films are attentive to human nature, and how readily individuals can be swayed in both directions.
Certainly the preponderance of serious works among the 300-plus films unveiled over the past couple of weeks in Venice, Telluride and Toronto reflected versions of the Joker's nasty world far more than any semblance of Rogers' cheery neighborhood. But from a filmmaking point of view, there was some very good, if not often great, work on display; as usual, several documentaries shone as brightly, or more so, than the much more uneven dramatic features.
Two of the very best films I saw were exquisitely shot in black-and-white, very long and unceasingly downbeat. First was Mexican veteran Arturo Ripstein's unsparing, brutally honest and thoroughly perverse look at the sexual lives of an old couple in
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How to Quiet Your Inner CriticMany of us are plagued with a nagging inner critic -- it often becomes our own worst enemy. How to quiet the negativity, according to a psychotherapist:
Read more »
Newsletter: The best thing our restaurant critic ate this summerIn this week's Tasting Notes newsletter, critic Patricia Escárcega writes about her favorite restaurant meal of the summer.
Read more »
Deauville: Annie Silverstein's 'Bull' Takes Top PrizeThe rodeo film also took the Revelation prize for best first film and the Critics' prize.
Read more »
The 15 Best Movies of the Fall Film FestivalsOver the span of just a couple weeks, more than 300 new movies are launched into the world via the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals — a trio of events that collectively kick off award s…
Read more »
Film News Roundup: ‘Wonder Woman’ Director Patty Jenkins Honored by CinematographersIn today’s film news roundup, Patty Jenkins is honored, “Waves” will close the Hamptons Film Festival, Ellen Burstyn and Emma Thompson are cast, and “The Cotton Club” …
Read more »