This might have merited its own thread, except the reaction -- also heard elsewhere -- suggests this is a no-hoper.
Miracle at St. Anna
(Italy - U.S.)
By TODD MCCARTHY
A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (in U.S.) release of a Touchstone Pictures presentation, in association with On My Own, Produzioni Cinematografiche and RAI Cinema, of a 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks production. (International sales: TF1, Paris.) Produced by Roberto Cicutto, Luigi Musini, Spike Lee. Executive producers, Marco Valerio Pugini, Jon Kilik. Directed by Spike Lee. Screenplay, James McBride, based on his novel.
Spike Lee loses the battles and the war in "Miracle at St. Anna," a clunky, poorly constructed drama designed to spotlight the little-remarked role of black American soldiers in World War II. Clocking in at 160 minutes, this is a sloppy stew in which the ingredients of battle action, murder mystery, little-kid sentiment and history lesson don't mix well. Nor is it remotely clear who the audience is meant to be; the R rating pretty much rules out younger students, and extensive subtitles will deter action fans, who would be bored anyway. Best B.O. will likely be in Italy, where most of the melodrama takes place.
Pic is a particular disappointment after Lee's reputation-restoring previous feature, "Inside Man," which saw the director working imaginatively within an established genre. Same can't be said here, as Lee has imposed no discipline on novelist James McBride's script, which trudges from digression to digression to the detriment of any dramatic focus.
It remains a wonder that no one, from Lee to the various producers and studio execs, demanded that someone whip this story into more sensible shape before the cameras rolled, so obvious are its excesses and indulgences. Yarn starts with a murder case -- a sixtysomething black postal worker, a devout man and recipient of the Purple Heart, shoots a man who comes to his window to buy a stamp. News of his arrest, and the fact that he is in possession of a piece of Italian statuary worth millions, has weird repercussions in Italy, whereupon the action flashes back to Tuscany, 1944, where the Yanks are putting the hard press on dug-in Nazis.
Focus falls on the Buffalo Soldiers, black soldiers within the 92nd Infantry division in the segregated American army. A number of grunts are sent to ford a river beyond which Germans are thought to wait. The way they're mowed down reinforces the notion that "Eleanor Roosevelt's niggers," as they are derided by racist white officers, are regarded as little more than cannon fodder. In one of the few successful touches, the troops' river crossing is accompanied by a propaganda broadcast from Axis Sally (Alexandra Maria Lara, in an outstanding reading), who goes on about how their country doesn't care about them and even says the Nazis have nothing against the blacks.
Making it across the river and, shortly, up to the small medieval village of Colognora, are Second Staff Sergeant Aubrey Banks (Derek Luke); Sergeant Bishop Cummings (Michael Ealy); Corp. Hector Negron (Laz Alonso), the man charged with murder 40 years later; and Private First Class Sam Train (Omar Benson Miller).
Train, a large man with little military discipline and a preoccupation with religious superstition, saves a 7-year-old boy, Angelo (Matteo Sciabordi), and thereafter watches over him. This sort of heart-tugging, and very Italian, story strand hasn't been seen in an American war movie in years, maybe even decades, and one can see why; it's embarrassing.
The other three guys are made of sterner stuff, but the film comes down with a case of severe lethargy once the men hole up in the village. Issues surrounding a fascist father, his lovely daughter, Renata (Valentina Cerri), whom Bishop gets the hots for, internecine quarrels among the local partisans, and the wait to figure out where the Germans are reduce the picture to the speed of a lumbering tank; two successive scenes of dreadful slaughter put the nail in the coffin. A coda blatantly attempts to pull the heartstrings, but it's not earned.
Beyond the dramatic deficiencies, the writing for character is not good, so that even at the protracted running time, the men don't emerge as strongly etched individuals. Train stands out because of his size and blubbery vulnerability, Stamps is notable for his courage and ability to speak Italian, and Bishop is the randy, gold-toothed one, but fully dimensional they're not.
Lee breaks up the slow flow by plugging in little episodes to dramatize discrimination, notably in a flashback in which German prisoners are allowed to eat in a Southern diner but black G.I.s are not. "I love Italy. I ain't a nigger here," one of them later says to further underline the point. Too bad the film wasn't better written to make the sentiment implicit rather than needing to be said.
Production values are OK without being particularly notables, and Terence Blanchard's score drones on virtually throughout. Lee's early-career cinematograper, Ernest Dickerson, handled second-unit chores.
Toronto Film Festival Line-Up
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And, more. Still not seeing a whole lot I care about.
TORONTO — George Clooney, Edward Norton and up-and-coming Canuck thesp Rachel McAdams are among the celebs that will walk the Gala red carpet in Toronto next month, as the fest announced its 500-plus guest list, full film slate — including 11 Gala pics —and special events Tuesday.
Seven world preems join the Gala gang, including helmer Gavin O’Connor’s NYC cop family saga “Pride and Glory,” starring Norton and Colin Farrell, Toa Fraser’s period pic “Dean Spanley,” starring Peter O’Toole, Jodie Markell’s “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” from a rediscovered Tennessee Williams screenplay, Neil Burger’s “The Lucky Ones,” with McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena as U.S. soldiers on an unplanned road trip, Rod Lurie’s government scandal flick “Nothing But the Truth,” starring Kate Beckingsale and Matt Dillon, foreign Oscar-winner Caroline Link’s family secret story “A Year Ago in Winter” and Jerry Zaks’ Leonard Chess biopic “Who Do You Love,” starring Alessandro Nivola.
The Coen’s Venice-opener “Burn After Reading,” starring Clooney, Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt, gets its North American preem as a Gala, as does Anne Fontaine’s “La Fille de Monaco.”
