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TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Dave on Friday, September 25, 2009
Special guest post by Mike of The Substream (follow @thesubstream)
You never know what you’re going to get at the Toronto International Film Festival, just that you’re gonna have to pay for it. I bought my tickets like a month before they had even published the list of films playing – I and a bazillion (down, it seems, from the gajillions of previous non-economic-downturn years) other folks like movies just that freakin’ much – and will gladly do so again next year. For some reason.
As you’ve seen here on movieset.com, thesubstream crashed as best we could the Midnight Madness section of TIFF this year, making little documentaries about what we think is the best movie-going experience around, reviewing 10 of the weirdest, scariest genre flicks made this year, helping people navigate the byzantine ticket-buying processes and talking to people from all over North America that take their vacation time (!!) to come to Toronto and watch movies at 9 in the morning.
Of the midnight madness films, we loved, loved loved two: The Loved Ones from Australia and Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Symbol. Both were spectacular, and both are gonna be worth tracking down over the next year.
We were also kind of impressed, if that’s a way to say it, by Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers. He warned us in the preamble, telling us “This movie is called trash humpers and it’s about people that hump trash. If you’re the kind of person that walks out of movies, please walk out now because you won’t like it.”
Nobody did. The movie rolled, three wizened old looking terrifying mutants humped trash – bins, bags, piles, dumpsters – and within 20 minutes 20 people had walked out. We laughed our asses off. That’s what makes TIFF work. Note: Don’t rent Trash Humpers if you don’t think you’d like watching people hump trash.
We saw 33 is I think the total, a schedule that literally in one case led to a visit to the emergency room (one substream dude’s eye swelled itself shut in mute protest). We don’t know how we could have done more, but we know that there are folks that blew us out of the water. We met a man from Calgary who saw 50 and had his schedule printed out on a giant-sized spreadsheet that he had to print out on a special printer. We met Matthew Price from rowthree.com, who claimed and maintained that he saw 60 which… well, we didn’t see his spreadsheet, so we can’t confirm. But not even one of his eyes was swollen shut, which makes us suspicious.
People squirmed in Antichrist, people laughed politely and felt kinda disappointed about Todd Solondz’s Life During Wartime, and the word around the volunteer ranks was that Oprah isn’t very nice, even though everybody liked her movie. The Road depressed people. Youth in Revolt cheered them up. It felt like bootcamp that somehow makes you fatter, that you paid for. That we’ll all pay for gladly again next year. See you there!
Check out the written reviews for ‘The Loved Ones‘ and ‘Symbol’, but if you don’t like to read there’s always….
Midnight Madness!
Check out these video reviews for the movies ‘The Loved Ones’ and ‘Symbol’
The Loved Ones
Symbol
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Alex Kartman on Friday, September 25, 2009
Matt Damon is 'The Informant'
Check out all the latest news and videos for ‘The Informant‘ at it’s sitelet.
Morality is a tricky term to set in stone. Depending on religion, beliefs, culture, and upbringing, it differs among each individual. For one man right and wrong are black and white, while for another it is reversed or even faded to grey. It is dealt with in films almost every weekend in theaters, some of the most popular included (“Dark Knight” “Memento” “Rashoman”).
This weekend’s release “The Informant” questions where to draw the line and what the definition is.
Matt Damon plays Mark Whitacre, a VP of a lysine production company who turns FBI informant. He disillusions himself into a reality of secret agents, and believes he to be part of that world. He crosses and double crosses to the point that you never know which side he is really supporting. It is certain that the only talent of Whitacre is covering up his tracks for a while.
Damon is perfect in this role. He lives it and breathes it, gaining 30 pounds to play the corporate made man. He uses a delightful Illinois/Midwestern accent to accentuate the realism of the character. I lost myself in who this character was at times. He tries to keep morals in check the entire time, but loses sight of the overall morality. In the end, he only looks after numero uno, himself.
The morality of Whitacre is questionable. He lies, but tells truth; he steals, but puts his career on the line everyday. The viewer needs to question what is right. Do you look after yourself and your interest? Is it fine to keep your interest in mind, but take down thieves and bad guys? Do you sacrifice your own goodwill for the justice of doctrine? It is almost like becoming a vigilante to fight crime, but that isn’t quite the wrongdoing of Whitacre. He steals money while ratting out international corporate thieves to the feds. What is right?
