T.F.S. Androcles And The Lion

The Toronto Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and enjoyment of film and movies.

Androcles And The Lion (1952) tells the story of Androcles a bumbling tailor living during the Roman persecution of the Christian's.  Androcles, a Christian, hasn't met an animal he doesn't love and that includes lions.  It's not long before Androcles is captured by the Romans and sent to Rome, with other fellow Christians, to be martyred in the Coliseum.  Will Androcles and the rest of his faithful friends be able to keep their faith or will they bend and sacrifice to the Roman gods to spare their lives and keep them from being fed to the lions, that he loves so much.   (4.0/6.0)  

T.F.S. One Touch Of Venus

The Toronto Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and enjoyment of film and movies

One Touch Of Venus (1948) tells the story of a statue of Venus (Goddess Of Love) that comes to life when a hapless store clerk gives it a kiss one night.  The beautiful Ava Gardner who plays Venus falls in love with the clerk and the comedy ensues as she turns his life upside down as she pursues him.  In the end everyone finds their true love, although they aren't who they originally intended.  I LOVED this movie.  I would have to say this is the best of the T.F.S. movies I have seen this season.   It is a definite feel good movie and it brings a smile to my face just remembering.  Definitely a must see if you can find a copy.  (5.0/6.0)

Step Up 3D

Okay so this is definitely not Shakespeare or anything close but in the end it was an enjoyable, feel good movie with a somewhat interesting story line.  It didn't have much depth, I will admit, but that is not what it's purpose was.  It being a dance movie... the plot was only strong enough to carry the story from one dance routine to the next.   It's these routines, though, are what we the audience were wanting to see and they are impressive.   The choreography and cinematography of the movie were excellent.  I didn't end up seeing this movie in 3D but that wasn't necessary in my opinion... actually I truly don't think that 3D would have added much to my enjoyment... as I was already impressed enough with the 2D version.  Definitely a fun movie.  (3.5/6.0)

Eat Pray Love

After all the hype surrounding this movie, it was a surprise to be so disappointed in the end.  I truly did not like this movie, for reason's discussed below, and I left the theater feeling let down for what could have been a great up lifting story.  Some will say that maybe that was not what the film maker was intending but I don't think so.  That being said, the movie did have some redeeming qualities in its filming.   The cinematography was pretty impressive showing scenes from Italy, India and Bali...  it could have almost been a better travelogue movie as opposed to a drama.   Julia Roberts is, as always, a phenomenal actress and she does bring her professionalism and presence to her part.  (2.5/6.0)

**** SPOILER ALERT ****

Julia Roberts plays Liz Gilbert...  whom we discover is feeling "unbalanced" in her current life and is extremely unhappy about this.   The movie tells the story of her taking "control" or her life by divorcing her husband and going on a quest of self-discovery over the course of a year... spending 4 months each in Italy, India and Bali.  Where the likability fails in my opinion is my emotional attachment to Liz's character.  In order for us to care for Liz's plight, I think we need to feel some emotional attachment, that I just couldn't bring myself to feel.  In the beginning I found myself feeling that she was spoiled and self centered as opposed to being a person to feel sorry for.   The film didn't go into any detail of what was wrong with her marriage, only that she was unhappy.   Her poor husband begs her to stay with him... stating he is willing to do pretty well anything to work things out and she refuses.  Because we don't have anything to dislike her husband for, I ended up feeling MORE sorry for him than her.    Through out the rest of the movie this keeps happening over and over, so we watch as she goes on a journey of self discovery that has hurt people in her life, for her to take.   So in the end I truly did not feel sorry for her.

Cairo Time

Last night the people from the TIFF aired a free outdoor viewing of Cairo Time in Metro Square.  For those of you who don't know Toronto hosts quite an extensive list of free outdoor movies during the summer.  The movies range from popular main stream movies to more artistic/independent fair.  If you love movies and want a fun night out, I highly recommend that you check some of these out. Google, as always, is your friend for finding out times and locations of these events.