Gala program also includes work-in-progress “Public Enemy No. 1,” French helmer Jean-Francois Richet’s thriller starring Vincent Cassel as legendary gangster Jacques Mesrine, and Indian box-office hit “Singh Is Kinng,” helmer Anees Bazmee’s romantic-action-comedy starring Akshay Kumar, Om Puri and Katrino Kaif.
The Masters program adds world preem of Paul Schrader’s “Adam Resurrected,” based on Israeli Yoram Kaniuk’s novel about a charismatic patient in a mental institution for Holocaust survivors. Pic stars Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe. Program also includes North American preem of Werner Schroeter’s “Nuit de chien.”
Real to Reel dazzles with the world preem of Adria Petty’s examination of Paris Hilton phenom “Paris, Not France,” modeled after 1960s pic “Darling.” Doc program also adds “Sounds Like Teen Spirit: A Popumentary” and “The Heart of Enin,” about Palestinian father who donated his slain son’s organs to several Israeli children.
Special Presentations adds Daniel Burman’s domestic comedy “Empty Nest" and the work-in-progress omnibus “New York, I Love You,” 12 shorts from international filmmakers, including Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Fatih Akin, Scarlett Johansson, Ivan Attal, Natalie Portman, Shunji Iawi, Jiang Wen and Andrei Zvyagintsev.
Twenty-five titles round out the Contemporary World cinema lineup, which now includes 58 films from 42 countries. Among the pics announced Tuesday are world preems of Mika Kaurismaki’s “Three Wise Men,” Nigel Cole’s Christopher Walken-starrer “$5 a Day,” Rashid Masharawi’s “Laila’s Birthday,” John Stockwell’s “Middle of Nowhere,” Ella Lemhagen’s “Patrik, Age 1.5,” Nicholas Oceano’s bio about “The Real World” cast member Pedro Zamora, Anthony Fabian’s apartheid drama “Skin” and Samira Makhmalbaf’s “Two-Legged Horse.” CWC also adds international preem of Dogme 95 helmer Ole Christian Madsen’s “Flame & Citron” and the North American preem of Olivier Assayas’ “L’Heure d’ete.”
Canada First! adds international preem of helmer Lynn Charlebois’ feature bow “Borderline.”
Mavericks on-stage guests include Kathryn Bigelow, social activist Howard Zinn, thesps Matt Damon and Josh Brolin and painter-director Julian Schnabel.
Also announced is the new public street hub of Yonge-Dundas Square, feature free public performance, including musical artists featured in some of this year’s films (Youssou Ndour, Keb’ Mo’ and cast members of “A Chorus Line”), screenings and events throughout the fest.
This year Toronto presents 249 features: 116 are world preems and 61 are first features.
TORONTO — George Clooney, Edward Norton and up-and-coming Canuck thesp Rachel McAdams are among the celebs that will walk the Gala red carpet in Toronto next month, as the fest announced its 500-plus guest list, full film slate — including 11 Gala pics —and special events Tuesday.
Seven world preems join the Gala gang, including helmer Gavin O’Connor’s NYC cop family saga “Pride and Glory,” starring Norton and Colin Farrell, Toa Fraser’s period pic “Dean Spanley,” starring Peter O’Toole, Jodie Markell’s “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” from a rediscovered Tennessee Williams screenplay, Neil Burger’s “The Lucky Ones,” with McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena as U.S. soldiers on an unplanned road trip, Rod Lurie’s government scandal flick “Nothing But the Truth,” starring Kate Beckingsale and Matt Dillon, foreign Oscar-winner Caroline Link’s family secret story “A Year Ago in Winter” and Jerry Zaks’ Leonard Chess biopic “Who Do You Love,” starring Alessandro Nivola.
The Coen’s Venice-opener “Burn After Reading,” starring Clooney, Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt, gets its North American preem as a Gala, as does Anne Fontaine’s “La Fille de Monaco.”
Gala program also includes work-in-progress “Public Enemy No. 1,” French helmer Jean-Francois Richet’s thriller starring Vincent Cassel as legendary gangster Jacques Mesrine, and Indian box-office hit “Singh Is Kinng,” helmer Anees Bazmee’s romantic-action-comedy starring Akshay Kumar, Om Puri and Katrino Kaif.
The Masters program adds world preem of Paul Schrader’s “Adam Resurrected,” based on Israeli Yoram Kaniuk’s novel about a charismatic patient in a mental institution for Holocaust survivors. Pic stars Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe. Program also includes North American preem of Werner Schroeter’s “Nuit de chien.”
Real to Reel dazzles with the world preem of Adria Petty’s examination of Paris Hilton phenom “Paris, Not France,” modeled after 1960s pic “Darling.” Doc program also adds “Sounds Like Teen Spirit: A Popumentary” and “The Heart of Enin,” about Palestinian father who donated his slain son’s organs to several Israeli children.
Special Presentations adds Daniel Burman’s domestic comedy “Empty Nest" and the work-in-progress omnibus “New York, I Love You,” 12 shorts from international filmmakers, including Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Fatih Akin, Scarlett Johansson, Ivan Attal, Natalie Portman, Shunji Iawi, Jiang Wen and Andrei Zvyagintsev.
Twenty-five titles round out the Contemporary World cinema lineup, which now includes 58 films from 42 countries. Among the pics announced Tuesday are world preems of Mika Kaurismaki’s “Three Wise Men,” Nigel Cole’s Christopher Walken-starrer “$5 a Day,” Rashid Masharawi’s “Laila’s Birthday,” John Stockwell’s “Middle of Nowhere,” Ella Lemhagen’s “Patrik, Age 1.5,” Nicholas Oceano’s bio about “The Real World” cast member Pedro Zamora, Anthony Fabian’s apartheid drama “Skin” and Samira Makhmalbaf’s “Two-Legged Horse.” CWC also adds international preem of Dogme 95 helmer Ole Christian Madsen’s “Flame & Citron” and the North American preem of Olivier Assayas’ “L’Heure d’ete.”