While asking all these questions, director Steven Soderberg also creates a hilarious romp through the early 90s corporate world. Expensive cars, farmhouses and cubicle offices dot the films landscape. Soderberg relishes in the culture using a groovy font and some great music choices to establish the world. I didn’t notice until halfway through that this was shot digitally, but it is so unnoticeable that it works perfectly. Soderberg manages to turn out several films a year, and still maintain a high quality of work, astounding me and earning my respect.
The comedy of this film is brilliant. I know it was based on a book, but I have to wonder what was changed to show how obtuse the character of Whitacre is at times. He sees himself as two times the agent Bond is, and perpetually trapping himself in a web of deceit. The best sequence is spoiled a little in the trailer, but it involves his narration of a tape while he is wired to record any information. Not easily explained, but hilarious to see on screen.
What makes the film ultimately excellent isn’t the acting of Damon alone. The whole cast is great. Supporting actors include Scott Bakula and Joel McHale while Patton Oswal and Paul Thompkins appear. They may not be A-listers, but they are hilarious and well cast in every role. Some of the comedy they complement, and even endure, is over the top and well developed. The writers of the film deserve just as much credit as every on screen star because of how well the comedy beats hit, and how perfectly refined the picture is.
I can’t think of anything that rubbed me wrong in “The Informant.” It might have felt a touch long, but I was glued to the seat. Every situation Whitacre is in deteriorates to a worse and worse level to the point of despair. You can’t help but ultimately feel sympathy for the guy. I put this in the top 5 films that I have seen this year, and it definitely seek out a showing of “The Informant” to see how wonderful the joy of cinematic debacles can be.
Grade: A (4 out of 4 stars)
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Dave on Friday, September 25, 2009
Massey Hall in Toronto by Tomato Geezer
The Toronto International Film Fest takes place from September 10 to 19 and features a stellar list of films - many of which MovieSet has followed throughout production.
To help you stay up to speed with the films screening in search of awards, distribution deals or both, MovieSet is filling up a special TIFF sitelet with trailers, clips or any other video coverage from the selected films.
Here’s a dossier of of outlets covering the festival to follow along while you enjoy the heaps of behind-the-scenes coverage of many TIFF films on MovieSet.com.
DIY TIFF-ish Fest:
Go pop some corn (or consider getting more Canadian and eat some poutine with your movie) and explore this hefty stack of films screening at TIFF on MovieSet - you’ll find enough trailers, previews, and behind-the-scenes features to make your own fest no matter where you are.
- Bright Star (Poet John Keats’ love affair - Directed by Jane Champion, Starring Abbie Cornish)
Abbie Cornish stars as Fanny Brawne in Apparition's 'Bright Star'
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Shannon on Friday, September 25, 2009
Moviegoers rejoice! Five new movies hit theaters this past Friday featuring something for everyone to enjoy whther you care for Drama, Comedy, Horror, Animation or Romance. What did you see this weekend? Which movie are your co-workers talking about this morning?
Bright Star
First up is director Jane Campion’s romantic drama ‘Bright Star‘ based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, played by rising stars Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish.
‘Bright Star‘ takes place in 1818 and chronicles the secret love affair begins between 23 year-old English poet, John Keats (Ben Whishaw), and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), an out-spoken student of high fashion. This unlikely pair begin at odds, he thinking her a stylish minx, while she was unimpressed not only by his poetry but also by literature in general.
However, when Fanny heard that Keats was nursing his seriously ill younger brother, her efforts to help touched Keats and when she asked him to teach her about poetry he agreed. The poetry soon became a romantic remedy that worked not only to sort their differences, but also to fuel an impassioned love affair.
When Fanny’s alarmed mother and Keats’ best friend finally awoke to their attachment, the relationship hand an unstoppable momentum. Intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other, the young lovers were swept deeply into powerful new sensations, “I have the feeling as if we’re dissolving,” Keats wrote to her. Together they rode a wave of romantic obsession that only deepened as their troubles mounted.
The Informant!
If dramatic romances aren’t your thing, then how about a little comedy?
Steven Soderbergh’s cime/comedy ‘The Informant!‘ offers a comedic look at an FBI investigation into an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation.
The film stars Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey to name a few. Based on Kurt Eichenwald’s non-fiction book, Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre, an Ivy League Ph.D. holder working as an executive at agricultural corporate giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).
When the U.S. government begins to suspect ADM of price-fixing, it recruits Whitacre to spy on his own company. Fitted with an FBI wire, he sits in on meetings with ADM’s Japanese competitors, gathering evidence to bring his employer down. But squeezed by both the FBI’s lead agent (Scott Bakula) and his own bosses at ADM, his motives become more and more suspect and his behavior stranger and stranger.