I found Cairo Time to be a complicated movie with, in my opinion, two faces.  At face value, its a movie about a women, Juliette, who arrives in Cairo to visit her husband who works for the U.N. in the region.  We are told early on that her husband will be delayed, due to a crisis, and so she is left to her own devices in this strange (to her) city.  It's during his absence that Juliette befriends and falls in love with Tariq, her guide in the city.  Many people will say that this is the main purpose of the movie.. but.. I would suggest that on the other side of the coin the movie is an expose to the area and culture of the region and that the plot line is just a means of knitting that together.   Throughout this visually stunning movie we are shown all the beautiful areas and regions of Cairo, its culture and unrests.   We are shown it's people and there differing attitudes about women, marriage, poverty, and religion.  In the end I enjoyed the movie for this latter aspect.. but found the story line, a bit sad, and distracting.  (3.5/6.0)

T.F.S. That Uncertain Feeling

The Toronto Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and enjoyment of film and movies

That Uncertain Feeling (1941) is a hilarious comedy about a shaky marriage and a women's infatuation with a crazy musician.  Jill and Larry Baker have been married for 6 years... but Jill is starting to feel that MAYBE she picked the wrong man.  When a "tell it how it is" musician comes into her life she is entranced by the difference in life styles.  The comedy ensues as the wife is swayed by the new life style but then realizes that the grass is NOT always greener on the other side of the fence.   (4.5/6.0)

T.F.S. Separate Tables

The Toronto Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and enjoyment of film and movies.

Okay this is one of the best movies I have yet to see at the T.F.S. I must say.  It stars Rita Hayworth, Burt Lancaster and David Niven in a drama around a group of broken people living in a Hotel in England.  Each of the characters has a serious fault or faults as the case may be.. and all are seeking refuge in what they think is an anonymous hotel where no one will see.  The hotel owner cares for her lodgers and makes them feel safe.  What the characters don't realize at first is that they aren't alone in their brokenness.. that although they are strangers sitting at separate tables... they have become closer than family.  Personally I liked how all the stories played out...  coming together at the end for a satisfying ending.  The acting was extremely strong... with each of the characters seeming to be fully developed.  For instance one of the characters a timid and brow beaten women was played excellently by Deborah Kerr.   (5.0/6.0)

Eat Drink Man Woman

So I went to see this film down at the Harbour Front Centre in Toronto.  All during the summer they are having a series of free outdoor movies that the public can come and enjoy.  Eat Drink Man Woman is a Taiwanese foreign film directed by Ang Lee.  So yes its subtitled.  LOL.  Senior Master Chef Chu lives in a large house in Taipei with his three unmarried daughters, Jia-Jen, a chemistry teacher converted to Christianity, Jia-Chien, an airline executive, and Jia-Ning, a student who also works in a fast food restaurant. Life in the house revolves around the ritual of an elaborate dinner each Sunday, and the love lives of all the family members.  You can definitely tell that this is a foreign film... I very much doubt that many North American movie goers, in general, would find this movie appealing.   Not that the story line is bad.. but just the pacing and atmosphere is a bit off from what I think most people are used to.  That being said.. I DID like this movie.  I found the family dynamics portrayed here to be heart warming and at time funny.  The difference in culture is obvious.. but at the same time there are similarities.. that you can pick up on.   (4.0/6.0)

Salt

So I was kind of curious going into this movie about how it was going to be.  I had read that original main character of Salt was meant to be male and that it was modified to be female at the start of shooting in order to accommodate Angelina Jolie.  Knowing Angelina's penchant for action movies I had no doubt that she could pull it off... but I was wondering how the dynamics of the movie would be changed with the switch.  In the end though I wasn't disappointed.  Salt is a extremely entertaining action summer block buster.  With plot twists and chase scenes abounding.  The audience is constantly flipping...  is she a russian spy or not.. and you don't REALLY know till the end... which I won't spoil for you.   Angelina Jolie does a commendable job keeping the character believable and plays well of Liev Schreiber.  The action sequences are tight and well choreographed, flowing nicely from scene to scene.   On the whole this movie is well worth seeing at the theaters.  (4.0/6.0)