Canada First! adds international preem of helmer Lynn Charlebois’ feature bow “Borderline.”
Mavericks on-stage guests include Kathryn Bigelow, social activist Howard Zinn, thesps Matt Damon and Josh Brolin and painter-director Julian Schnabel.
Also announced is the new public street hub of Yonge-Dundas Square, feature free public performance, including musical artists featured in some of this year’s films (Youssou Ndour, Keb’ Mo’ and cast members of “A Chorus Line”), screenings and events throughout the fest.
This year Toronto presents 249 features: 116 are world preems and 61 are first features.
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Oscar season is now almost close enough to taste. Lots more from Toronto.
Toronto fest adds 20 films to lineup
Additions include 'Che,' 'Synecdoche,' 'Porno'
By ANNE THOMPSON
The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 4 through 13, 2008, has announced the addition of twenty new films to its special presentations lineup.
Per usual, some of the same films will also be showing at October's New York Film Festival, including Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke as a broken-down fighter. French sales company Wild Bunch is seeking a North American distrib for the drama.
Both fests will be showing Steven Soderbergh's "Che" (starring Benicio del Toro as the Latin American revolutionary), which divided audiences at Cannes, at its full length. "We get to have our cake and eat it too," said long-time fest programmer Cameron Bailey, who replaced Noah Cowan as fest director this year. "We'll show it the first time as two separate films on two separate nights. People also will get to see it as one back-to-back epic with a 15- minute intermission. You can choose your 'Che.'"
Clint Eastwood's "Changeling," which will be the centerpiece of the New York Film Festival, will not be at Toronto because there was uncertainty about new mother Angelina Jolie's availability to participate in a gala premiere. "We would have loved to have had Clint Eastwood," said Bailey, "but the only way to present the movie in a big way was as a gala with Eastwood and Jolie."
Toronto, but not New York, will screen the Cannes Fest entry from write-turned-director Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as a theater director who mounts an endlessly unfolding ensemble theater piece inside a warehouse in New York City. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film last week.
Another theater-set film, Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles," stars young Christian McKay (who played Welles off-Broadway) in the title role. Claire Danes and teen hunk Zac Efron co-star. The Brit pic is expected to be a key sales title.
Balancing out the serious dramas, many of them about "family loss," said Bailey, are "wild comedies taking on taboos and sacred cows in society," such as Kevin Smith's hard-R-rated "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as long-time pal roommates who try to raise cash by making a porn film. The Weinstein Co. will release the comedy stateside October 31.
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment will be seeking a distrib for Stephen Belber's romantic road comedy "Management," starring Jennifer Aniston as a buttoned-down girl pursued by slacker motel clerk Steve Zahn, in his first role as a romantic leading man.
Of the foreign line-up, Bailey and his programmers sifted through strong selections, he said, especially from Latin America, Japan and Germany. French director Barbet Schroeder supplied the thriller "Inju, la bête dans l'ombre," about a crime novelist who visits Japan and finds that fiction becomes indistinguishable from reality. "It's Schroeder's take on Japanese culture," said Bailey. "It's perverse, weird and sexy."
The full Toronto list of 20 special presentations added to the program follows.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Aide-toi le ciel t'aidera
François Dupeyron, France
World Premiere
In his latest film, François Dupeyron (Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran, TIFF 2003) again turns his attention to an underprivileged sector of society, creating a memorable figure of remarkable spirit and tenacity. Sonia (Félicité Wouassi, La Haine), the long-suffering matriarch of the Mousse family, finds her life spiraling out of control on her daughter's wedding day – her eldest son is dabbling with drugs while her husband has gambled away the money for the wedding reception. She is determined, however, that nothing will disrupt this special day.
Un Barrage Contre le Pacifique Rithy Panh
France/Cambodia/Belgium
World Premiere
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Marguerite Duras, Un Barrage Contre le Pacifique is directed by Rithy Panh (S21, La Machine de mort Khmère Rouge, TIFF 2003), who has turned to a classic work French literature to make a film about his native country. The legendary Isabelle Huppert stars as the matriarch of a small land-owning family in 1930s French Indochina (now Cambodia) who try to survive by working on rice fields located dangerously close to the ocean. Driven to fight against both nature and corrupt bureaucrats, she devises an imaginative scheme to build a dam against the sea with the help of the villagers.
The Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson, USA
World Premiere
The brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo) are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last con – showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz) the time of her life with a romantic adventure that carries them around the world. The Brothers Bloom also features Rinko Kikuchi, Maximilian Schell and Robbie Coltrane.
Easy Virtue
Stephan Elliott, UK/USA
World Premiere
Colin Firth, Jessica Biel, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Barnes star in an adaptation by Stephan Elliott (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) of Noel Coward's wickedly witty play. A young Englishman (John Whittaker), falls madly in love with an older woman – Larita is sexy, glamorous and American. They marry impetuously. When they return to John's family home, his mother Veronica has an instant allergic reaction to her new daughter-in-law but Larita finds an unlikely ally in John's father.
Faubourg 36
Christophe Barratier
France
A dazzling musical from the director of Les Choristes (TIFF 2004), Faubourg 36 is set between December 1935 and July 1936 in a working-class neighbourhood on the northeastern edge of Paris. The springtime election of a left-wing government brings wild new hopes, yet also sees the rise of extremist ideas. Three unemployed stage workers decide to produce a "hit show "and occupy the music hall where they formally worked. The stage is set for a short-lived but wonderful adventure.