Jennifer’s Body
If you’re looking for something a little darker, then check out award winning writer Diabo Codey’s new horror/comedy ‘Jennifer’s Body.’
Directed by Karyn Kusama (Æon Flux), Jennifer’s body stars Megan Fox (Transformers), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man), Johnny Simmons (Hotel for Dogs), Adam Brody (Thank You for Smoking) and Amy Sedaris (Dance Flick).
Jennifer’s Body is a dark comedy and horror film that follows nerdy Plain Jane Needy Lesnicky as she tries to vanquish her childhood friend Jennifer Check, the popular captain of the high school cheer leading squad turned boy devouring succubus.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
But R rated movies aren’t for everyone. If you’ve got a family to entertain, then maybe ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs‘ is a little more up your ally.
Based on the popular selling kids book, ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs‘ is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and sports an all star cast of voice talent including Bill Hader (Adventureland), Anna Faris (Observe and Report), James Caan (Get Smart), Andy Samberg (Hot Rod), Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness), Mr. T (The A-Team) and Bobb’e J. Thompson (Role Models).
The film follows a scientist named Flint Lockwood (Hader) who has spent his entire life creating inventions that were unwanted or faulty, which doesn’t help his struggle to try to connect with his father (Caan). But when his hometown falls on hard times and the citizens are forced to eat nothing but sardines, Flint develops a method to directly convert water into food and releases the effects on the world. Hunger is eliminated as weather delivers food, but a problem of global proportions soon evolves when the food weather machine that Flint invented develops a mind of its own and rebels against its creator. Flint must then take on the task of stopping his maniac invention to end the ensuing chaos and save the town of Swallow Falls and the world.
Love Happens
If you’re looking for a date movie, then look no further than ‘Love Happens.’
Directed by Brandon Camp, this romantic/drama stars beautiful people Aaron Eckhart (Dark Knight) and Jennifer Aniston (He’s Just Not That Into You).
When a self-help author arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets the one person who might finally be able to help him help himself. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) is on the precipice of a major multimedia deal, but the therapist who asks his patients to openly confront their pain is secretly unable to take his own advice. Eloise Chandler (Aniston) has sworn off men and decided to focus on her floral business. However, when she meets Burke at the hotel where hes speaking, there is an instant attraction. But will two people who have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love another chance? As each struggles with the hurt of love and loss, they realize that in order to move forward, they need to let go of the past. And if they can, they’ll find that, sometimes, love happens when you least expect it.
Pick ‘em
If you really want to see a romance movie, but watching the preview for love happens was enough, then skip it, and go see Abbie Cornish in Bright Star!
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Kyle Zahar on Friday, September 25, 2009
Check out Matt Damon’s new movie ‘The Informant‘. It stars Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula and Joel McHale alongside Matt Damon. Check out the trailer below, and if you like what you see don’t forget we have all the latest interviews and video clips from the movie on our ‘The Informant’ Sitelet!
The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre. - In Theaters September 18th, 2009.
‘The Informant’ News
Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh want to inform you of their new movie ‘The Informant’
‘The Informant’ Videos
The Informant! Clip - Hypothetical question? Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) lays a couple of hypothetical questions on Agents Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) and Bob Herndon (Joel McHale)
Tom Wilson talks ‘The Informant!’ Tom Wilson (Back to the Future) talks about the abundance of comedians cast in THE INFORMANT! and director Steven Soderbergh’s process working with actors. Continue reading…
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Felix Ruttan on Friday, September 25, 2009
Matt Damon in The Informant
Matt Damon, star of The Bourne Trilogy, is starring as Mark Whitacre in the upcoming Dark Comedy/Thriller The Informant.
Jonathan Decarlo @ Examiner points out:
“Not only did Whitacre suffer from manic depressive disorder while working with the FBI, but he also implicated himself as a corporate swindler during said informing and spent close to eight and a half years in a prison “camp” for multiple counts of fraud. It’s not rocket science why this story was made into a movie at this point in our political and financial climate.”
Mark Whitacre circa 2008
Totally bemused by this piece of info, I had to check Mark Whitacre’s Wikipedia entry. Sure enough, with dozens of citations and 2 books written about him (The Informant being the basis for the movie), this true story stands up on its own, albeit crazy, legs.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh (who also did “Sex, Lies, and Videotape“, directed the Ocean’s Trilogy, and recently, “The Girlfriend Experience“) The Informant is based on a true story; Mark Whitacre, vice president of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), becomes the star witness and primary informant for an FBI investigation into ADM’s agriculture related price fixing.
