DH's Californian junket man is braving the wet and cold Canadian weather to report in on new flicks from Kevin Spacey, Jude Law, Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons:
<strong>Toronto Film Festival - Day Two </strong>
"Day 2 of Toronto was straight into Kevin Spacey's dazzling and visually imaginative Beyond the Sea, Spacey's lively and imaginative take on the life of Bobby Darrin. A 50s crooner who married Sandra Dee, Spacey incorporates fantasy musical sequences and heartfelt poignancy to piece together a compelling and well drawn biography, which is consistently and energetically entertaining. Spacey inhabits Darren with magnificent precision, and the always beguiling Kate Bosworth gives a stunning performance as Dee, delivering a layered beautiful performance. Spacey directs with vivid, colorful strokes and sings, dances and acts his way to another Oscar nomination. Beyond the Sea is captivating and exhilarating, a true work of art.
I Heart Huckabees from David O. Russell is profoundly mystifying. But not necessarily in a good way. At times utterly pretentious and verbally excessive, the film seems to poke fun at its own philosophical outpourings yet it's also curiously entertaining, featuring hilarious work by Dustin Hoffman and Jason Schwartzman. At times you may find yourself scratching your head in disbelief at the film's looney plot but having fun in the process.
Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice gets a lush, star treatment from director Michael Radford with mixed results. Pacino certainly has fun chewing the scenery as Shylock and has compelling moments while Jeremy Irons is a subtle and intricate Antonio. Beautifully shot, the film works cinematically but its Elizabethan depiction of anti-Semitism seems dated. But it's a vibrant approach to the material that looks marvelous. Final screening of the night was the harrowing Hotel Rwanda, a powerful, moving and disturbing film about the Rwandan civil war and the mass genocide that occurred. Ten years ago, some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda; and in an era of high-speed communication and round-the-clock news, the events went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. In only three months, almost 1 million people were brutally murdered. In the face of these unspeakable actions, inspired by his love for his family, an ordinary man (Don Cheadle) summons extraordinary courage to save the lives of over a thousand helpless refugees by granting them shelter in the hotel he manages. Boasting a simply magnificent, Oscar-calibre performance by Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda is a sublime, mature and exquisite film, one that is both deeply disturbing yet ultimately hopeful. The film doesn't gloss over the atrocities or any way 'hollywoodise' these events. Rather, British director Terry George crafted a documentary-side drama that exemplifies its realism. Hotel Rwanda is not only one of the year's best films, but the most important film to see, because such events continue in other parts of the world, and the timing of this stunning film could not be more relevant. It was quite the first day at this Toronto Film Festival, plus a chance to catch up 1:1 with Jeremy Irons, who even confessed that he regretted doing Dungeons and Dragons - but at least he got to finish his Irish castle. Irons also confirmed that will appear in the upcoming feature adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. Tomorrow I catch up with Kate Bosworth and Bob Hoskins, check out Crash with Sandra Bullock, and much more"