Genova
Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Seeking a new life after the sudden death of his wife, Joe (Colin Firth) moves his family to the exotic Italian town of Genova, hoping for a fresh start for himself and his two daughters. His eldest daughter Kelly explores the sexy and dangerous underbelly of this mysterious city, leaving the younger Mary in a world of her own. A poignant tale of love and forgiveness, Genova is directed by Michael Winterbottom (Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, TIFF 2005), and also stars Catherine Keener and Hope Davis.
Is There Anybody There?
John Crowley, United Kingdom
World Premiere
From the director of Boy A, comes a wise and charming story of an unlikely friendship between a scruffy former magician and a little boy with a morbid streak. Ten year-old Edward (Bill Milner) has become increasingly obsessed with death and the afterlife since his parents turned their house into a retirement home. Edward's is a lonely and peculiar existence – until he meets Clarence (Michael Caine) who introduces him to wonders in the here-and-now.
Last Stop 174
Bruno Barreto, Brazil
World Premiere
Director Bruno Barreto expands on the true event at the centre of José Padilha and Felipe Lacerda's hard-hitting documentary Bus 174 (TIFF 2003), telling the story of how a child grows up to become a hostage-taker. Young Sandro lives in the slums of Rio de Janeiro where corruption and violence are the norm. Orphaned, alienated and fearing for his life, Sandro falls into a life of crime from which he may find it impossible to escape.
Management
Stephen Belber, USA
World Premiere
Management is a romantic comedy that chronicles a chance meeting between Mike Cranshaw (Steve Zahn) and Sue Claussen (Jennifer Aniston). When Sue checks into the roadside motel owned by Mike's parents in Arizona, what starts with a bottle of wine "compliments of management" soon evolves into a multi-layered, cross-country journey of two people looking for a sense of purpose. Mike, an aimless dreamer, bets it all on a trip to Sue's workplace in Maryland – only to find that she has no place for him in her carefully ordered life. Buttoned down and obsessed with making a difference in the world, Sue goes back to her yogurt mogul ex-boyfriend Jango (Woody Harrelson), who promises her a chance to head his charity operations. But having found something worth fighting for, Mike pits his hopes against Sue's practicality, and the two embark on a twisted, bumpy, freeing journey to discover that their place in the world just might be together.
Me and Orson Welles
Richard Linklater, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Zac Efron, Claire Daines, Ben Chaplin and Christian McKay star in this entertaining ode to Orson Welles from the director of The School of Rock (TIFF 2003) and Before Sunrise. Seventeen-year-old Richard Samuels (Efron) spends his days dreaming of the bright lights of Broadway. He gets his big break when he happens upon Orson Welles (McKay) and his fledgling Mercury Theatre company. Richard impresses Welles with an impromptu audition and lands a bit part in the Mercury's forthcoming run of Julius Caesar. With Welles's womanizing taking priority over rehearsals, chaos and calamity mark the production from the start. Before long, opening night has arrived and Richard will discover the terrible secrets of show business.
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle, United Kingdom
World Premiere
From acclaimed director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) comes a story about a kid with nothing, who has everything to lose. Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to be A Millionaire? Arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police the amazing tale of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. But what is a kid with no interest in money doing on the show? And how does he know all the answers?
A Woman in Berlin
Max Färberböck, Germany/Poland
World Premiere
Adapted from the international bestseller based on a true story, A Woman in Berlin is directed by Golden Globe nominee Max Färberböck (Aimée & Jaguar). In April 1945, the Red Army invades Berlin; among the chaos, a group of women fall victim to rape in a half-destroyed house. One of them is a former journalist and photographer. In desperation, she decides to find an officer who can protect her. A relationship develops with a Russian officer; soon, what began as an act of self-preservation becomes a complicated and forbidden affair.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Kevin Smith, USA
World Premiere
Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks star in this bawdy tale of love and friendship from Kevin Smith. Lifelong friends and roommates Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) are facing hard times and a mountain of debt. When the electricity and plumbing get cut off, the two seize upon the idea of making a homegrown porno movie for some quick cash, enlisting the help of their friends. The two vow that having sex will not ruin their friendship; but as everyone starts "doing" everyone, what started out as a friendly business proposition turns into something much more.
A Perfect Day
Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy
International Premiere
One year after their separation, the violence that defined Emma and Antonio's marriage returns with ferocious consequences. Meanwhile, Antonio's boss, MP Fioravanti, tries frantically to salvage his political career, unaware that he is destroying his personal life by pushing his young wife to desert him, having already alienated his only son. An adaptation of the novel by Melania Mazzucco, A Perfect Day juxtaposes competing stories of disintegration and personal ruin as a group of characters challenge the cards they have been dealt and try to regain control of their lives – even if it means performing an unspeakable act of betrayal against those they love the most. More than one option(Film) A Perfect Day
(Tv) A Perfect Day
Séraphine
Martin Provost, France/Belgium
International Premiere
Based on a true story, Séraphine delves into the relationship between naive painter Séraphine Louis (1864–1942) and art collector Wilhelm Uhde. In a little town north of Paris, Séraphine works as a maid for Madame Duphot, who rents an apartment to German art critic and dealer Wilhelm Uhde, an enthusiastic advocate of modern and primitive artists. In her spare time, Séraphine paints, with anything she can find – wine, mud, a mixture of fruits and flowers. When Wilhelm comes across one of her paintings, he is instantly mesmerized and insists that Séraphine show him the rest of her work. So begins a nurturing relationship that will expose Séraphine's work to the world. But as Séraphine paints her most inspired canvas, the power of her work leads her into the realms of madness.