Damon’s character, both naive and ambitious, really looks in over his head in this brand new trailer.
Check out more from The Informant- including still pictures, videos, news and more before it arrives in theaters on Oct. 9, 2009.
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Dave on Friday, September 25, 2009
Continuing on the MovieSet.com TIFF coverage which began with: Toronto International Film Fest - The MovieSet Dossier.
Next up is another list of TIFF-related preview articles, resources and videos to enhance your festival experience whether - in person or virtually. Something else worthy of inclusion? Add a comment or let us know via @movieset on Twitter.
Madness, Just Movie Madness
The remarkable lads of The Substream are on the TIFF scene and brewing up the unique video edu-tainment their TIFF ‘09: MIDNIGHT MADNESS PREVIEW plus other tips about scoring tickets to sold out films and acting like a industry big shot.
In this clip: Mike previews Midnight Madness at TIFF ‘09, and picks the three sleeper cool-ass movies that don’t have the Transformers Babe in them.
Seriously Buzzed at TIFF
Toronto-land newspaper “The Star” rallied up a panel of pundits for predictions and predilections as part of their TIFF coverage. Witness the noted pontifications in TIFF ‘09: Serious buzz in which Werner Herzog rocks the hive as our panelists reveal a taste for controversy when picking their must-see festival films.
No Sleep Til Toronto
Milo at Digital Content serves up a comprehensive list in TIFF ‘09 PRE-FEST REPORT! suggesting very little in the coming days, ergo:
“Starting as early as next week, I will be attending the 2009 Toronto Internation Film Festival (Tiff). I will spend 9 straight days watching some of the coolest, weirdest, funniest, saddest, craziest, most critically-acclaimed films of the year. The best part is that I will document the whole adventure on Digital Kontent. I’ve decided to give all of you the inside scoop from beginning to end. Before the festival starts, I wanted to share with you, my tenative schedule for Tiff ‘09.”
It’s T.O.’s Festival!
TOFilmFest.com is an un-official clearinghouse of film, schedules, tips, and more about Toronto (which is Ontario’s capital but not Canada’s) and are proudly followed by over 2,600 followers…@TOfilmfest.
Finally, add @TIFFBuzz to your Twitter stream for additional notes.
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Austin Lugar on Friday, September 25, 2009
By Austin Lugar
for MovieSet.com
Hayao Miyazaki is truly a director unlike any other. His ability to create his own unique magical world is a feat worth remarking on. ‘Ponyo‘ is his tenth feature film and it is now one of my favorite along with ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and ‘Spirited Away.’
Ponyo (Noah Lindsey Cyrus)
For in his latest cinematic beauty, he throws the audience in right away with practically no introduction to the magical surroundings. Much like WALL-E, Miyazaki has a long wondrous stretch of story without any traditional dialog. It opens with a wizard fish man (Voiced by Liam Neeson) and a large school of goldfish, the largest fish being Ponyo. Ponyo breaks away from her father/wizard and ends up close to the shore where she meets a young human named Sosuke (Voiced by Frankie Jonas, the real fourth Jonas Brothers. Sorry, eight-year-olds I’ve lied to. It’s not me.) Ponyo ends up falling in love with Sosuke and she decides she wants to be human.
Koichi (Matt Damon)
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by Patrick on Friday, September 25, 2009
It didn’t come as any surprise to me when word crept out from Universal that the studio has signed Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass to do another Jason Bourne movie. The existing trilogy of Bourne-mania — The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum — have earned $525 million dollars at the box office domestically and have also been loved by movie critics. In fact, it’s likely that the reason Daniel Craig has to thank for his job as the current 007. And there hasn’t been any shortage of suggestions that Jason Bourne could continue to star in more movies, giving Uni its own James Bond-ish spy franchise that could extend for decades. And today comes the proof that the suits in their Black Tower have been thinking of doing just that.
Posts Tagged ‘matt damon’
TheSubstream’s Take on TIFF - Mike Likes ‘The Loved Ones’ & ‘Symbol’
Posted by admin on Friday, September 25, 2009
It’s easy to rip Matt Damon*, but behind his good looks lies the brain of a thinking man. Matt sat down for an interview with AP and voiced his very well thought out concerns about the possibility of Sarah Palin becoming President of the United States in the event that John McCain is elected and doesn’t make it through a full term.
Check out the video:
* See Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s South Park film, Bigger, Longer and Uncut for an excellent example of making fun of Matt Damon.
This one’s for Patrick, “Matt Damon!”
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