35 Rhums
Claire Denis, France
North American Premiere
The celebrated French filmmaker Claire Denis returns with 35 Rhums, exploring the working underclass of French society. Lionel, a widower, has raised his daughter Josephine on his own. They lead a quiet, comfortable life together, devoted to one another. Their relationship, however, starts to change when Jo befriends a young man and Lionel entertains the attention of a middle-aged woman. Before long, father and daughter find themselves forced to reconcile the past.
The Burning Plain
Guillermo Arriaga, USA
North American Premiere
Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger star in Academy Award-nominee Guillermo Arriaga's directorial debut, a romantic mystery about a one woman's emotional journey to uncover the secret of a past love. Theron plays Sylvia, a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool demeanor masks the sexually charged storm within. When a stranger confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to three disparate characters, all grappling with their own romantic destinies. Basinger stars as the housewife whose affair puts them all on a collision course with the explosive power of forbidden love.
Che: Part One
Stephen Soderbergh, USA/Spain
North American Premiere
On November 26, 1956, Fidel Castro sails to Cuba with eighty rebels. One of those rebels is Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentine doctor who shares a common goal with Fidel Castro – to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che proves indispensable as a fighter, and quickly grasps the art of guerrilla warfare. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. Che: Part One tracks Che's rise in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to commander to revolutionary hero.
Che: Part Two
Stephen Soderbergh, USA/Spain
North American Premiere
After the Cuban Revolution, Che is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice and idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Che: Part Two explores how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.
Inju, la bête dans l'ombre
Barbet Schroeder, France
North American Premiere
Barbet Schroeder directs this thriller starring Benoît Magimel (La Pianiste) as Fayard, a successful crime novelist. Invited to Japan for the release of his latest book, he encounters Tamao, a geisha who confides to him that one of her former lovers is threatening to kill her. This former lover may well be Shundei Oe, a novelist known for his extremely violent and disturbing books, and whose work Alex has studied extensively. Agreeing to help Tamao, Alex finds himself pitted against a man bent on vengeance and before long, his business trip becomes a bloody quest in which fiction becomes indistinguishable from reality.
Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman, USA
North American Premiere
Worried about the transience of his life, theatre director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman) leaves his home behind and sets out to construct a massive artistic enterprise. Gathering an ensemble cast into a warehouse in New York City, he hopes to create a work of brutal honesty. He directs them in a celebration of the mundane, instructing each to live out their constructed lives in a growing mockup of the city outside. The years rapidly fold into each other, and Caden buries himself deeper into his masterpiece but the textured tangle of real and theatrical relationships blurs the line between the world of the play and that of Caden's own deteriorating reality. Synecdoche also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Dianne Wiest, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Emily Watson and Hope Davis.
The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky, USA
North American Premiere
Back in the late '80s, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of die-hard wrestling fans in high-school gyms and community centres. Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans; but when he suffers a heart attack after a match, he is forced into retirement. He begins to evaluate the state of his life but the allure of the spotlight and the passion for his sport threatens to pull him back inside the ring. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain, TIFF 2006), The Wrestler also stars Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Judah Friedlander and the Necro Butcher. More than one option(Film) The Fountain
(Film) The Fountain
Flash of Genius
Marc Abraham, USA
Canadian Premiere
Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns' (Greg Kinnear) long battle with the American automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David tried the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees. Flash of Genius also stars Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney and Alan Alda.
Toronto fest adds 20 films to lineup
Additions include 'Che,' 'Synecdoche,' 'Porno'
By ANNE THOMPSON
The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 4 through 13, 2008, has announced the addition of twenty new films to its special presentations lineup.
Per usual, some of the same films will also be showing at October's New York Film Festival, including Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke as a broken-down fighter. French sales company Wild Bunch is seeking a North American distrib for the drama.
Both fests will be showing Steven Soderbergh's "Che" (starring Benicio del Toro as the Latin American revolutionary), which divided audiences at Cannes, at its full length. "We get to have our cake and eat it too," said long-time fest programmer Cameron Bailey, who replaced Noah Cowan as fest director this year. "We'll show it the first time as two separate films on two separate nights. People also will get to see it as one back-to-back epic with a 15- minute intermission. You can choose your 'Che.'"
Clint Eastwood's "Changeling," which will be the centerpiece of the New York Film Festival, will not be at Toronto because there was uncertainty about new mother Angelina Jolie's availability to participate in a gala premiere. "We would have loved to have had Clint Eastwood," said Bailey, "but the only way to present the movie in a big way was as a gala with Eastwood and Jolie."
Toronto, but not New York, will screen the Cannes Fest entry from write-turned-director Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as a theater director who mounts an endlessly unfolding ensemble theater piece inside a warehouse in New York City. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film last week.
Another theater-set film, Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles," stars young Christian McKay (who played Welles off-Broadway) in the title role. Claire Danes and teen hunk Zac Efron co-star. The Brit pic is expected to be a key sales title.
Balancing out the serious dramas, many of them about "family loss," said Bailey, are "wild comedies taking on taboos and sacred cows in society," such as Kevin Smith's hard-R-rated "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as long-time pal roommates who try to raise cash by making a porn film. The Weinstein Co. will release the comedy stateside October 31.
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment will be seeking a distrib for Stephen Belber's romantic road comedy "Management," starring Jennifer Aniston as a buttoned-down girl pursued by slacker motel clerk Steve Zahn, in his first role as a romantic leading man.
Of the foreign line-up, Bailey and his programmers sifted through strong selections, he said, especially from Latin America, Japan and Germany. French director Barbet Schroeder supplied the thriller "Inju, la bête dans l'ombre," about a crime novelist who visits Japan and finds that fiction becomes indistinguishable from reality. "It's Schroeder's take on Japanese culture," said Bailey. "It's perverse, weird and sexy."
The full Toronto list of 20 special presentations added to the program follows.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Aide-toi le ciel t'aidera
François Dupeyron, France
World Premiere
In his latest film, François Dupeyron (Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran, TIFF 2003) again turns his attention to an underprivileged sector of society, creating a memorable figure of remarkable spirit and tenacity. Sonia (Félicité Wouassi, La Haine), the long-suffering matriarch of the Mousse family, finds her life spiraling out of control on her daughter's wedding day – her eldest son is dabbling with drugs while her husband has gambled away the money for the wedding reception. She is determined, however, that nothing will disrupt this special day.
Un Barrage Contre le Pacifique Rithy Panh
France/Cambodia/Belgium
World Premiere
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Marguerite Duras, Un Barrage Contre le Pacifique is directed by Rithy Panh (S21, La Machine de mort Khmère Rouge, TIFF 2003), who has turned to a classic work French literature to make a film about his native country. The legendary Isabelle Huppert stars as the matriarch of a small land-owning family in 1930s French Indochina (now Cambodia) who try to survive by working on rice fields located dangerously close to the ocean. Driven to fight against both nature and corrupt bureaucrats, she devises an imaginative scheme to build a dam against the sea with the help of the villagers.
The Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson, USA
World Premiere
The brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo) are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last con – showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz) the time of her life with a romantic adventure that carries them around the world. The Brothers Bloom also features Rinko Kikuchi, Maximilian Schell and Robbie Coltrane.
Easy Virtue
Stephan Elliott, UK/USA
World Premiere
Colin Firth, Jessica Biel, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Barnes star in an adaptation by Stephan Elliott (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) of Noel Coward's wickedly witty play. A young Englishman (John Whittaker), falls madly in love with an older woman – Larita is sexy, glamorous and American. They marry impetuously. When they return to John's family home, his mother Veronica has an instant allergic reaction to her new daughter-in-law but Larita finds an unlikely ally in John's father.
Faubourg 36
Christophe Barratier
France
A dazzling musical from the director of Les Choristes (TIFF 2004), Faubourg 36 is set between December 1935 and July 1936 in a working-class neighbourhood on the northeastern edge of Paris. The springtime election of a left-wing government brings wild new hopes, yet also sees the rise of extremist ideas. Three unemployed stage workers decide to produce a "hit show "and occupy the music hall where they formally worked. The stage is set for a short-lived but wonderful adventure.
Genova
Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Seeking a new life after the sudden death of his wife, Joe (Colin Firth) moves his family to the exotic Italian town of Genova, hoping for a fresh start for himself and his two daughters. His eldest daughter Kelly explores the sexy and dangerous underbelly of this mysterious city, leaving the younger Mary in a world of her own. A poignant tale of love and forgiveness, Genova is directed by Michael Winterbottom (Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, TIFF 2005), and also stars Catherine Keener and Hope Davis.
Is There Anybody There?
John Crowley, United Kingdom
World Premiere
From the director of Boy A, comes a wise and charming story of an unlikely friendship between a scruffy former magician and a little boy with a morbid streak. Ten year-old Edward (Bill Milner) has become increasingly obsessed with death and the afterlife since his parents turned their house into a retirement home. Edward's is a lonely and peculiar existence – until he meets Clarence (Michael Caine) who introduces him to wonders in the here-and-now.
Last Stop 174
Bruno Barreto, Brazil
World Premiere
Director Bruno Barreto expands on the true event at the centre of José Padilha and Felipe Lacerda's hard-hitting documentary Bus 174 (TIFF 2003), telling the story of how a child grows up to become a hostage-taker. Young Sandro lives in the slums of Rio de Janeiro where corruption and violence are the norm. Orphaned, alienated and fearing for his life, Sandro falls into a life of crime from which he may find it impossible to escape.
Management
Stephen Belber, USA
World Premiere
Management is a romantic comedy that chronicles a chance meeting between Mike Cranshaw (Steve Zahn) and Sue Claussen (Jennifer Aniston). When Sue checks into the roadside motel owned by Mike's parents in Arizona, what starts with a bottle of wine "compliments of management" soon evolves into a multi-layered, cross-country journey of two people looking for a sense of purpose. Mike, an aimless dreamer, bets it all on a trip to Sue's workplace in Maryland – only to find that she has no place for him in her carefully ordered life. Buttoned down and obsessed with making a difference in the world, Sue goes back to her yogurt mogul ex-boyfriend Jango (Woody Harrelson), who promises her a chance to head his charity operations. But having found something worth fighting for, Mike pits his hopes against Sue's practicality, and the two embark on a twisted, bumpy, freeing journey to discover that their place in the world just might be together.
Me and Orson Welles
Richard Linklater, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Zac Efron, Claire Daines, Ben Chaplin and Christian McKay star in this entertaining ode to Orson Welles from the director of The School of Rock (TIFF 2003) and Before Sunrise. Seventeen-year-old Richard Samuels (Efron) spends his days dreaming of the bright lights of Broadway. He gets his big break when he happens upon Orson Welles (McKay) and his fledgling Mercury Theatre company. Richard impresses Welles with an impromptu audition and lands a bit part in the Mercury's forthcoming run of Julius Caesar. With Welles's womanizing taking priority over rehearsals, chaos and calamity mark the production from the start. Before long, opening night has arrived and Richard will discover the terrible secrets of show business.
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle, United Kingdom
World Premiere
From acclaimed director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) comes a story about a kid with nothing, who has everything to lose. Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to be A Millionaire? Arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police the amazing tale of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. But what is a kid with no interest in money doing on the show? And how does he know all the answers?
A Woman in Berlin
Max Färberböck, Germany/Poland
World Premiere
Adapted from the international bestseller based on a true story, A Woman in Berlin is directed by Golden Globe nominee Max Färberböck (Aimée & Jaguar). In April 1945, the Red Army invades Berlin; among the chaos, a group of women fall victim to rape in a half-destroyed house. One of them is a former journalist and photographer. In desperation, she decides to find an officer who can protect her. A relationship develops with a Russian officer; soon, what began as an act of self-preservation becomes a complicated and forbidden affair.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Kevin Smith, USA
World Premiere
Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks star in this bawdy tale of love and friendship from Kevin Smith. Lifelong friends and roommates Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) are facing hard times and a mountain of debt. When the electricity and plumbing get cut off, the two seize upon the idea of making a homegrown porno movie for some quick cash, enlisting the help of their friends. The two vow that having sex will not ruin their friendship; but as everyone starts "doing" everyone, what started out as a friendly business proposition turns into something much more.
A Perfect Day
Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy
International Premiere
One year after their separation, the violence that defined Emma and Antonio's marriage returns with ferocious consequences. Meanwhile, Antonio's boss, MP Fioravanti, tries frantically to salvage his political career, unaware that he is destroying his personal life by pushing his young wife to desert him, having already alienated his only son. An adaptation of the novel by Melania Mazzucco, A Perfect Day juxtaposes competing stories of disintegration and personal ruin as a group of characters challenge the cards they have been dealt and try to regain control of their lives – even if it means performing an unspeakable act of betrayal against those they love the most. More than one option(Film) A Perfect Day
(Tv) A Perfect Day
Séraphine
Martin Provost, France/Belgium
International Premiere
Based on a true story, Séraphine delves into the relationship between naive painter Séraphine Louis (1864–1942) and art collector Wilhelm Uhde. In a little town north of Paris, Séraphine works as a maid for Madame Duphot, who rents an apartment to German art critic and dealer Wilhelm Uhde, an enthusiastic advocate of modern and primitive artists. In her spare time, Séraphine paints, with anything she can find – wine, mud, a mixture of fruits and flowers. When Wilhelm comes across one of her paintings, he is instantly mesmerized and insists that Séraphine show him the rest of her work. So begins a nurturing relationship that will expose Séraphine's work to the world. But as Séraphine paints her most inspired canvas, the power of her work leads her into the realms of madness.
35 Rhums
Claire Denis, France
North American Premiere
The celebrated French filmmaker Claire Denis returns with 35 Rhums, exploring the working underclass of French society. Lionel, a widower, has raised his daughter Josephine on his own. They lead a quiet, comfortable life together, devoted to one another. Their relationship, however, starts to change when Jo befriends a young man and Lionel entertains the attention of a middle-aged woman. Before long, father and daughter find themselves forced to reconcile the past.
The Burning Plain
Guillermo Arriaga, USA
North American Premiere
Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger star in Academy Award-nominee Guillermo Arriaga's directorial debut, a romantic mystery about a one woman's emotional journey to uncover the secret of a past love. Theron plays Sylvia, a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool demeanor masks the sexually charged storm within. When a stranger confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to three disparate characters, all grappling with their own romantic destinies. Basinger stars as the housewife whose affair puts them all on a collision course with the explosive power of forbidden love.
Che: Part One
Stephen Soderbergh, USA/Spain
North American Premiere
On November 26, 1956, Fidel Castro sails to Cuba with eighty rebels. One of those rebels is Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentine doctor who shares a common goal with Fidel Castro – to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che proves indispensable as a fighter, and quickly grasps the art of guerrilla warfare. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. Che: Part One tracks Che's rise in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to commander to revolutionary hero.
Che: Part Two
Stephen Soderbergh, USA/Spain
North American Premiere
After the Cuban Revolution, Che is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice and idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Che: Part Two explores how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.
Inju, la bête dans l'ombre
Barbet Schroeder, France
North American Premiere
Barbet Schroeder directs this thriller starring Benoît Magimel (La Pianiste) as Fayard, a successful crime novelist. Invited to Japan for the release of his latest book, he encounters Tamao, a geisha who confides to him that one of her former lovers is threatening to kill her. This former lover may well be Shundei Oe, a novelist known for his extremely violent and disturbing books, and whose work Alex has studied extensively. Agreeing to help Tamao, Alex finds himself pitted against a man bent on vengeance and before long, his business trip becomes a bloody quest in which fiction becomes indistinguishable from reality.
Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman, USA
North American Premiere
Worried about the transience of his life, theatre director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman) leaves his home behind and sets out to construct a massive artistic enterprise. Gathering an ensemble cast into a warehouse in New York City, he hopes to create a work of brutal honesty. He directs them in a celebration of the mundane, instructing each to live out their constructed lives in a growing mockup of the city outside. The years rapidly fold into each other, and Caden buries himself deeper into his masterpiece but the textured tangle of real and theatrical relationships blurs the line between the world of the play and that of Caden's own deteriorating reality. Synecdoche also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Dianne Wiest, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Emily Watson and Hope Davis.
The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky, USA
North American Premiere
Back in the late '80s, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of die-hard wrestling fans in high-school gyms and community centres. Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans; but when he suffers a heart attack after a match, he is forced into retirement. He begins to evaluate the state of his life but the allure of the spotlight and the passion for his sport threatens to pull him back inside the ring. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain, TIFF 2006), The Wrestler also stars Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Judah Friedlander and the Necro Butcher. More than one option(Film) The Fountain
(Film) The Fountain
Flash of Genius
Marc Abraham, USA
Canadian Premiere
Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns' (Greg Kinnear) long battle with the American automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David tried the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees. Flash of Genius also stars Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney and Alan Alda.
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A little late on this. The first of presumably several posts updating the line-up for the Oscar kick-off event.
by Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor
Although it does not start for almost two more months, the first press releases from the Toronto International Film Festival (www.tiff08.ca) are already stirring up anticipation for what has become one of the top film festival events in the world. Overlapping with the closing days of the Venice Film Festival and immediately following the boutique Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, the Canadian juggernaut is viewed by many industry insiders as the official start of the fall film season and the first chapter in what has become an extended “awards season”.
The independent and international film industries, which have been battered these past few months with downbeat economic realities and troubling closures of several major American and European distribution companies, are looking to Toronto to provide a ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy forecast. Whether Toronto can provide that shot of adrenaline that the industry desperately needs is still unclear, but the first announcements of films to screen at the prestigious showcase are already generating considerable industry buzz and speculation.
Two highly anticipated European films were announced a few days ago in the first of several programming announcements that will be sequentially released over the next month. Good, a UK/German co-production by Brazilian director Vicente Amorim, will have its world premiere at the event. Viggo Mortensen stars as John Halder, a literature professor in the 1930s who writes a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia. His interest in “mercy killing” is quite personal….he has a neurotic wife, two demanding children and a mother suffering from senile dementia. When the book is unexpectedly enlisted by powerful political figures in support of government propaganda, Halder encounters a troubling moral dilemma with personal consequences. The film, director Amorim’s follow up to his 2003 The Middle Of The World, also stars Jason Isaacs, Jodie Whittaker, Mark Strong and Gemma Jones. It was produced by London-based production company Good Films and German shingle Miromar Entertainment. For more information and to view a trailer, visit the film’s official website.
Toronto serves as the North American festival premiere for the celebrated Italian film Il Divo directed by Paolo Sorrentino. The Italian/French co-production won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is a biopic of the controversial Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti, who was elected to the office seven times over a 40 year political career. In many ways, he held the fate of Italy in his hands for over half a century until the disconcerting accusations of involvement with the Mafia caused his political downfall. The film has been praised as an insightful, intensely political film that delves into the hidden character of one of the most powerful figures in the history of Italian politics. The film was produced by Rome-based Indigo Films in collaboration with Studio Canal and Arte France Cinéma. The project received subsidy support from Il Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Eurimages and the Film Commission Torino-Piemonte. For more information and to view a trailer of the film, visit the official film website.
Other films already announced for the event include: Disgrace, an Australian/South African drama directed by Steve Jacobs and starring John Malkovich; Miracle at St. Anna, a world premiere presentation by iconic American director Spike Lee; Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, an American indie film set in New York’s rock-n-roll scene directed by Peter Sollett; and the Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker by American director Kathryn Biglelow, with an all-star cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Jeremy Renner and Christian Camargo.
The Festival previously announced that it will open with the World Premiere of Passchendaele, written, directed and produced by celebrated Canadian filmmaker Paul Gross. The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4 to 13, 2008.
by Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor
Although it does not start for almost two more months, the first press releases from the Toronto International Film Festival (www.tiff08.ca) are already stirring up anticipation for what has become one of the top film festival events in the world. Overlapping with the closing days of the Venice Film Festival and immediately following the boutique Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, the Canadian juggernaut is viewed by many industry insiders as the official start of the fall film season and the first chapter in what has become an extended “awards season”.
The independent and international film industries, which have been battered these past few months with downbeat economic realities and troubling closures of several major American and European distribution companies, are looking to Toronto to provide a ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy forecast. Whether Toronto can provide that shot of adrenaline that the industry desperately needs is still unclear, but the first announcements of films to screen at the prestigious showcase are already generating considerable industry buzz and speculation.
Two highly anticipated European films were announced a few days ago in the first of several programming announcements that will be sequentially released over the next month. Good, a UK/German co-production by Brazilian director Vicente Amorim, will have its world premiere at the event. Viggo Mortensen stars as John Halder, a literature professor in the 1930s who writes a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia. His interest in “mercy killing” is quite personal….he has a neurotic wife, two demanding children and a mother suffering from senile dementia. When the book is unexpectedly enlisted by powerful political figures in support of government propaganda, Halder encounters a troubling moral dilemma with personal consequences. The film, director Amorim’s follow up to his 2003 The Middle Of The World, also stars Jason Isaacs, Jodie Whittaker, Mark Strong and Gemma Jones. It was produced by London-based production company Good Films and German shingle Miromar Entertainment. For more information and to view a trailer, visit the film’s official website.
Toronto serves as the North American festival premiere for the celebrated Italian film Il Divo directed by Paolo Sorrentino. The Italian/French co-production won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is a biopic of the controversial Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti, who was elected to the office seven times over a 40 year political career. In many ways, he held the fate of Italy in his hands for over half a century until the disconcerting accusations of involvement with the Mafia caused his political downfall. The film has been praised as an insightful, intensely political film that delves into the hidden character of one of the most powerful figures in the history of Italian politics. The film was produced by Rome-based Indigo Films in collaboration with Studio Canal and Arte France Cinéma. The project received subsidy support from Il Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Eurimages and the Film Commission Torino-Piemonte. For more information and to view a trailer of the film, visit the official film website.
Other films already announced for the event include: Disgrace, an Australian/South African drama directed by Steve Jacobs and starring John Malkovich; Miracle at St. Anna, a world premiere presentation by iconic American director Spike Lee; Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, an American indie film set in New York’s rock-n-roll scene directed by Peter Sollett; and the Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker by American director Kathryn Biglelow, with an all-star cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Jeremy Renner and Christian Camargo.
The Festival previously announced that it will open with the World Premiere of Passchendaele, written, directed and produced by celebrated Canadian filmmaker Paul Gross. The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4 to 13, 2008.